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Huckleberries: WSU sorority members make amends

You probably heard about that splash the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority of Washington State University made May 3 at Coeur d’Alene City Park. Literally. Several of the young women were caught on camera urinating against the back wall of the North Idaho Museum. Four bus loads of young women and invited friends took part in a wasted weekend that included a cruise tour on Lake Coeur d’Alene and a whole lotta Jose Cuervo.

But did you know that the sorority has made amends, in a big way?

About 100 of the sorority sisters visited Coeur d’Alene on Sept. 6 to clean up the waterfront. A third of the sisters spruced up the greenhouse and community garden area behind the Jewett House on Sanders Beach. One third cleaned up the public part of Sanders Beach. And the final third joined Huckleberries blog favorite “Walkabout” to pick up litter on nearby Tubbs Hill. Walkabout, who picks up trash on her daily walks around Tubbs Hill, tells Huckleberries that she was expecting only 20 Kappa Kappa Gamma members to make the trek from Pullman – and she was delighted when five times that many showed up. Apology accepted.

Can you spare $10?

Jim Player, a Vietnam War veteran living in transitional housing, asked the City Council to forgive the $10 parking ticket he got while waiting three hours to get his driver’s license and vehicle registration changed. The city parking commission wasn’t sympathetic. And Jim told the council that he couldn’t afford the ten-spot. P’haps someone should cite the licensing department for processing too slowly? … For some reason, I thought of colonoscopies when I read that Coeur d’Alene Press headline: “Restoring order in Athol.” (It was a story about things settling down at turbulent City Hall in the small northern Kootenai County town with the unfortunate name.)

Huckleberries

Poet’s Corner: It’s safe to say/with all that heat/it was one “hell”/of a defeat – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Seahawks vs. Chargers”) … Sightem: Yeah, that was North Idaho College Trustee Todd Banducci glad-handing passers-by while six or so fellow Gideons handed out Bibles in front of the library Wednesday. Some didn’t like him doing so. Others did. Where do you stand? … Poll: 63 percent of Hucks Nation refers to Lake City’s viewtiful lake as Lake Coeur d’Alene. The other 37 percent refer to it as Coeur d’Alene Lake. … Readers of my Huckleberries blog generally had a one-word response to that study released by the Law Street Media – you know, the one that said Coeur d’Alene is the most dangerous town in Idaho: Seriously? … Jennifer Locke, a rising star among Kootenai County Republicans, has a fall-back position if politics don’t work out: singing. Last weekend, she joined relatives for a trek to the Coeur d’Alene Casino, and pocketed $30 for winning a karaoke contest by covering Etta James’ “At Last.” … In 1999, sewer plant director Sid Fredrickson of Coeur d’Alene began to write a four-page history of the wastewater treatment system. Fifteen years later, Sid finished the project. Copies are available at City Hall (or online at cdaid.org/wastewater). Seems Victor Hugo, who wrote at length about the sewer system of “Les Miz” Paris, isn’t the only one who finds them interesting.

Parting shot

The city of Coeur d’Alene offers a question to residents on its website each month. In August, the question of the month was: Do you want to see more dog parks in town? Sixty percent said, “Yes.” September’s question? How many times have you hiked Tubbs Hill this year? Put me down for a “yes” and “none,” respectively. I can’t believe I haven’t hiked the hill this year. Have you?

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