Three cheers for Main Street America

Congratulations to Coeur d’Alene for the prestigious Main Street America designation. Our “Main Street” is Sherman Avenue, one of my favorites of today and yesteryear. So many memories of my youth living on Ninth and Sherman, my first job at Robbie’s Drive In on Sixth and Sherman, cruising Sherman in the 1960s and on and on.     

I’ve loved how it’s evolved over my lifetime and continues to be the heart of the City with a Heart. You may have noticed that this column is called Main Street. I chose the name over three decades ago because it reflects the content, stories about the people and places in our communities. My personalized license plates are MAIN ST.

So cheers to our own Main Street America! I may have to cruise Sherman and stop at Hudson’s Hamburgers to celebrate.

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In my rounds on Memorial Day, I happened upon my old friend Woody McEvers at Forest Cemetery. We had a lovely visit as old friends do, talking about our people who now rest in the historic cemetery, our mutual life after public office and agreement that the city of Coeur d’Alene does a wonderful job in caretaking a place that was once the Fort Sherman cemetery. In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt deeded the land to Coeur d’Alene. Today, it’s a beautiful place with standing headstones and pine trees, and caring hands of Parks workers tending it.

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Another old friend, Jon Mueller connected me with Liz Boutin last week. They both serve on the Kootenai County Historic Preservation Commission. Liz returned home to Coeur d’Alene last year and said for the last two decades she’s made a wreath to place at military memorials every Memorial Day and this was her first year back. She inquired about placing one at the Killed in Action monuments in the Ronald D. Rankin Veterans Memorial Plaza. She did and it’s beautiful.

I’m always touched by the personal honoring of young men unmet. Thank you Liz.

There were so many beautiful and positive things taking place over the weekend I almost hesitate to mention this but it really hurt my heart. After Bert and I placed flags and flowers at the Killed in Action monuments and the eagle statue Friday morning, he returned Saturday morning to paint the eagle’s pedestal. Two of the three 250 Years of Freedom flags were missing. On Monday afternoon when I returned to Forest Cemetery at the Rankin headstone, a 250 Years of Freedom flag that I’d placed in the attached vase with flowers and an American flag next to my combat veteran father had also been taken. Nothing else was disturbed but the 250 flag was gone. Who steals from a veteran’s grave on Memorial Day?

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At least a dozen times in the past decade, someone has drowned in the Spokane River at Corbin Park, despite the numerous posted caution signs about hazardous waters, with strong undertow and currents. It’s a beautiful, forested Post Falls City Park for picnicking and disc golf, a ball field and fishing from shore. Experienced kayakers and rafters know to wear life vests. There are so many beautiful places in our area where it’s safe to swim, but Corbin Park isn’t one of them.

As we head into summer, it’s my hope that no family will suffer the heartbreaking tragedy of losing a loved one there this year.

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Happy Main Street birthdays today to Kenny Gabriel, Valleda Woodhall, Myrl Halliday, Nancy Herold and Corey Wideen. Tomorrow, Shirlee Wandrocke, Michele Heuer, Tyson Bell, Scott Shellman, Barbara Jordan, Dane Dugan, Donnie Shuck, John Caylor, Melissa Feusier, Vance Ackley and Judy Padilla take another trip around the sun. On Friday, Star Shewey, Louisa St John Durkin, Tiffany Williams, Jeff Pryse, Butch Andrews, Donnie Shuck and Pehr Black celebrate. Matt Weaver, Justin Curtis, Sheila Spears, Jenny Prince, Chip Wideen, Chloe Fleming (18!) and Becky Bridges will enjoy birthday cake Saturday. Happy last day of May birthdays to Ron Shoop, Trey Barker III, Cindy Wood, Craig Singer, Lindsay Cantrell, Peggy Suenkel, Diane Huber and Meredith Close. On the first day of June, Sandy Shopbell, Dave Stutzke, Shannon Coles, Debbie Costa, Patrick Booth, Drake Foster, Mason Alexander, Tresa Brown and Vicki White blow out the candles. On Tuesday, Al Williams, Mike and Mitch Alexander, Nancy Mueller, Brenda Walters, Irene Seidler and Nels Jensen whoop it up.

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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].