Idaho Voices

The Coeur d’Alene School District recently sent out a letter to parents, announcing six mandatory furlough days for Coeur d’Alene teachers to the revised calendar for the 2010-’11 school year. The calendar dates were decided at the June 7 school board meeting. According to the letter, the furlough days will represent an approximate 3.2percent pay cut to district employees as a result of the Coeur d’Alene Education Association and the district’s recent contract negotiations. The letter states that the “cost saving” measures are being taken to balance the budget and offset reduced funding from the state.

BLANCHARD – The Blanchard Community Center, 685 Rusho Road, will have a Grillin’ & Chillin’ cooking class Monday , from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The menu includes grilled vegetable salad ambrosia with lemon dressing and feta cheese; grilled fish with three citrus white butter sauce; grilled chicken tulips with horseradish-orange marmalade glaze; grilled pork ribs and grilled stone fruit with honey and ricotta cheese.

BOISE – The Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, an influential lobby group for big Idaho businesses, held its annual conference last week in McCall, and it was kicked off by Idaho Congressman Walt Minnick. “We sincerely appreciate Rep. Minnick’s willingness to be part of our annual meeting with the membership,” said IACI President Alex LaBeau. “His office has been very responsive to employers and employees throughout the state. Idaho is well represented.”

If I didn’t know any better, I would have had to guess that my giant burger and heaping pile of fries had been engineered by someone other than the wispy young woman standing behind the counter working the grill into a frenzy. It’s not that wispy young women aren’t able to hold their own in a busy diner kitchen, but the sheer heft and magnitude of my meal suggested it was the handiwork of a big, burly, sweaty guy with a mustache and an attitude.

Today “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Musical) – 2 p.m., Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center, North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Avenue, Coeur d’Alene, (208) 769-7780

Larry Spencer enjoys stirring up things in North Idaho, whether he’s fighting to stop the Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene or Timberlake Fire District officials closer to his Bonner County home. The uberconservative gadfly spent some of his spring stumping for successful Kootenai County commissioner candidate Jai Nelson. He spent part of primary election day with a person holding a sign in support of a write-in candidate for a GOPrecinct post near the Seventh-day Adventist polling place. So you’d think that Spencer woulda taken time to vote. But he didn’t. When I called him on his oversight on my Huckleberries Online blog, Spencer offered this excuse: “Well, for one thing, the polls weren’t open when I left in the morning, and I worked in CdA until nearly 8 p.m. going door to door in CdA getting people driven to the polls down here. By the time I was done, there was not time to make it back to vote before the polls closed. I planned to make it back in time, it just didn’t happen.” He shoulda just said that the dog ate his ballot. Or voted absentee. Ol’ ball-and-chain

There are many reasons for scientists, including meteorologists, to keep track of what’s going on with our sun. First and foremost, it is the driving force behind our weather. Differential heating across the earth is what causes the movement of water and air, transferring energy from one part of the globe to another. But in addition to light and heat, the sun also produces outbursts of energy called solar flares. These “storms” on the sun, can have significant impacts on earth by disrupting power grids, GPS devices and interfering with both military and civilian communications. While meteorologists at the National Weather Service keep an eye on storms in our atmosphere and forecast upcoming weather conditions, scientists at the Space Weather Prediction Center do the same for the sun.

Two Coeur d’Alene places have added new dimensions as the tourist season tries to survive the wet spring. You just have to keep telling yourself that summer starts Monday. What has been Bella Rose Bakery Cafe is changing to Cafe Bella Rosa at 213 Sherman Ave. New owner Alex Galindo is gradually adding Mexican dishes to the place’s original fare of bakery items, desserts, salads and sandwiches. Made completely with fresh ingredients, the additions already include red and green salsas and special soups. New items will be added as new equipment arrives for their preparation.

First, you should know that former Lake City cop Jim Crooker is “a good officer (who) goes the extra mile for victims of crimes.” This, according to CPD Blue spokeswoman Christie Wood. Onward. Seems a Portland vegan biz owner didn’t fancy Crooker or his time spent serving his country as a Marine in the Iraq war as much as Sgt. Wood does. Crooker, who has worked for two years with the Portland department after spending seven with CPD Blue, didn’t intend to make headlines when he dropped by the Red & Black Café for a cup of joe in May. On the way out, Crooker was approached by a customer who told him she appreciated the hard job police do for the community – and then by café co-owner John Langley, who said he didn’t want a uniformed officer in the vegan shop. Lynne Terry of the Oregonian goes on to report: “The incident, which was brief, speaks volumes about the tensions between Portland police and some members of the community who are more worried about police shootings than protection.” Crooker shrugged off the incident, according to Terry, stating: “It was not personal. He was being hostile to my uniform.” Wonder who Langley’s going to call if he’s mugged or his business robbed? Amber remains alert

Filings from May 7-13. Chapter 7 (liquidation petitions)

Coeur d’Alene Ronnee McGee, 625 S. Dollar St., duplex remodel, valued at $25,000.

For 06-13-2010

When people think of Sandpoint, visions of Schweitzer Mountain or Lake Pend Oreille come to mind: a beautiful town that plays host to those seeking a resort setting. But Sandpoint is also a place where several internationally known companies have chosen to base their headquarters, including the familiar Coldwater Creek and Litehouse Foods. But there are others, two of which have become instrumental in my life over the past several months. Although I have lived in this community for 12 years, I knew little or nothing about these well-kept secrets until now.

There are times when I become belatedly aware of a wonderfully unique local eatery and have to give myself the old V8 hand action to the forehead. “What was I thinking,” I tell myself, reminiscing about all the fantastic rhetorical meals I never enjoyed there, and ruing how I could have, and very well should have, made the place a regular haunt long ago. I seem to recall hearing about Post Falls’ Big Bear Deli probably around the time Tim and Cathy Riorden first hung an “open” sign in the A-frame house a block off the main drag behind Napa Auto Parts over three years ago. I think I might have even cruised by a time or two and said, “Weird place for a deli, I’ll have to remember to check it out,” but those particular brain cells might have been among the ones I lost in a tragic champagne incident on New Year’s Eve 2008.

BOISE – Fired Idaho Transportation Director Pam Lowe will get a hearing in July on her bid to grant the core of her wrongful-firing claims in a partial judgment. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Ron Bush scheduled arguments for July 21 on Lowe’s motion, which contests the state’s claim that she was merely an “at-will” employee who could be fired at any time, for any reason or no reason.

COEUR D’ALENE – The public is invited to the last open house to view the $265,000 grand-prize home in the North Idaho College Foundation’s Really BIG Raffle today, from noon to 4 p.m. The home is at 2880 Marceille Drive in Coeur d’Alene. The 17th annual fundraiser for NIC supports student and program needs at NIC.