It's Over

Bayview Daze Parade Announcer and judges, L-R. Ralph Jones, Sheryl Puckett, Margaret Nelson and Sally Newcombe. (picture by Mike Lee)

As I sit here facing my computer this hour after midnight, it has become totally quiet. The hoards of guests that pack Bayview, left immediately after the fireworks, leaving a few pops and booms from people that still don't get it. You do not set off aerials in a marina. Oh well, I haven't heard the fire department yet so I guess we dodged the bullet once again.

I intercepted a Facebook announcement that a tent was found floating in Lake Pend Oreille floating along peacefully. If you have lost one, contact me and I will put you in contact with the finders. Also, as happens every year, someone left their doge outside during fireworks. It panicked and ran until exhausted. It appears to be a Shit-zu mix. If it is yours, call 683-2553.

As usual, Kevin and the cast of heroes at MacDonalds Resort put on a magnificent show. I hosted a couple from Boise who swore they had never seen a more impressive display. I consistently hear the same remarks, some declaring it is better than the Coeur d'Alene Resort fireworks.

There were a few complaints about food service at the Wheel. I explained that where we used to have two full service restaurants and one smaller one, due to some anti business elements helping out, a late request for a resort license for the Buttonhook was denied last year.

This town is simply not equipped to handle hundreds for food service  in one day. That one couple had to wait an hour for dinner, I explained they were extremely lucky that the overwhelmed crew at the Captain's Wheel got their meal out in that short a time. This was not bad service,, but inadequate facilities to handle the hoards that descend upon Bayview every year at this time.

Hopefully that state can be convinced that a resort license for the Buttonhook is deserved and in fact is necessary for the public good.  Hopefully the crews at the Wheel, Ralph's and the Bay Café will have recovered by Monday, when everyone used to close down for recuperative purposes.

Bayview Daze

It's that time of year again. Bayview Daze will take place next week-end, July 5. 6. 7. Most of the activities will be Saturday, July 6. Things kick off with a Street Fair, followed by our annual parade. Line up for the parade is at 10:00 am with the parade starting at 11:00 am. In honor of the late Jim MacDonald, who sent his sons to a school for pyrotechnics several years ago followed by the first fireworks in Bayview in 1961, paid for solely by MacDonald's Resort.

Grand Marshalls for the parade will be Gary MacDonald and family in honor or their late father, who started the  fireworks shows here. The Parade participants will be directed to enter on 1st Street, turn north on Fir St, turn east on 5th St. and then South on Pend Oreille and then East on 4th St. Entrance to Main St on Corbin. (thank you to Norma Jean for the correction)

Saturday evening at dark will be the fireworks which usually happens about 10:00 pm.

Throughout the day activities will occur, live music. etc. so come on down and help Bayview celebrate. All inquiries about the weekend activities should be addressed to Norma Jean Knowles 683-1980.

Hydro Race Volunteers

Here's your chance to get involved with the race this fall. We need volunteers for various duties, including answering the phone at our new office in Riverstone, 2049 No. Main, Riverstone.

Meet and mingle with the race organizers and participants and just an important part of getting the race done. The money is arranged, now we need people to help out.

We have just 60 days to get everything done and not enough help with all of the details that have to be addressed. Don't just watch the race, be a part of it.

Just get on your computer, go to: www.diamondcuprace.com . Click on volunteers, tell us what your talents are and you will be contacted. Be sure to include your phone number and e-mail address. 

For those that don't have the time to spare, get your tickets through the same site.

Diamond Cup Tickets

Several people, including myself have noted some confusion in getting ticket information as well as the format for the Diamond Cup Hydroplane race scheduled for Labor Day Weekend. Tickets West has hundreds of events that tend to clog the system.

The Diamond Cup Committee, recognizing this has retooled the web site so that you do not have to wind your way through the mysteries of Tickets West. Just go to our own site at: www.diamondcuprace.com

You will find everything layed out in a simple way so as to eliminate the confusion, then you push a button which switches you to the Tickets West order form. See you at the race. Remember, Friday, August 30, will consist of testing and qualifying plus the vintage boats in an exhibition.

Saturday will be a full day of testing, Grand Prix and H1 unlimited preliminary heats. Rounding out the afternoon will be vintage and limited vintage heats.

Sunday hosts the final heats in all three categories with the Diamond Cup final at around 4:00 pm. Times are subject to change so stay tuned and check the Diamond Cup web site for any updates.

Activities on the course will begin all three days at 8:00 am and wind up between 4:00 pm and 5:30 pm. The official opening ceremonies will take place Sunday at 10:00 am.

Parking will be at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds with shuttle buses to the race site. Plan on being early to get the best seating.

Today's Editorial

I have read the Spokesman-Review from cover to cover for the last 20 years. The editorials appearing usually are thoughtful and express intelligent positions. I do not always agree with them, but for the most part, they are well written. Not so today, Wednesday, June 19, titled, "Idaho GOP running roughshod over voters." If the editor that wrote this diatribe or rant was drunk, he or she is forgiven, for I have also leaned a bit into illogical ramblings  having stayed too long at Happy hour.

I hardly know where to start, since apparently the writer also didn't. This omnidirectional rant apparently set out to expose every fault real or perceived that this poor downtrodden liberal writer perceived. He/she wandered from the social engineering subjects to the initiative process then back to the dictatorship of the GOP due to the 5-4 majority in the Idaho legislature.

My mental image of this editor is one of red eyes glaring at the screen, spittle spraying on the keyboard  from an outraged mouth, holding forth with everything wrong with conservative politics and everything right with liberal causes. Oh, and he/she doesn't hesitate to use examples contradicting themselves.

For instance, toward the bottom (appropriate word) of the rant, and I quote, "Even if that's the case, it's going too far to amend the initiative and referendum process for one special interest." One special interest today seemly is the expansion of Gay, Lesbian and transgender issues. I suggest to you that the GOP has not in your prejudicial words, "panicked" , they simply do not agree with your position.You need to lose about half of your adjectives, since you are embarrassing yourself as professional journalists.

An example of the writers distain is another quote from a former Bonner County official, Cornel Rasor. "I'd hire a gay guy if I thought he was a good worker. But if he comes to work in a Tutu...He's not producing what I want in my office." It is not unusual to use an extreme example to make a point rather than a mushy hard to understand one. You people use that all of the time, including in the body of your rant of today.

Then it goes on to say, "But with one party rule, such power trips are possible. And they will continue unless voters re-establish their role as the real bosses." First, I agree that bad law is passed when dealing with single issues. Secondly, our legislature, while right of many of my opinions reflect the positions of most of Idaho voters. That is called representative government.

For those of you in the editorial department that failed Social Studies in the high school you attended, I will explain: We live in a Republic, not a democracy. A state cannot usurp the power of the federal government, nor can a city or county usurp the authority of the state. This is the form of government that our founders intended and the states agreed with.

Cities tend to be more liberal than suburban or rural voters. That demographic appears throughout the country. While urging more and more special rights for minorities, whether it be sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc. is is important to remember that many of these issues are also single issue items, as they are dealt with one at a time. The collective result can be daunting to those that still think the U.S. Constitution is a living document, not an ancient history book.

Here in Idaho, we do not attempt to overthrow our legislature, but hold elections for that purpose. We have extremists here as I'm sure you do as well. We weed them out as needed, as has recently happened in some so called non-partisan races, and in the case of a Constitutionalist that cloaked himself in a Republican pelt, so that he could spout ultra conservative views. The feds are currently foreclosing on his home for refusal to pay taxes. Besides, the IRS needs the money for their next warm fuzzy conference.

So while it is admirable for you to be concerned for us with our dictators in Boise, we suggest you concern yourself with the one party rule in your U.S. Senators and governors, elected by King and Pierce Counties, not the state of Washington.

