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Archive for November 2010
I’m back from a brief vacation in which I enjoyed the company of Amy Dearest and pressed her boyfriend into helping me shovel snow twice. Halfway through our first shoveling, he figured out that I’d given him the second best shovel. Busted, I reluctantly handed over my shovel and continued the work. A native Oklahoman, he enjoyed the white Thanksgiving and Black Friday evening parade and fireworks downtown. I’d probably have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t nursing the tail end of the cold I caught two weeks ago. Nasty stuff. Vile stuff. A cold in winter saps you. I hope you’re feeling well today. Now, I’ll play the Wild Card …
Members of the 391st Engineer Company platoon run through Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho on Tuesday during physical training. More than 100 soldiers with the 391st Engineer Company will mobilize for a year-long deployment to Iraq, and will leave Thursday for training in Wisconsin. (AP Photo/The Idaho Statesman, Joe Jaszewski)
I was going to see White Christmas at the Spokane Civic Theatre
on Friday. I had my tickets 
waiting for me at the box office for the
sold out show, but because I am a chicken when it comes to driving on
icy roads we stayed home instead. Now this has really put a
crimp in my monthly dose of culture! I need to remind myself of the
finer more simple pleasures in life and going to a performance at the
Spokane Civic gives me that and more. Sometimes we get caught up in all
the daily crap (yes I said crap) that is going on around us and we don’t
take time to just sit and be entertained.
Question: Have icy roads this year prevented you from attending an event that you really wanted to see or be a part of?
Josh Easley and Dave Martin work while standing on a suspended platform over the new shaft hole on the 4900 level in the Lucky Friday mine last week. They work for Cementation, the contractor that is digging the new shaft that will open up a new ore body in the mine. Becky Kramer will provide the story in Sunday’s paper. See Jesse Tinsley’s slide show here. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)
The head of the Washington State Potato Commission Chris Voigt poses for a photo in Moses Lake, Wash. Voigt challenged himself to live on a potato-only diet for 60 days. He’s cooked them every way but didn’t allow butter, sour cream or any of the usual high-calorie toppings. Voigt, head of the state potato commission, wanted to make a point about the humble spud’s rich nutrients. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Alan Berner)
Top Cutlines
IloveCdA.com is celebrating the fact that John Flaherty of Flaherty’s Framing & Fine Art has been pronounced cancer free — and is announcing a fund-raiser to help the family with the mountain of bills that was accumulated. More here.
Hucks Numbers (for Monday, Nov. 29): 8001 page-views/4192 unique views.
Let’s
face it - Kyle Brotzman will remember Friday night for the rest of his life. It’s going to be a tough journey for the Boise State kicker. But thousands of people on Facebook hope to make that journey a little easier for the Bronco’s all time leading scorer. As of Tuesday morning, “Bronco Nation Loves Kyle Brotzman” has more than 30,000 fans on Facebook. “We love you Kyle, keep on doing what you do,” one user posted/KBOI. More here.
DFO: I consider this a pretty classy gesture.
Question: What advice would you give Kyle Brotzman re: his misfires against Nevada?
At Priest Lake, Pecky Cox/As The Lake Churns snapped this photo of the snowfall today on Lakeshore Drive and wonders if we’ll break the record for November.
Question: Do you enjoy living through record-breaking weather events?
Cindy:
I just received a FB friend request from a fella wearing a gold necklace. I remember the pooka shells of the ‘70’s and the gold chains of the ‘80’s and the gag-me gangsta bling of the ‘90’s, but do men still wear necklaces?
Question: I haven’t worn a necklace of any kind since high school. I remember wearing a crucifix back then. What do you think? Do men in general wear necklaces?
Rex
Rammell, Idaho Falls, is under investigation in the illegal killing
of an elk following a confrontation with an Idaho Fish and Game
conservation officer. The officer was patrolling the Tex Creek Wildlife
Management Area east of Idaho Falls late this morning where a late
season cow elk hunt is being held. The officer checked Rammell’s elk tag
after he saw that Rammell was dragging a dead elk with his snowmobile.
The tag was invalid because it was issued for a hunt that closed in
October in the Middle Fork elk hunting zone/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Are you surprised that the former candidate for governor and U.S. senator is in hot water again?
Via Twitter, McWriters reports: “Watched a City of CDA truck plow the Atlas Bike Path while slowly driving up the UNPLOWED Atlas street. Bike paths have priority in CDA?!”
Question: Should bike paths be a priority during heavy snow like we’re having today?
A retired French electrician and his wife have come forward with 271 undocumented, never-before-seen works by Pablo Picasso estimated to be worth at least euro 60 million ($79.35 million), an administrator of the artist’s estate said Monday. The works include this drawing of a horse. (AP Photo/Succession Picasso). Story here.
Question: Do you have a favorite piece of art in your home?
Idaho had its Great Fire of 1910 that killed 87 people and its
Teton Dam collapse of 1976 that 
washed away 11 lives, but what was
the greatest weather-related disaster in the state’s 120-year
history? It wasn’t — as your grandparents may have told you — the Great
Winter of 1949-50, which essentially shut down southern Idaho’s
transportation for six weeks and its economy for a month. Yet there
were fewer than a dozen casualties from the Mother of All Snow
Storms. It was an avalanche near Hailey in Feb. 25, 1917, that set the
standard/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Have you ever been involved in a weather disaster?
Major Margaret Witt, center, with ACLU-WA Legal Director, Sarah Dunne, left, and James Lobsenz, right, react during a news conference today at the office of the ACLU of Washington in Seattle. Witt was suspended in 2004 and subsequently discharged after the Air Force learned she had been in a long-term relationship with a civilian woman. Witt now expects to be reinstated in the Air Force shortly. Story here. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Steve Ringman)
Rep. Elaine Smith, D-Pocatello, may try to implement strict
guidelines in state law designed to 
protect student-athletes from
returning too soon to fields of play after suffering concussions. Earlier this year, Smith proposed legislation that would require
athletes in publicly-funded sports – like high school football or
basketball – to visit a doctor, physician’s assistant, or nurse
practitioner to receive medical clearance to return to play. The initial
version also directed parents, coaches, and players to undergo training
in identifying concussions and also ordered coaches in public schools
to remove players from practices or games when they are suspected of
having suffered concussions/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Have you ever had a concussion? Do you remember what it was like?
On her way to work this morning in the downtown Spokane office, colleague Meghann Cuniff, of the Sirens & Gavels blog, snapped this photo of a street light seemingly flipping off winter.
The
surveillance video from the overhead cameras shows Hanni Elabed being
beaten by a fellow inmate in an Idaho prison, managing to bang on a
prison guard station window, pleading for help. Question: Should Idaho farm out oversight of prisons to private companies? And/or: Do you care if inmates beat on one another?
Behind the glass,
correctional officers look on, but no one intervenes when Elabed was
knocked unconscious. No one steps into the cellblock when the attacker sits down to rest, and no one stops him when he resumes the beating. Videos of the attack obtained by The Associated Press show officers
watching the beating for several minutes. The footage is a key piece of
evidence for critics who claim the privately run Idaho Correctional
Center uses inmate-on-inmate violence to force prisoners to snitch on
their cellmates or risk being moved to extremely violent units/Rebecca Boone, AP. More here. (AP photo: An inmate attacks fellow inmate Hanni Elabed at the privately-run Idaho Correctional Center.) H/T: Bent.
Idaho
State Parks, brought to you by … The North Face? Columbia Sportswear? REI? With backup cash dwindling and no new income streams in sight, the
state might sign a corporate sponsor to stave off park closures. “We’re trying to get very creative in the way that we survive here,” Nancy Merrill, state Parks and Recreation Department director, told IdahoReporter.com on Monday. Merrill said department public relations staffers have consulted with
a firm specializing in corporate-naming matchmaking and that a
sponsorship policy will be presented to the department board in
February/Jay Patrick, Idaho Reporter. More here. (SR file photo of cross-country skier enjoying Farragut State Park.)
Question: Do you support a proposal by the state parks system to raise money by offering a corporate sponsorship?
Wisconsin whitetails apparently are willing to challenge any bull elk that come wandering into their turf during the rut. In an early November battle, a whitetail buck fought to the death with a 640-pound concrete elk lawn ornament. Both critters suffered serious damage. Outdoors writer Rich Landers provides the rest of the story here.
On a “Dear Winter” note on her Facebook page, Cindy declares: “I’m breaking up with you. The sparkling, glittering promise of our relationship has dulled to mind-numbing greyish mush. I told you I needed space, yet you constantly smother me with unwanted attention. I am over you.”
DFO: I’m already tired of Junior, who’s spending his first winter in Florida, and the family branch that’s located in central and southern California mentioning in phone calls how swell the weather is in their neck of the woods.
Question: What do you say when friends and relatives who live in better climates mention that it’s 75 degrees outside and they plan to drive around town with the top down?
At my house, we generally string lights around the dwarf spruce out front, along the front trim and porch, and around the windows. Fairly basic stuff. Not anywhere near the big displays in the community that attract the drive-by gawkers. This year, however, we may go simpler still. Our street isn’t big on Christmas lights. But I enjoy them.
Question: In a word or two, can you describe your approach to outdoor Christmas lights?
Meanwhile, Gov. C. L. Otter of Idaho — furious at a court decision
canceling his state’s wolf hunt 
— has said he won’t allow a dime of
state money to be spent safeguarding Idaho’s wolves. He announced that
Idaho won’t do biological surveys, won’t investigate illegal kills and
won’t go after poachers. What accounts for these outbursts, besides the usual political pandering
to hunters? The main reason is an August decision by a District Court
judge in Montana that restored wolves in Idaho and Montana to the list.
The Interior department had earlier agreed (wrongly in our view) to lift
protections in those states and let them manage wolf populations on
their own/New York Times editorial. More here. H/T: Kevin Graman. (AP file photo)
Question: Do you think the Editorial Board of the New York Times has any reliable perspective on the impact of wolves in Western forests?
Idaho’s newest congressman-elect is a 42-year-old attorney and former
state lawmaker, but he’s 
also still paying off thousands in student
loans. “It’s how I got through law school,” said Idaho Rep.-elect Raul
Labrador. The Project on Student Debt, a nonprofit research group funded
by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Ford Foundation, says
it’s not uncommon for Americans, particularly those with professional
degrees, to still be paying off their student loans into their 40s.
“It’s taking longer and longer as people borrow more,” said Edie Irons,
the project’s communications director. “We’re definitely troubled by
it”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Did you have to take out student loans to get through college? How long did it take you to pay them off?
Boise State Broncos kicker Kyle Brotzman (35) reacts after missing a field goal in overtime against the University of Nevada at Mackay Stadium in Reno, NV on Friday night. The Wolfpack won the game in overtime. Brotzman has been the target of ugly name-calling, jabs, and taunts since he misfired — as well as a Facebook effort supporting him. ESPN story here. And: Kevin Richert editorial here. And: San Francisco Bowl still Boise State’s most likely destination here. (AP Photo/Idaho Statesman: Joe Jaszewski)
Question: What do you make of fan reaction to the missed field goals by Boise State kicker Kyle Brotzman in the Broncos’ upset loss to Nevada Friday?
Tony Smith isn’t a hobbit, dwarf, elf, or any of the other mythical
characters that inhabited Middle Earth and coveted the one ring that
ruled them all. Yet he has a gold Air Force Academy 
ring that took its
own sweet time getting back to him over a journey of 20 years. First,
you should know that Tony is a 1985 Coeur d’Alene High graduate and the
son of Randy and Ruth Smith, of Nettleton Gulch, and that he lost his
ring while water skiing in Texas in about 1990, one year after he
graduated from the Air Force Academy. It was – should I say – precious
to him, because the inscription inside (in English not elfin) helped him
through tough times: “I can do all things (through Christ who
strengthens me – Phil. 4:13).” Years after losing the ring, Tony learned
from the Air Force Academy that a European had found it at a campground
in Texas. The European then mailed the ring to Tony, only to have it
break through the envelope at a North Carolina post office/DFO, Huckleberries, SR. More here.
Question: When did you last lose an item of value that you wear or carry on your person (ring, watch, clothing, etc.?
Saba Ahmed, whose brother is a friend of the defendant, speaks to reporters following an appearance in federal court by terror suspect Mohamed Osman Mohamud on Monday in Portland. Authorities say Mohamud and an FBI operative parked a van full of dummy explosives on Southwest Yamhill Street across from Pioneer Courthouse Square just after sundown Friday while thousands gathered in the square for the annual tree lighting. Mohamud is accused of attempting to detonate the explosives. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)
Question: Some might say that the young suspect in this alleged bomb plot was entrapped. What do you think?
Mr_Bloggy: Federal workers average 90 quadrillion dollars a year each annual salary
and make 
80 infinity % more than private workers and they all get their
own surgical team and trauma helicopter to follow them wherever they go
in case they have a medical issue and it costs them NOTHING and if they
keep their individual healthcare costs under a benchmarked average of 8
million dollars a year each they receive, as a bonus, an entire wing of
a research hospital named after them plus a cash bonus of 6 billion
dollars. (The rest below.)
Question: Would you change your private sector job for a local, state, or federal job, if you could?
Joe Butler: I used to hate cow/stockyard smell, but after living in Ellensburg, I
don’t notice it much 
anymore. And the bile/vomit smell luckily doesn’t
seem to bug me like it does others. If you’ve ever wondered what that
distinct smell is, it’s butyric acid, which also shows up in Parmesan
cheese. Although too much Parmesan on food can sometimes confuse my
nose, which tells my brain, ‘you’re eating throw-up, dude, what the
heck?’ and cause a loss of appetite anyway.
Question: Have you ever lived in a town that smelled? What caused the smell? How did you handle it?
FlorineD: I had occasion to stop in at CDA Tractor late this afternoon. As I was
paying for the oil 
for my snowblower, I overheard a knowledgeable woman
saying on the phone, “well, we have that if you want to get it and
install it yourself. I do need to tell you that if you want us to
install it, you’ll be number 126 in line. No, I’m not kidding, they
have 125 snowblowers back there waiting.” So I’m not the only one who
waits till there’s snow before preparing for snow!
Question: Are you totally prepared for today’s big snow (i.e. do you have your snow tires on the car, bought a snowblower, have your wood in, etc.)?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
On Facebook Nic reports: “I’ve been walking around with my fly unzipped all morning and no one told me. Either my coworkers are horribly insensitive or incredibly unobservant.”
An SUV that lost a front wheel sits atop a snow berm on South Regal Street last week. Snowy, slippery conditions call for increased caution.
More snow in the forecast. Be careful out there!
Now that the weather has our attention, it’s probably a good time to check in with the highway patrol on how to stay safe on the road this winter.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Troy Briggs said the single most important thing driving in winter is simple:
“Probably the most common mistake we see is speed that is too fast for road conditions,” he said.
How fast is too fast? That depends, Briggs said. Mike Prager, SR. More here.
Apparently, the Blogfather is still in the grips of a tryptophan coma and is taking today off to recover. After preparing 17 pounds of turkey, 5 pounds of mashed potatoes (with gravy), 2 dozen rolls, 2 pans of stuffing, 2 cans of olives, 1 green bean casserole, 1 carrot/onion bacon casserole, 2 apple pies, 1 pumpkin pie, 1 pumpkin cheesecake pie, and 1 vat of turkey noodle soup, I’d like a day off, too.
But no rest for the wicked. Or something. Feel free to leave your post-Thanksgiving thoughts here.
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Monday proposed a two-year freeze of the salaries of some 2 million federal workers, trying to seize the deficit-cutting initiative from Republicans with a sudden, dramatic stroke. Though signaling White House concern over record deficits, the freeze would make only a tiny dent in annual deficits or the nation’s $14 trillion debt.
“Small businesses and families are tightening their belts,” Obama said in brief remarks at the White House. “The government should, too.” The administration said the plan was designed to save more than $5 billion over the first two years. AP Read more.
Is a tiny dent better than no dent?
Idaho is the only state without a suicide crisis hotline and has no clear private or government funding source to restart the program.
Kathy Garrett, a former Republican state lawmaker and member of the Idaho Council on Suicide Prevention, is looking for a shared public-private partnership to open the crisis phone lines, which could cost $150,000 a year.
“Idaho’s shirking on its duty,” Garrett said about the lack of a hotline. Last year, 3,633 people called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, with calls answered by staff and volunteers in Oregon. Full story. Brad Iverson-Long, Idaho Reporter
Are you surprised that Idaho is the only state without a suicide crisi hotline? Why or why not?
AMHERST, Mass., Nov. 25 (UPI) — The manager of a Massachusetts pizzeria said the business is out $3,900 after a man who claimed to be from Bob Dylan‘s stage crew ordered 178 pizzas.
Sean McElligott, manager of Antonio’s in Amherst, said the store was “too trusting” when a man in his 40s wearing Bob Dylan backstage concert credentials came in and asked if they could produce 178 extra-large pizzas to feed the singer’s concert crew, The (Springfield, Mass.) Republican reported Thursday.
“We stayed there until 5 in the morning making the pizza,” he said. “The request seemed legitimate.” UPI More here.
Have you ever been “punked”?
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the governors of the three Rocky Mountain states met Monday in Denver to try to figure out how to turn management of wolves over to the states — including the possibility that Congress could specify that the wolf population is fully recovered.
Salazar met with Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and Wyoming Gov.-elect Matt Mead. All three states are anxious to reduce wolf numbers to protect other wildlife and reduce livestock attacks. Read more.
How long will it take for this issue to be resolved?
The worst smell in the world is_________
He’s the leader of the free world, and he’s won a Nobel Peace Prize.
But only now, by one measure, is Barack Obama finally truly famous: He’s written a children’s book.
With “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters,” a new picture book for readers 3 and up, the president joins a long list of famous folk who’ve penned children’s books: Madonna, John Travolta, Katie Couric, Will Smith, Paul McCartney, Whoopi Goldberg, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld and Steve Martin, just to name a few. More here.
I make it a point to avoid purchasing books by celebrity authors. Just because you’re famous doesn’t mean you can write (though there are plenty of exceptions, I’m sure).
What’s your favorite childrens’ book?
Cincinnati wide receiver Chris Henry had apparently turned his life around when tragedy struck.
A berry picker sent me a link to this video that aired on Thanksgiving. A moving tribute to the choice Chris Henry’s mother made that forever changed the lives of many people. It’s worth watching. And yes, I cried, too: http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/play/nfl/CdypPOxkRyMWxJjEkoxYqBr_XWjB6WQe
Would you make the same choice Chris Henry’s mother made?
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson dropped an easy, game-winning touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
After the game, Johnson placed the blame for the flub not on himself nor the pass nor the lights nor the defender nor the pressure of the situation. Nope; he blamed it on the big guy upstairs.
Johnson used Twitter to lash out at the Almighty. But I’m not sure God is a Steve Johnson follower.
Thoughts?
Police officers kneel at the caskets of four slain Lakewood officers during a memorial service Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009, at the Tacoma Dome.
PARKLAND, Wash. – The first of two memorials honoring four Lakewood police officers who were killed by a gunman last year has been dedicated.
Today is the one-year anniversary of the deaths of Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold and Greg Richards.
A memorial was dedicated Sunday afternoon outside Forza Coffee shop in Parkland, where the four were gunned down. More here.
Thoughts?
Roger Federer celebrates his ATP World Tour Finals title.
LONDON – Roger Federer turned his high-profile, season-ending match against Rafael Nadal into little more than an exhbition.
Federer gave his rival little chance to mount a challenge in the 22nd meeting between two of the greatest players of all time, winning his fifth season-ending title 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 at the ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday.
Federer won an incredible 92 percent of the points played on his first serve in the final, and lost only 13 points on serve in the entire match.
Do you play tennis?
WASHINGTON — The release of more than 250,000 classified State Department documents forced the Obama administration into damage control, trying to contain fallout from unflattering assessments of world leaders and revelations about backstage U.S. diplomacy.
The publication of the secret cables on Sunday amplified widespread global alarm about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and unveiled occasional U.S. pressure tactics aimed at hot spots in Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Korea. The leaks also disclosed bluntly candid impressions from both diplomats and other world leaders about America’s allies and foes. Read more.
WikiLeaks: Items of important public interest? Items that jeopardize foreign policy issues? Or both?
President Barack Obama watches a basketball game in Washington on Saturday
WASHINGTON – A day after it took 12 stitches to patch a busted lip President Barack Obama suffered during a game of pickup basketball, he was back on the hard court Saturday – as a spectator. More here. AP
When did you last have to get stitches?
In the tiny town of Thompson Falls, Mont., in the 1950s, there was a single paperboy who delivered the Missoulian to nearly 100 subscribers.
He was 11, maybe 12 years old. The paper cost a nickel, no more than a dime. It was the only source of news for the folks who called the valley their home.
And Nils Rosdahl was that boy who flung those papers door to door. Read more. Bill Buley, CDA Press
After 26 years at NIC, Nils Roshdahl, who also writes the the Handle Business column for the SR, is retiring. Share your thoughts about Nils here or perhaps there is another teacher/mentor who you will never forget?
General Manager Brad McQuarrie looks around the slopes at Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010.
So far, it looks like La Niña is delivering as promised.
Ski resort operators across the Inland Northwest started cheering as early as last spring when forecasters began predicting the weather pattern that typically brings colder temperatures and increased precipitation to the Pacific Northwest. Alison Boggs, SR More.
Did you partake of any snow sports over Thanksgiving weekend?
It is hard to imagine that 1,300 children are in Idaho’s foster care system. Laura Umthun, Handle Extra
Air Force ring comes full circle, DFO, Handle Extra
We’ve gotten some clues for interesting big business news for the near future, but they aren’t absolutely confirmed – so we’ll just hint at them within the tidbits down below. Nils Rosdahl, Handle Extar
Mill Public House: To quote that great would-be novelist Snoopy, it was a dark and stormy night. Patrick Jacobs, Handle Extra
The race is on for the Idaho Senate’s top leadership post, now that Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, has decided not to seek another term as pro-tem. Betsy Russell, Handle Extra
Chuck Murray discovered a strange bird recently in his Bayview backyard. A western scrub jay showed up Oct. 24 and appears to be settling in for a long stay. Herb Huseland, Handle Extra
A North Idaho woman said she was confronted by at least four wolves between Tensed and Plummer as she walked alone up her rural driveway at dusk on Saturday.
The timing of Karen Calisterio’s phone calls documents her 20 minutes of terror.
More here. Rich Landers, SR.
Recently, I was confronted by a wolf at Isabella’s in downtown Spokane. He offered to buy me a drink. Any other wolf sightings out there?
LOS ANGELES – Leslie Nielsen, who traded in his dramatic persona for inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in “Airplane!” and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in “The Naked Gun” comedies, died on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.
Favorite Nieslen roles/movies/quotes?
The Idaho Vandals chance for a bowl bid this year were dashed in the final 2 minutes of their game with Fresno State Saturday night. Fresno State drove 60 yards to score a touchdown and beat the Vandals 23-20 and break the heart of Vandal Nation, which was hoping for a second straight trip to a bowl game. Coupled with Boise State’s upset loss to Nevada in Reno Friday, Idaho’s loss means the Gem State didn’t have a very good weekend. But basketball is about to take hold for sports fans — and there should be plenty of snow on the slopes now for winter sport fans. But the Wild Card certainly isn’t just about sports. You can use it as always to start your own threads …
The Idaho State Police says two people were killed in a two-car crash on Highway 95 south of Coeur d’Alene Friday evening. ISP investigators said Kenneth and Joy Gollnick, both of Post Falls, were in the process of driving their 16-year-old son Daniel back to juvenile detention in Lewiston when they lost control of their car in the southbound lanes of the highway in the Mica Flats area. Troopers said the Gollnick’s collided with a northbound SUV driven by 52-year-old John Orvick. Investigators said first responders had to cut open the car to free Daniel. He was taken to Kootenai County Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition Friday night/KXLY. More here.
Boise State Broncos kicker Kyle Brotzman reacts after missing a 29 yard field goal attempt during overtime of the NCAA college football game Friday night in Reno, Nev. No. 19 Nevada upset No. 4 Boise State 34-31 in overtime. Brotzman also missed what would have been a game-winning field goal as time expired in regulation play. ESPN game story & boxscore here. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)
Question: What will happen to Boise State in terms of bowl play?
My family enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with the usual fare. Frito Ray handled the cooking duties. He may be the best chef in the family. I stuffed myself & then suffered through an NFL game that was interesting (New Orleans -Dallas). Which isn’t always the case in Thanksgiving Day football games. I was wearing the cool S.F. Giants garb that Amy Dearest brought with her from Portland. Today, I plan to sleep in. But there are plans in the house to do a Black Friday shopping spree early in the AM. Be careful out there. I’ll be back next week. Now, for your Black Friday Wild Card …
Amy Dearest and her beau got here safely over roads that were tricky in a couple of spots — around The Dalles, Ore., and again in Kennewick, Wash., Wednesday night. Now, we plan to sleep in Thursday morning. Or until the sound of the Thanksgiving Day parade on television lures us into the living room. Later, it’ll be a family get together at Frito Ray’s. And still later, of course, it’ll be leftovers and preparations by some in the family for Black Friday. I hope you have a delightful Thanksgiving, too. Now, I’ll play the Wild Card for any other well wishers …
Is there anything more humiliating than being banished to the kids’ table when you’re a teenager?
Each Thanksgiving, as we gathered at my grandmother’s Hayden home, I hoped and prayed I’d at last made the cut and would be allowed to sit with the grown-ups. But when you’re the youngest in your family many things are beyond your reach – including the table with the linen cloth and good china. More here. CIndy Hval, SR
Happy Thanksgiving from the big table! Whoo hoo! What’s on your menu today?
At Idaho Scenic Images, Linda Lantzy braved subzero temperatures Wednesday morning to shoot this photo for her Facebook album. She writes, “A little alpine glow in the am. City Park, Coeur d’Alene.” You can see more photos of the wintry waterfront here.
I’m going to pack it in for a few days, posting only Wild Cards from now until next Monday. Amy Dearest is coming home for the long Thanksgiving weekend — and I plan to enjoy her company plus family. And I suspect you will to. I’m thankful for all of you — bloggers, commenters, e-mailers, and blurkers — who have been Huckleberries what it is today. I enjoy hanging out here at Hucks Central earning a living by simply keeping the rings busy in this three-ring cyber circus. I wish everyone the most pleasant of Thanksgivings. Now, I’m going to post this Wild Card and getouttahere …
A herd of bison along the Bitterroot Valley’s Eastside Highway north of Stevensville, Mont., are covered in snow following a blizzard Tuesday that swept through the valley earlier this week. (AP Photo/The Missoulian, Perry Backus)
In the comments section, Frum Helen Back warns all of us who haven’t been to our mailboxes 
today that something unpleasant might be waiting for us, from Kootenai County. Writes FHB: “Today I got a look at my property tax bill. It was hard to believe it
went up $1600 dollars. I was sure there was a mistake but there wasn’t.” I know taxes are suppose to go up somewhat because we passed those levies for Kootenai Technical Education Campus. But I doubt that there suppose to go up much in this era of a fairly frozen housing market.
Question: Did your property taxes go up much this year?
HMOffsuite:
I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every HBOer a
Happy Thanksgiving and hope all have a wonderful day. The mere fact
that we can gather here and share our ideas, bicker, debate, argue and
even sometimes agree, is a wonderful thing. It is something that we
should all be Thankful for. Living in America is a treasure and we
should all be thankful for that.
Question: What are you thankful for?
Boise State University president Bob Kustra addresses members of the media during a news conference in Boise, in this file photo. Kustra said today that his counterpart at Ohio State’s claim that Big Ten and Southeastern Conference teams play a “murderer’s row” schedule “is the greatest exaggeration I think we’ve heard this year in college football.” See story below. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield, File)
A TSA officer searches a traveler in a wheelchair at security check point at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Bloomington, Minn., today. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
Top Cutlines:
Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay was convicted of money
laundering in a state 
court here Wednesday, making it possible that the
once-powerful political warrior could end his career behind bars. The jury found Mr. DeLay knowingly funneled $190,000 in corporate
donations to fellow Republicans running for the Texas legislature in
2002, violating state rules that ban companies from contributing to
candidates’ campaigns. He was convicted on one count of money laundering, which carries a
maximum prison sentence of 99 years, and one count of conspiracy to
commit money laundering, which has a penalty of up to 20 years/WSJ.com. More here. (AP file photo of former U.S. House Speaker Tom DeLay)
Reaction?
The Idaho Transportation Department just announced that its hearing officer, Merlyn Clark, has ruled that opponents of the four proposed ConocoPhillips megaloads on U.S. Highway 12 have a right to contest permits for the loads. ITD Director Brian Ness “will review the recommendation,” the agency said in a brief news release, “and will decide the final action of the transportation department”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
Allison Gibbs holds up a sign in protest to what some are calling unnecessarily intrusive security screenings by the Transportation Security Administration at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco today. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Protesters objecting to screening methods used by the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), the agency tasked with ensuring airline safety, gathered at a busy intersection Wednesday near the Boise Airport to let the public know that it should be aware of the danger to liberty taking place nearby. About 30 rally-goers braved single-digit temperatures to show various anti-TSA signs voicing discontent with the operations of the federal government agency/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Do you support the protest against TSA security methods?
Bristol Palin, left, and her partner Mark Ballas perform on the celebrity dance competition series, “Dancing with the Stars,” on Monday in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/ABC, Adam Larkey)
But then there’s the other side to Bristol — the side that appeared last night on Dancing with the Stars, and the side that was eerily reminiscent of a certain former Alaskan governor. She’s entitled, arrogant and obscenely self-serving. “Going out there and winning this would mean a lot,” Bristol told the Dancing with the Stars audience during a clip package on the finale. “It would be like a big middle finger to all the people out there that hate my mom and hate me”/Christopher Rosen, Movie Line. More here.
Question: Did Bristol Palin do as well as she did in the ‘Dancin’ with the Stars’ competition because she had a big following via her mother? Or because she improved dramatically?
Via Droid, Mr_Bloggy sent this view from the east slope of Snoqualmie Pass a few minutes ago, as traffic crawls along while he tries to make it home for Thanksgiving.
North Idaho College tweets: “The NJCAA polls are in… NIC men’s basketball ranked No. 1 in the nation! Wrestling ranked No. 2! Women’s basketball ranked No. 3!”
I hope this is sinking in ‘cause I’m gettin’ tired of all the blank stares I get when I mention splitting 
wood and shovelin’ show to stay in shape. Like I was part of some living diorama where I’m the old throwback from a different century holding proudly—but stupidly—onto my splitting maul and snow shovel. A North Idaho version of ‘American Gothic.’ Next to me would be some puttybutt bench pressing his utility bills and a snowblower payment book while wearing a big stupid grin and a pair of suspenders to contain himself and his happiness/Scott Clawson, River Journal. More here.
Question: Do you shovel your own driveway & sidewalks and chop your own wood? In other words, are you a North Idaho throwback?
Monte, the University of Montana’s ever-gregarious mascot, is
one of eight finalists in the national 
Capitol One Mascot of the
Year contest. The university’s cuddly bear is currently in third place behind
Old Dominion’s “Big Blue” and the University of Texas El Paso’s
“Pay Dirt Pete.” Monte, of course, is a two-time defending
champion, having claimed the title in 2002 and 2004. United Mascots on Tuesday announced the eight finalists who will
advance to the playoffs. Rounding out the final eight playoff mascots is Ohio State’s
“Brutus,” “Puddles the Duck” from the University of Oregon,
defending champion “Bearcat” of the University of Cincinnati, “Joe
Vandal” of the University of Idaho, and Western Kentucky’s “Big
Red”/Chelsi Moy, Missoulian. More here. (AP file photo of Joe Vandal at basketball game this spring)
Question: Which mascot do you prefer — University of Montana’s Monte or Joe Vandal?
Don Sausser provided a shot of the waterfront from west of Tubbs Hill this morning. Now, Linda Lantzy/Idaho Scenic Images provides another one from this morning, of the sunshine breaking over the marina, sandwiched between eastern Tubbs Hill and Sanders beach.
The KXLY Broadcast Group announces the addition of Main Street
Monday to the KVNI AM1080 
morning line-up. Kerri Thoreson will headline
the show from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Monday mornings, interviewing an array of
guests from the community and showcasing the people who make a difference in the
Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls area. Thoreson is a long-time resident of
Kootenai County and writes the popular Main Street column in the Coeur d’Alene
Press on Wednesdays. Her Main Street Birthday Club has grown to thousands of
members and will be a feature of the new KVNI program. “What a great
additional opportunity to highlight why I love where I live …the people!” said
Thoreson. (Kerri writes about it in her Main Street column today)
Question: Which radio station/program do you listen to most?
If you read the Coeur d’Alene Press story this morning, you know that 55 votes were cast on the motion before the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee on the motion to oust Matt Roetter as state committeeman. And that Roetter survived. But did you know that 31 voted to oust Roetter and 24 voted against the ouster. The motion required a two-thirds supermajority for passage. Seems 48 Republicans (& Constitutionalists who currently run the local central committee) were present for the super-secret executive session & 7 others sent proxy votes.
Apple, the National Thanksgiving Turkey, walks around the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington this morning before being pardoned by President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Question: What will be the most non-traditional food at your Thankgiving Day dinner?
To hear Idaho Gov. C. L. (Butch) Otter tell it, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency should stop short of cleaning up a
century’s worth of mining contamination in the Silver Valley. 
Apparently, the Superfund label and the cleanup efforts are hurting the valley’s image. “I have heard from legislators, local officials and the people
of the Silver Valley, and I share their frustration and concern about
the EPA’s overreaching and hugely expansive proposal for future cleanup
efforts in the valley,” Otter wrote. The state’s four-member congressional delegation has since
joined the chorus. But imagine if Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal followed
that approach with the recent BP oil spill. Don’t bother extensively
restoring the Gulf Coast. All that publicity is bad for the fishing and
tourism industries. Just declare the oil all gone/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Are Butch Otter & Idaho’s congressional delegation right in resisting efforts by EPA to further clean up the Silver Valley’s mining waste?
A self-described militia leader pleaded guilty this week to federal
gun charges connected to a 
grenade manufacturing operation at his
trailer in Spirit Lake. Kenneth B. Kimbley Jr., 58, discussed bombing local bridges with an
undercover federal agent and made threatening statements toward
President Barack Obama, leading investigators last July to seize 20,000
ammunition rounds and several firearms from Kimbley’s property, where he
and other suspected militia members gathered to construct grenades,
according to court documents/Meghann Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.
Question: Do you think the militia movement is as strong today in North Idaho as it was in the 1990s?
Even if TCU and Boise State run the table, they still don’t deserve
to be in the Bowl Championship Series title game, Ohio State president
E. Gordon Gee said Wednesday. In an interview with The 
Associated
Press, the president at the university with the largest athletic program
in the country said that TCU and Boise State do not face a difficult
enough schedule to play in the national championship game. “Well, I don’t know enough about the Xs and Os of college football,”
said Gee, formerly the president at West Virginia, Colorado, Brown and
Vanderbilt universities. “I do know, having been both a Southeastern
Conference president and a Big Ten president, that it’s like murderer’s
row every week for these schools. We do not play the Little Sisters of
the Poor. We play very fine schools on any given day”/Associated Press. More here. (AP file photo of Boise State football coach Chris Petersen)
Question: Do you agree with Ohio State prez E. Gordon Gee that Boise State and TCU play ‘Little Sisters of the Poor’ in beefing up their football records?
Don Sausser was up early with his camera to provide this photo of fog coming off the frigid waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene at City Beach.
This April 30 file photo shows a woman, left, giving a thumbs down as Tiger Woods walks from the 15th hole during the second round of the Quail Hollow Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. Woods believes he finally is ready to move on after a self-destructive year that cost him his marriage, his mystique, millions in endorsements and, lastly, his No. 1 ranking. What remains are relationships to repair, along with his golf game. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)
Question: Does golfer Tiger Woods mean as much to you today as he did a year ago?
Item: Roetter retains committeeman post: Official refused to support Phil Hart/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: A Kootenai County Republican Central Committeeman was allowed to keep his position on the board following a vote Tuesday evening. Matt Roetter was facing dismissal from his position as an officer of the KCRCC’s executive board for his public refusal to support Phil Hart as a Republican candidate amid the Athol legislator’s tax and timber controversies. The committee conducted the vote during its monthly meeting in executive session, closed to the public. Roetter retained his seat after 55 votes, including proxy votes, were cast.
Question: How would you characterize this setback to the Phil Hart branch of the Kootenai County Republican Party?
But
as I just got out of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I,” I do have to say that this is the first adult offering from the blockbuster series. Or mature young adult, anyway. Little about the film is cutesy. For the first time we aren’t hobbled
by the traditional return to Hogwarts, games of quidditch, the silly
romantic quibbles between budding adolescents, the guessing game of
which teacher this time is the villain (hint: isn’t it always the
new one?). No, Hogwarts is missing because Dumbledore
is dead, and quidditch is absent for the same reason (though there is a
snitch)/Dan Webster, Movies & More. More here.
Question: How many of the Harry Potter movies have you seen so far? Do you plan to see this one?
Nick Anderson/Houston Chronicle
Marquette guard Vander Blue (2) and Gonzaga forward Mangisto Arop (10) battle for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball third place game in the CBE Classic Tournament tonight in Kansas City, Mo. ESPN boxscore here And: Jim Meehan’s SR game story here. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Last year, I was proud of myself that I’ve never wasted money on a snow-blower. I’ve always preferred to shovel snow myself, as exercise deep in the hearta winter. However, I must admit that I was covetous last night listening to my neighbors’ snow-blowers as I shoveled the driveway and sidewalks with temperatures dipping to the single digits. Mebbe next year. I’ll play the Wild Card early today, in case you have a thread or thought you want to share now …
Madie Baker’s snowball disintegrates as she throws it at a friend in a downtown park Tuesday in Seattle. A vicious storm struck the Pacific Northwest and other western states at the start of the holiday travel season, dumping heavy snow on roads, knocking out power to tens of thousands of people and causing a cargo plane to overshoot its runway in Seattle. At least three deaths in Washington state have been blamed on the storm, including a man struck and killed outside his car Monday night on snowy Interstate 5 in Tacoma. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
We’re just a few days now from one of the biggest holidays of the year! We’re not talking about Thanksgiving; we mean Black Friday - the biggest shopping day of the year. But, before you brave the early morning crowds, we ask: is Black Friday worth it? The crush of the crowd, for many, is hard to resist. With a tradition that has almost overtaken the major holiday that precedes it, millions of Americans are getting their shopping lists ready for the big day. A couple of guys in Arizona started camping out Monday outside a Best Buy store, with visions of Black Friday deals dancing in their heads. The National Retail Federation says 60 million people plan to hit the stores bright and early Friday morning, enticed by deals galore/Melissa Luck, KXLY. More here.
