Parades and events all part of the job
Over a dozen years ago, Gay Glasson started as the administrative assistant with the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association but her love for special events led to her role as events coordinator for the past decade.
Gay’s a kindred spirit; we share a love of parades and as a convertible owner, I first made her acquaintance when she needed a car and driver for the grand marshal of the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Then she invited me to judge the Chocolate Affair, more than once! Last year I judged the first HowliDays doggie costume contest and will be back again on Saturday for that four-legged fun.
Gay has organized Dog d’Alene for eight years and then there’s Car d’Lane and her “car guys” who arrive at 5 a.m. to get their favorite parking spot. She marvels at the people who enjoy walking downtown in the summer and seeing the beautiful flower baskets and drop off small checks toward their upkeep.
Next week the Holiday Lighting Parade will make its way down Sherman Avenue, a day-after-Thanksgiving tradition that draws thousands of people from the region to downtown. Gay enjoys everything about that magical parade — lining entries up in snow, hail, rain and sleet and seeing the little ones excitedly waiting to see Santa. It’s the crisp, cold and clear nights, maybe a snowflake or two floating down as the spectacular fireworks display over the lake kicks off that will be a particularly fond memory for Gay. This year will be her last holiday parade to direct.
In early December, she and her husband, David, are moving nearly 8,000 miles from downtown Coeur d’Alene to his homeland of New Zealand where all of his family still lives. Gay said far beyond Coeur d’Alene’s beautiful scenery and incredible events that it will be the people she’s met in the community who will always be close to her heart.
Christmas in New Zealand this year for the Glassons will be sunny and warm since it’s summer in that part of the world. So here’s hoping Santa brings a snowflake or two to this year’s Holiday Lighting Parade just for Gay.
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Scouts from Pack 13, Pack 220, Pack 250, Troop 206, Troop 213 and Troop 239 participated in Day of Scouting for Food on Saturday, collecting 2,305 pounds of food and $155 in cash for the Post Falls Food Bank. But kids being kids, the boys themselves were weighed on the freight scale, too. So how many pounds of Scouts were there? 4,290!
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Blake McLean, a senior at PFHS, has been involved in 4-H since he was 9 years old and works on his family’s farm and cattle ranch on the Rathdrum Prairie. That experience paid off during the past five days he spent in the employ of Idaho Lowline Cattle Co. of Hayden, one of only two American companies showing at the Farmfair International Expo in Edmonton, Alberta. Blake fitted and showed with outstanding results: Grand Champion Senior Bull, Grand Champion Bull Calf, Grand Champion Yearling, Grand Champion Pen of 4, Supreme Bull and Supreme Heifer. Now it’s back to school for Blake; practice for the Trojan varsity boys basketball team started on Monday.
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Things to Do Highlights:
n Tomorrow is the sixth annual Souport the End of Homelessness luncheon event to benefit the St. Vincent de Paul’s warming centers in our communities. 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Jacklin Building at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds; just $10 buys sampling of more than three dozen homemade soups.
n On Friday, Soroptomists Women of Distinction Awards luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cedars Floating Restaurant.
Wild Turkey Dodgeball Tournament, Friday, 6:30 p.m. at Mullan Trail Elementary, official National Amateur Dodgeball Association rules. Info 773-3511 or www.postfallsidaho.org.
n On Saturday the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association presents the HowliDays canine costume contest at the Plaza Shops, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with judging at noon. Entry is $5 per dog or three cans of dog food or a small bag of kibble. The event raises money and pet food for the local food banks.
A free community Thanksgiving dinner will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday at American Legion Post 143 at Poleline and Syringa in Post Falls.
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Happy birthday today to my very first nephew Leighton Scharf (40!), Gina Mote, Michelle Rielly and Bob Johnson. Tomorrow, Aaron Baldwin, Nate Ziegler (40!) and Debbie Irby blow out the candles.
On Friday, Sandi Bloem, Dave Oliveria, Bob West, Michael King, Brian Smith, Kristin Hoppe, Linda Alby, Kim Jacklin, Pat Thyssen, Chase Blakley (20!), Rob Clark and Kayla Pleger will have their cake and eat it, too.
Celebrating on Saturday are Maureen Dolan, Bob Driscoll (70!), Kaci Medlock, Bill G Storlie Sr. (60!), Susan Martin (70!), Barbara Bryan (70!), Gary Schwalbach and Vonnie Satchewell.
Sunday is special for Hazel Fox who’s celebrating her 101st birthday, sharing the date with TJ Barnhart, Dustin Ainsworth, Noel Adam, Tyeson Bennett, Brenda Hanson, Tresa Wheeler and Leland Johnson.
Nov. 23 birthdays are shared by David Eachon, his daughter Dana Ortega, Chris Beck, Dennis Hall, Dee Dee Morris, Rocky Carneiro, Julia Hopkins, Ronda Mitchell, Stephanie Morrison, Tim Williams and Carol Daniels.
Tuesday is a banner day for Mike Jarrett, Jeff Morrison, Lisa Black, Jesse Gunderson, Debbie Magnuson, Mike Lindquist and Eric Knudtsen.
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 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.