Huckleberries: She was nice back then, but can he vote for her now?

Carl Tinghino, a retired millworker from Rathdrum, has a tough decision to make. Does he vote for his old high school mate? Or does he vote Republican as usual, for Donald Trump?

Carl was a year younger than Hillary Rodham and her best friend, Carol Mack, at Maine East High in Park Ridge, Ill. They were in the class of 1965. He was in the class of 1966. Carl was enrolled in intermediate algebra with Carol Mack. Hillary Rodham was enrolled in all the advanced classes.

Carl remembers two things about Hillary. “She was very, very smart,” he said. “And she was very, very nice.”

Will Carl, a conservative from ruby-slipper-red North Idaho, vote for Hillary? Not likely. But the more Donald Trump talks, he says, the better Hillary looks.

Suffering TDS

The first case of “TDS” (Trump Disorder Syndrome) has been verified in North Idaho. And Coeur d’Alene businessman Mike Kennedy is afraid that he has it.

Democrat Mike said on Facebook: “I knew people with ODS (Obama Disorder Syndrome), but I dismissed it as a malady that only afflicts the ignorant. Supposedly these syndromes happen after elections, but there is evidence now that it is affecting people in ‘pre-election’ state as well.”

Seems the recommended treatment for TDS is to post social media photos of kittens playing with yarn. Alas, members of Mike’s family are allergic to cats. He ends his post by pleading, “Please pray for me.”

Huckleberries would like to expand that request, in view of the two main contendahs for the presidency, by asking: “Please pray for us.”

Moore Highway?

Huckleberries has wondered why the stretch of Highway 95 from Appleway to Highway 53 (north of Hayden) didn’t have its own name. After all, Highway 95 from about Walnut Avenue to Appleway is called Lincoln Way. It would be a quick way to indicate which stretch of Highway 95 was being discussed. And here’s a good name for it: Sgt. Greg Moore Memorial Highway. Anyone?

Huckleberries

Poet’s Corner: The door of life/revolves about;/she’s coming in,/I’m headed out” – Tom Wobker, The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“New Grandchild,” June 30, 2013) … David Bond, an irascible former reporter for this newspaper, shares a pet peeve with many baby boomers. Bond doesn’t appreciate being called by his first name by unknown telemarketers, spammers and the hired hands at medical offices. “Am I so bloody old,” wonders Mr. Bond, “that ‘Mr.’ would not suffice until we had at least shaken hands?” … Quotable Quote: “Lying to a journalist is a nonstarter. Kinda like fibbing to your Mom. We know. We mostly always know” – Facebooks Cindy Hval, of the SR’s Front Porch column. She speaks the truth … Bumpersnicker: “A politician is someone who wants others to die for his country” – sign painted on blue van from British Columbia sighted on H95 at Kathleen Avenue in Coeur d’Alene last Sunday … Tee-Hee Shirt message: “Sometimes I wrestle with my demons; sometimes, I just cuddle with them” – worn by young man at Coeur d’Alene’s Independence Point last week … Poll: Sixty-two percent of my Huckleberries blog readers say they’re better off today than they were nearly eight years ago when Barack Obama became president … In lieu of the swell work by Kootenai County deputies and divers performed in recovering the bodies of three boat crash victims, Huckleberries asked Lt. Stu Miller whether the department had new sonar equipment. Stu replied: Same-o, with some patches. Which makes the quick recovery more impressive. Here’s hoping county commissioners OK the sheriff’s line item for a digital sonar upgrade.

Parting shot

Huckleberries has missed the sports commentary of Eastern Washington grad Colin Cowherd since he jumped ship from 700 ESPN to Fox Sports last year. With Cowherd, a listener could expect insightful, daring and even controversial commentary. Which is light-years ahead of the fare provided by his less-than-stellar subs. Last week, one of the co-hosts in the morning commute slot asked other men in the broadcast studio if they peed in the shower. Believe it or not, it went downhill from there.