Huckleberries

“Thou shalt not kill.”

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

“Thou shalt not steal.”

“Thou shalt not bear false witness (lie).”

Blessed words for some. Fighting words for others.

Legal battles have raged over these words set in stone and placed in public areas, like a courthouse lawn.

But there was little controversy 12 years ago, when Kootenai County commissioners decided to move the Ten Commandments monolith from the front lawn to the Ronald D. Rankin Veterans Memorial Plaza.

“I don’t remember the specifics,” said former commissioner Dan Green last week. “But adding the monument to the veteran's plaza was a wonderful touch. It was a foundational move, not a controversial one.”

The 1,980-pound Ten Commandments stone was dedicated during a three-day convention of the Idaho Aerie of Eagles in Coeur d’Alene from June 21-23, 1973. The Eagles had placed 11 throughout Idaho before donating one to the city of Coeur d’Alene.

Harry Fletcher, president of the Coeur d’Alene Eagles and state monolith chairman, said the donation of monuments “was to be a continuing program until all communities in Idaho have one.”

Mayor John McHugh accepted the carnelian granite pillar on behalf of the city.

The Ten Commandments stood on the courthouse lawn, along Northwest Boulevard for decades, while the U.S. Supreme Court handed down mixed decisions about such public displays.

In late summer 2011, however, county commissioners Green, Jai Nelson and Todd Tondee agreed to move it to the veterans’ plaza between the administration building and the courthouse. Green didn’t recall what prompted the relocation. But he guessed that it was a maintenance issue; it’s easier to maintain several monuments when they’re located together.

One man, Jim Korver of Post Falls, objected to the move.

“I represent Christians around the world that are literally dying for their faith,” he told KREM on Sept. 2, 2011. “We here in America, we take our faith, our belief in God a little too lightly. We need to stand up.”

Green said then and reiterates now that there was no ulterior motive behind the relocation.

“We moved it 100 yards to what we think is a more appropriate place, that’s all,” he said.

Indeed, the monument now stands on hallowed ground. Nearby are two impressive stones containing the names of all Kootenai County warriors who died fighting for this country, from the Spanish-American War to the War on Terror. Murals depicting American war scenes grace a courthouse wall nearby.

It’s a place of contemplation and remembrance. It’s an appropriate place for the Ten Commandments.

Lemony neo-Nazis

Twenty-five years ago, Mayor Steve Judy added his “John Hancock” and a pledge of $1 per minute to a Lemons to Lemonade drive that would frustrate the Aryan Nations.

The Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations had decided to cash in on the Aryans’ decision to parade downtown by staging a fundraiser. Supporters were asked to pledge money for each minute that the neo-Nazis marched along Sherman Avenue the following month. Judy’s pledge upped the total promised June 25, 1998, to $500 per minute from 1,128 contributors — a guarantee of about $15,000 if the march lasted 30 minutes.

“This could be the single greatest thing that discourages the Aryans from marching,” Judy said at the signing.

Ultimately, the task force received $1,267.32 in pledges per minute from 2,526 contributors and raised $35,484.96 for the 28-minute-long parade July 18, 1998. Afterward, racist Butler claimed sourly that he deserved a cut of the Lemons to Lemonade funds for his leadership role in the parade. But the task force merely smiled and distributed the windfall to human rights groups.

Park that field

The green space named after community volunteer Mae McEuen ceased being a “field” and became a “park” May 24, 2014. That’s when city officials, including then parks director Doug Eastwood, dedicated the new and vastly improved play area.

The difference between “field” and “park” is more than semantics for Doug, the Johnny Appleseed of the city park system. “McEuen Field is what it was — a ballfield or several ballfields,” Doug told Huckleberries. “A park is what a person might envision it to be — a place to picnic, play, entertain, relax and gather.” Unless softball or American Legion games were underway, few visited McEuen Field before September 2012, when McEuen was shut for a $20 million upgrade.

“That was not a good use of waterfront public property, “Doug said. “No matter how you slice it, ‘park’ fits the name now.”

Huckleberries

• Poet’s Corner: Most pigeons breed with such good cheer/they sometimes raise five broods a year,/but since the chicks don’t thirst for knowledge/very few enroll in college — The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“And It’s a Lucky Thing for the Parents”).

• Limericking: So Kellogg’s the most recent place,/Where gun violence shows its harsh face/This time it’s four,/But hell, what’s a few more,/Since we continue to ignore this disgrace? — The Humble Spud (“DISGRACE”).

• Factoid (according to historian Robert Singletary): The Coeur d’Alene Brewery, of six-plus stories, was the tallest building constructed in town prior to the opening of the 18-story Coeur d’Alene Resort in May 1986. Constructed in 1908 with over 5 million bricks, the brewery had money problems. And that was before 2010 when the county voted to go dry.

• On This Day (1998): Louisiana Pacific rejected all bids for its 33-acre mill site on the Spokane River in Post Falls. The company was seeking a minimum bid of $1.5 million at a second auction for the property. LP had asked for at least $5 million for an unsuccessful auction the year before. Imagine what that property would bring today.

• Coral Anniversary: Thirty-five years ago (June 20, 1988), Gary Norton staged a soft opening for his Silverwood Theme Park in the boonies and attracted 800 people. The main attractions were a replica of an old mining town, an aviation museum and a historic steam engine train. Adults paid $9 to get in, and children $5. And they’re still coming.

Parting shot

In last week’s Huckleberries, an item mentioned that Ray Stone, the crusty former mayor (1986-93) with a heart of gold, had died a decade earlier. But it failed to mention that Ray shook things up even at the end. Following Ray’s death June 16, 2013, workers at a day care on C Street ushered children into the building and called 911 after hearing three nearby gunshots. But CPD gendarmes reported back moments later that there was a military funeral going on at Forest Cemetery. And the gunshots were part of the military salute honoring a departed veteran of local renown — the aforementioned Mr. Stone, a former World War II soldier who helped liberate a German concentration camp. Still miss the guy.

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