Huckleberries Blog

Originally posted at 10:24 p.m. Tuesday

Earlier today, Christa Hazel holds sign in front of Canfield Middle School, urging Coeur d'Alene School District voters in Zone 1 to support her candidacy for trustee. They did, as Christa unseated appointed Trustee Brent Regan handily, leading a sweep of Balance North Idaho candidates into office to form a new majority of the School Board. (Photo: Duane Rasmussen)

• Huckleberries: The people have done what the Coeur d'Alene school trustees and Kootenai County commissioners refused to do -- vote you into office. How does that feel?
• Christa Hazel: I really felt good in going before the voters because I never got a far shot in front of the trustees or the Kootenai County commissioners. Who deferred to the trustees.
• Huckleberries: When do you take office?
• Hazel: July 1.
• Huckleberries: What's number one on your agenda?
• Hazel: We need to discuss a new board chair.
• Huckleberries: You face a tough challenge in dealing with a budget with a $3M deficit, don't you?
• Hazel: We'll get through that. We'll take our time and study all aspects.
• Huckleberries: What happened tonight?
• Hazel: We showed that you need to have more than a political club and party affiliation when you're working for these nonpartisan offices. And you have transparent motives. There were times when it was confusing when you looked at this board. Also, you need to be responsive to the public you serve.
• Huckleberries: Final thought?
• Hazel: We needed a win. We just needed a win. We finally figured out that you have to put up a good political fight to beat these guys (Reagan Republican endorsees). There candidates have been able to skip debates and win by simply going to political club luncheons. Coeur d'Alene took a stand tonight.

Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer

• Complete final results here
• Challengers Hazel, Eubanks, Hearn win CdA trustee seats
• Dr. Nemec, incumbent Razzeto win hospital seats
• Reagan Republican endorsees Ward, Goodman win Post Falls seats

Reagan Republican founder Jeff Ward and appointed Trustee Ann Seddon look at results in the Coeur d'Alene School Board elections, at Fedora restaurant Tuesday night. (Photo: Duane Rasmussen)

Candidates backed by a group of Republican activists were defeated Tuesday night in unusually lively races for the nonpartisan Coeur d’Alene School Board and Kootenai Hospital District board. In a shakeup on the school board, challengers knocked off incumbents Brent Regan and Ann Seddon, both of whom were backed by the conservative Kootenai County Reagan Republicans. Christa Hazel and Dave Eubanks will join the five-member board along with Tom Hearn, who won an open seat. All three were backed by Balance North Idaho, a political action committee whose slogan is “Qualifications over ideology,” and their wins will swing control of the board away from a solidly conservative majority that took hold over the past year/Scott Maben, SR. More here.

DFO: As Jackie Gleason would say: How sweet it is.

Question: How does the results tonight figure in the Coeur d'Alene mayor and City Council races this fall?

Earlier today, Christa Hazel holds sign in front of Canfield Middle School, urging Coeur d'Alene School District voters in Zone 1 to support her candidacy for trustee. They did, as Christa unseated appointed Trustee Brent Regan handily, leading a sweep of Balance North Idaho candidates into office to form a new majority of the School Board. (Photo: Duane Rasmussen)

• Huckleberries: The people have done what the Coeur d'Alene school trustees and Kootenai County commissioners refused to do -- vote you into office. How does that feel?
• Christa Hazel: I really felt good in going before the voters because I never got a far shot in front of the trustees or the Kootenai County commissioners. Who deferred to the trustees.
• Huckleberries: When do you take office?
• Hazel: July 1.
• Huckleberries: What's number one on your agenda?
• Hazel: We need to discuss a new board chair.
• Huckleberries: You face a tough challenge in dealing with a budget with a $3M deficit, don't you?
• Hazel: We'll get through that. We'll take our time and study all aspects.
• Huckleberries: What happened tonight?
• Hazel: We showed that you need to have more than a political club and party affiliation when you're working for these nonpartisan offices. And you have transparent motives. There were times when it was confusing when you looked at this board. Also, you need to be responsive to the public you serve.
• Huckleberries: Final thought?
• Hazel: We needed a win. We just needed a win. We finally figured out that you have to put up a good political fight to beat these guys (Reagan Republican endorsees). There candidates have been able to skip debates and win by simply going to political club luncheons. Coeur d'Alene took a stand tonight.

