Fabulous after all these years
For anyone lucky enough to be at the Eagles Lodge in Coeur d'Alene Saturday night, there was an unexpected performance by the legendary and quite Fabulous Shadows.
The Fabulous Shadows formed in 1963 as a group of local high-school students playing proms and slab dances and everything in between. The band officially retired after performing their last dance four decades later in 2005 at Coeur d'Alene High School's Centennial Picnic and All-Class Reunion at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.
But these fellows weren't just bandmates. They're also lifelong friends coming together to show support for their guitarist, Mike Bolan, and his new group, Big Honey. After a few hours on stage as the Shadows, the guys proved they've still got it.
Dexter Yates, Pete Shepperd, Jim Frame, Doug Wanamaker, Mike Bolan and Jack Fulwiller, and their wives Karen, Catherine, Charlotte, Patty, Judy and Ruthie enjoyed their own reunion. But alas, the Fabulous Shadows are not planning to perform publicly any time in the near future. The music and friendship endures.
A couple of years ago at the Reverse Job Fair, I met then- high-school senior Ashley Honnell. In a sea of students being interviewed about their traditional future career paths, she definitely stood out, with a display that highlighted hers: Country Singer.
The petite and pretty blonde looked the part and even had an i-Pod and headphones so interviewers could listen to her vocals. I interviewed her on the radio a time or two early on, smitten by her clear-eyed drive to have a career in music. Fast forward to this week and Ashley's first music video is available to all. This girl is going places. Take a listen and a look at www.vevo.com/watch/ashley-honnell/flowers.
The deadline for applying for the Casting For Recovery retreat is April 19. Breast cancer survivors are invited to visit www.castingforrecovery.org for the North Idaho-Eastern Washington chapter retreat on the Coeur d'Alene River in June. Fourteen women will be chosen by lottery to attend the two and a half day retreat, all expenses paid.
PFHS senior Ameen Gondo raised the bar high for creativity in asking Cara Swan to the Senior Prom on April 26. On Saturday he and his friends waited at Forever 21 at the mall for Cara and her friends to pass by the store windows. (Her friends were in on the surprise.) And a surprise it was when Cara saw four large poster boards with the letters P-R-O-M and a smaller sign held by a smiling Ameen that read, "with me?" She said yes.
Places to go, things to do ... tomorrow from 4-7 p.m. is the eighth annual Post Falls Community Fair, featuring nearly 100 local businesses displaying their products and services. It's at the Greyhound Park with free parking and admission.
Friday, the Post Falls Lions Club will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club's charter with an open house at the Post Falls Senior Center from 6-9 p.m. Lions past, present and their friends and family, as well as anyone who would like to know more about the Lions Club are invited to join the celebration.
Also on Friday night is the Tackle Cancer for Coach Jeff Hinz dinner and auction at 7 p.m at the Coeur d'Alene Inn.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, a public flag retirement ceremony at American Legion Post 143 in Post Falls will include Boy Scout Troop 13. If you've never witnessed the respectful retirement of our nation's flag, it's incredible.
Saturday evening the Hayden Chamber of Commerce will celebrate with annual awards at Resort Aviation. The event features dinner, dancing, live and silent auctions and paper airplane races.
Make dinner plans for next Tuesday at the Chili Cook-Off, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Community Action Partnership and the Post Falls Food Bank, at the Coeur d'Alene Inn from 4-6 p.m. Sample some of the best chili around made by local organizations and businesses.
My mother, born April 20, 1931, will celebrate her birthday on Easter Sunday this year. When she mentioned that it was the first time her birthday had ever fallen on Easter, I wondered if that could be true. Well, almost. Since 1875, Easter has fallen on April 20 only four times: 1919, 1924, 1930 and 2003. This Sunday will be only the fifth time in the span of 139 years and only the second time in Mom's lifetime.
Happy Birthday today to JD Dickinson, Leslie Gourley, Kevin Johnson, Kay Riplinger, Chris LaVoie and Tom Fisher. Tomorrow, Pat Krug, Jaime Deacon, Andre Ney, Betty Stone, Blythe Templin, Jonna Harris-Bowman, Sheila McDaniel, Curtis Ormesher and Peggy Fairfield will celebrate.
Friday, Anna Goodwin, Brad Dugdale, Chris Mueller, Pat Stroud, Rebecca Priano, Glenn Gatherer, Ryan Edmonds, John Cross, Branson McAlister and Lisa Johnson mark their special day. Angie Hannon, Rick Seymour, Petrina Spellman, Carolyn Beard, Rich Piazza, Rick Gonzalez, Steve Adams, Charlie Staples and Gerlinde Hamilton will enjoy a slice of birthday cake on Saturday.
Easter Sunday celebrants are my mother Alice Rankin, Jerome Pollos, Bill Hilbish, Sarah Gondo, Marcia Jimenez, Laura Warner (50!), Sarah Myers and John M. Smith.
Starting the week with birthdays on Monday are Gunnar Amos, Brent Hostetler, Sandy Goedde, Ali Taylor and Janet Johnson. Tuesday, Janna Robnett, Ron Strobel, Jeannette Peacock, Mark Nelke, Jim Barrett, Curtis Gregory, Dave Nordby, George Greenfield and Corey Beaver are taking another trip around the sun.
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 can be contacted on Facebook or via email [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter #kerrithoreson.