Huckleberries Best of the INorthwest — 5/2/07

Christopher Anderson/Spokesman-Review

Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire addresses a crowd of students and spectators at the MAC in Spokane Washington Tuesday. She is framed by ” Sue”, the T. Rex skeleton exhibit that she officially opened.

1. Best of the Political ‘Toons: David Horsey /Seattle PI ( Nervous days inside the beltway ).

2. Best of the Online Polls: 78% of 305 respondents to an Idaho Statesman poll say they volunteer one to five hours per week. Five percent volunteer 31 hours or more.

3. Best of Sports: Former University of Washington basketball standout Brandon Roy has been named NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2006-07 season, coming one vote shy of a unanimous decision here .

4. Best of the NW Blogs: Dogwalk Musings ( The arrogance of incompetence ), Leaning Straight Up ( Rep. McDermott confesses? Yeah, right ), Eye On Boise ( Field-burning issue “fluid situation” ), Palousitics ( In praise of Pullman police ), and 29 Words Or Less ( Leonard Pitts: Racism OK for non-bullies? ).

5. Best of NW Stories: Orbusmax Special: Oregon teacher charged w/trying to sell first-grader’s coat online here , U-Dub prez tops Washington state salary list here , Radio station agrees to remove racy billboards here , Report: Oil, gas drilling squeezes hunters here , King County home to 68,390 millionaires here , and Pastor tells Spokane police he led double life here .

6. IMHO-NW: Tom Henderson /Lewiston Tribune ( Open letter to Alec Baldwin ), Chris Peterson /Hungry Horse News (Cocoa puffs), Steve Crump /Twin Falls Times-News ( God didn’t read instruction sheet ), Michael O’Neil /Moscow-Pullman Daily News ( When people are turned into objects ), and Kisha Lewellyn Schlegel /New West Boise ( Chickens in the City ).