Byway poll filled with politics, shenanigans
And the winner of the Daily Bee online poll asking if the proposed Sand Creek Byway would be good for Sandpoint and Bonner County is …
Yes 45 percent
No 54 percent
We had more than 2,600 votes cast in the week-long poll. Make that 2,657 votes and who knows how many voters.
The 2000 presidential election had Florida and the Supreme Court. The 2004 Daily Bee byway poll had shenanigans that would have made even a hanging chad blush.
We had people hack into our computer system twice during the week — both hackers were anti byway, by the way. We also had people figure out how to vote more than once. For computer geeks, it was as easy as disabling the cookie function in their computers and resubmitting votes.
One person admitted to voting 100 times for the byway and told us he knew of one person who and voted 400 times against the byway.
A local minister tipped us off that it was possible to cheat.
I can't imagine anything so lame as someone sitting at a computer and sending in multiple votes. I have heard from a friend of mine that is the big holdup on allowing internet votes on state and national elections.
While it would be easy to throw out the results of the entire vote because of the actions of a few, that would be shortsighted. People are passionate for or against the Sand Creek Byway and that passion obviously motivated some to cheat.
I also heard from a lot of people who were upset the vote took place online and not the old-fashioned way on paper and ink. In fact there are a lot of people who don't have computers or if they do don't use the internet.
So, here is what I propose.
Below this you will find a coupon. Please vote yes or no on the coupon and send it in or deliver it to the Bee. You must write your name. The votes will be tallied Monday after 5 p.m. No duplications and only one vote allowed per coupon. Let's see how close the paper results come to the cyberspace
results.
Stay tuned next week…
This week's question: "Do you think Dirk Kempthorne should run for a third term as governor?" Vote early and vote once.
You don't have to sell former KPND station manager Bob Witte on the power of the printed word. Last week this column announced his departure from the radio station. It should be noted that he hasn't totally left the airwaves, he is still seeing several prime accounts and is spending some time behind the same type of microphone Rush and Dr. Laura sit behind.
His new occupation remains a secret until a Bee reporter and Bob's new boss hook up.
Bob was amazed by the number of phone calls, emails and people who stopped him on the street to quiz him about this lane change on his career track. If you want people to notice you and remember you, put it in the paper I always say.
The Festival At Sandpoint has every night booked except one for the upcoming season. Dyno Wahl has done another tremendous job landing some great acts. You will be pleasantly surprised. Word must be getting out because season pass sales are way ahead of last year's great season.
Best rumor in the local sheriff's race: Now is the time to speed if you want to in Bonner County. I received an anonymous call that BCSO deputies have been told to not pull people over or "antagonize the public" leading up to the election.
Worst election advertising idea: It appears like it will be a real shootout in the Boundary County sheriff's race. There are five, count'em five, candidates.
If it is a shootout, bet on Jeff Ennis. Ennis has billboards on the north and south entrances to Bonner Ferry reminding voters he is a straight shooter. So much so, he is brandishing a pistol on one billboard and a shotgun on the other. This from the same department that had a deputy poach a deer while shooting from a sheriff's vehicle, using a standard issue rifle.
Bonner County has six candidates for sheriff.
Kids who cut their own hair, Part 4: Dani Lockwood took the scissors to his own hair a few years back. He was two in this photo. Grandma Sandra Fain submitted this photo. Dani is now 14 and not really happy that grandma saved this photo, I suspect.
Who else has heard the Fred Meyer rumor. Apparently Fred Meyer is looking at the site of the soon-to-be-closed Riley Creek mill in Sandpoint. Several city departments are involved in doing some research for the potential sale. City planner Kody Van Dyk denies any knowledge about Fred Meyer. Of course, Van Dyk fibbed to a Bee reporter a few months back concerning Home Depot. He told our reporter he knew nothing about it, while the water plans, etc. were on top of Van Dyk's desk.
Rumor has it Ed Ostrom is earning about $8,000 an hour up in Bonners Ferry.
Mark Friday on your calendar to get out to Yoke's to see if you have won the $1,000 prize in the Great Grocery Giveaway contest. More than 3,300 entries are in and someone will win. There is a party from 4:30 to 6:30 to celebrate the end of the contest. The winner's name will be selected at 5:30.
Yoke's manager Steve Brooks has done a great job at the Ponderay store and has quickly become known as a real community supporter. He is also done a tremendous job heading up the new and improved PCDC organization.
David Keyes is publisher of the Bee. His column runs on Tuesdays.