It takes a village and awareness to save lives

Thursday marks the 55th anniversary of a drunk driving crash that has impacted three families, including mine, for over half a century. On April 23, 1971, Larry Oleson and Rod Hart were passengers in a vehicle driven by their friend. Larry and Rod were 22-year-old Vietnam Army combat veterans when they died at 10:30 p.m. that rainy Friday night after spending time at a Silver Beach tavern.

As they came into Coeur d’Alene on what is now Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive but was then Interstate 90, the driver, at a high rate of speed, rear-ended a pickup parked on the street in front of the Ace of Clubs. Larry and Rod died at the scene and the driver sustained minor injuries. A graphic photograph of the crash with first responders rendering aid, including extrication, appeared on the front page of the Coeur d’Alene Press.

That fall, Larry’s daughter, our daughter, was born. She never knew her father. He never knew his daughter or saw her graduate from high school, serve several years in the Army, marry a wonderful young man and have a son. Her son, our grandson, graduated from high school and served four years in the Navy. He never knew his grandfather. Larry’s mother is now almost 95 years old. She’s grieved the loss of her firstborn son since she was 40 years old. The driver has lived 55 years with regret and guilt at costing his two friends their lives.

The poor choice to drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver, often has a heartbreaking, far-reaching, generational impact. When you see statistics such as, in America every day 34 people die in drunk-driving crashes, or one person every 42 minutes, totaling 12,249 people annually, it’s important to see beyond numbers. These are people with families who loved them, friends who miss them and lives unlived.

Thank you to the North Idaho DUI Task Force for changing and saving lives through DUI education, awareness and enforcement. It takes a village.

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Twice a year, the Pleasantview Community Association holds a public breakfast at the historic Pleasantview School to help fund restoration projects. The school, opened in 1910, is a registered historical site in Idaho as well as on the National Historical Registry.

As always, the Cowboy Breakfast at the old Pleasantview School attracts interesting people with wonderful stories. In addition to the homemade biscuits, gravy and jams, tours of the building are one of the fun things about the breakfast, too. There’s a bell tower with a bell for the ringing, an antique wood stove and many artifacts from the days the building welcomed schoolchildren to class.

There’s a framed and yellowed calligraphy on the wall of the school titled Honor Roll. It appears to be an enlistment registry, likely of one-time Pleasantview School students during World War 1, in 1917 and 1918. There are young men from the same families on the list, brothers or cousins perhaps.

Experiencing the Cowboy Breakfast and the historic school is a wonderful outing for families and anyone interested in local history. Saturday 8-11 a.m., all-you-can-eat just $12 per person, family pricing available. 18724 W. Riverview Drive, Post Falls.

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Happy birthday today to Mark Nelke, Ron Strobel, Jim Barrett, Cliff Standridge, Curtis Gregory, Dave Nordby, George Greenfield, and Corey Beaver (30!). Tomorrow, Shelly Enderud, Blair Williams, Troy Speziale, Malika Mills, Kevin Bennett, Charlotte Brown, Tracey Singer, Kathleen Schmidt and Tracy Williams celebrate their special day. Friday, Jean Monaghan (94!), Mary Watson, Dan Taylor, Pascale Cafferty, Hayley Gabriel, Dea Lenz, Lori Rogers, Mark McWhorter, Chris M. Willoughby Sr., Mike Regusa, Eric Haakenson, Jordan Ketzenberg and Tim Ketzenberg blow out the candles. On Saturday, Matthew Wild, Cheryl Burchell, Lori Hess, Patricia Keller, Cathy Biby, Tom Hearn, Krystal Arthur, Eric Haynes and Joey Grunden put on their party hats. Marilyn Desjarlais, Sandy Landberg, Patrick Lippert, Tim Skelton and Doneda Allen take another trip around the sun Sunday. Dee Sasse, Steve Kane, Frank Jackson and Brittney Blaski will enjoy birthday cake Monday. Mardel “Tootie” Reynolds, Martin Teall, Sue Barnard, Beth Bollinger, Star Hart, Corinna Whiting, Jana Pool, Kristina Lallatin, Caitlin Rielly and Larry Locke ride the birthday train on April 28.

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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and a former publisher/editor with the Hagadone Newspaper division. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press. Kerri can be reached on Facebook or via email at [email protected].