Another closing thought, is that since you opted to desert Idaho by discontinuing the weekly Idaho Handle Extra and the Prairie Voice, you keep your nose out of our decision making process and pay attention to those readers in Spokane, most of which are the only ones left. So if you hear an echo, it is the Idaho readers you have lost and cannot now hear your drunken opinions.

Diamond Cup Press Conference

A press conference was held Wednesday with the announcement that the Unlimited Hydroplane races will indeed return to Lake Coeur d'Alene, but at a better location. In the old days, to much shoreline was free and fund raising had become impossible.

By using the State Parks land between the Beach House and Tony's, bleachers will be erected and ticket sold. (Through Tickets West.com) Parking will be at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds with shuttle buses taking fans to the race course. Plan your Labor Day Week-end for the big race. Most of you weren't around back in 1968, but trust me, It is top notch entertainment.

Bayview Daze Fireworks

 

Bayview Daze is almost upon us, and with the events come our annual fireworks show. Some fundraising difficulties have arisen over the last two or so years. Much of it is due to estrangement between what is called Bayview Chamber of Commerce, when in fact it isn't a pro business organization at all, and many of the business leaders in town.

Perhaps it is time for the marina owners to step up. Chan Karupiah, owner of five of the seven marinas in Scenic Bay suggested the other day, that he and owners of MacDonald's and Bitter End marinas get together and develop a plan to subsidize the annual activity.

I personally think it is  a great idea. Most of the movers and shakers that once participated in chamber leadership have dropped out after terms of their offices expired. Perhaps they should rename themselves something like Bayview Community Improvement club or some such.

Business leaders are usually happy to help raise funds and even donate large amounts, but have problems working with the chamber leaders that appear sometimes, anti-business. Let's invite the principle business owners to the table to run the show collectively.

Homosexuality. Equality or privelege

I have been following two parallel arguments, both featuring how society should handle  a subject just a few years ago was felonious behavior. Now most of us have become used to   the assimilation of what used to be referred to in law as sexual deviation. The issue? Homosexuality. Should they be treated with respect? Absolutely! Now comes the complications.

We here in North Idaho, a bright blue state, have, in Coeur d'Alene, a quaint medium sized town that happens to be a destination resort. The Coeur d'Alene Resort, a five star destination hotel and marina dominates the downtown waterfront. We have the usual coffee houses, specialty cafe's, wine cellars and the like. It wasn't always like this. Back in the 1970's our tourist trade was on it's lips. Mining, which is what built the town along with logging had slumped into recession. The mines were shutting down, the mills were disappearing at an allarming rate, and Kootenai county was looking for  a new identity.

Duane Hagadone, Jerry Jaeger and others in about ten years turned the town into a tourist destination resort. Some feel, with justification that the Resort tended to bully the rest of Coeur d'Alene. That happens when you obtain power. Most like power and find no ready reason to surrender it.

Over all, Hagadone, with some notable exceptions, has rescued this city from the doldrums. It, of course would have eventually happened anyway, but since he owned most of the downtown waterfront, hey, he led.

OK, I didn't intend to relate the entire history of coeur d'Alene, just what has at led to the present. The serious recession a few years ago brought huge numbers of immigrants from the cities of California. We here, were not quite ready for this culture shock. Over the years. One of the imports was the acceptance of what we considered deviant sexual behavior. Sodomy.  We even have specialty bars that cater to the lesbian/Gay community. No problem there. Everyone should have the right to associate with those of their choice.

Now, our town has erupted with extremism from both sides. The National council of Boy Scouts has allowed gay boys entrance. Now six year olds most probably are not aware of their sexuallity, but as you climb into puberty, these things appear.I was a cub scout, a boy scout and an explorer scout as a young man and enjoyed the associations with others my age,that we had on camp outs and other activities.

Now come the do gooders in our current society. Those that weren't around during my formative years. I have no problem with giving respect within the community equally to hetero or homosexual people. It is when it hinges on privilege, rather than equality that I say, Whoa!.

Currently, the city Council of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho has passed an ordinance that has not just red necks in an uproar, but the Christian community as well. Mike Kennedy, (no relation) and a man I normally respect, has kicked over the traces and authored this ordinance that tromps all over the religious community which holds that the bible condemns sodomy.

At the same time, the sponsorship of boy scout groups are being dropped by many organizations, with most being churches. I am 75 tears old and have seen much. Good and bad. I have never seen basic principles of the religious community being tromped on with impunity. Congregations are being ripped apart all in the interests of social engineering. Undoing in that last thiry years what took 2013 years to establish, and more if you include the Jewish old testament. Christ has been outlawed.

The text of the penalties clause is attached.

 http://media.spokesman.com/documents/2013/06/2720_001.pdf

Where Has Time Gone

As I sit here and reminisce about the eighteen years I have spent here in Bayview, something came home to me with a thud. I had just finished talking to a friend of all of those eighteen years, Larry Justus.

When I first arrived here, I was, like most outsiders, treated somewhat roughly by the long time residents. The question often arose, "So how long have you lived here?" Or, "where you from, anyway?" Back then, then the population was very stable. Many families could count several generations of residency in and around Bayview, Athol and even little enclaves nearby that don't exist anymore.

Several years after settling here in Bayview I had the opportunity to write an area column on people, places and events of the past for the Idaho edition of the Spokesman-Review.  I learned more about my neighbors, their families, and the early days of this quaint unincorporated town.

I gained from this, a great appreciation for those who preceded me, and through my studies and writing gradually became accepted as a seasoned resident.

Several people who I first met and then became friends with had a great impact on me. With my infamous memory for names I won't attempt to name most of them, but wherever they are, they know who I'm talking about.

Probably the first were Jim and Jean Campbell, soon to be owners of the Captain's wheel Restaurant, which I had a hand in naming. The next were coincidentally, fellow officers of the then appropriately named the Bayview Chamber of commerce. Lorraine Landwher, and last but certainly not least, Liz and Larry Justus.  Larry, a builder and Liz the longtime beauty shop owner, and a beauty herself.

Since then, Jim &and Jean Campbell sold out and moved into the mobile living lifestyle of snowbirds. Larry retired from building and Liz sold her salon which is now the Idaho Fish and game offices. Liz and Larry developed a beautiful medium sized RV park built around Bayview Creek, which they named Lakeland RV Park.though has been hacked at many times, the creek still exists, the water burbling by the camp sites on it's way sometimes above ground, sometimes underground, to it's exit at Lake Pend Oreille. Liz & Larry traditionally have a happy hour every Friday at 3:00 pm for their tenants and friends.

Now comes why I chose to write this tonight. Larry has a lung disease I can't pronounce, but has been debilitating for a while now. Actually, Larry is in hospice care which he cheerfully explained to me was the end of the line. He said he was dying. I asked what can I do for you? Can I help?  He chuckled and said, Herb, nobody can help me now, but you know, I would sure like to see all my friends again. He then went on to say, happy hour, as always, starts at 3:00. All I want now is to see my friends and bullshit with them until I'm gone. Larry, I'll be there, right on time. Y'all come, too.

Your friends will be with you, either present or in their thoughts all the way Larry. You will not be alone during your final journey.

Post War Hydro Power

With the end of World War Two, thousands of tons of surplus went on the market at pennies on the dollar. Fighter aircraft such as the P-40, P-51 Mustang and the British Hurricane and spitfire all used liquid cooled engines. This led to the unlimitred Hydroplane owners of the late forties to power their boats with Allisons and Rolls-Merlins, most of which were manufactured under license by the Packard Motor Company.

The early efforts were in the Detroit and Ohio River areas in the upper Mid-West. The hull designs were what was called stepped hulls. About half way up the bottom and step up made it easier to plane on the surface, much like the float planes we see on our lakes.

The climax of every race year is the Gold Cup which is held at the last winner's designated course. The 1950 Gold Cup Regatta in Detroit had some surprises in store that shook up the entire industry. Stan Sayres, a car dealer in Seattle, Washington hired a marine designer, Ted Jones. He wanted a high powered boat with less drag than the prevailing boats.