Question (from Melissa Luck): Is Black Friday worth the hassle?
In Sagle, Berry Picker Arpie reports that “It’s shaping up to be a moosey winter. A one-antlered bull was seen in town near some friends, and I saw two skiing Sunday. We’ve lived here 12 years and this is the first moose we’ve seen in our yard. This photo was taken today. My kids wouldn’t let me chase him off like I wanted to after he was munching my clematis.”
A street magician swallows a snake in Antananarivo, Madagascar Monday as he performs and later pulls them out. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Top Cutlines:
As retailers continue to come out ever earlier with deals and discounts for the holidays, Black Friday may be losing its potency as the official shopping kick-off day. But Thanksgiving Eve, or Black Wednesday, is as strong as ever as one of the biggest bar nights of the year. “There’s no question it’s a top five holiday for most bars, says David Henkes, vice-president and on-premise practice leader for Chicago-based retail insights firm Technomic Inc. “Thanksgiving is a universal holiday, and many people want a night to spend with old friends before the family obligations take over”/Kate McArthur, Chicago Business. More here.
Question: Do you hit the taverns with friends on Thanksgiving Eve?
The Coeur d’Alene School District will be closed Wednesday due to expected extreme cold, the district announced today. The National Weather Service in Spokane said it expects the low tonight to dip to minus-9 in Coeur d’Alene. Wednesday’s high will reach 9 in the Lake City, and it will be down around zero Wednesday night, the agency said/Spokesman-Review. More here.
Tristan Long, front, and Hayden Symbol with the City of Spokane Water Department, remove snow from the Monroe Street Bridge Tuesday in Spokane. Bitter cold is replacing the falling snow with temperatures forecasted to be minus 8 in Spokane Wednesday. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
Colleague Colin Mulvany explains this shot: “This morning I was grumbling about my working conditions of having to go out in the bitter cold to find a snow feature photo. But seeing these two guys snow blowing bridge sidewalks made me rethink my plight. They were clearing the sidewalks in front of Spokane City Hall when I spotted them. Visually boring and not an interesting enough photo was my first thought. I soon realized the men were going to turn the corner and head over the Monroe Street Bridge. More here.
Question: Which job performed by someone who must be outside on a day like this makes you grateful for your working conditions?
We are approaching the time of year when, if not shopping, people tend to be more friendly and in better moods. Thanksgiving. Family gatherings around bountiful tables. Even the less fortunate are usually provided with a good meal. Christmas. Holiday music can’t help but cheer. More family and food and gifts and maybe even a remembrance of what the Holiday is about. Both holidays, a mere month apart, will seem so distant but a week after when we return to normal; school, jobs, the cold streets ~ and war/Dogwalk Musings. More here.
Question (from Dogwalk Musings): Why does it never stop? What is wrong with man that conflict must be war, killing? Death?
On her “Not Really News” blog, long-time Lewiston Tribune reporter Sandra Lee offers this motion from the Central Orchards Sewer District board minutes, word for word: “Manager Larsen asked the 
board about purchasing holiday turkeys and
hams. After some discussion, Director Berger moved to purchase holiday
turkeys and hams for the Board of Directors, District Employees and
Attorney Tony Anegon. Director Meredith seconded the motion. The motion
passed unopposed.” Sandra also mentions that the levy for property tax by the COSD has just gone up from $10 to $13 per month and that the Lewiston Orchards Sewer District board doesn’t provide free turkeys and ham to employees, board members, or its attorney. Then: “It still seems a bit strange to be giving people on the public payroll —
and their attorney — a holiday freebie when customer prices are going
up.” Sandra Lee’s full post here.
Question: Do you agree with Sandra that public boards shouldn’t be handing out turkeys & hams to employees, board members, and its attorney? And/or: Do you get a free turkey or ham from your business for Christmas or Thanksgiving?
Stickman (who took the photo above earlier today) emails: “Just a heads up that the bald eagles have started to arrive. Most years they come around the 1st of December and stay till the 1st of January. They are here early. I was out there this morning and saw at least ten. They will start to come more and more each day, so I will be going out there every day from now on.”
… via Cindy’s oldest son: “If guns kill people, do pencils misspell words?”
A colleague in the Coeur d’Alene office of The Spokesman Review was amazed when she saw a 
female dressed to the nines in black and wearing stiletto heels emerge from the parking lot north of the old Kootenai County Courthouse a few minutes ago. However, my colleague wasn’t amazed when the female did a pratfall in the crosswalk when her stilettos went out from under her. Someone muttered that the well-dressed female must be from California, as my colleague recounted the story. I’m telling you this only because the woman appeared to be unhurt. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: What’s more important to you re: clothes on days like this — fashion or comfort?
Idaho Fish and Game officials are developing new rules that would allow residents to salvage road kill wildlife. The Idaho Fish and Game Commission last week directed agency staff to research and draft rules that would allow public salvage for personal use and commercial salvage, such as selling pelts. Existing state rules do not allow for personal or commercial use of accidentally killed wildlife. Earlier this year, Fish and Game officials opposed a bill that would have allowed the public to snatch up roadkill found along the side of the highway. At the time, the agency said it collected information about animals killed on roads to help determine the length of hunting seasons/Associated Press. More here.
Question: Should Idahoans be allowed to take roadkill for personal and commercial use?
Motorists make their way along Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive earlier today. Gov. Otter’s transportation task force delivered its
long-awaited recommendations for how to fund roads in Idaho. Betsy Russell/Eye On Boise is covering the announcement on her SR blog here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
One of my Facebook friends is asking for prayers for two of her “invincible” teenagers who are 
traveling home from Utah today. Seems they’ve already had to change routes once because I-15 is closed north of Idaho Falls. So they headed west/north from Pocatello through Boise and then the Tri-Cities. I probably shouldn’t mention this here. But my wife’s sister and her husband are trying to find their way home from Boardman, Ore., after rolling their pickup on I-84 around 6:30 last night. They were OK. Their pickup was totaled. Now, we’re warning our daughter and her boyfriend not to try to make it home Wednesday for Thanksgiving. (AP file photo of pickup stopped in The Dalles, Ore., in Columbia Gorge)
Question: How about you. Has the snow and arctic freeze changed travel plans for family and friends headed to the Coeur d’Alene area?
A sledder starts downhill after a push as the Space Needle is seen behind Tuesday in Seattle’s Gasworks Park. A vicious storm struck the Pacific Northwest and other western states at the start of the holiday travel season, dumping heavy snow on roads, knocking out power to tens of thousands of people and causing a cargo plane to overshoot its runway in Seattle. At least three deaths in Washington state have been blamed on the storm, including a man struck and killed outside his car Monday night on snowy Interstate 5 in Tacoma. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Pecky Cox/As The Lake Churns e-mails that she “could hardly wait for daylight to take walk on the beach and see what single digit temps and wind built on beach last night.”
As you probably know, we’ve been rallying support
for water quality monitoring for weeks now. We have been calling on
Gov. Otter to restore funding to the budget to perform one of the basic
functions under the Clean Water Act, something the Governor and legislature have declined to fund for the past two years. Of course, this is exactly what you’d expect of your local grassroots conservation organization. But guess what — we’re not the only ones. Because of the potential
impact that another year of non-monitoring would have on water quality
permitting and municipal budgets, a number of Idaho municipalities have
joined in the chorus. Boise, Nampa, Hailey, Moscow, Post Falls, Ponderay, and Blaine County are on record as supporting the water quality monitoring line item in the budget/Terry Harris, KEA Blog. More here. (SR file photo: Rich Landers)
Question: Should Idaho restore funding to monitor water quality?
Question: Do you water quality monitoring as a luxury in hard times, as the Otter administration apparently does, or as a necessity?
Awise man once told me “It’s not what you say, it’s
how you say it.” That statement has held true in my personal and
professional life and, after seeing their new commercials, someone in
Toyota’s 
advertising department should heed those words. I’m quite frankly offended by their
new television ads that feature a young boy whose message is “Parents,
you don’t have to be lame.” The advertising implies, quite directly,
that parents who cannot afford to own a Toyota Highlander somehow don’t
fit the bill of being “cool.” I grew up with what some would
consider “lame” cars. Our primary car growing up was a 1972 Ford Elite,
hardly the Griswold’s family truckster. Only after it finally puked did
we trade up to a Ford Explorer that lasted us for nearly 100,000 miles/Henry Johnston, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Do you own a “lame car”?
In this Oct. 18 AP file photo, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks to the crowd during the kickoff of the nationwide Tea Party Express bus tour in Reno, Nev. Tea party backers fashion themselves as “we the people,” but polls show the Republican Party’s most conservative and energized voters are hardly your average crowd. According to an Associated Press-GfK Poll this month, 84 percent who call themselves tea party supporters don’t like how President Barack Obama is handling his job _ a view shared by just 35 percent of all other adults. They’re about four times likelier than others to back repealing Obama’s health care overhaul and twice as likely to favor renewing tax cuts for the highest-earning Americans. (AP Photo/Scott Sady)
Question: Does the Tea Party express the values of residents of Idaho and the Inland Northwest?
RE: Pope: Some condom use justified
Eman: When most people have the flu they often take care to not contaminate
others. Not many walking around licking phones and door knobs. Why.
because it’s not the right thing to do. That 
would be a no brainer. Why
then are those HIV positive even considering having intercourse in the
first place. There are many ways to express true love to another without
it isn’t there? I don’t recall any deaths from not releasing or
exchanging body fluids. In other words when was that last time someone
died because they never had sex? Trust me, look around, there are
plenty of people out there that haven’t gotten any nor are they going to
get any in the near future and it’s funny, no mass deaths as a result.
Question: Do you agree with Eman’s solution to the HIV/AIDS problem re: preventing the spread of the disease?
The nation’s airport security chief pleaded with Thanksgiving travelers for understanding and urged them not to boycott full-body scans on Wednesday, lest their protest snarl what is already one of the busiest, most stressful flying days of the year. Transportation Security Administration chief John Pistole said Monday that such delaying actions would only “tie up people who want to go home and see their loved ones.” “We all wish we lived in a world where security procedures at airports weren’t necessary,” he said, “but that just isn’t the case.” He noted the alleged attempt by a Nigerian with explosives in his underwear to bring down a plane over Detroit last Christmas/Olympian. More here.
Question: Would you be upset if a boycott of airport scanners caused bog down the security area? Or supportive?
Allen Couch, of KPM (Kauer Property Maintenance) clears the sidewalks in front of local businesses in Coeur d’Alene during Monday’s snowfall. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Question: Are you planning to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday?
Item: No. 4 K-State runs No. 22 GU ragged/Jim Meehan, SR
More Info: Gonzaga can add another item or two to its growing list of concerns. The Bulldogs, beaten on the boards in a home loss to San Diego State a week ago, were beaten down the floor by Kansas State, which repeatedly came up with timely 3-pointers in transition en route to an impressive 81-64 victory Monday night in the semifinals of the CBE Classic at the Sprint Center.
Question: What’s wrong with Gonzaga?
Item: Hilde Kellogg dies at 92: Longtime legislator, business owner blazed trails for Post Falls/Brian Walker, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Arguably the best-known politician in Post Falls’ history, Kellogg retired from the Legislature at 88 after a jaw-dropping 10 terms when her eyesight began failing. “She was powerful, but in a good way,” Wells said. “She really thought stuff out before making a decision. Everybody respected her opinion.”
DFO: Please feel free to share remembrances of former, long-time legislator Hilde Kellogg of Post Falls.
Item: Headed for a deep freeze/Mike Prager, SR
More Info: As much as 8 new inches of snow is forecast in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas from the storm later this week, which will coincide with Black Friday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year as many stores offer their best deals of the season. That end-of-the-week storm “looks like it could be an even bigger event snow-wise,” said forecaster Greg Koch.
Question: Is there something you’d wished you’d done to winterize before the storm moved into the area?
Hilde Kellogg, who served as both a Democrat and a Republican in the Idaho Legislature died 
today at age 92. Kerri Thoreson, Alison McArthur, & Randy Wells confirmed her death. Of Kellogg, Thoreson (shown in photo with Hilde), on her More Main Street blog, wrote: “Hilde’s sometimes gruff demeanor belied a big heart for the community
she loved. Ms. Kellogg made an impact in Post Falls and the Idaho
legislature through the years, blazing trails in this community that
made the journey possible for those of us who’ve come after. The quality
of life we all enjoy is due in no small part to those citizens who
served in the 1970s and 1980s and had the vision of what Post Falls
could and would become. Hilde left the world a better place for having
lived a wonderful life of service.”
Kansas State forward Jamar Samuels (32) pressures Gonzaga guard David Stockton (11) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the CBE Classic Tournament Monday in Kansas City, Mo. Game/boxscore from ESPN here. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
There may be news breaking sometime tonight, if I can track down a rumor. No promises. Meanwhile, you can also join me and the rest of the frozen Inland Northwest in watching No. 22 Gonzaga play No. 3 Kansas State in Kansas City. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. Jim Meehan will be tweeting the game. You can find his Twitter account under SR sports Twitter in the right rail. Now, to repost the Wild Card …
Jessica Fuller and Howie West, make use of alternate forms of transportation after South Ninth Street became unsafe for many vehicles in downtown Tacoma this afternoon. A few minutes earlier the Pierce Transit bus, background, slid into a pickup truck. People in most of Eastern Washington were told Monday to prepare for a rare blizzard as the first severe storm of the winter blasted through the state, though weather officials said it was too early to tell if the rough weather would affect Thanksgiving holiday travel later in the week. (AP Photo/The News Tribune, Janet Jensen)
CdAJim:
I am currently in Bremerton, WA, west of Seattle on a business trip and it is snowing hard and temps in the teens with the wind chill. The snow storm with high winds is now just starting to hit Seattle pretty hard. The locals say this is the most snow and cold they have had a a few years and they are definitely not used to it. Not a good place to live right now with a lot of hills. Good thing we have snow tires on our car … but what about the other guy??
Question: Feel free to use this post to describe weather conditions in your neighborhood in the Inland Northwest. Please report anything unusual.
Sgt.
Christie Wood: In the last 24 hours there have been 21 reported accidents inside the City limits and seven slideoffs. People definitely need to drive very slowly and watch for other people who are not paying attention. I understand the winter storm watch has been upgraded and there is a more severe storm on the way.
Bob Putman admired the new entryway at TESH Inc. as he arrived on Tuesday, Nov. 16. TESH is a private not for profit organization serving adults and children with disabilities. They recently received a major facelift as part of Fox 28s House to Home Community. See Cindy Hval’s Voices story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (88) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles safety Quintin Mikell, right, during the first half of an NFL football game in Philadelphia Sunday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
Top Cutlines:
Be careful out there.
Slick, you know.
We got this last year.
It’s called snow.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
“When I let Annie out to play in the backyard snow on Monday she had no interest in posing for a photo,” posts Kerri Thoreson/More Main Street. “It was more fun for her to race around the yard in and under the snow.”
Hucks Online numbers (for week of Nov. 14-20): 60,725 page-views/33,593 unique views.
A
pastor who said Facebook was a
“portal to infidelity” and told married church leaders to delete their
accounts or resign once testified that he had a three-way sexual
relationship with his wife and a male church assistant.
The Rev. Cedric Miller confirmed the information reported Saturday
by the Asbury Park Press of Neptune, which cited testimony he gave in a
criminal case in 2003. The relationship had ended by that time.
Miller gained national attention when he issued the Facebook
edict this week/KXLY. More here. H/T: Liz Arakelian.
Question: Surprised?
A line of snow plows clears a runway today at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. Washington was hit by its first significant snowfall of the season Monday, with several inches on the ground in Spokane and just enough snow in the Puget Sound area to make traffic a mess. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Now, I don’t care what anyone tells you –
parent/teacher conferences are as much about evaluating your parenting
skills as it is about how well your kid is really doing in the
classroom. No 
worries – my daughter is doing great (little sigh of
relief!) Her teacher said something that really stuck with
me. The skills she’s learning today builds a foundation for future
learning. If she doesn’t get it the first time around – it will be a lot
harder to catch up later. It occurred to me as a walked through 3 inches of
snow in the school parking lot that what my daughter’s teacher said
would be true of shoveling a path to your utility meter too. If you
don’t shovel it when it first snows – it’s going to be really hard to
catch up the next time it snows … and again and again. Ice could
build up or snow could become compact and stay there all winter long/Dan Kolbet, Avista spokesman. More here. (In this 2009 SR file photo, an Avista worker struggles to read a snowed-in meter)
Question: Do you agree with Dan — that doing something right the first time, and teaching kids the proper way to do things, prevents problems down the road?
Christopher Mingeaud, left, clears snow from the face of his son, Benjamin Mingeaud, 3, after he fell of his sled on a small sledding hill at Manito Park in Spokane, Wash., on Monday. Mingeaud runs a lawn care business and took a break from snowblowing for his clients to take his son sledding in the new layer of snow. (AP Photo/The Spokesman-Review, Jesse Tinsley)
Question: When did you last sled down a hill?
The comment function is working again, after being down for 90 minutes. Herb Huseland called Hucks Central to give a heads up re: the malfunction — and the problem was quickly fixed. I thought something was wrong when no one had commented for some time. Please let me know whenever something isn’t working. Sometimes, that’s the only way I find out about it.
The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the Inland Northwest from 7 tonight until 10 a.m. Tuesday. You can read about it here. Meanwhile, on his Twitter account, Matt Mills of Sandpoint tweets: “It must be cold when your puppy doesn’t even wanna go out for a walk.”
Question: How do you know when it’s really cold?
One was a graduate of Choate and Harvard, a president of eloquence
for the ages, while the 
other is a Wasilla, Alaska, high school dropout
who mumbles on morning TV — but both get dissed in Sarah Palin’s new
book. Levi Johnston, father of Bristol Palin’s baby, is a
predictable target. John F. Kennedy takes the reader by surprise. But
Sarah Palin’s commentary on JFK helps demonstrate the depth of
shallowness in one with possible aspirations to Kennedy’s job. Palin takes out after a defining Kennedy speech, the 1960
appearance where the Catholic presidential nominee discussed separation
of church and state before the Greater Houston Ministerial Association/Joel Connelly, Seattle P-I. More here.
Question: Do you think JFK ran away from his Catholic faith, as Sarah Palin asserts in her new book?
Like most moms, Micki Rice has a to-do list that’s
often longer than the day. Her family, job and 
friends all take substantial amounts of the
Jerome woman’s time, but Rice said it’s important to carve out a
little time for beauty. “I want my kids to see a mom who takes care of herself,” said
Rice, a 32-year-old mother of two. “How you feel about yourself is
displayed on the outside and it’s really the way people perceive
you.” Every third week Rice gets her acrylic nails filled and she
recently bought a tanning bed to place in her garage. It was on
sale and she felt it was a worthwhile buy. Beauty, she said, is important — not only to be perceived
favorably by others but also to keep a high level of
self-esteem/Amy Huddleston, Twin Falls Times News. More here. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: How important is it to you to keep up your appearance by spending money despite the recession?
I
never eat the last piece of pumpkin pie. Nor the last slice of
pizza, the last apple, the last cookie, the final few kernels of
popcorn at the bottom of the bowl. And the strange thing is that no one — not my mother, my uncles
and aunts, Sister Mary Ellen in the fourth grade — ever told me I
shouldn’t. But I come from a Swedish family and a Catholic education, so
avoidance of guilt is powerful motivation. Nobody else in my family ever eats the last slice of pie either.
It just grows mold in the refrigerator and eventually gets tossed
out/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: How does your family handle the last piece of pie, or slice of pizza, cookie, candy, etc.?
We’re witnessing what appears to be a twisted psychological
experiment in what indignities Americans are willing to endure in the
interest of airport security. … Now, those who have 
concerns about health risks or invasion of
privacy are being subjected to a government-administered groping. The
result is a steady stream of complaints from border to border of
Americans who have been fondled, harassed, mocked and manhandled.
Clearly, TSA is trying to use its police powers to make examples out of
anyone who has the temerity to protest the body scanners. That’s bad enough for the adults; parents are now being told they
have the ultimate Hobson’s choice: irradiate their kids or subject them
to fondling by a stranger in a government uniform/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here. (Also: Security boycott could disrupt Thanksgiving travel/AP)
Question: Are you in favor of a loosely organized boycott of airport security that’s scheduled to take place in Boise & elsewhere this Thanksgiving season?
In this August AP file photo, former Montana State University football coach Mike Kramer speaks at a news conference in this in Bozeman after settling with MSU for $240,000 in damages in a defamation lawsuit. Kramer, the former Bobcat & Eastern Washington coach has been named head football coach of Idaho State University. See link below. (AP Photo/Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Erik Petersen)
In this undated product image provided by Rocky Flats Gear, a variety of the company’s radiation shielding underwear is shown. Rocky Flats Gear’s Jeff Buske says his invention uses a powdered metal that protects people’s privacy when undergoing medical or security screenings. Story here. (AP Photo/Rocky Flats Gear)
Question: Would you consider wearing a product like this to protect yourself from radiation and prying TSA eyes when going through airport security and/or medical screenings?
Pearl Harbor, 9/11 and JFK’s assassination. Today is one of those thankfully few dates in American history that rocked the nation with a tragedy so big it stopped the clocks in people’s memories. Forty-seven years ago, John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. Share your memory of the day the president died/Melissa Bell, Washington Post. Photos here.
Question: Do you still have fond memories of John F. Kennedy?
We all know how the “one ring to rule them all” tried through the ages to get back to evil Sauron in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. But what do you make of Tony Smith’s gold Air 
Force Academy ring finding its way home over the course of 20 years and possibly more miles than Sauron’s? Seems Tony, son of Randy & Ruth Smith of Nettleton Gulch, lost the ring in the late 1980s while water skiing in Texas. Inside was a meaningful inscription that helped Tony through some hard times, “I can do all things (through Christ who strengthens me),” from Phil. 4:13. Years later, Tony received a call from the Air Force Academy that a European had found the ring at a Texas campground. The European sent the ring via mail. But the ring fell from the envelope in North Carolina. Then, months ago, Tony received another call from the Air Force Academy, announcing that the ring had been found again, this time by a man in Sanford, N.C. And it finally made its way back to its master around the time Tony celebrated his 44th birthday earlier this month. Tony marvels that a ring of that value wasn’t stolen along the way. (AP file photo for illustrative purposes)
Question: Have you had your faith in your fellow man restored by someone who found and returned a valuable item that you’d lost?
Question: Which North Idaho legislator would you like to see in a GOP leadership role in the 2011 Legislature?
Saturday, Nov. 13,: 0234 hours (N 3rd St & E Coeur d’Alene Ave – Auto Burglary): “Officers 
responded to an auto burglary in progress call and upon arrival found three intoxicated males. Although the officer told one of the males to sit at the base of a concrete wall near the alley (not on top of the wall), the male stated he had “no problem with falling” and sat on the top of the wall. He fell (five feet), hit his head and was knocked unconscious. When the male regained consciousness, he came up swinging at the officer. Medical was called and he was transported to KMC to be evaluated.” (Complete Downtown Bar report for Nov. 11-14)
A parishioner worships during mass at St. Ignatius Catholic Church on Sunday in San Francisco. Some Catholic believers in the Americas greeted Pope Benedict XVI’s recent comments on condoms as a sign that the church was stepping into the modern debate in the fight against AIDS, though the church was adamant Sunday that nothing has changed in its views banning contraception. There was praise and wariness for the pope’s comments that condoms could be morally justified in some limited situations, such as for male prostitutes wanting to prevent the spread of HIV. Story here. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
Question: Do you see the Pope’s comments about condoms as the beginning of a historic shift of the Roman Catholic Church toward birth control?
Like many body-conscious Americans, I’ve been worrying all week about how much to put out next time 
I’m at the airport. Do I go through the new Mr. Peeper’s Magic X-Ray Scanner so that
Transportation Security Administration snoops can laugh at my flabby
naked acreage? Or do I let some random TSA worker feel me up like a prom date in the back seat of a Buick LeSabre? Decisions. Decisions. Look, I don’t want anyone to get the idea that Doug Clark is easy. No sir! Even so, I will probably opt for the fondling. All I’m asking is for my TSA groper to be gentle. Light a scented candle, maybe. Put on some soft music … Definitely put on a fresh pair of gloves!/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: Which choice do you plan to make next time you’re at an airport security station — show-all scanner or fondling from TSA worker?
Item: Many crashes, slideoffs, injuries reported as snow flies/Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Idaho State Police responded to approximately 30 crashes and slideoffs in the Coeur d’Alene area on Sunday, an ISP press release reported at 4:30 p.m. Police and hospital staff encouraged drivers to slow down and use caution when traveling.
Question: Did you see anyone driving stupidly on snow-packed streets on your way to work this morning?
Another thing that’s a problem if you haven’t bought a new car in awhile
is that these are not your daddy’s Oldsmobiles. They don’t even make
Oldsmobiles anymore, do they? What they make now 
are computers on
wheels. There are controls for things that I didn’t even know needed to
be controlled and ways to control them that are mind boggling. Don’t
think you can operate a new car by simply turning a key or pushing a
knob. Oh, no. It’s like operating a space ship. You sit there like
Captain Kirk at the head of a multifaceted control panel and punch
buttons and give commands and if you know what you’re doing the car will
respond. If you don’t know what you’re doing the ejector seat will
boost you into outer space/Kathy Hedberg, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Do you still tinker with the engine of your automobile? Or has it become so computerized that you’re afraid to do anything with the vehicle?
My last uncle on Earth died the other day. My last aunt on
Earth died a few months before. Suddenly, no more uncles. No more aunts. The aunts and uncles in a kid’s life tend to get 
overshadowed
by parents and grandparents. But in many ways, aunts and uncles are more
credible observers and advisers than chronically hysterical parents or
those candy-pushing spoilers of children, the grandparents. I was born with two parents, four aunts and eight uncles. When
first one of your parents dies, and then the other one, the blow is
doubly hard. You lose your last parent and become an orphan on the same
day. But at least a person has some aunts and uncles left over as worthy
stand-ins. Until now/Bill Hall, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: How many aunts & uncles do you still have?
Coeur d’Alene High quarterback Chad Chalich passes the ball against Centennial during an Idaho state high school state championship football game on Thursday at the Kibbie Dome on UI’s campus in Moscow. After leading 14-7 at half, the Viks defense stopped Centennial cold in the second half en route to a 28-7 Milk Bowl victory. Greg Lee’s story here. (SR photo: Tyler Tjomsland)
Last Monday began with a mystery on Strahorn Road near Lacey, a section
that begins an 
uphill climb. Where a female driver reported that she saw
something that looked like a monkey dead on the road. Later, an officer
of some sort reported from the scene to the 911 dispatch center that
he’d removed the strange animal. I posted all of this, of course, on my
Huckleberries Online Scanner Traffic. One of my blog commenters, tongue
firmly cheeked, suggested that the creature could be the chupcabra – a
legendary animal that preys on goats and other livestock/DFO, Huckleberries print, SR. More here.
Question: When did you last hit an animal on the road?
Everyone loves a buffet, and Dockside Restaurant, located in the
lobby level of the Coeur 
d’Alene Resort, is once again putting on its
all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving Day spread with all the obligatory turkey,
ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and green beans one needs to
bring on the necessary food coma. Turkey haters are in luck as well, as they can just fill up on the
endless delightful mini-pastries and orange rolls that always appear at
any Coeur d’Alene Resort buffet situation. In fact, I’m pretty sure the
Pilgrims shared chocolate-dipped cannolis with the Indians on that first
Thanksgiving many years ago. Piling one’s buffet plate with exclusively
sugary treats is merely a tribute to our esteemed early American
ancestors/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: When did you last forego Thanksgiving in favor of dining out?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
The kids checked in from Oregon and Florida. My
85YO mother called to sing my “Happy Birthday” before I drank my first cup of coffee. My sister Charlotte posted that photo to the left of me at age 6-7 on her Facebook page. Brother Frito Ray treated me to coffee at Kootenai Coffee. I had lunch with two dear couples of ours. And then Mrs. O & I veged to watch a coupla home movies while I continued to nurse my cold. All in all, an understated birthday No. 61. But one that I enjoyed. I have simple tastes. Among my loot, I received a San Francisco Giants toothbrush, so I can continue to think happy thoughts of my favorite World Series championship team throughout the offseason. Hope your weekend is going too, too. Now, I’ll replay your Wild Card …
Joyce Seita Pulei, 24, a member of a Maasai dance troupe, Osotua Le Keekonyokie, performs at the Spokane Fall Folk Festival at Spokane Community College in Spokane Saturday. A group of three shared their traditions and culture through song, dance and storytelling. Chelsea Bannach SR story here. (SR photo: Dan Pelle)
Diversity is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Spokane. For those who think it’s a culturally desolate place, the Fall Folk Festival is a multicultural oasis. The 15th Annual Fall Folk Festival, presented by the Spokane Folklore Society is showcasing a cultural cornucopia of traditional music, dancing and crafts from around the world this weekend.
Question: Would you like to see the Inland Northwest become more diverse culturally? Stay the same as now? Or become less diverse?
A large structure fire engulfed Performance R/C Hobbies at 2923 N. Government Way on Saturday night. The blaze required a multi-department effort, six engines and a ladder truck, according to Pete Vandall, Coeur d’Alene Fire Department battalion chief. At 9:30 p.m., the fire was still burning and crews were on scene. Firefighters were spraying water from the ground and from a ladder truck. Vandall said the fire started at R/C Hobbies, then spread to RG3 Suspension next door/Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
A Coeur d’Alene woman died this morning at Kootenai Medical Center after a car she was a passenger in hit a semi truck that ran a red light. Vivian Scott, 88, was in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Samuel R. Whitaker, 65. They were traveling south on U.S. 95 when the vehicle struck a semi. The semi, driven by Bill T. Haughton, 74, was eastbound on Highway 53/Spokesman-Review. More here.
Eric Greenwood catching one of his two touchdowns against Utah State this afternoon. Idaho kept its chances alive for a bowl bid by defeating host Utah State 28-6 in a Western Athletic Conference game between 4-6 teams. Idaho, now 5-6, needs to win its final two games of the season to be bowl eligible. ESPN boxscore of game here. And: Associated Press game story here. (Photo courtesy: Bruce Mann/Idaho Vandals Athletic Media)
Howard Martinson: While I’m not opposed to these high energy pat downs in the name of
public safety, mine was a little crazy at Miami Airport on Monday
morning. Of course, my belt was 
removed and (Thank God!) I’ve taken off
a few lbs lately, so I really need the belt to hold my pants up. So my
hands are out to the side and the man is working my pants over pretty
good, when…you guessed it, my pants very quickly dropped to half mast.
I’m not 100% sure what happened to my unders, and probably don’t want
to know. Where was an America’s Funniest Videos camera when we really needed one?
Question: Have you ever been embarrassed by a wardrobe malfunction in a public place?
The Coeur d’Alene High School football team celebrates after defeating Centennial 28-7 during the Idaho state high school state championship football game on Friday at the Kibbie Dome on UI’s campus in Moscow. Greg Lee’s game story & another cool photo here. And: Jesse Zentz’s story for the Idaho Statesman here. (SR photo: Tyler Tjomsland)
Question: Did your high school ever win a state sports championship?
Oprah’s favorite things episode aired Friday as part of her farewell season. Each year the talk show host dazzles audience members by giving away thousands of dollars in trips, electronics, and jewelry. It’s a dream come true for some people to sit in that audience and some Oprah fans compare it to winning the Superbowl. For two local women it was a lifelong dream come true for the women to make it on to Oprah, let alone her biggest show of the year/KREM. More here (w/video).
Question: Are you a fan of Oprah?
Each year thousands of people flock to Coeur d’Alene for the brilliant display of lights and fireworks of the annual tree lighting ceremony, and in the Lake City crews are getting ready for the annual tradition. If you think decorating your home for the holidays is exhausting imagine stringing one and a half million lights. A massive operation is underway right now at the Coeur d’ Alene Resort and the clock is ticking as a week from Friday night the resort will throw the switch and over a million lights will illuminate the night sky/Sally Showman, KXLY. More here.
Question: Which interests you more — the Black Friday store sales or the annual tree lighting and parade in downtown Coeur d’Alene on the Friday after Thanksgiving?
Since 1998, the voters of Idaho’s 1st Congressional District have sent five people to the U.S. House. They had Helen Chenoweth-Hage, who retired in 2000. That led to C. L. (Butch) Otter, who served six years. Next up was Republican Bill Sali, who served one term. Democrat Walt Minnick defeated Sali in 2008. And now Republican Raul Labrador has ousted Minnick. In other words, the district has rotated through a string of freshmen and junior members. None of them amassed any real seniority on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, the people in the 2nd District have stuck with one representative. Now their investment is paying off. Just elected to his seventh term, Republican Mike Simpson is about to become a “cardinal” — one of the dozen chairmen who lead the House Appropriation subcommittees/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Why does the 1st Congressional District keep turning over its representative, while the 2nd District sticks with Mike Simpson and gains political power?
Item: Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce opposes EPA plan/Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: “The Silver Valley has great potential for economic growth. The area’s existing mining and supporting services together with tourism, real estate, and other business sectors need to be viable today and into the future. The proposal does not guarantee future mining and the plan extends the “Superfund stigma”. This stigma already threatens the economic health and growth in the Silver Valley, and the greater Coeur d’Alene area. The proposal will undoubtedly threaten the area for decades to come” — Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce.
Question: Where do you stand on EPA plans for the Silver Valley?
Michael Rameriz/Investor’s Business Daily
Coeur d’Alene running back Zack Keiser runs the ball against Centennial during an Idaho state high school state championship football game on Thursday at the Kibbie Dome on UI’s campus in Moscow. See Greg Lee’s game Twitter below. (SR photo: Tyler Tjomsland)
“You can’t describe it,” (coach Shawn) Amos said. “This was 14 years in the process. I went from the worst team in the state probably (his first year) to one of the best teams in the state – from start to (now).” CdA (11-1) did it with lock-down defense. After the Viks allowed Centennial running back Mike Kirby 106 yards on 19 carries in the first half, they stuffed him in the second. Kirby had just 8 yards on nine attempts the final two quarters. “Hands down they were solid all the way around,” CdA running back Zach Keiser said of the defense. “Stopped them on fourth down two or three times. They kept us in the game for sure and finally our offense started to put up some points”/Greg Lee, SR. More here.
I’m well on my way to surviving the head cold that knocked me down from mid-week on. I hope to be in decent shape Saturday to celebrate birthday No. 61 with Mrs. O and friends. Which means that I probably have 4 more years to run this three-ring cyber circus before retirement, unless my handlers at SR Central wise up and boot me down the road for enjoying my job too much. I should be back here Monday ready to roll through Wednesday, when we’ll all take a break for Thanksgiving. Now, for your Wild Card …
Passengers move through the line at a security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Thursday in Atlanta. In a climate of Internet campaigns to shun airport pat-downs and veteran pilots suing over their treatment by government screeners, a senior Republican lawmaker is urging the country’s busiest airports to scrap federal screeners altogether. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
For those of you keeping score at home, today — Nov. 19 — is World Toilet Day. Before you 
laugh, there’s a sober side to World Toilet Day.The day was set aside to celebrate the importance of
sanitation and raise awareness for the 2.5 billion people (nearly half
of the world’s population) who don’t have access to toilets and proper
sanitation. I had no idea this was World Toilet Day when I hired a plumber to fix the flushing device on the upstairs toilet that has served my family faithfully, with nary a problem, for 25 years, as of next month. How about you?
Question: What’s your favorite name for your toilet: toilet, potty, The John, The Head, The Oval Office, crapper, porcelain king, superbowl, The Can, rest room, privee, loo, or something else?
The Moscow-Pullman Daily News provides this view of the first snow on the Palouse today
Russian pair skate their short program, with Yuko Kawaguti left, seen behind the legs of Alexander Smirnov as they skate their short program during Cup of Russia figure skating ISU Grand Prix event in Moscow, Russia, this morning. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
Top Cutlines:
At As The Lake Churns, blogmistress Pecky Cox offers this Priest Lake photo that she labels “Fall into Winter.”
Kamm: I’ve haven’t finalized my Thanksgiving plans because I’m waiting to
see If I’ve landed a seasonal retail job. My savings account needs some
fluffing; this past year has made it very flat. 
The interview went well; I was willing to work any shift and any day
except Tuesday (lots of standing activities) but only wanted part time. I
also said I could be called if someone called in sick or go home early
if I wasn’t needed. It’s discouraging to still be waiting for some kind of information,
though. My interview was early this month and I called Monday and left a
message to let me know if I was or wasn’t going to be hired so I could
search for other options.
Question (from Kamm): Is it common to be ignored after you leave the interview?
A motorist who killed a pedestrian while intoxicated last April on
the Coeur d’Alene Indian 
Reservation, has been indicted by a federal
grand jury. Andrea M. George, who was 18 at the time of the crash, is charged
with involuntary manslaughter for the April 19 crash on Desmet Road at
Ajot Road that killed Patrick A. Gourneau, 22, of Tensed, Idaho. Gourneau was walking when George struck him while cresting a hill in a 2002 Honda Civic on Desmet Road just before 6 a.m. George was airlifted to a Spokane hospital but has since recovered/Meghann Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.
In the last week, I’ve hired two different, unemployed men to do odd jobs or repairs around my house. One is a friend from church. Another is an old acquaintance. Both have spent their lives in 
the construction trade — and now are trying to make ends meet while the economy remains in the toilet. I know that they need money. And I’m glad to help out. Also, at my church, I’m aware of individuals who are barely getting by. It’s nice to know that the church can help through direct benevolence giving and our food pantry. I consider myself fortunate, despite the pay freezes & cuts @ furloughs with which my colleagues and I have had to deal over the last decade or so at The Spokesman-Review. All this was brought to mind today when I saw the new unemployment figure for Kootenai County — 10.8%. That means more than 1 in 10 of my neighbors are jobless. And I’d guess the real number + underemployed are twice that.
