More challenging than you can imagine

Since I filed this column several hours before the polls closed yesterday, no Wednesday morning election quarterbacking will be included. But the past few days I’ve been thinking about a conversation I had with my late father in 1996.

Ron Rankin was, in addition to being a great dad, a conservative anti-tax crusader and author of the 1% Initiative. He had run for office ten times in 30 years ... from highway district to governor, never succeeding in being elected but always succeeding in getting his positions debated in the public square. Until November 1995, that is, when he won an election.

When he took office in January 1996 as a Kootenai County commissioner it was newsworthy. In early April the Spokesman Review interviewed him for a story about Ron Rankin’s first 100 days in office.

Prior to the interview Dad and I were talking about those 100 days and I asked him if serving was like he imagined it would be. He said with a smile that he’d never admit it to anyone except for me that it was far more challenging than someone on the outside could know. He served two terms (six years) as commissioner, effective and well-respected by county employees.

So here it is, 2021 and I miss having my dad around to talk to about many things, but politics for sure among them. As of today we know which incumbents have been returned to office and which offices are now to be filled with new faces. My message to all would be to remember the observation of my political and happy warrior father ... It’s harder than anyone who’s not served can imagine.

I’m hoping that humility, grace and respect will accompany all of the newly-elected and re-elected when they take the oath of office in January 2022.

Happy birthday today to Patty Harris (70!), Jill Jurvelin, Hara Allison, Karen Pearl, Tammy Bray, Darin Hanson, Helen Nuener, Jerry Mason, Tim Wark and Kelly Tuntland. Tomorrow Alan Wolfe, Annie Mote, Bryan Poland, Judy Jorgensen, Kirsten Donovan, Nancy White, Mic Armon, Julie Schmidt, twins Zachary and Ryan Englebrecht and Mitchell Copstead put on their party hats. On Friday Donna Hodgson, Betty Baker, Laura Gray, Marijo Guindon, Debbie Boe, Heather Clark, Ken Brandvold, Marci Anderson and Kim Wilhelm will blow out the candles. Anna Rolphe, Joe Lenon, Laura Gray, Kim Wilhelm and Ken Brandvold celebrate Saturday. On Sunday Rocky Watson, Jonesy Paul, 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 Monday. 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 Tuesday.

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 [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.