Memorial plans are in the works for John O’Neill

John O’Neill certainly wasn’t a traditional public figure, but his death two months ago has resulted in an outpouring of sympathy and tributes from the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley.

O’Neill, who was best known for standing near streets and yelling at cars, died on Thanksgiving night when he was struck by a vehicle while he crossed 21st Street in Lewiston. He was 68.

Following his death, Katy Yeats, who had been acquainted with O’Neill since she was a teenager, said on Facebook there should be a memorial to the man. A friend of hers, Cody Long, took the cue and created a GoFundMe page, and the donations started rolling in.

They didn’t have a plan for what the memorial would be, and there were plenty of strong opinions online, Yeats said. Eventually, they arrived at a decision: They will use the money raised to pay for a bench dedicated to O’Neill, which will be installed at Locomotive Park. It will include a plaque that says “Your compassion perseveres.”

The GoFundMe page has raised more than $1,400. The city of Lewiston told Yeats and Long that the bench will cost $1,200, so they will turn over the money once the city is ready to install the bench. Yeats and Long aren’t sure when that will be.

O’Neill was most often seen on Lewiston’s 21st Street, intensely yelling and gesticulating at passing cars like a basketball coach working the referees.

Yeats said O’Neill was affected by mental illness, which usually manifested itself in his roadside theatrics. But when he was taking his medication, his kindhearted side became apparent, she said.

“The person inside of John was good,” said Yeats, a 29-year-old psychology student at Lewis-Clark State College. “It’s not like John was a drug addict; he was actually mentally ill. Just because he screamed at cars doesn’t mean he wasn’t compassionate.”

During a candlelight vigil for O’Neill at Locomotive Park shortly after he died, several speakers mentioned his kindness and willingness to help those in need. And Yeats and Long were impressed by the quick pace of donations to his memorial.

“He, in my opinion, was a very beloved figure in the community, whether or not people knew him personally,” said Long, 28, of Lewiston. “Again, it’s just amazing to see that kind of support come out for a man that not a lot of people knew personally, but everybody knew.”

Yeats said that any funds remaining after the bench is installed will be donated to a homeless or mental health cause.

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The star that shines over the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley during the Christmas season was kept on until late January, in hopes that it might raise the community’s spirits.

The star was kept lit longer than usual “since everything is still going on with the virus — just to give a little extra shine to the valley, I guess,” said Randy Servatius, a member of the Clarkston Lions Club, which maintains both the Christmas star and the Easter cross.

The star was first switched on in mid-November, when members of the Lions Club made their traditional trek to the site to double-check the hardware.

But there was a temporary malfunction on New Year’s Day. Coincidentally, Servatius remarked to his wife that day that there hadn’t been any problems with the star this season.

“And then I get a phone call an hour later saying one side of the star is out,” he said.

The bottom left point had suddenly gone dark. Some people on Facebook said it made the star look like Texas.

The next day, Servatius and fellow club member Tom Driscoll scrambled back up the hill and discovered that a brittle wire had burned in half. They taped it up and got the point of the star working again, but the club is planning to install new wiring and a new panel box before lighting the cross in March.

The valley “is very good at supporting our cross and our star, and we thank them tremendously for that,” Servatius said. Donations can be made by sending a check to the Clarkston Lions Club at 615½ Sycamore St., Clarkston, WA 99403.

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Mike Dodson said he “was like a newborn” when he was sick with pneumonia during a harrowing stay at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center recently.

It wasn’t the first time he had been in the care of the Lewiston hospital — he was born there in 1964.

“Fifty-six years ago, they gave me my life,” Dodson said, “and then 56 years later, they gave it back to me. Kind of a trip.”

Dodson called the Tribune recently to sing the praises of St. Joe’s doctors and nurses on the third and fourth floors. He also praised Idaho Medicaid for covering his two-week stay at the hospital.

Dodson, a retired drywall installer, went to St. Joe’s two days before Christmas when he experienced heart and back issues. He was diagnosed with pneumonia, had a tube inserted down his throat and was incapacitated for two or three days.

Once he woke up, he started physical therapy, and steadily got back to walking on his own. He’s still on oxygen, but is now “feeling great” — and remains appreciative of the care he received.

“It’s not every day that you get a new life, Bubba,” Dodson said.

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On a recent stroll around Lewiston’s Normal Hill, my family and I spotted a ninja throwing star (made out of paper) and intriguing note affixed to a power pole.

The note mentions there being eight more of these, and if you find them, you win ... something.

I’ve kept my eyes peeled, but haven’t spotted any other throwing stars around town. Plus, the one we found, which was at the intersection of Prospect and Sixth avenues, has since vanished.

Does anyone have any idea what’s going on here? Please let me know if you do.

Bite Size Takes, which runs periodically in the Tribune, scoops up the news that almost didn't fit in print. If you have an offbeat but interesting tip you would like to share, contact Matt Baney, the Tribune's assistant city editor, at mbaney@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2262, or on Twitter @MattBaney_Trib.