Coming to America is reason to celebrate
Rachel Woods will celebrate her eighth birthday on Sunday, and this one is quite special as the Irish lass will be here in America meeting her mother's family for the first time.
Jessica Walter graduated from Lakeland High School in 1993, met her Irish husband-to-be, Peter Woods, in 1998 and moved to Ireland in 2000. She now makes her home in Monasterboice, County Louth, about a half-hour drive north of Dublin. Jessica and Peter also have a son, Peter-Michael, 5, and this is the first visit to the U.S. for the children. Jessica is looking forward to introducing Rachel and Peter-Michael to the "other half" of their heritage.
Our good friends, Glen and Margo Severson of Ray, N.D., came to spend a few days visiting us this week. On Saturday they attended a wedding in Kalispel before heading our way. While making small talk with the groom's brother, they mentioned they were traveling to Post Falls. The brother told them he would introduce them to his cousin who lives in Post Falls. Introductions were made, our names came up and that's how in Montana, our long time North Dakota friends met our long time Idaho friend, Skip Hissong. Small world.
Things to do highlights: Thursday ... Pilot Project at the Post Falls Library at 6 p.m. with a demonstration at CAMS airfield on Saturday at 10 a.m. Also on Thursday night, attend a free Post Falls Community Volunteers concert at the Lions Pavilion at Q'emiln Park and "Elvis" in concert at the Hayden Library, with an encore at Post Falls Library on Friday night.
The Lake City Center's $6 baked potato bar is at 6 p.m. Friday and open to the public. Another free concert at Rathdrum City Park is Friday evening at 6 p.m. Hayden celebrates this weekend, too, with a parade, music and vendors.
If you've never come to the Julyamsh Powwow at the Greyhound Park, you really must experience it. I had the honor of serving on the Powwow committee those first few years of the event, starting in 1998. It continues to be an incredibly moving and symbolic celebration for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, with hundreds of tribal members from all over the country on the banks of the Spokane River, the Coeur d'Alenes' ancestral homeland. The Friday through Sunday event is free to attend (there is a charge to park) and a perfect event for the entire family.
Happy Birthday today to Katie Brodie, Jeremy Epstein, Marilee Wallace Dionne (50!), Bill Singleton, Cassie Ohlig, Chris Olson-Wood, Carolyn Kreager, Anne Kulinsky, Jessica McLean, Darin Hayes and Brett Surplus.
Tomorrow's birthdays are Marie Price, Tom Taggart, Karen Youman, Mark Hunsaker, Karen Prosser, Doug Miller, Shelby Flamand, Anthony "A-Train" King and Srinivas Gundari.
Friday, Robin Schlotthauer, Alenna Blakeslee, Karen King and Kent Bailey celebrate. On Saturday, Doreen Mack, Marla Giese, Marlo Gerber, Nick Epstein, Kelsey Wood and Lois Johnson will be putting on their party hats.
On July 27, my brother-in-law Rick Scharf (60!) is joined by Ann Beutler, Larry Trosper, Gail Everson, Brady Campbell, Shelly Zollman, Rich May, Brian Thormahlen and Janet Pulis in blowing out the candles.
Monday is a special day for Darrell Rickard, Jan Nelson, Bekah Manderscheid, Cathy Werner, Zack White, Hank Wayman, John Hensley, Debra Wunderlich and Karen Englestad.
Ageless Jim Shepperd will be a youthful 88 on Tuesday, sharing the date with Mark Anthony, Tanya Peugh and Sam Taylor.
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 mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.