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: Montana reader agrees: Lake Coeur d’Alene is ‘best damn thing’ about Idaho

In this Aug. 3, 2012, file photo, attorney Scott Reed talked about winning the distinguished attorney award from the Idaho Bar Association in Coeur d'Alene. In the Parting Shot of Huckleberries today, D.F. Oliveria opines that Reed is worthy of another honor posthumously (Kathy Plonka/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW file photo)

An old friend from Kalispell, Montana, agreed with the mini-rant here at Huckleberries (March 15) against criticism of Lake Coeur d’Alene by a Boise columnist. Remember?

Rocky Barker, of the Idaho Statesman, resented that New York website Thrillist dubbed Lake Coeur d’Alene as the “best damn thing” about Idaho. Barker sniffed that Lake Coeur d’Alene “is not even the most breath-taking lake in North Idaho.”

Now, Betsy Wood, whom this columnist knew during a stint at the Kalispell Daily Inter Lake (1977-82), applauds Huckleberries’ blowback to Barker’s snark. Wood, a Coeur d’Alene native, met hubby, Mike, while working for a downtown clothing store. He was selling ads for the Coeur d’Alene Press.

Betsy Wood remembers the “many, many hot and miserable drives on Highway 95” in cars without air conditioning in the 1950s-60s to visit Boise relatives. And she recalls that she couldn’t wait to return to Lake Coeur d’Alene. Her sister who lives in the Boise area complains regularly how far she has to drive to enjoy a decent lake and escape the stifling Sufferin’ Idaho summer heat.

Lake Coeur d’Alene by itself might not be the “best damn thing” in Idaho. However, when you add in the shore amenities (Tubbs Hill, miles of shoreline access, parks, public beaches, Centennial Trail, McEuen Park, public art, etc.), it is.

Wood and Huckleberries agree: The Thrillist got it right.

Haunted?

Jeanne Stone Helstrom, of Coeur d’Alene, was surprised to learn her family has been camping at a haunted campground for about 50 years. The OnlyInYourState website lists Farragut State Park as Idaho’s “most haunted” campground. During World War II, Farragut was used as a U.S. Navy training center and a camp for German and Austrian POWs. No one knows who haunts the site, writes OnlyInYour State. Some of the 293,000 young soldiers who trained there? Vindictive POWs? The website continues: “Most people who stay at Farragut overnight and head to Silverwood in the morning have no idea that they’re sleeping in an active paranormal camp site … until something strange occurs.” The spooky review, however, isn’t going to prevent Stone Helstrom and family from camping at Farragut over the Labor Day Weekend.

Huckleberries

Poet’s Corner: April is the month for fibbing,/spinning tall tales and ad libbing,/with fervent hope they won’t distress/those folks down at the IRS – Tom Wobker, The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“April”) … Jeanette Haines, of the Sandpoint area, who will turn 47 on Saturday, is known to joke that she’s as old as the earth. But not as old as dirt. You see, explains mother Cis Gors, of Kootenai, youngest daughter Jeanette was born April 22, 1970, on the original Earth Day … Sign of the Times (in window of Gallery Northwest in downtown Coeur d’Alene): “Vegetarian: An old Indian word for crappy hunter” … And Christmas at the Lake, 510 Sherman Ave., gave us two more reasons to celebrate Tuesday: National Animal Cracker Day. And: “250 days until Christmas” … Ask Coeur d’Alene Realtor Tom Torgerson of Coeur d’Alene why he waited until the 11th hour, literally, to file his state and federal taxes, and he shrugs: “No need to let the government use your money without interest!”

Parting shot

Three deserving names will be added to the nine already on the Rock of Fame at Memorial Field (for people who have made significant contributions to Coeur d’Alene parks and recreation): former parks director Doug Eastwood, former recreation director Steve Anthony and the late Karen Haskew, the former urban forestry coordinator. All are worthy. But one name will still be missing: the late Scott Reed. The Coeur d’Alene attorney/civic gadfly was instrumental in the public acquisition of Tubbs Hill and protection of the Lake Coeur d’Alene shoreline. He needs to be part of the rock, too.

Columnist Dave Oliveria can be reached at daveo@spokesman.com. Also, you can follow D.F. Oliveria’s Huckleberries Online blog (www.spokesman.com/blogs/hbo) and Twitter (@HucksOnline).

More from this author