Radio Station Callers Don’t Ring True

It’s KVNI. KVNI. Not KBNI. Seems listeners of the Coeur d’Alene AM station can’t seem to get its call letters right - much to the dismay of Herb Helstrom’s family. Occasionally, the Helstroms get a call from a KVNI listener who asks, “Am I caller number four?” or has the answer to a trivia question. You see, their phone number is the same as the station’s on-air line except for one digit. Uh-huh. The Helstroms’ last four digits spell out “KBNI.” They didn’t mind, however until the ice storm hit. On Black Tuesday, their darkened home was bombarded with 22 calls with people asking about school closures, shelter or offering advice. So, children, one last time, it’s KVNI. “V” as in “Victor” - and “Vexation.”

Have tort, will travel II

A Huckleberry Past nailed melodious barrister Harvey Richman for defending respiratory sufferers against grass-field smoke - while also serving as counsel for a Rathdrum Aquifer polluter. Well, in the other corner, we have Scott Reed, Esq., who fought for the Panhandle Health District against Richman’s polluter, John Hern Jr., and serves as counsel for the grass growers. Hey, it beats chasing ambulances. … No, Bob Brown’s case hasn’t been swept under the rug. As you may recall, Brown, then a Democratic heavyweight, was charged May 30 with molesting a stepgrandson. Not much has happened since. But the case is scheduled to go to trial here March 10. Stay tuned. … Greg Crimp, North Idaho College women’s basketball coach, has this last word on feastgate. The Lady Cardinals aren’t going to dine on steak and potatoes before their home games, like their male counterparts, because (drum roll, please) they wouldn’t have enough time to digest their food. The women’s games start two hours earlier than the men’s. So, the Cardettes will continue to eat their regular dorm meals, as they’ve always done. Enough said. Onward.

Bon voyage

Rich Roesler, Our Man on the Palouse who’s soon to become the Stars & Stripes Man In Korea, was bothered by the jargon pollution at a store in Pullman recently. He went looking for new gloves and came home with “handwear.” In doing so, he spotted a “Christmas Tree Stand and Watering System” and an electric knife labeled “The Presto Bread Slicing System.” What have you guys seen out there this yuletide? … Judy Yeager of Coeur d’Alene was in Perkins when the lights went out. And because the cashier couldn’t open the register to make change for her $20 bill, she wasn’t charged for her meal. Now, that’s service.

Huckleberries

Our Woman In Boise recently called a state office and was transferred to this helpful recording: “Thank you for calling. Goodbye.” … In his other life, before he slid his truck into the Spokane Art School building last Monday, Forrest Schuck is a certified CDL (chauffeurs driver’s license) instructor. … By now, most of you who cared figured out which day the 11th annual Kootenai Medical Center Holiday Bazaar took place. On fliers, it was advertised for Friday, Dec. 1, 1996, which is impossible. … For a recent editorial on the balanced budget amendment, I looked through the home page of Mr. Balanced Budget, U.S. Sen. Larry Craig. And found only one lousy press release about the BBA. But all was not lost. I did locate the recipe for “Lite and Lean Beef Broil,” served on July 8, 1983, in Midvale at the wedding luncheon of Larry and Suzanne Craig.

Parting shot

Kootenai County Democrats could have nominated a qualified candidate to replace late Assessor Tom Moore - other than Republican Mike McDowell. But they rejected Democrat G. Ray Lee because he hadn’t paid his party dues. Lee, a retired senior county appraiser and an ex-Arizona city manager, approached the D’s about the job. Now, his name appears with McDowell’s on the Republican list. And the D’s credibility continues to suffer.

, DataTimes MEMO: Gotta Huckleberry? Call the Huckleberry Hound Hotline: (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125; daveo@spokesman.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria The Spokesman-Review