Tuesday, September 30, 2014

OKTOBER FISH




                                          
                                                        2009 Oktoberfish   winners          

The sudden change that occurs every year at this time is amazing. Labor Day weekend saw large crowds of boaters, with restaurants and local bars full up. Today, as I gaze upon Scenic Bay, the loudest sounds are the fish swimming by.

But wait. Summer is not over here just because many flee the area. We are entering what is called, Indian Summer. The big fall Oktoberfish contest is on.The derby will be held Saturday and Sunday, October 4 and 5.

Friday October 3 is the kickoff auction at the Captain's Wheel in Bayview. Tickets are $25.00 per person. You can either buy them at Ralph's Cafe or Friday night at the auction which will be held starting at 6:30. For more information call Ralph's Cafe 208-683-2218

First prize: 50%
Second prize 30%
Third prize 20%.
All proceeds are paid back to the winners.


Wednesday, September 17, 2014

ATHLETES & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Gee, take the most violent sport with individuals graded on how good they are at it, and then wonder why football players sometimes commit violence upon their own families. Who woulda guessed.

A long list starting with sports legends involved in murder, rape and other anti-social behavior Then more currently, Ray Rice and Adian Peterson, people that are honored for the degree of violence on the field suggests that there will be a higher percentage off the field than the average.

We simply cannot assume that these athletes that are trained for mental and emotional stability and can turn physical acts on and off. These are for the most part revered from an early age as tough guys. Honors and  large contracts are bestowed upon some that do not exhibit mature behavior.

A lifetime of being paid for violent acts within the rules just isn't a surprise that it surfaces in one's private life. These personalities tend toward physical solutions to problems because they are trained for that. I'm surprised that most people are surprised at these actions. When you elevate an athlete to God like status for scoring touchdowns or crunching tackles you can expect it won't be left on the field of play.

There are laws that automatically raise the punishment of a professional boxer to a felony if they punch anyone outside of the ring. Perhaps that should be extended to football players as well.

Those that are trained to attack in many cases cannot turn it off when they leave the shower room. We shouldn't be surprised when these actions occur. While most people act civilized in a domestic setting, those that are trained as modern day gladiators are not.

Monday, September 15, 2014

ON

Many literate people share one trait. We have words that irritate us and from college educated writers. Sure, obvious non-words like irregardless are at the top of the list, but mine is the word, "on."

Read yesterday's or today's sports page and you will see the word misused dozens of times.For instance, they will say, "The Seahawks will play San Diego on Sunday." Why use the word on at all. The sentence would be just fine with "The Seahawks will play San Diego Sunday.

This redundancy burns my butt every times I see it. We wouldn't say, "The Seahawks played on yesterday, or The Seahawks will play on tomorrow, so why mistreat perfectly good ink on this literary weakness.

Alright, it is Monday and I'm over it. March on, troops!  

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

TIME FLIES

Time flies when you realize how far back it was when I moved from Dalton Gardens to Bayview nineteen years ago. It seems like yesterday except I'm much older now than then.

I was brought up to date with a Coeur d'Alene event which established a police sub-station on Sherman Avenue. I'm thinking why would they establish a sub station only blocks away from the main police station.

While perusing a discussion on Huckleberries on line dealing with the subject, I was politely informed that the police station was moved north to the northerly border of Coeur d'Alene several years ago.

It started me thinking about the old days when I  drove cab for Sunset Taxi. The night that I was driving Brad Hagadone and Tom Fisher late one night when I circled the block using an alley. I turned right twice and ended up at an ATM. Unfortunately, the right turn was onto a one way street that was going the other direction. The officer let me off with a warning.

The night I picked up a pedestrian who asked me to drive him up to Fernan Saddle. Since it was a strange destination, mid-Winter and late at night. Well it turns out he was a pending suicide. He had a bottle of booze with him and was going to sit in a snow drift drinking until he was drunk and dead from exposure.

