Huckleberries: In Spokane, charity can be expensive

Bogus. That’s the word Jeff Selle, of Post Falls, uses for that $175 citation issued by a Spokane County health inspector to Riverside High mom Mary Beth Conklin for a fundraising tailgater. Selle? He’s a top regional barbecuer, handling the tongs for Bent BBQ at several North Idaho events, including the third annual St. Vincent de Paul Steak Fry this summer.

Specifically, Jeff tells Huckleberries: “In Idaho you can cook a charity fundraiser without having to purchase a permit, at all. And, if you are vending or catering for profit, you only pay $80 for a yearlong permit.” Spokane charges $480 for a permit, whether charitable or not. Again, Jeff: “The fee is supposed to cover the cost of inspection. You can’t tell me it costs $480 to inspect one of these events. It takes all of 15 minutes to check the wash stations, hot-holding and cold-holding system. I know because I have been inspected several times.” Boosters of Riverside High, north of Spokane, were hoping to raise about $480 total. But we all feel safer, hunh?

Hunters in rut?

’Tis the season when hunters are in rut. At 2:38 p.m. Thursday, Kootenai County police scanner listeners heard the tale of Jim and David. Jim wasn’t happy when David showed up in his hunting spot, 18 miles east of Silverwood/Athol via Bunco Road. Jim was on his motor bike revving its engine ominously, trying to intimidate David. Jim warned David he’d scare off all the game for miles around if he didn’t leave. Both had rifles. But they had enough sense not to use them. P’haps these two should mark their territory like bears do, to prevent unhappy incidents like this?

Huckleberries

Poet’s corner: “Disease and pain/from all these ills,/but you’ll be fine –/just buy our pills” – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Prescription Drug Ads”) … On Monday, partisans hung political signs from the I-90 overpass at Seltice Way/Post Falls, causing drivers to hit their brakes. Huckleberries hears that analysts can say accurately who’s going to win an election based on the horn honks signs like that attract … Kootenai County Republicans are buzzing about Coeur d’Alene council wannabe George Sayler’s admission to the Pachyderm Club that he voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and planned to do so again. Wonder of wonders – a four-term former Democratic legislator like Sayler supporting a Democratic president. But that’s a mortal sin in North Idaho … Mik’s bartender Patrick Jacobs is enthused about Occupy Coeur d’Alene and the greater movement: “It seems to piss off the crabby old farts, which is always a nice bonus.” Don’t you hate being called “crabby”?

Parting shot

So HucksOnline blog sub Cindy Hval, of Spokane, encounters a traffic jam en route to the Spokane Valley Mall. She slows. She gestures to let in a motorist stranded in the now-closed slow lane. And the car behind that one tries to squeeze in, too, almost smashing Cindy’s front end. Cindy blocks the second driver, rolls down the window, and sez sweetly: “See, she goes first then you wait your turn.” At which point, the passenger in the second car points to the driver and explains, “She’s from Idaho.” Wait’ll we Potatoheads put on our snow tires.