Another NIC student body VP quits
Student body presidents at North Idaho College are falling faster than gas prices this fall. According to the North Idaho College Sentinel, President Austin Folnagy resigned Oct. 21, and his successor, former VP Jude de Tar, followed suit this week – both citing “personal reasons.” Reportedly, Folnagy, De Tar and ASNIC senators were part of a school-sponsored trip to Portland. Which apparently is at the center of the shake-up. The Sentinel uses an unnamed source to go further than Huckleberries is prepared to do re: a possible reason for Folnagy’s resignation. You can go online to read it for yourself ( www.nicsentinel.com). Otherwise, nobody’s saying nothing about nothing. Meanwhile, Jack Vanderlinden appears to be the beneficiary of the two resignations. Vanderlinden was appointed to the open VP spot when Folnagy resigned and now is in line to appoint a new VP if he decides to become president. Now, let’s start the music again and see who’s left without a chair next time it stops.
Spic ’n’ Span
In a fun exchange at a recent CdA City Council meeting, Councilman Woody McEvers revealed he was nitpicky about his garbage containers. The needling began after McEvers challenged Steve Roberge of Waste Management over a request to hike fees for customers who lock their garbage containers. McEvers revealed that he appreciates that the garbage company gives him a new waste can whenever he asks for one. At which point, a fellow councilman, mebbe Ron Edinger, asked how many times a year he requests a new can. To which, McEvers responded: “A couple of times.” Which prompted another council wag to quip: “What do you put in your cans?” And another council jokester to wonder later, “Bodies?”
Huckleberries
Poet’s Corner: Good King Wenceslas was mild,/kind and sweet and docile,/but he raised eight kinds of hell/once he chugged the wassail – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Christmas Poem”) … After watching his 10-month-old grandson twice in the same day, and handling dirty-diaper work for the first time in 16 years, ex-congressional candidate Dennis Mansfield posted a Cliff notes analysis on his blog: “He eats huge. Drinks barrels. Produces landfills.” And Dennis said he loved every minute of it … In case you wondered what became of ex-undersheriff Gary Cuff and his wife, Susan, Gary e-mailed Huckleberries Central to say: “Susan loves her job, and I love her job.” Translation: Susan’s doing fine with the UMontana Alumni Association and Gary’s still “pacing himself” in adjusting to retirement. E-mailed Susan later: He’s starting to get used to the bluer-than-blue city of Missoula. Been a bit of a culture shock for him. He even went to an arts and crafts fair with me (Saturday) morning before the (Grizzlies) playoff game” … Statesman Opinion Editor Kevin Richert rejoiced that we will no longer encounter passages in court documents like the following one, when U.S. Sen. Larry Craig leaves office: “Certainly the ‘privacy interest in avoiding unwanted communication’ is very strong in a stall in a public restroom.”
Parting shot
On his Statesman blog, Richert also lamented that the Treasure Valley, with 37 percent of the state’s population, had lost two representatives on the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee, as a result of the election and retirement. Ada and Canyon counties now have only four representatives – or 20 percent of the powerful committee. Richert: “The Valley delegation has enough trouble overcoming the Legislature’s ingrained animus toward the ‘Great State of Ada.’ When the Valley is underrepresented on the committee controlling the purse strings, a tough situation is even tougher.” Meanwhile, North Idaho landed five delegates on JFAC: Sens. Shawn Keough (who is vice chairman), Jim Hammond and Joyce Broadsword; Reps. Frank Henderson and George Eskridge. All Republicans. It’s doubtful that North Idaho lawmakers feel the Treasure Valley’s pain, after years of accepting second-rate committee assignments while they accrued seniority in the majority party. Sweet.