No doubt about it
Election results weren't in by the time this editorial's deadline arrived, so we decided to offer you three sure things instead.
1. Halloween is not dead. Not in the Coeur d'Alene area, anyway.
Despite the paralyzing headline and story in this humble publication outlining efforts of churches, merchants and other organizations to offer alternatives to traditional trick-or-treating, the writer of this editorial treated 54 little ones decked out in costumes on Halloween Night. And that was nothin'.
The newspaper received reports of homes in Coeur d'Alene Place treating between 300 and 400 costumed candy crusaders. Streets were jammed, not with kids but with their car-pooling parents. But the trend in modern-day trick-or-treating appears to be this:
If your home is in a remote area or one with big spaces separating houses, you probably don't need to stock up on candy next Oct. 30. But if you're in a lively neighborhood with lots of children and little space separating front doors, load up. Families from all over know where you are, and they want to go somewhere that gives maximum return on their investment of time, gasoline and patience.
2. Election day is not dead. However, some voters' brains are.
We heard from a subscriber who was out with Democrats surrounded by signs for their candidates. A gentleman drove up, rolled down his window and thrust a finger toward the Keith Allred sign a woman was holding. "That Allred, is he a Republican?" the man queried. When told no, he's not, the man reportedly muttered unpleasantries and drove off.
Chances are he did not recognize the affiliation of any of the candidates whose campaign signs were on display. Otherwise, he might have deduced that Allred was likely not a Republican. But until a law is passed that requires voters to actually know something about the people they're electing, it's a sure thing that uninformed voters' ballots will count exactly the same as the most informed voters'.
3. Business is not dead. Hey, all this election stuff has to translate to better days, right? So we call your attention to one more sure thing: The 22nd annual Idaho Business Opportunity Conference Thursday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort. The premise is that the gathering, with registration at 7:30 and the conference lasting from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers something for any local business hoping to expand its domestic sales.
Seminars include selling to the state of Idaho, working with Idaho National Laboratory, a federal government contracting panel and federal contracting certification.
State Rep. Frank Henderson shared this info with us Tuesday: Each company attending should have either a one-page summary of their company's products or services or a brochure to present to prospective buyers. There will be 43-45 buyers at the meeting. Each company should have at least a dozen copies of info on their company.
Cost is $65 per person. For more information, call Gary Moore at (208) 334-2650, ext. 2140; e-mail gary.moore@commerce.idaho.gov, or go to www.idahoworks.com/ptac.
No matter how the election goes, let's all pitch in and give business a boost.