PRECINCTS COUNTED (OF 80): 100.0 BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL . . . . . . 8,859 CDA TRUSTEE ZONE 1 Brent Regan. . . . . . . . . . 823 36.79 Christa Hazel . . . . . . . . . 1,414 63.21 Total . . . . . . . . . 2,237 CDA TRUSTEE ZONE 4 Ann Seddon . . . . . . . . . . 813 40.49 Dave Eubanks . . . . . . . . . 1,195 59.51 Total . . . . . . . . . 2,008 CDA TRUSTEE ZONE 5 Bjorn Handeen . . . . . . . . . 364 30.36 Tom Hearn . . . . . . . . . . 835 69.64 Total . . . . . . . . . 1,199

PRECINCTS COUNTED (OF 80) --- 80 100.0 BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . 8,859 KOOT HOSP TRUSTEE Neil L. Nemec . . . . . . . . . 4,811 33.73 Jim Pierce . . . . . . . . . . 3,291 23.07 Liese M. Razzeto . . . . . . . . 3,918 27.47 Donna L. Montgomery . . . . . . . 2,244 15.73 Total . . . . . . . . . 14,264

PRECINCTS COUNTED (OF 100). . . . . 80 100 BALLOTS CAST - TOTAL. . . . . . . 8,859 PF TRUSTEE ZONE 1 Dave Paul . . . . . . . . . . 112 36.60 Glorie Ward. . . . . . . . . . 194 63.40 Total . . . . . . . . . 306 PF TRUSTEE ZONE 5 Carol Goodman . . . . . . . . . 231 51.22 Julie Hunt . . . . . . . . . . 220 48.78 Total . . . . . . . . . 451

I'm leaving early today -- to vote in Precinct 51 and to take a break prior to handling the election results tonight here at Huckleberries Online. Deputy county clerk Pat Raffee has told Huckleberries that the first results will be in by 9 p.m., with the final results expected by 11 p.m. As I mentioned before, the Balance North Idaho supporters are meeting at Fort Ground Grill, while the Reagan Republicans and their candidates will be at Fedora. I'll return to my post around 8:30 p.m. See you back here then ...

Lake City High School students watch as senior Jacob Wilkinson is transported to an ambulance during a mock DUI accident near the school in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho this morning. Coeur d'Alene Fire and Police worked along with Kootenai County Sheriff's Department, Idaho State police and Spokane Air 1 to provide graduating seniors a graphic reminder that with celebrations just around the corner not to get behind the wheel drunk. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)

Huckleberries Online, of course, will be manning HBO Central tonight, to report on Election Day results throughout Kootenai County. Balance North Idaho will be hanging out at Fort Ground Grill on River Avenue in the Fortgrounds area. Reagan Republicans will be gathering at Fedora. Here's your Election Day Wild Card ...

• 5:13 p.m. CPD report: Spokane bomb squad declares suspicious items found @ 4th/Foster, CdA, to be safe but believe they were intended to be an explosive (1:54PM item). Offers recovered 2 bottles w/substance that were sent to State Lab for testing.
• 4:42 p.m. Woman chasing small dog on onramp @ e/b I-90/MP 13.5 (4th Street/CdA).
• 4:31 p.m. Coeur d'Alene Police Department activities report for May 20-21 here.
• 4:15 p.m. Kootenai County Sheriff's Department weekly warrants roundup here.
• 4:13 p.m. ISP report: H41 crash, near Blanchard, kills 19YO Oldtown woman. Click here.
• 10 more items + AM Scanner Traffic link below

Idaho singer-songwriter Carole King poses for photographers before an event to honor her with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, at the Library of Congress earlier today in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

• Terror suspect to stay in custody/Betsy Russell, EOB
• Winds gusting with arrival of cold front/Mike Prager, SR
• Endowment fund hits record high/Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise
• F&G backs delisting Idaho grizzlies/Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise
• Priest Lake cabin owners can get new appraisals/Betsy Russell, SR

Question: Which Carole King song do you like better: "(You Make Me Feel) A Natural Woman" or "You've Got A Friend"? Explain answer.

