Huckleberries: Hope they won’t also be wedding crashers

At traditional weddings, couples promise to stand by each other for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. Et cetera. An engaged couple received a taste of the “or for worse” part last week. Seems the groom-to-be was following his future bride’s BMW through Post Falls because he didn’t know his way around town. As they approached an intersection, bride-to-be slammed on her brakes as the light turned yellow. She didn’t want to leave her true love behind. Only that action caused her beloved to also slam on the brakes, locking them. He crashed into the back of the BMW. Adding insult to injury, a Post Falls officer later cited the blushing bride for failing to wear a seat belt and to provide proof of insurance. You probably won’t find two traffic tickets from the Post Falls Police Department listed on her bridal registry.

Poop patrol

A buddy dropped by Huckleberries Central on Monday to report he’d hiked Tubbs Hill in downtown Coeur d’Alene three times that morning – and that dog owners and their unleashed pets were everywhere. Also, he said, few picked up their dogs’ poop, except when someone was watching them. The situation could be worse. Another friend, whom we call “Walkabout” on my Huckleberries blog, patrols Tubbs Hill regularly, picking up litter and dog poop. She fills dozens of poop bags every time. She’s not a rich woman, in terms of worldly wealth. Fortunately, a benefactor buys the poop bags for her patrols. But it still begs the question: Why are so many dog owners so irresponsible?

Back in the fold

Seems former Coeur d’Alene City Councilman Mike Kennedy has returned to the Democratic fold. Last week, he emceed the annual Kootenai County Democratic Club Spring Forth Celebration. Mike, as you may recall, registered as a Republican to vote in the closed 2014 GOP primary. He figured – correctly – that his temporary defection was the only way to make his vote count in Red Zone Kootenai County, where a tree stump can win election if it has an almighty “R” after its name on the ballot. And some have.

Huckleberries

Poet’s Corner: “Those Hindu spirits haunt the halls/and lurk in gangs along the walls;/They sleep upon my office floor/and stand in groups to block my door;/and should I doze for one short spell/they’ll drag me off to Hindu hell” – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Trapped in the Capitol by Hindu gods”) … You may be out of luck in the short term if you’ve been waiting to buy a copy of “War Bonds: Love Stories from the Greatest Generation,” by Front Porch columnist Cindy Hval. The first batch of 2,000 sold out in less than a month (but some are still available at Aunties and other local bookstores). But never fear. Another batch is on the way in April … The results were terrific – overwhelming support for school measures in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls. But the turnout was awful – about 16 percent throughout Kootenai County. Organized minority opposition might have spelled defeat. Yet 84 percent remained home – fat, dumb and happy. Alas.

Parting shot

It’s only mid-March 2015, and already the political robocalls have begun. On Thursday, a Berry Picker sent Huckleberries an audio recording of a robocall he fielded on behalf of Congressman Raul Labrador. In the recording, executive officer Mike Needham of Heritage Action for America defended Labrador for standing firm to fight President Barack Obama’s immigration reform, while the “Republican establishment” abandoned ship. The robocall ended by providing recipients with a number to call to tell Labrador that they appreciate the congressman’s stand. But Huckleberries recommends using the number to ask Labrador to sponsor legislation banning political robocalls.