Prior to that race, boats like Such Crust, Tempo, My Sweetie (Bill Cantrell, driver) Miss Pepsi and others dominated the sport with stepped hydros. Jones designed a boat the touched the water at three points. an area of about two inches at the rear of each sponson and the bottom half of the ;propeller. Sponsons were a little like twin hulls, but racier. From a TV rear view you can see all the way through to the bow. The boats were not any longer in the water, they were essentially flying.

The Jones designed and driven boat in 1950 was misleading. It was called Slo-Mo-Shun 1V. It wiped out the field even lapping several boats. The Gold Cup was coming to Seattle. During that winter, another boat was built. Slo-Mo-Shun V. At that point, Ted Jones separated from the Sayres camp and started building boats for other owners, mostly in Seattle.

I mentioned Bill Cantrell in the previous paragraph because he was a power to be reckoned with once he had a competitive boat. He later piloted the Gale boats, the camp that Seattleites loved to hate. Lee Schoenith, owner and Bill Cantrell driver would be the only eastern boat to contest the Seattle boats of the fifties.

New craft showed up named Wahoo, Miss Bardahl, Thriftway, the beer boats, with Budweiser and Miller slugging it out, Rebel Suh, Shanty, Hawaii Kai and Oh Boy Oberto. Drivers were Bill Muncie, Chip Hanauer, Jack Regis, Mira Slovak, Rex Manchester, all legends of their time, but their time was coming to a close. Too many drivers killed, three in one season spelled the end of the open rear cockpit boats. One, Thriftway too was a front cab over, but was designed for two engines but only ran with one. It was un-competitive.

Now a days, we call these boats "Vintage." They will be present at Diamond Cup 2013 along with a new class called H1, Turbine powered. All enclosed cabs with escape features that were faster, but without the Rolls-Merlin roar that we all loved. The H53 turbine powered Helicopter that did yeoman service in Viet Nam had a jet engine that was adaptable to the unlimited Hydroplanes. A new generation of boats were born. Hey, without war surplus we wouldn't have a sport.

Birth Of The Hydroplanes

Without a doubt, with World War two not occurring, hydroplanes wouldn't have been invented. The first and foremost requirement of the early hydros is that they be liquid cooled. Only the first generations of fighter planes used liquid cooling. The P-40 Warhawk was one of the first.

The Warhawk was primarily used for ground attack but was a formidable dog fighter as well. The Canadians primarily flew them during the war. Powered by Allison 12 cylinder engines, they cranked jp about 1100 horsepower. The more famous of these planes though were the ones flew in the Burma-China theater. They were referred to by the Chinese as Flying Tigers. The Japanese having a different perspective, called them devil planes and other names unfit for print.

Though the Japanese had superior planes, the Flying Tigers had Superior training. All of the pilots were given discharges from the US Navy and Army Air forces for the purpose of enlisting in the Chinese Air Force. These were top of the line pilots, instructors and other experienced people including of course enlisted mechanics, armorers and such. 

The U.S Army Air Force chose te slightly faster and more maneuverable P-51 Mustang. The P-51 early models used the V12 Allison as well. They were some of the first supercharged engines ever used. Later P-51's switched to Packard built Rolls-Merlin engines. These were british planes built in the USA.

The British Spitfire, also using Rolls-Merlins were the follow on fighter that stole most of the glory from the Hurricane, which was the plane that won the Battle of Britain. Early in the war, much like the United States, the UK was not prepared to go to war. The brits dusted off some plans for a low wing fighter, added a better engine and took to the sky driving back the German ME-109's and others including the Heinkel bomber that indiscriminately bombed London. That prompted the British  to return the favor, obliterating German cites.

The end of the war in 1945 created a huge surplus of these planes. Canada sold over 100 of them at $50 per plane. With all of these high performance liquid cooled engines available, there were a few racing enthusiasts with a need for speed. Thus the birth of modern era hydroplane racing. More to follow in a series following the history of the Unlimited Hydros, or as they were known, Thunder boats.

Tough Family

Thursday was a day of excitement and some pain, too. It seems my Grandson, Dean was playing baseball during P.E. when he slid hard into second base after a hit. School officials immediately reacted, as it was obvious that Dean was hurt. After a quick check they called 911. He was transported to the local hospital with which turned out to be a broken arm. Both bones.

My son, Herb Jr was phoned by the school. Dean, having some tough times growing up had experienced some disciplinary problems in the past. Fearing the worst, Herb Jr was relieved that it was only an injury and not an expulsion call. He rushed to the hospital sped by fear.

Upon reaching said institution, as Dean was wheeled into surgery, he asked just one question. "Were you safe,? " he asked. He was.

The following day, after an all night vigil, my son called the boy's Grandmother, my former wife. Her first question was, "Why didn't he score?"

Changing the subject, I have decided, along with my partner to sell our cute little sail boat. We are both to old and to decrepit to crawl around on the decks tangling shrouds.It's a bargain. A 21 foot Macgregor with a  lift hatch that allows passengers to stand up while under way. The main sail needs replacing, but the boat itself and the remaining jibs are in excellent shape. The boat comes with a trailer, but with no motor. This boat is priced at $800.00. No other offers will be accepted unless they are higher.

Donald "Skip" Wilcox

Memorial Service

Friday, May 31^st at 7:00 P.M.

Ceremonial boat ride will take place in the Peaceful Warrior with Kevin Elmore at the helm.  This will start when the Peaceful Warrior comes out of its slip at MacDonald’s with family on board.  For those that would like to follow the Peaceful Warrior on Friday evening, please plan on being on your boats in the bay close to MacDonald’s by 7:00 p.m.  Skip’s boat will be leaving MacDonald’s between 7:00 and 7:30 once everyone is on board.  Please do not pull into MacDonald’s marina as not to interrupt any business taking place with customers and marina staff.

 

Venue - Indoor / Outdoor Memorial Service – Bayview Community Center  

Saturday, June 1st at 1:00 P.M. 

• Kathy Wilcox will open the ceremony with the raising of the flag, Pledge of Allegiance and / or the National Anthem and a speech.
• Each one of Skip’s girls will speak after their mother.
• Prayer
• The floor will then be opened for those who wish to speak.
• Mingle time for family and friends with finger foods, coffee and punch. A slide show will be playing inside the Community Center throughout this celebration of an incredible man that touched so many lives.
• Closing with the lowering of the flag and Taps.

For those of you that wish to do something in honor of Skip, the family has requested that non-perishable food or cash donations be brought to the Community Center for the local food bank at the time of the memorial.  Containers will be available to accept donations.  

The family has also requested that if anyone would like to help with the service, it would be greatly appreciated if folks could bring finger food type items to share at the service on Saturday.  Please bring your snack to the Community Center prior to the beginning of the service.  Ideas are cookies, vegetable trays, fruit trays, meat and or cheese trays, and crackers to name a few.  No hot dishes or salads, please.

God has truly blessed us by having Skip touch our lives, so in his honor, be sure and give someone a hug every day and tell them to “Have a Beautiful Day”. 

Diamond Cup 2013

I have been asked repeatedly several questions about the unlimited hydroplane races scheduled for the Labor Day week-end. The first and most asked is, "will there be a race this year or not?" The answer is absolutely yes.

This year's regatta will be full of surprises that I am not authorized to discuss quite yet. While I will be writing much between now and August 30, where I will trade my computer for a microphone, I am not the official spokesperson for the committee. The Chairperson, Doug Miller is in charge of that sort of thing. If he asks me, I will certainly make periodic announcements, but it will kick off in a week or two, with a press conference.

With last year falling short, the committee feels conservative and want's every I dotted and T crossed before doing that. We are only days away from that happening. The information that I now possess is proprietary and I cannot comment.

