On The Waterfront, So Far So Good

On paper, the Portland consultants devising a master plan for Coeur d’Alene’s public waterfront seem to be “getting it.” The report Tim Dabareiner filed after interviewing 31 Potatoheads is an accurate account of the philosophical cross-currents that blow through town. Of note, Dabareiner quotes a respondent to emphasize his need to be neutral: “If you are seen as tools of the downtown merchants or the resort, you won’t get anywhere.” So far, the consultants have done a good job navigating this teacherous, public-policy minefield. But there’s a long way to go.

Heads, tails, what difference does it make?

I don’t know which is harder to figure out - a municipal initiative on collective bargaining or where to vote today. For years, I lived in Precinct 5 and voted at St. Pius X Catholic Church. I didn’t pay much attention when the precinct numbers were changed because I still voted at St. Pius. The church, however, won’t be used as a polling place today. I know I’m not the only one who’s confused. I guess I’ll go to the nearest polling place and try to vote. Then, I’ll decide how to vote by flipping a coin.

Thanks for giving us a piece of your mind

If you’re not reading our letters to the editor page, you’re missing something. Last month, The Idaho Spokesman-Review printed 155 letters from Idaho readers, an increase of almost 100 over January 1998. This, from your out-of-state newspaper.

Piercings take over for hair down to there

“Gay” doesn’t mean what it once did. Nor do pierced body parts. State Rep. John Campbell, R-Sandpoint, dated himself when he said recently “you can tell” when someone is homosexual - they have “pierced ears and affect a certain persona.” No wonder more malicious harassment reports were filed in Idaho by straights mistaken as gays than by actual homosexuals.

Sweet Potatoes: Deutsch, Viks, Winger

Sweet Potatoes … to my 1985 Leadership Coeur d’Alene classmate, Marilyn Deutsch, whose tireless community work was recognized Saturday when she was named Post Falls Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year … to Coach Bill Pratt and the Coeur d’Alene High Vik girls basketball team for tying for the Border League championship … to the Lake City High faculty for rejecting mandatory drug testing for student athletes … to Lake City High basketball coach Jim Winger for collecting his 100th career win Jan. 23 as his talented squad dropped West Valley 77-57.