From marshmallows to management

You may know Jack Riggs of Coeur d’Alene as a former state senator who became lieutenant governor under Dirk Kempthorne.

Or as a former CEO of Pita Pit USA.

Or as a former ER doc who, in 1986, founded the North Idaho Immediate Care Center.

But you’d have to go way back to remember him as the marshmallow champion of Coeur d’Alene High — 50 years ago to March 1972, to be exact.

Jack, then a CHS senior, earned a mention in The White Pine student newspaper by tossing miniature marshmallows into the air and catching them in his mouth. He made 83 catches without a miss, shattering the old record of 72.

As his wingman, Tom Husby handled the marshmallow bag, providing Jack with a steady supply of the gelatinous confectionaries. The rules of the contest required that only official marshmallows be used — miniature ones that came in four colors: red, yellow, orange, and green.

The White Pine article, under the heading “Student Sets Record,” adds: “Jack will continue his search for the new record along with other hopefuls.”

However, Jack lost focus and put the marshmallows away to become an uber-successful doctor, politician and businessman.

Hayden Lake at 75

The city of Hayden Lake is one of the most upscale places in the Gem State, despite its humble beginnings.

According to folklore, homesteader Matt Heyden named the lake after himself by winning a seven-up card game, give or take a slight misspelling.

Now, let’s fast forward to late March 1947, when the Hayden Lake Country Club was left high and mostly dry by a new state law that banned slot machines and liquor sales by the drink in unincorporated areas.

The club needed a liquor license to remain the social center of the area. So, caps in hand, Hayden Lake residents petitioned county commissioners for cityhood. That request was granted March 31, 1947, a week after the new state law took effect.

The Coeur d’Alene Press reported, “The incorporation of the village paves the way for early return of slot machines and the sale of liquor by the drink at the (club’s) Bozanta Tavern.”

So let’s raise a glass to the city of Hayden Lake on its 75th anniversary, plus one day.

WWYD

Shawny Le finally tackled that lilac bush that has grown to 10 feet since she moved into her Hayden home 14 years ago. She was two hours into the trim when she wondered "WWYD" (What Would YouTube Do)? She wanted to know if her pruning would bring satisfaction or regret. She found the answer in the first 15 seconds of the YouTube video: “Late summer or fall is the perfect time to prune lilacs.” Shawny’s Facebook Friends assured her that it’s nearly impossible to kill a lilac bush. But they also warned that she might not have blooms this year. Stay tuned.

Huckleberries

• Poet’s Corner: April is the month for fibbing,/spinning tall tales and ad libbing,/with fervent hope they won’t distress/those folks down at the IRS — The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“April”).

• As you may recall (March 18, Huckleberries), Val FastHorse loves Christmas decorations and music, so much so that she still had the yuletide décor on display in mid-March. Well, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe IT director finally boxed up the ornaments March 24. “I figured it was time,” Val told Huckleberries. “The tulips are beginning to show life. So spring is here.”

• Tom Hearn, a former Coeur d’Alene school trustee, reports no ill effects from his close encounter with a stink bug. Tom inadvertently crushed a stinker against his skin while washing his face with a wash rag Monday. Tom didn’t pull a Will Smith and overreact. He simply washed the dead bug down the drain, tossed the wash rag in the laundry, and began again.

• Like some of us, retiree David Townsend of Coeur d’Alene got the bike out, inflated the tires, and rode for miles Tuesday. He was feeling “pretty darned athletic” afterward, quipping, “It’s electric, but that doesn’t diminish my false sense of accomplishment.”

• You Might Be a North Idaho Old-timer If … you recall betting on the dogs at Greyhound Park in Post Falls. On March 31, 1987, Idaho legislators OK’d dog racing. The dogs ran for eight years, beginning in August 1988, before red ink and controversy shut them down

Parting Shot

We’ve grown accustomed to the boorish behavior of clowns who drive around bumperstickers or plant yard signs, directly or indirectly, F-bombing President Biden. Twenty-five years ago, community standards were higher. In March 1997, some were upset by a lout driving a 1978 Ford truck displaying Scooby-Doo flipping a bird combined with a phonetical spelling of the Mother of all Dirty Words. Neighbor Rob Bell told the Coeur d’Alene Press, “I don’t want my grandchild growing up to see that.” Bell took his complaint to the City Council and county commissioners. Nothing came of the protest. And you can bet the offensive public displays today, encouraged by our toxic culture, will only grow worse.

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D.F. (Dave) Oliveria can be contacted at dfo@cdapress.com.