Quarter century of friendships, scholarships

’Tis the season for our local Distinguished Young Women programs to select representatives. Congratulations to Gabrielle Vietri of Lake City High School, newly-selected Coeur d’Alene DYW. The Post Falls program will be on Saturday night and Lakeland will select their DYW the following weekend.

Back in 1987 I lobbied the State Junior Miss board to grant permission to start a Post Falls program. At that point it was the Coeur d'Alene Jaycees' Kootenai County Junior Miss and students from Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland participated in a single event. I felt strongly that individual programs in those communities would provide even more participation and scholarship opportunities for these young women.

So in 1988 the very first Post Falls Junior Miss program was held. Brooke Larsen (Miller) of Falls Christian Academy was the winner. Those first few years the program did not have any affiliation with an organization, just Bert and I putting it on ... on a wish and a prayer and a shoestring. In time we were able to engage the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce, which helped build a solid foundation of support and volunteers.

Our family stayed involved as volunteers for well over a decade, with our daughter, Alyssa, chairing the Post Falls program through 2003. Alyssa’s final year as chair was Tracy Brown’s year. Tracy went on to become Idaho’s Junior Miss, the only Post Falls representative to date who’s won the state title.

Looking back on the past 25 years and now with the addition of Timberlake DYW in Kootenai County, it’s gratifying to know that hundreds of additional girls have benefited from the experience and friendships made ... and earned thousands of dollars in college scholarships thanks to the generous support from our community and so many dedicated volunteers.

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Last week’s mention of actresses Patty Duke and Meredith Baxter guest starring on upcoming episodes of Glee prompted a note from Ruthie Johnson of Hayden Lake and a “small world” story. On Feb. 16, 1946 Ruthie and Wayne’s first child was born at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. Sharing the maternity ward room with Ruthie was Nancy Baxter (Meredith’s mother), also welcoming her first child. The Johnsons and the Baxters kept in touch for years, Tom and Nancy Baxter coming to Wallace to visit after the Johnsons moved to Idaho.

Trivia: Tom Baxter developed the first wireless microphone which debuted on the Dinah Shore Show. Ruthie and Wayne were guests of the Baxters in the audience of that show, and went back stage to meet Ms. Shore.

There’s no shortage of interesting people and interesting stories in our community, that’s for sure.

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Places to go and things to do ... Thursday at the Best Western Coeur d’Alene Inn, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., all you can sample chili and meet the local cooks in a fun Chili Cook-Off that benefits the Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene food banks. Bras on Dudes auction event on Friday, also at the Coeur d’Alene Inn, from 7-10 p.m. benefiting Relay for Life.

Saturday morning at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, NASCAR’s Kyle Petty and a few hundred motorcycles will be heading out on the next leg of the charity Ride Across America. Public is welcome to come see the bikes and meet Kyle and his friends. At the Coeur d’Alene Library on Saturday the police department will hold the Drug Take Back Day for expired and unused prescription drugs. At Post Falls City Hall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. there’s a recycling event that includes e-recycling (computers/cell phones/printers etc.), drug take back and the St. Vincent DePaul donation truck on site. Family Promise of North Idaho is holding a benefit concert on Saturday evening at Christ the King Lutheran Church featuring CHS alum, Tracey Singer. Musical variety for the whole family at 6 p.m.

There may be a few tickets left for the Bits and Pieces reading on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at the Coeur d'Alene Library, starring Ellen Travolta, Jack Bannon, Margaret Travolta and Roger Welch. A collaboration with the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theater and the library foundation, this will be a wonderful event.

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Happy Main Street Birthday today to Mary Watson, Dan Taylor, Pascale Cafferty, Hayley Gabriel, Lori Rogers, Mark McWhorter, Mike Regusa, Eric Haakenson, Jordan Ketzenberg and Tim Ketzenberg. Tomorrow Cheryl Burchell, Lori Hess, Patricia Keller, Cathy Biby, Krystal Arthur and Joey Grunden will celebrate. Friday is the birthday of Sandy Landberg, Patrick Lippert, Marilyn Desjarlais, Tim Skelton and Doneda Allen. There’s a pair of birthdays on Saturday, Steve Kane and Brittney Blaski. Sunday is special for Glorie Ward, Tootie Reynolds, Martin Teall, Linette Freeman, Sue Barnard, Beth Bollinger, Barb Forgacs, Star Hart, Corinna Whiting, Jana Pool, Kristina Lallatin, Caitlin Rielly and Larry Locke. Starting the week with birthday cake will be Steve Wilson (60!), Christy Caruso, Susan O’Neill, Emily LaCharity and Janet Haakenson on Monday and Michele Jensen, Christina Bollman, Keith Ekness, Luke Griffin, Louise Zimmerman and Jai Nelson on the last day of April.

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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 2013 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 [email protected].