I can tell you that there will be surprises galore. Plan on spending all three days here in Coeur d'Alene. Tickets are available through Ticketswest.com/diamondcup. Don't be square, See you there. August 30, September 1-2.

Seattle PD Get Down

In reading Briefs in this morning's Spokesman-Review, I spit out my coffee as I read where Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is lowering standards for new police hires. It seems the mayor doesn't feel his officers adequately represent the average Seattle citizen. Now that Pot is legal, he is going to allow his recruits to more accurately reflect the community standards.

Vissible tattoos on the face and neck along with a history of pot smoking no longer will disqualify a police recruit. Several images popped into my head at that point.

Officer pulls a violator over for speeding. Approaching the car, said officer, sprouting scraggly facial hair, kill the pigs tats and other previously disqualifications ain't the deal anymore. Here's an example.

The past officer: "Sir, do you know why I stopped you?" No sir, I was only going 25 mph." Yes sir, I understand that. are you aware the speed limit here is 70mph?" "Um no sir. Am I in trouble?" Yes sir. Would you please step out of your car? ... If you can?

New officer: Approaching the speeder: Officer: "yo Dude, you cool with me today?" Right on, pal. Wuzzup? Well You looked kind of strange when you drove by so I figured I best check you out." May I see your um ... work permit ... no, receipt from Walmart?... That thingy that they give you so's you be jiggy wit the rules." "Oh, you mean this drivers license?"

Ya man, dat's it. Hey, dude, that be a bunch of cash you got there. Mind me borrowing say $50.00 so's I can score a lid? Driver: No sir. Anything else I can do for you? "Well, now that you mention it, My rent is due too. Can you help out a neighbor? Sure pal, Now I gotta run. Take care sir.

"Right on, dude. "

Seattle just isn't the same as it was when I lived there.

Politics & Sex

Today's post is about two political subjects, that neither should be.

Let's take today's Spokesman-Review editorial page. There were two editorials , one written by a journalism teacher, the other a nationally syndicated columnist.

In the first, written by Jamie Tobias Neely, generally approves of plan B without parental notification. One can only hope her children, if any, are grown up.

Her position which uses a fictitious movie comedy, "Juno," yes essentially, yes, why not, after all they are already screwing like rabbits and at lease the kids won't have unwanted babies.

The Second, is Kathleen Parker, a syndicated columnist who says no. Why make it easier to talk an eleven year old into having sex. (my Quote) I can see it now. The boy. "Hey it's alright and it's fun plus here's a pill that will keep you from getting pregnant." O.K, I used a fictitious conversation too.

There are two obvious conclusions that are not being discussed. First, why can a teen not be able to accept Tylenol at school or have any surgery other than life saving emergency, without parental consent? Why? Because sexual issues, are a defacto exception to the consent rules fostered by the the pro choice movement. Doesn't anyone feel this is strange? You can't have a wart removed, but you can take a sexual permission pill without discussing or even involving a parent or court.

If I'm a fourteen year old boy trying to get sex from a girl on the edge of refusal, I could hand her a vitamin pill and go after it. This is a political decision, period, not a health one. I am now 75 tears old. I can still remember the arguments used to seduce a teen. Sometimes they were successful, sometimes not, and in my day a kid couldn't even buy a condom and birth control wasn't invented yet. With the permissive political interference with parent/child issue, it is even easier.

So OK, Ms Neely, maybe your 13 1/2 percent of sexual activity is valid, but I wish to make two points in rebuttal. One, you made no reference to source of the figure, nor did you specify that the percentage were all girls or included boys who would generally outnumber the girls. Notice I'm using the terms boys and girls. Just passing puberty does not bestow adulthood.

One commentator a liberal, one a conservative. This conversation should be between a doctor, a parent and a girl-child, not political commentators.  Oh, and maybe an attorney since statutory Rape may well be covered up, thus destroying evidence in a potential criminal case. Maybe fourteen year olds cannot afford the $37.00 pill, but I bet an eighteen year old can.

Cancer Strikes My Family

I wasn't too worried back a few years ago when I had Prostate Cancer, 'cause the VA fixed it with very little in the way of side effects.
That was then, this is now.

My daughter has developed female type cancer, stage three and is undergoing both radiation and Chemotherapy which she will receive for three more weeks. She runs a small coffee house in Capitola, California, which is a beautiful little beach town.

Unfortunately, along with the lack of business she lost her roommate, which in Capitola, is a tremendously expense place to live. We are hoping for the best, but having cancer treatments and homeless it ain't  a good scene.

Please sent prayers. If I skip a few days posting new stuff, please understand and come back when I am able to concentrate on local happenings.

Double Standards

In reading this morning's Spokesman-Review, an Associated Press reporter gushed over a black jockey, Kenvin Krigger, who is scheduled to ride in the Kentucky Derby. The gushing wasn't about his success as a jockey, or his contribution to society. The gushing was about his race.

In an era that demands that we be blind to sexual orientation, color, ethnic origins, religion and other various things that make us stand out as different, this smug reporter committed the sin of racial prejudice simply by singling him out as a member of one of the above categories, rather than just his accomplishments.

There are so many examples of these double standards that it causes me to wonder if people listen to their own words, or perhaps it is alright to differentiate it you are saying nice things about a racial minority.

Some of the more obvious violations of this taboo, are the Congressional Black Caucus. How do you suppose people, especially the radical left print reporters would react to the formation of a White Caucus.

If equality is our goal, as it should be, then stop singling out individuals or groups based solely on their color, creed or national origins and simply discuss them as Americans.

R.I.P

We had an unusually sad  week as we lost two long time well known residents.

LaVerne Rickle, widow of Ivan died suddenly of an apparent heart attack last week. Her and her husband operated the Rickle Ranch just south and east of Silverwood prior to their retirement. Just like a clock that keeps perfect time, LaVerne would be at the door waiting at Ralph's if he should show up late for opening. knowing better than to keep her waiting, he was on time. During their lives, Ivan and now LaVerne never had anything bad to say about anyone and conversely, they didn't't have any enemies either. She will, as her late husband, be sorely missed.

The other death was Skip Wilcox. Skip worked tirelessly, contributing to his community. Some of his contributions were always welcome, some were not. At the end of the day, nobody doubted his sincerity nor his dedication whether they agreed with his positions or not. He will also be missed by many.

Although Skip hadn't  lived in Bayview all his life, he settled here after retiring from the U.S Air Force as a Lt. Colonel working in the cold war missile silos. his family goes way back. John Wilcox, his grandfather, owned a two story float house in Bayview with living quarters above and a boat rental business below.

It burned down and was replaced with a single story building after the fire. Chased off the frontage he occupied after another pioneer bought the riparian lots facing him, he promptly purchased the lot just west of the old location and using logs, rolled the house up onto his lot.

He sold out to the Navy when World War 11 came along and the building was subsequently sold again, operating as Boileau's Resort. The old float house is now the Button Hook restaurant, currently closed.

If you wish more of the history of that building and other ownerships, go to spokesman.com/archives for part three, history of Bayview, written by yours truly and assisted greatly by Linda Hackbarth, Bayview's own historian.

Boston, The Aftermath

All weekend long, the pundits, quasi-experts and uninformed media has inundated us with whether or not to mirandize the remaining suspect in the bombing. This stirred quite a debate which I consider wasted effort.

Miranda, as I understand it was designed to give a suspect the opportunity to not give testimony, or information to investigators that might incriminate them. It is a non issue. They do not need any confession of guilt. The authorities have him cold.

The only reason to question him now is to try to determine whether or not their was others involved, either domestic or Jihadists from abroad. It don't matter if they did or did not mirandize him.

Two things came out of this incident. The first, is no matter how long Islamic immigrants have been in this country, they cannot be trusted. Secondly, we ought to, since we cannot with any accuracy differentiate, cease issuing visas to these creeps. If we are going to allow students from other countries to live here, make it from countries without  a terrorist tradition.

