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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Huckleberries Gone Wi-Fi (Part 2) w/Dixie Reid

DFO: We have a beautiful new library and community center and the Riverstone project is a model project. Where would these things be without the LCDC?
DR: They wouldn't be. Had LCDC not purchased land for library and helped out with funding we would not have the library. In order to obtain the Kroc Center we had to provide the land. LCDC helped purchase that land. Without the land we wouldn't have moved forward in obtaining that building. Riverstone Park is the huge thing for the citizens -- a six-acre lake and five-acre public park. Every cent of that money will come back from LCDC from Riverstone's tax base. This negativity from Gookin and Souza and Larry Spencer ... they had to look hard to find anything negative. They must have been digging for some time to find anything. The people are supporting what's happening and LCDC is the funding catalyst that makes it work. If you want to put a stop to the good things that are happening, pull the plug on LCDC. I'd like to see Dan Gookin, Larry Spencer and Mary Souza come up with a better idea.

DFO: What's one thing that few people would guess about you?
DR: I've been married for 46 years and I own my own business, Dixie's Inside Connection. It was years before people realized I was married. People thought someone as outspoken as I am couldn't be married. He is my support system. I couldn't have done this for 10 minutes without him.

DFO: Did you business progress play a role in your decision not to seek re-election again?
DR: Yes. It's a time factor. I was getting spread too thin. My business is doing well. I had to pick and choose.

DFO: You mentioned in the story about your decision not to seek re-election that you've lost your passion. Can you explain that?
DR: I have a very strong faith and believe totally that my life is directed by God. He's been gently tapping me on the shoulder for a year and a half and saying it's time not to do this any more. I've spent my life serving the citizens. Now, he has another plan for me. So, I'd better listen. He arranged it as the months went by that my passion began to wane. If you don't have the passion, you shouldn't go through an election and commit to serving the people if you can't do it well.

DFO: Did you have second thoughts as you saw a challenge from individuals you didn't want to see on the council?
DR: Absolutely. It was a difficult struggle for me b/c the competitive nature in me came out. That made the decision difficult until I realized it wasn't my problem. I've served and served well until I realized that it was time for me to go. Running for re-election for that reason would have been the wrong thing to do.

DFO: What is the biggest change in Coeur d'Alene from the time you started on the council in 1975 until now?
DR: It's basically the same. It's the scale. We have a better ability to solve the problems that we did in 1975. The tax base is larger. I can't say enough about our staff. They're so creative and inventive and so wonderful at doing their jobs. The ability to solve the problems is better today.

DFO: Let's play a word association game: John Stone (visionary); Duane Hagadone (he has given back to the community); Ron Edinger (a challenge); Mike Kennedy (enthusiasm).

DFO: Do you ever foresee the day that Coeur d'Alene will have a downtown memorial garden?
DR: I doubt it.

DFO: If a movie was made of your life, who would play Dixie Reid?
DR: It's never been about me. I've never been important. It's the job and responsibility that I held that was important. I can't understand why anyone would want to play me.

DFO: What would you like to see happen to McEuen Field, now that the library is in place at the northeast corner?
DR: The city made a commitment not to take anything off McEuen until it could be replace with equal or better value. One of the stumbling blocks has been relocating the American Legion field. Mebbe we should relocate it on that field instead of relocating it. I'm beginning to think it would be a mistake to remove it. Mebbe we should move it over by City Hall.

Question: Of all the projects that are left, which one now is the most important for the city of Coeur d'Alene?
DR: The Education Corridor is huge. Universities and higher education are always located close to a downtown area. The jobs from an education corridor would be huge. We have the Kroc Center. The arena at the fairgrounds is important also. But so often you have to do things when the opportunity surfaces. We've been building for the opportunity for the education corridor for about 10 years. We're getting close for something to happen. Marshall Chesrown has been a good partner in his purchase of the mill site. To be able to give our citizens opportunity for higher education is a gift beyond measure.

DFO: What now?
DR: Maybe I'll be able to spend more time with my little grandkids. Certainly with my husband. We're reaching the point that we're slowing down a bit. And I'm looking for the direction God's going to leave me. When he changes the direction you're going, it's always better. It's going to be fun.



Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.