Huckleberries: Stickman Flies High

Stickman was aboard that vintage World War II B-17 that flew over Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday afternoon, thanks to a generous fan. A Vietnam War vet, Stickman (aka Norm Oss) has delighted thousands by freely distributing his hand-carved walking sticks from a breezeway near Coeur d’Alene’s East Tubbs Hill Park. He was sitting in that breezeway minus his sticks when I handed him an envelope filled with $450 in cash Monday afternoon. Stickman was forced to give up his hobby because of a change in ownership of his apartment. However, the anonymous contributor who’d given me the money hadn’t forgotten Stickman’s labor of love. And he’d seen this Stickman comment on my Huckleberries Online blog about the old war planes visiting the Coeur d’Alene airport: “If I had the money, I would go in a second to maybe experience what those men did back in WWII.” You should have seen Stickman’s face when I handed him the envelope. We both were amazed moments later when a B-17 flew over our heads, as if to confirm the generous gesture to a generous man/DFO, Sunday SR Huckleberries . More here.

Other SR weekend columns:

• Smart Bombs: Many have poor view of poverty /Gary Crooks
• Project aims to restore Spokane’s old neon signs /Shawn Vestal
• In the Garden: Roses keep giving all summer long /Susan Mulvihill
• The Slice: Perception often depends on place you call home /Paul Turner
• On Tap: No-Li adds summer wheat, milk stout, Belgian-style ale /Rick Bonino
• Outdoors: Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge revamped /Rich Landers
• Final 58 Hoopfest participants have heart, soles to play every year /John Blanchette

Thoughts?