Helen Chenoweth-Hage 1938-2006

Former Idaho U.S. Representative Helen Chenoweth was killed in an aotomobile accident in rural Nevada yesterday, after being ejected from the vehicle in which she was riding on a mountain road. Her daughter-in-law and infant grandson were also ejected from the vehicle but did not sustain serious injury.

I lived in the pacific northwest when she was in the house. She was definitely a colorful character, making outlandish assertions like salmon aren't endangered, but white men are - or that salmon isn't endangered, she could buy all she wanted at Safeway - and boy did she let fly when she was damning the restoration of large predators on national parklands. I seem to recall a tirade in which she vowed to shoot wolves herself and grizzlies would be restored to Yellowstone over her dead body.

She was a short time in the public eye, but in the dark days of 1994, she was a much needed comic foil. Then she went home to Idaho with little fanfare, apparently remarrying and enjoying her family. I extend my sincere condolences to her family.