Mall, launch, snow packed in mailbag
Whoa, we’ve let the mail pile up since sharing a bit of it.
Of course, these aren’t actual letters stacked up everywhere but in the cat’s litter box. Messages are almost all electronic now. We add “almost” as a bow to hand-writer Lila Langston, bless her.
But my inbox is still close to bursting, so with the usual apologies to everyone’s messages we’ve omitted, let’s get at it ...
THERE ARE comments still popping up about the Silver Lake Mall.
They reflect numerous ideas for revitalizing the place — everything from adding a Trader Joe’s (Pamela Patton) to running a poll right here in The Press.
“What about a newspaper survey asking the public what would get people off their duffs and make them want to frequent their local mall?” suggested Peggy Sorenson.
Meanwhile, those columns about the mall two weeks ago might have had an upside.
Alisa Ward wrote: “My family did find it funny that when we went to the mall on Sunday after your article was written, how many vehicles and shoppers were there versus the week prior to your article.” If that’s what it takes ...
And hey, we’re also going to patronize the mall personally — enjoying some cigars and chat at The Bulldog Lounge.
IT WAS also no shock to receive mail about the Hayden Lake tragedy. Plenty of readers said that present warnings and deterrents are enough at Honeysuckle Boat Launch, thus making any mistake what we’d have to call “driver error.”
Carol Fairhurst likely wrote what was on the mind of many readers when she said: “I can’t, for the life of me, figure out how someone could accidently drive into that lake with all the curves and signs.”
Jody Smith addressed a common theme concerning responsibility: “As tragic as it was that Chris Lancaster chose to drive his vehicle ... into the lake, it is not the responsibility of the City of Hayden or taxpayers to bear the brunt of the accident.”
Sad, but true on all counts.
AND RIGHT on cue, there was bedlam after we noted locals apparently were shocked by the arrival of snow.
Right up to bat was Alec Anderson, who mentioned he was writing on social media for the first time, and said: “If those other folks like Californians can’t handle it and all they do is complain, then maybe they should think of somewhere else to go instead.”
We can’t wrap up this mail fest without running a funny story from Rich Kellogg.
When Rich moved here three years ago, his neighbor Terry told him he needed a snow shovel.
“So I went down to Rathdrum Trading Post Hardware and purchased a snow shovel,” Rich said. “Terry’s response was: ‘Did you buy two? What will you do if the first one breaks?’
Rich then bought a second, sturdy snow shovel.
At that point, Terry asked if Rich knew what the shovels were meant to do. Rich started to say he thought so, but his new pal stopped him.
“They’re to get you to your snow blower,” Terry said. “Do you have one yet?”
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Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press who does not want to hear any complaining about all our gray and gloomy days. During all of December in Moscow (the little one in Russia), there were exactly six MINUTES of sunshine.
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