Cheerleaders, Student Paper Show Signs Of Life

An interesting tiff between Lake City High cheerleaders and the school paper brings back memories. It all started when the paper editorialized that the pompon crowd should quit being so snooty to the rank-and-file. Cheerers and their friends responded by posting a big banner in the lunchroom signed by backers. Later, a small sign defending the First Amendment was tacked beneath, autographed by LCHS’ junior journalists and their sympathizers. Principal John Brumley probably had a cow. But the fracas reminded me of the time I enraged my junior college’s cheerleaders by opining that they were lazy, their routines lousy. Ah, sweet memories. Save me a space on the First Amendment sign.

Up in smoke

A new Coeur d’Alene Resort policy banning employees from using tobacco products on its grounds as of Jan. 1 had one worker singing the blues. Seems he’s smoked for decades and can’t “quit like that.” And company breaks don’t provide enough time to leave the premises and grab a smoke. What to do? Stay tuned. … In Spokane recently, a teenage girl was overheard telling friends that she’d been in a minor car accident. But she wasn’t going to sue. Nearby, a North Idaho attorney muttered: “Somewhere tonight, another lawyer is going hungry.” … Last week, trustee Vern Newby asked that Coeur d’Alene School Board minutes be amended to indicate why he left the Nov. 19 meeting. The Washington Water Power Co. exec had to help fight the Great Ice Storm. But Vern had to make the request “in absentia” because he was attending a national school board convention in Las Vegas at the time. Observed trustee Herb Cheeley: “They’re not fighting ice storms down there.”

Mikes, mules & Cecil

At the Intermountain Forest Industry Association’s annual meeting, GOP Congressman Mike Crapo guessed that panelists’ microphones were causing a static problem in the moderator’s mike. Quipped Democratic ex-Gov. Cecil Andrus: “So maybe you should leave yours off, Mike.” … Later, Andrus wondered aloud if he had to take some of Crapo’s congressional buddies on a bird hunt as part of an Idaho tour. Recalling a famous hunting accident involving ol’ Cece, moderator Kim Taylor-Thompson interjected: “Make sure the mule doesn’t kick (them) in the head.” To which Crapo responded: “These are Republicans. A mule wouldn’t kick them.” Onward.

Huckleberries

Investors watching the D.A. Davidson sign outside (which registered a drop of 79 billion points last week) are breathing easier. The Dow Jones rebounded in a big way last Monday. It was UP 82 billion points. … Kootenai County’s building and planning departments should swap billings on the readerboard outside their digs. “Building and Planning” gives the impression of haphazard growth. Hmmm. … What was the greatest unnatural disaster during the Great Ice Storm? Broken windshield wipers. Drivers snapped them off right and left by turning on wipers frozen to their windshields. One guy - why, yes, I suppose he was an ex-Californian - snapped off a wiper that way, had it fixed - and then snapped off the other one the same way a couple of days later. Be careful out there. … Bumpersnicker on a Honda with Washington plates: “Smoke grass not grass smoke.” … Rumor Control: Rumors that ex-CdA mayor Ray Stone has left the city are just that at this point. Friends like Councilman Ron Edinger and Hale Ashcraft haven’t seen hizzoner for awhile. But they don’t think he’s left for good. Ray, are you out there?

Parting shot

State Sen.-elect Jack Riggs did what? In a letter, Riggs announced his candidacy for majority caucus chairman to the southern Idaho dictators who run the Legislature. And in a second letter he asked for help in retiring a $20,000 campaign debt. Ahahahaha. Do you think Jerry Twiggs & Co. will make the freshman clean Statehouse latrines as penance for his audacity?

, DataTimes MEMO: Gotta Huckleberry? Call the Huckleberry Hound Hotline: (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125; daveo@spokesman.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria The Spokesman-Review