Arrow-right Camera
Subscribe now

This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.

Huckleberries: Idaho may rank last again but it’s just politics

Idaho doesn’t fare well in that “United States of Shame” chart making the rounds in the blogosphere. The chart, provided by the Pleated Jeans blog, offers a theory that every state ranks last on some list. Someone, for example, has ranked Idaho last in terms of congressional delegation clout. But the Gem State fares better than other nearby states. Somewhere out there is a list that sez North Dakota has the ugliest residents. Montana allegedly has the most drunken drivers. Utah, believe it or not, rates last in online wholesomeness, leading the states on one list in rate of Web porn subscriptions. And Washington? The Evergreen State ranks worst for bestiality, leading the country in the number of human-animal hookup cases in 2010, with four. We Idahoans, I suppose, should be pleased that our failure involves politics rather than unwholesome affection for critters.

Sid Rosen, RIP

There was a glaring omission in the otherwise comprehensive obituary for Sid Rosen, 90, published in the Coeur d’Alene Press. Yes, Sid required reservations at his old Chef Rosen’s restaurant in Hayden. Yes, he once received a standing ovation from 22 attorneys general who ate there. Omitted, however, was the fact that he was a Jewish owner of a restaurant targeted for hate graffiti by racists who’d moved here long after he arrived. Immediately after the attack, concerned citizens met in Sid’s restaurant in a show of support. That group evolved into what is known today as the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations. Which is widely recognized as the organization that developed the model for community response to racism. The racists picked on the wrong guy at the wrong time in the wrong community.

Huckleberries

Among the things learned by kindergarten teacher Jen Rude of A Butterfly Moment blog Tuesday: “No matter how many times you tell 3- and 4-year-old boys to stay out of the puddles, they will still walk right through the middle of every puddle on the playground” … My blog readers want the media to quit bothering Mega Millions winner Holly Lahti, of Rathdrum. A whopping 87.44 percent said the media should quit digging into the jackpot winner’s background … After spotting racists again picketing the Mexican food stand on Government Way, north of Les Schwab, on Friday, a Berry Picker asked Huckleberries: “Don’t they have jobs?” The answer’s apparent … I spotted my first sign of spring last week. A robin? Nope. A car with Washington plates going the wrong way on Fourth Street? Unh-uh. On a Government Way utility pole, I saw a fire-engine-yellow garage-sale sign.

Parting Shot

Quit wringing your hands about that herd of 14 llamas at Arrow Ranch, along Highway 97, on the east side of Lake Coeur d’Alene. They’re fine. Owner Sharon Jolly Rogers provided Huckleberries with a clean bill of health from a Kootenai County vet who said just that. Before Christmas, a concerned citizen with online connections suggested that the llamas weren’t being fed enough – and were struggling to survive. The vet’s invoice said: “All llamas appear well cared for, healthy, and social.” Sounds like they’re surviving the winter better than the rest of us.

Huckleberries Online can be found at www.spokesman.com/ blogs/hbo.

More from this author