Huckleberries: Plea for college board civility falls on deaf ears

It’s not every day that a college student officer asks a trustee to learn to play well with others. But that’s what happened at the Feb. 26 meeting of the North Idaho College Board of Trustees.

Trustee Todd Banducci, a tea party darling who seems to hold everything about NIC in contempt, was on the receiving end of the mild reprimand. In an even, respectful tone, ASNIC President Benaiah Cheevers began a statement to Banducci by asking fellow student body officers to join him at the podium.

Cheevers asked for civility at the board meetings from Banducci. The student president gave examples of what he considered “inappropriate behavior” by Banducci, toward Faculty Assembly Chairwoman Michelle Lippert, toward college PR VP Mark Browning and toward fellow board members. Also, Cheevers mentioned combative Banducci’s “harshly interrogative” style.

Unbowed, Banducci made a brief statement afterward in which he told Cheevers that his “indoctrination is clearly complete” and that Cheevers had become “a pawn” of the college faculty, staff and administration.

Message sent but not received.

Kennedy goes red

Huckleberries has good news for spooked Kootenai County Republicans who think former Coeur d’Alene Councilman Mike Kennedy, a Democrat, will announce his candidacy for a courthouse or legislative race. He won’t.

However, there’s bad news, too. Kennedy plans to affiliate with the Republican Party to vote in the closed GOPrimary this spring. Most, if not all, of the local elections are unofficially decided in the GOPrimary in ruby-red Kootenai County. Win there and the chances are overwhelming that you will win in November, too.

Kennedy tells Huckleberries: “No one is going to take away my right to be involved in deciding who my elected officials are.” Kennedy joins former county clerk Dan English, another well-known Democrat, in crossing over to the “dark side.”

Democrats, libertarians and constitutionalists have until 5 p.m. Friday to affiliate with the GOP to vote in the GOPrimary. The “Clothespin Republicans” (hold their nose to vote) can unaffiliate afterward.

Huckleberries

Poet’s Corner: “The robins are back/and their song of gladness/means spring’s on the way – /and so is March Madness” – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Good News”) … Noon Thursday: Stiff southerly breeze blowing from Lake Coeur d’Alene. Everyone bundled in jackets, gloves and caps along the City Beach sidewalk. Except for two young, muscled men jogging at a good pace, one in shorts. Wrestlers? asked one old-timer. Nope, answered one of the beefcakes without breaking stride. Oh to be young and foolish again … If you want to treat yourself this morning, Google “Brea Fournier” and “I’ll help you through” on YouTube. You’ll be surprised at the quality of the anti-bullying message provided by the Coeur d’Alene middle-schooler who wrote the song and music and plays the ukulele … A Facebook friend posts: “If I were in charge, there would be a code you could input to let the fax machine that keeps calling, calling, calling know that it’s not dialing a fax machine but a personal phone. You know – like a digital bird finger for annoying fax machines” … Not to brag, but my beagle puppy graduated from the beginners class offered by Sandy Reeves’ North Idaho School of Dog Obedience. Got a certificate, too. Now where do I get one of those bumpersnickers: “My dog is smarter than your cat”?

Parting shot

Idaho Transportation Department crews weren’t happy with the two transients who were yelling at them from their camp beneath the Interstate 90 overpass at Government Way on Thursday morning. But the responding officer found that no one was at home when he arrived to roust them. P’haps that’s why we use the name “transient” to describe such folks?