For, of, by the people requires people
Fellow citizens are taking the oath of office in city halls this month.
Today we can all take an oath to engage in the practice of citizenship by being involved, contributing our voices and our time to committees, commissions and projects.
Govern-ment of the people, by the people and for the people requires people. Be one of those who make a difference this year.
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National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day is Saturday, Jan. 9, with the public encouraged to wear blue to recognize the men and women who protect and serve our communities. Project Blue Light, which began in 1988 to honor a fallen officer in Pennsylvania, also continues. According to its website, the color blue is symbolic of peace.
By displaying blue lights you send a message of support to America’s peacekeepers, your light guiding them to safety, and your hope that the year will be peaceful.
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I’m often asked how to have a name appear in Main Street birthdays. What started as an occasional birthday shout-out in this column a couple of decades ago has grown to include more than 1,000 best wishes annually to the newly born, centenarians and everyone of every age between.
I’ve collected local birthdays through the years that people send to me or tell me about and the sheer volume is sometimes a bit overwhelming, even with the help of an electronic birthday reminder program and, in recent years, the addition of Facebook.
Something that wouldn’t occur to readers is that I also routinely look through obituaries to see if someone who’s been included in the Main Street birthdays has passed away since their last birthday. Sometimes a family member will contact me but more often than not, it’s caught in the perusal of the newspaper’s published obituaries. Not a foolproof method, as once or twice a year I wish a happy birthday to someone who’s no longer living.
If you’d like to add birthdays to this column, the best way is via email: mainstreet@cdapress.com. Similarly, if you’d like to remove a birthday, same method. I do love birthdays!
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In the event all of the snow hasn’t melted, the Co-ed Snowshoe Softball Tournament is at Majestic Park in Rathdrum on Saturday and Sunday. Info: 687-2399.
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Happy birthday today to Gary (GA) Allen, Colton Peugh, Kris Cederburg, Kim Dennison, Griffin McAndrew, Christina Sedgwick, Will Moore, Robert Green, Judi Caceres and Kellie McCracken.
Tomorrow, Katie Marmon, Dale Kreager and Sydne Watson will make a wish.
On Friday, Jerry Sparling, Donna Trueblood, Sandy Wendell, Fondra McGee, Marc Kroetch and Rebecca Mort add another candle to their cake.
On Saturday, Dan Ryan, Robert Coles, Ed Anderson, Cristy Bauer, Avery Hunt, Pat Mitchell, Sandy Emerson, Esther Webb and Chuck O’Malley will do a birthday dance.
Mary Jane Hahn (80!), Shelley Rosenberger, Katrina Jaeger, Jan Harris, Tom Iverson, Paul Matthews and Ronan Kennedy will celebrate on Sunday.
Kathy Kress White, Susan Thomas, Luke Gonzales (16!), Tim Elder, Cora Cole, Amy Morfitt, Ivan Bosanko, Nathan Johnson, Jim Deffenbaugh and Cindy Mitchell have 1/11 birthdays.
Tuesday birthdays are Pat Russell, Mike Baker, Wendy Wallin, Debbie Oliver and Ryan Wichman.
Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. 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.