The only good thing about extremist Jihadists is that they can only blow themselves up once. Lets make it a little harder to do that. Stop trying to be their friends and go back to the basics of U.S. Government. Protect public safety. No where in our constitution does making nice with Jihadist assholes trump the protection clause. Shut the doors. We cannot justify a border patrol if we invite them in through the front door.

There have been many examples of trusted Moslems suddenly turning violent screaming Alahu Akbar as they mow down our innocent civilians and or military. (See the Army officer at Ft. Hood)

A Miracle In Bayview

Those that do not believe in miracles or even religion will have to take a step back today. Last week,  a local bible study group from the Real Life Church in Post Falls, got together and decided to help Yvonne Wallis, the victim a couple of years ago of the dastardly attack by a deranged neighbor wilding a hammer. Yvonne's daughter-in-law, patty was killed and Yvonne endured two years of surgeries and long recovery periods in which she had to have twice daily antibiotics intravenously administered by friends and neighbors.

Today she is once again healthy and in addition to that she became interested in a neighbor who hosted a bible study group in her home. One thing led to another, as her home was in sad shape without the necessary funds to improve it.

In stepped the bible study group, Bayview residents, all. They arranged for Yvonne to visit relatives for a week while they did a makeover, and wow, what a makeover.

When Yvonne walked through the door, she faced an entirely new living room from carpet up to new furniture. Turning toward her kitchen, she observed new cabinets and a brand spanking new kitchen range.

Long having to sleep in her old recliner due to an old back injury, the group obtained a new hospital bed which can mechanically raise and lower both the head and middle of the bed. She slept pain free in it for the first time last night.

This church group didn't just use platitudes, they donated several hundred dollars to make this dream come true. They not only put up the money for new furniture and appliances, they also spent the entire week painting, cleaning and spiffing the place up. As she stepped onto her deck she was greeted to a very nice patio furniture set. If this wasn't a Christian miracle, I've never seen one.

Today, Yvonne Wallis has the start of a new life. Healthy once more, found a Christian life style and now a home that for all intent and purposes is brand new.

A Clear Choice

Back in the 1960's, the ultra-conservatives were mostly members of the John Birch Society. Discredited in the mid-sixties, they segued into what was called the Constitution party. One of their first presidential candidates was a former Bircher, John Schmidt, a Southern Californian.

In more recent years, the Constitutionalists realizing they weren't capturing any political offices, began to infiltrate the Republican Party. Today, many of the more active members of the Kootenai County party are those people. Flying false colors they purport to be Republicans when actually they are RINOS. Republicans in name only.

These people are not satisfied with conquering Republican seats in the legislature and the County Council, they want the non-partisan offices as well. Two of the candidates for the 1st and 5th district School Board are such ideologists. On the other hand, Christa Hazel and Tom Hearn are eminently qualified, not along by political affiliation but by actual qualifications. Their opponents have only their ideology.

This year's school board trustee election is not your usual flip a coin and pick 'em. One challenger is Christa Hazel. She is an attorney, a mother and a community activist. She has a balanced view on the various subjects that are brought up, but most importantly, she is issue orientated, not ideological. A person that votes only for political purity as in the Constitution party will deserve what she or he gets. On top of that, ironically, Her opponent home schools his kids. To hire someone to supervise students in a school he doesn't believe in is madness. ...But then Wackos tend toward those extremes.

Then we have Tom Hearn. A professional Mental Health doctor, father of three. He is opposed by a self proclaimed Constitution party member. At the last Coeur d'Alene City Council meeting, he roared at the council telling them that there are thousands  of his ilk out there. (How about a couple of hundred?, Maybe just a few dozen?)  The extreme elements in Kootenai County are making an obvious run at controlling everything including non-partisan offices.

This attitude reflects a mirror image of Washington State where liberal democrats have ruled for a long time. I was once a worker in Ronald Reagan's campaign for California governor in 1965-66. Sure, we had weirdo's down there, but they called themselves the "John Birch Society." Not so with the real Reagan's record. He stood for party unity, not the splits that the Republican party is famous for. He coined the phrase, "Eleventh Commandment" which stated thou shalt not speak ill of other Republicans.

He was also a consensus builder. In both the California legislature and then as president of the United States, he was faced with powerful democratic leadership. He somehow managed to get along with those people and brought California out of a serious cash flow problem. Of course other subsequent governors  put them right back where they were financially.

As you can see, some locals thinking to gain legitimacy by using his name in vain are the archetypical wolf in sheep's clothing. These extremists are well organized and the public needs to participate. If they don't, the extremists will win by default. If you want issues resolved, not right wing extremism vote for a sensible school board candidate like Christa Hazel and Tom Hearn.

Yvonne Wallis Revisited

As many of you remember, Yvonne along with her daughter-in-law, were attack by a hammer wielding neighbor who obviously had mental issues. The daughter-in-law, Patricia was killed, but Yvonne survived. Many of you helped out financially to pull her through this period of recovery which took all of two
years.

Recently, Yvonne has joined the Real Life Church where she met local people that had formed a bible study group.This group decided to do a complete makeover of her single wide mobile home that is aging.Paint, carpet, furnishings, etc. One need we are reaching out for is a hospital bed. One that cranks up and down. She currently sleeps in her recliner, due to a severe back problem that precludes her sleeping on a flat surface.

If you have, or know of someone that has a hospital be that is not in use and is willing to donate it, please contact me at 208-683-9107, Bayview, Idaho or at: bayviewherb@gmail.com

From The BBC

 


Apparently, camels in Mali aren't just used as beasts of burden. Here's a story from the BBC

says Mali is to send the French president a replacement camel after the first, given to him as a gift, was eaten, Reuters reports.
Francois Hollande had left the creature with a family in Timbuktu for safekeeping, after it was presented to him by local residents in February.
But it was promptly slaughtered and used in a tagine.
France sent troops to Mali in January to regain the north from a loose coalition of militant Islamist groups.
During the young camel's handover ceremony, Mr Hollande had joked about using "it as much a I can as a means of transport" around the Parisian traffic jams.

"It was a present that did not deserve this fate”

Unnamed Malian official
 

French officials had originally planned to transport the animal to a zoo in France, but because of the complex logistics it was decided instead to entrust the beast to a local family.

The French defence minister informed the president of the camel's death during a recent cabinet meeting, Valeurs Actuelles magazine reported.
"As soon as we heard of this, we quickly replaced it with a bigger and better-looking camel," Reuters quoted an unnamed Malian official as saying.
"The new camel will be sent to Paris. We are ashamed of what happened to the camel. It was a present that did not deserve this fate."
France currently has 4,000 troops in Mali, backed by thousands of Malian, Chadian and other African forces.

 France's defence ministry said this week it had started the withdrawal of its forces from Mali.

Diamond Cup Regatta

Tickets are moving fast and given preferencial seating as they are sold. Don't get left out with tickets to right field. Straightaway tickets are still available at Tickets West, but it isn't too early to order now.

We'll have a full slate of classes with the jet boats, H-1 series, the vintage boats and Grandprix class that use automotive power and are almost as fast as the big boats.

You can park all day at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds for $10 per day and take a shuttle to the race course.

Alcoholic beverages are allowed only in designated beer gardens. This will assure families of a well behaved crowd.

If many of you haven't experienced the thunder boats, the vintage class with Rolls-Merlin engines (from Spitfire fighters) are featured. The boat skips from sid to side on the rear corner of the sponsons and the bottom half of the prop. The top half sticking out of the water creates the huge rooster tails missing in the more modern jet craft.

Funds Needed

I have raised money  for several people in need, but find myself, or I should say, my daughter in need Her name is Michaella Olivera.  She was recently diagnosed with stage three Cancer. She will shortly travel to Stanford University for radiation and chemotherapy. 

If you cannot help with money, please send prayers.

