Original Kroc Center guiding light John Chamness enjoys sun, smooches in Hawaii

John and Lani Chamness weren’t the first to reprise that World War II kiss between a soldier and a nurse on V-J Day. But John may be the first divisional commander of the Salvation Army to smooch his bride near a statue of the iconic kiss in front of the USS Battleship Missouri at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Huckleberries spotted the photo that John posted on Facebook. And contacted him to find out how things have been going. In 2012, the couple was transferred from Coeur d’Alene and put in charge of the Salvation Army region stretching from Hawaii to Micronesia, including Guam and Saipan. From 2006 to 2012, they played key roles in bringing the Salvation Army Kroc Center to Coeur d’Alene. John tells Huckleberries that the skills he developed in the planning, construction and oversight of the Kroc Center has helped him minister in Hawaii. He misses his friends in Coeur d’Alene. But the winters? Not so much.

Liver redux

The recent Huckleberries column about liver and onions on Valentine’s Day prompted several responses and recipes from Huckleberry Friends: “How about turkey liver fried in butter at Thanksgiving?” suggests Bonnie Douglas, of Coeur d’Alene. And: “No more liver forever is my motto. Well, I did eat some in Mongolia because otherwise, I would not have eaten some days” – Matthew Root of Pullman. And: “Fresh venison liver and hotcakes with pan gravy with a sprinkling of sugar, the best. Then with onions for dinner. North Idaho cuisine” – Kermit Kiebert, former Idaho Transportation director, of Bonner County. And: “In Africa I developed a love of breakfast consisting of baked beans on toast with cooked liver!” – Everett Headrick, of Hayden. Moi? Still, no thanks.

Huckleberries

Huckleberries has printed many poems from the late Tom Wobker, The Bard of Sherman Avenue. But here’s one from a co-worker at Pennaluna & Co. who didn’t know that Tom was The Bard: “Next to me working hard,/my friend Tom the secret Bard./On to greener pastures gone,/your written words living on” – Tim Haakenson … No list of romantic restaurants in this region is complete without Forty-One South at the south end of Long Bridge in the Sandpoint area, says Bonner County teacher Rick Price. It’s romantic, Rick says, because the building is beautiful. Also: “Fireside dining in the winter and lakeside dining in the summer” … Poll (as of 3 p.m. Thursday): Forty-four percent of Huckleberries blog readers have slipped and fallen on ice this winter. But only 13 percent have been injured … Quotable Quote: “I can’t count the number of (Idaho legislative) hearings I’ve attended where the testimony is entirely skewed one way or the other and the committee votes the opposite way” — William L. Spence, Lewiston Tribune. In Idaho, being a congressman or legislator from the dominant Republican Party means you never have to listen to your constituents. Just the state GOP.

Parting Shot

When we last dropped in on Erica Curless of Free Rein Therapeutic Riding, she had worn her Yaktrax and spurs with cowboy boots to get a massage. She needed a rub-down to relax after surviving a mini-avalanche at the 12th annual Women’s Souper Bowl on Mount Spokane State Park. Trouble continues to dog her. On Wednesday, one of Spokane’s signature pot holes flattened the two passenger-side tires on Erica’s Subaru. Daughter Quinn thought they’d crashed. Afterward, Erica, spotted the silver lining in her latest dark cloud. The blown tires were under warranty. And the other two were so new that she didn’t have to replace them. And Winter 2017 marches on.