Make room boys, there’s a new girl in town
In February this column featured the back story of the Suffragist statue that’s to be placed and dedicated on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at noon. It’s a testament, not only to artist Terry Lee’s talent but to how a group of women of this era volunteered their time and treasure to making the project happen and to a community who stepped up to raise the money to privately fund the project.
By March our collective attention became laser-focused on all things COVID-19 so this historic 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution has been in the background. Thanks to all, this symbolic suffragist will be taking her rightful place in the Working Men collection of statues on the terrace above McEuen Park in what will also be remembered as a historic year for this country.
The Suffragist is not only unique as the first woman to be included in the series but as a piece of art that is being funded by individual donations, no small feat for something that cost $50,000. The project is the result of a conversation in early 2019 over breakfast with a group of local women and Terry Lee. They were ribbing him about the Working Man series not including women. And they were serious. Terry’s late sister, longtime Coeur d’Alene city councilor Deanna Goodlander, was among the breakfast group. After brainstorming ideas, The Suffragist to mark the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote was the choice.
Ruth Pratt, Mary Lou Reed, Mary Sanderson, Roberta Larsen, Sue Thilo, Teri Farr, Claudia Brennan and Nancy White have been doing the figurative heavy lifting to spread the word. This piece of public art will truly belong to the public.
It will warm my heart to know that my modest monetary contribution is part of something that recognizes equality as well as honoring my grandmothers and their great-granddaughters.
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This time of year if I’m in downtown Coeur d’Alene and there’s an open parking space in front of Hudson’s Hamburgers and no line out the door I take it as a sign from the universe that a single cheese “both” is simply meant to be. Sitting at that counter enjoying a burger that’s been made the same way by generations of Hudsons is so much more than lunch. It’s a trip in a time machine to my youth and growing up on Ninth and Sherman in the 1960s. Tip for the uninitiated … don’t order fries.
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“Worrying works! More than 90% of the things I worry about never happen.” — Shelly Zollman on Facebook.
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Happy Birthday today to Joe Paisley, Stacey Berger, Jennifer Pitts, Ed Collins, Claudia Hurt, Deena Krobath, Roger Saterfiel, Ronda Nash, Mariah Silva, Julie Hunt, Jennifer James and Nevaeh Witherspoon. George Gee, Mike Laverdure, Tery Garras, Michelle Coppess, Donna Flom and Bryan DeKeles are putting on their party hats tomorrow.
Bob Sandau, Erin Elliott, Elaine Damschen, Lisa Hutcheson, Peter Faletto, Erin Reasor, Melinda Engel, Marla Lewis, Kevin Flaa, Annette Nolting, Melinda Frost and Gene Mann celebrate on Friday. Saturday Tracy Christopherson, Wayne Longo, Rick Currie, Mary Richter, Anne Couser and Thomas Sorci take another trip around the sun.
On Sunday Jeff Drew, Susan Selle, Brian Kirk, Jennifer Ross, Cindy Wagner, Andrea Fulks, Kim Brown, Serena Carlson, Sarah McCool, Paul Sullivan and Brandia Young will celebrate and starting the week with birthdays on Monday are Amber Malloy, Jenna Morrison, JR Conrow, Kristin Largent, Cynthia Rayner, Terri Seymour, John Gertenbach, Brandee Peacock, Linda Mannschreck, Christina Gardner and Lugene Broadsword.
Tuesday, Aug. 18, celebrants are Jim Hail III, Brandi Meeks, Jaqueline Dickinson, Jake Medlock, Jasmine Preckle, Sarah Andrews, Toni Prince, Marissa Davenport, Corrine Larsen, Keva Wolfe, Andrea Sadler, Julie Pierce and Althea Carpenter.
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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.