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The school levy election is tomorrow, the NIC meeting on the Ed. Corridor is Thursday and the local primary elections are next Tuesday. Is that enough to talk about or could there possibly be more?

I hear the dirt bikes are ripping up the face of Canfield mountain, now that the snow is finally gone, and the noise is driving the neighbors crazy.

Any comments, questions?

There was a great turnout at last night’s Educational Corridor Forum at the CdA Inn.  The walls had to be opened up to make more room for everyone.  Thank you to everyone who attended!  And to all who worked hard to organize the event.  My newsletter tomorrow will be a review of the meeting.  Until then, any comments or questions?

This is a fun photo I took last week of a huge sculpture in the National Sculpture Garden in Wash DC. If you know what it is, you might be old!

It’s going to be a busy week. Here are some of the important events coming up:

Tonight you have two choices:

1. CdA School Superintendent Harry Amend will be speaking and taking questions about the upcoming school Levy. The event is at the Mica Flats Grange at 7:00 pm tonight. The Grange is south of Coeur d’Alene on Hwy 95 at the Kidd Island Bay turn off.

2. The County Commissioner candidates will answer questions posed by moderator Mike Patrick, editor of the CdA Press, at the forum sponsored by the Kootenai County Young Professionals. It’s at 5:30 pm in the Community room at the new CdA Library next to City Hall.

Tomorrow night, Tuesday, May 13th, you have several choices:

1. The Educational Corridor Forum at the CdA Inn. This one costs money, $18, but includes dinner and a panel discussion with area legislators, county officials, a couple business people and me (Mary Souza). You need to RSVP to Betty Henderson at 664-7312. Starts at 6:00 pm.

2. LCDC is asking for input on developing Mid Town. 5:30pm at the School District Mid Town Center.

3. CdA P&Z Commission is having a 12:00 noon workshop on Downtown Height regulations with Mark Henshaw, the consultant from Seattle. (I wonder why? The new regulations have been in effect for over a year now–does someone want a change?) And they’ll also have their regular meeting time, 5:30pm. Both will take place at the Community Room in the new Library.

So, take your pick and get please get involved.

Any comments, questions or ideas?

The LCDC has sent out notices to people in Mid Town for a meeting about the development coming to their area.  They have set the meeting for the evening of Tuesday, May 13th, the same time as the already announced Education Corridor Forum being held at the CdA Inn by concerned citizens.  What do you think?  Planned or coincidence?

Other comments?

I’m back from a week away and it’s obvious things have been shaking around here!  A School levy meeting last week, another School levy meeting at the Mica Grange next week and the Ed. Corridor forum coming up too.  Now the Library is short of money and the CdA City Council will talk about it at their meeting tonight (6:00pm on Channel 19). There’s a theme in all of this somewhere.  Any ideas on what that theme is?

Comments or suggestions?

We’ve got a list of important dates head, here are some of the big ones:

• April 29th, School Levy information meeting at Lakes Middle School, organized by the School District.
• May 13th, Education Corridor forum for Taxpayers at the CdA Inn, organized by citizens.
• May 20th, CdA School District Levy election, vote at any public school
• Mary 27th, local primary elections for county and state positions

Do you have comments or questions about these or any other issues?

Looks like NIC is going to go it solo on the Education Corridor purchase. Read the article in today’s CDA Press and then comment on whether or not you believe this is a responsible decision.

There’s an interesting article about election compacting on the front page of today’s Press. We have so many little elections for highway districts, school districts, hospital districts, local city elections and of course county and state too. They are scattered all over the calendar and the voting places are all over town. It is downright confusing for voters.

What’s probably surprising to many citizens is that most of these elections are not run by the county elections department, they are run by the entity having the election. For example, the upcoming CdA School District Levy for $31.1 million dollars will be run entirely by the School District. They will create the ballots, man the voting places and count the ballots.

Any thoughts, comments or questions on this or any other topic?

Another week, and a little new snow to tease us again. We’ve got the the big CdA school levy for $31.1 million on May 20th and, just to be confusing, the local primaries are one week later on May 27th. Also, the LCDC was at it again last week, paying $25,000 for a person to go into Midtown and gather information about affordable housing.

Any comments, questions or ideas?