Huckleberries: Supremacists a reminder of task force’s need

White supremacists made pests of themselves in Coeur d’Alene during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. First, they picketed two Mexican food stands in Coeur d’Alene – Chiludo’s Mexican Food (3000 Government Way) and Taco Works (Fifth and Appleway). Then, the neo-nutsies followed up with a protest near the Human Rights Education Institute on Monday. Sgt. Christie Wood, the Coeur d’Alene police spokeswoman and VP of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations, was in a happy place until she saw the racists at Northwest Boulevard and Mullan (near City Park). She was on her way to drop off food for the task force’s Martin Luther King gala event. She told Huckleberries: “I reminded myself that our unfortunate history is why I joined the task force two years ago – to help victims of hate, to help promote human rights and equality for all, and work with our community to celebrate diversity.” Christie responded better than a recent transplant from Portland. The woman drove around the block three times to yell epithets at the racists. Only to be flipped off in return. A better response was that of human-rights leader Tony Stewart, who visited the two targeted Mexican food stands Friday to tell vendors that the Aryan wannabes don’t represent Coeur d’Alene values. Also, Tony promised to encourage friends to eat at the stands as a show of support.

Protesting Aryans

Shaun Winkler, a regular on the neo-Nazi picket scene, ran into his own protest after he and Shealyn Winkler returned to their Hayden residence late Jan. 14. The Winklers later told the cops they couldn’t figure out why neighbor Scot Fuhrman yelled an expletive at them. Fuhrman offered an explanation to Deputy Dawgs, reporting that he’s sick of the Winklers routinely yelling “white power” in the neighborhood, as he said they did on the night in question. Fuhrman claims he was fed up with the noise and yelled back to discourage them from shouting further. Shealyn Winkler reportedly said she called the cops because she was afraid the dispute would escalate. Seems the ganders don’t like their own sauce.

Huckleberries

I’m amused that the most powerful person from bright-red Idaho remains a Democrat. Walt Minnick? Nah. Cecil Andrus? Uh-uh. Bruce Reed, a Coeur d’Alene High grad and son of Scott and Mary Lou Reed, is running VP Joe Biden’s office now … Nah, I’m not bothered that Boise State football coach Chris Petersen will earn more than eight times as much as Gov. Butch Otter this year ($915,637 to $110,734). Peterson had a much better year than Otter did last year. (Yes, I’m guilty of stealing the line that Babe Ruth used when his salary was compared to the president’s) … Quotable Quote: “Saying you can replace a teacher with a computer is insulting” – Wade Coldiron, of Priest River, at hearing for Idaho’s public education budget (via Idaho Reporter Twitter).

Parting Shot

Clerk in Coeur d’Alene Safeway store to crabby old man in line ahead of Patrick Jacobs on Friday morning: “Would you like some stamps today?” Crabby old man: “It is damp today, dammit, and I’m just trying to stay dry!” Methinks cabin fever is spreading.