Her address is: 1475 - 41st Ave
 Capitola, CA 95010

I previously had the address wrong. It has been corrected.

My address is: PO Box 884, Bayview, ID 83803
My phone is 208-683-9107

Loaded With Choices

This year's school board trustee election is not your usual flip a coin and pick 'em. One challenger is Christa Hazel. She is an attorney, a mother and a community activist. She has a balanced view on the various subjects that are brought up, but most importantly, she is issue orientated, not ideological. A person that votes only for political purity as in the Constitution party will deserve what she or he gets. On top of that, ironically, Her opponent home schools his kids. To hire someone to supervise students in a school he doesn't believe in is madness. ...But then Wackos tend toward those extremes.

Then we have Tom Hearn. A professional Mental Health doctor, father of three. He is opposed by a self ;proclaimed Constitution party member. At the last Coeur d'Alene City Council meeting, he roared at the council telling them that there are thousands  of his ilk out there. (How about a couple of hundred?)
The extreme elements in Kootenai County are making an obvious run at controling everything including non-partisan offices.

This attitude reflects a mirror image of Washington State where liberal democrats have ruled for a long time.I was once a worker in Ronald Reagan's campaign for California governor in 1965-66. Sure, we had weirdos down there, but they called themselves the "John Birch Society." Not so with the real Reagan's record. He stood for party unity, not the splits that the Republican party is famous for. He coined the phrase, "Eleventh Commandment" which stated thou shalt not speak ill of other Republicans.

He was also a consensus builder. In both the California legislature and then as president of the United States, he was faced with powerful democratic leadership. He somehow managed to get along with those people and brought California out of a serious cash flow problem. Of course other subsequent governors  put them right back where they were financially.

As you can see, some locals thinking to gain legitimacy by using his name in vain are the archetypical wolf in sheep's clothing. These extremists are well organized and the public needs to participate. If they don't, the extremists will win by default. If you want issues resolved, not right wing extremism vote for a sensible school board candidate like Christa Hazel and Tom Hearn.

For those that are curious, I am a Republican since  1964. I am right of center, but not far.I don't wish to tear our party up, but to bring everyone under the same tent. Ceding the party to the extremists will only marginalize it. Another Reagan quote, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. (Lord Acton.) If organizations wish to use his name they ought to stand for his principles. It is not healthy for one party or one segment to win control over everything, even non-partisan offices.

If you are wondering why a Bayview resident such as myself is involved, keep in mind that many of the Reagan Republicans  and other organizations do not live in Coeur d'Alene either. Most are from Post Falls and Northern Kootenai County.

Wounded Warriors At Diamond Cup

The Diamond Cup committee has been contacted by a group called Operation Ward57. This is a non-profit group that supports Wounded Warriors in many different ways. An all volunteer group that assists wounded Veterans return to civilian lives that have disabilities.

The Diamond Cup committee is proud to support this group with free passes to the best seats on the course, along with transportation to and from the race site.

Thousands of myriad details are yet to be addressed between now and race day, August 30 Through September 1  Labor Day Weekend. Posters will be out soon showing times and dates for all events. Along with the H-1 Jet boats, there will be an exhibition race with the vintage Thunder Boats, sporting Allison and Rolls-Merlin engines used in World War 11 fighter  planes such as the P-51 Mustang and the Spitfire of battle of Britain fame.

Limited Hydros won't be left out either.  The Grand Prix boats are nothing to sneer at. They sport 454 blown engines that can propel the boats up to 150 mph.

Friday, August 30 will feature testing along with Jet boat qualifying. The pits will be open to the public that day, closed Saturday and Sunday. The Budweiser Distributor will distribute posters at all beer outlets and your favorite watering hole.

Two web addresses to take note of are: operationward57.org, where you can offer financial support for out wpounded vets, and  www.ticketswest.com. for race tickets.

School Board Elections

It somehow amazes me when the Ideologues are so wrapped up in their practice of preaching to the Choir, that they forget an important ingredient for good government.

Yes, political philosophy is important, but only to a point. That point is first, that the philosophy is not destructive as it was when Adams was elected to the Coeur d'Alene city council. Secondly, and a point that has been glossed over, is that the candidate be qualified for the office he or she seeks.

The School board trustee election is a case in point. On the one hand there are two candidates that appear to have only membership in the falsely named Reagan Republicans as their sole qualification. With a lobby of same thinkers behind them we are in danger of turning our institutions into funny farms.

 
The school board elections in Coeur d'Alene are supposed to be non-partisan. The Reagan Republicans didn't waste any time smearing Christa Hazel with the hated librul label, this a woman that worked for Helen Chenoweth, who was certainly not left of center.

Christa is a parent with school age children, as is Hearn. I personanlly believe that having skin in the game is terribly important, since there is a direct effect on one's own kids if poor education is present.She also has a law degree. Having been involved with community affairs since before college, you coun't ask for a better qualified candidate.

Tom Hearn, also a parent with young kids is a mental health professional with a ton of experience. The kind that the schools need. I have no idea what Hearn's politics are because you see, it is a non-partisan office. I think the only reservation I would have about any candidate is first, don;t elect another political candidiate that normally resides on a different planet.

The election and subsequent disaster on the city council should be warning enough. Bring forth people with common sense, beware of social engineering in our schools and we will as our children, prosper in the future.  Above all, be sure your vote goes for someone that cares about the kids, not inserting politics into our education system.

These are two excellent choices. Use them.

Tom Hearn For School Board

This is my endorsement for good education. (Herb Huseland)He has skin in the game as well.

"I support safe, dynamic, 21st Century classrooms to best ensure a successful, productive, job-ready future for our children. Sound decision-making, good citizenship, personal responsibility and financial independence are all products of a quality education system. By supporting our children, our teachers, and support staff, we support quality of life for every citizen of Coeur d'Alene."
Tom Hearn

I have spent my whole professional life advocating for the care and safety of children and their families. If elected, I will continue to be an active and positive voice on behalf of the children of the school district. I will also support our teachers so they can continue to provide the best possible education for our children.

I believe strongly in fiscal responsibility. I am the owner of a successful private mental health clinic in Coeur d'Alene and know what it takes to manage a business. I have worked in this area since 1986 and have never been bankrupt or had any type of significant financial problems, including tax liens against my business.

I believe in research-based, forward-thinking education policy. While I obviously support teaching the core curriculum requirements, we also need to support innovation and the latest research-based programs. We need to support our teachers and administrators in their efforts to use the best teaching tools available. With continued hard work, we can make the Coeur d'Alene School District a world class school district.

To provide the best education for our children, we need effective communication between the school board, educators, and the citizens of Coeur d'Alene. During my 35 years in the mental health field, I have been appointed to State boards by both Democratic and Republican governors. I served as Chairperson in both instances. My experience has allowed me to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and I know how to encourage communication and respect between people with differing interests and concerns.

I believe that the school board needs to remain a non-partisan elected body concerned only with providing a quality education to the students of Coeur d'Alene. I am and will continue to be non-partisan in my approach to the concerns and responsibilities of the Coeur d'Alene School Board. I have no agenda in this election and truly just want to help our students and education professionals.

Please contact me if you have any questions about my candidacy. I can be reached by email, by postal mail, or on Facebook. Thank you for your support.

Vote May 21st

Power Corrupts And Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

First the firing of the best public defender in Kootenai County History over personal attacks and council bullying, now a country treasurer not daring to retire for fear far right politics will skew what has been twelve years of smooth operation.

Perhaps it is time to stop Spencer candidates from being elected from the hinterlands of what ever planet his political persuasion originates from. Jai Nelson is misusing the power bestowed upon her and the other two are going along with her.

When doing a good job interferes with a political agenda, it is time to replace the political thorn in the county's side. I urge those of you that have been outraged by the antics of the few, guided by the most far right and power hungry of our Republican Party, to select new candidates or even recall those that have abused their positions to settle personal issues. If you wish to be heard, send a powerful message to Jai Nelson at: jnelson@kcgov.us

Do you miss our previous council president yet?

