Kellogg Man Celebrates Family’s Scottish Heritage

Duane Little might wear a skirt if it weren’t so expensive.

But the price of a Scottish kilt, plus all the accompanying gear, makes a plaid tie reasonable as well as stylish for this Kellogg highlander.

Besides, his co-workers at the Shoshone County Courthouse might snicker if he bared his knees.

Instead, Duane, who’s 50-something, shares his heritage through enlarged photos of Edinburgh castle and the Scottish Highlands. He regales friends with tales of ancient battles and clans, kings and campaigns.

He sells clan neckties to the men of Scottish heritage he knows, and he celebrates poet Robert Burns’ Jan. 25 birthday with a few dozen friends.

“Oh, it was grand,” Duane says, still savoring the recent party that drew 60 Scots, semi-Scots and pseudo-Scots. People read Burns’ poetry aloud and wore plaid ties, gulped scotch and ate fish and chips (not haggis) to bagpipe music.

“It was a real occasion,” he says.

Duane has lived his heritage his entire life, although his mother’s Italian side was more pronounced during his childhood. Family tales include one about his grandfather writing home to Italy for a wife.

The Italian neighborhood in Kellogg where Duane grew up with two brothers and 17 cousins might have overpowered his Scottish side. But like bonny Prince Charlie, Uncle Dallas Livingston Little rushed to the rescue.

Dallas traced his mother’s family and found that it had arrived in this country in 1640 and that his grandfather was a friend of Will Rogers’.

Dallas, a college history professor in California, captivated Duane with his tales of Scotland. Duane began devouring history books himself and traveled to Scotland with his uncle in 1987.

When Dallas died in 1994, he left behind 11,000 historical books and journals and one manuscript he had written on his family history.

Learning about his family’s gutsy characters gave Duane a strong sense of himself.

Duane donated most of the collection to his local library but kept Dallas’ manuscript with plans to publish it.

“People have just about forgotten their heritage,” Duane says a little sadly. “You can learn an awful lot from the past.”

Sweet songs

One of my favorite moments came several years ago when I was following Coeur d’Alene’s Sweet Adelines as they delivered their songs to lucky valentines. As I scribbled notes for a story, the women turned to me and sang - a gift from my husband.

The Adelines’ male counterparts, the Lake City Harmonizers, are offering a similar opportunity for Valentine’s Day this Saturday.

The Harmonizers will serve dinner and their popular four-part harmony for a $10 donation at the Lake City Senior Center on Saturday night. Can you pass up singing waiters?

Make an impression on your love. Call 667-5813 for details.

Beef up the schools

The Post Falls Education Foundation knows its math. Fine wine plus gourmet food equals people happy to share their money.

Last year’s Wine, Stein and Dine raised so much money for grants for Post Falls School District classroom projects that the foundation decided a rerun would be in order.

This year’s food and drink fest will include gourmet hors d’oeuvres from the White House Grill, Casey’s Pub & Grill, Templin’s, McDuff’s, Greenbriar Inn and Michael’s.

Rounding out the night will be music, fine wines and microbrews.

The fun will be March 7 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Templin’s Resort. Tickets are $25. Call 777-0160 or 773-9191 for details.

Who throws the wildest fund-raising events in the Panhandle? Describe the best for Cynthia Taggart, “Close to Home,” 608 Northwest Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene 83814; or send a fax to 765-7149, call 765-7128 or send e-mail to cynthiat@spokesman.com.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo