Probation completion cause for dancing

Kendra Goodrick-Martinez was informed by phone the other day that she had completed probation on a coupla drug charges. Kendra? She’s the 30-ish mother who turned her life around after being nailed for meth possession with intent to deliver. Who became a focus of a tug-of-war between Judge John Mitchell and the county prosecutor’s office. Remember? Kendra cleaned up her act during 18 months of drug-free probation only to be ordered back to the cross-bar motel in July 2007 when the prosecutor’s office used a technicality to scrape off another pound of her flesh. She had a newborn at the time and a lot of community support. She served another month or so in prison and then was released to supervised probation. Probation officer Tammy Douglas called Kendra with the good news recently. Kendra’s reaction? “I danced maniacally around the house, singing a song I made up on the spot,” she said on her blog, Soul Doubt. “I can’t quite remember it now, but there were lots of ‘Oh yeahs and “Freedom!s in it.’ A Huckleberries Online well-wisher suggested to “Kendramama” that she celebrate by getting “a big tattoo and a jug of cold frosty A&W Root Beer.” Instead, she and hubby, Tony, plan to enjoy a dinner and movie in Spokane and then spend the night at the Hotel Lusso. Besides, Kendra has hit her tattoo limit: 11.

No city slickers

Gary Ferguson and Mike Caldwell knew what to do when they found themselves broke and living in Blanchard. The two fortysomething cowboys threw a leg over their horses, whistled for their dogs, and headed for Arizona. Oh, and they also sat up a MySpace account for family, friends and the curious to follow their trail down Highway 95 and beyond. You might have seen them on the Spirit Lake Cut-Across Road or Ramsey Road Monday, leading six horses and two dogs south. On their MySpace page, which will be updated by family members, “The Boys From Idaho” describe themselves as “average,” “single,” “straight,” cowboys with high school diplomas who are proud of their children. They explain their venture: “We decided to (do) this because we were going broke on today’s economy and well we have always wanted to have no bills and just ride horses, so at 45 years old that’s what we did.” They’ll look for work along the way. They hope to “make it out of the mountains before the snow flies.” You can follow their adventure at this Web site: http://www.myspace.com/theboys fromidaho. Vaya con dios.

Huckleberries

For those keeping score at home, former S-R reporter Jim Hagengruber, who teamed with photographer Brian Plonka to produce the terrific military series on twin Marines Robert and Matt Shipp/Hauser Lake, has landed on his feet. The prestigious Christian Science Monitor has hired Jim as its European editor. Which means he’ll be working with overseas correspondents – and could become one someday … At Huckleberries Online, Demo County Clerk Dan English/Twin Lakes admitted that someday he might run for the Legislature from bright-red District 3. No need for the current crop of legislators to worry. Dan figures they’ll be long gone before he decides to run – retired that is … You may know that the UI footballers abandoned their logo on the butt part of their pants after their equally embarrassing Arizona shellacking. But did you know the cheerleaders covered up after the Idaho State home win? Too many spectators complained about too much skin. Wonder what the mascot’ll be wearing this weekend?

Parting shot

Berry Picker JimmyMAC is a young banker who’s going places with Wells Fargo. He made a poignant observation on my blog re: his Gen that bears repeating: “The biggest challenge facing American citizens is the borrow now, save later mentality. It is crippling my generation more than anything, and we are so underserved when it comes to budgeting for retirement. When I sit down with a customer and we lay out a budget, retirement very rarely comes up, even when there is room. Plasma TV’s, unaffordable vehicles and toys, I phones, etc., are viewed as a necessity by far to many 20 and 30 somethings struggling to fill up the tank.” And 40, 50, 60 and seventysomethings.