Birth Day

As I woke this morning, the temperature a cool 42 degees, I realized that I was on the eve of being three quarters of a century old. Sunday, March 23 1938 I came squalling into the world preparing for war. The Germans had been at war with England and most of Europe for a year or so at my birth.

I grew up in a war atmosphere with dad going to work at Todd's Shipyard, building wooden decks on destroyers. At four I had climbed a cherry tree in our back yard and proceeded to fall, landing on my head. That may explain a lot.

Somehow I survived childhood, though it must have been a close thing. The polite way of putting it was that I was precocious. I was slow growing up. I don't have any idea when I will reach maturity. Maybe I will skip that as unnecessary.

Tomorrow, Saturday March 23, 2013 I will achieve 75 years of age, without having been shot by a jealous husband. I'm told there will be the mother of all birthday parties as well. I was, however, shot down over my request for dancing girls in scanties. Sunday, I return home after a detour to Capitola to visit my daughter, just out of the hospital a few days.

Dirty Water

For years I have taken good water for granted, first in the Seattle area then North Idaho. I didn't realize how privileged we are. Great clean water and good sewage disposal policies.Hey, even our irrigation water is better than the drinking water of central California.

I had a recent conversation with my daughter-in-law who felt that early puberty and an inordinate amount of twins born in this area is due to polluted water.So far, no two headed babies, but that is probably not far off. Nobody actually drinks the stuff. Some install filters so that they don't even have to shower in the local water, and this water has gone through a public utility filtration process.

There are two principle causes for this problem. Central California is the heart of our region's farms raising vegetables that we depend on as well as large dairy farms. The cows poop and pesticides abound. Also, those homes still on septic systems add to the problem.

O.K., you say, that happens all over the country, so why is it just a problem in the Central Valley? The answer is the water table.Here in Manteca, my plumber son tells me, "the water table is just five feet under the surface." This means all of the cow urine and poop along with the pesticides and with the aforementioned septic systems, create a plume of crap sinking directly into the aquifer, the water that is perfunctorily filtered, then piped to every home and business.

Why then does the EPA pick on North Idaho when bigger fish reside in California? Who knows, maybe the choice is bad water or no water. If this story doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy about our clean clear water, nothing will.

Now we have a political crises made one due to a single Ideologue bent on stopping spending regardless of what the expenditure is or how necessary it is. In this case, clean water is the goal, one mandated by the EPA. This Jerk doesn't offer an alternative, just Mule like stubbornness. This is a great example of be careful what you wish for, you may get it. Remember, you folks voted for this guy.

In the mean time, I am making Pepsi and Coca Cola many bucks selling bottled water. I'll be glad to get home where I can turn on the tap and get clean, pure water.

RoadTrip

Well actually, I'm not on a rod trip since I flew. My adult kids bought me a plane ticket to Oakland, California where my son Herb Jr picked me up. He lives in Manteca, a daughter in Modesto and another in Capitola. To make everyone feel bad, the daytime temps are in the 70's.off

I'm still excited that after being a hydro fan for 60 years, I now get to top it by being selected to be the PA announcer. That I am stoked is an understatement. This will be the high point in my life, ranking just under the birth of my kids. The challenge will be daunting, but having a hydro background will help tremendously.

Later today on to Modesto where my eldest daughter will feed us. I'll stay there until Wednesday whence I will return to Manteca. My other daughter, Sussie, is scheduled for surgery Tuesday, so I will top off the visit by dropping by the Santa Clara hospital on my way to the airport. I will return just one day after my 75th birthday. It is truly great to eat someone else s cooking. I am waiting on ESPN where the bracks will be chosen. Already the announce has been snarky about the Zags.

Since the family is planning the mother of all birthday parties, My return will consist of a two hour flight and a hangover.. As always it is fun to go and more fun to get back home.

The Last Great Race

 

1968 was the last Diamond Cup race on Lake Coeur d'Alene. The following is a column from the Seattle Times about that race.


Bardahl Wins Interminable Diamond Cup
By Bud Livesley, Times Sports Writer

COEUR D’ALENE — As a Smirnoff mechanic said, mimicking Gene Miller as he counted down the long, tiresome hours over the public address system: “It is now three days to the five-minute gun.”
It was only a slight exaggeration. It took seven minutes short of eight hours to determine a Diamond Cup hydroplane champion yesterday. It took Billy Schumacher only three seconds longer than 18 minutes to perform the task.

It took hours to piece together a timetable and a race course wrecked by a frustrating southwest wind that turned Lake Coeur d’Alene into a sea of whitecaps and a million “holes.”
In the end, persistence by men and machines outhuffed and outpuffed the wind.
It was dark when Schumacher guided the Miss Bardahl through the grey water to win the final heat and his first Diamond Cup regatta. It was 8:23 p.m.


Minutes later, blinking running lights beckoned the return of patrol boats from the battered course. Now it was peaceful, cool and pleasant. Earlier, it had been hot, windy and unpleasant.
Only the first heat, at 12:30 p. m., came off on time

Miller virtually was hoarse before the day’s activities ended with the awarding of trophies under artificial light.
Miller, the official race announcer, intoned: “There will be a 15-minute delay. There will be a half-an-hour delay. It is now 15 minutes to the five-minute gun.”
It was monotonous. But it was necessary if there was to be a race this day. And several times, that was questionable.

The wind, in gusts of 30 miles an hour, ripped loose the log boom on the back stretch. It tore the officials’ barge from its mooring and set it adrift. It was rescued, 25 yards away, by two tugs.
Several barge guests were seasick. Bill Newton, referee, stood like a captain on the bridge, feet astride, braced against the wind, a hand holding tight to his hairpiece.

At this point, man and the elements almost had battled to a standstill. Two heats, interrupted by three 15-minute delays, had been raced, with the Miss Budweiser and the Miss Bardahl victorious.
Then, at 2:30, as the hydros wallowed in deepening swells at the south end of the course, heat IC was called off because the lake, as Leif Borgersen, the Notre Dame rookie, put it, “was like an ocean.”
(Later, Borgersen, who qualified Saturday as a driver. won heat 2A.)
Two and one half hours later, the racers tried again. It was half successful. Newton called a halt after three laps, with Warner Gardner the winner aboard the pride of the Inland Empire, Miss Eagle Electric.
The Eagle was to fly high again later to give hope to partisan viewers, by then their numbers considerably fewer than an earlier estimated 30,000.

Only the die-hards were around when Gardner ran Jim McCormick out of an engine on the third lap and went on to beat the Harrah’s Club and Savair’s Mist. Thousands of followers had abandoned Tubbs Hill, their ice chests empty. The picnic was over. Only the buffs remained.
There was one final delay while three hydros — Miss U. S., Harrah’s Club and Smirnoff — were swept from the course. Bill Muncey and his world-champion U. S. were a leftover casualty from 2A when Big Red died in the infield even before reaching the starting line.

The Smirnoff expired on the second lap and Harrah’s Club a lap later, in heat 2B.
The outcome of heat 2C was put best by Tommy Fults’ 2-year-old daughter, Kelli. She proudly proclaimed to one and all, “My daddy beat the Bardahl.”

That he did. Fults led from start to finish and had the day’s best average speed, 102.661.
The sentimental favorite, Eagle Electric, was within reach of a much-desired victory in the final heat. Like the wind, she wound up breathless. Gardner had the most points, 800, going into the final 15 miles.
The Eagle flew about a quarter of a mile. Leading the way into the first turn, two belching bursts of flame erupted in the darkness.

Then the Eagle feathered a nest off the exit buoy. Gardner watched Schumacher speed off into the dark, to victory. Fults gave chase, but to no avail. Daddy tried, but he didn’t beat Bardahl this time out. Fults spun out on the north turn of the third. The Checkered Lady, shunned to the sidelines by balky engines in the past two races, was not to be denied victory No. 3 for the campaign, now heads east for the President’s Cup and the Gold Cup.