Question: Have you hired unemployed friends or acquaintances to do work around your house?
Yale student Jonathan Desnick poses with vuvuzelas in his dormitory on the Yale campus in New Haven, Conn., today. Desnick bought nearly 700 vuvuzelas after hearing Harvard’s student government had asked for a ban on the horns at the upcoming NCAA college football game between Yale and Harvard, saying the annoying horns would be a distraction to the football team, the band and alumni. Story here. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Question: Do vuvuzelas have a place at sporting events in this country?
My
tattoo and I celebrated our one-year anniversary two days ago. We have been joined at the wrist since then and it has been a beautiful relationship. Although some people were not terribly excited about the addition to my body, it represents an important part of my life and reminds of the changes I faced at the time. A year later, I love it more than the day I got it/Elizabeth, UIdaho Argonaut, Off the Cuff column. More here.
Question: Do you love your tattoo today as much or more than the day you got it?
This is finally IT, maybe. If we turn down being screened at airports by those new-fangled, incredibly invasive, nakey-nakey devices, then we must submit to a groping…where they fondle your bewbies and/or your junk. Submitting to a groping by somebody who’s not getting me drunk first…not gonna happen. And neither is going through a freaky skin sizzling machine. Thing is, some people (survivors of sexual assault) are getting PTSD reactions to the forced probings, because, you know, they’re FORCED PROBINGS. And some idiots out there actually have the gall to say, “Those people need to stop being so sensitive about the probings”/Cassandra, 43rd State Blues. More here.
Votes from Idaho Reps. Walt Minnick and Mike Simpson (pictured) helped defeat an
extension of 
unemployment benefits in the U.S. House of Representatives
Thursday. The plan would have extended benefits through February and
cost $12 billion. Extended federal unemployment benefits, which can last up to 99 weeks
for some Americans without jobs, are set to expire at the end of this
month. Such benefits expired at the end of May, which affected 10,000
unemployed Idahoans receiving weekly benefits. However, the benefits
were extended from May to their current expiration date, which is Nov.
30. … Minnick was one of 11 Democrats who joined Simpson and 141 other Republicans in opposing the extension/Brad Iverson-Long, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Did the Idaho representatives vote on this issue the way you wanted them to?
Rebecca Pippenger reads an East Side Library book titled “10 Little
Rubber Ducks” by Eric Carle, to 3-year-old students at the Southeast Day
Care Center on Thursday. Children from the day care visit the library,
which is just steps away, once a week. The city of Spokane is
considering closing the branch. “We will have some very sad kids,”
Pippenger said. Columnist Shawn Vestal writes about the situation here. (SR photo: Dan Pelle)
I
watched in dismay as Transportation Security Administration agents,
excited over their new toy, ushered those before me in line confusedly
into the monstrous contraption and told them to extend their arms above
their heads. I watched as a group of agents smirked at the view screen
as it displayed body after body, including my girlfriend’s. Bile rose in
my throat as I was ushered in and then, without asking to be touched,
grabbed and frisked because of a “bad image” of my bare arms/Luke Malek, Luke Malek columns & writings. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Have you been scanned and/or frisked yet, under the new Transportation Security Administration rules?
The
top-ranked Coeur d’Alene Vikings were understandably excited
after upending the second-ranked Capital Eagles last week in the
semifinals of the state 5A high school football playoffs, but
Vikings coach Shawn Amos knew one thing was missing. “A lot of people were talking like the semifinal was the final,
but we didn’t get a trophy after the game,” Amos said. A trophy will indeed be awarded tonight, when Coeur d’Alene
(10-1) faces fourth-ranked Centennial (9-2) at 7 p.m. at the Kibbie
Dome in Moscow in the state championship game/Mark Nelke, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here. (SR file photo: CdA’s Joe Roletto knocks down a long pass in a game earlier this year against Post Falls)
Question: Who will win tonight’s game? Why?
Spokane firefighters avoid layoffs under a tentative agreement accepted this week by Mayor Mary Verner. If the deal is approved by union members and City Council, Local 29 of the International Association of Fire Fighters would become the first of the city’s bargaining groups to strike a deal this year to save jobs. “The tentative agreement makes changes of a permanent nature,” said City Administrator Ted Danek. “There is nothing in here that would harm future budgets”/Jonathan Brunt, SR. More here.
Question: Would you be willing to cut wages or benefits to save jobs at your place of employment?
For some reason, Cabbage Boy provides a link in the comments section with this note: “No reason to panic, but here is a story that screams POST ME ON HUCKLEBERRIES.” Indeed, a controversial decision by Italy Premier Silvio Berlusconi to restore body parts to marble statues of Venus & Mars seems to be up Hucks alley. Seems art restorers are horrified by the decision. Berlusconi responds that the hand added to Venus and the penis added to Mars are made of
resin, attached by magnets and can be removed without damage. AP story here. (AP
Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Question: Should the body parts have been added back to the statues?
On Saturday, I turn 61. I’m in good company, too. Mayor Sandi Bloem and I share that birthday. So does County Coroner Bob West. For some reason, birthday No. 61 doesn’t bother me a quarter as much as the last one. Mebbe this birthday means I’m that much closer to retirement. Mebbe it’s simply another date on the calendar. I don’t know where the break-off point is between saying “years old” and “years young.” I know I’m no longer a spring chicken. But I still have most of my hair.
Question: Are birthdays still important to you?
In responding to my post yesterday re: “Taking my cold like a man,” CoeurGenX writes: “Go see a Chiropractor asap. … a little adjustment will release the blood
cells that fight and knock down the 
common cold. It will be gone in
24-48 hours … Besides, after a little adjustment never hurt anyone.” Actually, I’ve been kicking myself for not getting a flu shot. I don’t get sick — colds or anything — in years that I get a flu shot. I delayed getting my shot this year and … voila. On the other hand, I haven’t been to a chiropractor in 30-plus years. I have relatives who prefer chiropractors over doctors. I’m exactly the opposite.
Question: Would you see a chiropractor for a cold?
President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton stand during a remembrance ceremony for fallen comrades, at a round table meeting of the North Atlantic Council, during a NATO summit in Lisbon, Portugal, Friday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Question: In her latest post, Dogwalk Musings wonders whether Hillary Clinton should cut and run from what she labels the Obama administration’s “abysmal foreign policy” and possibly cut and run for president in two years. What do you think? Could Clinton beat Obama in the Democrat primaries in 2012?
From KCSD sergeant’s log: “Deputy Nye and Deputy Geurin responded to the Hauser Lake Smoke Shop for a citizen assist with a female who was having a panic attack due to the snow on the roadway. Upon arrival they located a California native who had gotten lost and disoriented in the snow … They were able to locate a friend of the female in Rathdrum, who responded to the location to pickup her and the vehicle.”
Question: What causes you to panic?
The Idaho volleyball team dropped its season finale Thursday night as No. 3 Hawai’i wrapped up a perfect 16-0 Western Athletic Conference season by topping the Vandals 3-0. The Vandals finish the regular season at 13-14 overall, and 8-8 in the WAC. Idaho finished in a tie for fourth place in the conference and will be the No. 5 seed in the WAC tournament. More here. (Courtesy photo: Idaho Athletic Media Relations)
From KEA Blog: We’ve
heard from a number of friends and members that they are being robocalled from the phony front group “Citizens for a Prosperous Silver Valley” which opposes the proposed cleanup in the Silver Valley. We wish we could give better advice as to how to shut down the annoying phone calls, but we’re afraid that according to the Supreme Court the free speech rights of mining corporations is protected by the Constitution, and the national “Do Not Call Registry” does not apply to non-commercial calls. For what it’s worth, the phone calls should end soon.
Question: Are you on the “Do Not Call Registry”?
Laird Lucas, attorney for the megaloads opponents, said the loads will “be approximately the size of an office building going up along the Lochsa River, that curvy road that you know and that the rest of us know. … These will block both sides of the highway completely.” He said ITD and Conoco have been discussing the project since 2007, but “never was the public advised. In fact the public had to scratch and dig and scrape to find out these projects were even proposed”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Are you concerned about this issue since it doesn’t directly affect us in the Coeur d’Alene area?
John Helgesen, left, and Susan Kolbo, both of Wisconsin, walk on the new 43-foot-by-21-foot steel cantilever overlook at the Buzz Langdon Visitor Center in Twin Falls earlier this week. (AP Photo/Times-News, Ashley Smith)
Question: Have you ever been to Twin Falls?
It’s a blurry photo of two young people being married in 1977. Not much of a photo to some people, 
but it reminds me of everything in my life, as it sits on my desk. 33 years ago today my family, Susan’s family and so many friends came
to a church in S. Cal and enjoyed our wedding service. And it was
fun … How could it be any other way? Ha! In these 33 years we experienced so much. We saw life, we saw death. We had “love sick-itis” and then there were other days … We walked together, one day at a time. We still do/Dennis Mansfield. More here.
Question: Did you live happily ever after?
A Coeur d’Alene couple is hoping the second time is a charm when it comes to putting the historic Roosevelt Inn back on the real estate market.Tina and John Hough previously tried to sell the Roosevelt, but pulled the bed and breakfast from the market when the economy went sour. But the business has seen an upturn in guests despite the sluggish economy. “We had two people from Israel here, a whole family from France and lots of Germans this last year,” explained Tina Hough/Tania Dahl, KXLY. More here.
Question: Would you like to own and operate a bed & breakfast place?
Mr_Bloggy: Mr_B is 99.9% bad. The remainder is held in reserve for the coming
War on Christmas Post-Apocalypse in which, if it were a movie, there
would be a scene: Lone man walks down 
smoking, crater filled city street. Shadows fall
from the hulks of buildings. The sun is a diffused ball behind a
gunmetal sky of blanched clouds. Man carries a heavily modified 7.62x51
mm NATO GE “Minigun” 6-barreled air-cooled machine gun. He is clad in a
black tactical haz mat suit. A cigarette hangs limply from his lower
lip, he sucks on it and exhales the smoke in two thin streams from his
slightly flared nostrils. More below
Question: If you were to be judged by Santa re: being naughty or nice, would you get a nice present or a lump of coal this year?
Kootenai Conservative: Roundabouts are practical in some cases - the one at Kathleen and 4th,
for example - but it many cases they aren’t necessary and seem to be
installed only because they’re the current traffic ‘fad.’ There’s one
on Poleline in Post Falls that should be a two-way stop. And now the
brain trust that is the CDA City Council is planning to put one at the
NW corner of City Park so the poor folks on Park Drive can’t get out of
their homes in the winter. I’m all for increasing safety, but don’t get carried away.
Question: Are you a fan of traffic roundabouts?
Item: NIC to make mill site payoff: Trustees vote to make $4.1 million payment 22 months early/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Increased revenue from the surge in enrollment at North Idaho College has made it possible for trustees to complete the purchase of the former DeArmond mill site property 22 months ahead of schedule. At their regular meeting Wednesday, trustees agreed by vote to revise the college’s budget for this year, and use a combination of “budgeted and un-budgeted” fund balances to pay the $4.1 million balance due on the college’s lease agreement with the North Idaho College Foundation.
Question: Anyone still think the purchase of the mill property by NIC was a bad idea?
I’m blogging from home in my pajamas today, nursing a slight sinus infection and chest cold while snow falls lightly outside. In a minute or so, I’m going to search for my slippers and get a second cup of coffee. If you need to get ahold of me, please send a message via e-mail, Facebook, or post something in this Wild Card comments thread. It’s sorta nice hanging out around the home stead. Now, for your Wild Card …
Althea Roberts, left, and Juana Norwood, right, look for photos of family members who died in Jonestown during the 32nd annual memorial service and prayer vigil to remember the more than 900 victims of the Jonestown massacre in Oakland, Calif., today. Parting ways with longtime organizers of Jonestown memorial services, a group of Peoples Temple survivors announced their own plans Thursday for a granite monument inscribed with the names of those who died at Jonestown in Guyana. The women lost 27 family members in the tragedy. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
DFO: I was working a Saturday night shift putting the Sunday newspaper out for the Daily Inter Lake in Kalispell, Mont., when the first news of the Jonestown massacre began appearing over the AP wire machine. What were you doing when you heard about Jonestown?
Question: Could a Jonestown massacre happen again?
Christa Hazel: I’m gonna do something rarely seen on HBO: I’m admitting I was
wrong. Not mistaken. Not misunderstood. Just plain old WRONG. I called, I ranted and I refused the big blue bin. I did not want to
make room for the added bin size. Waste Management stated that I would
not 
receive my blue bin. And then they delivered it anyway. My
husband urged me to reconsider running down the street after Waste
Management like a crazy woman and then he offered to find room in our
garage. Now we have a recycle bin that I have grown to love. To the City Councilman I ranted at — I am sorry. To DFO - Thanks
for continuing to remind me of my narrow mindedness on this issue. To
the liberals I irritated because I didn’t want to bother making room in
my crowded garage — you were right — I get a smug sense of satisfaction
every time I choose the big blue bin. I feel superior to my neighbor
who has never recycled whether the bin was big or small. ;)
DFO: I also was wrong about roundabouts. I like them now, too.
Question: When did you last admit you were wrong about something?
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook page, Linda Lantzy provides this magical view of downtown Coeur d’Alene this morning, after the first snow of the season.
Sarah
Palin’s 16-year-old daughter, Willow, is in the news for an ill-advised Facebook tantrum, in which she let loose with a string of profanities and homophobic insults. But, should this even be news? On one hand, I’m told that this is just how teenagers these days
talk, calling each other “faggot” and “retard” and whatever other
insolent remark tumbles stupidly out of their mouths. On the other hand, doesn’t Sarah Palin hold herself up to be a better
mother than most? Or does the Mama Grizzly label just mean she’ll
protect her kids but teaching manners isn’t in her job description?/Idaho Dad, A Family Runs Through It. More here. (AP photo: Willow Palin is at right in the 2008 file photo)
Question: What would you do if you discovered your teen used language that put down gays and disabled people?
I’d like to interrupt this regular programming to inform the Women of Hucks Online that I haven’t been a pest for Mrs. O today, despite my sinus infection and chest cold. I’ve simply gone about my blogging, with an occasional trip to the medicine closet for cough syrup & Day Quil. No moping. No demands for over-the-top treatment. Just an occasional cough. Which always earns a worried look from She Who Is Indeed The Better Half Of My Marriage.
Question (for Women of HBO): Is your husband a pest when he’s sick?
Huckleberries has learned (re: Teacher fights firing for ‘swats’/St. Maries Gazette-Record) … that a Benewah County jury unanimously sided with former Worley-Plummer teacher Bruce Lust and awarded $148,000 to him in back pay in his 2007 wrongful termination case today. Lust had been fired by the district for a demonstration on four random students re: how not to “spank” one another. Brian Julian, of Anderson, Julian & Hull represented the School District and James Piotrowski represented Bruce Lust. My source tells me: “The jury found, in response to the first question, that what Bruce did was not grounds for discharge. Since Bruce was a teacher with a contract with the School District, firing him without just cause breached his contract. Also, the jury awarded Bruce back pay. He was fired in 2007, and the $148,000 represents what he would have made had he not been fired (along with some allowance for present value and lost benefits that our economist, Greg Green, presented to the jury). Copy of verdict here.
Johnson considered applicants from across the country and in June,
she inked a three-year contract with James Ryan. Ryan, who made a
cross-country move for the job, started work on Aug. 
23 and set about
co-directing — and playing two small onstage roles in — the Civic’s
sold-out Buddy Holly musical last month. His wife, Lynn, had meanwhile
been hired in the Civic’s box office. The Ryans had seemed to fit right in. But on Oct. 15, all that changed. That day, the Civic received an alarming e-mail about the Ryans:
“What kind of people do you employ????? The attached photos and e-mail
excerpts are outrageous,” it said. “Do I need to go to a higher
authority……or maybe the press.” The e-mail was signed, “Megan Wilson,” and included seven photos:
Four were clothed, casual shots of the Ryans. Three were headless nude
torsos. No sex acts were depicted. The e-mail also had explicit excerpts
from e-mails that James Ryan had written/Michael Bowen, Inlander. More here.
Question: Did the Spokane Civic Theatre do right by firing the swinging Ryans?
In this photo released by Heritage House Auctions, a copy of “Detective Comics #27” with the first appearance of Batman is shown. Originally purchased by a 13-year old Robert Irwin in 1939 for 10 cents, the comic was sold to an anonymous collector for $492,937 today by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. (AP Photo/Heritage Auctions)
Question: Which comic books did you collect as a kid?
They pay us good wages
to feel up your granny
in case she’s got A bombs
concealed in her fanny.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
I don’t want to get Christa Hazel mad at me, but … I find myself recycling a heckuva lot more now that when we had those blue plastic boxes in which to put out recyclables. We filled that new dark blue rolling container that the city provided for recyclables with ease for this week’s pickup. How about you?
Question: Now that the city provides a bigger container for single-stream recycling are you recycling more?
Fox News chief Roger Ailes (pictured in AP file photo) apologized Thursday to Abraham Foxman, national director for the Anti-Defamation League, after calling NPR executives “Nazis” in an interview with The Daily Beast. Ailes, in a letter, began by following up on “the Glenn Beck situation with regards to George Soros” before getting into his own references to the Third Reich. “This morning you might be receiving calls because I
used the word ‘Nazi attitudes’ to describe the NPR officials who fired
Juan Williams,” Ailes wrote. “I was of course ad-libbing and should not
have chosen that word, but I was angry at the time because of NPR’s
willingness to censor Juan Williams for not being liberal enough”/Michael Cordelone, The Cutline. More here.
Question: Do we use the word “Nazi” too much in our culture to describe people or organizations with which we disagree? And/Or Is there any value to these kinds of forced apologies?
Mike Perry, the KHQ broadcaster who hangs out in the Spokesman-Review newsroom in Coeur d’Alene, gives us a peek at what weather conditions were on Lookout Pass earlier today. Here you see a couple of vehicles that spun out on the pass. Mike said he got stuck, too. Fortunately, he said, a tow truck driver was on the scene for another vehicle. So he was pulled out of his predicament fairly quickly. (Photo: KHQ’s Mike Perry, via Twitter)
Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area is opening its lifts Friday to take advantage of 8 inches of fresh snow on a base up to 20 inches deep, Phil Edholm, ski area president announced minutes ago. “The majority of the front side of the mountain will be open with top to bottom skiing and riding off Chair 1 plus the beginner area,” he said, noting that coverage is good and snow was still falling at 11 a.m. today. Lifts will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday with reduced ticket rates, but full services. Additional lifts and terrain will be opened as conditions allow/Rich Landers, SR Outdoors Blog. More here.
Question: When do you usually strap on your skis for the first time during a snow season?
Summer seems like a distant memory to most of us – but not 10-year-old Hannah Ellis. When she talked about summer camp, words exploded like a popcorn
kernels in a microwave. Breathlessly, she listed her favorite things
about her time at Camp Sweyolakan. “I like swimming in the lake, and
spending the night and being outdoors and hiking in the woods!” She paused to catch her breath. “They feed you breakfast, lunch and
dinner – it’s good food! And we sing songs before every meal and during
the day”/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here. Also (by Cindy): Girl, her family get Starlight treatment.
Cindy: Okay. I have to say I was a camp-hater. I hated sleeping in cabins with a bunch of girls. I hated swimming in the seaweed-filled lake. I hated the food. I hated arts and crafts. But. Most kids LOVE camp, so it’s cool that there are programs like this to help them.
Question: Did you enjoy summer camp?
Bryan
Fischer, the “Director of Issues Analysis” for the conservative
Christian group the American Family Association, was unhappy yesterday
that President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to a soldier for saving
lives. This, Fischer wrote on his blog, shows that the Medal of Honor
has been “feminized” because “we now award it only for preventing
casualties, not for inflicting them.” Here’s how the AP described Medal of Honor winner Army Sgt. Salvatore Giunta heroics: “Giunta, the first living Medal of Honor winner of the
Afghanistan and Iraq wars, braved heavy gunfire to pull a fellow soldier
to cover and rescued another who was being dragged away by insurgents.” Fischer’s take? “So the question is this: when are we going to start
awarding the Medal of Honor once again for soldiers who kill people and
break things so our families can sleep safely at night?”/TPMuckraker. More here. And: Fischer’s full post here.
Question: Are we feminizing the Medal of Honor by rewarding it to soldiers who save people rather than those who kill the enemy?
Ten-year-old Destiny Jewett of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho waits for the school bus this morning after an early morning snowfall blanketed the area. (AP Photo/The Spokesman-Review, Kathy Plonka)
John Austin: I love north Idaho. I sighted my first migratory eagle this morning at Wolf Lodge Bay.
There’s something about seeing an eagle flying through the snow showers,
against the backdrop of 
Beauty Bay, that is very special, even from the
icy confines of I-90. Deena and I also saw a baby moose on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s
recently as it emerged from Cave Lake near our home. Our Great Dane
pup noticed it first, and alerted us to the possibility that its mother
was nearby. Needless to say we hurried back the way we came, discretion
by far the better part of valor. At times like these, when I am surrounded by things that most people
will never see, and experience emotions most will never feel, I’m
reminded why I love it here.
Question: Why do you love North Idaho?
In this May 18 file photo shows Seattle Mariners’ Felix Hernandez in action against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game, in Oakland, Calif. Hernandez was chosen AL Cy Young Award winner today by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Seattle P-I story here. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Question: Is it right for a Cy Young winner to come from a last place team like the Seattle Mariners? Shouldn’t the award be given to someone who helped his team to the postseason?
Item: Study: 1 in 4 say marriage is becoming obsolete/Hope Yen, Associated Press
More Info: As families gather for Thanksgiving this year, nearly one in three American children is living with a parent who is divorced, separated or never-married. More people are accepting the view that wedding bells aren’t needed to have a family. A study by the Pew Research Center highlights rapidly changing notions of the American family. And the Census Bureau, too, is planning to incorporate broader definitions of family when measuring poverty, a shift caused partly by recent jumps in unmarried couples living together.
Question: Do you think marriage is becoming obsolete?
Brannon and his grandstanding lawyer, Starr Kelso, ought to be ashamed of themselves. Single-handedly, they’ve made the idea of running for City Council toxic. And if legislators don’t think the same thing could happen to them, they’re deluding themselves. The Legislature needs to fix this by exempting candidates from lawsuits against cities, counties or the state over election results. Every city council member we know of spends far more hours on the job than he or she is compensated for. The notion that they should also be compelled to pay for their right to hold office is repulsive/Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Reaction?
… that the Region 1 (5 northern legislative districts) voted 8-2 recently to send a letter in support of state Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, to House Speaker Lawerence Denney. Only 10 of the 25 representatives of Region 1 were present at the meeting. An agenda wasn’t prepared until the day of the meeting. A Berry Picker puts this matter into perspective: “So, without an agenda being prepared before the meeting no one knew about the vote. Thus the low attendance and low vote count. The 10 votes represent a 40% representation of GOP Region One.”
Question: Should the Region 1 GOP vote again re: Hart with a well-advertised meeting, to get an accurate picture of the support Hart has among North Idaho GOP leaders?
MSU-B soccer player Sami Sandau plays with her two-year-old son Koby before joining her team for soccer practice in Billings, Mont. (AP Photo/The Gazette, James Woodcock)
Question (for the Women of Hucks Online): Would you describe yourself as a “soccer mom”?
Marmitetoasty: I dont think our Queen will give over the reins, kings and queens
here seem to just go on til they die…. looks like old Charlie is gonna
be a ‘geezer’ before he gets his chance, I know if given the 
choice us
British subjects would pump for William getting in over Charlie lol….
but then, us subjects dont get a say lol … I dont care what anyone says about our royals, its our heritage and
tradition and pomp and ceremony and it attacts millions of people to
this country every year, and yes, I still stand in wonderment when I go
to London and see Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guards and
all that stuff and nonsense.
Question: Do you know something in this country that would be like the Brits’ affection for their royals?
Item: Boise rallies against anti-gay bullying/Jody May-Change, Boise Weekly
More Info: BSU student Justin Baxter described the years of bullying and taunting he endured in both middle and high school in Sandpoint, Idaho. Walking home one day after a bullying incident in his gym class locker-room, Baxter was struck in the head with a glass bottle. He fell unconscious to the grown breaking his nose as his attackers kicked him. “People do no understand what it is like to be in that kind of darkness,” said Baxter. But his message included some optimism. “I am happy that I am here today to tell you from the bottom of my heart to stick in there.”
Question: Do you believe bullying against gays is epidemic?
In documents obtained by IdahoReporter.com, an official with
the Idaho attorney general’s office said a bill presented by Rep. Phil
Hart, R-Athol, in the 2010 legislative session would have done 
little to
prevent use of body scanners at airports or other public buildings in
the Gem State. Hart’s legislation, known as House Bill 573,
aimed to prevent use of scanners – which produce an image in which a
person is essentially naked – in airports or public buildings by using
police powers of the state of Idaho to ban the devices. In testimony
about the bill, Hart contended that the scanners are a violation of the
Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and possibly dangerous to
public health. The bill passed the Idaho House on 58-9 vote, but it failed to receive a hearing in the Senate State Affairs Committee/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Is it possible that Phil Hart is right about full-body scanners at airports?
Idaho defensive end Aaron Lavarias gets past a blocker against Hawaii earlier this year. Josh Wright/SR spotlights the star Vandal in a feature story today here. (SR photo: Christopher Anderson)
Decatur Police help wrangle a cow that was found roaming southwest Decatur neighborhoods in Decatur, Ala., Wednesday. An officer uses his car to force the cow to the side of 5th Ave. SW to keep her out of the flow of traffic. The cow was captured by cow hands from Valley Stockyard without injury to man or beast. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/The Decatur Daily, Gary Cosby Jr.)
Mr_Bloggy: Snowing in Spokane? Mr_Bloggy is endlessly amused by the child-like wonderness, the
Groundhog Dayishness, the eternal snowshine of the spotless
mindlessness, the butterfly newly 
emerged from its cocoonishness, the
gazing upon the perfect meadow and waterfall for the final time by the
last unicornessness of Spokane drivers as they venture upon snowy roads
and byways for the first time of the winter and, in a miraculous sort of
cognitive event, for the first time of their lives again! It is a mass
reincarnation! A resurrection of the ones who slide for our sins. “It is so pretty, I’ve never seen this before in all of my 30 years
driving in Spokane! We shall call this “sparkly angel frost cold nose
tickle candy and we shall frolic in its wonder!”
Question: What was your reaction when you saw snow on the ground when you woke up today?
Item: LCDC may fund private homes: Public money could reduce price for working families/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: By partnering with Idaho Housing and Finance Association, Housing and Urban Development and Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, Lake City Development Corp., NIHC wants to close that gap and put working families in revitalized neighborhoods. LCDC’s role would be to grant an annual allotment to IHFA, which could then allocate it to housing stabilization programs run by nonprofits like NIHC.
Question: What do you think of this proposal to help fund homes, to bring working families to the revitalized downtown business area?
Trader Joe’s, the nationwide chain that’s created a legion of
food-loving fans, announced it will open 
its first Spokane store
next year. The Southern California-based company confirmed Wednesday it will
lease a 12,000-square-foot building on Spokane’s South Hill. That
building will be constructed at the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center, at
29th Avenue and Regal Street, next to the existing Hogan’s Restaurant. The specialty grocery chain has considered opening a Spokane store
for several years. Earlier this year it started looking seriously at
Spokane’s South Hill, said Jeff Ottmar, who works for a Spokane company
that represented property owner Lincoln Heights Center LLC/Tom Sowa, SR. More here. (Artist conceptual drawing courtesy of Trader Joe’s)
Question: Can someone explain the excitement some of you have re: the opening of a Trader Joe’s in Spokane?
Seems Dave Price, the weather anchor for the ‘Early Show’ who’s trying to get back from the studio from Anchorage on little money left a jacket he was wearing at the Holiday Inn in Coeur d’Alene. He’d lost another jacket in the back of a car during his trip through Washington to Coeur d’Alene. This is the second time Price has done the “No Way Home” event. Sounds like he’s having more trouble this time. You can see his blog post here. Now, I’ll repost the Wild Card …
An airline passenger undergoes a full body scan at O’Hare International Airport today in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In a yet to be aired interview, Sarah Palin
said she believes it would be possible for her to beat President Obama
if she ran for President. During an interview for an upcoming Barbara
Walters 
special, Palin said “I believe so,” when Walters asked Palin
“If you ran for president, could you beat Barack Obama?” “I’m looking at the lay of the land now, and
… trying to figure that out, if it’s a good thing for the country,
for the discourse, for my family, if it’s a good thing,” Palin said. Palin appears to be inching the ball ever
slightly toward acknowledging she is seriously thinking about running
for president next year/CNN. More here.
Question: Can Sarah Palin beat Barack Obama in 2012, if she gets the GOP nod?
The Salvation Army store on 3rd Street in Havre, Mont., closed early today, at 3 p.m., not for any weather-related reason, but for a beach volleyball tournament. (AP Photo/Havre Daily News, Zach White)
Strong wind tousles Sheila Werth’s hair Tuesday as she takes pictures of the sun setting across Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska. The National Weather Service reported gusts exceeding 40 miles per hour at the time. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Peninsula Clarion, M. Scott Moon)
Top Cutline:
Trader
Joe’s, a nationwide chain that’s created a legion of food-loving fans, announced it will open its first Spokane store next year. The Southern California company confirmed Wednesday it will lease a 12,000-square foot building on Spokane’s South Hill. The location is at the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center, at 29th and South Regal. The specialty grocery chain has looked at opening a Spokane store for several years/Tom Sowa, SR. More here.
Question: Any Trader Joe’s fans out there?
At Remember the Roxy, OrangeTV’s other blog, OTV posts this 1950s photo of old Playland Pier at what is now Independence Pointer. I’ve been here awhile — since September 1984 — but I don’t remember Playland Pier. Anyone out there who does?
Native resident Jeanne Helstrom recalls on my Facebook page: “I remember Playland Pier! I used to go there a lot when I was little - first grade, even!! A big pier that went out over the water with all kinds of rides, an arcade, snack stands, and a beautiful carousel. Swings that went around and looped out over the water at the end of the pier. Those were the days!!
Skinny people pay cash. You could look it up. A study by
professors of marketing at Cornell University and the State
University of New York, Binghamton, found that more than 60 percent
of 
American adults are overweight, and only 14 percent of U.S.
consumers use cash at the supermarket. “Since paying in cash feels more painful than paying by credit
or debit cards, paying in cash can reduce the purchase of unhealthy
food items,” write professors Manoj Thomas, Kalpesh Kaushik Desai
and Satheehkimar Seenivasan in an article to be published in the
Journal of Consumer Research. The three researchers peered into the shopping carts of 1,000
people over a six-month period. They found that folks who paid for
their groceries with plastic bought more junk food than those who
used cash/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times News. More here.
Question: Do you pay for your groceries with cash or credit card?
Via Twitter from Mike Perry, KHQ’s Man in CdA: “Bonner Co. Commissioners unanimously approve the conceptual plan for Clagstone Meadows, a proposed 12,000 acre development near Kelso Lake.”
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, rides the subway on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, following the weekly caucus luncheons, and as the count of her write-in campaign to retain her seat drew nearer to completion. The AP has delcared Murkowski to be the winner of her tight re-election campaign over Republican Joe Miller. In winning, she became the first U.S. senator to win as a write-in since 1954. AP Story here. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)
Question: Is this a setback for Tea Party movement and conservative kingmaker Sarah Palin, who backed Murkowski’s opponent?
Those clouds you see
aren’t here to stay.
They’ll leave again
sometime in May.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
Today HB Ventures and Allred Solutions announced their merger. The new entity will operate 
under the HB Ventures name. Keith Allred, the founder and Principal of Allred Solutions, will be a Partner in the new firm and will lead its strategy and organizational development activities. Allred brings 15 years of consulting and executive education experience to the new role. His previous clients include large companies like Chevron, Dow Chemical, Hughes Aerospace, Micron Technology, Santa Fe Railway, and the JR Simplot Company as well as federal agencies like the IRS, EPA, and the Department of the Interior/Cynthia Gibson, HB Ventures. More here.
Question: What role do you see Keith Allred playing in the future of Idaho politics?
This (“Pastor to church leaders: Delete Facebook accounts“) raises more holy questions than answers… My head is spinning!
Question: Do you think Jesus would ‘friend’ you on Facebook?
Britain’s Prince William and Kate Middleton leave the wedding of their friends Harry Mead and Rosie Bradford in the village of Northleach, England, in this October AP file photo. According to an announcement from Clarence House in London Tuesday, the couple are engaged, and will be married in 2011.
Question: Are you interested in the lives of Great Britain’s royal family?
A
minister in Neptune, N.J., has told his married church leaders they must delete their Facebook accounts or resign their posts. The Rev. Cedric A. Miller, senior pastor at Living Word Christian Fellowship Church, says much of his pastoral counseling over the last 18 months has been for marital problems, including infidelity, because someone has met up with an old flame on Facebook/Jeanne DePaul, Lewiston Tribune Virtual Deadlines blog. More here.
Question: Does a Facebook account raise spectre of infidelity? And/or: Would you delete your Facebook accounty, if you had a leadership position in a church and your minister told you to do so?
A GOP lawmaker said Tuesday the full-body scanners now employed by
the Transportation 
Security Administration (TSA) violate the Fourth
Amendment to the constitution, which protects against “unreasonable
searches and seizures.” During a one-minute speech on the
House floor, Rep. Ted Poe (Texas) also blasted former Homeland Security
Secretary Michael Chertoff as a “political hack” and accused him of
profiting from the proliferation of the devices. “There is no evidence these new body scanners make us more secure.
But there is evidence that former Homeland Security Chief Michael
Chertoff made money hawking these full body scanners,” Poe said/Elise Viebeck, The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room. More here. (AP photo)
Question: I wish this lawmaker success. I consider full-body scanners at airports to be an incredible violation of our 4th Amendment rights. How about you?
Washington
state officials have refused a small Nativity scene that a
Catholic group sent to Gov. Chris Gregoire for the state Capitol. The
Olympian reports state policy no long allows nongovernment displays
inside Capitol buildings. The Department of General Administration says
they may be displayed outside, if the meet certain conditions. The
Nativity scene was sent to all 50 governors by the New York City-based
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights/Associated Press. More here.
Question: Our annual debate re: ‘war on Christmas’ begins with this post. Is the state of Washington being anal retentive in rejecting a nativity scene in state capital from Catholics?
Item: Trial begins involving former Plummer-Worley teacher suspended for ‘swatting’ demonstration/Chris d’Angelo, St. Maries Gazette-Record
More Info: According to the complaint, on April 12, 2007, then-Principal Bill Burns spoke with Mr. Lust about students swatting each other on the backside during school. Mr. Burns informed Mr. Lust that this conduct was unacceptable and needed to be stopped. “During the course of the day on April 12, 2007, (Mr.) Lust explained to each of his classes that the students were not to swat each other on the backside,” according to court documents. “In the course of doing so, he demonstrated the offending conduct on a randomly chosen student from each class. Lust made brief physical contact with four of his students.”
Question: If the offense was accurately described in the complaint, that Lust was merely attempting to follow the principal’s orders during his demonstration, should he have been fired?
It was pretty much an inside job. San Diego State senior forward Billy White poured in a 
career-high 30 points and the Aztecs enjoyed a 39-29 rebounding edge, which fueled a 79-76 men’s basketball victory over 11th-ranked Gonzaga in front of 6,000 Tuesday at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The loss was just Gonzaga’s fifth in 82 games at the McCarthey Athletic Center. To make matters worse, Gonzaga standout sophomore forward Elias Harris left with an injury late in the game. “I think it’s my Achilles’ (tendon),” said Harris, who will have an MRI today. “I heard something pop. I couldn’t get up in the air and I couldn’t run any more”/Jim Meehan, SR. More here.
Question: Do you see Gonzaga’s loss to San Diego State last night as a reality check re: great expectations for 2011-12? Or a bump on the road to another great season?
Meet the Idaho Vandals women’s basketball team for 2010-11. (Photo courtesy: Idaho Athletic Media Relations)
Question: Can you think of a better headline for the top story: ‘Frozen fish flies at Fishtrap’?
Spokane police Officer Greg Thieschafer checks the body of a male who was shot by police after a chase, near the corner of Indiana Avenue and Madison Street last Friday. The shooting closed a four-block area around the intersection of Northwest Boulevard and Monroe Street. Latest on gunman & shootout from Meghann Cuniff/S&G here. (SR photo: Dan Pelle)
DFO: NIC Sentinel instructor Nils Rosdahl & I discussed this photo this AM. He plans to discuss it in class with his journalism students. He doesn’t think the SR should have run a photo with a body in it. “What if it was one of your relatives,” he asked me. I, on the other hand, see it as the exception to the rule — a photo taken of the instigator of a very public event.
Question: What do you think? Publish? Or no publish?
Mr_Bloggy (re: Dustin: Me hates wind gusts): Mr_Bloggy
is a student of the Linguistic Relativity or Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis in which our language, semiotics, encoding, affect how we thing. So, in other words, wind isn’t wind isn’t wind. There are many types and words for wind. Mr_B will spare the careful and diligent reader his (Mr_B’s) encyclopedic vocabulary and instead focus on Mr_B’s most notable winds vis a vis an analysis of contextual mobarity.
The Idaho Statutes are clear that each party in a lawsuit shall
pay for their own attorneys, unless the lawsuit is found to be
frivolously filed or defended against. In the Coeur d’Alene
election 
challenge, the court found the lawsuit was not frivolous,
and also found that more illegal votes had been cast than Mr.
Kennedy won by. It was only through the lawsuit that it could be
determined who those votes had been cast for so they could be
removed from the results. Mr. Kennedy has now requested that the city pay for his legal
team, but since the city should make some effort to appear that
they are not biased, how could they pay for one candidate’s legal
costs unless they pay for the other candidate’s cost as well? Put another way, the city has no basis to justify this/Larry Spencer, letter to the Coeur d’Alene Press editorial page. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Spencer that the city of Coeur d’Alene should pay the legal bills for both Councilman Mike Kennedy and Jim Brannon in election challenge?
