Below, Herb writes about missing his first Blogfest ever. Above, DFO and his HucksOnline Super Subs, Cindy (left) and Christa (center) pose for Don Sausser's camera at the annual event at the Fort Ground Grill.

Well I scored a first Saturday. Unfortunately not the right kind of first. I missed my first blog fest since they started. I can't remember what year that was, but I organized it and we had about nine or so attendees here in Bayview. We held it at the Captain's Wheel Restaurant. Since then the idea has exploded, the Spokesman-Review has taken over sponsorship and I understand there were over 70 people present at the Fort Ground this year. I wasn't one of them. The night before, I had a minor health issue that kept me awake for hours. Finally around 7:00am I got to sleep. I awoke around non and wasn't in any shape to go anywhere. I'm fine now but deeply regret the opportunity to see many of my friends again and to meet new ones as well/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. More here.

• Santorum still wants intrusive, activist government/Arch Druid
• Thumbs up? Am I crazy?/Dogwalk Musings
• Flagship down, and: Mystery man: Frank VanderSloot/Fort Boise
• Some lives, and: Playing with matches/From A Simple Mind
• Perfect Fit opens, and: Sprint retail store closesINW Business Watch
• Mammoth baby/This Is Not A Fairy Tale
• The transplant call/Nuts & Nonsense
• Tuesday Twitterdeeoink-oink/Slight Detour
• I read banned books/3Rs
• Aurora/Tumblewords
• Charles Dickens 200 years on/Writing North Idaho

HucksOnline numbers (for Monday, Feb. 20): 7601/4514

On Bay Views, Herb Huseland reports that this Saturday marks the 102nd anniversary of Athol's existence. And Herb will again narrate the street parade, which begins 10 a.m., with line up at 9 a.m. A new twist this year will be the addition of a grand marshal. Kootenai County Deputy David Dunkin, formerly the beat cop for Athol and Bayview, will be the community's first grand marshal. More here.

• When blaming the president is bipartisan/Arch Druid
• Gimme a dumb phone!/David Laird, Community Comment
• Downgrade should be a wake up call/Dogwalk Musings
• Are you a mirror person?/From A Simple Mind
• A poem for this social studies teacher/Gathering Around the Table
• Review: El Piasa Mexican food/Get Out! North Idaho
• Double Dose Of Fawns/Capturing Life Through My Lens
• It's always something/Nuts & Nonsense
• There is always a story/Rants, Raves, & Random Thoughts
• Fun times/Slight Detour
• Thank goodness for dill pickles/Stebbijo's Place
• Summer evening/Tumblewords

Hucks Online numbers (for week of July 31-Aug. 6): 38,387 page-views/24,357 unique views

Henry Dean, new proprietor of the Buttonhook/Bayview has had to be creative as he awaits overdue issuance of a liquor license, according to Herb Huseland, Bay Views. Herb posts: “Checking with the authorities to make sure he was legal, (Dean) advertised BYOB. It turns out that if no employee touches the alcoholic beverage brought in by a customer, pours or in any other way serves the beverage, an unlicensed restaurant may permit patrons to bring their own.” The “BYOB” on the readerboard surprised many, Herb reports, adding: “Of course be ready to pay a corkage fee or pay a reasonable sum for set-ups, but that is only fair. After all, if drinking an alcoholic beverage is done on price only, everyone would drink at home. It's the social gathering place that allows people to pay twice the retail price for the privilege of drinking with their friends.” Full report here. (Photo courtesy: Bay Views)

Question: When did you last accept a BYOB invite?

As I sit here in Federal Way, Washington, I've come full circle. I left this place for Idaho 20 years ago. Business and marital failure caused me to seek new horizons which I had left in Idaho in the '70's. One should never go back after a long absence from a place. The changes have been radical. Traffic is horrible, new homes everywhere with tiny little yards separating neighbors from each other. I looked out my bedroom window and found I was staring at the next door neighbor through an opposite window just 12 feet away/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. More here.

Question: Did you have the same experience as Herb when you returned to a former home or old stomping grounds?

L. Yvonne Wallis was found on the floor of her home by son, Michael Heath just prior to noon today. Michael doesn't know whether she fainted, or stumbled and hit her head. EMT's from Timberlake and Northern Lakes responded and transported her to Kootenai Hospital. Just prior to Christmas, Yvonne, along with daughter-in-law Patty Heath and son Michael were attacked by a allegedly deranged man living next door, Larry Cragun. Gragun is currently residing in the Kootenai County Jail awaiting trial for murder, aggrevated assault and other related charges/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. More here.

I have been writing for the Spokesman-Review since The beginning of the Prairie Voice and subsequently, the Handle Extra. That, if I remember correctly, was the spring of 2007. April to be precise. In the beginning, I wrote news and features for Bayview, then included Athol as well as a few stories from Spirit Lake. At the time, I was writing at least two and sometimes more stories per week. Then the paper started cutting back. First, I was down to two to three stories a month, then the Prairie Voice was discontinued. I then started covering a little more territory and was published in the “Handle Extra.” At the end of December, the Handle Extra will cease publication, and me with it. It has been a great run/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. More here.

Question: Have you ever been paid to free-lance for a newspaper or magazine?

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.

• Idaho Records, and: Bankruptcies, and: Building permits/Sherry Adkins, SR
  
• Autumn turns cooler/Mike Prager, Spokesman-Review
  
• LaRocco: Voters want compromise despite GOP gains/Dan Popkey, Statesman
• Missoulian: Highway 12 permits in chicken-egg situation/Betsy Russell, EOB
• Idaho Falls girl wins state Distinguished Young Woman/Nick Rotunno, Press
• Airway Heights man arrested for making fatal bomb/KXLY
• Idaho bars deceptive extended warranty sellers/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise
  

The Piper Cherokee Arrow 200 is my favorite airplane. It cruises at around 143 or so in level flight and is a dream to fly. Unfortunately, with a full load of four, It climbs like a pig. You just can’t ask it to do something that it hasn’t the ability to do. I once came close to killing myself and passengers when I took off on a hot day in Omak from a short runway. I had 1200 plus hours and used bad judgement. We survived. This young man, indoubtedly more impressed with his ability and that of the aircraft than deserved, died. It is unfortunate that he took three other fine young people with him. Every student pilot learns early in his or her training one simple rule. “There are old pilots and bold pilots, but damn few old, bold pilots”/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. More here

Question: Have you flown much in small planes? Or do you avoid them like a plague, as I do?

Beginning March 15, the Prairie Voice will merge with the Handle Extra. The Prairie voice, seen the last two years as a handout as well as part of the paper on Thursdays, and the Handle Extra, covering both Kootenai and Bonnner County, formerly seen Saturdays, will switch to the Sunday edition. With the combination, there will no longer be free distribution. You’ll have to buy a Sunday paper. The positive side, is that a much larger audience will see what is published, than in the prairie Voice/S&S Herb, Bay Views. More here.

Question: Do you read the Prairie Voice (Thursday) or Handle Extra (Saturday) in the SR or on freebie newstands around Kootenai County?

I’m an addict. Not to drugs or alcohol, but to writing. Like all addictions, it started innocently. I just started opining on my blog. Soon, I had delusions that I could make a difference. Be a communicator. While I still maintain my blog, I mostly do it because of the cutbacks at the Spokesman-review. Also I do it because so many snow birds tell me it’s their link to the community during the winter/S&S Herb, Bay Views. More here.

Question (for citizen journalists): Why do you blog or comment on blogs?