Aide Finds What Comes Around Goes Around

The subpoena issued for White House aide Sidney Blumenthal brought back memories for Khris Bershers, U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth’s ex-press secretary. A few years ago, Blumenthal wanted to do a New Yorker magazine story on Our Miss Chenoweth. He even was willing to go to Idaho if he didn’t have to leave Boise. Says Khris, via e-mail: “We tried to get him to go on a tour with her of some mining areas up around Wallace. But he declined.” Ultimately, Blumenthal ripped Helen in an article featuring a drawing of her standing on the Capitol dome grabbing at black helicopters. Needless to say, Khris has enjoyed “listening to poor Sidney whine indignantly about having to testify about his hero’s trysts in the Oval Office.”

A Starbucks moment

Thursday morning, a young boy with his hand stuck in a Starbucks Coffee trash can illustrated the gender difference. As the boy whimpered, a man leaving the shop calmly reached over, freed the boy’s hand and left. Meanwhile, every woman in the place craned her neck in the direction of the sobs. Mama raced to brood over her son. A coffee server offered him a sticker. Later, mama gave him a lesson on how to use two hands to open those metal containers. All I could think was: “Hey, it didn’t draw blood. What’s the big deal?”

Move it, copper

Hmmm. Daily, you find patrol and detective cars parked in the public area outside Coeur d’Alene police headquarters - while several of the 11 spots reserved for CPD Blue remain vacant. And it’s not just my bloodhounds who’re annoyed. Said some of the civilian hands: “You ought to try to find a spot to park when we come to work in the mornings.” … A rash of speeding stops involving state vehicles prompted Washington State University to issue a bulletin Friday. From now on, ALL - its capitalization, not mine - Wazzu leadfoots will receive citations and pay their own fines. Why? “We are concerned about the negative image of state employees that this type of action projects to the community.” Go Cougs?

Press ‘1’ for human

The Bonner County School District has replaced voice mail with (drumroll, please) a receptionist - “a charming innovation,” according to Roy Broun of the Priest Lake Newsletter. Superintendent Roy Rummler did so in response to patron complaints. However, he didn’t go overboard. He also ordered a second number with eight lines for those who don’t mind voice mail - and to avoid hiring a second secretary just to answer the telephone. Attaboy.

Huckleberries

State Superintendent of Schools Anne Fox didn’t inspire confidence when she defended phonics instruction. Her own reading skills, said she, “are proof of a flawed education system.” … At 2:33 p.m. Wednesday, the Kootenai County Flood Mitigation Committee notified us of two workshops - scheduled for that afternoon and evening. Let’s hope the panel is more on top of things when the water starts rising. … Bob Abbott swears he heard this on the radio: A hospital in southern Idaho has decided to honor Picabo Street’s Olympic golden feat by naming a wing after her. It’s going to be called Picabo ICU. … Last week, the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations fielded two pledges, among others, for $5 per minute that the neo-Nazis march on April 18. About 1,500 petitions are out for the Making Lemonade fund-raiser. … After six unanswered phone calls and two office visits, Don Lightfoot cornered Kootenai County Commissioner Dick Panabaker at the Sandtrap on Friday. Don says he doesn’t mind if Panabaker can’t do anything to help him with a Hayden dog problem. But he’d at least like a return call. Good point.

Parting shot

Shhh. Duane Hagadone is scheduled to speak for the first time in 10 years to the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce on March 17 - and he’s picking up the tab at Templin’s for a salmon lunch. Last time Hagadone addressed the Post Falls chamber, he was pushing the Coeur d’Alene Greyhound Park. Stay tuned.

, DataTimes MEMO: Got a Huckleberry? Call the Huckleberry Hound Hotline at (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125 or send e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.

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