All dressed up and somewhere to go
Ronna Rankin Park, right, with her daughter Emily Harrah, BYU Class of 2021. Courtesy photo.
Class of 2021 seniors around our county are celebrating the return to normal by donning formal wear, corsages and boutonnieres for prom season. Lakeland High School’s prom was April 24, followed by Post Falls and Lake City high schools on May 1. Coming this weekend, Coeur d’Alene and Timberlake students will head to their proms.
After having school, prom, graduation etc. cancelled or unrecognizable in the spring of 2020, it really is a reason to celebrate for these young people. Congratulations to the prom royalty, too!
Lakeland — Queen Abby Neff and King Ammon Munyer and court, Rachel Moen, Lizzie Adams, Sydnee Hostetler, Rylee George, Cole Strietzel, Hunter Andres, Quinn McGovern and Calvin Schenkenberger.
Post Falls — Queen Melanie Fry and King Lars Horning and court, Maya Blake, Shayleigh Gallegos, Reagen Hartzell, Samantha Snow, Kloey Williamson-Bell, Isaac Ballew, Isaiah Laguna, Lane Reardon, Cole Rutherford and Josiah Shields.
Lake City — Queen Isabella Zimmerman and King Sawyer Hamm, and court Luci Dixon, Jada Olson, Venna McKnight, Brenna Hawkins, Roman Smith, Aidan Fink, Uriah Chavez, and Aidan Hille.
• • •
Earning a Bachelor's degree is an incredible accomplishment but for my sister, Ronna Rankin Park, it was extra special. Ronna graduated from Coeur d'Alene High School in 1978 and went on to BYU. Before finishing she put college on hold for marriage and raising her six children. The goal to finish her education was always there. So while working full-time and during a pandemic, Ronna jumped back in with the added goal of graduating from BYU with her youngest child, Emily in 2021.
At age 60 she achieved the goal with mother/daughter caps, gowns and diplomas. It’s never too late!
• • •
Happy Cinco de Mayo birthdays today to Faith Brodwater, Robert Cliff, Ben Miller, Joni McCroury, Carol Toomy, Lisa Peterson, Teri Farr, Angela Erickson and Andy Fischbacher. Tomorrow Dusty Flamand, Tamatha Dougal, Kristi Pope, Connie Clark, Steve Eachon, Jeff Rhodes, Meagan Guerreo, Dave Tester, Jerry Shriner and Karen Ouren celebrate another year. Kris Phillips, Chris Moore, Randy Williams, Ruby Johnson, Pete Shepperd, Kathie Brack, Lisa Aitken, Rob Rinard, Jr., Rena Pruitt, Ramona Kaiser, David Dasher and Phil Pyseky blow out the candles on May 7. On Saturday Olivia Backs, Chalee Atkinson (21!), Matt Barkley, Stephie Clinton, Julie Adamchak, Tiffany Teal, Lindsey Sales, Nic Riorden and Jared Raynor have their cake and eat it, too. On Mother’s Day Allan Aitken, Tara Dagastine, Carrie Holdren, Valerie Emery, Bonnie Clark and Carla Noonan take another trip around the sun. Coltan and Cadan Virgil, Shelly Servick, Don Smock, Shelly Matthews, Pearl Bouchard, David Dickinson, Margie Adams, Zena Baltzell and Bonnie McDowell start the week out with birthdays. On May 11 Anne Hagman, Jason Mealer, Debra Altman, Anthony Skarisky, Stephanie Knox, Chad Todd and Sharon Culbreth put on their party hats.
• • •
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.