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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Elderberries: City Without A Heart?

In my Huckleberries (aka Kootenai Grapevine) column 25 years ago, I wrote:

Don't try to sell Diann L. Earnest that chamber of commerce line that Coeur d'Alene is a city with a heart. Hard-hearted is more like it, she told the 85,000 subscribers to the San Bernardino (Calif.) Sun last month in a letter to the editor. The Southern California native and her family moved to Coeur d'Alene in April, enticed by the scenic beauty and our laid-back lifestyle. She also had relatives in the area. The Earnests' dream turned sour immediately when the offer of the full-time job that had brought them here was withdrawn. Afterward, Earnest claims her husband couldn't find work because he was a Californian. "Everywhere we went doors were shut in our faces or applications trashed," she wrote. "We were told in no uncertain terms that Californians were not welcome."

Question: Do you have anything against California transplants?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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