Huckleberries: ‘American Graffiti’ cruisin’ led to magical night 45 years ago

On April 5, Janna Rankin Scharf and hubby, Rick, returned to Fernan Lake to take photos and recall the magical night they met 45 years ago.

She was barely 16 and a Coeur d’Alene High sophomore when she saw “a cute Canadian boy” and his friend cruisin’ Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene. It was spring break 1972. Janna was hangin’ with girlfriends, back in the day when “American Graffiti” cruisin’ was cool and safe.

Janna and a Dari-Delite co-worker, named Darla, hopped in the car with the flirting Canadians. Later, they drove to Fernan Lake to show the boys where they could camp. Janna and Rick talked for hours AND, Facebooks Janna coyly, “may or may not have locked lips a few times.”

When Janna returned home, she told her mother, Alice, that she was going to marry Rick some day. And she did, on June 15, 1974, a week after graduating from Coeur d’Alene High. “Looking back,” Janna tells Huckleberries, “that seems crazy to me. But at the time it seemed normal.”

Almost 43 years of marriage later, it doesn’t seem crazy.

Poets night out

The Well Read Moose is offering a three-for that readers of this column should find inviting.

At 6 p.m. Monday at the Coeur d’Alene bookstore, Washington Poet Laureate Tod Marshall and fellow poet Roger Dunsmore, of Coeur d’Alene, will read poems by the late Tom Wobker, The Bard of Sherman Avenue, as well as their own. It’s National Poetry Month, after all.

Column readers know that Tod is responsible for compiling and producing “The Bard of Sherman Avenue: Poems by Tom Wobker.” The Bard’s book has sold out two printings of 200 and now is on a third printing of 100. Roger, another acclaimed poet and longtime UMontana prof, has retired to Coeur d’Alene. And the third reader? Moi. Your columnist couldn’t finish a rhyme that begins “roses are red, violets are blue” but can read a poem or two by the Bard before getting yanked off stage. See you there?

Huckleberries

Colleen Rosson, of the Silver Valley Chamber of Commerce, wonders why someone would leave a semi-full Red Bull on the lid of a blue Kellogg sanitation bin Tuesday. Did the drink fail to energize the litter bug enough to lift the lid and toss in the can? Or was he simply lazy? Inquiring minds like Colleen’s want to know … You’d be wise to stay out of the line of fire of Coeur d’Alene attorney Joel Hazel’s buttons. They’re popping as a result of the appointment of younger brother, Tony, to the Spokane County Superior Court this week … Poll: On Tuesday, 42.5 percent of the Huckleberries blog crowd said it would never fly United Airlines again, after that incident Sunday involving a Chicago passenger. Another 30 percent said they would be less likely to fly United … Sheepishly, Sandpoint native Zach Hagadone Facebooks one of the perks of being editor of the Boise Weekly: “Having the ability to edit my own Horoscope listing before it goes to print gives me a weird feeling of power.”

Parting Shot

John Austin, of Medimont, met two more unhappy United Airlines cuss-tomers when he picked up his wife, Deena, and her father at the Spokane airport Tuesday. The weary passengers described their flight from Sarasota, Florida, as “the worst trip ever.” Rude baggage people. Inattentive flight “(non)attendants.” Crappy, overpriced snacks. The only things that should fly United, John insists, are mating fowl.