Huckleberries: Duke rally draws few, fries return

ABC/ESPN sportscaster Brent Musburger, who was raised near Billings, had high words of praise for the Coeur d’Alene area during No. 5 Boise State’s ha-huge televised victory over No. 6 Virginia Tech in Washington, D.C., last Monday. After Bronco linebacker Byron Hout made a tackle in the second half, Musburger mentioned to his broadcast partner, Kirk Herbstreit, that Hout hailed from Coeur d’Alene (Lake City High). Then, Musburger urged Herbstreit to visit Idaho in general and Coeur d’Alene in particular. “It’s one of the most beautiful spots in the world – with all those lakes,” Musburger said. Herbstreit responded that Musberger had piqued his interest in our area. Ditto for millions of others in ESPN’s audience that night. Alas.

Criss-cuts are back

Zip’s Drive-In, at Seventh Street and Sherman Avenue, has heard the cry of the masses – or at least Get Out! North Idaho blogger Patrick Jacobs’ lament – and restored criss-cut fries to its regular menu on a trial basis. Seems the uniquely cut fries had fallen so much out of favor with cuss-tomers this spring (based on sales or lack thereof) that the owners dropped them. Only to run into Patrick’s Facebook protest. Zip’s responded online to the local blogger and Handle Extra columnist: “ … being one that likes to prove the numbers wrong, I’ll offer them up as a menu item starting (last Tuesday) thru the end of October to see what transpires. As always, we’ll have to track the numbers to see what happens and if they are worth putting them back on as a permanent item.” In other words, criss-cut fries fans are in for a Halloween scare if sales fall short in the next six weeks.

Huckleberries

Dan Gookin isn’t as confident as other Jim Brannon allies, now that the long-delayed trial for Brannon’s legal challenge of his five-vote loss to incumbent Councilman Mike Kennedy is upon us (beginning Monday). In a recent Coeur d’Alene Press online comment, Gookin told his followers – both of them – that he didn’t expect Judge Charles Hosack to overturn the 2009 Coeur d’Alene city election results … Hucks Online poll: By more than 2-to-1, my blog readers support the controversial Education Corridor and the increased higher education opportunities that it would bring to Coeur d’Alene. You’d never know that if you listened to the CAVEr (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) superminority who regularly use the Coeur d’Alene Press print front and idiotorial pages to trash the idea … A supremacist website sez 25 people showed up to hear ex-Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke test-drive his beyond-long-shot presidential hopes at Sandpoint’s America Promise Ministry Saturday, Sept. 4. But a freelance photographer from Sandpoint who was there posted on Hucks Online that there were 10 listeners at most – and that outsiders weren’t allowed in to hear Duke speak. So much for openness in Duke’s quixotic campaign … My online readers are still trying to figure out how a thief made off without being seen with that laptop computer and other items from Sun Meadows Resort – that nudist camp near Worley … On the front window of the going-out-of-business Denally’s decor store at 6040 Government Way is this painted sign: “So much for Obama’s stimulus package.”

Parting shot

Steve Sibulsky remembered late human rights leader Bill Wassmuth Tuesday, as the community celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the court decision that led to the bankruptcy of Richard Butler and his Aryan Nations. Wassmuth led the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations during much of the 1980s, when the Aryans were most active. But Sibulsky’s memories went back to the days when Wassmuth was also head padre of St. Pius X Catholic Church: “Many years ago, a group of us rowdy Catholic singles took Father Bill to celebrate his 40th birthday at Curley’s in Hauser Lake. We were gonna insist (after some liquid celebration) that he ride the mechanical bull. I never saw a happier priest when he found out the bull was broken!”