Item: Hydros roar, cash doesn’t: Diamond Cup Regatta posts $25,000 loss/Bill Buley, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: “Even though we fell short this year, it really isn’t a negative,” said Doug Miller, board member of the Museum of North Idaho who helped bring the regatta back to life. “It’s to be expected for the little time we had.” The cost to bring the Diamond Cup Regatta to Coeur d’Alene this summer was more than $57,000. Sponsorships, a banquet, live auction, golf tournament and hydroplane rides brought in just over $30,000.
Question: Do you consider the Diamond Cup Regatta this summer to be a success?
Gonzaga’s Steven Gray (41) scrambles to pick up a loose ball as from left to right Gonzaga’s Marquise Arop (2), San Diego St’s D.J. Gay, Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynk (13) and San Diego St’s Brian Carwell (5) watch in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game tonight in Spokane. Jim Meehan’s SR story here. (AP Photo/Jed Conklin)
Idaho center Kyle Barone drives between Washington State guard Klay Thompson, left, and forward DeAngelo Casto during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday in Pullman. Vince Grippi’s SR story here. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)
Boxscore: WSU 88, Idaho 71
Fans of regional college basketballl will enjoy themselves tonight, as Idaho travels 8 miles to play Washington State at 7 o’clock and No. 11 Gonzaga tips off against San Diego State at the Kennel at 8 o’clock. You can follow both games on SR Twitter (see link in right rail). Jim Meehan provides a link to the San Diego Tribune story re: tonight’s showdown here. Dave Trimmer is keeping track of Gonzaga women’s basketballers and providing updates re: how local players are doing elsewhere, including former Post Falls High star Kate Loper here. Vince Grippi is keeping track of WSU sports and the Pac-10 here. You should check out all those Twitter feeds on the side b/c they provide the latest in news & sports coverage. Now, for your Wild Card …
In this publicity image released by ABC, Bristol Palin, left, and her partner Mark Ballas perform during the celebrity dance competition series, “Dancing with the Stars,” on Monday in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/ABC, Adam Larkey)
Question: Bristol Palin has survived to become one of the top 4 dancers of this season’s “Dancing with the Stars,” winning her highest marks last night when she scored a 27 for one dance. Do you think she can win the competition which combines judges’ scores with viewing audience votes? BTW, are you a good dancer?
I feel like a character in a scifi horror movie. Namely, the one who
comes back from a routine 
jaunt on the surface of an alien planet
feeling fine and dandy, only to realize hours later that she has been
somehow mysteriously mutated by alien DNA or impregnated with a
terrifying little pod baby. After two courses of antibiotics for a sinus infection, I am still
having pressure headaches in my face and head most of the day (worse at
night). … At any rate, we’re at the part of the movie where the audience
finally finds out what’s going on. At least I hope we are. Dr. B
scheduled me for a CT scan of my sinuses today/Katrina, Notes on a Napkin. More here.
Question: Have you ever had a CT scan? Did you feel claustrophobic?
Idaho State athletic director Jeff Tingey announces during a news conference Sunday in Pocatello that football coach John Zamberlin will be relieved of his duties following the last game of the season against Eastern Washington, this coming Saturday. See link below. (AP Photo/ Idaho State Journal, Bill Schaefer)
A cat peers from behind a fence carrying a dog warning sign at dusk in Bucharest, Romania, Tuesday. Sign reads “Attention-Aggressive dog.” You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Top Cutline:
“So when someone creates a bomb he can swallow, do we get stomach-pumped at the airport? How about a suppository bomb?” — Randy Stapilus/Ridenbaugh Press Twitter account.
Apparently, Dave Price of ‘The Early Show’ made it to the gas station at Northwest Boulevard & Ramsey Road this morning in his trip from Anchorage, Alaska, back home to the studio (in New 
York?) For
the second time, “The Early Show“‘s fearless weather anchor Price accepted the challenge of going on the road with no way home.
He’s got nothing but a one-way ticket, $50, and some tech equipment,
including a Windows Phone provided by Microsoft, to try to get back to
New York. Apparently, Price bought a vehicle in Yakima that already has broken down. And he left his jacket in a truck while hitching a ride. Now, he’s run into the wind storm that hit the area. He blogs: “If you’re keeping score at home, I’m barely 250 miles from where I started yesterday morning — NOT GOOD. Winds in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho - where I am this morning - are gusting to 41 miles per hour and there’s a severe thunderstorm watch.” You can follow his adventures here. (Price is shown in AP photo at a knitout Sept. 29)
Question: Would you try to do what Dave Price has done?
On her Facebook page, Trish Gannon/River Journal reports that she’s “just finished counting items in my kitchen in preparation for my next column. I did not count silverware, tupperware, or small kitchen tools like spatulas and whisks. Anyone have a guess on the total.” (BTW, Trish also posted this job-wanted comment: “Anybody out there aware of work in CDA? I have a very hard-working young daughter who’s looking for a job.” Anyone?)
Question: How many items would you guess is in your kitchen?
Question: Who would you want to see become the new Idaho Democrat Party exec?
From CDAVistors Twitter: “Air date for Diners, Drive-ins and Dives that will feature Capones in Coeur d’Alene has been changed to Dec 13th.”
Question: Do you watch “Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives”?
From your workplace to the grocery store and maybe even into your own
home, something creepy is creeping on the faces of many men this month.
The facial-hair growing phenomenon seems like 
a growing trend. So, we
wanted to know: what’s with all the mustaches? And, members of the Coeur
d’Alene Fire Department were happy to let us in on their hairy secret.They
spend their days putting out fires and saving lives. You can easily
call Coeur d’Alene firefighters heroes, whose jobs demand the highest
levels of training and teamwork. So, when their captain suggested they
all do something together, the going got tough and the tough got growing. “It’s a month-long mustache growing contest,” explained Captain Greg Rod/Melissa Luck, KXLY. More here.
Question: Are you a mustache fan?
Democrats running against the Democratic party is a shortsighted losing strategy which enables the destruction of the Democratic brand in Idaho leaving us little to work with in the next cycle. … 
When all the Democratic candidates do it, as all three top tier candidates did, people just stay home. And in addition to being dead wrong, poobahs telling the media after an election that there was nothing to be done, ignores the consequences of that pronouncement. That self serving excuse demoralizes volunteers and tells funding sources not to bother next time we come a knocking, not to mention throwing a bucket of cold water on future candidate recruitment. Most Democrats would rather go down swinging, standing up for who we are, whether right or left, but as proud Democrats, with pragmatic and successful solutions, not self contradicting platitudes/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. More here.
Question: Which strategy is better in Idaho — to run as a Democrat against the Democrat Party, and occasionally win as Minnick did 2 years ago — or to run as a Democrat and lose?
Huckleberries Online received the following intercepted e-mail written by Idaho Democrat Party 
leader Keith Roark from a Berry Picker: “Following the meeting today of the Executive Committee of the
Idaho Democratic Party I am announcing to the full Central Committee that the
term of our current executive director, Jim Hansen, will expire December 31,
2010 and his appointment to that position will not be extended. I am forming a
search committee and the process of hiring a new executive director will begin
immediately. Jim has agreed to continue serving as executive director while the
search process is being carried out.” More below.
Question: Is Hansen being made the fall guy for the disastrous election results for Idaho Democrats?
It’s been a long and winding road, this relationship between Apple and the Beatles. But Tuesday, 
at long last, the Fab Four made it to iTunes. “We’re
really excited to bring the Beatles’ music to iTunes,” Beatle Paul
McCartney said in an Apple news release. “It’s fantastic to see the
songs we originally released on vinyl receive as much love in the
digital world as they did the first time around.” The iTunes
store’s main page featured a host of Beatles albums for sale, beneath an
early photo of the group that started in the tiny Cavern Club in
Liverpool and would go on to revolutionize rock ‘n’ roll/Doug Gross, CNN Tech. More here. (AP file photo)
Question: Do you plan to download Beatles music to iTunes?
Idaho Fish and Game is looking for information to assist with an on-going investigation. On Nov. 
12, F&G received an anonymous letter from “Poacher X” stating: “Here
is a picture of the nice buck I poached up in northern Idaho this year.
& I plan to do all my Idaho hunting like this from now on. &
I’ll send a picture of my nice pronghorn next. Also my turkey.”
(Expletives deleted) The return address said only “Poacher X” with a postmark from Everett, Wash. Anyone
with information on this crime, or any other crime, may call Citizen’s
Against Poaching at 1-800-632-5999, 24-hour a day. Callers may remain
anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.
Reaction?
It looks like it’s starting off as a slow week in submarine news, so here’s an article
from Politico 
saying that, for the first time since 1944, it’s likely
that neither major party nominee for President will have military
experience. I’d disagree with that premise a little bit — by 2012,
President Obama, the likely Democratic nominee, will have almost four
years of experience as Commander in Chief during wartime — but it’s
definitely an indication that, as the post-draft generation continues
taking the reins of power, there are fewer and fewer politicians who
have worn the uniform/Bubblehead, The Stupid Shall Be Punished. More here.
Question: Would you prefer that presidential candidates are military veterans?
Coeur d Alene Police Department responded to
a report of a vehicle that had driven into the Idaho Lights store,
6055 North Sunshine St. The
investigation shows that the vehicle was 
northbound on Highway 95 just north of
Dalton Avenue at 7:57 a.m. when it left the right shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle went through a portion of an undeveloped
lot and into the Idaho Lights building. The female driver and two female juvenile
passengers, ages 3 and 5, were transported to Kootenai Medical Center for
medical evaluations. It is unclear at
this time as to why the driver may have passed out. City of Coeur d Alene Building Inspector
was contacted and responded to inspect the building for safety/Sergeant Brett Walton, Coeur d’Alene Police Department. (KHQ photo + KHQ link here)
Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. walks out of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct’s adjudicatory hearing into his alleged ethics violations, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, as the committee went into executive session to consider allowing Rangel time to retain an attorney. Today, Rangel was found to have violated House Ethics rules in 12 of the 13 counts against him. New York Times report here. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Since the accusations were first raised two years ago, Mr. Rangel has acknowledged book-keeping errors in his financial disclosure forms and has said that his failure to pay more than $60,000 in taxes on rental income from a Dominican beach house was an oversight caused, in part, by his inability to speak Spanish/New York Times. More here.
Question: Is it possible that the congressional House Ethics Committee has more scruples re: congressmen who owe back taxes than the Idaho House Ethics Committee has with one particular North Idaho legislator?
On Twitter, Dustin Hurst/Idaho Reporter writes: “I hate wind. I hate it more than any other weather condition. I would rather have 7 feet of snow than wind gusts.”
Question: Which weather condition bugs you most?
Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan speaks at a protest rally in Dallas on Tuesday. A group of about 100 protestors marched to SMU, where a ground- breaking ceremony was being held for the George W. Bush Presidential Library. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)
Question: Do you find it tiring for people to dredge up past sins, real and imagined, of past presidents, like Bush and Bill Clinton?
For more than 60 years, the Billings refinery has safely and
reliably supplied fuels to the Rocky 
Mountain region. It directly
supports more than 450 workers and contractors while indirectly
supporting thousands of others. Many small businesses in the region are
reliant upon it. It is an award-winning enterprise, whose honors have included
two prestigious ENERGY STAR awards; recognition from the Environmental
Protection Agency and National Petrochemical and Refiners Association,
as well as a Montana Governors Cup for Workplace Health and Safety. Needless to say, I’m proud to be the refinery manager/Steve Steach, ConocoPhillips. More here.
Question: Is the short-term inconvenience of mega-loads traveling over Highway 12, worth the long-term gain of the refinery in Billings providing jobs & energy to the Inland NW?
Looking ahead, Idaho’s facing a projected state fund shortfall for Medicaid in fiscal year 2012 of $171.6 million. That’s a huge hole, and Armstrong said it’ll likely mean cutting services. Children are protected, so “we would have to focus on adult services – that’s where we’d have to go. We would have to eliminate major categories of service.” Armstrong said “every state in the nation” is looking at the same “Draconian” type of cuts. One suggestion he offered to cope with the crisis: Back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, there was much more use of volunteers in providing services to the disabled and others. Idaho could “see if there could be a resurgence of voluntary assistance, specifically around keeping adults stable in the home environment,” Armstrong said/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Can volunteers be expected to provide services to disable and others, if Idaho cuts back to much on Medicaid funding?
Chuck Redmon’s Dairy Mart is one of two West Central neighborhood
grocery stores that have been selected to participate in Spokane Healthy
Corner Stores, a program designed to increase the availability of
healthy food in low-income neighborhoods. John Stucke SR story here. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
Question: Is it a good idea for convenience stores to stock healthy food? Or will such fare be largely ignored by shoppers?
In this file image provided by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope a close-up of the red planet Mars is shown. Two scientists (Dirk Schulze-Makuch of Washington State and Paul Davies of Arizona State) are proposing we send volunteers to Mars and leave them there. They say the mission would mark the beginning of long-term human colonization of Mars, with numerous follow-up trips. The colleagues contend one-way missions could happen a lot quicker and cheaper, and it is essential to begin colonizing another planet as a hedge against a catastrophe that makes Earth uninhabitable. AP story here. (AP Photo/NASA, File)
Question: Who would you like to send on a one-way trip to the moon or Mars?
My wife said this morning that we were lucky last night not to have lost power, as a result of the wind storm last night. I guess power was out in other places. As I was driving to work I saw some tree limbs down. And some gutters overflowing with water as a result of leaves blocking the grates. City workers were busy collecting leaves from residences @ Government Way & Foster this morning. How about you? (Mike Prager reports on wind storm here.)
Question: Were you affected in any way by last night’s wind storm?
Earmarks will be shelved next year if things go the way of Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo. Idaho’s senators jointly announced Monday afternoon that they support
an earmark moratorium, for 
Republicans, that South Carolina Republican
Sen. Jim DeMint is expected to propose at the U.S. Senate Republican
Conference Tuesday. “They (constituents) have spoken loudly against the continuation of
congressionally directed federal funding, and that is how I will vote
tomorrow,” said Crapo in a statement. … Crapo and Risch supported — by way of voting against the tabling of a
DeMint amendment, which called for a moratorium, to a bill — a two-year
ban on earmarks in March/Jay Patrick, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Wasn’t it just the other day that Risch & Crapo were supporting $800M in congressional earmarks? What’s happening here? Do you support a congressional moratorium on earmarks?
Item: Otter letter critical of EPA: Governor says upper basin plan can’t go forward/Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: In a letter on Monday, Gov. Butch Otter criticized the EPA’s proposed Record of Decision amendment for the Upper Basin, and said a successful cleanup in the Silver Valley “is impossible without a healthy community and a strong local economy.” “In my view, the proposed ROD amendment must not go forward unless the EPA commits that cleanup work will not impede existing or future mining,” Otter wrote. “Moreover, the proposed ROD is not acceptable unless the EPA identifies and commits to reasonable and achievable endpoints.”
Question: Otter goes on to say that the EPA must “live within people’s means.” Should the EPA hold off far-reaching plans during these hard economic times?
Moscow Minidoka & Stacy are “write” that I have a case of the Mondays. Brain & fingers aren’t fully engaged as I prepare for my second cup of coffee. That’s why you see some typo bobbles below as I substituted “right” for “write,” etc. As the caffeine kicks in, I’ll credit any such bobbles to “bloggin at the speed of light.” Per usual. I suspect you guys enjoy spotting the bobbles. I consider that an added feature to Huckleberries Online. It isn’t easy inhabiting the middle ring of this 3-ring cyber circus sans net. But it’s almost always entertaining. Now, for your first Wild Card of the work week …
Dina De Laurentiis is overcome with laughter as she and her mother Martha, rear, sister Carolyna, third from right, and others at the funeral of her father, Italian filmmaker Dino De Laurentiis, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles today. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, Pool)
Question: Do you get bugged when someone laughs during a funeral? Or do you consider it a healthy release?
On her Facebook page, Cindy writes that she’s “savoring her first egg nog latte of the year and thinks egg nog like beets may be the dividing line between those with sophosticated taste buds and those whose taste buds are in a state of arrested development.”
Question: I’m not sure whether Cindy’s saying that individuals who enjoy egg nog and beets have sophisticated taste buds. Or it’s the other way around. But I like them both. How about you?
As expected 2009 Coeur d’Alene City Council election loser Jim Brannon and his attorney, Starr Kelso, have filed an appeal of Judge Charles Hosack’s decision to the Idaho Supreme Court. The two apparently didn’t wait for Judge Charles Hosack to rule on their request for a new trial. Hosack will hear that request Dec. 7. Team Brannon reportedly appealed on 23 different grounds. You can read the appeal here.
Paul Dunham, an 83-year-old from Hayden featured in a compelling SR story/photo essay, died today. Dunham suffered from a neuromuscular disorder that
prevents him from lifting his arms above his waist. He was able to remain in his home as long as possible as a result of a national trend to match the desire of older Americans to do so. SReporter Alison Boggs, who together with photographer Kathy Plonka, who produced the compelling essay, writes of Dunham’s death in this report here.
A fan holds a sign during an NCAA college football game between Idaho and Boise State Friday in Moscow. The future of the rivalry between Idaho and Boise State is in doubt because of BSU’s pending move to the Mountain West Conference and their desire not to make the trip every other year to Moscow. Boise State beat Idaho, 52-14. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Top Cutlines:
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook page, Linda Lantzy offers this photo of sun & fog along the Centennial Trail. I’d guess that it was taken on the trail east of Coeur d’Alene. BTW, Linda is now selling calendars & Christmas cards featuring her North Idaho Scenics.
Hucks Online numbers (for week of Nov. 7-13): 55,754/30280
You can now follow 5 Spokesman-Review sports reporters on a Twitter link that Blogmeister Ryan has posted in the righthand rail beneath my caricature. The Sports Twitter will feature all the latest tweets by Greg Lee (prep sports & Spokane Indians), Jim Meehan (Gonzaga & Whitworth & the Spokane Shock), Vince Grippi (WSU), Josh Wright (Idaho sports), Steve Bergum (Eastern Washington & Whitworth basketball), and Rich Landers (outdoors). Greg Lee plans to tweet the high school 5A championship game between Coeur d’Alene & Centennial Friday at the Kibbie Dome.
Cis (re: “Boundary County Republicans (heart) Hart”): Actually it doesn’t surprise me … being the area is a close to the movie
“Deliverance” … And I have never been a fan of Anderson, but I have to
give him kudo’s for stepping up to the plate when no one in his party
did …
Question: Are there places you’ve gone in North Idaho that you can swear you’ve heard the distant notes of dueling banjos?
OrangeTV: I was holding off on going there, hoping that DFO would eventually get
it out of his system but I have to get it off my chest: Election Day was
two weeks ago and pretty much all I still 
see on this blog is politics,
politics, politics. I am SO SICK of politics I could stick a lit Pall
Mall in my eyeball. If this were a drinking game based on how many posts
were devoted to that moron Phil Hart, I’d already have been checked in
and out of the Port of Hope at least twice by now. Surely there are more
stimulating subjects to ponder: make it stop! Thanks, I feel
better now. … And sports, but I guess I can live with that. Out of the nearly 40
entries on HBO visible on the front page as I type this, only 7 have
nothing to do with either politics or sports. That’s all, I’m done whining now.
Question: Would you like to see less politics on Hucks Online? What would be a good mix of politics & nonpolitics here, percentagewise?
Texas Rangers relief pitcher Neftali Feliz hugs from third baseman Mitch Moreland (18) after the Rangers beat the New York Yankees 7-2 in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Championship Series Oct. 16 in Arlington, Texas. Texas, of course, went on to beat the Yankees before falling to the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. Feliz, a former Spokane Indian, was selected as the American League rookie of the year today. San Francisco catcher Buster Posey was the National League Rookie of the Year. Story here. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Question: Did you see a Spokane Indians ballgame this year?
It’s not just a couple of disgruntled Democrats anymore who want
to know what the Idaho Tax Commission is up to. The 13,000-member
Idaho Education Association and two other teachers’ 
groups last
week joined state Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, and her attorney,
Robert Huntley, in a lawsuit over secret tax deals at the
commission. “We take the allegations very seriously,” John Rumel, general
counsel for the Idaho Education Association, told the
Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash. “The representative’s
allegations indicate that because of some sweetheart deals and
corrupt practices, a substantial amount of funds that should be
going into the coffers of the state are not getting there.” Dubious compromise settlements are cutting into tax revenue for
education, Rumel argues, in a year when state funding for schools
is down 7.5 percent/Twin Falls Times-News Editorial Board. More here.
Question: Should the Idaho Tax Commission be investigated for possible sweetheart deals with industry that may be costing the state millions in tax revenue?
After months of training in Idaho and Mississippi, hundreds of members
of the 116th Cavalry 
Brigade Combat Team are now on their way to Iraq. At about 10:40MT Sunday morning, the first jumbo jet took off from
Gulfport International Airport in Mississippi. It was filled with the
first batch of Idaho Citizen Soldiers, prepared to serve their country
in Iraq. It’s the first wave of a 4-day sendoff for the 116th. “There is an element of them being nervous and apprehensive about what
they’re going to face when they get over there,” said Colonel Tim
Marsano of the Idaho National Guard. “But I can tell you that they are
extremely well-trained”/Justin Corr, KTVB. More here.
Question: My niece, a lieutenant in the National Guard, is about to deploy for a second time to the Middle East. She served in Afghanistan last year. Now, she’s going to Iraq. Do you have a friend or loved one deployed in the Middle East?
Facebook
unveiled a new messaging platform today that takes aim at one of the Internet’s first applications, e-mail. Although
blogs had been speculating that Facebook would announce an e-mail
service to rival Google Inc.’s Gmail and others, Facebook said e-mail
was just one component of its plans. Declaring e-mail past its
prime in the age of texts and instant messages, CEO Mark Zuckerberg (shown, left, in AP photo making announcement this AM in San Francisco) said
the company doesn’t believe e-mail is going to be a modern messaging
system/Associated Press. More here.
Question: Which do you use more for Internet messaging — e-mail or Facebook messaging?
Karen Liesse, of Kent, adds a remembrance to the tribute outside the Home Plate gate, Saturday at Safeco Field in Seattle. Dave Niehaus, who called the first pitch in Seattle Mariners history and described more than three decades of occasionally good and mostly bad baseball, died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack at his suburban Bellevue home. Now, thieves reportedly have robbed from the display here. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Alan Berner)
Question: Can you think of anything lower than someone robbing from the memorial in honor of the late Dave Niehaus?
The weekly poll at the Lewiston Tribune last week asked: “When do you think the appropriate time is for people to put up their outdoor Christmas decorations?” The choices included: “The day after Halloween is OK by me,” “Mid-November is acceptable,” Thanksgiving or the week after will do,” “One or two weeks before Christmas,” “I never put them up,” and “I never take them down.” (SR file photo of Coeur d’Alene Resort by Jesse Tinsley)
Question: When is the appropriate time to put up outdoor Christmas decorations?
The Snake Pit Derby Dames defeated the High Desert Darlins of the Tri-Cities 208-142 at Skate Plaza Sunday night, to finish the season 6-1. In this photo, Jada ‘Pippi Headstomping’ Bellrose (center) is trying to block out High Desert jammers, while Kristen “Holly Shyt” Binyon prepares to help her. (Courtesy photo: Rocky Castaneda, more of Rocky’s Facebook photos of bout)
In the comments section Friday, Larry Grant, the Demos’ 2006 candidate for Congress writes: in 2008, I stepped aside to let Walt run because I thought he had a
better chance of winning than I 
did. I was right. He squeaked by in a
tough race. I have also kept my mouth shut since then in order to let
Walt run whatever kind of race he thought he needed to win in 2010. So let me get it straight: when I lost, I was a bad candidate, when
Walt loses, there was nothing anybody could do, even though he was an
incumbent with a conservative voting record with a $2 million dollar war
chest who loses to an underfunded R who doesn’t have the support of
half his party or groups like IACI. The race was Walt’s to lose. Full post below.
Question: Did Walt Minnick lose his congressional seat because he ran a poor campaign? Or was he simply a victim of the big Republican sweep in 2010?
Boundary County Republicans sent the following letter to House Speaker Lawerence Denney: The Boundary County Republican Central Committee strongly believes that our
legislators should 
be held to the highest standards of ethical behavior and
moral conduct. We believe that Rep. Phil Hart meets these expectations and has
this committee’s full support and respect. Rep. Hart has, in our opinion, earned
the unofficial title of the Conservative Leader of the Idaho House of
Representatives. … The
Boundary County Republican Central Committee hereby resolves that should the
ethics complaint against Rep. Hart be shown to be unsubstantiated or unfounded,
that it would be in the best interests of the citizens of the State of Idaho
that Rep. Hart be reinstated to his position on the Revenue and Taxation
Committee/Donna Capurso, chairman, Boundary County Republican Central Committee. More here.
Question: What do you make of the position by Boundary County Republicans that Rep. Phil Hart should be reappointed to the House Revenue & Taxation Committee?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California is shown on Capitol Hill in Washington Wednesday, past the set up for the news conference for House Speaker-in-waiting John Boehner of Ohio. The petite woman in purple silk edged her way behind a raucous mob of reporters awaiting the next speaker of the House, a speech to veterans behind her and an unclear future ahead. Attuned for four years to the comings and goings of current Speaker Nancy Pelosi, few in the crowd noticed, and none bolted the stakeout to follow her. It was a snapshot of Pelosi’s state of political suspension in the last days of her history-making speakership, dethroned by the electorate and struggling to defend her grip on the leadership of her caucus. The spotlight has moved on. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Quotable Quote: “Nancy Pelosi is throwing a party to celebrate her time as Speaker of the House. If you would like to get her a gift, she’s registered at Bed, Bath & Don’t Blame Me” — Jay Leno
Question: Would you like to see Pelosi become the Minority Speaker in the next Congress?
In August, while interviewing new Washington State
athletic director Bill Moos for the first time, he told me a story about
his 1971 Cougars team. After suffering several lopsided
losses during Jim 
Sweeney’s first three years of rebuilding the program,
the Cougars won a game they weren’t supposed to, shocking a Stanford
team, 24-23, that went on to win the Rose Bowl behind quarterback Jim
Plunkett. Moos said that victory over Stanford was validation that their efforts were paying off. And it served as a springboard for the 1972 season, when the Cougars went 7-4 and finished ranked No. 17 in the nation. Saturday’s 31-14 win at Oregon State is the
validation this year’s Cougars needed and it could serve as a
springboard for a dramatic turnaround in 2011. But this is just part of the reason I believe head coach Paul Wulff needs to be brought back next season/Derek Deis, ESPN Northwest. More here.
Question (from KXLY’s Melissa Luck): Did WSU’s win over Oregon State save Coach Paul Wulff’s job?
She’s a lawyer who writes romance novels about
vampires. While Rebecca Zanetti doesn’t limit 
herself to penning dark love
stories about passionate bloodsuckers, that’s the tale that caught
a major publisher’s eye. It earned the Hayden woman a three-book deal with Kensington
Book’s Brava division. The first novel, “Fated,” is due for release
in February. Zanetti, who started writing books just two years ago, is still
surprised that it was the story with fangs that got picked up. “I kept reading everywhere that vampires were done,” Zanetti
said/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Question: If you were to right a book, would it be fiction or nonfiction — and what would be the topic?
Boise State linebacker Byron Hout (94) puts a hit on Hawai wide receiver Royce Pollard (81) in the first quarter during an NCAA college football game at Bronco Stadium in Boise on Saturday, Nov. 6. Hout, a former Lake City High star, is out for the regular season after breaking his foot in the first half of the game against Idaho in the Kibbie Dome Saturday. See story below. (AP Photo/The Idaho Statesman, Joe Jaszewski)
Like a hot, greasy burger patty sliding off a stainless steel spatula
onto an awaiting bun, some 
eateries just don’t stick with me. Sometimes
I’ll drive around wondering where to eat and certain restaurants don’t
even pop out and beckon my attention at all. Eventually, I might notice
them and think “of course, it was there the whole time”, but even after I
finally make a visit or two, I’m still left with a blank, with nothing
especially memorable to report, but no real complaints either. So it was with Qdoba Mexican Grill, a place located less than a mile
from my home which I’d driven past dozens, if not hundreds of times over
the years but had never bothered to investigate until recently/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: Without clicking on the link, do you think OrangeTV gave Qdoba thumbs up or thumbs down?
I’d like to thank Walt Minnick. As he and I both concurred the other day: “It’s hard to run and lose a
race for Congress”. Most people have no idea the energy it takes to
run…and then lose. No, it’s 
not some type of misery-loves-company, political
back-slapping insincere thank you. It’s a thank-you that deals with
acknowledging his public service to the state for two years and for what
he gave up in his family to do so. Congressmen’s
lives are so chaotic. They feel like they live in airports half their
lives…and the other half in hotels. Crab and moan all you want about
the unjust “perks” that any congressman receives and then sit back and
think about what they DON’T recieve: a normal life of seeing their kids
play ball, going to a restaurant with their spouse, without
interruptions and THEN having to endure these ungodly campaigns/Dennis Mansfield. More here.
Question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate Congressman Walt Minnick’s service to country?
Item: GOP Schism Plays Out on Internet in Northern Idaho/John Miller, Associated Press
More Info: This “smells of a witch hunt,” wrote Larry Spencer, a Kootenai County Republican who supports Hart, according to text of the discussion group provided by Spencer. Sen. Shawn Keough, a Sandpoint GOP member, wrote to support Anderson’s bid “to investigate Rep. Hart’s theft of logs from state lands” and his “use of legislative immunity during the legislative session to avoid legal filings and hearings.” The online Yahoo meeting may last until Monday, as 31 precinct members in Idaho’s 1st Legislative District fight over whether to pen a letter supporting Hart or Anderson in the ethics proceedings.
Question: Will District 1 support Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest River, of Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol?
Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk (13) tries to hold possession of a loose ball, as (left, bottom to top) IUPUI’s Mitchell Patton, Gonzaga’s Demetri Goodson and IUPUI’s Alex Young make a play for the ball in the second half Sunday in the McCarthey Athletic Center. Jim Meehan SR game story here. (SR photo: Colin Mulvany)
While our attention was turned to Boise State’s drubbing of UIdaho to start the weekend, many of us forgot that Paul Wulff’s Cougs were playing again — and for the first time this year winning in the Pac-10, 31-14 over Oregon State in Corvallis. Mebbe there’s hope for an Apple Cup win this year. Meanwhile, Coeur d’Alene High earned the right to play for its first state football championship since 1985 by beating Capital with a winning touchdown in the final 29 seconds of the game. I enjoy this time of the season, when football & basketball dove-tail, almost as much as I enjoy the MLBaseball season. WSU basketballers also won Saturday and the Zags play again today. It’s all good. Now for your Wild Card …
Washington State’s Logwone Mitz (34) scores against Oregon State’s Dominic Glover (96) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday. Washington State ended a 16-game Pac-10 losing streak by defeating Oregon State 31-14. Game story here. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)
Idaho football fans spell out “inebriated” with body paint in the first half of Idaho’s NCAA college football game against Boise State Friday in Moscow. The word became a rallying cry for Idaho after Boise State president Bob Kustra called the Vandal culture at Idaho “nasty” and “inebriated” earlier in the week. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
According to Politico, Olbermann’s crime was that NBC News
“policies and standards” requires that its on-air personalities avoid
“potential conflicts” that could compromise their status as “impartial
journalists.” Don’t laugh. That’s what it actually says. And even if Olbermann did make donations to left-wing
Democrats, how could that possibly run afoul of NBC’s supposed
journalistic ethics? By law, donations to candidates are limited to
$2,400 per election cycle. I don’t know how much MSNBC charges for
advertising on its network, but I’m confident that it’s considerably
more than $7,200 per minute. And considering that MSNBC is nothing but a
24-hour-a-day, seven-day-per-week, 52-week-per-year disinfomercial for
the extreme left wing of the Democratic Party already, Olbermann’s
donation would scarcely purchase more than a few pixels of the in-kind
donation that MSNBC already provides to the far left/Mike Costello, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Which media entity is more balanced & fair — MSNBC or Fox News?
In the early moments of the folksy new TLC reality show “Sarah
Palin’s Alaska,” the former governor and vice-presidential contender is
perched high upon a picturesque bluff overlooking a 
rugged wilderness. “You can see Russia from here … almost,” she says. OK, so Palin has a self-deprecating sense of humor. That’s one thing
we can glean from this eight-part series produced by Mark Burnett
(“Survivor,” “The Apprentice”) for the network that gave us “Jon &
Kate Plus Eight.” We also learn that she’s a busy working mom who loves the great
outdoors, is constantly tethered to her Blackberry and has issues with a
nosy neighbor. It all sounds harmless enough, but can we still count on this show to be polarizing? You betcha/Chuck Barney, Contra Costa Times. More here.
Question: Do you plan to watch the new reality show, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska”?
Mr_Bloggy: Mr_B is a firm believer that colleges and university academics exist
only to legitimize and support the athletic programs. That success in
sports is what America is all about and why we 
kick the everlovin’ ass
of any damn country in the world we want. We are the Global Champions
of Warball! So, to the degree BSU provides any sort of academic program, and who
cares really because they are so awesome in football, folks should be
satisfied and happy BSU has not got out of balance like U of Idaho,
which is no great shakes on a national level, but has focused way too
much of strong academic programs and graduation rates to the
disadvantage of their abysmal failure of a football team. A few less
PhDs and a few more TDs would be warranted at this point. More below.
Question: Would you rather attend a college that’s known for good academics and a so-so football team or one that has a nationally ranked football team and so-so academics?
Based upon what limited information is currently available a man, name unknown, left a house on Cedar and eventually ended up at the Indiana address, shooting a rifle or shotgun into the air 
sporadically. When police instructed him to drop the weapon he fired it at them. Eventually he was surrounded and shot by Spokane Police. There may be several versions, multiple choice details to this crime, but as far as I can tell from what little public information that exists, I would term this “Suicide by cop”. I can think of no other reason a man in possession of his senses, surrounded by police officers, would continue shooting his gun in the air in the vicinity of a busy city intersection. Now the real question remains: what can we as concerned individuals do to stop suicide by cop?/David Laird, Community Comment. More here. And: Meghann Cuniff SR story here.
Question: Can society do anything to reduce the number of episodes of suicide by cop?
Boise State’s Dan Paul (47) tries to stay in the field of play as he runs the ball near the goal line, but fails to score as Idaho’s Aaron Grymes, center, and Homer Maugain, right, defend, the first half of an NCAA college football game tonight in Moscow. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Gonzaga’s Robert Sacre, top center, puts up a shot over Southern’s defense as teammates Mangisto Arop (10) and 41 Steven Gray, second from left, watch in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game tonight in Spokane. Sacre’s father is the athletic director for Southern. ESPN boxscore here (AP Photo/Jed Conklin)
Steven Gray made five 3-pointers, handed out nine assists and scored 25 points to lead No. 12 Gonzaga to a 117-72 season-opening win over Southern University on Friday night. Gonzaga had six players score in double figures. Sam Dower scored 15 points, Elias Harris and Mathis Monninghoff added 12 each, Robert Sacre contributed 11 and Kelly Olynyk finished with 10. Story here.
Inland Northwest fans have a busy night tonight, as the Idaho Vandals & Boise State Broncos will kick off the Governor’s Cup at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 (I’ll post running scores here after the game starts, so you can discuss the game as it plays out, if you’d like.) Meanwhile, Gonzaga kicks off its 2010-11 season against Southern at The Kennel at the same time (game on KHQ or FSN). The No. 22 Lady Zags fell to USC earlier today 79-73. At 11 a.m. Saturday (PDT), Coeur d’Alene will take on Capital at Boise State University for a chance to advance to the state championship game next week. (Dick Haugen will have live video of the game on NIWebsports.com.) Now, to replay the Wild Card …
Spokane Police gather near the body of a male who was shot by police after a chase, near the corner of Indiana Avenue and Madison Street in Spokane. Meghann Cuniff’s SR story here. (SR photo: Dan Pelle)
They’re
called stragglers: political campaign signs that stay up in the
public right of way long after the votes are counted, the dreams
fulfilled — or the hopes dashed. In Ada County, the highway district has jurisdiction over most of these signs with emphasis on one major aspect. “From
beginning to end, our main focus is on safety,” said Christine Myron
with the Ada County Highway District. “Whether or not the sign impedes
the driver’s view or is getting in the way of a pedestrian”/Scott Logan, KBOI. More here.
Question: Do you know of any politicians who still have their yard signs up? Let’s name names — who and where?
On her Twitter account, Holly Bowen/Moscow-Pullman Daily News posted this photo of a sign that’s waiting for Boise State Bronco fans when they show up to park at the Kibbie Dome today.
A couple onboard the Carnival Splendor cruise ship holds a T-shirt with the message “Next Stop The Daily Show” written on it as the ship approaches the dock in San Diego, Calif., Thursday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Top Cutlines:
In the annual food drive challenge between the University of Idaho and Boise State University, the Vandals dominated. Of the total 35,123 pounds of food collected, University of Idaho students gathered 34,500. Boise State contributed 623 pounds. “I would really like to thank the statewide community and all of our alumni,” said Sam Perez, president pro-tempore, ASUI Senate. “We have won this food drive the past three years, and it is because we have such a strong alumni base”/Joni Kirk, UIdaho media relations.
Question: Can we still say that the Idaho Vandals are humanitarian champs this year, no matter what takes place on the field?
On her Facebook page, Estar Holmes posts the photo above plus a couple of others of multi-talented Dave Falcone filming a promotion piece of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes for the North Idaho Tourism Alliance. Dave & Ron Gardner are helping with the project.
“It’s a damn shame that the Mariners never lived up to their play-by-play man” — Art Thiel, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, re: Seattle play-by-play announcer Dave Niehaus, who of a heart attack this week at age 75. Full Thiel column here.
On Nov. 4, Oregon offensive lineman Carson York was named to the ESPN
Academic All-District 8 
team, with a 3.70 grade-point average as a
journalism/advertising major. The redshirt sophomore from Coeur d’Alene,
Idaho, was a first-team all-Pacific-10 Conference academic selection
last season. He’s also a very good football player. York has started
eight games for the Ducks this season capable of playing at both tackle
and guard. The Emerald caught up with York after practice this week for a
quick Q&A/Robert Husseman, UOregon Daily Emerald. More here. And: Carson York bio from UOregon Ducks football page here.
