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| Kerri Thoreson |
Charter academy made day special
Last Friday morning I stopped by Forest Cemetery to place new flags and flowers on my father's grave the day before what would have been his 79th birthday. I was surprised to see at least a hundred people throughout the cemetery. It turns out the entire sixth grade from Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy were taking the historical tour and participating in a cleanup project at the cemetery. One large group was gathered in front of the Civil War statue, which is where my father's grave site is located. I stopped to visit with Cathy Bierne's class. Jeff Erickson, of the cemetery staff was their guide. I mentioned to the group where my father was buried. Dana Drechsel said that my father was a great patriot who made many visits to the K-12 Academy home school groups through the years to talk with them about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. I encouraged them to plan an outing to the Ronald D. Rankin Veterans Memorial Plaza and promised to give them a tour. They moved on and I found myself smiling. How pleased Dad would have been to see those respectful young people interested in history and in community service.
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With an exciting primary election coming up on May 27 there will be opportunities to learn more about the candidates. Kudos to organizer Joy Seward and the folks at the Mica Grange for hosting the first candidate forum last week. The candidates in the contested county commissioner races fielded questions from the audience and then everyone enjoyed an array of homemade treats.
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Saturday afternoon we were among thousands who attended the annual Buck Knives warehouse sale at the Greyhound Park. I first met Chuck, CJ and Sarah Buck when the company relocated to Post Falls in 2005. On Saturday I was impressed by their generosity as they spent several hours signing knives as a fundraiser for Boys and Girls Clubs of Kootenai County. The grandson, great-grandson and great-great-granddaughter of Buck Knives founder, Hoyt Buck, were genuinely delighting in visiting with customers.
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We also visited Corbin Park on Saturday afternoon to watch kayakers brave the high, fast and really cold water of the Spokane River below the dam. I was surprised to see hundreds of swallows dipping and darting and swooping above the river. The violet-green birds are among the first to return each spring and created quite a sight.
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A 2004 graduate of Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy is doing the school and her parents proud. Megan Longo, a senior at College of Idaho, just accepted a full-ride scholarship to Colorado State University in Ft. Collins in the physics department where she'll be in the Masters/PhD program for Astro Physics. On May 1, at the College of Idaho's awards assembly, Megan will receive three awards; Who's Who Award, Outstanding Senior in Chemistry, presented to just one senior each year and COMAP award for her participation on a team of three from C of I who placed 9th in a national Mathematical Contest, out of 1,162 teams from the top colleges in the country. Next time you see Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Wayne Longo be sure to check the buttons on his uniform. I think they just might be bursting.
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Vietnam veterans Larry Oleson and Rod Hart died in an alchohol-related car crash in Coeur d'Alene thirty-seven years ago today. They were 22 and 23 years old, respectively. Lifetimes lost. April is Alcohol Awareness Month and according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, more than 17,000 people will die in alcohol-related crashes in the U.S. this year. Those 17,000 people are more than statistics, they are someone's father, mother, brother, sister, son and daughter.
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We're just a couple of weeks away from the biggest Main Street May birthday celebration yet. If you'd like to be included, go to this link and add your birthday and those of local family and friends. Even in you're not a "May baby", I invite you to submit birth dates for use in this column throughout the year. http://www.birthdayalarm.com/dob/76890223a793195172b363
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Mark Your Calendar: Tomorrow is the Post Falls Chamber's Commerce and Community Fair at the Greyhound Park from 5-8 p.m. It's free and family friendly. Friday is the deadline for Post Falls' annual Mayors Youth Awards nominations. Nominate a special young person aged 5-18 with forms available at city hall or at the Post Falls UPS Store.
Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. "Main Street" appears in The Press every Wednesday. Kerri can be reached at rkthor52@aol.com or on her blog http://fyinorthidaho.blogspot.com.