I asked him why he wanted to do something like that and he replied that his wife cheated on him and he didn't want to live any more. As we approached the saddle, I managed to suggest that he might want to consider a smarter way like divorce, or counseling as an alternative. I finally said, "Look let me drive you back to town. I won't charge you for the ride, just don't do it." He accepted and lived to see another day. I never saw or heard from him again and have wondered these many years what happened to him.

Then there were the old days when I would drive out to the Fish Inn near Wolf Lodge bay to hang out.   When Sherman's was relocated into the old Ace of Clubs building when they were evicted due to the freeway being lengthened. Where Across the street was the "Boots and Saddle." Sherman's segued into a Mexican restaurant and now it is just a parking space, the building having been torn down.

Back when the freeway didn't reach Coeur d'Alene and about half way to Seattle, the freeway gave up  to a return to old Highway 10. Back when the Cotton Club was great hunting grounds for singles and yes, the owner was named Herb as well.

Back when I paddled a canoe up Wolf Lodge Creek a litte ways and started to catch Cutthroat trout, one after another only to find out the the creek was closed to fishing. Well, I got away with that but I learned a lesson. Read the rules before casting.

I moved away from Coeur d'Alene in 1973 and missed some of the infamous party spots that opened and closed while I was gone. A business failure in the 1987 recession landed me back in Coeur d'Alene with tail firmly tucked under me. Thence the taxi chapter of my life. I finally moved to Bayview in 1995, promptly forced the Farragut Park into opening the then coned off Hwy 54 by threatening to have them arrested if they didn't stop. withing 24 hours the blockade was gone and the road was opened to traffic. I then learned that many efforts including those from state representatives had failed.

That was due to a career in real estate lending which after financing the Captain's Wheel for the new owners, Im and Jeanne Campbell and The Nordstrom's.  eliminating  a long string of  contracts that with just one death would have tied up the title for years. I knew what button to push and did it.

Five years writing for the Spokesman-Review which left the Idaho Handle Extra dead. I recently learned from a unimpeachable source that they lost 50 subscribers in Athol/Bayview alone. It is very unfortunate that the print news industry sails blithely to it's demise, while wearing blinders all the way. Retirement followed and I spend a great deal of time gazing across the bay and counting my blessings, and sometimes like today, reminiscing  about how times flies.   

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

FARRAGUT NAVAL REUNION



Recent incorrect information regarding a cancellation of the navy reunion has been disseminated. I will attempt to rectify that. I called Randall Butt, Park Manager to verify this stuff. He was shocked and dismayed that so much erroneous information was disseminated.

There will be a navy reunion, but open to all veterans, not just the shrinking group of WW11 veterans that served at Farragut. It will be Saturday 9:00am start with the traditional flag ceremony. This will be followed by a social at Sunrise Campground This will include a BBQ  starting at 11:30 am. The public is welcome as well if they wish to honor veterans, and especially if they had parents or grandparents that served

Butt explained that in future years the tradition will switch to be called a Commemoration, rather than a reunion, which tends to imply that only those that served at Farragut would be welcome. Not true. Throughout the days activities, park staff will be involved first with putting on the BBQ and secondly Manager, Randall Butt will act as master of ceremony for the flag service adjacent to the brig. 

In addition to the usual activities, the brig museum will open at 4:pm for those that wish to tour. In addition the brig will open Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. This will then conclude brig activities for the season. Everything that has traditionally took place annually will also take place this year and in years to come.

Other park activities are phase two of the sewer project adding an additional 4500 feet of pipeline and the shutting down of septic drain fields. A new wing of the brig will open next year with the south wall which was the brig mess hall will be refurbished and made into space for additional displays.

Perhaps in the future, those that are interested in sharing information regarding park activities, will make certain their information is correct.

As he did last year, Jesse Tinsely will entertain with his Uke and Hawaiian tunes. Jesse is a photographer for the Spokesman-Review.