Realtor worthy of a little ink
Earlier this month, we had a debate within the newspaper about whether Century 21 owner John Beutler was enough of a public figure to warrant a print story re: his arrest after his two-vehicle crash at 3rd and Walnut. Alcohol was alleged to have been a contributing factor. The S-R thought so and printed a short story. The Press didn’t. The Merry Hucksters at Huckleberries Online thought so, too. In a Friday poll, they ranked Beutler, who is one of the nation’s top Realtors and a regular contributor to local charities, No. 6 in a poll of nonelected, nongovernment VIPs in the Coeur d’Alene area. Duane Hagadone easily captured the top spot. And there weren’t surprises in the Nos. 2 through 5 spots either: 2. Marshall Chesrown, 3. Charlie & Susan Nipp, 4. (tie) Tony Stewart and John Stone. Rounding out the Top 10 were: 6. Beutler, 7. Tom Addis, 8. Jim Elder, 9. Gary Norton, and 10. (tie) Steve Meyer, Duane Jacklin, and Mary Souza/Dan Gookin. Bottom line? You need to behave yourself if your name is on that list. You don’t want to attract unwelcome headlines.
Healthy hazard?
Bike riding is good exercise and hazardous to your health at the same time. I’ve ridden a bike enough during the last two summers to enjoy the health benefits. But I’ve also had a coupla near misses with vehicles to wonder if the exercise is worth the risk. Dave Nall/Hauser is wondering the same thing after tumbling down a bank and landing on his back during his evening ride around Hauser Lake. Wife D.J. fills in the rest of the blanks: “Thank goodness for cell phones, so he could call and ask for a ride for himself, his dented helmet, and the broken bike. I found my bloody husband walking his bike home. Now he is recovering from a very sore back (diagnosis: rib cartilage pulled away from the spine) and will be walking for exercise for awhile.” Dave proved to be a difficult patient, according to D.J. You can read about that in her Hauser Thoughts blog. Meanwhile, be careful out there.
Huckleberries
Speaking of Mr. Hagadone, the Wall Street Journal offered a cyber tour of Hagadone’s 26,000sf digs on Stanley Hill Tuesday. Now that His Duaneness and Lovely Lola have moved to their ginormous Casco Bay mansion, their old cottage is for sale for $27.5M … Obviously, the four drivers who left their dogs in their vehicles in the parking lots of Shopko, Las Chevalas, Fred Meyer, and midtown Safeway haven’t heard of Charles Eschenbacher. He’s the Post Falls man who spent a week or so in jail after his black Lab “Crossfire” died in his overheated Ford Mustang in the parking lot while he watched a movie at the Spokane Valley Mall … Bumpersnicker (on a red pickup at the Kootenai County Courthouse): “Hunt with your kids not for them” … Yes, I know the Avondale Golf Course has posted signs with shadow figures to discourage public urination on the back 40 – and, to prove it, I have photos from MamaJD’s blog of three guys with their backs turned pretending to relieve themselves next to one. (At least, I think they’re pretending) … Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile has been dogged by bad luck. Many of you have heard that the 27-foot vehicle crashed into a home in Mt. Pleasant, Wis., July 17. But do you recall that it suffered $1,000 worth of graffiti damage in April 2008 when it was parked at the Hampton Inn and Suites hotel in Coeur d’Alene? Also, in February, it was stranded on a New York median after spinning out in a snowstorm. Mebbe the dogmobile should be impounded?
Parting shot
In the “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” Department, Don Johnston told Huckleberries during the recent Tuesday concert at his downtown pocket park that he was criticized for that waterfront mural that serves as a backdrop for the singers. Seems some nag looked at the painting, which features Tubbs Hill, Brooks seaplane, sailboats and 21 hot-air balloons on or above Lake Coeur d’Alene, and complained that Lake Coeur d’Alene doesn’t have balloons. This, after Don, brother Bob, and Chris Guggemos/Handshake Productions provide a summer series of free outdoor concerts. Don said he’d have shown the guy the door, if the outdoor park had one.