'You say it's your birthday'
I love birthdays, and not just my own. One day out of the year we can unequivocally shout from the rooftops that it's great to be alive. We blow out candles, eat cake and ice cream without counting carbs, indulge in goofing off or going out and if we're lucky, open a present or two.
Several years ago I started celebrating my birthday in this column with a few dozen other May birthday friends. Now it seems there are more than 200 local people whose May birthdays I've gathered and we've outgrown this space. Although each week throughout the year birthdays are noted here, May was my personal favorite for obvious reasons.I'm pleased to announce that The Press is now devoting a page once a month to a full list of Main Street Birthday Club members. Look in the paper on Friday to see which local businesses are sponsoring the new birthday page and what treats they're offering.
Happy birthday today to Mary Rawlsky, Lynette Moore Walsh, Craig Ziegler, John Brewer and Jason Penskover, who's turning the big 4-0! Wish Judy Brooks, Eric Keck and Charlie Morris happy birthday tomorrow.Several folks share my May 14 birthday on Friday ... Stephanie Davenport, Williene Gagnon, Linda Green, Bill Ohlfs, Kimberly Westrick, Kristi Messinger, Mark Hemenway, Rita Preston, Verla Packer, Randy McKahan, Jake Hobbs, Kathy White, Liz Ricciardi, Breanne Ruff, Kimberly Westrick and Averie Barnes.
On Sunday, Diane Wahl and former County Commissioner Mike Anderson celebrate. On Monday, the most senior of all Main Street Birthday Club members, Ace Walden will blow out 103 candles on his cake! It's also the birthdate of Brad Finney, Shawntel Shofner (Sweet 16!) and Skip Ryman. May 18 is Amy Corbett's 30th and also Vicki Isakson's birthday. ***
The annual Spring Food Drive kicks off on Friday so to celebrate my 58th birthday I'm hoping to encourage Main Street readers to donate 580 pounds of food to the cause. I'll be at Post Falls Super 1 Foods from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday and then at The Trading Company on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m., where Kelly Hughes will make music for the crowds. Come by and say hello ... bring food!***
The newest member of the May birthday roster arrived on Monday. Declan Vaughn Christiansen is the first child of Cameron and Jessica Christiansen and made first-time grandparents of Ron and Sue Waltz and Lonnie Christiansen and Valerie and Ron Wood. The Waltz family will be joined by a second grandchild next month when Declan's uncle, who happens to be Olympic athlete Ian Waltz, welcomes his first child.
***Last Friday night's Faces of Hope Auction for ICARE was a great success. Art Spirit Gallery owner Steve Gibbs gave me a tour of the basement, which is filled with incredible pieces of art in all mediums. I'm definitely a neophyte of the art world but discovered that Robert Grimes is an incredible artist whose work I find compelling. Steve's gallery is un-intimidating and eclectic, so next time you're in downtown Coeur d'Alene see it for yourself.
*** THERE'S MORE: Jeff Selle takes his backyard grilling acumen to a new level with a grand champion trophy and a special Mother's Day treat; see why the new Post Falls Jr. Miss Hailey Smith brought a tear to the eye of a former Jr. Miss's mom and more online at More Main Street. There's a link on the right hand rail for adding your birthday to the Main Street Birthday Club for 2010!
***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