At Gainsville, Fla., University of Florida staffers provide some idea how long this dead Burmese python is -- 18 feet, 8 inches, weighing 128 pounds. It is the longest snake ever caught in Florida. You write the cutline. (AP photo)

Monday Winner -- Photoguy/2 likes: "Tejay Van Garderen asked the ladies to help him makeup his mind, although they misunderstood and put makeup on his cheek." See Monday photo & all 5 cutlines here.

It's Time to Vote ..

A 19-year-old Oldtown woman was killed in a head-on crash north of Blanchard this morning that closed Highway 41 for five hours. According to ISP reports, Anna M. Hurst was northbound in a Ford Stratus attempting to pass another vehicle when she crashed head on into a 2008 Kenworth truck driven by Michael L. Radan, 41, of Newport, Wash. Radan was injured in the crash, which occurred at 8:02 this morning. Full ISP report here.

Let's use this Election Day Roundup post to stay up to speed re: today's School/Hospital board elections:

• 4:37 p.m. Casey Irgens reports: "So I was voter 79 out of over 600 in pct. 62." Poll workers said that trustee election seemed to be slower than school bond election.
• 3:44 p.m. Huckleberries hears Zone 4 candidate Dave Eubanks and Ann Seddon supporter Mary Jo Finney are holding up opposing signs @ Appleway/H95.
• 2:47 p.m. Reconcile reports: "I was number 49 at my polling place at 2:30pm. I could only vote for the hospital board positions (frowny face)."
• 2:17 p.m. Christa Hazel Facebooks: "Christa Hazel has voted!" Number 138 in precinct 47.
• 1:41 p.m. Becky McIntire Boifeuillet reports: I was #43 in District 15 at Hayden Meadows.
• 12:55 p.m. Baby brother Frito Ray votes in Zone 5 CdA School Board election.
• 12:51 p.m. Paula Marano reports: "I received some phone calls last night about who to vote for in Zones 1, 4, 5. And, stood on the corner of Sherman and 21st near Fernan this morning for 1 1/2 hours. I had lots of smiles, thumbs up and horn honking for Christa Hazel, Zone 1. Encouraged!"
• 12:07 p.m. Spudbob reports: "Precinct 4: Thirty people had voted by just before 10:00."
• AM Election Day roundup reports below

Facebook Friend Erin Daniels Bangle, former SR colleague and Sandpoint High Cedar Post advisor, posts: "Student Quote of the Day: 'What was Woodstock?' I quit."

Question: What do you think of when you here the word 'Woodstock'?

Three guys who serve on the PTO board with Christa Hazel were out on street corners supporting her today: from left, Thomas Hall, Tony Norris and Ben Peressini. (Photo: Duane Rasmussen)

Heather Coye looks through the tassels on her sign at the northeast corner of Prairie and Highway 95 in Hayden. (Photo: Duane Rasmussen)

A river of emotions ran through me on Sunday. Foolishness. Humiliation. Shame. That about covers them. My return to fly fishing after a 30-year absence wasn’t what anyone would describe as triumphant. “It looks like bait,” exclaimed my lovely wife, Sherry, between gasps of laughter at my catch of the day. I can’t understand it. The movie in my head had me hauling a monster trout out of Black Lake after a prolonged, Hemmingwayesque battle. Reality, as you can see from the photograph, turned out to be a sardine that, judging by its stunted growth, was probably a smoker. True, it probably didn’t help for me to yell “Fish ON!!” like an excited little girl/Doug Clark, SR. More here.

DFO: The first and last time I flyfished was during the first week after my arrival in Kalispell, Mont., a guest of the last newspaper publisher C. Patrick King. We did so behind the Hungry Horse reservoir in Northwest Montana. Fun day. Got in some huckleberrying, too.

Question: When did you last flyfish?