Huckleberries: Fan finds only one dark lining in Gonzaga’s postseason silver clouds

Season ticket holders Naomi and Sean Boutz, of Liberty Lake, are ha-huge Gonzaga fans.

In 2003, Sean graduated from Gonzaga Law School. They were engaged in Hawaii, where they had traveled to watch the Zags play in the Maui Invitational. They attended eight straight West Coast Conference Tournaments in Las Vegas.

Until this year.

They passed on the 2017 WCC tourney in anticipation of the Zags’ deep run into the Sweet 16 in San Jose and now the Final Four in Phoenix. That’s faith. The only dark lining to the postseason silver clouds this year occurred in San Jose where Naomi came down with the crud, after the best weekend of basketball in Gonzaga Bulldogs history. To date.

The former GM of The Cellar at 317 Sherman (downtown Coeur d’Alene) held it together during the plane ride home from San Jose, which she described as “torture.” In fact, she made it to the baggage claim at the Spokane Airport, within sight of the women’s restroom, before she hurled.

Naomi was thankful that she was holding her husband’s black Nike hat at the time. He wasn’t. Now, she hopes she can replace it in Phoenix with a 2017 NCAA Tournament championship cap. So do we.

How time flies

In the “My How Time Flies” category: It was announced 29 years ago this week that Andrew Schumacher would replace his third cousin, Bill Wassmuth, as padre of the St. Pius X Catholic Church in Coeur d’Alene.

Wassmuth, who died of Lou Gehrig’s disease at age 61 in August 2002, led the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations before following his heart out of the priesthood to marry Mary Frances Dondelinger. Wassmuth and his cousin came from tiny Greencreek, Idaho, then population 50, and an Idaho family that produced 13 priests.

Cuppa joe to go

So Kris Helstrom of Coeur d’Alene pulls into her favorite coffee hut, High Mountain Coffee at the food court on Best Avenue, and sees a dark-green pickup with a cab at the window in front of her. And on its bumper? A cup of something, maybe coffee, that was hanging on for dear life. It was Saturday morning, not Monday morning. But it was obvious that the other driver needed another cup of joe.

Huckleberries

Poet’s Corner: “As he strolled today/he was pleased to note/that each tiny bud/wore a new fur coat” – Tom Wobker, The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“The Pussy Willow’s Spring Wardrobe”) … Then, there was the ISP trooper who reported that a driver of a black Ford Mustang blew past him at 123 mph on Highway 95, near Chilco. After the patrol officer hit his lights, the Extreme Speeder slowed, prompting the cop to respond: “He’s not as dumb as I thought.” But close … Another sign of spring: Debra Teall Pierce of Coeur d’Alene, the run aid captain for the 70.3 IronmanCDA, is looking for volunteers … Poll: Forty percent of Huckleberries Online readers said they hadn’t been sick – at all – during cruddy Winter 2016-17. Please join Huckleberries in giving the evil eye to this healthy plurality … Overheard at Coeur d’Alene Target (by Coeur d’Alene High instructor Bruce Twitchell): “What’s a 15-year-old girl have to do to find some (blankety-blank) eyeliner?” Responds Bruce: “Such a rough life the youth of today have.”

Parting Shot

It’s almost April – and none of the Coeur d’Alene City Council incumbents, including Mayor Steve Widmyer, has officially announced his/her re-election plans. Former Mayor Ray Stone must be spinning in his grave. Back in the day, Stone would announce his political intentions in January or February. He wanted to beat any challengers to the punch, and maybe scare them off. It worked – for two terms. Ray was denied a third term on Nov. 2, 1993, by underdog Councilman Al Hassell.