Windy the T-Wolf
Not long ago, a wolf ran with mortals in the Lake City.
She was called Windy because, well, she was swift as the wind.
Fans in the formative years of Lake City High recall Windy as the school mascot, who from 1994 to 2002 led Timberwolves teams onto the football field and basketball court.
She was 89% wolf and belonged to Coeur d'Alene's Ron and Kate Vieselmeyer and their daughter, Julie.
The stars lined up for Windy when Julie, then in the eighth grade, took her wolf to a middle school show-and-tell. Julie’s teacher, Diane Brumley, was impressed with the way the wolf interacted with the students. She mentioned Windy to her husband, John, who in 1994 was opening LCHS as principal.
During the next nine years, Windy was a fixture at Lake City High sporting events — football, basketball and track-and-field. She loved the job. Ron Vieselmeyer told Huckleberries, “All you had to do to make her jump for joy was to mention the words ‘football’ or ‘basketball.’”
After leading LCHS teams into play, Windy initially would sit and stare at the flag during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Later, she delighted crowds by howling during the anthem.
“Some people would bring their kids to watch the wolf rather than the games,” Ron said.
“Fight for the Fish,” the annual rivalry basketball game between Coeur d’Alene and Lake City, was the only event that intimidated Windy. It was too loud for her. She had to leave the gym.
Windy suffered through lean times during the first years of the high school. Lake City didn’t win a football game until the T-Wolves beat Lakeland on Oct. 20, 1995, in its second year of play. However, LCHS would become a perennial state playoff team before Windy’s death at age 12½ in spring 2002.
The Vieselmeyers were surprised and pleased when school officials reached out to pay their last respects. A funeral service was held in front of the school.
Windy is buried near the LCHS football field, a T-Wolf forever.
Raising (Hell in) Arizona
Phil and Leslie Damiano weren’t looking for trouble March 11 when they sat down for dinner at the packed Palomino Club in Wickenburg, Ariz. But trouble found them.
The Fernan Lake couple had ordered drinks and hors d’oeuvres after a tiring day at an auction looking for a riding horse.
Suddenly, one of the young cowboys who had been at the sale sucker-punched another one playing pool. Then, the assailant threw another punch. Phil shielded his bride from the ruckus and nudged her toward the door. Good thing he did. The aggressor then body-slammed his victim on the Damianos’ vacated table.
A video posted on Leslie’s Facebook page shows 10-12 people tussling and more punches being thrown by men AND a woman — and a second woman firing pool balls at a not-so-innocent bystander.
Moments later, police arrived.
“It was a real Western brawl,” Leslie told Huckleberries. “They play rough and tumble down there.”
Afterward, Phil felt bad that he didn’t return to pay for the drinks. But he intends to settle accounts next time he’s in the Palomino Club. That, or give an unsuspecting waitress a huge tip.
Huckleberries
• Poet’s Corner: The first poem from the Bard of Sherman Avenue to be published in Huckleberries appeared 20 years ago, on March 20, 2002. In it, the Bard criticized North Idaho College trustees for cutting five sports. Except for the sports angle, it has relevance today, especially for board Chairman Todd Banducci: “To reign is pleasant as can be/In our fair realm at NIC/Where we proclaim from regal throne/Which sports shall prosper as our own./If nothing else, we know one thing:/It’s very good to be the king.”
• Kathleen Tillman learned four lessons during her recent vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: 1. Never leave your phone in a cab. 2. Know your Apple password. 3. Never keep all passwords in your phone Notes section without iCloud access. And 4. Again, know your Apple password. Kathleen and her phone were reunited March 6. But she spent weeks without it, which is akin to living off the grid for a busy Coeur d’Alene Realtor.
• James McMillen of Wallace was puzzled by a March 11 segment on the “Today” show about 1990s styles that are back in fashion. Take jeans and flannel shirts, for example. “My Grandpa wore that in the '40s,” notes James. He has photos of his father and uncles wearing that garb in the '70s. They always did. So did James. He still does.
• Val FastHorse loves Christmas décor and music. But she wonders daily as she leaves the house to direct the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s IT department if it’s time to take down the 2021 decorations — that is, until she passes a neighbor’s place with Halloween stuff still up. Says Val, “It’s nice to know I’m not the only one NOT prioritizing this kind of stuff.” Val told Huckleberries to check back in when the snow is off the ground.
Parting Shot
Sometimes, when I want a chuckle, I listen to the two-minute 911 call made by then Councilman Steve Adams on March 19, 2013. Adams wanted to place City Attorney Mike Gridley under citizen’s arrest for intimidating him after the council meeting that night. Now, you need to know Adams was a hardliner who voted against requests involving federal money, including the purchase of police cars. That night his opposition to a huge federal grant had threatened to undo a critical expansion of the sewer plant. Angered, Gridley got in Adams’ face and called him a “stupid moron.” The two had clashed before. After the encounter, Adams appealed to Mayor Sandi Bloem to discipline Gridley. She refused. Adams told a media outlet that mild-mannered Sandi balled a fist and said she wanted to punch his nose. Nothing came of the episode other than a community belly laugh. Gridley was a superb city attorney who gave sound legal advice and made waterfront upgrades happen. He’ll be hard to replace.
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You can contact D.F. “Dave” Oliveria at dfo@cdapress.com.
