Graduation day ... even for adults
Graduation season is in full swing and this year I find myself in the Class of 2010 ... of River City Leadership Academy, that is. Our class has had an incredible year of discovering the businesses and organizations that make a community tick.
The behind-the-scenes tours of the Post Falls dam and power plant and Sunshine Minting stand out, as does volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and a class project of constructing and painting three dozen Silent Witness silhouettes for the Post Falls Police Department's OASIS program.
I thought I knew a lot about our communities, but I learned something new every month. It was also an opportunity to go beyond networking to really get to know my classmates: Layne Pitcher, Craig Wilcox, Ken Lambie, Jessica DeHaan, Peggy Santos, Mary Chestnutt, Beth Edwards, Katie Hardy, Kristy Reed Johnson, Barb McCarley, Scot Haug, Megan Ownbey, Bernie Koepsell, Brett Seright and Jeanne Atha.
We'll graduate on Tuesday during the Post Falls Chamber's monthly luncheon and I'd encourage everyone to consider this program of leadership and discovery. While this is only the second year of the Post Falls program, the Coeur d'Alene Chamber's Leadership Coeur d'Alene has been going strong for a couple of decades.
I really enjoy highlighting clever, out-of-the-box fundraisers and this Saturday is one of those for the Women's Center in Coeur d'Alene.
The Shabby Chic Tour of Homes provides a glimpse of comfy, inviting, creatively decorated homes. Starting at 10 a.m. at the Women's Center Thrift Store, 848 N. Fourth St., the tour runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the store, or online at www.cdawomenscenter.org.
And if you're feeling lucky on Sunday, take in the last open house for the NIC Really Big Raffle home from noon to 4 p.m. You can enter for a chance to win a free ticket there, too. The winner will be drawn on July 14 so check out www.nic.edu/rbr or call 769-3271.
During the ribbon cutting and dedication of the new Post Falls Chamber building last week, I happened to be standing next to the patio paver that reads "Kerri Thoreson - Citizen of the Year 1995." I joked to NIC student Nick Dimico that I'd been slacking off the past 15 years since that honor was bestowed. Then I asked him what year he was born and he replied, "1991." One of those moments when my age was definitely showing.
We had a great parade day in Post Falls on Saturday during a welcome respite from the rain of late. And what a crowd showed up to enjoy the show!
There's a lot of effort behind the scenes to make a parade, including the entrants who create something fun for the spectators. Another shout-out to the hardworking parade committee who make it happen and to Prairie Falls Golf Course for again providing carts for the parade officials.
Thanks to Lt. Pat Knight and Coeur d'Alene Polaris for the loan of a brand spanking new RZR four-seater that was my much-envied transportation on parade day. The speedometer went as high as 70 mph, although I never even got the speed up to the double digits. Promise. :)
Tomorrow Mari Meehan and Joan Crawford celebrate birthdays and on Friday wish Erna Rhinehart, Gary Schneidmiller and Tori Daily a happy birthday. Saturday birthday girls are Nicci Piazza Cushman and Vivian Worth. Dave Siroshton will blow out candles on Sunday. And a red, white and blue birthday wish for Flag Day celebrants on Monday - Christina Hatfield, Oskar Owens, Brendon Bedwell and Ralph Wohrle. Tuesday is Joseph Hutchison's big day.
THERE'S MORE ... Access More Main Street at the link below or at www.cdapress.com. Lots of photos of local people loving where they live and more!
Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press. More Main Street blog is at http://moremainstreet.blogspot.com. Kerri can be reached at mainstreet@cdapress.com