Anna Pearce goes to new height to save river basin

You may have read that Congressman Butch Otter and Anna Pearce (aka actress Patty Duke, of Coeur d’Alene) are spearheading an effort to preserve 80,000 acres in the St. Joe River Basin. But you probably didn’t read about the heightening device used by Anna at the press conference. After Butch finished his remarks, Anna, who possibly reaches 5 feet on her toes, approached the mike carrying a box – so she could see over the podium. A natural ham, she got well-deserved laughs for the prop, delivered her speech and was picking up the box to return to her seat when Roger Hoesterey/Trust for Public Land shouted: “If you left that here, I could be as tall as Congressman Otter.” It’s nice to see that lanky Congressman Otter mingles with the little people.

Who ya gonna call?

If ya wanna bust a ghost or a gut, don’t call Missoula Sentinel High senior Kris Bratlien, who takes his study of paranormal activity at Missoula graveyards and the University of Montana seriously. “I’m not religious,” Kris told student correspondent Whitney Bermes, of the Missoulian, “but I believe in good spirits and bad spirits.” A member of Tortured Souls Investigations, Kris backs his claims that spooks exist with photos of “orbs,” or light ribbons, a shadow and recorded two electronic voice phenomena. His goal, said the Missoulian, is to see an actual apparition, the holy grail of ghost hunting. And he plans to look for one at Senor Froggy’s in Coeur d’Alene. Maybe that ghost of Pancho Villa is haunting the Mexican joint for serving Pollywog Pizza.

Polling, polling, polling

Seems there was a compelling reason for Duane Hagadone to pull plans for a downtown Coeur d’Alene garden plan last December – only a few days after the City Council voted 4-2 to put the matter to an advisory vote. Hagadone claimed he didn’t want to distract from two other bond measures set for the same February ballot. But Huckleberries hears it had more to do with internal polling numbers that showed residents opposed the downtown location 72 percent to 28 percent … Speaking of polls, the Coeur d’Alene Press asked online Wednesday: “Are you confident that the area’s triple homicide will be solved?” Yes: 51.6 percent, no: 28.4 percent, clueless, 20 percent … Olympian poll: “Have the Republicans proven their case in the gubernatorial election trial.” Yes: 52.1 percent, no: 47.9 percent.

Poet’s corner

On weekends I ride at/the head of the pack/on my big black Hog with/a chick on the back;/I’m bad to the bone so/don’t get in my way,/I’m wild as they come for/a tax CPA” – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Part-time Outlaw”).

Huckleberries

Ya shoulda heard the hoots at Lakeland High/Rathdrum when Principal Conrad Underdahl presented car dealer Tom Addis with eligible names from his school for that car drawing – and Tom promptly pulled the name of Conrad’s son, Ryan, from the stack as one of the semifinalists. Alas, for the younger Underdahl, another claimed the prize … So what did Deputy Dawg Harris of Bonner County find when he was dispatched to a reported fight at the Cavanaugh Bay Resort on Priest Lake? Wrestlers doing their thing in the grass. Ah, in this instance, “their thing” means wrestling – clean wrestling … A Berry Picker didn’t know that you pronounce “fru-i-tion” as “fru-ti-tion” until Kootenai County Commish Gus Johnson did so at the dedication of the Ronald D. Rankin Veterans Memorial Plaza on May 30 … Sure, we Idahoans are proud that Mark “Deep Throat” Felt is a native. Columnist Dan Popkey/Idaho Statesman: “I can’t help but feel pride at the news that the great anonymous patriot of recent American history was an Idahoan.” Wonder if California is just as proud of Richard Nixon?

Parting shot

“Welcome to Idaho. Bring us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses – Hagadone Corp. is now hiring” – Ryan Hill, Huckleberries Online winner of the contest to suggest a billboard message to greet Idaho-bound motorists at the state line.