Live events a gift to community

The cast of Bits and Pieces received a well-deserved standing ovation on Sunday afternoon at the Coeur d'Alene Library. What a genuine treat the reading was for those in attendance in the packed community room.

It wasn't the lure of the celebrity names - although Travolta is a rather sizable name in entertainment circles - it was the professionalism of the actors who plied their craft to benefit the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theater and the Coeur d'Alene Library Foundation. The intimate venue of the library's community room made it extra special.

Ellen Travolta, Jack Bannon, Margaret Travolta and Roger Welch reading selected monologues succeeded in moving the audience to tears to laughter and back throughout the performances. Much like the wonderful Over the River performance last summer that included Patty Duke and Dennis Franz, this gift of live professional theater in our community is to be treasured.

It's May Day. Does anyone still twirl around a May Pole or leave little bouqets of flowers on a neighbor's front porch?

At midnight tonight until 11:59 p.m. Thursday night the statewide Idaho Gives program will match every dollar donated to our local nonprofit organizations. It's an incredible opportunity to grow your financial gift to those who are doing great work in our communities. Go to Idahogives.org to see the list and then make a real difference with your dollars.

Whether you're carb loading for Bloomsday or want to bring the family to the Old Pleasantview School for breakfast and a tour of the building that's on the Idaho Historic sites registry, this Saturday is the semi-annual Cowboy Breakfast fundraiser. We've attended for quite a few years and never tire of the great breakfast and even greater enthusiam by the volunteers of the Pleasantview Community Association for that wonderful old school. It's 8-11 a.m. at 18724 W. Riverview Drive in Post Falls.

After breakfast you can head into Coeur d'Alene to celebrate Motorcycle Awareness Day. Hundreds of motorcyclists will gather for an Idaho STAR (Skills, Training, Advantages for Riders) Program rally in the RD Rankin Veterans Memorial Plaza at the Kootenai County Courthouse at 9:30 a.m. The event is hosted by ABATE of North Idaho and following the rally at 11 a.m. the bikes will parade east on Sherman Avenue, a great visual if you're in downtown Coeur d'Alene. It's a timely reminder for motorists to be alert to cycling season as the warm weather arrives.

Well, bummer. Saturday is the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown. This year the race won't be available at the Greyhound Park, not for viewing or for paramutual wagering, due to "circumstances beyond their control."

It's the one time (OK - one of three times if you include the Belmont and Preakness Stakes races) a year when I bet on a horse race so this is disappointing. Especially if a long shot gray horse wins!

Happy May Day birthdays today to Jeri DeLange (60!), Suanne Harris and Diane Duncan. Tomorrow John DeLuca, Jan Bryant, Tre Lewis and Randy Hurt will celebrate. Randy Bates (60!), Tracy Flaa, Peter Willits, Robbie Canfield and Becky Camarata share Friday birthdays. Kenley Link (1!), Kay Poland, Jeanette Bangs, Scott Hayden, Rand Wichman, Brittany Smith and Scott Jacobson blow out the candles on Saturday. Happy Cinco de Mayo birthdays to Robert Cliff, Ben Miller, Joni McCroury, Carol Toomy, Lisa Peterson and Andy Fischbacher. On Monday Tamatha Dougal, Kristi Pope, Connie Clark (60!), Steve Eachon, Jeff Rhodes, Dave Tester, Karen Ouren and Kathy Sims mark another trip around the sun. May 7 is the birthdate of Chris Moore, Randy Williams, Pete Shepperd, Kathie Brack, Lisa Aitken, Rob Rinard, Jr., Rena Pruitt, Ramona Kaiser, David Dasher and Phil Pyseky.

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 mainstreet@cdapress.com.