Idaho Voices

Coeur d’Alene has long been renowned as the wedding capital of the Northwest. Valentine’s Day was an obvious example as couples and their entourage practically lined up at the Hitching Post Wedding Chapel. Check out “wedding” topics in the Yellow Pages and “Marriages” in the court reports to see that the activity far outweighs the population proportion. In the Yellow Pages you also see many locations for wedding celebrations. And how better than to take advantage of the lake.

In last week’s column I wrote about several tornadoes which tore across parts of Central Oklahoma on Feb. 10. One of the towns most severely hit, was Lone Grove, located about 100 miles south of Oklahoma City just off Interstate 35. There were eight fatalities and at least 14 serious injuries due to the half-mile-wide tornado which appeared to have been on the ground for more than an hour.

It was pretty at first but that Cascade concrete now covering our gardens is hiding a major problem; broken and smashed shrubs and small trees that we won’t know about until it all melts. While most of the larger trees seemed to do pretty well with the snow loads, shrubs and small trees that are still buried may not be so lucky. To add insult to injury, plants around buildings may have been dealt a second blow when the roofs above them were shoveled off adding to the icy load. As a result, we may be dealing with a lot of broken branches when they emerge from the ice.

Rathdrum businesses have been on the move during the past six months. A few have closed, several opened, and two relocated; while a couple have remained “in the works.” The recent closures include three eateries: two pizzerias and an old-time favorite, A&W. K-12 Clothing Exchange, Dawghaus Computers and the Brugge Salon closed their doors during the same period; while one longtime Main Street business, Steve Nagel State Farm Insurance relocated to Commercial Park Avenue; and Taco Bell Express expanded into a new building.

According to industry experts, print is dead and no one reads newspapers, books or magazines anymore. This can make earning a paycheck as a freelance writer rather challenging. However, being my own boss has perks. The dress code is flexible and so are the hours. Recently, I overheard 9-year-old Sam explaining my job to a classmate. “My mom drives around and talks to people. Then she comes back home and types up what they say.” Well, there’s a bit more to it than that.

A Berry Picker provided my online readers with a rare chance to see how well Duane Hagadone follows his dream. Recently, the public servant found a Seattle Post-Intelligencer article about Hagadone from May 15, 1989. At that time, the Coeur d’Alene Resort was 3 years old. And Coeur d’Alene’s Native Son was dreaming about a golf course with a floating green. Hagadone told Bruce Ramsey/PI that golf was essential for any successful resort. Along with his plans to build a golf course on the old Rutledge mill, Hagadone planned to ferry resort customers to the site via “water taxi.” Also, Ramsey reported, Hagadone planned to build at the golf course: a 200-room addition to the resort, a 400-slip marina, and 150 condos in two units. Also, he planned to convert the old J.C. Penney block on Sherman Avenue into a 70,000-square-foot mall and connect it with a skybridge to the resort. He figured that the total investment of all the projects would be $125 million. “These are the largest investments made in the state of Idaho by a privately held company,” he was quoted as saying. “I’m very proud of it. I’m damn proud of what we’ve done for the little village of Coeur d’Alene.” Not everything played out as envisioned. The 200-room addition to the resort is still waiting in the wings. But The Terraces, a luxury condo complex on Silver Beach, was a significant addition to Hagadone’s investment. Later, of course, Hagadone misfired on an attempt to build a downtown memorial garden in his parents’ memory. And he’s involved in a stalemate with the City Council re: plans to upgrade Blackwell Island. Overall, no one’s going to dock him a grade for not having perfect 20-20 vision in 1989. Sweet tooth

Thursday COUNTRY JAM SESSION – 8 p.m., Crickets, 424 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene, 765-1990.

Post Falls and Lakeland School Districts lunch menus for the week of Feb. 23-27. Post Falls School District

This week Coeur d’Alene Tribal Winter Blessing – Friday-Saturday from 6-7:30 p.m. at Stensgar Golf Pavilion at Circling Raven Golf Club on U.S. Highway 95 near Worley. The 90-minute event includes a special sweetgrass blessing, dancers, drummers, story-telling, historical artifacts, fry bread and huckleberry jam.

The Northern Highlights Salon and Body Spa, 8475 Government Way, Suite 201, is holding a Spa Sampler Day on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sample treatments include massage, anti-aging, facials, skin care, tanning, paraffin dips, manicures and foot massages.

Filings from Feb. 3-9 Chapter 7

For 02-14-2009

Irish author and notorious wit Oscar Wilde once observed “Who, being loved, is poor?” In this long, cold winter of recession, even with your sweetheart to keep you warm, the quick answer to that question is, well, just about everybody. Still, it’s Valentine’s Day and you want to do something special to show your true love exactly how much they put a spring in your step without going too far in the red. You sent away for a Gold Kit envelope, and returned it filled with the tacky jewelry you inherited from your great Aunt Fanny. The local Coin Star machine repairman knows you on a first-name basis. You cut off your long, gorgeous hair and sold it on the black market to a drag queen in desperate need of a weave.

Upcoming “The Shotgun Affair” Murder Mystery Dinner – Feb. 21 from 5-8 p.m. at Community United Methodist Church, 1470 W Hanley. Tickets $10/each.765-8800.

Mike Jacobson doesn’t watch much television, but he has heard about the upcoming switch that will dump his TV’s old analog signals for the more modern digital signals. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard about it,” he said. “It’s on there every time you turn the television on.”