Question: Which former North Idaho high school players who have gone on to play sports in college or the pros do you still follow?
I
have a habit of checking out the book shelves whenever I’m invited for the first time to someone’s place. The titles reveal a lot about the host family. I have 3 1/2 book shelves. My books reveal that I collect old books, biblical & religious books, books about newspapers & columnists, poetry, and sundry other subcategories including sports. Trish Gannon, again on her Facebook page, prompted my thoughts about my books with this comment: “As research for a future story, I have counted 719 books in my house, not counting those belonging to my brother Joe.”
Question: How many books do you have in your house — and what do they say about you?
In 2008, in Idaho’s 1st U.S. House district, Republican Bill Sali lost his office to Democrat Walt Minnick. In 2010, Minnick in turn lost it to Republican Raul Labrador.
Question: Which of these 
Republicans, Sali or Labrador, would you
suppose won about 45,000 more votes than the other in these elections? You can guess where this is going: Sali, in losing, took 171,687
votes, while Labrador, winning this year – in a strong win by a strong
margin – took 126,231 votes: Far fewer. Look closely at the vote totals in the two elections and you find
what sure looks like evidence in Idaho of that vaunted enthusiasm gap: A
relatively larger number of Democrats not voting in 2010 who had in
2008. The closer you look, the more it looks that way/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press. More here.
Question: Stapilus acknowledges a dropoff in voters can be expected in a nonpresidential year. But the dropoff for Minnick was steeper than the one for Labrador. Do you know a Demo who refused to vote for conservative Minnick?
Ellen Jaegar models her “nasty and inebriated” Idaho Vandal fan T-shirt she intends to wear to the UIdaho-Boise State game tonight. On her Facebook page, Kerri Thoreson writes of this photo: “You’d have to be a UI Vandal fan who was insulted by Boise State President Bob Kustra’s remarks (during an interview in which he called the Vandal fans “nasty and inebriated”) to appreciate the birthday gift Heidi Rogers gave Ellen Jaeger this week at Laundry Night Thursday.
Question: Would you wear a “nasty & inebriated” T-shirt/sweatshirt, if you had one?
At about noon today, Trish Gannon/River Journal wrote on her Facebook page:
“There is a mouse butt on my floor. Tail, hind legs and hindquarter … and … nothing else. Guess the cat was full.” I appreciate Trish’s nonchalance at finding part of a mouse in her Clark Fork house. It wasn’t that long ago when we tossed pots, pans, & anything else that was near a mouse carcass we found under the dining room table. I suspect the dog drug the mouse into the house. But that didn’t appease Mrs. O. (AP file photo, BPI Digital Photo)
Question: Do you freak out when you find a mouse or mouse dropping in your house?
Bill Cosby’s job titles, over the last 50 years, have included comedian, actor, writer, producer and director. Yet during a phone interview last week, we asked Cosby if he considered himself 
something a little meatier: an educator. “Yes,” he said. “Period. Day one. From the classroom at Temple
University to the coffeehouses in Greenwich Village in 1963, all the way
through. Everything I have ever done through the TV set has to do
with education.” After all, Cosby is in fact Dr. William Cosby, having earned a
doctorate in education in 1976 from the University of Massachusetts. Yet he also is one of the world’s best known comedians, able to
command audiences of millions because he never forgot rule No. 1:
Be funny/Jim Kershner, SR. More here.
Question: Can you think of a comedian who is funnier than Bill Cosby?
Alternating between rage and anguish, I watch stupid, damned, poor, ignorant cretin devil Bambette (Bambi’s sister) in the mirror. She’s standing in the road, looking not much worse for 
wear. I hope she’s thinking, “Daaaamn that hurt,” all the while knowing she’s not thinking at all. Her walnut-sized, kidney-bean-shaped brain is only recording shock and pain and she doesn’t have a clue that it’s a miracle she is still standing. I haven’t had a close encounter of the deer kind for a while, not counting the non-contact variety that invariably come from driving Highway 200 on a regular basis. Some nights, all I can do is drive 45 and try not to swear out loud, at which I never succeed. I’ve called deer the vilest names I’ve ever called anything. Stupid, blinking animals, anyway. Holy… ummm… crud/Sandy Compton, River Journal. More here.
Question: Have you ever hit a whitetail deer while driving? Near miss?
University of Idaho offensive lineman Spencer Beale signs autographs for
students at McDonald Elementary School in Moscow on Thursday. UI
football players ate lunch with students at the school, and students
wore Vandal clothing to school to celebrate UI&’s game against Boise
State today. Christina Lords’ Daily News story here. (Moscow-Pullman Daily News photo: Geoff Crimmins)
Three shirts, two pairs of pants, one pair of shoes, a
coat, a handful of toiletries, a laptop, a small 
amount of homework
which will probably not get done and a copy of Dante’s Inferno. These are the only possessions I will carry during a 10-day,
five-country excursion around Europe. All of it fit into my
average-sized backpack with little room to spare for souvenirs. It is fall break in Morocco and the aim of the trip is an opportunity to explore Europe. The plane tickets from Morocco to Madrid were only $12. The
cost of traveling from Moscow to Spokane by bus is nearly double that.
Traveling around Europe and North Africa may be cheaper than in the
states but sacrifices must be made to ensure things go smoothly/Cheyenne Hollis, UIdaho Argonaut. More here.
Question: How much luggage do you take when traveling to another country?
This weekend, the Idaho Vandals (women’s cross-country team) will try to add more accolades to their strong 2010 season at the NCAA West Region Championships at Eugene, Ore. Idaho’s women, who won their third WAC title in six seasons on Oct. 30, have their eyes set on the second NCAA bid in school history. To do so, they’ll have to finish well in a 30-team women’s 6,000-meter race that features five teams ranked in the top 30 nationally. Story here. (Courtesy Idaho Athletics Media photo: Spencer Ferrin)
Question: Why do few seem to notice that the Idaho Vandals can hold their own against Boise State and the rest of the WAC in sports other than football?
At the Lewiston Tribune this morning, editorialist Marty Trillhaase gives House Speaker Lawerence Denney jeers in his weekly Cheers & Jeers column for waiting until Rep. Phil Hart gave him 
permission to remove Hart from the House Rev & Tax committee. Trillhaase chronicles Hart’s problems with the IRS, Idaho Tax Commission, theft of timber from school endowment land to build his house, and mentions that the artful tax dodger is back in court to fight the $53,000 he owes the state. He then mentions that none of this or even Rep. Eric Anderson’s demand for another ethics hearing could force Denney to do something about Hart. Denney only acted after Hart asked to be removed from the committee. Trillhaase concludes: “Long ago, any speaker worth his office would have condemned
Hart for what he is - a timber-stealing tax cheat. He’d strip Hart of
all committee assignments. And he’d be the one launching an ethics probe
instead of relying on the conscience of other lawmakers. Not this speaker.” Marty’s Cheers & Jeers column here.
Question: Do you think Lawerence Denney is an effective House Speaker?
The Idaho Vandals Facebook site is promoting “Black Out In the Dome” for the Governor’s Cup showdown between Boise State and University of Idaho tonight, encouraging Idaho fans to wear black Vandal apparel to show their support for the home team. (Photo courtesy: UIdaho Athletics Media)
Question: Are you disappointed with the Vandals season so far?
Coeur d’Alene’s Holy Family Catholic School honored veterans with a virtual visit with servicemen deployed in Iraq during school Thursday.Schools have celebrated Veterans Day with assemblies for decades. At Holy Family Catholic School they had an assembly with the music, the flag and veterans but they also added Skype so they could speak with servicemen deployed to Baghdad, Iraq.The students were able to say thank you and learned a lesson in sacrifice from fellow student Julianna Saltus. Julianna is a 6th grader at Holy Family, and one of the soldiers the students got to talk to Thursday was Army Major Richard Saltus, Julianna’s dad/Erik Loney, KXLY. More here.
Question: Do you Skype with anyone?
A T-shirt has a lot to do with what appears to be a heightened hatred between the two schools. 
The “nasty and inebriated” words came from Boise State’s president when he talked about the Vandal culture. But those who make up the current culture at this school say the drinking is blown out of proportion. “I think we are the same as BSU or any school back east, I think we are just the same,” said Stephen Parrott. University of Idaho student body president Stephen Parrott wants to de-emphasize the drinking part of this rivalry/KTVB. More here.
Question: Do you think University of Idaho students/fans are nastier & more inebriated than you & your classmates during your college days?
Remember Livingston. Whatever the outcome of the BNSF Railway Co.’s lawsuit against
Kootenai County – in which the railroad argues that the county has no
power to make sure it’s not spilling 
fuel into our drinking water –
remember Livingston. Remember Livingston? It’s a great little Montana town, full of
artists and writers and good bars and perhaps a touch too much
fly-fishing romance, in a valley named Paradise on the road to
Yellowstone National Park. And it’s got a Superfund site, where BNSF for
years dumped diesel, solvents and asbestos into the soil and water –
and then for years wrangled with the state and the people whose health
and property it fouled. That’s what things look like on the back end of a big BNSF problem/Shawn Vestal, SR. More here.
Question: Anyone out there willing to say a good word for the railroad?
Idaho’s business tax climate is worse than those of all its surrounding states, according to a new study from the Tax Foundation. Idaho ranked above the national average at 18th, the same position it held last year. The 2011 State Business Tax Climate Index doesn’t measure the overall tax burden on companies in the state, but rather looks at how simple, transparent, and neutral to different types of businesses each state’s code is. … Idaho’s six neighbors ranged from Wyoming at third place in the national index to Oregon at 14th place. However, the study favors states that don’t have an income tax, such as Washington, or a sales tax, such as Oregon/Brad Iverson-Long. More here.
Question: Are you surprised that Idaho’s business climate ranks below neighboring states in the Northwest?
A neuromuscular disorder has diminished Paul Dunham’s previously robust 160-pound frame to a skeletal 83 pounds over the past two decades. The Hayden man’s hands are strong, but he’s unable to lift his arms above his waist. Despite the struggles, he and Nancy, his wife of 60 years, live alone in their own home, a 70-by-14-foot trailer in a tidy park off Government Way. See Kathy Plonka’s stunning slide show here. And read Alison Boggs’ SR story here.
Item: Spokane, CdA residents happily off cruise: Crew handled situation well, passenger says/Tom Sowa
More Info: On board also was his wife, Theresa Blohowiak; his sister, Cyndie Hammond; and her husband, Jim. Jim Hammond, of Coeur d’Alene, is an Idaho state senator; Cyndie is regional director for the Coeur d’Alene campus of Lewis-Clark State College. The four family members said they survived reasonably well, having berths on an upper deck with balcony windows that provided fresh air.
Question: Have you ever been stranded somewhere while traveling? How did you cope?
Item: Vandals know Broncos will pounce on mistakes/Josh Wright, SR
More Info: In the Vandals’ three games against teams ranked or receiving votes in the national polls – losses to Nebraska, Hawaii and Nevada – they piled up 14 turnovers. Most of the mistakes and the poor execution have come early, effectively wiping out any chance of an upset. Idaho (4-5, 1-3) was buried at then-No. 6 Nebraska after back-to-back interceptions returned for touchdowns. Two weeks ago, three turnovers in rapid succession gave Hawaii a 31-3 halftime advantage. And last week, Nevada vaulted to a 35-3 lead.
Question: What will be the score at halftime?
Item: Kennedy asks Cd’A to pay for attorney/Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Mike Kennedy is seeking attorney fees from the city of Coeur d’Alene. The total being sought is around $105,000, city attorney Mike Gridley said. Kennedy, City Council seat 2 incumbent, accumulated the fees defending his then 5-vote victory over challenger Jim Brannon in the November 2009 general election, a suit that lasted 11 months.
Question: Should the city of Coeur d’Alene pay Councilman Mike Kennedy’s legal fees?
‘Tis a day for remembrances. Of veterans who have served this country well. Of Dave Niehaus whose descriptions of Seattle Mariners ballgames were more thrilling than the games themselves. Of the wonderful summer and rapidly fading fall that is going, going … and about to be gone, leaving us to face another Inland Northwest winter. But we’ll do it together. So we can look forward to fun until the 2011 Legislature provides political fodder again for this mill. Now, for your Wild Card …
Portland Trail Blazers’ LaMarcus Aldridge(12) dives for a loose ball against Detroit Pistons’ Ben Wallace (6) and Austin Daye (the former Gonzaga Bulldog) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Portland Tuesday. Aldridge had a team high 19 points as the Trail Blazers beat the Pistons 100-78. Daye, the former Gonzaga Bulldog, is averaging 8.6 points per game in 21.4 minutes per game this season. Player profile here. He is teammates with former Eastern Washington star Rodney Stuckey. Stuckey profile here. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)
Remember that opening/closing scene from “Saving Private Ryan” when the guy who got saved is walking among the rows of white crosses, wondering if he was worth the effort? Well, Cis/From A 
Simple Mind has a post today along the same lines. With Veterans Day on her mind, Cis points out that so many have died for us — you and I and the rest of the country — to preserve our freedoms. Then, Cis writes: “Which makes me wonder sometimes — were we worth it? … We have become a whining, sniveling
bitching country. Nothing is good enough for us. We want everything now. And as
our country sits on the edge,we citizen cry about us. What it is doing to us. We
want the government out of our hair, yet blame it when we don’t have what we
want.” (AP photo: Deborah Barr, of Ortonville, Mich., grasps her brother U.S. Navy HT1
Daniel Doule’s gravestone earlier today in Holly, Mich.)
Question (from Cis): Are we worth it?
Willie Earthman arrives each day at the East Central Senior Center, dressed for a party. And why 
not? When you are 102, each new day is a celebration. On a recent morning, she sat at a table at the senior center, wearing a red dress she’d made herself, topped with a glittering gold-sequined jacket. “My grandmother taught me how to sew,” she said. A half-dozen necklaces dangled from her neck and rings sparkled from every finger. Born on July 13, 1908, in Pascagoula, Miss., Earthman and her four older brothers and two younger sisters worked with their parents on a 40-acre farm owned by the Parker family. “There wasn’t no discrimination,” she asserted. “Mrs. Parker and us all worked together”/Cindy Hval, Voices. More here.
Question: Does your family have a history of longevity?
Live, Love, Laugh, Hope offers a series of viewtiful fall photos of North Idaho, including the rustic scenic above. Click here and enjoy “The Last Dance of Fall”.
Former Sandpoint soldier Brandon Adam is doing incredibly well after losing both legs while serving in Iraq in 2007. Today, Brandon is married to a teacher, expecting his first baby, and enjoying life in Colorado Springs, Colo. Marianne Love/Slight Detour updates Brandon’s progress for a Veteran’s Day salute today. More here.
Hucks Numbers (for Wednesday): 10756/5650, (for Tuesday): 9966/5221, (for Monday) 9600/5137.
Peter Mundt returns with a video to promote Friday’s Governor’s Cup rivalry game between the University of Idaho & Boise State at the Kibbie Dome. You should enjoy Bing Crosby singing the Idaho theme song on the video below.
Question: Predict the score of the Vandals-Broncos game?
A Coeur d’Alene company was handling the demolition of that smoke stack that fell in the wrong 
direction Wednesday in Springfield, Ohio. No injuries were reported when the former Ohio Edison Mad River Power Plant’s 275-foot smoke stack fell, knocking out power for more than 8000 customers and crushing several pieces of power equipment. Lisa Kelly, the president and owner of the Coeur’dAlene, Idaho-based Advanced Explosives Demolition Inc., which handled the demolition, told the News-Sun that the explosives detonated correctly, but an undetected crack on the south side of the tower pulled it in a different direction. “Nobody’s happy with things that go wrong in life, and sometimes it’s out of our hands and beyond anybody’s prediction. … We’re all extremely thankful no one was injured”/Associated Press. More here. (AP Photo/Springfield News-Sun, Bill Lackey)
Workers prep the large Conoco Phillips refinery equipment loads at the Port of Lewiston Monday in Lewiston. Betsy Russell/SR has latest here. (AP Photo/Lewiston Tribune. Barry Kough)
Can you figure out which one of the three young Portuguese boys in this photo is me? A cousin posted this photo on her Facebook page yesterday. I’d never seen this photo before. Anyone?
Just got off the phone with Dr. Cyndie Hammond after she texted me about
an hour ago. Seems 
Cyndie and Senator Jim Hammond have had quite an
adventure this week as two of 4,500 passengers stranded aboard the
Carnival Splendor. Cyndie tells me that they had about 12 hours of their
cruise underway when the ship lost power about 200 miles south of San
Diego on the way to the Mexican Rivera on Sunday. She and Jim were in a cab on the way to a hotel about noon when we
spoke. The pair seemed giddy with delight to be on dry land, although
Cyndie had to laugh about the traffic … “It’s Veterans Day in a
military town and we’re stuck in a parade”/Kerri Thoreson, More Main Street. More here.
Question: When did you last take a cruise?
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, appears headed for victory as a write-in candidate as she seems to have built an insurmountable lead over Tea Party rival Joe Miller as counting of voters’ write-ins continue. This New York Times story by Nate Silver explains why Murkowski is likely to retain her Senate seat as a write-in after losing to Miller in the GOPrimary. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Question: Some say that the challenge by Tea Party candidates cost Republicans a U.S. Senate majority in the next Congress. What do you think?
Some guys just can’t catch a break. It seems Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, is one of those guys. 
Trail, a
veteran of the Idaho Legislature, has pitched a resolution supporting
production of industrial hemp to his colleagues in the Idaho House of
Representatives on an annual basis for the past 12 years with no
success. Trail’s run of proposing the resolution will end in 2011, the Moscow legislator announced earlier this week. At the North Idaho Legislative Tour in Coeur d’Alene Sunday, Trail told IdahoReporter.com
that thanks to a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals in December 2009,
there is no point in proposing the resolution anytime soon/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Should it be legal to grow industrial hemp?
First, you need to remember that a car bomb was found under Cyndi Steele’s Mitsubishi when she took the vehicle for servicing to Fast Lane Quick Lube on Bosanko/CdA June. Then, you’ll appreciate the sign my wife saw on Fast Lube’s readerboard Wednesday: “We help prevent explosive repairs.” And on the sign below? “We do a thorough inspection.” Edgar Steele, the Bonner County attorney who represented the late Richard Butler and 3 Aryan Nations security guards in the civil trial that bankrupted the racist group, is still in jail on charges that he tried to hire someone to murder his wife.
Question: Anyone seen a good readerboard sign or bumpersnicker out there today?
It’s
been a little while since we took a stroll together down Foodborne Illness Lane, but it’s so pretty this time of year so let’s have a go at it, shall we? Panhandle Health District is kind enough to provide us with a website, which is updated regularly with information about how many health code violations our area’s restaurants and eateries have managed to rack up in the last three years/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: Have you ever suffered food poisoning as a result of eating at a local restaurant?
On her Facebook page, Kerri Thoreson has posted a number of photos from the dedication by the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe of its Warrior & Veterans Memorial in Plummer this spring, including the one above. At this moment, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Veterans Program is hosting a ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday at the memorial. Vice Chairman Ernie Stensgar and Treasurer Norma Jean Louie will be speaking about the contributions and sacrifices of veterans. Also, there will be a reading of the deceased names.
Question: Do you want to give a shout out to a particular veteran and tell us why s/he is special?
Here in Montana, the tempera paint wasn’t even dry on the misspelled Tea Party congratulations posters when former U.S. Representative Rick Hill announced that he’s running for governor. And he wasn’t even the first. Two other Republicans, Ken Miller and Cory Stapleton, had already decided to dedicate two solid years of their lives to campaigning to win the post being vacated by term-limited Brian Schweitzer. No Democrats have announced as of yet, probably because they’re waiting for Harry Reid to tell them Nancy Pelosi said it’s okay/Bob Wire, New West. More here.
Question: Is there any way to discourage politicians from announcing too early?
Editor’s note: Spoiler alert re: the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus.
I found it wrapped in tissue and tucked within the zippered pocket of my
purse. The small pearly white gem had been there for a month and we’d all
forgotten about it – even the Tooth Fairy. 
Sam, 11, has been losing the last of his baby teeth at a rapid rate.
Evidently, our pastor preaches tooth-rattling sermons, because lately the teeth
have come out during church on Sunday morning. At some point during the service
Sam scoots past us in the pew with his hand clasped over his mouth. He
eventually returns with bloody paper towels protruding from his lips. I can only
imagine what the people who sit behind us must think. Alas, this rite of passage has caused some tension in our home. One of Sam’s
parents is unwilling to part with the magic and mystery of the Tooth Fairy. The
other has been there, done that and moved on/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here.
Question: Did/do your children believe in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus?
Christie Wood (re: Kennedy tab to date: $107,000): I get it that the plaintiffs see this as a challenge of election laws
(although I am convinced it is also very personal) but they do have the
ability to seek changes through legislative 
action rather than the
courts. So why a new trial? It is hard on everyone involved, so why not
work toward clarifying future election laws rather than breaking the
bank for Brannon and Kennedy? The people behind this that do not have to
foot the bill or have their name constantly in the blogs or other
media, ask yourselves…are you really being a good friend to Jim by
encouraging him to continue on? Or is this satisfying your own desire to
keep going after Kennedy?
Question: Why do you think Brannon is continuing to pursue his election challenge?
No word yet on whether the nation’s most powerful elected officials will actually be sipping Goji Berry Cherry Slurpees when discussing tax cuts on Nov. 18. But the Slurpee sellers at 7-11 are giddily taking advantage of the golden marketing opportunity with a “Slurpee Unity Tour” now zigzagging across the country to Washington. (AP Photo/Larry Crow)
The president’s campaign-trail attack on Republicans as Slurpee-sipping do-nothings boomeranged on him the day after the GOP won the House majority in last week’s midterm elections. He was asked if he would have likely House Speaker John Boehner over for the slushy 7-Eleven staple, and the White House meeting next week with Congressional leaders was jokingly dubbed the “Slurpee Summit”/Associated Press. More here.
Question: When did you last drink a 7-11 Slurpee?
Frankly, it’s hard to feel much sympathy for her -
particularly when, in a recent interview with ABC News anchor Diane
Sawyer, she assessed her own performance the past three years as “job
well 
done.” What a spectacularly self-serving fantasy. In 1974, after two
years of Watergate scandals and the resignation of President Richard
Nixon, Republicans only lost 49 House seats. This year, Democrats are on
track to lose 63 seats - yet Pelosi has “no regrets.” She feels she did
good work. She isn’t alone in that. Other Democratic leaders share her
view. Rather than take ownership and accept responsibility — rather than
step back and consider the possibility that their arrogant,
shove-it-down-the-public’s-throat strategy on health care reform and the
perennial “what, me worry?” approach to federal spending may have
caused the party’s defeat — they blame the recession/William Spence, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Or congressional Democrats victims of the recession or over-reaching?
So much of the spectacle of elections involves watching political
parties gain and lose seats, yet 
within hours of every Election Day,
there is one seat that’s grievously lost for good: the one in the
corner, belonging to the political cartoonist. Within days of the polls closing this year, one Pulitzer
Prize-winning cartoonist has been pink-slipped and a two-time Pulitzer
finalist has been demoted to part-time status. Matt Davies,
cartoonist for The Journal News in the Lower Hudson Valley (N.Y.),
tells Comic Riffs that the Gannett-owned newspaper has laid him off. Another gifted Gannett cartoonist, Marshall Ramsey of the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., confirmed just days after the election that his newspaper is reducing his duties amid more than a dozen staff cuts/Michael Cavna, Washington Post. More here. (Joe Heller/Hellertoons cartoon)
Question: How important to you is the work of an editorial cartoonist in your daily newspaper?
Before he began narrating our summer nights, Dave Niehaus was third
fiddle to Dick Enberg and 
Don Drysdale in the broadcast booth of the
California Angels, owned by the Singing Cowboy himself, Gene Autry. “David, you call a hell of a game,” Autry once told Niehaus. “Not the game I’m watching, but a hell of a game.” Niehaus told that story on himself upon his election to the
broadcasters’ wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame two years ago. The
occasion called for stories, for humor and humility to leaven the
treacly reverence in which the game loves to wallow – but without
sacrificing the appreciation and respect due the moment. And this was Dave Niehaus’ specialty/John Blanchette, SR. More here. (AP file photo: Dave Niehaus interviewing Ken Griffey Jr & Griffey Sr. in 1999)
Question: What did you appreciate most about Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus?
Doug Clark winces as he tries a mouthful of lutefisk prepared by Reba
Haugen Jewell and Ron Rolla on Wednesday at the Tordenskjold Lodge of
the Sons of Norway in Spokane. You can read Clark’s column re: his close encounter with lutefisk here.
Question: Have you ever eaten lutefisk? What do you think of it?
Vietnam veteran Chris “Hammer” Hamilton pays his respect to a friend and fallen comrade at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Veterans Day in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Question: The names of two of my high school friends and my wife’s cousin is written on the Vietnam Wall. Did you know someone whose name is on that wall?
OrangeTV:
I lived in Seattle years ago on Christmas and couldn’t make it over to
Idaho for the holiday and only had plans with friends for Christmas Eve.
I worked at a retail store and we were the only place on Broadway open
on Christmas besides a Chinese quickie mart. I worked and ended up
having a wonderful, festive day with my co-workers and regular customers.
Question: How do you cope when you have to work a holiday?
Mic Armon (re: WAC slaps trash-talking BSU coach): The cross country coach from BSU must have attended a different WAC
championship then I did. I was at the meet and I will admit that it was
one of the more well-attended and loud X-C 
meets that I have ever been
at (and I have been to a few). But the Idaho fans were more then
respectful for all of the teams, even to the point of cheering when the
BSU men’s team was announced as the champions. BSU ran a very good race
and had a couple of their guys have huge PR’s, but U of I had a great
year and the Vandal Ladies are WAC champs. As a very proud Dad of a
Vandal X-C runner, I am certain that I would never want my son to run
for a coach that can only feel good about his program by belittling others.
Question: Have your children ever had been athletic coaches?
JimmyMAC (re: Some solons oppose Anderson move): Skirting the rules because you don’t agree with them is not an
option. Please, supporters of Phil Hart, insert just about any other
law/breaking of said law into this formula and 
you would be beside
yourself calling for justice. If Phil truly subscribed to this ideal
that he is so passionate about, he should gladly absolve himself from
the benefits and services afforded to him by state and federal
income taxes. … As a free market loving capitalistic pig, I applaud him for being a
financial success. I just wish he would be less of a welfare sucking
drag on my finances and foot some of the bills that he so adamently
enjoys me paying!!!!!!!!!!
Question: Wouldn’t Hart’s cause be noble, if he paid his taxes like the rest of us and then protested and fought the system?
I’m almost over my election withdrawals and ready to get on with life here at Huckleberries HQ. This is the time of year I reflect on what I’m doing here — and consider possible tweaks. I’m still waiting for the powers that be to convert this site to a stand-alone one. Then, I might be waiting for that switch the day I retire, five years from now or so (if newspapers still exist then). Basically, I’m happy with the way things are going here — the commenter mix that Hucks has + the readership. I’m also happy with the work I’m privileged to do. I have long thought that I have the best journalism job in Idaho. Now, for your Wild Card …
Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus reacts to the applause of the pre-game crowd as he is inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on May 7, 2000, in Seattle. Niehaus has been broadcasting for the Mariners since their inaugural season in 1977. The Seattle Times has just announced that Niehaus died today at age 75 of a heart attack. Seattle Mariners statement here. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Question: My best memory of Dave Niehaus was his call on the double that Edgar Martinez hit to drive in Ken Griffey Jr. with the winning run to beat the Yankees in the playoffs? What’s yours?
My
body goes with daylight. Meaning when the sun is up, my body wakes me and I get out of bed. And when it is dark, I start to run down. Probably comes from my childhood. As we woke up at dawn to do the farm work. And my folks had us in bed by the time it got dark or shortly after. I think 8p.m. was our bedtime for winter. Over the years, I was always an early riser/Cis, From A Simple Mind. More here.
Question: Are you an early riser? How early?
The University of Denver, Texas-San Antonio and Texas State will join the WAC in 2012-13 to offset the departures of Boise State, Fresno State and Nevada to the Mountain West, multiple sources told ESPN.com. UTSA, which still needs official approval from the board of regents, and Texas State will join in all sports. Denver will join for all sports except for football, since the Pioneers don’t play at the FBS level/Andy Katz, ESPN. More here.
Question: What do you make of these developments in the Western Athletic Conference?
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook page, Linda Lantzy offers another of her viewtiful snapshots of our little piece of paradise — Fernan Lake. (BTW, Linda has a calendar of her North Idaho scenics for sale this yule season. Check out her Facebook page.)
Members of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals dress as a chicken and a cow as they hold a demonstration outside the venue where former U.S. President Bill Clinton is addressing a forum at the Manila Hotel, in the Philippines this morning. The group’s statement said that they are commending Clinton for adopting a vegetarian diet in order to lose weight and stay healthy. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Top Cutline:
The Idaho Transportation Department has just put out word that traffic on U.S. 95, from Wyoming Avenue to Idaho 53, has been switched to the new two-lane southbound alignment. The highway is now a four-lane divided highway from Interstate 90 to Ohio Match Road. A new local road on the west side of the highway, from Bentz Road to Lancaster Road, also has opened to traffic. The new road, called Warren Street, provides access to Tobler Marina, Gargoyle Granite, Little Tree Storage, Curwen’s Body & Paint and Joe’s Sandblasting/Kootenai MPO. More here.
Question: How often do you use Highway 95, north of Wyoming?
Cindy thinks she’s qualified to be governor of Idaho. And considering her list of qualifications below she may be onto something:
Question: What other qualifications would she need to be Idaho governor, other than to move from Spokane to North Idaho & start attending Tea Parties?
Item: Risch, Crapo co-requesting $818 million in 213 earmarks/Jay Patrick, Idaho Reporter
More Info: Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo say they’re all for ending earmarks, but while the maligned funding method remains in place the two are requesting away. For 2011, the senators are co-requesting 213 earmarks worth $818 million. Brad Houglun, a Risch senior policy advisor, said the senator would rather do away with earmarks, but “at the same time he’s reconciled to the fact states are getting money,” and will continue putting in for Idaho’s share.
Question: Doesn’t it make sense for Risch & Crapo to try to get as much money as possible for Idaho via earmarks when everyone else is doing it for their states?
In this film publcity image released by Warner Bros. Pictures, Ralph Fiennes is shown in a scene from “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.” (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures)
Question: Are you as wild about Harry Potter as you once were?
I have a coupla interesting links to share with you:
What’s with all the buzz re: Fedora Pub & Grille (at Kathleen & Ramsey)? I hadn’t paid much 
attention to the new restaurant in the old sauerkraut place until the Republican Pachyderm Club decided to change their hangout on Friday mornings from IHOP to there. Then, on Election Night, Old Guard Elephants hung out there while the Phil Hart Fan Club commandeered GOP HQ in Appleway Square. Then, the Reagan Republicans have announced that they’re moving their meetings to Fedora. Now, CdANightOut tweets: “Have you been to Fedora and tried the Monte Cristo Sandwich special? Was in there today and it is a big hit!” What’s up?
Question: How has the Fedora restaurant been able to gain so much attention so quickly?
Washington State is banning alcoholic energy drinks after the state
Liquor Control Board 
adopted a rule Wednesday morning that will take
effect Nov. 18.”The board is acting in the interest of public
safety,” Washington State Liquor Control Board Chair Sharon Foster said
in a written statement released by Governor Gregoire’s office.
“Following the troubling incidents in Roslyn and in response to
increasing reports of problems around the country, the board is acting
now to ensure these products do not contribute to a tragedy before the
Food and Drug Administration or Legislature can act.”The ban
comes after nine Central Washington University students were
hospitalized after a party in Roslyn last month. Authorities say they
drank the caffeinated malt liquor beverage Four Loko/KXLY. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Washington’s ban on alcoholic energy drinks?
Councilman Mike Kennedy tells Hucks Online that the legal bills submitted by his attorneys Scott Reed and Peter Erbland in Jim Brannon’s never-ending lawsuit total $107,000 to date. That’s not 
a misprint. Kennedy said he’s appealed for financial help to the court, to the city, and he’s fund-raised ($6500 to date to pay for costs unrelated to direct attorney time.). Kennedy guesstimated that the city’s outside litigation counsel bill will be about $35,000. So the cost in defense attorneys’ fees is $142,000 to date. This does not count one hour of city staff time, internal legal work or research for the city. It also counts not one hour of any such time for the county staff, including their internal legal research, etc. Sez Kennedy: “Someone can do the estimated math on that and the total number is staggering - well over $250,000 I would think.” Kennedy isn’t sure what costs he’ll face in a possible re-trial or Supreme Court challenge by Brannon.
This morning over breakfast, Caleb turned to me with a serious look on his face and asked, “Do 
you and Dad ever have fights?” I almost laughed and blurted out, “Of course we do!”, but caught
myself. Instead, I tried to give the answer a gravity equal to that
with which Caleb had asked the question. “Well, we don’t have the kind of fights where you throw things or hit
people, if that’s what you mean. But we do have arguments and
disagreements. Haven’t you heard us arguing about anything before?” He thought for a moment. ”No, not that I can remember”/Katrina, Notes on a Napkin. More here.
Question: What do you and your mate argue about most?
On his Get Out! North Idaho Facebook page, OrangeTV offers this bit of Food Porn — Fresh Halibut, mussels, fried squash blossom and sun-dried tomato bechamel from Bistro on Spruce.
Question: Are you a halibut/mussels,friend squash/sun-dried tomato bechamel type of guy/gal?
Moscow Minidoka: I’m just wondering what kind of protective bubble these idiot BSU
coaches 
live in where they expect to have their egos stroked at every
turn. Speaking as someone who has lived in Boise and Seattle and
witnessed college sports fans in action in both those places as well as
Moscow, I simply don’t know what Magic Juice these guys are drinking…
University of Idaho fans are no worse than BSU fans or WSU fans or UW fans.
Question: Who has the worst fans in college sports?
Cross country might not seem like a sport filled with trash talk, but
even it has given us a bit more 
fodder during the buildup to Friday’s
Idaho-Boise State football game. Broncos cross country coach Brad Wick had this to say after the
recent WAC meet at Moscow, in which his men’s team won the title: “Even
though their team (Idaho) wasn’t our rival in the meet, it feels good to
go there because their fans have very poor sportsmanship, so it feels
extra good to get the WAC championship on their turf.” The quote appeared in the BSU student newspaper, the Arbiter. Here’s a link to the story. Perhaps these comments would have gone unnoticed, but on Wednesday morning, the WAC issued a reprimand of Wick/Matt Baney, Idaho Vandals blog. More here.
Question: Anyone have a good one-liner to toss in the thread below to trash talk one of the rivals involved in this week’s big game between visiting Boise State and Idaho?
Zach Ginnaty of Kalispell, Mont., power washes the top of the Veterans Memorial in Kalispell, Mont. The Memorial and the Walkway will be thoroughly cleaned and will have new engraved bricks and new bronze name plates installed in time for the Veteran’s Day ceremony which will take place on Thursday at 11 a.m. (AP Photo/The Daily Inter Lake, Brenda Ahearn)
Question: Are you a veteran? Can you tell us which branch of the service you served in? When you served? And for how long? Do you miss your active duty?
“We also know that the outcome had little to do with us and our message. We knew from the beginning that it would be as difficult as ever here, in Idaho, to get people to look beyond the 
partisan label to see our genuine commitment to solutions that rise above the partisan divide. What we didn’t know was that there would be an anti-Democratic wave that would reach such historic heights on Election Day. Idahoans were understandably outraged by fiscal irresponsibility in Washington, which made it especially difficult to convey that this Democratic nominee was more serious about a low tax burden for Idaho families than the Republican incumbent”/Keith Allred, via his Facebook page. More here.
Question: Are Democrats wasting their time to field and fund quality statewide candidates like Allred in the fire engine-red political environment in Idaho today?
If a football coach - say for the Dallas Cowboys - had the kind of season that the leader of House 
Democrats has had they would be looking for work. But, politics ain’t football, obviously. Eight games into the season, the Cowboys tied the can to coach Wade Phillips. Someone had to be held accountable. This is the big time, after all. The final straw was the Cowboys’ 45-7 drubbing by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Sorry Wade. You are the responsible party. It’s been nice knowing ya. Nancy Pelosi suffered a loss just as lopsided, just as devastating to an historic franchise, but with no commensurate accountability/Marc Johnson, The Johnson Report. More here.
Question: Should congressional Democrats dump Nancy Pelosi in favor of a Minority Leader who connects better with the American public?
(State Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest River), who filed the second ethics complaint after news of 
Hart’s
1996 timber theft surfaced, left the tour early and was back home
Tuesday morning. “This has been really hard on me and the family,” he
said. “I’ve had a lot of calls. They’ve been very supportive from the
general public, but I would say less supportive by some,” including some
other lawmakers. Anderson said people in his district feel strongly that Hart’s
actions, both on his tax fights and the timber theft, were wrong. “It’s
obvious to most in my home of Priest Lake that these are serious things
that he’s been involved in,” he said/Betsy Russell, SR. More here.
Question: Why do you suppose that Anderson in District 1 has spoken out against Hart, when not one of the 12 legislators who represent Kootenai County has?
Item: Brannon to try again: Election challenge parties expected in court Dec. 7/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Jim Brannon, unsuccessful challenger for Coeur d’Alene City Council seat 2 at the polls and in the courtroom, has filed a request for a new trial citing “erroneous” determinations by the court. The petition, filed Monday, comes nearly two months after the election challenge suit ended in September in favor of incumbent Mike Kennedy. … “The evidence at trial is insufficient to justify the verdict,” Brannon’s attorney, Starr Kelso, wrote in the filing.
Question: Anyone out there who still has sympathy for Jim Brannon’s cause?
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook page, Linda Lantzy provides another north shore fall scenic, showing the lengthening shadows at Coeur d’Alene’s prized City Park.
Dale Hedden: I do believe he (Larry Spencer) causes problems, problems as some people see trouble.
We enjoyed his company. We don’t know Larry well, but we saw a man who
put a great deal into what 
we believe is very much like the serious
adjustments seen in national politics. It is obvious that Republicans
lost in this past election. The platform of the Republican party
allowed for people to make a stand where most Americans wanted us to be.
