I got a real kick out of a recent Press article, the response of the Lake City to Sandpoint's designation as The Most beautiful Small Town in America by Rand McNally and USA Today.

Many of those interviewed took sides, either defending Sandpoint or stating why Coeur d'Alene would be better suited and more deserving of the designation.

I will grant that there are some geographic and topographic similarities. But to me, it's an apples and oranges thing.

•••

Putting Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint side by side should show their obvious dissimalarities. Yes, both have a beautiful lake which juts into town, but the likeness really stops there.

Sandpoint is dissected by two throughfares, Highway 2 moving east and west, and Highway 95 slicing through north and south.

Coeur d'Alene, on the other hand, boasts a similar setup, with I-90 meandering through east and west and connecting with 95. But contrary to Sandpoint, Coeur d'Alene's main economic region is not just concentrated in the area of the junction. Coeur d'Alene's downtown, far away from the freeway, is vibrant, much like Sandpoint's, but the latter will no doubt see less visitor traffic in the future, thanks to the newly unveiled Highway 95 bypass.

•••

Does the Lake City even qualify as a small town? I am sure that is open to interpretation. Many North Idaho burgs were small in population up until a decade or so ago. The recent influx of non-natives has swelled many cities' numbers and, in my opinion, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls can no longer even be called "towns."

Sure, there are holdovers (thankfully) from Cd'A's bygone small-town era. Memorial Field, with its behemouth wooden grandstand, screams Mayberry RFD. The homey feel of the Kootenai County Fairgrounds is very hot dogs and apple pie (as well as cotton candy and elephant ears). I also see wooden signs and gravel roads strewn throughout town.

But I say any hamlet that has at least one high school in the highest designation for the state (Idaho's classifications are 1A through 5A) also doesn't qualify. Coeur d'Alene now boasts two 5A schools, Sandpoint remains with just a single 4A school. Sorry, but if this is really still a small town, it's the chubby kid trying to fit into its pants from three years ago by holding its breath and working the zipper.

•••

I gotta stop right here and say that I love Sandpoint. I was not born with a fear of long bridges, and the straight shot across Lake Pend Oreille before landing in town is always a highlight for me when I venture north.

Also, taking in a game, either high school football or soccer, at War Memorial Field hard by the lake shows just how small town Sandpoint is. Often a fire truck will cruise slowly past, its occupants watching the action on the field. No real parking lot is anywhere near, and more often than not, you'll be hoofing it down a few alleys to get to the field. Yep - small town all the way.

Coeur d'Alene lost its "town" designation when it was discovered by the big-box stores. They tend to not open those in small towns.

Maybe Coeur d'Alene should focus on running for some designation that highlights its strengths. Here's a few ideas:

• Best Getaway for a Neighboring State: Ever count all the Washington plates getting off the freeway at Northwest Boulevard heading for downtown? It's staggering.

• Best Panhandle Resort Destination: A little competition here. Pensacola, Fla., and Wheeling, W.Va., might give us a run for our money, but I say we edge 'em both.

• Best hamburgers steps off the lake town: Hudson's all the way, baby!

• Best Resort Town with a College on the Lake: This one will attract some competition from (bigger) cities back east, but take a drive around the North Idaho College border and try to take your eye off the stunning views. Betcha can't.

• Best Beach in a Mountain Resort Town: Ever see City Beach on a warm summer's day? 'nuff said.

• Best Resort Town near the The Most beautiful Small Town in America: We're a shoo-in!

Jerry Hitchcock, a copy editor for The Press, is very proud to live in North Idaho. He can be reached at 664-8176 Ext. 2017, or via email at [email protected].