Front row seat to epic English debate

There was an American in British Parliament on Monday during the debate about barring presidential candidate Donald Trump from entering the country. Turns out the Parliament cannot make the decision, which is the purview the Home Secretary, but the discussion was lively.

Kaylee Kosareff, a 2010 CHS grad and U of I alum who’s attending the University of Edinburough in Scotland for her Masters in International Development, was there. She interned last year at the U.S. Embassy in London so her friends at the embassy provided a ticket to Monday’s session, well worth the flight from Scotland to attend.

I “talked” in real time via messenger with Kaylee, who was back in Scotland on Tuesday morning, to get her observations. She tells me that there were only 30 seats available in the smaller chamber and those were primarily taken by media and embassy representatives — although huge crowds of Brits had lined up outside Parliament hours before the debate was in session.

“I study international politics, so theoretically understand the influence other countries have on one another but I had never been in a position to personally witness just how powerful a single 'politician' can be,” wrote Kaylee. “To hear parliamentarians being so passionate about an American public figure and hearing the stories of the way in which British citizens have been affected was incredible.”

She also mentioned the debaters were very aware that America is a sovereign nation, a strong ally, as they continually emphasized the fact that they did not want to intrude in the American public’s election, or to potentially step on the toes of the next president of the country that had come to their aid twice throughout their history.

Kaylee said it was odd for Parliament to take this on, but they had a duty to their constituents after a petition garnered more signatures than any other in British history — more than 500,000.

So our American student in Parliament concludes by describing the experience as a mix of proper and respectful with a dash of British phraseology and pure unbridled anger. Sounds about like our Congress (sans the British phraseology) on any given day.

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Last June the PBS favorite "Antiques Roadshow" was on the road with stops that included Spokane. Tickets were available by lottery only via their website. I was thrilled to get a pair to surprise Bert for his birthday as he’s a faithful viewer of the show. Barb Culpepper also had a pair of tickets but at the last minute wasn’t able to use them.

Julie Chadderdon had mentioned that she and her sister, Jan Olsen, were also fans of the show but alas hadn’t been selected to receive tickets. So Barb’s tickets were put to good use.

Jan ended up being selected for an on-air interview with her terrific collection of Plains Indian beadworks, including moccasins and a baby’s bonnet from the Rosebud Reservation. The items were part of a larger group of over a century-old beadwork that Jan bought at auction a decade ago. On Monday night’s episode of "Antiques Roadshow," Jan’s segment aired. The appraiser gave her an estimate at auction for her display: $3,400 to $4,600.

The treasures that Bert and I had taken for appraisal — his grandfather’s 80-year-old fiddle and a metal wind-up Lincoln Tunnel toy from my childhood in the ’50s — will continue to be personal treasures but we certainly didn’t have to increase our insurance coverage.

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Happy birthday today to Bob Short, Mary Spridgeon and Larry Sackett.

The same tomorrow to Chelsea Camarata, Nicole Jones, Carrie Beals and Mary Crosby.

On Friday, Eric English, Analisa Raynor, Nora Horn, Larry Spencer, Angie Phillips, Glen Abbott and Peggy Brothers will celebrate.

Saturday, Chelsea Dickinson, Daryl Gankema, Joy Lynch, Paul Lash and Jamie Crawford mark the date of their birth.

Charmaine Peterson, Sue Myers, Marion Richardson, Tina Nowoj, Josh Adams, May Lynn Hammon, Ed Santos, Danelle Reagan, Jillian-Kate Scott and Acaja-Lyn Scott share Jan. 24 birthdays.

On Monday, Rod Heitstuman, Shauna Moore, Jonathan Madrid, Marlene Waddell, Lizzie Nowoj, Jadrian Hammon, Pearl Robertson, Jerrilou Shofner, Michaelle Sande, Mike Erin, Sherry Farmer and Rick Demmig take another trip around the sun.

Tuesday will be a good day for birthday celebrants Christa Hazel, Rosemary Goodlander, Jeff Hall, Linda Hall, Austin Chadderdon, David Townsend (60!), Julie Kirking, Russell Larson and Mr. & Mrs. Smith — Jeff and Candace Smith have no excuse for missing each other’s birthday since they share the date.

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 and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.