The incredible upheaval of this election proved, old guard
Republicans must change or be moved out, voted out. That is trouble, a
problem for many. It is not Larry Spencer who will be asked to leave. Watch.
Question: Do you see a new world order breaking out in the national Republican Party, too?
Ashley:
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because there really
isn’t anything better than family, good food and time to decompress
before finals week eats away at my life again. I think people often
understate the holiday because it’s nothing fancy. But then again,
that’s what I like about it :-) More below.
Question: On the annual holiday schedule, how would you rate Thanksgiving?
Mr_Bloggy: As much as Mr_B adores the civic windbaggery arising from San Fran like a
summer 
morning fog creeping in from the bay and as much as Mr_B enjoys
social engineering, he is also a profound believer in the Law of
Unintended Consequences and thinks even the best engineers of society
tend to not avail themselves adequately of the need to perform a
thorough and search analysis of said law before implementing draconian
measures such as Happy Meal bannage. More below.
Question: When did you last buy a Happy Meal for a child?
I hate being inside on a late-fall day like today when the sun is shiny and snow is in the forecast for sometime tomorrow. I’d rather be riding my bike on the Centennial Trail, along the Spokane River, toward Riverstone. Alas, we don’t have any politicians to kick around any more, now that Phil Hart has apparently fallen on his sword and accepted banishment from the House Rev & Tax Committee. So what’s left? Oh well, we find something. We always do. And you can help by offering your own thread with this Wild Card …
The Snake Pit Venomous Vixens will be playing their sixth and final bout of the season against the High Desert Darlins (of Tri-Cities) Sunday evening. All the pertinent info is on the poster above, another terrific one by Inked Envy on Northwest Boulevard.
I miss ice storm. I never felt so alive teetering on the edge of glacial extinction. I’m betting our TV 
weathercasters have ice storm nostalgia, too. This time every year, the weathercasters start gibbering like
hyperactive gibbons. They act like nobody around here has ever
experienced winter before. But ice storm was the one phenomenon that actually lived up to all of their hysteria. Could it happen again? Ron Miller, a science and operations officer with the National
Weather Service, told me although you never say never, the odds are
stacked mightily against Ice Storm the Sequel/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: Do you have a good tale from Ice Storm ‘96?
“Kootenai County Undersheriff Tad Leach and Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Wayne Longo surprised the audience at the North Idaho Violence Prevention Center’s Fall Fashion Show by taking a uniformed turn on the runway,” posts Kerri Thoreson/More Main Street. “The annual event raises money for the NIVPC (formerly known as the Women’s Center) and was held at the Coeur d’Alene Inn on Saturday.”
Former President George W. Bush waves as he signs copies of his book, “Decision Points” at a store near his Dallas home this morning. You write the cutline. (AP Photo//The Dallas Morning News, G.J. McCarthy)
Top Cutlines:
Shown is a Happy Meal at a McDonald’s restaurant in San Francisco Monday. In the left foreground is a character toy included with the meal from the movie Megamind. It is a happy moment for people who see the Happy Meal as anything but. San Francisco is poised to become the first major American city to require fast-food restaurants to sell meals that meet set nutritional guidelines or not include a toy with them. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Question: Do you agree with San Francisco’s decision to ban toys from McDonalds Happy Meals?
In part, Rep. Phil Hart wrote this to House Speaker Lawerence Denney Oct. 29: “It is with real sadness that I request that you appoint me to a different committee assignment in the upcoming organizational session. I have enjoyed my work with the members of that committee (House Revenue & Taxation Committee) over he past four years, and I continue in my passionate belief that we must fight the over-reach of government through its power to tax. However, the developments of the past several months have created a rather toxic environment for me and members of the House. I fear that my continued service on this committee would only serve to provide fodder to members of the media and my political opponents.” Story by Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise here.
Question: Do you see contrition in Hart’s letter?
I’m not surprised or disappointed by the action by Team Brannon to seek a new trial, as a precursor to a likely Idaho Supreme Court appeal of Judge Charles Hosack’s rejection of Jim 
Brannon’s election challenge. However, I do wonder what is Team Brannon’s goal at this point. With the Legislature even more in GOP hands and with sympathetic Kathy Sims soon to representing the city of Coeur d’Alene in the Legislature, Team Brannon could easily have worked with Sims to introduce legislation to tweak Idaho election law. Or Brannon simply could have thrown his hat into the ring again. After all, we’re 2 or 3 months from the beginning of the 2011 municipal election cycle. Why pursue an appeal that you’ll probably lose — and will cost you more money — if you have less expensive remedies elsewhere? Does Brannon view himself as some sort of martyr? Is this an effort to keep the 2009 City Council election in play, to tarnish the incumbents, as seemed to have been the purpose in the county clerk’s election this fall? Does Starr Kelso have some itch he needs to scratch by taking another case to the Idaho Supreme Court? Inquiring minds want to know — DFO.
Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, who served as vice-chair of the House Ethics Committee that voted unanimously in September to recommend that Rep. Phil Hart be removed from the House tax committee, had this response to Speaker Lawerence Denney’s announcement today of Hart’s removal from the panel: “I think he should’ve done it right away. Why did he wait so long? … I think he sent a message that it probably wasn’t as important as maybe those of us who are on the committee thought it was”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Jaquet that House Speaker Lawerence Denney should have acted on the House Ethics Committee recommendation to remove Hart from Rev & Tax committee immediately?
Remember too how the boomers wanted men to be more like women? Softer.
Sensitive. More 
open with their feelings? Now it appears we may have
one about to become the new Speaker of the House, John Boehner . I rather like seeing that in a man. One who can tear up over the Star Spangled Banner
or even just from watching a sentimental movie. Of all things that can
make a politician ‘one of us’ I think a genuine display of
sentimentality just might be it. Forget the beer and bowling shtick/Dogwalk Musings. More here.
Question: Do you prefer politicians who can tear up — and show their human side?
… That Larry Spencer got the boot from the Coeur d’Alene Inn prior to the 2010 Legislative Tour dinner last night while he was talking to Rep. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian. Seems a North Idaho legislator (likely Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle) told a Coeur d’Alene Inn official that Spencer might cause problems at the dinner. And the worker bee tapped Spencer on the shoulder and asked him to leave. Palmer objected. But followed Spencer outside to continue the conversation. Later, Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, was seen huddling with Spencer & Palmer outside.
University of Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn speaks at a news conference at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo., today, where he announced that head football coach Dan Hawkins was relieved of his duties and long-time assistant Brian Cabral would serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)
Question: Is there some sort of karma, poetic justice, or retribution going on here — you know, a former University of Idaho athletic director (Mike Bohn) firing a former Boise State football coach (Dan Hawkins) in the week before the rivalry game between the Vandals and Broncos at the Kibbie Dome?
Following the banquet, as legislators were making their way to the hotel bar, their waiting cars or beds, Hart could be found in the ballroom’s adjoining hallway kibitzing with (Wayne Hoffman of Idaho Freedom Foundation) and receiving occasional handshakes and back-slaps from well-wishers. One, Coeur d’Alene Republican Rep. Bob Nonini, was overheard bolstering Hart’s spirits, telling him that he’s “a tough guy.” Hart exited the hallway and made his way through the rush of legislators after seemingly ignoring several requests for comment from Boise Weekly/Zach Hagadone, Boise Weekly. Full story here.
DFO: The story also points out that Eric Anderson’s recent complaint against Hart carries more weight than John Rusche’s earlier one which led to action by the House Ethics Committee, because it focuses on a possible crime committed by a legislator.
Question: Do you think this thing’s over?
Then, five months ago, all that doubt melted away. I spent the summer in
Cairo and settled on three reasons why I love living in America: First
of all, I adore the level of consistency here, and I’m 
not talking
about chain stores. I’m talking about that cozy feeling of being 99
percent sure that you won’t be glued to the toilet for four days
whenever you dine out or buy groceries. Second of all, I love
aimless walks and bike rides. I learned pretty quickly that walking was
not an acceptable mode of transportation in Cairo. Traffic is so
horrendous because the city has deteriorated to the point where no one
wants to be outside. … Lastly, and most importantly, is freedom. I lost my sense of
independence as a woman. … As a single woman you get
proposed too, stared at, followed, teased and whispered to/Noura E. Alfadl-Andreasson, North Idaho College Sentinel. More here. (AP file photo: Egyptian boys watch girls pass by at Nile bank in Cairo.)
Question: Has travel to foreign countries deepened your love for this country?
Developers will justifiably point out that a planned unit development
(PUD) like Clagstone has a lot 
of advantages over development that
occurs in bits and pieces over time. The area could instead randomly
develop into small ranchettes, with little thought among them for open
space, wetlands preservation, wildlife habitat, or water quality. A PUD,
instead, clusters the housing on portions of the land while preserving a
large amount of open space. Clagstone Meadows would have 1200
residential units on some 12,000 acres, but since the housing is focused
in a small portion of the land, more than 10,000 acres of that would
remain as open space and managed timberland/Cate Huisman, New West. More here. (KEA Blog file photo of opponents to Clagstone Meadows from late September meeting)
Question: Does it make more sense to have a planned unit development like proposed 1200-home Clagstone Meadows, in southern Bonner County (near Athol) than to allow the area to develop haphazardly?
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook page, Linda Lantzy posts this shot of the north shore along West Lakeshore Drive. I walk past this tree 3 or 4 times a week. My wife once told me that the north shore never looks the same because there are so many variables that change the scene, from people in the summer, to time to day, to time of year, to your own mood. I can never get enough of these walks and these scenes.
Question: What spot on Idaho waterways is your favorite?
In a move that’s likely a precursor to appealing the adverse ruling in Jim Brannon’s election challenge, attorney Starr Kelso has filed a motion for a new trial with Judge Charles Hosack. If I read the tea leaves correctly, the motion is a precursor for an appeal of Hosack’s decision naming incumbent Mike Kennedy as winner of the 2009 City Council seat against Brannon by 3 votes. You can read the long list of postings in this case with the Idaho State Judiciary here.
Question: Are you surprised that Brannon & Kelso are going ahead with this challenge?
Vice President Joe Biden discusses a new federal program to make it easier for Americans to make their homes more energy efficient, Tuesday in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex. At this moment, Biden is meeting with Earl Devaney, chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board — “the guy,” explains the Los Angeles Times, who is “monitoring the gazillion-dollar stimulus and the overdue economic recovery, and ensuring that the taxpayers financing same know all about it. However, no one outside the room will know what goes on in that Biden-Devaney meeting. That’s because the government meeting on government transparency has been closed. Story here. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Question: I’ve wondered why we make so much fun of George W. Bush & Dan Quayle as less than adequate for high office, when nothing much is said about Biden, who seems to have had his share of bumbling & mis-speaking?
Dustin Hurst/Idaho Reporter, a former North Idaho College student, is in North Idaho again today, covering the 2010 Legislative Tour, sponsored by area chambers of commerce. Hucks will continue to publish his Twitter:
Now that Rep. Phil Hart has voluntarily — or not — resigned from the House Revenue & Taxation Committee, which remaining committees would be most appropriate for House GOP leadership to appoint him to, for the 2011 session? You can vote for more than one committee. Feel free to explain answer in comments section:
At the Coeur d’Alene Inn Monday night, Gov. Butch Otter joined a young pianist for a duo that delighted the crowd of legislators, lobbyists, and others involved in the 2010 Legislative Tour. Dustin Hurst/Idaho Reporter was on hand to video this:
Smoking is a nasty habit. That’s a pretty widely accepted statement that few folks would disagree with. I smoked heavily for many years -
sometimes consuming upwards of a carton per week. I’ve 
written in this
space before about my New Year’s resolution some years ago to quit and
the uphill battle to divorce Joe Camel. I’m happy to report that I was
smoke-free from mid spring of 2007 up until this last spring when I lost
my job. On the day I was let go, my psyche went into panic mode and my
first stop was the gas station so I could light up on my way home. Not
only was it a ridiculous notion that smoking would somehow make things
better, but I also shouldn’t have been spending money for a pack of
smokes. I’m not proud of myself; in fact I find it quite embarrassing that I started smoking again/Henry Johnston, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Have you ever relapsed into smoking again?
Denney and Hart met Monday night in Coeur d’Alene to discuss the
ethics committee’s 
recommendation. At the meeting, Hart delivered a
letter to the speaker asking to be removed from the tax panel. ”When I
spoke with Rep. Hart about his request, he felt it was necessary to be
removed from the Revenue and Taxation Committee while he pursued a legal
appeal against the Idaho State Tax Commission,” said Denney. ”I know
he’d like to resolve this matter and focus on serving his constituents
in north Idaho.” New committee assignments will be made in December when lawmakers
meet in Boise for an organizational session, but Denney gave no clues as
to where he would put Hart at that time/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Do you think Hart submitted his letter of resignation from the Rev & Tax committee of his own accord or because he was told to do so?
North Idaho College Cardinal volleyballer players celebrate their Region 18 championship in Coeur d’Alene over the weekend in this photo provided by the North Idaho College Facebook page.
Cis (re: Regarding That Boy Smell) So I have to ask you DFO…. is that same son, now that he is out and
married… is he neat now? Was he neat when he was away at college? I
had one who was so messy. It was hard to tell 
the clean clothes from the
dirty ones… as he would put his clean clothes (I refuse to put my
teens’ clothes away) on the foot of the bed, and then they get kicked
off… his brothers called him the creeping crude, as his stuff would
creep from his area to theirs and they would kick it back. His twin was
really neat, so he really hated it… Then they all went on their own…
and I visited his apt. Everything in a place. HE WASHED DISHES,
something that would take him hours to do at home. I could not believe
it. So was your son neat after he left home?
DFO: My son married a wonderful woman who believes in tidiness. Their home is spic-and-span.
Question: Are your kids tidy? Messy? Somewhere in between?
Kelli Rooks: my life is technology. I am surrounded by four computers that are
always busy while 
I’m working. My phone is my constant companion—not
for its phone capabilities, but for its written communications and
internet abilities. I go to bed with a laptop open beside me so if I
wake up in the night I can monitor any projects I have going on
overnight or do some mid-night work if the urge hits me. I’m surrounded
by tech almost all the time. But I’ve found that my best writing is
still done with pen and paper.
Question: How much of your life is bound up in technology?
We have Dustin Hurst/Idaho Reporter on the 2010 Legislative Tour, keeping an eye on solons taking part in the annual chamber gathering and an eye out for state Rep. Phil Hart today. And the clock is ticking on a possible appeal by Jim Brannon of Judge Charles Hosack’s decision denying his challenge of his 3-vote loss to Coeur d’Alene Councilman Mike Kennedy. In other words, we open the week with a couple of plot lines to discuss. However, there’s always room for more threads. So I’ll play the Wild Card now …
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook page, Linda Lantzy provides a number of superb photos of the pilings on Cougar Bay that are the focus of a lawsuit, including this one of the bay’s shallows with the pilings in the background. Environmentalists want the pilings to remain to provide nests for osprey & to discourage motorboaters from churning up the shallow bay west of the Coeur d’Alene waterfront. You can see more of Linda’s Cougar Bay photos here.
In her post, “10 things I like about my job,” Katrina/Notes on a Napkins offers this list (plus an explanation for each post):
Question: What do you like about your job?
On her Facebook page, Cindy sez she “is distressed to report that her writing skills are not as advanced as she’d hoped. She simply can’t come up with the words to describe the stench of a 
teenage boy after football practice. An almost visible foul wave fills the minivan when he climbs in. The epicenter appears to be his cleats but it’s not something one wants to investigate too closely.” My wife & I used to call this scene “eau d’ boy” — a compilation of odors that only an athletic boy w/no interest in keeping his room clean and a devilish desire to turn his mother’s stomach can emit. I could tell you about a year’s worth of toe-nail clippings that a budding neuro-surgeon once kept in a Gerber’s baby jar for a year, to present a friend as a gift, but I’ll stop here.
Question: Does your son stink?
This photo provided by Bridger-Teton National Forest shows the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, a 67-foot Engelmann spruce, being transported in front of the Teton Range soon after being cut down Saturday in western Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest. The tree will embark Wednesday on a tour of Wyoming cities and towns, followed by a cross-country trip to Washington, D.C. A lighting ceremony in front of the U.S. Capitol is planned Dec. 7. (AP Photo/Bridger-Teton National Forest, David J Swift)
A woman watches British Perry Watkins sitting in his “Wind Up” mini car on a street in Essen, Germany, Monday. The car is listed in the Guinness book of records as the world’s smallest car with a license to drive on public streets. Just 41 inches high, 51 inches long and only 26 inches wide the mini always finds a parking space. It can drive 60 kph and even has security belts. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Top Cutlines:
Four bus loads of legislators encountered a small group of people protesting against Rep. Phil Hart when they drove into the Coeur d’Alene Inn a few minutes ago. The individual holding the sign on the right is Howard Griffiths, who won 25 percent of the vote as a write-in against Hart last Tuesday. (Idaho Reporter photo from Dustin Hurst)
Dustin Hurst of the Idaho Reporter is one of the boys on the Legislative Tour 2010 bus. His morning tweets are in the drop-down box. You can follow his tweets at Idaho Reporter:
Question: Does anyone have questions you want Dustin to ask Phil Hart?
Phil Hart has filed a motion to disqualify the judge in his state income tax appeal case in 1st District Court in Kootenai County, Judge Lansing L. Haynes. Hart’s motion, filed late last week by his Coeur d’Alene attorney Starr Kelso, cites an Idaho court rule that permits a judge to be disqualified without cause; Kelso declined to comment on the motion, which could delay Hart’s case, now scheduled for a court hearing on Dec. 7 on the state’s motion to dismiss the appeal/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: OK, what’s going on here? Anyone?
On her “Last Man on the Water” photo post, Taryn Hecker writes: “A lone canoeist paddles the frigid waters of Lower Twin Lakes on Nov. 2.” You can see Taryn’s photography Facebook page here.
Hucks Numbers (for week of Oct. 31 - Nov. 6): 66,698/36,174
A Coeur d’Alene auctioneer recently became the first woman to win the Annual Northwest Auctioneers Association Championship. Rose Backs began her auctioneer career in 1997 and graduated third in her class from the Reppert School of Auctioneering in Indiana in 2003. She quickly became one of the top female auctioneers in the nation. Spokesman-Review story here. (SR photo: Jesse Tinsley)
Question: When did you last bid on something at an auction? What was it?
The Lake City Development Corporation will discuss a proposed contract with JUB Engineering to begin survey work for the proposed education corridor — roads, roundabouts, etc. Proponents of the contract would like to get the work finished before the snow season. The LCDC board will meet at 3:30 p.m. in the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce building to discuss the matter.
An interesting little factoid among all the election statistics that flooded us Tuesday night & Wednesday morning involved the North Idaho College elections. Seems Christie Wood & Ken Howard both won the Post Falls precincts. Christie swept all the Post Falls precincts. And Ken won all but two of them. Before the election, there was some hubbub that Post Falls was clamoring for a change on the North Idaho College Board of Trustees. And that opponents Robert Ketchum (former college work-force training director) and hard-charging Ron Nilson (CEO of Groundforce Manufacturing), who ran as a ticket, were favorite sons in Post Falls.
Huckleberries has heard from three different sources that Eric Anderson has received thousands of e-mails over the state system supporting his position in asking that Rep. Phil Hart be removed from the Idaho Legislature, as a result of Hart’s well-publicized troubles with income taxes and state endowment timber. Seems Anderson has told people involved in the North Idaho tour for legislators that he has never received so many e-mails on a matter during his legislative career.
Free of NIC trustee control and manipulation from the president’s office, Fort Sherman Institute became immediately profitable and is a national leader in its field. The program could be buying a lot of test tubes for NIC chemistry classes and paying instructors of English and math. It could also be a flagship program that would separate NIC from everyone else. Instead, it is making David Dose a wealthy man, in part because he continued to lean on Dr. Ketchum for advice/Mike Patrick, Coeur d’Alene Press Editorial Board. More here.
DFO: I’ve received a coupla inquiries re: this odd editorial in the Coeur d’Alene Press Sunday. Fort Sherman Institute was a colossal flop under the college auspices, sucking more than $800,000 from college coffers. Mebbe the editorial was a means to soft sell Robert Ketchum’s defeat at the hands of incumbent Christie Wood. Who knows?
Question: What do you make of this odd editorial?
I’ve forced myself to enjoy poetry since I read a feature story on Walt Whitman in a National 
Geographics while working out on an exercise bike some years ago. The writer suggested reading poetry out loud, if you had trouble understanding or enjoying the form. I did that with “Leaves of Grass” and later Emily Dickinson’s poetry. However, it wasn’t until I read Billy Collins’s work that I got the hang of poetry. Last week, I checked out Collins’s “Ballistics” from the Coeur d’Alene Library. Before scanning the book for me, the librarian mentioned that Collins was also her favorite, and that a poem about “Canada” had particularly spoken to her. “More people would enjoy poetry, if they read Billy Collins,” she said. I agree. I (heart) Collins’s insightful poem, “New Year’s Day.” (You can hear & see Billy Collins reading his poetry here)
Question: Who is your favorite poet?
In this May 2, 2003, file photo, President George W. Bush declares the end of major combat in Iraq as he speaks aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off the California coast. George W. Bush knows that history will shape his legacy more than anything he can say. But that’s not gonna stop a guy from trying. After two years of near silence, Bush is back. With his new memoir and a promotion tour, the president who in cockier times could not think of a single mistake he had made, lists many. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Question: What was George W. Bush’s biggest mistake during his 2 terms of office?
If you take a look at Americans who are politically active, you’ll
find that Americans on the left 
and right in the 21st Century
are culturally different, with different views of the importance of
religion, family, marriage, etc.. We don’t read the same books, we
aren’t entertained in the same way, and we don’t have the same heroes
from American history. Of course, there are some people who are exceptions to the rule, but I
think the problem with civility in 21st Century America comes to the
fact that by a series of choices with unintended consequences along the
way, Americans have diverged/Adam Graham, Adam’s Blog. More here.
Question: What do you think of Adam’s theory that Americans have grown apart and therefore less civil because we no longer share similar values?
At Bay Views, Herb Huseland reports that Bayview resident Chuck Murray has caused a stir among members of the local Audobon Society by sighting a rare Western Scrub Jay in his back yard. The bird showed up Oct. 24 and appears to be ready for a long stay. the last sighting of this species in North Idaho was in 1977 around the Priest Lake area. More here.
On her Facebook page, Janna Rankin Scharf spotlights the city’s annual leaf pickup program that 
begins today. Sez Janna: “Some of my happiest childhood memories involve huge piles of leaves under the ancient poplar trees that framed our house at 9th & Sherman. They’re gone now, our home and those trees. But each fall as the leaves pile up around town they live on in my memories.” (Janna’s full comment here.) As my wife & I biked to the waterfront Saturday, we saw residents all along the route raking their leaves into bags or into the street. I applauded the city’s leaf pickup program before Adult Sunday School in church Sunday — only to get a rebuke by an individual who thought the program was an entitlement that drove up our taxes. What do you think? (SR file photo: Christopher Anderson)
Question: Would you rather have the city pick up our leaves every November? Or slightly lower taxes?
Brushing my teeth the morning I leave for Southern California,
I realize that if I don’t pack my own 
toothpaste I will end up using my
granddaughter, Julia’s, Sponge Bob Square Pants bubble gum-flavored
toothpaste while I’m there. And that would be worse than going around with bad breath for the whole week. Sometimes it’s hard to decide what I will take and what I will
leave home if I’m trying to pack as tightly as I can. The airlines
themselves furthered this crisis when they started charging $20 and up
for every checked bag you bring along on your trip. Twenty bucks to check a bag? That’s at least two cups of
coffee at the airport, and given the choice I’d rather see what I can
cram into a carry-on and avoid the fee/Kathy Hedberg, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: How has increased security and bag-check fees changed your air travel habits?
Lawmakers from around the state, including some newly elected, rolled on
buses into the Silver 
Valley this morning as part of the North Idaho
legislative tour, after hearing a presentation from Lt. Gov. Brad Little
about the work of the governor’s transportation funding task force.
Last night, the legislators held party caucuses, which included an
announcement at the House GOP caucus from Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur
d’Alene, that he’s running for majority caucus chairman, challenging
current Chairman Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly. If Nonini won that spot
- elections will happen at the early-December organizational session -
he’d have to give up the chairmanship of the House Education Committee/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Would you like to see Nonini become GOP caucus chairman?
Overall, for the year, precipitation is running above normal – about .75 inches above normal for Spokane and a whopping 4 inches above normal in Coeur d’Alene. Those first low elevation snowflakes may be just around the corner as some chilly, moist air makes its way into the region by the middle of this week. Average snowfall for Spokane in the month of November is 6.4 inches. Coeur d’Alene averages 7.8 inches/Michelle Boss, Handle Extra. More here.
Question: What do you have yet to do to get ready for winter?
In Coeur d’Alene for the North Idaho 2010 Legislative Tour, Anderson told IdahoReporter.com
Sunday that he wants to see Hart voluntarily resign or be forced out of
the Idaho House of 
Representatives. “These are serious issues he needs
to deal with,” said Anderson. “His continued service does a disservice
to the institution as a whole.” Anderson, focusing on Hart’s 1996 theft of timber from state
endowment lands, said that the miscues of the Athol Republican are a
“huge stain upon the reputation on the Idaho House of Representatives
and those who serve in that body.” … The grievance isn’t personal for Anderson. “This isn’t about me,
this is about my desire, my conviction, to see the institution
sanctified and appreciated for what it actually is,” he explained/Dustin Hurst, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Feel free to predict what House Speaker Lawerence Denney will do with state Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, this week.
The seeds of Obama’s resurrection from the shellacking of the 2010 mid-terms may reside in 
Truman’s response 64 years ago. Truman doubled down on the Republicans, challenged them to enact their plans; plans strikingly similar to today - spending reductions, dismantling various social programs and opposition to national health care reform. As Frank Rich noted in the New York Times Sunday, Obama can make a virtue, if he will, of the obvious and soon to grow splits in Republican ranks. In other words, he needs to shift the focus from his agenda to the new Republican agenda/Marc Johnson, The Johnson Report. More here.
Question: How can Obama and fellow Democrats rebound from the ‘shellacking’ at the polls last week?
The chimney is swept, and the wood is in. I mowed the lawn for a last time today, before the winter sets in. I need to protect the roses and do a little bit of cutting back, and I’ll be ready for winter. I didn’t put on studs last winter because Winter 2009-10 wasn’t that much of a driving challenge. I’ll hold off as long as I can on that front. How about you? What do you have left to do to prepare for winter? You can answer that question or start your own thread with this Wild Card …
After winning the first two sets in the Region 18 Tournament championship match, North Idaho College volleyball coach Colleen Frohlich warned her team that Salt Lake wouldn’t go down without a fight. Sure enough, the second-seeded Bruins rallied to take the next two sets. In a tense, back-and-forth fifth set, No. 1 NIC fought back, winning six of the last seven points to cap a 25-21, 25-16, 19-25, 19-25, 15-11 victory Saturday at Christianson Gym. Both teams had already secured spots in the national tournament, which begins Nov. 18 in West Plains, Mo., but they put on a show anyway/Jim Meehan, SR. More here.
Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle (10) scores on 12-yard run in front of Nevada safety Marlon Johnson (8) as Nevada’s Dontay Moch (55) and Kaelin Burnett (12) watch during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho. Nevada won 63-17. Josh Wright/SR SportsLink story here. And: ESPN story & boxscore here. (AP Photo/Dean Hare)
House Speaker Lawerence Denney got off the GOP bus tour at the Golden Spike in Oct. 22 to visit his new son’s family including his new grandchild in Rathdrum. Denney is returning to North Idaho this weekend to take part in the annual chamber of commerce tour. While here, he is likely to have discussion with legislators re: what to do with the House Ethics Committee recommendation that he boot Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, from the Revenue & Taxation Committee, as a result of Hart’s tax problems with the IRS & Idaho Tax Commission. Complicating matters further, Denney now has to deal with a complaint filed by Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest River, that seeks an ethics hearing on Hart’s taking of timber to help build his house from state endowment land without paying for it.
Question: Do you think Anderson endeared himself to GOP House leadership by filing that ethics complaint against Hart late this week?
Recuperating from his recent trip to Alaska with his she-devil at the wheel, Mr_Bloggy offers these names for the Tina/Phil/Bob triumvirate driving the local GOP bus:
Question: Yesterday, the suggestion ‘Fedora Republicans’ was offered as a possible nickname for the Old Guard wing of the local GOP. Any other name possibilities for the Phil Hart wing?
Simpleton (to iamyou): Thank you for posting. Your comments about liberal “and “middle” got
me to thinking. I think many of us make the error of defining other
people politically based upon where we stand, i.e. 
anyone more liberal
than me is a Liberal and anyone more conservative than me is a
Conservative. I think this is where you go wrong in defining DFO. He
may be more liberal than you, but by no means is he a Liberal. I’ve notice that many here accuse others of being Liberal or
Conservative, but I don’t know that everyone agrees with what those
terms mean. In college I was introduced to the following political
spectrum: radical – liberal – moderate – conservative – reactionary. More below.
Question: How do you identify yourself politically?
JT: In a thread yesterday Lizard_People stated, “Ron Nilson was a solid candidate, and is a great American hero.” Solid candidate? yes. great American hero? I don’t think so. There are many 
complimentary
words which could be used to describe Ron Nilson - “successful
businessman”, “volunteer”, “mover”, “shaker”, “Vo-Tech advocate” - but,
to me, “hero” is not one of them. To me a hero is one who, at significant risk to his/her own person or
life, acts to protect or rescue others. I think of those who run into
burning buildings, battlefield actions, etc. It seems the American
cultural definition of hero has changed, becoming little more than an
individual who will stand on some principle. Is that it? I have also heard of young children who dial ‘911’ leading to a
rescue referred to as heroes. They did a good thing, learned well,
absolutely. But hero? What, today, makes a hero?
Question: Do we use the word ‘hero’ too loosely today? Who is your hero?
A Bald Eagle takes off from a piling on Cougar Bay in Coeur d’Alene on Thursday. Ed Haglund, president of Cougar Bay Osprey Protective Association wants to preserve some of the pilings and boom sticks in Cougar Bay for wildlife habitat. Becky Kramer’s SR story here. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
Item: Hackers deliver message to WSU: Guy Fawkes-inspired video played in many classrooms ensures Nov.5 will be remembered/Kelsey Husky, Moscow-Pullman Daily News
More Info: Some Washington State University students are certain to “Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November.” Multimedia-capable classrooms in Sloan and Todd halls were hacked Friday in such a way that video screens dropped and a 3:43-minute YouTube video played a speech reminiscent of the 2006 movie, “V for Vendetta,” which is about a modern-day Guy Fawkes-style plot.
Question: Are you amused by what the hackers did here? Bothered by it? Or a little of both? Has your computer ever been hacked?
The large majority of Americans have made it clear that they
don’t want moderation. They want decisiveness. If Republicans are
capable of learning, they could take lessons from what has 
worked. New
Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell both won
surprising victories by promising to govern conservatively. Both have
grown in popularity by adhering to those promises. This is especially
notable in New Jersey as that state is about as hostile to Republicans
as any in the union. If Republicans can demonstrate that they’ve learned their
lessons and are willing to make the difficult choices necessary to steer
America back on the right track, they are likely to be rewarded in
2012, because it’s unlikely that Democrats will be able to give
Americans an affirmative reason to restore them to power/Michael Costello, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Is Costello right — that Americans want Republicans in Congress to make tough conservative choices rather than to embrace moderation?
Item: Ysursa to tackle absentee ballot rules: Hoffman, Spencer fought ballot opening before Election Day/Jay Patrick, Idaho Reporter
More Info: This time around, Wayne Hoffman, executive director of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, took note and petitioned the Idaho Supreme Court on Nov. 1 to put a halt to ballot opening and to have justices declare that the action violated state statute 34-1008 governing the handling of absentee ballots. The code reads, in part, “The ballot envelope shall not be opened until the ballots are counted.” Chief Justice Daniel T. Eismann dismissed Hoffman’s complaint, saying the court handled appeals of lower court rulings and could not consider it. Larry Spencer, a designated GOP poll watcher in Bonner County, also tried to stop the pre-election day opening with a petition to the district court there — the complaint was dismissed.
Question: Should the law be change to unequivocably allow early opening of absentee ballots?
Lake City’s Allen Carmichael fumbles the ball as Coeur d’Alene’s Andrew Burgin (65) and Joe Roletto (12) tackle him Friday night at Lake City High School. Coeur d’Alene was able to capitalize on teh fumbel to push thier next drive for a touchdown in the second quarter. SR story here. (Photo special to SR by Bruce Twitchell)
The Viks won big over Lake City tonight at Coeur d’Alene High, 45-13 and advance to a second-round game against Capital in Boise next week. The Viks led 28-7 at halftime and snagged 4 interceptions during the game. Coeur d’Alene is now 9-1 on the season and No. 1-ranked in the state 5A football division. In other quarter-final games, Capital beat Vallivue 40-0; Rocky Mountain beat Eagle 70-42; and Centennial beat Highland 39-27. In lower division playoff games, Skyview stomped Sandpoint 33-0, and Fruitland blasted Bonners Ferry 54-8. Mark Nelke/Coeur d’Alene Press story here.
Well, the local Republicans under Tina Jacobson & Phil Hart may own the Kootenai County Courthouse. But they still haven’t taken over Huckleberries Online here at Online Free Coeur d’Alene. I’ll continue to call ‘em as I see him and let the chips fall where they may. You’re welcome to continue to join me on the increasingly shrinking middle ground of the North Idaho blogosphere. And to use this Wild Card to post your own threads …
How about closing tonight with another photo that Kerri Thoreson posted on her Facebook page from her trip Armstrong Hill to Armstrong Park (on Potlatch Hill, east of CdA) — this one to the west with a bit of the Coeur d’Alene Resort golf course, Tubbs Hill and downtown Coeur d’Alene visible. Writes Kerri: “Yesterday’s fog over the lake presented a bit of a challenge but it’s still a beautiful view.”
“The horses started freaking out,” said Pitman, who first saw a
group of wolves approaching no 
more than 30 to 40 yards away.
Appleby saw them soon after. “There were seven or eight of them and they were running at us
at full stride at first,” said Appleby, who dashed toward the
wolves to get his rifle. “I was about halfway there and I heard Raymond shoot with his
.44 mag,” Appleby wrote in his statement to Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks. “When I reached my gun, I picked it up and the wolves
stopped. I pointed my gun at them at about the same time they
started to run at us again. At that time, I feared for my life and
the horses and my friend and I started to shoot”/Jim Mann, Daily Inter Lake. More here.
Question: Still think Br’er Wolf wouldn’t hurt a human?
Ed Haglund cruised around Cougar Bay on his tug boat in Coeur d’Alene on Thursday. Haglund is president of Cougar Bay Osprey Protective Association. The association wants to preserve some of the pilings and boom sticks in Cougar Bay for wildlife habitat and to enforce a no-wake zone in the shallow bay. The association’s application was turned down by the Idaho Department of Lands. A suit was filed over the denial. Becky Kramer will report on this story Saturday. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)
A federal appeals court declined a BNSF Railway Co.
request to block a lawsuit filed by 152 
Livingston residents who
want the company to pay for the cleanup of toxic chemicals from a
contaminated rail yard. The city and residents said in the lawsuit that huge quantities
of diesel fuel and solvents have seeped into the soil, surface
water and groundwater. BNSF had asked a federal judge to block the 2007 lawsuit filed
in state district court, arguing the injunction was necessary to
keep jurisdiction in federal court, where the Montana Department of
Environmental Quality sued BNSF in 1988/Matt Volz, Associated Press. More here.
Question: What? Are you surprised that BNSF is fighting the attempt by citizens to force the railroad to clean up the mess it has made in Livingston, Mont.?
A
GOP lawmaker from North Idaho has filed a new ethics complaint against
Rep. Phil Hart, saying Hart’s 1996 theft of state school
endowment-owned timber, claims of legislative immunity and tax
protesting show he’s violated his oath of office. Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, calls Hart’s actions a “stain” on the House and says he should be removed from office. “I’m a little frustrated with leadership right now because they haven’t
taken action,” said Anderson, a third-term representative who just won a
fourth term in the House. “The speaker should have done something a
long time ago”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. Link to full SR story here. See Anderson’s ethics complaint document here.
Question: Will a complaint by a respected North Idaho lawmaker like Anderson pressure House Speaker Denney to do something about his “Hart” problem?
Saturday, October 30, 2010: 2259 hours — 115 S 2nd St – DUI: “Officers responded to a 
battery call at the Shore Lounge reference an altercation between two males. Apparently the males used to be roommates and had an ongoing dispute. The suspect was found sitting in his vehicle with the engine running. He initially denied slapping the victim. The 23 year old suspect was arrested for DUI (BAC=.158) and Battery. His 19 year old female passenger was cited for an Alcohol Offense (underage drinking) after she admitted to drinking in the bar using her sister’s ID. More from the latest Downtown Coeur d’Alene Bar Report here.
I’m using this post to introduce you to Nina Culver’s new Spokane Valley Blog. In one of her first posts, Nina reports about the theft of two giant eagle egg shells that were stolen this week from a Spokane Valley playground: “You will see a post below about giant eagle eggshells stolenMore here. from Discovery Playground in Spokane Valley, but I’m able to report that the eggs have been found. At least two different residents called Crime Check yesterday to say they saw the eggs along the side of the road on Mohawk Drive off Dishman-Mica Road.”
Dan Gookin:
Look for a move by the Legislature to turn municipal elections partisan. I have mixed feelings on this: Local issues shouldn’t be partisan. Yet the extremes have such a stranglehold on the process, and some voters are so ill-informed, that it seems inevitable. I would prefer that people vote for the person, not the party. The electorate doesn’t seem inclined to mount such effort.
Question: Would you like to see municipal elections turn into partisan races?
Jammin:
As far as talking about periods in public — I agree with Shoshone that it’s a bodily function just like anything else, and talking about flow, etc is not public discussion. However, I refuse to be embarrassed walking through the grocery store with tampons, and if I have cramps and become sick because of my period, I won’t hide it out of shame. It’s a sickness just like anything else.
