School Woes Remain The Same

Indeed, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The first story I covered when I hired on here 15 years ago (as of Sept. 9) was a contract impasse between teachers and the Coeur d’Alene School District. That one looked like it’d never end, too. Then, as now, the district faced budget constraints. Then, as now, we had quality teachers who were underpaid. Coeur d’Alene schools certainly prepared my oldest urchin for his rigorous college courses. I hope this works out without a disruption. There are too many good people on both sides of this stalemate.

`Peanuts’ Pigpen had nothing on these guys

P’haps the lumber mills along Seltice Way and Northwest Boulevard should pick up the tab for a street sweeper. Their uncovered chip trucks annually turn Lake City’s western entrance into their Own Private Idaho (Dump) … Why Ask Why? Why doesn’t Coeur d’Alene have a Web site to brag about its many natural wonders when Wardner - Wardner! - does? … You may not believe in the Y2K bug, but the log splitters do. One hundred dollars for a cord of split and delivered red fir? C’mon … French Fries on the Side (or “Mr. Potatohead’s favorite Idaho school mascots”): 1. Orofino Maniacs; 2. (tie) Shelley Russets and Shelley Junior High Spudnicks; 3. Clark Fork Wampus Cats; 4. Kuna Kavemen; 5. (tie) Ketchum Cutthroat Trout and Camas County Musher Dogs.

Yager sentence, judge deserve to be gonged

Sweet Potatoes to Prosecutor Bill Douglas for appealing the life-without-parole sentence handed down to Scott Yager. Judge James Judd’s logic (his word, not Hot Potatoes’) for keeping this cold-blooded, cop killer alive defies reason … Speaking of defying logic, the 17-1 Sandpoint High volleyball team is another argument for not splitting Class A-1 into two divisions. The Lady Bulldogs would hold their own against any school in the state … Has anyone seen Ol’ Mr. One Percent Initiative lately? … This edition of Hot Potatoes was brought to you by the Number 2,900 - or the number of United Steelworkers that have been locked out of five Kaiser Alumninum plants in three states since Jan. 14. Maybe prayer to end this mess isn’t such a bad idea, after all.