From Texas to Trump Tower ... via Post Falls

I've watched most of Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" since the beginning, and in this recent 10th season had found myself cheering for Texan Clint Robertson ... even before I discovered that he'd been transplanted to Post Falls prior to being selected for the show.

I met Clint and his wife, Sandy, in December, soon after the season finale - which found Clint just miss being named The Apprentice as one of the final two contestants. On March 28 last year, Clint and Sandy were watching "The Apprentice" while laying in bed in their leased Post Falls home. Things were about as dire financially as they'd ever been for the family.

At the end of the program there was a notice about casting calls for the next season, which would have the unique twist of selecting contestants who'd been negatively affected by the economy and looking for a new direction. Clint says he got out of bed, went online to the show's website and found that there was a casting call in Las Vegas in two days. On a leap of faith, with money they really couldn't spare, he headed to Vegas where he stood in line with a few thousand other hopefuls. The rest is history.The Robertsons are as down-to-earth and genuine people as you'd ever meet and we hit it off from the get-go. When we met up last week again, their lives have become of whirlwind of counting their blessings and the job offers coming in from all over the country. This guy is one of the most upbeat and motivational people I've had the pleasure to know.

Clint is the keynote speaker at the Post Falls Chamber's annual Recognition Banquet on Jan. 27 and I'm looking forward to hearing more about the journey.***

Rep. Marge Chadderdon was sidelined from the start of the new session of the Idaho Legislature with cancer surgery, but if you're placing bets on how quickly and completely she recovers ... bet on Marge. I've been blessed to call her a friend for many years and know her to possess a good heart and an incredibly positive attitude toward life. I'm sure she's able to focus on her recovery knowing that her daughter, Julie, is looking after the work of the people in Boise in the interim.***

I ran into a smiling Cathy Malzahn at the county courthouse on Monday morning, just a few minutes before her husband, Tom, was to be sworn in as County Treasurer. She'd just received a cell phone call in the hallway from their son in Iraq! ***

January weather has been all over the map and thermometer. Even if the weathercasters are only half right, we woke up this morning to a generous amount of new-fallen snow, which should melt by the end of the week. Geesh. I like my North Idaho winters to be white from Thanksgiving to the first of March. This off and on, warming and cooling, wet to icy to snowy is no fun at all.

***Craig Hampton lives in Hayden, not far from Avondale Golf Course. Over the weekend he had a great view from his family room window ... a beautiful mama moose who appeared each morning. Just a reminder that wildlife comes to town in the winter and to keep a safe distance while enjoying their beauty.

***Yesterday was 1/11/11 which brought this observation from photographer Taryn Hecker, who spent the weekend at the big Bridal Fair ... she met a lot of brides planning Tuesday, 11/11/11 weddings, as well as those planning Saturday, 9/10/11 "I do" dates.

***Facebook Friends Status of the Week ... in the height of the media blitz for Ted Williams, the big-voiced homeless man from Ohio, Phil Corless posted, "Just in the past 24 hours I've received lucrative offers from MSNBC, Kraft Foods, and the Cleveland Cavaliers to keep my mumbling monotone to myself."

***Happy Birthday today to Pat Russell and tomorrow to my favorite editor Mike Patrick, JJ Dion, Joni Clevenger, Janice Myers, Mike Jorgenson and to Andy Irgens, who's celebrating his very first birthday! On Friday Teresa Wasileski is the birthday girl, sharing the day with another first birthday belonging to Jaden Alexander. Saturday birthdays belong to Gayle Erickson, Paula Laws and Jim Roberge. Nick Dimico turns 20 on Sunday, which is also Elaine Cook's birthday. Kurt Gomer blows out the birthday candles on Monday and Tuesday's birthday celebrants are Travis Chaney, BJ Holinka and Mike Webb.

**THERE'S MORE ... at More Main Street see photos of people and places. Access More Main Street under the columns tab at www.cdapress.com. Listen to Main Street Monday on KVNI AM1080.

***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 every Wednesday in The Press. More Main Street blog is at http://moremainstreet.blogspot.com. Listen to Main Street Monday on KVNI AM1080. Kerri can be reached at mainstreet@cdapress.com