New Fitness Fiends - If You’re Going To Stick Around, Welcome

I can’t decide if you couch potatoes who join health clubs en masse every January deserve a Hot Potato or a Sweet Potato. Time will tell. As a club regular, I don’t mind you clogging the weight machines, treadmills and pool as long as you’re not lollygagging or goofing off. Most of you will be gone by April anyway and deserve a Hot Potato for being dumb enough to sign a 12-month contract on impulse. On the other hand, the few who will make this the first month in a healthier life deserve applause and a Sweet Potato, without butter or marshmallows. Welcome.

New, improved Compton beats ‘94 model

Can this be the Dick Compton who ranted and raved his way through the 1994 Kootenai County commissioner campaign? Is this communicator/ consensus builder the same man who boycotted a Kootenai Environmental Alliance luncheon? Miracle of miracles. The new Compton model seems flexible, too. Now, he’s saying that a lease-purchase agreement for badly needed county office space may be the way to go - after criticizing the previous board for proposing it. (It is the best option.) I don’t know what they’re putting in the courthouse water. But it’s having a good effect on Mr. IBM.

Hardened killers don’t deserve mercy

Can’t get over Felicia Reese’s death Dec. 29 allegedly at the hands of two Spokane punks - for a lousy $43. I’m chilled by the random, cold-blooded way Felicia was murdered. Any of us could have been the victim. Society will remain at the mercy of heartless predators until it quits wringing its hands and begins doling out harsh, swift punishment. I don’t mean a life sentence of 20 years with time off for good behavior, either. Felicia’s killers deserve no more mercy than she received.

EchoHawk would be a perfect fit

President Clinton has a match made in heaven - if he can let bygones be bygones. He should name ex-Idaho attorney general Larry EchoHawk as the state’s new federal judge, a position that has been vacant for two years while U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, successfully blocked Lewiston attorney John Tait’s nomination. EchoHawk is a man of integrity with a hard-nosed approach to crime. And he wants the job. Of course, during his unsuccessful campaign for governor, EchoHawk did criticize Clinton’s moral shortcomings. But, then, who hasn’t?

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