Moving forward despite impact of virus
Last Thursday afternoon I felt like a little kid who dropped their ice cream cone on the sidewalk when the decision was made to cancel Coeur d’Alene’s Fourth of July parade. My disappointment should not be interpreted as disagreement with the difficult decision made by the Chamber of Commerce and the city. It’s simply disappointment that a lifelong tradition for my family and hundreds maybe thousands of people is not to be in 2020.
For months there’s been no shortage of disappointments for everyone — high school seniors, kindergartners who didn’t understand why they couldn’t see their friends and teachers, people who were looking forward to long-planned travel adventures, and probably the most heartbreaking of all, families who could not hold funerals for lost loved ones. Our CHS Class of 1970 50th high school reunion will now be a 50+1 year reunion in 2021.
Acknowledging disappointment doesn’t mean a lack of concern for the seriousness of the environment of a pandemic, or the very real effects of closures on business owners and employees and the health of our neighbors.
So for the record I’m disappointed by so many things we’ve missed since March and will continue to miss. But like all of you, and as they say in parade lingo, I’ll maintain forward motion. On Saturday, even without a parade and fireworks show, we’ll be celebrating the 244th birthday of the United States of America with enthusiasm and a prayer or two.
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Since I won’t be spending Saturday morning in the announcer’s skybox on Sherman Avenue, for what would have been my 10th year, here’s what would have happened. Once again Scott Hough, honoring his late father Bob Hough’s long-standing tradition of rollerskating in the Fourth of July parade, would have been my mobile wingman with a microphone leading all of the kids in a pre-parade dance party in the street.
This year I was so excited to have our invited special guest performance of the national anthem with hometown girl, now international opera star, Madison Leonard doing the honors. Madison and her husband, Shea Owens, now make their home in Switzerland and planned a visit with her family.
Ten years ago Madison made history when she was named America’s Distinguished Young Woman in Mobile, Ala. The 2010 Coeur d’Alene High School grad was Coeur d’Alene’s Junior Miss who became Idaho’s Junior Miss, advancing to the stage of America’s Junior Miss in 2010. That year they made the transition to the Distinguished Young Women program. So Madison became the first Idaho delegate to win the national title and also the first to hold the DYW title.
Since that heady time she graduated from Pepperdine with a master’s degree in voice and opera, performed all over the country, and was touring in Europe until the pandemic came along. Welcome home Madison!
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Here’s to Miranda Hamilton, independent agent with Insurance Northwest, who as the volunteer director of the Coeur d’Alene Fourth of July Festival and Parade spent many weeks herding cats to make it all happen. Except it won’t happen. But on Friday Miranda was honored for her many selfless efforts in the community by being named Coeur d’Alene Rotary’s Volunteer of the Year.
For everyone in Post Falls, Hayden, Bayview and at press time possibly Rathdrum who’ve been working for months to plan their community’s now-canceled July events, here’s to you, too. All of those events in our communities that most people think just happen actually happen because of the people behind the scenes and their passion and dedication. Thank you sincerely.
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Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
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Happy Birthday today to Tim Riordan, Arlene Reichenberg, Bill Brown, Terry Alexander (50!), Chris Harrison, Byron Hamby and Mark Johnson. Tomorrow Tonya Glinsky, Jim Dennison and Ted Wright will celebrate another trip around the sun. On Friday Jeff Ward, Dana Merritt and Mark Durant celebrate.
On Saturday the United States of America, Jedidiah Riley, Brent Regan, Jennifer Locke, Joscelyn Ramsey, Jake Campbell, Keri Roybal, Dan Brockway, Sr., MaryBeth Matthews, Dick Lind, Tyson Chamberlain, Britnee Davenport, Jack Smetana, Glenda Johnson, Amber Hunt, Teresa Espe, Orla Kahl and father and daughter, KD and Keely Spalding are celebrating star-spangled birthdays.
Sunday birthdays will be marked by Steve Hanson, Laurie Schwenke, John Beutler, Chris Hollibaugh, Kaila Hansen and Amy Dreps. Blowing out the candles on Monday are Alivia Lickfold, Barb McCarley, Bill Brooks, Wade Jacklin, Suzanne Holland and Robin Ducote. Marking lucky 7/7 birthdays are Becky Lee, Renei Yarrow, Susie Jameson, Devon Dixon, Jeff Populus, Tim Adams and Susie Sullivan.
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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.