HISTORY: Honoring veterans, protecting the vulnerable

Recently, our family created a military “shadow box” for a grandfather who served in both world wars (1917-1947) and an uncle who served in WWII and Korea.

MY TURN: Ignored or rejected?

Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Dalton Gardens have either refused or ignored requests for the support of and proclamations on behalf of Traditional Family Values. What will Rathdrum and/or Hayden do? Proclamations have been made (by the city of Coeur d’Alene) in favor of and in support of the LGBTQ+ PRIDE community — but traditional families? No! Why?

Wise lawn, garden care protects our waterways

As our population increases, beloved North Idaho lakes and streams are at heightened risk of pollution. However, homeowners can do a lot to protect and improve water quality through proper lawn and garden care and by landscaping with native or near-native plants that are acclimated to thrive without extra water and/or fertilizers. Soluble nutrients found in fertilizers, nitrogen and phosphorus, are beneficial to yards and gardens. Unfortunately, these nutrients cause problems when they enter lakes, rivers and streams by accelerating aquatic plant and algae growth. This can have a negative impact on waterways where we swim, fish and boat.

Realtors concur, market is improving

Last week at The Coeur d'Alene Resort more than 220 Realtors converged to conduct the business of the Idaho Association of Realtors, participate in continuing education and network with peers from across the state. In conversations with these Realtors we gained a "boots on the ground" perspective from all corners of the state and communities of all sizes. The consensus? "The market is improving." Many lamented their decreasing inventory and told stories of multiple offers on well priced listings, much the same as we have seen locally.

Statistics show balancing act

March real estate sales figures show a geographical shift in activity. The long impoverished Rathdrum area showed a dramatic 77 percent increase in sales this year to date, although overall our sales are down 1 percent from last year. We certainly don't see that as cause for alarm and our members continue to report activity in excess of their experiences last year.

Speaking up is true patriotism

In response to the “

Headed toward a good finish

With one month left in 2012 we are pleased to see a sustained recovery in the real estate market. A review of our November statistics provides evidence that we are closing in on our best year since 2007 - the last year before the North Idaho market fell. We have already passed the year end totals of each of the subsequent years and have a month of data left to add to the 2012 totals.

Warm Alpaca socks make winter fun

Alpaca re-invents warm and durable socks with Alpacor

With the cold snowy days upon us in North Idaho, it is important to keep active outdoors and enjoy all the beautiful scenery winter brings us. My husband and I enjoy walks with our dogs down to the shore at Hayden Lake and last week took an evening stroll around the resort boardwalk to have a 360 view of the beautiful holiday lights.

Christ's salvation a free gift from God

Arthur Johnson (known as Bill) from Rathdrum invited every pastor in Coeur d'Alene to share with him "on the record" the greatest gift that God has ever given to humanity. That gift is his undeserved love given for us in the person and work of Jesus.

In only a few places

Huge wine lists or wine selections can be too much and become just a jumble of information, and without knowledge and guidance to just the right bottle can be overwhelming and of little use to the average wine consumer. In only a few places though when you have the guidance of a truly talented and committed wine professional they can be a wonderful exploration, and in short a blast!

An urgent message for today's parents

In some of my parent circles I’m known as the “progressive parent,” meaning we don’t necessarily shield our kids from tough things but we prefer to guide them, talk with them, watch shows with them, and answer tough questions sometimes in their language.

Six things to drink this year at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is flat-out our favorite holiday for wine and food pairing. Our opulent national meal for the last Thursday of November offers so many choices for pairings, we get a bit of the proverbial “kid in a candy store” syndrome each year, as we try to choose what will be best to serve to friends and family gathered around our holiday table. Here is our short list of candidates to bring home for our Thanksgiving Day!

Our fall lineup

Despite the relentless heat, fall is approaching, and along with it we will resume our wonderful and successful partnership with Fleur de Sel in Post Falls on winemaker dinners. And what a lineup it is! Since we first started working with Fleur de Sel on our dinners two years ago, we have hosted some blockbuster evenings. Chef Laurent Zirotti and Patricia Zirotti, his wife and co-owner, do a consistently great job, firmly establishing the restaurant atop the list here in North Idaho. Laurent always does some of his most creative work for our wine dinners, and the service provided by Patricia's wait staff is seamless, professional and efficient. We look forward to some great food and wine from now until the end of the year.

Division, discrimination continue unabated

Where are we and where are we going? To start, we are as usual, so divided it is simply astounding that the country can function at all.

Here comes the first day of summer and hot temperatures

The first day of summer will arrive at 3:07 a.m. on Thursday. On that day, the sun’s angle in the sky is the highest and the Northern Hemisphere will experience the most daylight hours. The exact number of hours and minutes will have some slight variances across most towns and cities due to differences in elevation, terrain and proximity within the time zone.

Diving for cash, fishing for profit

Some days we dove from the boat in the late afternoon to frog swim deep into the murk until our ears popped.

No headline

Thank you everyone who came out on Saturday, June 3 and supported the 3rd Annual Pride in the Park organized by the North Idaho Pride Alliance! What a beautiful day to celebrate our Pride and our Unity. Special thank you to the Men’s Amity Project members, led by Michael Gray, for all of your young strength in setting up and taking down the event! Thank you to Pride in the Park committee members Ruth Ann Stratton, Doug Rathbun, Jessica Russell and ALL of the many wonderful volunteers who stepped up and helped set up, staff the Pride Alliance and information booths and helped clean up.

Nothing's normal — not even the weather

In rarity, Spokane has outflaked Cd'A through some seasonal snows.

FAST FIVE: Melissa Quinn puts the 'fun' in fundraising

Meet Melissa Quinn, a Coeur d'Alene native, Gonzaga graduate and now the event coordinator for Idaho Youth Ranch - North Idaho.

The Skinny on Weight Loss: Part II

In my editorial "The Skinny on Weight Loss: Part I," I discussed some of the difficulties associated with weight loss including the enzyme regulation of fat storage and fat loss from the adipocytes (fat cells). I mentioned that our physiology favors weight gain not weight loss and that 95 percent of people who successfully lose weight will gain it all back. What we actually lose is fat and lean tissue such as muscle, organ tissue and hormones. But what we gain back is 100 percent fat (which is unhealthy). Consuming a minimum of 1/2 gram of protein per pound of our lean muscle weight per day can spare your lean tissues, making weight loss efforts more safe and successful.