Litterbugs On Tubbs Hill On Same Level As Vandals

Every slob that leaves a diaper, sock, candy wrapper or other litter on Tubbs Hill deserves a Hot Potato. And that goes for dog owners who take Fido on walks around the Coeur d’Alene refuge without a pooper scooper. Where do such people think they are? Home? Do they think mother, a sibling or a child is going to clean up after them? For you newcomers, Tubbs Hill holds a special place in a Coeur d’Alene resident’s heart. It’s a unique, 120-acre greenbelt along Lake Coeur d’Alene’s north shore that provides waterfront access and some solitude. Everyone should hike Tubbs Hill at least once a year to appreciate its breathtaking shoreline setting. Those who trash it, trash Coeur d’Alene. And are no better than vandals.

Boaters should be scared straight

If I were emperor of the universe, I’d make every boater and Jet Skier visit Dawn Driscoll’s hospital room. She’s the mother of four who suffered an eye injury and lost teeth when an unoccupied boat zipped across the North Idaho College beach on the Fourth of July. It could have been worse. Dawn was hurt because a boater wasn’t wearing a string to kill his boat engine in case he got tossed overboard. The fact that Coeur d’Alene boater Gye St. Louis was spinning circles in the water and had knocked back a few brews didn’t help either. Increasingly, Lake Coeur d’Alene has become the personal playground for inconsiderate recreationalists who endanger others with their stunts. The average boat accident on Lake Coeur d’Alene happens in broad daylight. The place is too crowded for fools.

Wanted: One more successful school bond

Frankly, I don’t know if any local government in North Idaho could pass a bond election now. The anti-tax mood here is nasty and prevalent. But that doesn’t make the need for a new Coeur d’Alene middle school go away. Coeur d’Alene’s two middle schools, Lakes and Canfield, now are running 400 students over capacity. And growth is continuing. Maybe the school board should try holding a bond election just for a middle school, without add-ons for the promised second phase of the high school or a desperately needed Dalton Elementary gymnasium. It’s unfortunate that Coeur d’Alene constituents have shrunk back from their educational obligations to the younger generation. The district had come far in addressing building needs by approving the construction of Lake City High and the Fernan and Hayden Meadows elementary schools. We’re working ourselves into another school building crisis.

, DataTimes MEMO: Hot Potatoes is a feature of the Tuesday and Thursday Opinion pages.