Question: I’ve never been man enough to ever go in a store to buy only tampons for the women in my life. Are you a better man than I am?
In the comments section, Lizard People, Cabbage Boy, & I have a good conversation going re: the 
shorthand Huckleberries Online should use for the Tina Jacobson-Phil Hart-Bob Pederson (Rally Right) wing of the local Republican Party. Cabbage Boy launched the conversation by terming the Old Guard wing of the party “Fedora Republicans” because the Pachyderm Club is shifting its Friday meeting place from IHOP to the new Fedora restaurant at Kathleen & Ramsey. Now, I know you smart alecks are going to come up with some hilarious suggestions. But … really … can you offer a good suggestion for the following question:
Question: What would be a good shorthand term for the Jacobson-Hart-Pederson wing that’s now in control of the Kootenai County Republican Party — and from what I hear “own” the courthouse?
In fact, says Geoffrey Harvey of the Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality, traces of the 
2004 leak are still detected in the
aquifer. “It’s still an open case. The cleanup standard in the aquifer is
‘no detection,’ which is a very high standard. There are a few
polyaromatic hydrocarbons — which are components of diesel — that are
still detected,” Harvey says. The amounts are really, really tiny, he says, “but they are not
below detection. And that’s the rule for this aquifer because 500,000
people drink from it.” The depot has a clean safety record since it reopened in 2005 after
74 days of court-ordered shutdown and $10 million in repairs, Harvey
says/Kevin Taylor, Inlander. More here.
Question: Easily, the worst vote that a Kootenai County commission has made in my 26 years in Coeur d’Alene has been the 2-to-1 decision (Dick Compton & Dick Panabaker vs. Ron Rankin) to allow the railroad to build the refueling depot at Hauser. Can you think of something worse?
The news that MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann contributed to the campaigns of three Democratic 
candidates has to be the most shocking development since Lindsay Lohan’s last arrest. Watch “Countdown” for five minutes and it’s clear that Olbermann is a
fierce partisan who uses his program to bolster liberal causes.
It’s an approach that has worked big time, hugely increasing MSNBC’s
audience during Olbermann’s time slot. In fact, Olbermann’s M.O. evolved into a business model for MSNBC.
Its wall of left-leaning primetime programs gave the longtime also-ran
among the three cable news (or “news”) networks an identity and pushed
it past the pioneering, but now awfully vanilla by comparison, CNN/Rem Rieder, American Journalism Review. More here. (AP photo)
Question: Would you trust a journalist/broadcaster who you knew contributed to partisan candidates or causes?
Judge Charles Hosack has signed his decision against plaintiff Jim Brannon in Brannon’s challenge to the 2009 municipal election in which he lost to incumbent Mike Kennedy by 3 votes. Hosack signed the order for his ruling for Kennedy Thursday. Which means that Brannon now has 10 working days to file an appeal, a date estimated by Kennedy’s attorney Scott Reed to be Nov. 15. During the trial that lasted from Sept 13-18, Hosack disallowed 3 Kennedy votes and 1 Brannon vote to reduce the margin of victory for Kennedy from 5 on election night to the final margin of 3. Hosack decision here.
Question: Do you think Brannon will appeal Hosack’s decision to the Idaho Supreme Court?
Now that local Republicans “own” the Kootenai County Courthouse, I predict they’ll go after Coeur d’Alene City Hall next. Incumbents Ron Edinger, Al Hassell, & John Bruning will have the fight of 
their lives if they seek re-election because, I suspect, they’ll face a ticket of Republicans in their nonpartisan races that’ll have the seal of approval of Jacobson/Hart/Pederson Republicans. You saw Republican involvement come into play in Jim Brannon’s race against Mike Kennedy last year — and in the subsequent donation to the Brannon legal defense fund. I’ve felt all along that Brannon would have won that race, if the Reagan Republicans had climbed aboard his poorly managed campaign a week earlier. Dan Gookin might have beaten Deanna Goodlander had their not been a dispute re: his Republican pedigree. Gookin said after the election that he was done running for office. But the prize may be within his grasp. A ticket of Steve Adams, Dan Gookin, and, who knows, Jim Brannon again, might be formidable in the current fire-engine-red political environment. More below.
At OpenCDA.com, Dan Gookin goes through an exercise in which he posts his picks, predictions, and winners of the recent election. Interestingly, he thought Walt Minnick, Dan English, and Jody 
Deluca-Hissong were going to win seats. Obviously, he was delighted that he is wrong re: OpenCDA punching bag County Clerk Dan English. Of the 4 constitutional amendments that passed, he writes: “Very bummed about these Constitutional Amendments. On their own, they
may seem rather mild, but remember that there are no limits on on what
the money can be spent.” Also, he was bummed that the team of Ron Nilson & Robert Ketchum didn’t grab North Idaho College trustee seats: “Ron Nilson would have been a breath of fresh air. Dr. Ketchum is
brilliant.” I consider the trustee election to be the best outcome of a predictable and otherwise so-so night. See DanG’s scorecard here.
Question: Which election result pleasantly surprised you most?
Linda Lantzy of Idaho Scenic Images has been taken her camera on walks around Coeur d’Alene this fall — and we’re all lucky for it. Here, she shoots the low water levels and fog on Lake Coeur d’Alene this week. You can see all her photos on her Facebook page.
Every man in America, when the topic of female
menstruation comes up, goes “nananana.” A guy friend of mine blocks his
ears. He almost blushes just because I have mentioned the word “period”
sitting in a public coffee shop. He could not believe I would write
about the topic. That fact alone made me more adamant. Why is it not OK to talk
about? Why must we, as young women, always be clean, groomed and almost
totally hairless? Girls and women in many developing countries do not
go to school or work when on their periods. Many of them can’t because
they simply cannot afford the cost of sanitary supplies. The impact on
development if females subsequently cannot attend school or are fired,
which is a common happening, is massive./Bethany Breeze, UIdaho Argonaut. More here.
Question: I’ll simply repeat Bethany’s question: “Why must … young women always be clean, groomed, & almost totally hairless?” Do we have unfair expectations of women?
The
untold and certainly most important story from the 2010
General Election in Idaho is this: Not a single representative, senator or
executive branch official who supported significant reductions in government
spending lost re-election Nov. 2. That’s a fact. Voters rewarded those politicians who stood strong against
raising taxes and re-elected candidates with an established record of cutting
government spending. This, of course, includes the much-ballyhooed decision to
cut public education funding by 7.5 percent/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.
Question: Is Wayne right — that Idahoans are only interested in cutting government, including education?
On its Web site today, the Coeur d’Alene Press asked several readers whether they think the new 
county government (with new 2 new commissioners, new clerk, & new coroner) will make a difference. Darwin Clark of Coeur d’Alene said: “I really hope
so. We need a change. We need to see politicians more involved with
civilians.” Clark went on to say: “We’re in a crisis.
You look at the homeless, jobless in Coeur d’Alene. There aren’t a
lot of jobs out here at all. There are a lot of students at North
Idaho College that have been looking for four or five months and
aren’t getting any calls back.” More here.
Question: What do you expect to be different about the new county government, particularly the commissioners office where Republicans Dan Green and Jai Nelson will replace Rick Currie and Rich Piazza?
Republican Sen.-elect Kelly Ayotte and some supporters hold signs in Manchester, N.H., to thank voters Wednesday. Even though many high-profile women ran for office, feminists say the 2010 campaign was rife with sexism ranging from snarky fashion critiques to sexual innuendo. And when all the ballots are counted, women may end up with fewer seats in Congress than they started with. (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter, File)
Question: Do you agree with feminists that sexism against female candidates was rampant during the 2010 campaign?
Smacky: I can completely understand a disillusioned moderate in Idaho saying,
“pffffft” and going out for a beer instead. When you continually take
the time to vote and the chairs on the titanic never move, it becomes
either an exercise in futility or insantity…or both.
Question: Are Democrats and moderates wasting their time being involved in election process in Idaho?
Idawa: I do like to point out that the Vandal mascot links us to University of
Washington and 
mention it to all my husky friends. The UW basketball
team plays in the Hec Edmunson Pavilion, named after their legendary
basketball coach. Well, Hec was a U Idaho alum, class of 1904 or some
such, and also coached the UI basketball team before going on to the UW.
It was his Idaho basketball team that was so dominate that they were
described as “vandalizing” their opponents and hence the birth of our
mascot, the Vandals. Anyway …. there is your U Idaho trivia for the day.
Question: Which college has the best mascot?
Dustin Hurst: I used to be friends with a co-worker who was a member of the Jehovah’s
Witness 
church. He was a good man and a good worker, but it struck me
as odd that he constantly wanted to discuss politics. Members of that
religion are not supposed salute the flag or vote, so it was weird, in
my own mind, that he wanted to talk politics. This is no knock on his
religion. I just figured with the rules of his denomination, he might
want to discuss religion 24/7.
Question: Anyone at your work place enjoy talking about politics or religion?
Larry Spencer re: Tina: ‘We completely own the Kootenai County Courthouse’: Get over it. It was a figure of speech,
like the R’s saying to each other on election night “we own the house!”
when we crossed the 218 mark. Good grief and sour grapes makes an ok wine, but really, let it go. Don’t you all have something better to complain about?
Question: Have you gotten over it yet? Or are you still celebrating?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
I
knew I was old.. after all 70 is not young. I don’t feel old, still feel like 48 even tho the mirror tells me some old lady took over my body … But yesterday’s mail made it official … I am old. I got an ad for THE SCOOTER STORE … they gave me a coupon for a free consultation. Even a free puzzle and game books… WTH???? They must have a mailing list from SS or AARP. Because so far so good, I am walking quite well, thank you very much/Cis, From A Simple Mind.
Question: How old is old? Do you feel old?
On her Facebook page, Kerri Thoreson offers this photo that she shot for her files today, of the lakeshore view from a soon-to-be-listed building lot on top of Armstrong Park, east of town.
Sen. Patty Murray has defeated Republican challenger Dino Rossi, according to
The Seattle Times analysis of vote returns. Murray’s victory gives Democrats 53
seats in the Senate/Seattle Times. Story here.
SR prep writer extraordinaire Greg Lee was fairly jazzed about the reaction he got today from readers during a live on-line chat. Greg tells Huckleberries that there were 120 exchanges back and forth, with readers making 84 comments. You can read the entire hour-long thread (wait for “Cover It Live” feature to load) here. Among other things, Greg predicts which GSL team will go furthest in the playoffs and that Coeur d’Alene High will beat Lake City High in the first round of the playoffs. Enjoy. Now, to replay the Wild Card …
E-mail sent out by local GOP Chairwoman Tina Jacobson to local Republicans: “Countless hours of phone calling, putting out candidate signs, stuffing bags for the literature drop, walking the precincts and mailing 
out literature really paid off. We have brought Idaho’s first Congressional District back into Republican hands with the election of Raul Labrador. Idaho has retained all seven of its Republican constitutional officers and increased the Republican presence in the State Legislature. Here in Kootenai County we are now truly the reddest county in the reddest state in the union. We have 4 legislative districts that are located all or in part within our borders. We will be sending a complete Republican delegation from each and every one of them. With the victory of our new Republican County Clerk (Cliff Hayes, pictured) we completely own the Kootenai County Courthouse.”
Question: So the Republicans control the courthouse rather than the general public?
Fall leaves and streaming water rush over rocks and a small waterfall on Deer Creek in Roseburg, Ore., earlier today. More photos from Robin Loznak here. (Credit Image: © Robin Loznak)
Harrison Schwarzer, left, and Travis Martin of Rice University’s Men’s Ultimate Frisbee club called Cloud 9 stretch into the air for an ultimate Frisbee as they practice a layout drill on a soggy patch of grass at Rice University Wednesday in Houston. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Michael Paulsen)
Top Cutlines:
“It’s my intention that the legacy of the current coroner doesn’t end with him. I’ll use everything I have to make sure you get the best cause of death” — Kootenai County Coroner-elect Debbie Wilkey in Coeur d’Alene Press. Full story here.
Question: Which “best cause of death” would you want on your certificate?
In his latest Skookum Photography post, Ralph Bartholdt features “Rauno “Ron:” Raiha in his shed with his whitefish boat.” More here.
Hucks Numbers (for Wednesday): 14,827/7237, (for Tuesday): 14,312/7422, (for Monday): 10,665/6146.
Item: Curtis steps down as CHS volleyball coach after 7 seasons, says she’s tired of the hassle/Mark Nelke, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: “I’m tired of dealing with disgruntled/jealous parents and
players that are taking their frustrations out on me and my
daughter,” Curtis said. “And I am trying to look for a more
peaceful atmosphere for me and my daughter.” Curtis’ daughter, Kylie, is a sophomore who has started at
setter and/or hitter the past two seasons for the Vikings. She was
named to the all-5A Inland Empire League team each season.
Question: Would you want to deal with parents of players as a coach of a high school sports team?
Dan of the County: To be clear, no ballots are counted early, period. It took two solid days of 8-10 people working to open just the
absentee ballots that KC received this time. As it was, every 
available
election worker worked until after 5 a.m. the next morning. I can’t
imagine how long it would have been if they hadn’t already at least
opened the absentee ballots even with the write-in issue. It sounds like a good compromise would be to still allow watchers but
who are located in a separate room with a video feed of the overall
process but not in enough detail to see marks on the ballot or at least
make them be well back from the process if you can’t trust them not to
violate the process of ballot secrecy. More below.
Question: Any other questions re: Election Night for Dan?
Linda Lantzy posts this photo of Coeur d’Alene on her Facebook page, commenting that it’s “from a walk about town.” One of her Facebook Friends responds:”This is so idyllic…so wished I was back in Idaho seeing this…!!”
Question: Are you glad the city has a leaf pickup program?
Some folks are ecstatic over results while others walk away saddened with the realization that it 
wasn’t their turn.Those who voted and are upset can at least hold their collective heads up high with the knowledge that they participated in democracy. For those that are disappointed and didn’t vote, shut yur pie hole. You didn’t participate and have absolutely no standing in this exercise. The Republic and it’s subdivisions have spoken and as the saying goes, “It is what it is”/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. More here.
Question: Do you know people who don’t vote, yet complain about the results?
From Black Rock press release via Coeur d’Alene Press online site: “The Golf Club at Black Rock, 
LLC is pleased to announce that on
November 1, 2010, it completed and closed the acquisition of the
golf course, beach club, and related facilities formerly operated
as The Club at Black Rock. The Golf Club at Black Rock, LLC is an
entity formed by eight Black Rock homeowners. Black Rock is a world class golf and residential community
conceived and developed by Marshall Chesrown, who operated the Club
under The Club at Black Rock, LLC. The amenities associated with
Black Rock include an award-winning Jim Engh designed golf course,
a 30,000 square foot private clubhouse, 382 home sites, and a beach
club facility.” More here.
Question: What will be Marshall Chesrown’s legacy as a North Idaho developer in lieu of his financial problems with Black Rock?
If (Tuesday’s) election in Idaho had been a Little League baseball game, it would have been called on account of the ten run rule. … As elections go, this one was a tidal wave. The huge 
Republican majorities in the Idaho Legislature will soon enough face big challenges, including more budget cutting - potentially including education and social services - but the GOP and Gov. Butch Otter can bask, for a while at least, in the sure knowledge that voters were in no mood to punish them for historic cuts in school spending or for presiding over a still struggling economy. Quite the contrary, Idaho Republicans seem more dominate than ever against a dispirited, disorganized opposition/Marc Johnson, The Johnson Post. More here. (AP/Idaho Press-Tribune Photo by Greg Kreller: U.S. Congressman-elect Raul Labrador and his wife Rebecca.)
Question: Which wing is going to win the struggle for supremacy among Idaho Republicans — Tea Party or moderates?
Heroes
come in all shapes and sizes. On Wednesday, the Inland Northwest Chapter of the American Red Cross will host the annual Hometown Heroes Luncheon at Northern Quest Resort and Casino to honor a few of them. Each year the organization recognizes individuals and organizations that have made a positive impact in the community. Among this year’s list of 21 honorees: a fifth-grader who raised more than $5,000 for Inland Northwest Honor Flight, a military dog who has survived four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Spokane Valley 5-year-old Braxton Ruetsch (pictured with father, Phil Ruetsch and sister, Caitlynn, 3). “You guys can just call me superhero,” Braxton said, when he was told of the pending award/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here.
Question: Who is your hero?
In this July 26, 1994, file photo, Detroit Tigers manager Sparky Anderson smiles as he looks out from the dugout prior to the start of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, in Detroit. Anderson died today in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He was 76. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, File)
Question: Who is the greatest Major League Baseball manager of all time?
Joe Vandal, the mascot of the Idaho Vandals, is shown encouraging fans to join him at the “Vandal Walk” at the west end of the Kibbie Dome at 11:40 Saturday, before the home game against Nevada. (Photo courtesy of UIdaho Athletics Media)
Question: Is Joe Vandal a good college mascot?
Christina Crawford, the Benewah County commissioner who supported Democrat Keith Allred in the general election, was shown the door by voters Tuesday night, according to Dan Hammes, St. Maries Gazette-Record. Phil Lampert easily defeated 
incumbent Crawford in the
race for county commissioner, 2080-892. Another incumbent Teresa Jeffrey also lost her bid for re-election as county assessor to Donna Spier, 1679-1312. Crawford is the daughter of late actress Joan Crawford. After her appointment to the county commission by Republican Gov. Butch Otter, Crawford made waves by suggesting that the county have better relations with the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe and occasionally raising a dissenting voice on the Jack Buell-led commission. Of the gubernatorial race, Crawford said: “Keith Allred is our best hope
for a brighter Idaho future. He understands our issues: taxes, jobs,
education
and he is willing to work for everyone, not just the powerful few.” So much for independent thought in the Benewah County Courthouse.
Question: Is there room for independent-thinking women in elected office in Benewah County?
(Larry) Spencer said it boils down to following the law and not making
exceptions for the sake of 
convenience. “It’s very much about following the rules. Complacency in elections
is a recipe for disaster,” said Spencer, who plans on pressing the
issue in the courts and the Legislature. County Clerk Marie Scott said the security guidelines are being
strictly adhered to. They include storing the locked ballot boxes
in a secure location with an armed guard. “The processes that I follow are authorized and approved by the
secretary of state’s office. Ben Ysursa is Grand Poobah when it
comes to conducting elections — not Larry Spencer,” she said/Keith Kinnaird, Bonner County Bee. More here.
DFO: OK, I can see Spencer’s point somewhat here — that election rules are election rules, and should be followed to the tee? However, I also see a need for common sense to be injected here, particularly in Kootenai County, which had two, high-profile write-in races and beaucoup absentee ballots.
Question: What do you think?
San Francisco Giants owner Bill Neukom celebrates while riding in a car during a baseball World Series parade in downtown San Francisco Wednesday. The Giants defeated the Texas Rangers in five games for their first championship since the team moved west from New York 52 years ago. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Question: This photo epitomizes absolute joy. Can you tell of a time when you felt like Neukom did as he rode the parade route Wednesday to celebrate the Giants’ World Series win?
In a Coeur d’Alene Press story, Maureen Dolan reports that Ken Howard slept well Election Night, although he went to bed not knowing the outcome of his North Idaho College trustee race with Ron 
Nilson. Howard, according to the story, “was in bed before midnight, when his opponent Ron Nilson
still had a slight edge.” Quoth: “I’ve waited for too many juries to come in,” laughed Howard, a
longtime Coeur d’Alene trial attorney. I didn’t get to bed until 2 hours later. Mebbe Howard slept well because he read this comment of mine at 11:46 p.m. Election Night: “Nilson’s in trouble. The absentees should have put him over the top b/c
they tend to be heavy Republican. Which would favor Nilson. Howard has
erased most of that deficit — and should continue to gain ground.”
Question: Can you sleep easy when big decisions, outcomes, or events are waiting for you in the morning?
Idaho House Speaker Lawerence Denney says he’s made a decision on the unanimous recommendation from a special House Ethics Committee to remove Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, from the House Revenue & Taxation Committee, but he’s not yet ready to announce the decision because he wants to talk with Hart first. With the upcoming North Idaho legislative tour, which starts Sunday, Denney said, “I think we’ll have an opportunity.” Once that occurs, he said, he’ll issue a press release/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
Question: Any guesses re: Denney’s decision?
With the touch of a iPad you can now order your favorite drink at one Coeur d’Alene pub.The Beacon Pub on Sherman is testing out a new technology called the Drink Hub. The software allows customer to place their entire order on an iPad mounted at the table. “The concept is you can sit at the table and order drinks,” said the Beacon’s owner Jerry Goggin. Users can select the exact drink they want, order and pay for it all on the iPad without having to leave their seat.The information is then sent straight to another iPad used by pub staff/Annie Bishop, KXLY. More here.
Question: Would you be more or less likely to drink at the Beacon, now that you can order drinks on an iPad at your table?
Idaho elected its first Hispanic to represent the state in Congress
on Tuesday, as Raul Labrador 
upset freshman Democratic Rep. Walt Minnick
with a decisive 51 percent to 41.3 percent victory. Labrador, a conservative Republican state lawmaker and immigration
attorney, said he thought the “first” was significant because it sent a
message to the nation about Idahoans. “People have such a bad connotation of what Idaho represents,”
Labrador said, “a bad place, a racist place. I can’t think of a better
message for Idaho to send than to send a young man who was born in
Puerto Rico, was raised in Las Vegas and was adopted by this state”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. (AP/Idaho Press-Tribune Photo: Labrador with his wife Rebecca inside the Republican
election night headquarters in Boise Tuesday.)
Question: Will the election of Puerto Rican Raul Labrador as a congressman help change the nation’s view of Idaho?
Autumn-mobile: A rusty International pickup truck, dating to the late
1940s, rests under a maple tree on Wednesday along the 2500 block of
East Upriver Drive, Spokane. (SR Photo: Dan Pelle)
Christie: Today has been a very busy work day. I would have loved to have spent
some time on-line here at Hucks nation. I want to let people know how
grateful I am for the chance to 
continue to be in a leadership position
at NIC. We have much to be proud of at the college as well as many more
challenges and opportunities ahead. This campaign unlike my others in
the past was the most daunting. For candidates one minute your up
because someone sent you a nice note and a contribution, and then the
next minute your down after you read a nasty letter to the editor. Fun
stuff!!! But I think all candidates gain from the experience so it is
worth it.
Question: Any suggestions for Christie, newby Ken Howard, the other NIC trustees re: what they need to do to keep the college moving ahead?
Mia: It’s a sad day, and it alarms me how far away from good common sense
hygiene appears to have strayed. I still find in odd, and alarming,
that restaurants must post a sign telling their 
employees they MUST wash
their hands, and sometimes even give visuals to how to accomplish this,
after using the restroom, and before going back to work.. Some of the
most basic hygiene and manners seem to have been lost. I was taught
at home, never to hold a glass by it’s rim, to always cover your mouth
when coughing, or sneezing, then promptly wash your hands thoroughly,
and of course to always wash your hands after using the restroom.
Question: Do you think personal hygiene today is better or worse than when you were a kid? Why?
It’s totally futile to vote for a democrat in Idaho. The Hart victory
shows how far the faithful will lockstep in maintaining party loyalty.
The value of the candidate is immaterial - only the R counts. 
My guess
is that it will take 20 years before Idaho moves into a progressive
mindset. Meanwhile, we’re getting what the majority wants - which is the
way its supposed to work. IMO, activist progressive democrats who are unhappy with the state of
affairs should consider joining the republican party and taking their
social values with them. The changes that they could make in the party
might be much faster than waiting for the demographics to change in their favor.
Question: Is that the best way for Idaho Democrats to make an impact — join the Republican Party and try to work from within?
On
his Facebook page, Jay Baldwin, former Northern Idaho Center for Higher Education spokesman, writes: “I’m in a restaraunt. I saw a waitress sneeze, twice, into her right hand. She then proceded directly to the drink station and loaded her tray, using her still moist right hand, with sodas and delivered them, again using her damp digits, to table 16. CHECK PLEASE!”
Question: What’s the worst thing you’ve seen a restaurant waiter or waitress do?
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska celebrates early election returns in Anchorage, Alaska, Tuesday. With Murkowski are from left, sons Matt and Nick Murkowski and longtime friend Hope Neslon. Murkowski appears to have become only the second write-in candidate to win a U.S. Senate seat. Story here. (AP Photo/Michael Dinneen)
If I act rummy — rummier than usual — today, I have an excuse. I was up until 2 in the morning chasing down results and writing my print column for Sunday … and got back up at 7. I’m 2 cups of coffee in, so I feel lucid. But feelings can be deceiving. We’ll digest the election results today. Then, with a good night of sleep under my belt tonight, I’ll consider what to do with the dead time between now and the beginning of the Idaho Legislature in January. You know, of course, we’re going to have fun getting from here to there. As always. Now, for your Wild Card …
I hope the Tea Party people and those who voted for their more
personally extreme candidates 
have learned a lesson. Look at the whole
person, not just what comes out of their mouth. Rand Paul probably
would not have won had his father not been Ron. O’Donnell ~ what can I
say. A winnable seat lost because the establishment candidate was a
moderate. Probably the worst reason to not vote for someone. Sharon
Angle? More of the same. It’s time to realize the the reigning
princess of the air waves, Sarah Palin, shoots from the lip with her
endorsements. Be more careful next time around! If Murkowski pulls out Alaska it’s
not bad. She’s a moderate. Forget about the Palin vendetta!/Dogwalk Musings. More here. (AP Photo)
Question: How are you feeling today? Giddy from Election Night? Hung over? Relieved? What?
Vern Ziegler gets ahug from Shirley Logan on Tuesday at Ziggy’s on
Market Street. Logan, her husband, Kermit, right, and Harlan Douglass
were among the customers and friendswho shared memories and stories
before the building is torn down. Jody Lawrence-Turner’s SR story here. (SR Photo: Dan Pelle)
Question: Do you shop at the Hayden Ziggy’s for hardware & lumber supplies?
A young boar that was named Freddy looks for food as it stands beside leading bull Mario in Ebergoetzen near Goettingen, central Germany, Tuesday. According to cattle owner Bodo Bertsch the young boar showed up among the herd of Galloway cattle about six weeks earlier and is feed from time to time by a cow. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/dapd, Stefan Simonsen)
Top Cutlines:
Democratic Rep. Walt Minnick’s campaign has no regrets for running negative advertisements against Raul Labrador, Minnick’s campaign manager said Wednesday. Labrador responded to Minnick’s negative ads with negatives ads of his own. Minnick campaign manager John Foster said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ran ads that were more negative than Minnick’s and ran them earlier in the campaign. He said that’s one of the reasons Reid beat Republican challenger Sharon Angle, and it shows the impact negative ads can have. Minnick fell victim to a nationwide Republican wave, Foster said, that was not unexpected/Mike Butts, Idaho Press-Tribune. More here.
Question: Did the negative ads really have an impact? Or was Minnick, like Dan English, simply a sitting duck who had 2 strikes against him: ‘incumbent’ and ‘Democrat’?
President Barack Obama answers questions during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington Wednesday. A chastened President Barack Obama signaled a new willingness to yield to Republican demands on tax cuts and jettisoned a key energy priority on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after he and fellow Democrats absorbed election losses so severe he called them a shellacking. David Espo Washington Post story here. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivias)
Question: What must congressional Republicans do to keep their momentum over the next two years and set stage for further gains. What must Barack Obama do to save his presidency in 2012?
The outcome wasn’t surprising in the Coeur d’Alene/Lake City football
game last week. What was eye opening was the fact that the Timberwolves
had the lead late in the fourth quarter and almost 
pulled off the
upset. A week later the teams meet in a State 5A playoff opener
and the top-ranked Vikings (8-1) are again favored. But the Timberwolves
(6-3), who qualified for the state playoffs for a 14th straight year,
believe they can knock off their crosstown rival when the teams meet
Friday at CdA. Kickoff is at 7. “We played really well last week,
but they’re a very good football team,” LC coach Van Troxel said. “I
still think, like I said at the start of the season, that three of the
best five teams in the state are right here”/Greg Lee, SportsLink. More here. (SR file photo by Bruce Twitchell: Lake City’s Kaleb Mitchell knocks down a pass near the goal line intended for Post Falls’ Jordan Pastras.)
Question: Who will win this week, to move on in high school football playoffs?
Former San Francisco Giants great Willie Mays waves from the back of a car as he rides in the Giants World Series ticker-tape parade through downtown San Francisco earlier today. The Giants defeated the Texas Rangers in five games for their first championship since the team moved west from New York 52 years ago. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
DFO: My sister asked me during the playoffs who I thought was the best baseball player of all time. I said Babe Ruth because he not only hit for average and power. But he was a lights-out pitcher before converting to an every day player.
Question: Who do you think is the best all-time baseball player?
I’m still trying to read the tea leaves re: one oddity from Election Night. As we all know by now, write-in candidate Howard Griffiths received 24.75 percent of the vote in his long-shot race against embattled Republican Phil Hart in their House District 3 race. But did you know that Democrat David Larsen, who was on the ballot, pulled 26.92 percent of the vote against House Education Committee Chairman Bob Nonini. What does this say re: the underdog, given that it takes more effort to write-in a candidate’s name? BTW, for those keeping score at home, Hart beat another write-in in 2004 — the late Wayne Meyer, who ran as a write-in after losing to Hart in the GOPrimary. Hart won the spring election 60.25% to 39.75% and then beat write-in Meyer in the general election (91% to 9%). In the 2002 general election, Hart, running as a Constitutionalist received 3114 (31.7%) votes to Republican Meyer’s 6705 (63.3%)
Question: Why did Howard Griffiths (24.75%) pull so many more write-ins this year than the late Rep. Wayne Meyer (9%) did against Hart in 2004?
Ron Howard’s decision to leave Vince Vaughn’s gay joke in “The Dilemma” is inexcusable. The 
joke first started gaining notice when it was referenced in
trailers promoting the movie. The full line from the movie is, “Electric
cars are gay. I mean, not homosexual gay, but
my-parents-are-chaperoning-the-dance gay.” Howard and Vaughn are taking inanimate objects and giving them
values associated with a group of people. They are saying, “Electric
cars are like whatever your thoughts are about gay people.” They are also saying, “Electric cars are like that gay guy you know.” Really? Are electric cars just like all the other cars except they enjoy the companionship of same-sex electric cars?/Robert J. Taylor, University of Idaho Argonaut. More here.
Question: Does columnist Taylor have a legitimate beef re: use of the word “gay” to describe electric cars??
DFO: I’ve asked Blogmeister Ryan to reinstitute the Hucks Online poll in the left rail. In the past, the coding has caused problems with some of your computers. Let me know ASAP if it does so again.
Item: Coeur d’Alene School District to go back on pledge to reduce dependence on property taxes/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d’Alene Press
Christa Hazel: The interesting thing about this levy is that it is a Maintenance and Operations
Levy instead of a levy for improvements or new buildings/programs. A failed
M&O really will impact our schools. This first looks like poor
planning — barely two months ago voters approved a new facility/program that
raised our taxes. The unforeseen global economic downturn didn’t just happen
since August. On the other had, an M&O Levy’s failure means teachers
layoffs, less instructional time, less activities, etc. So maybe it is
strategic planning on the District’s part to have a Chicken Little type campaign
for the larger amount in a March levy.
Question: Is it a good idea to break a promise re: property taxes in the current Fire Engine Red Kootenai County political environment?
Re: Walt reads handwritin’ on the wall/DFO, Huckleberries Online
Raven Lady: Okay, why did you drop the “G” from the word handwriting? This dropping of the final g from words is driving me nuts. Just because Sara Palin does it, does not mean it is cute. Speak English, please. I even heard the President use it on the Jon Stewart show. Please help to bring back enunciation.
Question: Now that Sarah Palin & the Tea Party are in their ascendancy is it time that we learn to drop the “G’s” at the end of our words? What other neo-colloquialisms bug you?
Idaho Republican Congressman-elect Raul Labrador, left, holds up his “Fire Pelosi” pin as he other Idaho republicans celebrate during a rally Wednesday at the steps of the Idaho Statehouse in Boise, Idaho. Shown at right is Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. Labrador unseated freshman Democrat Walt Minnick for the 1st Congressional District seat. (AP Photo/Idaho Statesman, Chris Butler)
Question: How do you think Raul Labrador will do in the U.S. Congress?
Idaho Education Superintendent Tom Luna, left, and his wife Cindy, right, celebrate his victory at the Republican Party Election Headquarters held at a hotel in Boise Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Cilley)
Idaho first-congressional district incumbent congressman Walt Minnick (D) monitors election results at his election-night party with son Dixon, 17, (to Minnick’s immediate right) and campaign staffer Dean Ferguson (background) on Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Joe Jaszewski - Idaho Statesman)
Question: What will be Walt Minnick’s legacy from his two years as a U.S. congressman from Idaho?
For the record, I voted for 12 Republicans & 6 Democrats in the 2010 elections. I made sure to count them up, after I’d filled in the circles — and written in one name. I surprised myself with one vote for an Republican. Dunno what my ballot makes me in this era of political purity in the state. But I do sleep easily. How about you?
Question: How many R’s & D’s did you vote for?
The party that controls the House holds
crucial power, taking the lead in writing bills and deciding which to
bring up for a vote and when. A Republican House could pass legislation,
such as promised tax relief, on simple majority votes without any
Democratic support. Democrats will
still hold the Senate, but Republicans will have a much stronger
position and more leverage in negotiations thanks to their party running
the House. Democrats also lack the 60 votes necessary in the Senate to
stop a procedural hurdle known as filibuster, which gives Republicans
power to block legislation/Thomas Ferraro, Reuters. More here. Question: What do the national election results mean for Congress?
Longtime County Clerk Dan English fell — heavily — to his
Republican opponent, former Post 
Falls Police Chief Cliff Hayes.
Democrat Jody DeLuca Hissong, who has served as deputy coroner for
27 years, was blitzed by Republican Deb Wilkey. Another race that
was assured a Republican winner failed to produce the tension some
anticipated. Primary County Commission winner Jai Nelson had no
trouble defeating fellow Republican and write-in candidate Rick
Currie. The other write-in race was also a yawner: state Rep. Phil
Hart easily beat fellow Republican Howard Griffiths/Coeur d’Alene Press. More here. Final numbers in contested Kootenai County courthouse races here. Final numbers in Kootenai County legislative races here.
Question: Does Phil Hart’s easy victory over a write-in candidate mean that voters don’t care about his tax/timber problems?
Earlier this morning, long-time Idaho political observer Randy Stapilus pointed out Democrats in 
Idaho fared worse than their brethren throughout the country in the big Republican victory. Noting that Congressman Walt Minnick is one of the most conservative members of the House of Representatives, he said that Democrat gubernatorial candidate Keith Allred and superintendent of public schools candidate Stan Olson were solid candidates who got stomped. Then, he points out that Democrats will some of the few seats they have in the Idaho House, concluding: “The point is this: Idaho Democrats are going to have to figure out a
different way of doing things if they want to move beyond fringe status.
Will they?”
Question: Is there any way for Idaho Democrats to return to respectability?
Idaho governor C.L. “Butch” Otter celebrates with his mother Regina Otter while addressing supporters at the Idaho Republican election night headquarters in Boise Tuesday. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield)
Question: Why did Republican Gov. Butch Otter win so easily over Democrat Keith Allred?
Out Of Stater Tater: The lawsuit raised a lot of questions about how Dan (of the County) keeps house, fair or not. The stories over the last few days about his office failing to disburse revenues just reinforced those doubts.
Question: Was Dan’s defeat simply a matter of the Republican tidal wave? Or did he suffer from the drawn Brannon election challenge and/or newspaper disclosures re: failed disbursements over the last couple of weeks?
Kelli Rooks: I think a lot of the “problem” with the closeness is that those
candidates weren’t 
labeled Republican or Democrat since it’s a
non-partisan race. Wood and Howard were listed on the Kootenai County
Democrats’ website, but the Kootenai County GOP didn’t list anyone for
the NIC Trustee position. A couple of people approached me today after
voting and asked about those candidates, and when I told them of that
fact they said it would have probably changed their vote—as it was they
voted for whoever’s name sounded better, voted for the only woman in the
trustee race, or just chose not to vote at all for those positions.
Question: How did Christie Wood & Ken Howard survive the hard charge and large advertising budget of Ron Nilson & Robert Ketchum in the Republican sweep?
Moscow Minidoka: I’m disappointed in the Labrador-Minnick race, and also what a blowout the Otter-Allred race 
turned out to be. Oh well. However, I am very pleased to report that the Teabagger candidates running in Latah County were defeated. Thank God for that. I don’t mind the GOP taking back the House — in fact, I must say I
kind of agree with Cabbage about the benefits of gridlock — but I
really, really can’t stand the thought of Bohner as Speaker of the
House. Did any of you hear him bawling last night? Geez… the spray on
tan is bad enough …
Question: Were you disappointed in the outcome of any race last night? Which one(s)? Why?
NORTH IDAHO TRUSTEE POS A
Vote for 1
(WITH 75 OF 75 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Kenneth B. Howard. . . . . . . . 16,221 51.61
Ronald D. Nilson . . . . . . . . 15,211 48.39
Total . . . . . . . . . 31,432
NORTH IDAHO TRUSTEE POS B
Vote for 1
(WITH 75 OF 75 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Robert G. Ketchum. . . . . . . . 13,637 40.70
Christie Wood . . . . . . . . . 19,870 59.30
Total . . . . . . . . . 33,507
I need to write my Huckleberries print column now, but I’ll continue to keep an eye on the North Idaho College race, the county clerk’s race, and the Labrador-Minnick race. I’ll update those races. And also watch Sims-Marano to see if it tightens. Despite the computer problems, I survived … and appreciate that you hung in there with me tonight … BTW, I’ll continue to monitor the comments, in case you have a question that needs to be answered …
Raul Labrador is introduced moments before he talks with supporters at the Republican Party Election Headquarters at a hotel in Boise Wednesday morning. Labrador is facing off against Democratic incumbent Walt Minnick for Idaho’s 1st Congressional District. At 12:30 in the morning it was still to close to call the race. (AP Photo/Matt Cilley)
I’m having trouble with the Secretary of State’s Web site tonight, so I’ll have to post stories and links rather than numbers in the Raul Labrador-Walt Minnick race. With 124 of 961 precincts reporting, Labrador leads Minnick 51% to 41%. You can see the numerical results for this race and other statewide ones by clicking here.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Question: Are you surprised that Labrador is ahead early?
