9 Of 10 Crows Recommend Cda Picnics
Beware the Crows of Summer. Would you believe the Crows of Extended Winter? Seems a Coeur d’Loonian couple was picnicking at City Park Friday when their kids heard the siren call of the park’s playground swings. So, the couple left their bag of Schlotzsky’s Deli sandwiches on a picnic table and took the tykes to play. Ere they walked out of sight, a big crow began helping itself to the sandwiches. By the time the family returned, Mr. Crow was chomping on pastrami at the opposite end of the table. It’d turned its beak up at alternative choices of salad and grilled-cheese sandwiches. Our crows might be thieves, but they still have good taste.
Chip off the ol’ block
I was bushed as I stood in line Tuesday evening to vote for the Coeur d’Alene School District levy. But, as he filed by, CPD Blue Lt. Walt Roeske made me feel old, too. That morning, I’d given rookie Shoshone County sheriff’s deputy Brett Surplus a Sweet Potato (from another Oliveria column of dubious distinction) for saving a woman’s life. I thought Brett was CPD Blue Lt. Greg Surplus’ brother. Walt corrected me. It’s one of his twin sons. How time flies!
Signs of the times
Vern Newby, the Cd’A school board chairman, learned you don’t bet with Trustee Tim Olson unless you have time on your hands. Seems the two placed a friendly wager over which one could build the best standard to display two 8-by-12-foot banners supporting the successful levy. Vern won by default. Tim never showed up. Vern’s reward? He got to erect the other standard, too. … Kootenai County Sheriff Pierce Clegg hates the political part of his job. Says he: “You do your job for 3-1/2 years and prostitute yourself the other six months.” … I applaud Pierce for recycling his yard signs from campaigns past. But did he have to use red paint on an ivory background (sign south of U.S. Highway 95 & Hayden) to blot out the fact that he’s no longer a Democrat? … Here’s an Attaboy to the fellow in the green Honda Accord who rescued a damsel in distress shortly before 1 p.m. Friday. The DID lost some of her wood load when she was forced to slam on her pickup’s brakes at the busy intersection of 95 & Appleway. Mr. Lancelot - Sir, to his friends - in the next lane helped her reload in a heartbeat.
Huckleberries
Easily, the nastiest North Idaho race this spring involves incumbent Dan Schierman and Larry Irvine in the Shoshone County Democratic sheriff’s primary. Larry’s slogan: “Elect A Sheriff We Can Trust.” Dan’s: “Visibility Ain’t Sitting on a Bar Stool.” Touche. … At the Huckleberry campground, up the St. Joe, a Bureau of Land Management desk jockey was unperturbed when a colleague noticed they were assembling a picnic table backward. Said he: “We work for the federal government. We’re supposed to do it backward.” … Meanwhile, at the Avery Trading Post nearby, a sign on the chalkboard announced that a fellow identified only as “Dave” had been awarded the tavern’s highest honor: “Lush of the Week” (drawing every Friday). Saaaa-lute. … FYI: One act that hit the cutting room floor during the winter of the Festival at Sandpoint’s discontent was the Charlie Daniels Band. Charlie was headed for Sandpoint this summer until the new regime gave him the ax, the ax, the ax. … Gotcha: You can count on one hand the number of public servants who obey the stop sign outside Sandpoint City Hall at closing time. … Well, folks, it’s the Memorial Day weekend, which means our North Idaho towns no longer belong to us. The tourists have returned from Capistrano and points all over the compass. Be careful out there.
Parting shot
The vultures are picking at the Bonner County clerk’s bones already. Seems folks up north joke that they can get out of paying back taxes by saying they gave the money to Karen Weldon - in cash. Weldon, of course, is under investigation for embezzlement of about $18,000 in taxpayers’ money and has taken a leave of absence. That’s an expensive joke.
Gotta Huckleberry? Call the Huckleberry Hound Hotline: (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125; Fax: 765-7149.
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria The Spokesman-Review