• Official story: Signatures fall short in Coeur d'Alene recall attempts/Becky Kramer, SR

Just returned from City Hall, where City Clerk Susan Weathers declared all the petition drive to recall Mayor Sandi Bloem and three council members "null & void ab initio." In other words, the recall effort has failed. Recaller Frank Orzell was in the audience when Weathers read the total number of valid signatures for each of the 4 drives, with 4,311 signatures needed to trigger a recall. Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander was the first petition to be declared null and void. Goodlander had 4,073 valid signatures. Next was Councilman Mike Kennedy with 4,077 valid signatures. Then, Councilman Woody McEvers with 4,060 valid signatures. Finally, Weathers declared the petitions for Mayor Sandi Bloem null & void with 4,126 valid signatures. Weathers concluded: "As city clerk for the city of Coeur d'Alene, I now declare this Coeur d'Alene recall process to be closed." Some 25 individuals who fought the recall cheered the announcement. Orzell was the only Recaller that I saw in the old City Council chamber. Afterward, Sara Meyer of the Decline to Sign group said to Orzell: "I hope you want to come together as a community and move forward in a positive way," adding, "No lawsuits."

Thoughts?