Students’ Petition Drive Makes Damning Statement
North Idaho College students received their first taste of political reality this week. Sometimes you don’t win, no matter how worthy the cause or how many people are on your side. Predictably, the petition drive to recall NIC trustees Jeanne Givens, Barbara Chamberlain and Bob Ely fell short. The students collected about half of the 14,828 signatures needed to force a recall election. The task was made tougher when Kootenai County Clerk Dan English ruled probably correctly that petitions couldn’t be left unattended at area businesses; someone had to witness each John Hancock. Still, the fact that 7,500 signatures were collected in two months provides ample indication that much unhappiness remains over the boorish way in which former NIC President Bob Bennett was shown the door. Two trustees resigned over the firing, and Givens says she won’t seek re-election. Ely and Chamberlain wouldn’t be re-elected if they were forced to run next year, but they won’t face the voters again until the next millennium. If voters had good memories, 99 percent of our politicians would be out of work.
Midtown deserves a little TLC, too
Midtown merchants have a legitimate beef about all the attention the downtown Coeur d’Alene area receives - about $5 million in sidewalks, sewers and street lights over the last eight years and counting. Meanwhile, midtown has had to put up with crumpled sidewalks and run-down buildings. Yet, it has prospered. In fact, during the past six months, my family probably has done more business in midtown than downtown. New businesses, such as McKay’s, Capers and Groovin’ Garb, as well as the old standbys (Safeway, Simon’s Hardware and The Inkwell), have lured us. Imagine what midtown could become if it were to get half the attention of the central business core.
Jacklins: traitors or smart businessmen?
Who can blame the remaining grass growers for being ticked at the Jacklin brothers? After all, Don, Duane and Doyle announced the sale of their company to potato king J.R. Simplot only weeks after unveiling an agreement signed by half the growers to phase out field burning. Talks with Simplot had to be in their final phase as Don Jacklin stepped on the podium to announce the burn phaseout. However, before other farmers ask, “Et tu, Brute?” they should realize that the brothers helped them shoulder public complaints for years. The end is inevitable. Now, the Jacklins will concentrate on developing commercial property on Rathdrum Prairie. As those buildings go up, I’ll shed a tear for the smoky Augusts - and the green grass fields of yore.
, DataTimes MEMO: D.F. Oliveria’s “Hot Potatoes” runs Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can comment on the items by calling (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125 or by sending e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.