INK: INKster finds Senate candidate Gresham Bouma 'downright scary' Commentary

The INKster is pleased to report that she is back in business after being off last week mending from laser surgery in both eyes. The procedure was a success and she is able to see again, which is very helpful when you're frequently in front of a computer screen!

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The INKster is still reeling over the outcome of last week's primary elections and more specifically, the loss of nine-term Republican incumbent Sen. Gary Schroeder to newcomer Gresham Bouma.

The INKster had never heard of Bouma until a few weeks ago when she read an e-mail circulated by Dale Courtney, that brilliant political strategist and member of Christ Church. In the e-mail, Courtney was inviting people to attend an April 15 Tea Party gathering in Friendship Square where Bouma was to be one of the featured speakers.

"If you are concerned about political matters at the local, state, and national level, this may be of interest to you," Courtney wrote.

In the e-mail, Courtney boasted of the hundreds of people who had attended Moscow's first Tea Party last year, and the huge crowd at a recent gathering in Asotin.

Although the INKster didn't always agree with Gary, he was never a person she was ashamed of to call her senator. However, she finds Bouma and his Tea Party affiliations downright scary.

From all reports, Bouma worked hard with his campaign, going door to door and with yard signs placed all over town. And of course speaking engagements at such functions as the Tea Party gathering in April.

According to press releases, Bouma is a building contractor and former school auditor. As to the latter position, you'd think he'd know what financial shape our state's schools are in and not turn his nose up at federal funding for public schools or any other legitimate funding sources to get them out of the quagmires.

Maybe when Bouma gets into full swing for the general election, he can bring in former University of Idaho student Sarah Palin, herself a darling of the Tea Party loonies, to campaign for him.

With Courtney and Palin at your side, how could a candidate go wrong?

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As always, the INKster is pleased to give her old friend Richard Naskalai a helping hand by reminding folks the Arboretum Associates Annual Plant Sale runs 9 a.m.-noon today at the skating rink at the Latah County Fairgrounds in Moscow.

According to Richard, the sale will include "gorgeous" hanging baskets, annuals, perennials, and some shrubs and trees propagated from the University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

Expert gardeners including Arboretum Horticulturist Paul Warnick will be on hand to answer all your gardening and landscaping questions.

The annual plant sale is the Arboretum Associates' primary fundraising event.

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The INKster would like to thank John Lawrence, president of the Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute Board of Directors, for the invitation to attend a luncheon June 16 at the 1912 Center to honor Tom Lamar's 20th anniversary as executive director for the group.

"PCEI has grown significantly over those twenty years," John noted in his e-mail. "We now have positive impact in our immediate region with programs in environmental education, watershed restoration, volunteerism and green living, and state wide through our AmeriCorps placement program and through the McCall Outdoor Science School, a collaboration between PCEI and the University of Idaho."

John also noted PCEI has "incubated" some pretty neat ideas like the Village Bicycle Project and Backyard Harvest, adding this year's budget will top $1.5 million and has more than 800 family and individual members.

"We are pretty amazed that we have been able to retain someone of Tom's caliber all these years as well as being amazed at what he has been able to accomplish," John concluded.

In addition to a number of longtime friends and supporters, many current and past PCEI staff and board members are expected to attend.

Tom is indeed a credit to the community he calls home.

... the blotter rests.

INK is penned by Vera White. To contribute to INK, call (208) 882-5561, ext. 251, or e-mail vnwhite@cableone.net.