In The Early Going, So Far, So Good …

During his campaign, new Coeur d’Alene Mayor Steve Judy kept his cards pretty close to the vest. He didn’t promise much. But he did say he’d be a cheerleader for Coeur d’Alene and a consensus builder.

With the early returns beginning to come in, Judy appears to be keeping the few promises he did make.

When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced plans last week to investigate mining contamination throughout the Coeur d’Alene Basin, Judy played cheerleader. He denounced the action as potentially devastating for a community that depends on tourism.

When the Aryan Nations requested a permit to parade down Sherman Avenue on April 18, he huddled with community leaders and human rights activists. He wanted to present a united front while determining if there was any way he could deny the permit.

So far, Judy hasn’t made any missteps as he’s quietly learned about the office he won by 67 votes. But it gets tougher from here. Soon, he’ll have to make a decision on racist Richard Butler’s parade request.

Judy’s state of the city address this week, however, shows he’s locked on to the important issues that face Coeur d’Alene.

The success or failure of Judy’s administration could hinge on how he addresses the future of McEuen Field, a controversy pushed off the front pages this winter by the EPA action and area racists. In 1997, perceived threats to McEuen Field and the public greenbelt along the north shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene twice stirred up the community.

On Tuesday, Judy announced plans to form a committee to develop a master plan for the playfield. It’s crucial that all the major players be represented, including people like Councilman Ron Edinger, who’s solidly for keeping McEuen Field as is. Any attempt to stack the deck in favor of downtown interests who want to incorporate McEuen Field into their revitalization plans will backfire.

In his speech, Judy was right to praise Coeur d’Alene police for their professional conduct during the current salary dispute. Also, he was correct to draw attention to the need to streamline the building permit process and to begin charging a launch fee to repair the Third Street dock.

The only key issue Judy failed to mention was Sanders Beach. During the campaign, he said he’d work to resolve the thorny public-access problem. But we can wait until he finds room on his plate to address the matter. Besides, the Sanders Beach issue never goes away for long.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria For the editorial board