Old school white bread has its Masters moment

Show of hands: Who’s eaten a pimento cheese on white bread sandwich? I must admit I hadn’t until several years ago, when my friend Jamé Davis gifted me with a small container of her homemade pimento cheese. Jamé and her husband, Ryan, are avid golfers, so she began the tradition of celebrating the Masters Tournament, which begins this week in Augusta, Ga.

She’s recreated the famous pimento cheese to the delight of family and friends. Amazingly, the signature menu item of the tournament is the pimento cheese sandwich, followed closely by egg salad. Each sandwich will set you back $1.50. No sandwich on the concession menu, which includes the Masters Club and ham and cheese on rye, costs more than $3. The much-loved Georgia Peach ice cream sandwich is still just $3. Bottled water and soft drinks are $2 and beer and wine are $6, the most expensive item on the menu.

According to the Masters website, when the tournament was formed in the 1930s, Augusta National Golf Club co-founder Clifford Roberts realized that feeding the masses who attended the tournament would be a necessary customer service attribute. Providing a simple menu of sandwiches, snacks and drinks allows for the low prices and also provided a means to prepare the food in resident Augustans’ kitchens in the early days and on to today’s off-property, mass-production of the iconic sandwiches, sheathed in green plastic wrapping.

I wonder if any of our local golf courses are serving pimento cheese sandwiches this week ...

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I recently spent a few days and several hours reviewing and scoring 44 college scholarship applications as part of my role serving on Kootenai Electric’s Trust Board. What an eclectic and accomplished group of young people from all of our area schools. When our full board meets to determine the recipients, it won’t be an easy task.

Secondly, I want to give kudos to the teachers and counselors of these young people for taking the time and care to provide thoughtful and detailed letters of recommendation. I know they spend much of their own time doing this important aspect of scholarship applications for so many students. Thanks to all.

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Decent weather is finally in the forecast in the not-too-distant future, so expect that motorcyclists will be out on the roads in greater numbers. Advice for drivers on four wheels: Any time of the year, please, for the love of God and your fellow man, put your cellphones away while you’re driving. Focus, pay attention and respect speed limits. Share the road!

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Happy Main Street birthdays today to Nicole Medlock, Jodi McKenzie, Kimber Gates, John Hays, Caleb Peck, Carol Graham, Joan Nowoj-Phelps, Cynthia Taggart and Tom Messina. Tomorrow, Dianna Scott, Sandra Borg, Darin McEvers, Sharon Finnerty, Kathryn Rosia and Nancy Benjamin put on their birthday hats. Lonna Duncan, Idella Mansfield, Karen Zande, Doreen Johnson, Karen Reagan and DiAnna Macklin are April 11 birthday girls. On Saturday, Mallary Juarez, Connie Munk, Russell Heitstuman and Kevin Reed blow out the candles. Chloe Hudson, Angelina Pischner, Evalyn Adams, Kathy Behm and Corbin Messina will celebrate Sunday. Phil Damiano, Mark Robitaille, Stacey Mann, Dana Shapland and Ron Washburn mark another year Monday. Betsy Hawkins, Brian Walker, Denise Edmonds, Ian Waltz, Doug Harms, Dave Holmes, Clay Ownbey, Caroline Crollard, Tori Gray, Randy Teall, Kara Hicks and Judy Donner take another trip around the sun on Tax Day!

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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 thoreson.kerri@gmail.com.