My Turn
See the latest My Turn columns here!
MY TURN: North Idaho College is proof voting works
There will always be a need to safeguard the gemstone of our community.
All about the truth
I never thought I would find myself in agreement with Mike Ruskovich. However, I am very much in agreement with Mike's recent My Turn about truth. Americans want more than deceptive words, phrases, and political co…
My 5 cents: Thoughts from a Russian immigrant
I was asked to write this column, and truthfully, I have been seeking a way to tell people my views before it is too late. So here it is - hopefully worth a little more than 2 cents.
Students must come first
We will all be faced with a deciding vote on the first steps of education reform in November and it is important that everyone understand what is proposed and what is at stake. Idahoans will vote on three referenda…
Q&A on form of government
There has been a great deal of discussion on the commissioners' proposal to change the form of government. Many of us know little about the proposal so it might be worthwhile to take a closer look. I was surprised …
Vote 'yes' on Prop 1
Idaho voters will find three education reform propositions on their November ballots addressing the Students Come First legislation passed by the Idaho Legislature and signed into law by Governor Otter.
The flawed concepts behind county impact fees
There are many reasons the Kootenai County impact fee program should be suspended and the collected amounts refunded to those who paid them - so many I cannot dive into them all in this brief column. I'll limit my …
Day-use boaters not part of McEuen plans
Mike Satren's recent "My Turn" column regarding the Third Street boat launch controversy has inspired me to finally write this letter. It has been long coming. I have watched as one plan after another to replace th…
Lake City Senior Center at a crossroads
We have a wonderful facility in the Lake City Senior Center or LCSC. That is still the legal and corporate name. A branding decision was made to change the public name to Lake City Center. To quote Dragnet, "The na…
Some FAQs about the county ballot question
Your current elected Kootenai County officials - Clerk/Auditor Cliff Hayes, Assessor Mike McDowell, Treasurer Tom Malzahn and Coroner Deb Wilkey - offer this guest opinion to help voters weigh the merits of the Nov…
Numbers add up to excellence
Ms. Finney would have you believe that Hayden Meadows' 3-star rating is the fault of PYP. Let's look at more than one number and see if we come up with the same conclusion.
McEuen: Ode to a beloved tree
Sometimes my husband calls me a tree hugger. I'm not offended by the label, but I'm not sure it is the one that most accurately describes my "thing" for trees. I mean I am a nature girl and it's true that I drive a…
USPS picks winners, losers
The newspaper business - both small and large papers - has sounded full-throated opposition this past month about a plan by the U.S. Postal Service to purposely entice advertising out of the newspaper so ads can be…
It's not broken, but let's fix it anyway
Perhaps the most insidious and diabolical changes ever made to governments in history began with the dubious or even patently false claim that something is broken and needs to be fixed. Before that claim is made, t…
Vendetta against boaters continues
It has been apparent for some time now that the four prevailing Coeur d'Alene City Council members have had it in for boaters who launch at Third Street.
Staking claims on land use
Concerned citizens of Kootenai County have actually started reading the new proposed Unified Land Use Code (ULUC). What they are finding is shocking. Contrary to the commissioners' claim that they seek public input…