In a House District 2 race, Repubican Shannon McMillan has pulled ahead of long-time Democratic Rep. Mary Lou Shepherd 4594-4331. Meanwhile, Rep. Dick Harwood is easily beating Democrat challenger Jon Ruggles 6110-2849 in the other House District 4 contest.
| Brian E. Orr | Democrat | 4865 |
| Mike A. Nielsen | Republican | 8837 |
County Commissioner, Third District
| Mel Davis | Democrat | 4914 |
| Lewis (Lewie) Rich | Republican | 8631 |
Clerk of the District Court
| Marie Scott | Democrat | 7412 |
| Bud Mueller | Republican | 6259 |
COUNTY COMMISSIONER DIST 2
Vote for 1
(WITH 75 OF 75 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Jai Nelson (REP) . . . . . . . . 30,899 85.19
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 5,370 14.81
Total . . . . . . . . . 36,269
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT
Vote for 1
(WITH 75 OF 75 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Dan English (DEM). . . . . . . . 16,290 39.51
Cliff Hayes (REP). . . . . . . . 24,935 60.49
Total . . . . . . . . . 41,225
COUNTY CORONER
Vote for 1
(WITH 75 OF 75 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Jody DeLuca Hissong (DEM) . . . . . 13,851 33.97
Debbie Wilkey (REP) . . . . . . . 26,918 66.03
Total . . . . . . . . . 40,769
STATE REP LEG DIST 3 POS B
Vote for 1
(WITH 22 OF 22 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Phil Hart (REP) . . . . . . . . 9,170 75.25
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 3,016 24.75
Total . . . . . . . . . 12,186
STATE SENATOR LEG DIST 4
Vote for 1
(WITH 24 OF 24 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Jeremy P. Boggess (IND). . . . . . 2,821 24.16
John W. Goedde (REP). . . . . . . 8,263 70.78
Ray J. Writz (CON) . . . . . . . 590 5.05
Total . . . . . . . . . 11,674
STATE REP LEG DIST 4 POS A
Vote for 1
(WITH 24 OF 24 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Mike Bullard (DEM) . . . . . . . 4,739 38.14
Marge Chadderdon (REP) . . . . . . 7,685 61.86
Total . . . . . . . . . 12,424
STATE REP LEG DIST 4 POS B
Vote for 1
(WITH 24 OF 24 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Paula Marano (DEM) . . . . . . . 5,230 41.93
Kathleen Sims (REP) . . . . . . . 7,242 58.07
Total . . . . . . . . . 12,472
STATE REP LEG DIST 5 POS A
Vote for 1
(WITH 26 OF 26 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
David Larsen (DEM) . . . . . . . 3,674 26.92
Bob Nonini (REP) . . . . . . . . 9,973 73.08
Total . . . . . . . . . 13,647
| S.J.R. 101 - U of I Tuition | |||||
| NON | YES | 224,670 | 64.0% | ||
| NON | NO | 126,457 | 36.0% | ||
| H.J.R. 4 - Hospitals | |||||
| NON | YES | 222,305 | 63.4% | ||
| NON | NO | 128,096 | 36.6% | ||
| H.J.R. 5 - Airport | |||||
| NON | YES | 183,695 | 53.4% | ||
| NON | NO | 159,991 | 46.6% | ||
| H.J.R. 7 - Municipal Electric | |||||
| NON | YES | 197,098 | 57.7% | ||
| NON | NO | 144,625 | 42.3% | ||
STATE REP LEG DIST 3 POS B
Vote for 1
(WITH 1 OF 22 PRECINCTS COUNTED 4.55%)
Phil Hart (REP) . . . . . . . . 2,578 74.14
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 899 25.86
Total . . . . . . . . . 3,477
Let’s use this thread to discuss topics that won’t fit anywhere else tonight (for example, comments about the elections throughout the nation).
… I’ll be back at 7:45 tonight to begin live-blogging local and state election results. Come on back and help me while away hours …
County Clerk Dan English told me earlier today that the absentee ballots in two Kootenai County races would gum things up re: tabulation tonight. Apparently, he’s a prophet because we’re 2 1/2 hours into the count period with no results … not even absentees.
Otter’s early results were on pace to exceed his performance four years
ago. With fewer than 1 percent of precincts in, Otter was leading with
75 percent. But exit polls showed Otter with a commanding lead in much
of Idaho/Associated Press. More here. Otter is leading 60-33% with 105 of 961 precincts counted statewide. Secretary of State count here.
Question: If someone who ran as hard and as well as Keith Allred for governor is knocked off so easily by an incumbent Republican governor, are Democrats wasting their time even running for the office?
NORTH IDAHO TRUSTEE POS A
Vote for 1
(WITH 0 OF 75 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Kenneth B. Howard. . . . . . . . 0
Ronald D. Nilson . . . . . . . . 0
NORTH IDAHO TRUSTEE POS B
Vote for 1
(WITH 0 OF 75 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Robert G. Ketchum. . . . . . . . 0
Christie Wood . . . . . . . . . 0
OK, Merry Hucksters … it’s time for me to shut down for the early shift & go vote. I’ll be back at Huckleberries HQ around 7:45 tonight to begin what I expect to be a long shift that might not produce answers by midnight or even 1 p.m. You can tune in tonight for election chatter and results.
The Tea Party scored major victories in an election dominated by U.S. economic woes. Republican Marco Rubio is projected to win the Florida Senate race by a wide margin and GOP candidate Rand Paul will win the Kentucky Senate race, according to ABC News exit-poll projections. One of the most high-profile races of the day, however, appears to be less favorable for the Tea Party. GOP Delaware candidate Christine O’ Donnell, who received the most news coverage of the 2010 candidates, will lose to Democrat Chris Coons, ABC News projections show/Huma Kahn, ABC World News. More here.
Question: How do you think the Tea Party will do tonight?
Federal prosecutors in Idaho are fielding a handful of calls this election day of fraud allegations and voter rights violations. Assistant US Attorney Nancy Cook says, however, she receives few calls and most complaints she does get don’t garner federal involvement. They receive about a dozen calls each year from people claiming cheating or fraud in the election process and Cook says most allegations are directed to the county elections office for quick correction.The last complaint of voter fraud in this area was made by Coeur d’Alene city council candidate Jim Brannon last election. He alleged people outside the city were voting and wanted a new election/Erik Loney, KXLY. More here.
Question: Do you expect any “cheating or fraud” in the local election process?
On the northeast corner of Appleway & H95 moments ago, Commissioner Rick Currie, a write-in candidate, holds his sign alongside a guy with a sign that reads: “Support Obama, Vote Minnick.”
The North Idaho College Sentinel and its longtime adviser won several awards recently at the Associated Collegiate Press national convention in Louisville, Ky. Pictured are (back) NIC journalism instructor and Sentinel adviser Nils Rosdahl, Noura Alfadl-Andreasson, Mike McCall, Tim Sorenson, (front) Devin Heilman, and Michael Paquin. More here.
If you need further proof that there’s trouble in paradise, even as local Republicans are braced to celebrate big gains on the national scene, you need look no further than where the Elephants will gather tonight. Local GOP Chairwoman Tina Jacobson will hold court with what was described to me as the Ron Paul/Rally Right wing at Republican HQ (in Appleway Square, H95 & Appleway), while Marge Chadderdon, Kathy Sims, and what was described to me as the Old Guard will hold sway at Fedora’s (Kathleen & Ramsey). Meanwhile, North Idaho College trustee candidates Ron Nilson and Robert Ketchum will be partying at Moondollars in Post Falls.
County Clerk Dan English told Huckleberries Online moments ago that the Election Department has received 13,026 absentee votes to date — and they’re still coming in. Staff has been opening envelopes for two days. English predicts that tabulations will occur long into the night, not because of problems but as a result of the volume of ballots plus two races involving write-ins. Also, he predicts the turnout will be in the 60+% range, based on the absentee ballots (which should make up around 30% of the vote). The county clerk reports no problems with the voter ID requirement in play this year. In fact, he said, a number of voters have commented that “it’s about time” that the state had the ID requirement.
Starting with the Nov. 12 Sadie Hawkins dance, the high school will
enforce new dancing expectations. While Glacier always has had a
policy forbidding “lewd conduct” at school, on buses 
or at
school-sponsored events — including dances — the new rules are much
more explicit. The new expectations are outlined in a draft Principal Callie
Langohr sent out earlier this month. “Vulgar/provocative dancing, such as grinding, will not be allowed,
nor any form of dance which is sexually suggestive or mimics sexual
acts. Students must be facing one another when dancing and must
keep some space between one another, with appropriate hand
placements,” the draft says/Kristi Albertson, Daily Inter Lake. More here. (AP/Lionsgate Home Entertainment File Photo: Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in “Dirty Dancing.)
Question: Do you agree with the move to crack down on dirty dancing by Glacier High in Kalispell, Mont.?
ShelIzbellz: voted for the first time since moving back to Idaho. I wasn’t sure how
to go about it on 
election day and was putting it off. But felt it to
be my duty to vote if I want to be a part of this community. So I went
to the website to find all the info I needed to see about voting. Turned
out very easy. With the website I found out where to vote, Emmanuel
Baptist Church, on 15th st. Which is only 3 blocks from my house. All I
needed was my ID and something to prove my residence, so I grabbed my
water bill. I registered and voted and was out in about 15 minutes! Oh
and I got my sticker!!!! It turned out to be a great experience and I
feel better about voting today!
Question: Who were the two main candidates on the ballot when you cast your first vote for president?
BP PLC’s Chief Financial Officer Byron Grote speaks at a press conference at their headquarters in London earlier today. BP PLC returned to profit in the third quarter but said it doesn’t plan to rush back into the Gulf of Mexico as it raised the likely cost of the devastating oil spill there by $7.7 billion to $40 billion. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Question: Are you delighted that BP is posting profits again after that little spill in the Gulf?
The Federal Highway Administration has approved a new Interstate 90
interchange to serve the west end of Port Falls, including a new Walmart
store and the Cabela’s sporting goods store near Stateline. The
Beck Road Interchange will be designed and built by Foursquare
Properties Inc., the Carlsbad, Calif., developer of The Pointe, the
shopping center that began with the Cabela’s anchor store. Foursquare
will recoup the cost of the project through temporary suspension of
state sales tax collections at the Cabela’s store. The state’s latest
cost estimate for the project is $28 million/Scott Maben, SR. More here.
Question: Do you think an interchange is needed to feed into Cabela’s & new WalMart?
Republicans were on the verge Tuesday of capturing the House of
Representatives and making 
deep inroads into the Democrats’ Senate
majority following months of voter discontent over the economy and
government policy. At the halfway point in President Barack Obama’s term, as voters went
to the polls across the country, even Democrats feared they would be
dealt a sizeable, possibly history-making rebuke. Energized Republicans, fueled by a surging conservative tea-party
movement and polling that showed the party ahead of Democrats, were
looking for gains across the country, the only question being how high
the so-called Republican Wave would go/Laura Meckler & Jonathan Weisman, Wall Street Journal. More here. (AP Photo)
Question: Which races or issues outside of Idaho interest you most?
The only weather forecast that may matter this Election Day is the dark cloud hanging over the 
most powerful vote in Idaho,
voters age 50 and older, as they head to the polls. According to a new
election survey conducted by AARP Idaho over the last 24 hours and
released this morning, while 95% of its members say they’ll vote, they
also say the candidates aren’t talking about the issues that matter to
them. Most identify themselves as Independent voters with moderate political views who aren’t happy about where Idaho and the Country are heading/PR Newswire. More here.
Question: Does it bug you that we old farts may control the outcome of the Idaho elections?
First-grader Mikaela Alles answers questions from her teacher aboutSt.
Rose of Lima at All Saints Catholic School on Monday.Many students at
the Catholic school researched and dressed as their favorite saints for
All Saints Day.(SR Photo: Jesse Tinsley)
Rebelann Barfield, left, and her sister November, sit as their mother Khara casts her vote in the general election on Tuesday in Star. (AP Photo/Charlie Litchfield)
DFO: When my kids were young, I took them to the polls with me, to try to instill in them the importance of voting. Dunno if it worked. I’ll have to call the kids — in Portland, Ore., and Gainesville, Fla. — to see if it worked. How about you?
Question: Did — do — you take your kids to the polls with you?
Raul Labrador, Republican candidate for Idaho congress, casts his ballot in the general election this morning in Eagle. Labrador is facing off against Democrat incumbent Walt Minnick. (AP Photo/Charlie Litchfield)
DFO: Don’t worry D’s, I’ll find a prominent Demo at the polls, to post later today to balance out the R-vs-D continuum today.
Question: Any guesses on percentage of the vote that incumbent Dem Walt Minnick and challenging Repub Raul Labrador will get?
Dustin Hurst: The wife and I voted this morning at a school in Boise. The wife had to
write down 
everyone she should vote for. She relies on me to do the
investigations into the candidates. Neither of us filled in any circles
for county commission races and a few other races about which we knew
nothing. We left one side of our ballot completely blank.
Question: Do you vote in races that you know nothing about the candidates or issues?
A fan takes pictures of the San Francisco Giants celebrating after Game 5 of baseball’s World Series against the Texas Rangers Monday in Arlington, Texas. The Giants won 3-1 to capture the World Series. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
DFO: I have waited 53 years for the San Francisco Giants to win a World Series, from the minute I tuned into my first game as a 8-year-old kid in 1958 until last night. At times, I thought I’d never see the day that they finally finished off a baseball year with the ultimate title. I’m sitting at Huckleberries Central today with a Giants jersey that I broke out for the occasion.
Question: What is something that you waited for a long time? Or are still waiting for?
I believe that Rick Currie and Howard Griffiths would win election today, if their names were on the ballot. But their names aren’t on the ballots. So I doubt that an upset is possible. Here at Huckleberries Online, we’re clued into the nuances of these races. But a lot of individuals simply haven’t paid attention to the election until this last weekend (if even then). Before the votes are counted tonight, I’d like to get you on record by posing this question:
Question: What percentage of the votes with write-ins Rick Currie (vs. Jai Nelson) and Howard Griffiths (vs. Phil Hart) win?
BNSF Railway Co. is suing Kootenai County over new regulations proposed for the railroad’s 
Hauser diesel refueling depot. The railroad – which refuels an average of 30 trains at the depot
daily – says that operations at the site are governed by federal
transportation law, and that counties lack the ability to impose their
own rules. “Kootenai County does not have the authority to regulate freight
railroad facilities or operations that are part of the interstate rail
transportation system,” according to the lawsuit, which was filed in
U.S. District Court in Coeur d’Alene last week. The fueling depot lies over the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie
Aquifer, which provides drinking water for more than 500,000 of the
region’s residents/Becky Kramer, SR. More here. (SR File Photo)
DFO: This is why you never ever give the railroad an inch, because once they shake down a local government for a conditional use permit they’ll stonewall and sue through their battery of lawyers not to do a scintilla more to protect the environment. When I was on the editorial board, I fought tooth and nail against the refueling depot. Now, BNSF is showing its true colors. We never should have allowed these snakes to build that depot over our aquifer. Period.
KREM 2 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sherry is predicting you’ll probably need your snow blowers and snow shovels more this winter than you did last year. Tom is forecasting a La Nina weather pattern, which traditionally calls for colder temperatures and more snowfall during the winter. This is the same pattern that brought 98 inches of snow in 2008-2009 and 93 inches of snow in 2007-2008 in the Inland Northwest. Last winter the region experienced an El Nino pattern and led to one of the smallest amounts of snow on record. Tom is calling for about 60 inches of snow this winter. Our average amount of snowfall is 46 inches/KREM. More here.
Question: Do you enjoy snow?
You probably met some pretty adorable ghosts and goblins on Halloween but one North Idaho family got the rare opportunity to trick or treat at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 10-year-old Vernon Pawlik, the step-grandson of WWII Medal of Honor recipient Vernon Baker, was invited to the White House’s annual Halloween party as sort of an apology for a gaffe early this summer. Pawlik was in Washington, DC with his mom and grandmother when his Vernon Baker was buried at Arlington Cemetery. During a visit to the White House after the ceremony they were turned away from a tour because Pawlik was not dress appropriately/Kalae Chock, KXLY. More here.
Question: Do you agree with me that this is a nice gesture to make up for the White House gaffe that occurred earlier this fall when Vernon Baker’s family visited?
From his perch high above Sherman Avenue & Northwest Boulevard, Don Sausser write of his photograph above: “The Resort’s meticulously manicured trees glow in this morning’s low early sun.”
A sticker is handed to a voter on Election Day this morning in Waterville, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Christa Hazel: I wish candidates and their support crew would spend more time on actual
topics that real people 
are concerned about: Taxes, economy, jobs, law
enforcement, etc. I wish they would spend less time crying foul over
who faxed what from where OR silly signage issues like this picture.
Perhaps if they put feet on pavement, talking the comon guy around town,
then they might come up with some ideas to help our community.
Instead, candidates get so wrapped up in their own campaign and things
like faxes and signage become a lead story. Political nit picking
doesn’t solve problems and it doesn’t inspire one to vote.
Question: What will you miss the least of all the political annoyances this campaign season?
Dustin Hurst: Dear HBO Nation, As the election winds down and rhetoric continues to heat up, I 
just
wanted to write a little note of thanks. Thank you, HBO Nation, for
keeping commentary civil and respectful and above stupid bickering that
gets us nowhere. I am so tired of the fringes of the right (Savage and
Levin) and left (Alan Grayson) yelling at each other, getting us
nowhere. Though I disagree with many of you (Phaed, Sis, Fort, I’m
looking you way), I respect they way you each bring your facts and
rational discussion into the HBO world. Enjoy your Election Day!
Question: Do you think we’ve finally struck the balance between civility and irreverence here?
After today (Mr_Bloggy predicts):
Question: How do you think things will be different after today’s general elections?
‘Tis the day before Election Day, and nerves are raw as can be. As they should be. We’ve witnesses some hard fought congressional campaigns — in the 1st Congressional District in Idaho and the U.S. Senate in Washington between Patty Murray & Dino Rossi. Getting TV ads foist upon us by Washington candidates via the Spokane TV station is one of the down sides of being bordeer communities. Oh well, the campaigning will be over by 8 Tuesday night. Unless there’s a race decided by single digits. Which means we may be in for 10 more months of politicking and court challenges. Now for your Wild Card …
U.S. Senator. Lisa Murkowski waves to supporters from the cab of a fire engine outside her Fairbanks, Alaska, campaign headquarters on Monday afternoon. Murkowski is running for re-election as a write-in candidate. (AP Photo/Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, John Wagner)
Question: What percentage of the vote will Kootenai County write-in candidates Rick Currie (commissioner) and Howard Griffiths?
When Matthew and Kia Gering were reported missing last week in the
St. Joe mountains near St. Maries, their family and extended network of
friends got the word out right away. I got a call from 
my sister, Gina, who lives in Portland and had seen
his mother’s alert on her Facebook page. Matt, who lives in Post Falls
now, is one of Gina’s longtime friends and a former classmate at
Clearwater Valley High School. He lived for many years in this area
(Kooskia, Orofino and Moscow) before moving to Post Falls a while back.
His parents and several siblings still live in this area, so even though
it was technically out of our readership, we knew there would be many
people interested in their status. A story about them being reported missing was in last Thursday’s
paper/Susan Engle, Postcards from the Edge. Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Have you or a loved one ever been lost in the woods?
I didn’t know what to expect at my first Warren Miller ski film, but a
bunch of friends were going and 
I decided that if I was going to live
in Steamboat, Colo., I should know about the popular ski films. “Off the Grid,” which I saw in 2006, pretty much changed my life,
starting with the shot of a snowplow blowing across the screen to reveal
the “Steamboat City Limits” sign. At that moment, at that screening,
the crowd roared. Amid the clapping, I got goosebumps from the
electricity in the room. I left the Steamboat Grand that night knowing I was in the right place,
choosing the right life, living in one of the best ski towns/Kristen Lodge, New West. More here. (Photo courtesy of Warren Miller Productions)
Question: Do you attend Warren Miller ski firms at North Idaho College or elsewhere annually to get you in the mood for the coming winter season on area mountains?
On her Idaho Scenic Images Facebook page, Linda Lantzy calls this beautiful photograph: “Sunset on Pend Oreille.”
Three-month-old Madelyn Carrion, of Orange, dressed as ” Dumbo” stays in character while playing with hay at the Irvine Park Railroad’s pumpkin patch Sunday in Irvine, Calif. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/The Orange County Register, Michael Goulding)
Top Cutlines:
Idaho state Rep. Phil Hart is going to court over his back state income taxes, filing an appeal in 1st District Court in Kootenai County charging that Idaho’s state income tax is unconstitutional. Today, the state of Idaho filed a motion to dismiss the appeal; the court set a Dec. 7 hearing on the motion. Hart’s seven-page appeal raises an array of issues, including whether Idaho’s state income tax “as a graduated tax, fails the uniformity requirement” of Idaho’s state Constitution; and whether the state Board of Tax Appeals, in Hart’s case, “upheld the sanctity” of Idaho’s constitutional privilege protecting state legislators from civil action during legislative sessions/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
A Berry Picker snapped this photo of a Phil Hart political sign near the Dumpsters, off Highway 53, just west of Highway 95. Obviously, the individual who embellished the sign with “tax cheat” will be writing in a candidate for the House District 3 seat Tuesday.
The Idaho Supreme Court has ruled in favor of allowing four
mega-loads of oil refinery equipment 
to travel scenic U.S. Highway 12 in
north-central Idaho, overturning a lower-court judge who revoked the
permits for the four giant truckloads. The court, in a 21-page ruling,
found that it didn’t have jurisdiction to revoke the permits for the
loads, and neither did the district court. “It is entirely
possible that Respondents have real grievances with ITD’s decision in
this case,” the court held. “Even so, the Constitution and the
Legislature have limited the Court’s power to act here. … The Court’s
only choice is to remand with instructions to dismiss without
prejudice”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. (AP File Photo)
Question: Do you think this split 3-2 decision stinks as much as I do?
On his Idaho Statesman blog, opinionator Kevin Richert checks out the results in Idaho during the 1994 Republican uprising nationwide. Kevin writes: “Some national pundits are predicting that Tuesday’s election will parallel the 1994 Republican rout. Secretary of State Ben Ysursa, a 
Republican, expects to see heavy
traffic at the Idaho polls — 63 to 64 percent turnout, the largest for a
non-presidential year since, well, 1994.” Later, he spotlights the late Helen Chenoweth’s big victory over incumbent Democrat Larry LaRocco, which put the 1st Congressional District seat in Republican hands until Walt Minnick’s breakthrough win two years ago. I doubt that Labrador will reach 55 percent of the vote (if he scores a come-from-behind win) that Chenoweth did 16 years ago. LaRocco, after all, was hit with a sex scandal in the closing days of campaign, which caused, among other things, the Spokesman-Review to switch its endorsement to Chenoweth.
Question: How do you think another Republican wave nationwide, similar to the one in 1994, will affect Idaho elections?
Goalie Liz Boyden stops a shot against Fresno State Sunday. The University of
Idaho women’s soccer team had a chance to clinch a regular-season
Western Athletic Conference title, but
the Vandals fell in overtime by a 1-0 score. Story here. (Mark Planck/Idaho Athletics Media)
… on the 4 corners of the H95 & Appleway intersection at noon today … individuals already out to promote various candidates. A Berry Picker called from the Coeur d’Alene Inn to report that all 4 corners were manned & womaned — and that she could see signs for Demos Mike Bullard (House District 4 vs. Marge Chadderdon) and David Larsen (House District 5 vs. Bob Nonini).
Question: Is it too early to be setting up command posts at the main intersections?
Pecky Cox/As the Lake Churns snapped this shot on Priest Lake around 8:30 Saturday morning. That’s Papoose Island in the background. Pecky titles this photo: “Traffic at Priest Lake.” That guy at the paddle has to be thinking: “Doe is get any better than this?”
ReggieH: Do you all have landlines or something? I never get robocalls. Or political calls of any sort, actually. Which is fine by me. My mind is usually made up pretty early on, anyway, and I always vote, so I don’t need to be reminded.
Moscow Minidoka: Yes, Reggie, I have a landline — primarily for internet access, but also
because I prefer to have people call my house and leave a message. I’ve
got caller ID, so I haven’t actually ANSWERED any of these robocalls,
but I’ve enjoyed (and been annoyed by) listening to the messages left on
my answering machine.
Question: Do you still have a landline?
The Twin Falls Times-News published a story today, titled: “Six things to know before you head for the polls.” Among the items listed in the story are: you still can register on Election Day, bring voter ID, and you can still vote if you forget your voter ID, by signing an affidavit. The top item on the list? Every vote counts. Anyone who has paid any attention to the 2009 City Council race that incumbent Mike Kennedy won eventually by 3 votes, should know that statement to be true.
Question: I vote as though I’m casting the deciding ballot when I go to the polls. How about you? Do you vote as though the election hangs in the balance?
AARP Idaho wants all of its members 50 years and older to vote in the
Nov. 2 election, and is 
concerned about public service announcements
on the new law asking voters to bring photo identification to the polls.
Officials with the group say the ads are misleading, because
registered voters without ID can still vote if they sign an affidavit
swearing they are who they say they are. The ads,
which tell Idahoans to bring their ID and vote, doesn’t mention the
affidavit. Officials with the secretary of state’s office say that
information is available and that poll workers know about the
affidavits/Brad Iverson-Long, Idaho Reporter. More here.
Question: Are you bothered that you’ll be asked to provide a voter ID at the polls before voting at the polls this year?
All the information you need to know about the meatloaf bake-off at Curley’s is provided in the poster (please note that the meatloaf can be shaped any way you want, except not as a body part).
Question: Do you make a decent meatloaf? If so, what are your secret ingredients?
This month turkeys
are selected;
some get stuffed and
some elected.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
Item: More tax relief not paid: County failed to distribute $400,000 due over 4 years/Alecia Warren, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: The Kootenai County Auditor’s Office revealed this week another failure with distributing tax revenue to county taxing districts, this time holding back nearly half a million dollars over four years. “We should have sent it out sooner. For that, I take responsibility,” said County Clerk Dan English. “The truth is, it fell through the cracks.” On account of an employee’s oversight, English said, the county failed to distribute a total of $400,000 in yield and deferred taxes to 20 taxing districts from 2006 through 2009.
Question: What do you make of this snafu?
The national poll found that Americans plan to
vote for Republicans over Democratic candidates by 50 percent to 44
percent. This is an edge that will likely give Republicans dozens of
seats in the House and significant gains in the Senate. The
poll numbers suggest Republicans would win about 231 seats in the House
to 204 for the Democrats, but Ipsos pollster Cliff Young said Democrats
would retain control of the U.S. Senate with a 53-47 or 52-48 seat
advantage/Reuters. More here. Question: Do you agree that the 2 houses of Congress will be split after the election? Or will one party hold both houses?
San Francisco 49ers’ Mike Iupati, center, San Francisco 49ers’ Adam Snyder, right, and other players run onto the field before the NFL Football match between the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers at Wembley Stadium in London Sunday. San Francisco, which has stumbled through a disappointing first half, won their second game in eight tries by beating Denver 24-16. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
On Page A7 this morning in the Coeur d’Alene Press, Dean Opsal pays for an age that takes up a third of the page, headlined: “Write-in Howard Griffiths or don’t vote.” The ad is rimmed with Phil Hart’s name in the middle of a circle with a slash through it. Subheads include: “Rep. Phil Hart is a thief.” “Rep. Phil Hart is not a Republican.” “Rep. Phil Hart is an adjudicated illegal tax dodger.” And six other subheads of similar sentiments.
Question: Should everyone vote? Or do you think that ill-informed or uninformed voters should stay home or not cast an absentee ballot?
Joan
Harman: Just heard the latest political robocall this morning. It actually started out as a “debt collection” phone call. For anyone who has struggled to pay their bills in hard economic times, such a call is way over the top. Given the fact that our economic problems and debt began with the GOP.
Question: Which campaign or political candidate made a robo-call to you over the weekend? (I fielded one from the Kootenai County Republican Party.)
Item: One party, one voice? Republicans consider liaison to deal with press/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: The Kootenai County Republican Central Committee wants a more efficient communication line with the media. Unsatisfied with recent writeups, the committee is considering forming a subcommittee to represent the group’s official voice in a timely fashion for future news stories. “Basically it’s uncharted waters for everyone,” KCRCC Chair Tina Jacobson said in a message left at the Press. “Instead of having individuals run to the press, you could have a liaison.”
Question: Is this a move to provide a unified voice for local Republicans? Or an attempt to silence dissenters?
n the last three months, I have had two gall bladder operations, a
stopped heart and a heart artery reamed, almost all without any
appreciable pain - except for a severe case of writer’s cramp 
caused by
filling out the same set of medical forms from one doctor and hospital
after another. They are almost the same identical forms - asking me to list
my allergies, my family health history, previous operations, previous
illnesses and conditions, including pregnancies, not to mention whether I
use tobacco, booze or illicit drugs. And of course, the form requires a complete list of any
non-prescription medications you are taking, including aspirin, vitamins
and strawberry lattes. (I’m kidding about the lattes. They don’t want to know that.
And I wouldn’t admit it if I ever had ordered a strawberry latte. I
couldn’t stand the embarrassment.)/Bill Hall, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Does it bug you to fill out the same questionnaire repeatedly when you are a patient at a doctor’s office, E/R, or hospital?
Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter, with his wife, Lori, dressed as Snow White, make an appearance during a Halloween event at the Capitol, Saturday in Boise. (AP Photo/Paul Hosefros)
You may know that Christa Hazel demanded a witness fee and mileage when
she was subpoenaed by attorney Arthur B. Macomber to testify in the
contempt-of-court case against 
Bill McCrory. But did you know that
Christa refused to give the $21.27 back after charges against Macomber’s
client were dismissed by Judge Charles Hosack? The contempt case was a
sideshow during the long-running legal circus starring disgruntled City
Council election loser Jim Brannon and his attorney, Starr Kelso. On
Oct. 19, Macomber sent a letter to Christa asking that she return the
fee because she didn’t have to testify or drive to the courthouse. And
Christa, through attorney hubby Joel, told Macomber to pound sand/DFO, Huckleberries Online. More here.
Shannon: Cool costumes I’ve seen lately: Invisible Man, whole family of Wizard of Oz
characters, mustard and ketchup, spaghetti dinner. Costumes that were just wrong: pimp and girls, cop with a bullet hole in his head, she-devil with all visible skin painted red, three little girls at school Halloween parade with low-cut costumes — they were so embarrassed they were walking around with arms crossed (are their moms blind?).
Question(s): Which costume was the coolest that came to your door Sunday? Which was the most inappropriate? How many trick-or-treaters rang your doorbell?
Re: Suit filed over Cougar Bay pilings
Kelli Rooks: I like the pilings. They give the area a more rustic, peaceful feeling
(could partially 
be because they deter the jet skis and power boats).
They’re also a visible link to Coeur d’Alene’s history, and that makes
their preservation important. Maybe others don’t care about keeping the
relics of the past around, but I think it’s a shame to destroy them.
The fact that they serve as nice nesting spots for the osprey just adds
more value to keeping them. The vast majority of the lake is easily
accessible to virtually every kind of boat, why not let the pilings
remain for those who want a more tranquil lake experience?
Question: Have you spent time on Cougar Bay in a kayak or canoe — or visited the natural wildlife area there?
Re: Rep. Phil Hart makes a ‘donation’ to school endowment fund
Sisyphus: I expect Hart is concerned that if he makes payment on a judgment which
hasn’t been 
renewed, he might provide legal grounds for the entire
judgment to be revived. And he wants to pay only the amounts he thinks
are fair instead of the total amount the court and the law imposed.
Same as what he’s doing with the IRS. That tells me a couple things.
1) He’s insincere about this payment and doing it to stave off
political consequences which, ironically, is a tacit admission of
wrongdoing in any event. 2) its another example of how his titanic ego
vastly overshadows any inclination towards selflessness. I can see why
he and Larry are buds.
Question: Which bothers you most re: Rep. Phil Hart’s troubles — his debt of almost $500,000 to the IRS/Idaho Tax Commission or his theft of timber from endowment land?
Joe Butler: There’s some swing voters who attend St. George in Post Falls who may
now be voting D Tuesday — following one of the masses (Sunday), the cars in
the parking lot had fliers on their 
windows from a pro-life group
extolling the advantages of Labrador. The buzz at the post-mass coffee
gathering was this stunt may have had opposite effect. Using a church as
a place to campaign is a cheap, maybe even an illegal move. Shoving
litter on everyone’s windshield where they aren’t there to say “no
thanks” isn’t real bright either. Plus since it was a rainy day, you saw
a lot of obviously enthused people trying to peel off a soaked gray
blob from their windshield. Oh, and don’t forget the bold assumption
that just because the Catholic Church maintains a strong pro-life
position, therefore everyone who attends in Post Falls just has to be
strongly pro-life and ready to vote for Raul. I’m not saying how I’m
voting but I will say, well done, Labrador supporters.
Question: Did any of you get your car window papered with campaign literature while you attended worship services Sunday?
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.
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the Cardinals, Westbrook flew mostly between the tackles. Nine of his
rushes were up the middle for 61 yards. All but one carry and 1 yard
came inside the tackles, where the 49ers want to mash the most. He went up the middle for an 8-yard touchdown run, following pulling
left guard Mike Iupati’s lead, to give the 49ers a 21-3 lead in the
second quarter. In other words, Westbrook showed the 49ers don’t have to change the game plan just because Gore is out. “I felt good, I felt very young,” Westbrook said. “I was fresh”/David White, S.F. Chronicle. 
What
man or mouse with a fully functioning human brain and a résumé as thin
as Palin’s would flirt with a presidential run? It makes the political
biography of Barack Obama look more like Winston Churchill’s, despite
the fact that the 44th president breezed into the Oval Office as little
more than a glorified state senator. Still, Palin is undeterred, charging ahead maniacally while declaring
her intention to run for the top office in the land if “nobody else
will”
up prospects of a wholesale shift in leadership among
majority Republicans. At least two of the four leadership positions were already being
contested at next week’s organizational session. Geddes’ decision
ensures that at least three spots will be in play. With four freshman
Republican senators replacing less conservative predecessors, there is a
good chance the more moderate Senate will edge closer to the more
conservative House/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. 
‘Dawg Pound’ bleacher section at the east end zone of 
medicine without a
license. Boise police and Ada County prosecutors say 37-year-old
Kristina B. Ross — posing as Dr. Berlyn Aussieahshowna — touched
women’s breasts under the guise of a “breast exam.” Prosecutors
said Wednesday one woman disrobed for Ross and another was grabbed above
her clothes.
On Nov. 2, employees of a licensed plastic surgeon at a Downtown medical
office said they’d taken several calls in recent weeks from women
asking for Dr. Aussieahshowna and claiming they had scheduled
appointments and surgeries
fired off his shotgun at his television, leading to a 15-hour standoff with state police. According to the criminal complaint, posted by 
running on the field; another blew a whistle, prompting
admonishment from the refs; and a thrown object brought a warning from
the announcer that the Vandals were subject to a 15-yard penalty should
it happen again. But those were the exceptions that proved the rule. “I’ve
seen inebriated, but no nasty,” said Jake Christensen, a senior in
health science at Boise State and graduate of Boise’s Timberline High
School. Christensen was referencing Boise State President Bob
Kustra’s July remarks that Vandal fans “don’t know how to act like
grownups” and personify a “nasty, inebriated” culture/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. 
fight, they better get to it Friday night. No. 4 Boise State and Idaho may never face each other again. It seems unfathomable in a state as sparsely populated as Idaho with
just two state schools playing in the Football Bowl Subdivision that
those teams wouldn’t meet on a yearly basis. But with the rise of Boise State and its impending move to the
Mountain West Conference, which will leave Idaho behind in the Western
Athletic Conference, there’s no longer a requirement to face the
smaller, more remote Vandals on a yearly basis. So, for now, Friday’s 40th meeting between the Broncos and Vandals is the finale/Todd Dvorak, Sports Illustrated. 
Responding
to a question about comments made by Boise State president Bob Kustra
in July about Idaho’s fan base that Kustra described as “nasty,
inebriated,” senior running back Deonte Jackson didn’t hesitate with
his answer. “Personally, I tried not to read too much into it,” he
said. “But I wouldn’t expect anything different coming from the blue
and orange snot. I just took it and use it as fuel in the fire and feed
my hunger to want to get after these guys to finish my career off with a
win against them and bring pride back to this community, the University
of Idaho and Moscow”/
Robb Akey wants a home-and-home series. Listening to them Monday, it’s easy to see why there’s no plan for
future games between the two schools, who will meet for the 40th
consecutive year Friday but aren’t schedule to play in the next two
years. Petersen repeated his sentiment that the game should be played in Boise. “There’s more Idaho alumni down here than anywhere else in the whole
state,” Petersen said. “We’ve got a big stadium. If it’s a game
everybody wants to see, let’s let everybody see it right here where all
the seats are.” Akey scoffed at that suggestion
Republican takeover of the U.S. House makes Rep. Mike Simpson (pictured in AP file photo, left) chairman
of Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies and the
second-ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on Energy and Water
Development. The two committees are in charge of funding the federal
agencies that control 64 percent of Idaho’s land area. Simpson
also was an early supporter of House Speaker-in-waiting John Boehner.
The Idahoan is one of six Republican congressman in Boehner’s inner
circle/Rocky Barker, Idaho Statesman. 
But one familiar opponent is missing from the
Broncos’ slate: Idaho. Boise State announced the additions to the 2011 schedule on Monday
afternoon. Boise State will host Nevada on Oct. 1 and visit Fresno State
on Oct. 8 — both Saturdays. It is likely that the Fresno State game
could be on the ESPN family of networks. Nevada and Fresno State will join Boise State in the Mountain West in 2012, but will remain in the WAC in 2011. This year, Boise State hosts Fresno State on Nov. 19 and visits Nevada on Nov. 26/Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman. 
hours before the primary election, but Ada County
libertarian-leaning Republicans have a 
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