This tale has a tail-wagging ending
The Coeur d'Alene Chamber's Aw$um Auction definitely lived up to the awesome billing last Saturday thanks to covert ops by Dustin Ainsworth's pals. One of the live auction items was an 8-week-old black lab pup, which Dustin had volunteered to dog sit for the week prior to the event. He didn't expect to become so attached.
The day before the auction Christina Hatfield and Marilee Wallace put their heads and contacts together to come up with a great surprise for Dustin. Thanks to JT Jacobsen, Kootenai Title, The Coeur Group, Christina, Marilee, Brenda Young, fellow Business Development Committee members, assorted Facebook friends and attendees at the auction who got caught up in the moment all chipping in ... Christina made the winning four-figure bid on the pup. The room erupted in cheers when a surprised Dustin was presented with his new "doghter."
The tale/tail with a happy win/win ending ... Dustin and his Lil' Pearl reunited and the Coeur d'Alene Chamber's bottom line.
Kudos to WedNI for the wonderful fashion show tea last Saturday at Silver Lake Mall. Proceeds benefited Coeur d'Alene Relay for Life and the Coeur d'Alene Distinguished Young Women program. The DYW participants did serving duties beautifully and the fashion show was great fun. A few familiar faces on the runway ... Midge Smock, Claudia Brennen and Mary Rawlsky. While I wasn't on the model roster I couldn't resist taking a quick sashay down the runway before talking to the group about motherly advice through the ages. I think I'll stick to talking. :)
The All-State Music Festival is right here in Coeur d'Alene this week. Tonight through Saturday afternoon over 500 of the best young musicians from around the state will compete and perform at North Idaho College and 200 music teachers will be attending workshops at the Coeur d'Alene Inn and Kroc Center.
Tomorrow night head on out to the Greyhound Park for the Post Falls Chamber's annual Business Fair with nearly 100 local businesses with booths. The event is open to the public with free admission and lots of giveaways from 5-7 p.m.
On Saturday afternoon you can get a sneak preview of the participants in the Post Falls Distinguished Young Women program when they perform the variety of talents that will be displayed in the competition later in the month. This event is 2-4 p.m. at the Post Falls Senior Center.
The newest member of the Main Street Birthday Club arrived on April 11 just before midnight. Sterling James Walton weighed in at 8 lbs, 8 oz. and was greeted by his over-the-moon happy parents, Kibbee and Freya Walton. Welcome Sterling!
Wish a happy birthday today to Rebecca Priano, Ryan Edmonds, Pat Stroud, Chris Mueller, Anna Goodwin, Branson McAlister, John Cross and Lisa Johnson. Tomorrow's birthdays will be celebrated by Petrina Spellman, Rich Piazza, Rick Seymour, Steve Adams, Angie Hannon, Charlie Staples, Carolyn Beard, Joe Bodman, Gerlinde Hamilton and Dorothy Deffenbaugh, who's turning 88 years young. On Friday April 20 my mother, Alice Rankin is 81 sharing the date with Bill Hilbish, Jerome Pollos, Tim Freund, Laura Warner and John Smith. Sharon Conroy, Dan Taylor, Sandy Goedde, Janet Johnson and Brent Hostetler have Saturday birthdays. On Sunday Curtis Gregory, Mark Nelke, Dave Nordby, Jeannette Peacock, Corey Beaver, Janna Robnett and George Greenfield will blow out the candles. Tracy Williams, Tracey Singer, Troy Speziale, Malika Mills, Kevin Bennett, Charlotte Brown, Don Kline, Kathleen Schmidt and Rollie Mort (70!) start out the week wearing their party hats with April 24 birthdays celebrated by Tim Katzenberg, Mike Regusa and his son, Jordan, Eric Haakenson, Pasquale Cafferty, Mark McWhorter and Mary Watson.
Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. She was voted Best Local Writer for 2012 by the readers of the North Idaho Business Journal. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri is on the air Mondays and Wednesdays on 1080 ESPN AM (KVNI).