Time for elected leaders to lead
Wednesday morning quarterbacking in the wake of the election now begins in earnest.
There are two possible outcomes when your name is on the ballot: You win, or you don't. I'm grateful to live in a country where citizens can run for office, or go to our neighborhood polling place and cast a vote without fear of retribution or death. I'm also grateful that there were so many citizens willing to put their names on a ballot and endure the rigors of campaigning - all for the responsibility of serving in public office.
As the dust settles, it's my hope that rhetoric takes a backseat to the actual representation of the citizenry all who have been elected now represent. Anyone who has been entrusted to serve on the local, state or national level has earned not just an office but has been given a responsibility to lead.
Coeur d'Alene residents Ryan and Angie Phillips and their daughters, Kate and Lauren, spent a few days in New York this week. Along with the sightseeing came some exciting events you may have seen on television. Monday morning, the family appeared in the audience of the "Live with Kelly and Michael" show and on Monday night they had VIP seats for the N.Y. Giants game. At halftime, Ryan was on the field with former N.Y. Giants players as Michael Strahan was honored with an NFL Hall of Fame ring.
Ryan played four seasons with Strahan for the Giants (1997-2000, including a Super Bowl XXXV appearance), a season with the Indianapolis Colts (2001) and ended his NFL career with the New England Patriots in 2002.
Until this week, his 11-year-old middle school daughters had never experienced the life their father led as a professional athlete, as he had left football before they were born.
What an incredible adventure it must have been for the entire Phillips family. Not only is Ryan a genuinely nice guy, he's kind of a big deal, too.
Check out diynetwork.com to see the Blog Cabin 2015 project. The show will rebuild a 1970s-era cabin, with input from website visitors, which overlooks Lake Coeur d'Alene. Some lucky person will win it.
Next week, we honor those who have worn the uniform of the United States military through the generations and those who serve on foreign soil today. Those who have given their last full measure of devotion on our behalf are deserving of our gratitude beyond what words can convey. Veterans Day is more than just a holiday in November. It's visible in the everyday life we are blessed to know in this country. I always stand humbled in the company of the men and women who have served.
Happy Birthday today to Anna Rolphe, Hap Hilbish, Laura Gray, Marijo Guindon, Debby Boe, Heather Clark, Ken Brandvold, Marci Anderson and Kim Wilhelm!
Tomorrow is a big day for Anna Rolphe, Hap Hilbish, Joe Lenon, Lauren Gray, Kim Wilhelm and Ken Brandvold. On Friday, Chuck Lempesis, Rocky Watson, Tracy Akerman, John Williams, Mike Dornquast, Lauren Dornquast and Harold Howard will celebrate.
On Saturday, Keith Allen, Joanne Wilhelm, Jens Jensen, Jeff Tucker and Aaron Birdsall take another trip around the sun. Gratia Griffith, Todd Tondee, Ben Rae, Lori Sherfey, Janine Avila, Gary Ulvan, Matt Lyman and Dennis Hall will put on their party hats on Sunday.
Nov. 10 birthdays are celebrated by Jeanne Norton, Beverly Pogue, Kathleen Tillman, Bret Bowers, Marlow Hendricks, John Evans, Diane Horton, Dale Broadsword and the U.S. Marine Corps, celebrating 239 years of honor and tradition. Semper Fi.
On Veterans Day - Nov. 11 - Ellen Jaeger, Ruth Pratt, Graydon Stanley, Eugene Boyle, Aaron Roberts, Amy Colbert, Kim Malar-Currie, Kelli Fahy, Ruth Morrow and Emilia Ovstedal mark the date of their birth.
Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. She was voted Best Local Writer by the readers of the North Idaho Business Journal. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.