Schumacher and the Bardahl might bypass the Potomac River action with a cushion now over second-place Gardner in the chase for the national high-point championship. Schumacher, the 1967 champ, now has 5,600 points to 4,900 for Gardner.

Dave Heerensperger, owner of the Eagle Electric, took defeat graciously. “We went out leading the pack. That’s the only way to do it.”
Schumacher remarked, “It was dark and bumpy out there.”
But he was smiling. It had been a long day.
(Reprinted from The Seattle Times, August 12, 1968) (courtesy www.lesliefield.com)

Previous Post: History: 1968 Seafair   Next Post: History: 1968 APBA Gold Cup

Diamond Cup Racing

It has been years since unlimited Hydroplanes have raced on Coeur d'Alene Lake.This year, the race is coming back. Slated for Labor Day Weekend, the date is set and officially accepted by the racing commission.

I fondly look back at years of racing in Seattle, where I was raised. The hydros arrived at Lake Washington in 1952. In the beginning, the Gold Cup winner chose the location of the next race. Stan Sayres of Mercer Island, contracted with Ted Jones to design a faster boat than what was currently used in the Detroit area. The Detroit boats were what was called "stepped hydro's." A raised ledge was built into the hulls where the boat would ride on the step and the propeller. Miss Pepsi and the Gayle boats ruled the waterways at that time.

 The Sayre boats were built by Les Staudacher. Slo-mo-shun 4 was the first boat It was a radical design change. Two sponsons, one on each side supported the hull. When racing the only surfaces contacting the water were about three inches on the rear of each sponson and the bottom half of the prop. With half the prop out of the water, huge rooster tails would  climb high in the sky reaching 75 feet on the straightaways.     Sl-Mo 4 was shipped to Detroit and promptly won the Gold Cup in 1951, driven by Les Taggart. The gold Cup was coming to Seattle.

Hydro racing came to Lake Washington in the summer of 1952. By that time, the Sayre design of Jones and built by Staudacher produced another boat, Slo-Mo 5.The new boat was driven by Lou Fagel. After a few years of Seattle domination, the powers in Detroit changed the rules governing the location of the Gold cup to highest bidder. The Seafair Trophy races were born.


Some of the most famous boats were the Thriftway driven by Bill Muncy. He won 66 races, all in the Thriftway boats. Another was the Bardahl, owned by Seattle oil baron, Ole Bardahl. Later, the beer boats came along. The Miller boat and most famous of them all, the Miss Budweiser. These early boats were powered by Allison aircraft engines from World War 11, used in the Mustang fighter plane. All had to be water cooled for adaptation to the Thunder bats. Rolls Merlins were a bit more powerful and became the standard. The Rolls came from the British Spitfire of  The "Battle of Britian" fame.

Bernie Little, ever the fierce competitor, bought up all of the Rolls-Griffins, cornering the market. From that day on, he controlled the races, which because of the lack of competition nearly killed the sport. The Griffin was a second generation built for the Supermarine Spitfire.It was so powerful that the Spitfire could keep up with V-2 rockets.In the beginning, the races were carried live on all three Seattle TV Stations. Bill O'Mara of King TV was the most famous voice of the hydros.

Ron Musson, Bill Muncy and many others were killed in boat crashes. From 1968 forward the "Pickle Fork" design was used. This consisted of scooping out much of the bow which tended to catch air and flip the boats. In on of the most spectacular crashes, was Slo-Mo-5 which caught the wind and did a complete loop ending up right side up, sans driver who fell out while the boat was upside down. He survived, but never raced again. In later years the cab was located in from of the engine, the first being Thriftway too. It never lived up to expectations but when the jet boats came along, the design was adopted, along with an escape hatch on the bottom of the cockpit so that a flipped boat could allow a driver to exit from the bottom.

As racing draws near, I will write more on this subject, along with sketches of some of the more colorful drivers.

St. Patricks Day Festivities

 

 

 

 

Sadly I won't be at the festivities having flown out to California to see my kids. Have a great time and remember, green beer, not green complexion.

Spring??

Spring is struggling to arrive, with Winter dragging at her heels all the way. The days are longer and the temperatures are slowly, ever so slowly increasing. A little sun is peeking through today in Bayview and the signs of Spring are here. For now, it is dead quiet in Bayview.The loudest sound in town is fish swimming by.

As always, the signs of MacDonald's Resort towing boats back and forth from de-winterizing is the first true sign of Spring. Folks are arriving for boat and float home checks.

The unfortunate closing of J.D.'s Bar due to an untimely renewal has crowded the Captain's Wheel to capacity. Hopefully, it will open back up soon.No word yet on whether the Buttonhook or patio will open.I will let you know when I find out.

Come on down for St. Paddy's Day, with Saturday night music by the suddenly popular country band, Last Chance. They are booked all over the inland northwest with inquiries as far as Montana and further. I'll be vacationing from March 16 through the 24th but will try to post during my stay in Central California with kids and grand-kids. (also great-grand-kids) Until then, think Summer.

Hazel For School Board

In a recent conversation with Christa Hazel, I remarked, "I would ask your party affiliation but then this is a non-partisan office, isn't it."

This was her reply:

I have always been Republican.  Rumors to the contrary are false.

I served as a constituent representative for Sen. Dirk Kempthorne while a student at NIC.  I also was a volunteer campaign coordinator for Phill Batt for Latah County (I was a Kootenai County resident) while I attended the University of Idaho.  I assisted Congresswoman Helen Chenoweth's campaign.  I helped organize a fundraiser for Butch Otter's campaign for Lt. governor.  In 1994, I briefly filed as a candidate against Rep. Tom Dorr but withdrew after I was accepted to law school. I had been recruited by Kootenai GOP Grand Dame Ruthie Johnson.

The Kootenai County Taxpayers Association and the late Ron Rankin once gave me a Courage in Service award.  Ron was very supportive while I served as the student body president at NIC.  I was 20 years old. 

I have not been as active post-law school because I had two children at home that took most of my time.  What time I did have, I volunteered to the district. My children are now 9 and 11.  

In the most recent elections, my husband and I donated to Ed Morse's successful campaign against Phil Hart.  (I drafted the original timber theft opinion for Judge Bob Burton against Phil Hart that withstood Idaho Supreme Court review).  We also hosted a fundraiser for Barry McHugh.

I have a letter from Sen. Kempthorne, written on my behalf, that states in part, "I am happy to recommend Christa for anything that would fully utilize her knowledge and enthusiasm for government and politics."

Yes, Herb-- I am a Republican.

We're #1

We are number 1. In both polls.Yes, I know. Not many of us attended Gonzaga or are even Catholic, but that doesn't matter. They are family to most sports fans in the Inland Northwest. Never, in the history of Gonzaga basketball have they been ranked this high. I'm not sure any mid-major school has.

The problem now though is the target on their backs. Every team the Zags play from here on out will be trying just a little harder to unseat the kings of the hill.We might as well celebrate now, because next year could be a disaster. The Zags with Olynyk having graduated already and even with another year of eligibility, could go pro. That along with Hart and Harris graduating could wipe out the entire front line leaving the outstanding back line to carry the freight.

Only Illinois was a legitimate loss, what with the freak ending at Butler. Some of the teams Gonzaga beat along the way, were West Virginia, Clemson, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and Baylor, all basketball powers. Of course, in addition to that non-conference schedule, they went through the WCC like it wasn't even a challenge. Only Saint Marys was a close call.

The Dog Pound is empty now and quiet reigns, but for most of the year the gym was bulging with racous fans urging the team on. The next challenge is the league playoffs then the NCAA. It ain't over yet and the fat lady hasn't sung, but we will be there, rooting on our team.