Huckleberries: Dougy's buskers bustin' loose
It began as a lark.
In 2002, Doug Clark was appalled by the dearth of street music in Spokane, so much so he acted.
First, he announced in his Spokesman-Review column that he would sing at various locations downtown each noon hour for a week. Then, Clark, lead singer for the Spokane-based Trailer Park Girls, strolled through downtown with his guitar — and raised $450 to feed others.
“Based on my journalism wages,” he quipped this week, “I thought seriously about quitting my job.”
And “yada, yada, yada,” as they would say on “Seinfeld,” Clark’s whimsical idea grew to involve hundreds of musicians and entertainers in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and Appleton, Wis. In the last 18 years, Clark and his music makers have raised $265,000 (more than 1 million meals) for 2nd Harvest, which serves 280 food pantries and meal sites in North Idaho and eastern Washington.
Why am I telling you this? The buskers will be out in force on the street corners of downtown Coeur d’Alene during lunch hour for the next week, beginning Monday.
“I’m excited about this after being cloistered for a year,” Clark told Huckleberries this week.
Although Coeur d’Alene, with its waterfront beauty and downtown lunch traffic, is ideal for Clark’s brand of charity, it was a tough sell. City officials were — and still are — wary of street musicians.
Enter Councilman Woody McEvers.
Jim Lyons, Clark’s partner in music and the ER clinical coordinator at Kootenai Health at the time, contacted Woody. And, in 2014, Woody won council approval for the idea.
Anyone can participate.
“You don’t have to play well,” Clark told Huckleberries. “It’s about generosity, not virtuosity.”
Acts have ranged from a budding violinist with just two lessons under his belt to a teen who finished second in the world accordion championships. Lyons’ hospital friends have performed, including ER doc Ben Perschau. So has 1st District Judge Scott Wayman. And Peter Rivera from the 1970s band, Rare Earth. And a bank robber with a great voice who “had done serious” time.
In COVID-limiting 2020, Street Music Week raised $27,000 virtually through its website (www.streetmusicweek,com). Musicians provided videos of their performances for online posting. This year, the event will feature a hybrid approach to fundraising, live and online.
And every penny goes to the food bank.
Bushwhacked
First, you should know Darrell and Patty Kerby were high school sweethearts who married at 19 and represent the third generation of their families from Bonners Ferry. Early on, they were broke. To make ends meet, Darrell worked as a teacher, logger, road builder, swimming pool installer, coach, and radio host. Later, he served on the city council and was the town’s mayor. And he and Patty, who each turned 70 recently, own Pace-Kerby Insurance and Real Estate. Now, onward. The Kerbys were cruising town in their Lexus last Friday night, windows down, enjoying the ambiance, when they heard a man yell, “Go back to California. It’s people like you who are ruining this town.” Usually, Darrell would let something like that go. But he pulled over to confront the cad. Patty got out of the car, too. Seems the man figured no one in Bonners Ferry can afford a Lexus. The guy bragged that his wife was from Bonners Ferry although he wasn’t — and they live meagerly. The belligerent jerk wouldn’t tell Darrell his name or where he’s from. He also wouldn’t back down. Ultimately, Darrell and his sweetheart were left with the question that is haunting many of us North Idahoans: What is happening to this place?
Huckleberries
• Poet’s Corner: In spring the grass grows night and day/unceasing in its ancient way;/some time beneath it I’ll lie meekly — until that day I must mow weekly — The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“The Philosopher Contemplates His Lawn”).
• You’ve heard of people who have seen Virgin Mary’s image in a piece of toast. But have you known someone who has spotted Idaho’s shape in a basket of tortilla chips? Kevin Johnson did while munching chips before his meal at Las Chavelas in Coeur d’Alene. He showed the chip to wife, Lori Jo, and then ate it. Hey, he was hungry. And it wasn’t worth putting on eBay.
• Bumpersnicker (handwritten in rear window of sedan with California plates eastbound on I-90 approaching Northwest Boulevard): “Driver’s from Coeur d’Alene, car’s from California.”
• Bumpersnicker 2 (on orange Jeep parked at St. Vinny’s Wednesday noon): “Unless you’re a hemorrhoid, get off my (butt).”
• Yesteryear: In the corner of the front page 50 years ago, the Press announced, almost apologetically: “Due to increased costs of production and materials, the subscription rate will be increased to $2.50 per month for carrier delivery.” Sign me up for a year.
Parting Shot
Realtor Janna Rankin Scharf of Coeur d’Alene wasn’t joking Wednesday when she warned Facebook Friends: “People of Kootenai County, brace yourselves before you head to your mailbox today. Your 2021 Property Value Assessments have arrived!” Curious, I went to the mailbox anyway. Ouch! In all caps at the top of the assessment notice, “BELA KOVACS, KOOTENAI COUNTY ASSESSOR” delivered the shocking news of 2021 skyrocketing valuations. My valuation jumped 25 percent in a year. Well, at least I was reminded who the relatively new assessor is.
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D.F. “Dave” Oliveria can be contacted at dfo@cdapress.com.
