Suffragist, poll workers heroes of the day
As someone who treasures the experience of going to my polling place on election day to cast my ballot, this year the Kootenai County Elections office and all of the poll workers are the unsung heroes. In a year where very few things have been as they were, walking into my Precinct 24 polling place as I have for over three decades, and seeing the familiar faces of the dedicated poll workers filled me with gratitude.
This year I felt the presence of the long-gone suffragists who fought the hard fight a century ago so that all women can cast ballots. I felt the presence of every everyday hero who has worn the uniform of the United States and fought the hard fight for the freedoms we enjoy today.
God bless America and the Republic.
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I file this column on Tuesdays for Wednesday publication which makes it impossible to do much post-election quarterbacking. The use of the word unprecedented in all things relating to 2020 has become a bit much. Especially when recalling what was an unprecedented presidential election of two decades ago.
Throughout the 1990s, when Post Falls had a population of several thousand, election night was a spirited non-partisan community social event. A few dozen people would gather at Mallard’s Lounge at Templin's to watch the televised results. This was before everyone had laptop computers or smartphones. We were at the mercy of the network television stations’ reporting for the most part.
Post Falls City Clerk Chris Pappas, who spent the evening at the Kootenai County elections office, would give updates to Police Chief Cliff Hayes via phone. Of the many memorable election night vigils we all shared, the 2000 presidential election was one for the record books and still makes me laugh at remembering. By midnight everyone but me, Cliff and Joe Doellefeld had gone home. The newscasters were beside themselves because the presidential race was too close to call and neither candidate, GW Bush or Al Gore, was inclined to concede anything. We decided we were going to stay until the bitter end although Scott, the bartender, was ready to close up. As could only happen in a small town, Scott made a fresh pot of coffee, closed the bar, gives us a wave and tells us to lock the door and turn off the TV when we leave.
As I recall we didn’t stay for much more than another hour before throwing in the towel. Then came an entire month of lawsuits, hand-wringing, hanging chads and recounts before GW Bush was declared the winner in December!
In 2009 Cliff retired as police chief and ran successfully for Kootenai County Clerk, and was sworn in January, 2011. He died in December 2013 and every election day since then I especially miss my friend. Oh my word, what I wouldn’t give to be keeping vigil with Cliff during this wild and woolly presidential election of 2020.
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Happy birthday today to Alan Wolfe, Annie Mote, Bryan Poland, Judy Jorgensen, Kirsten Donovan, Nancy White, Mic Armon, Julie Schmidt, twins Zachary and Ryan Englebrecht and Mitchell Copstead. Tomorrow Donna Hodgson, Betty Baker, Laura Gray, Marijo Guindon, Debbie Boe, Heather Clark, Ken Brandvold, Marci Anderson and Kim Wilhelm will put on their party hats. Anna Rolphe, Joe Lenon, and Laura Gray celebrate Friday. On Saturday Rocky Watson, Maggie Lyons, Tracy Akerman, John Williams, Mike Dornquast, Lauren Dornquast and Harold Howard will be doing the birthday dance. Keith Allen, Joanne Wilhelm, Jens Jensen, Jeff Tucker and Aaron Birdsall take another trip around the sun on Sunday. Jim Addis, Gratia Griffith, Nancy Henry, Austin Gardner, Todd Tondee, Ben Rae, Lori Sherfey, Janine Avila, Gary Ulvan, Matt Lyman and Dennis Hall will eat cake on Monday. November 10 birthdays are celebrated by Jeanne Norton, Beverly Pogue, Kathleen Tillman, Bret Bowers, Marlow Hendricks, Doug Eastwood, John Evans, Dale Broadsword and the US Marine Corps, celebrating 245 years of honor and tradition. Semper Fi.
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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.