Soup, bread add up to holiday cheer

Many offices hold employee potlucks but sampling wonderful homemade soups and breads goes for a good cause at the Kootenai County Administrative offices. The 12th annual Soup and Bread Contest took place at lunchtime on Monday. There were 54 soups and 26 breads entered and almost 200 people paid $5 to taste to their tummy's content.

At the end of the lunch nearly $800 was raised to fill Christmas baskets with a holiday dinner, gifts and a bit of cash for several families who have applied through the county for the Circuit Breaker program. Kudos to Assessor Mike McDowell and his office for coordinating the effort each year, head "cheerleader" Jan Lindquist and to the county employees who donate the soups, breads and desserts.

Winners of the People's Choice awards: Soups - 1st, Grant Kinsey, 2nd, Angela Harmon, 3rd, Jennifer Ferriby, 4th Carlene Coit; Breads - 1st, Cary Howard, 2nd, Linda Leigh, 3rd, Connie Nelson, 4th, Pennie Mechkovski. A new category this year featured wild game dishes with fun names. Taking first place for her Moose-stroni was Shelli Halloran, with Josh Studor taking 2nd place for his Cave Man Stew. Third and fourth place awarded to Kim Thorogood and Eric Hart.

If you were watching "Good Morning America" last Friday you might have been surprised to see a familiar local face in a segment from New York City. Marla Lopez and a reporter were visiting a grocery store while Marla talked about a lifetime of eating only bread, potatoes and milk. I know Marla and she's beautiful, successful and normal. The eating condition is as fascinating to us as it is frustrating to her. Marla is taking part in a Duke University study and has signed a book deal. Her website gives an overview of what she deals with on a daily basis. www.frenchfrylady.com

I must admit I'm not a fan of Halloween. I'm as fun-loving as the next gal and enjoy the little kids in their superhero and princess costumes who come to the door for treats. But I've never been comfortable around grown-ups in masks and gory makeup. And for the nearly 20 years that my husband has volunteered with the Post Falls Lions Haunted House, the closest I've come is to volunteer in the concession stand. I'm just not a fan of being frightened. Don't watch scary movies or read scary books. But I do love Christmas and the Fourth of July. :)

Places to go and things to do ... trick or treat in downtown Coeur d'Alene this afternoon and also at Post Falls City Hall and at the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce. Tonight is the final night for the Post Falls Lions Haunted House, from 6-10 p.m. The group has been putting on the annual fright fest for more than four decades, with all proceeds staying in the community to aid sight, hearing and youth scholarships.

Tomorrow at 1 p.m. Chapter BF of the PEO will hold their annual fashion show at the Lake City Center. Proceeds are dedicated to providing scholarships for women in our community. On Saturday, the good people of Elder Help have created a fun event to dispose of your Halloween pumpkins with Punkin Chunkin at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. From noon to 4 p.m. you can splatter those jack-o-lanterns by giant slingshot or trebuchet. There will be a kids zone and hay rides. Free admission!

On Saturday at the Trading Company in Post Falls and on Sunday at K-Mart in Coeur d'Alene, the Lewis-Clark State College Student Organization of Social Workers will hold the No Child Wet Behind diaper drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days. Donated diapers will be distributed through the local food banks.

And for those who haven't voted in advance, Tuesday is election day. Exercise your civic duty and cast a ballot.

Wishing today's Halloween birthday celebrants more treats than tricks ... Kathy Prosser, Krysta Huft, Amber Copeland, Tom Hasslinger, Rob Moser, Jabet Wheeler, Tyler Engelbrecht, Kevin Grady (50!) and Susan Johnson (60!). On Nov. 1 Bernice Dymek turns 90 beautifully, sharing the day with Pam Jank. Friday, Mike Miller marks his milestone 70th. Also born on Nov. 2: Alan Zerba, Charity Thompson and Kathleen Lazor. Another 70th will be celebrated on Saturday by Jill Jurvelin, with Hara Allison, Karen Pearl, Patty Harris, Jerry Mason, Tim Wark and Kelly Tuntland also blowing out their birthday candles. Taking another trip around the sun on Sunday are Annie Mote, Angela Cross, Kirsten Donovan, Nancy White, twins Zachary and Ryan Englebrecht and father and son, Chris and Mitchell Copstead. Monday's birthday girl is Vicki Hahn and on election day Anna Rolphe, Hap Hilbish, Laura Gray, Marijo Guindon, Heather Clark, Ken Brnadvold and Kim Wilhelm will put on their party hats!

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). Find her on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com.