The Winners!

The Chili Cookoff at the Lake City Senior Center's Fun Day drew eleven entrants and a large crowd of people eager to sample their creations. Team KVNI prepared a fabulous chili that I'm sure was just out of the money when the judging was complete! I did my part by sampling all of the entries, with some salad and cornbread to boot! Pictured l-r: Judge Steve Masterson, overall winner Spencer Peet of Bestland Senior Living, People's Choice winner - Jason Ball of Four Seasons Assisted Living and judge Kim Masterson.

Kootenai Fire District Bond Election

The first of two August elections this year is taking place on Tuesday, August 3. The Kootenai Fire District election is for a $2 million, 10-year bond for the development of a training center and administration building remodel. Cost would be $7.04 per $100,000 of assessed property value. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and polling places are at Station #3 on 16th Ave. in Post Falls and Station #5 on N. 4th in Dalton. For more information call 676-8739 or visit the KFPD's website HERE.
Remember to vote ... those who do have a voice!

Grand Opening

The newly-expanded Hospice Thrift Store in Post Falls is still a work-in-progress, but manager, Linda Cartwright is celebrating with a grand opening on Friday, July 30. The store is open Mon.-Sat. from 10-4 p.m. It's all for a great cause, Hospice of North Idaho!

Senior Fun Day

The Lake City Senior Center is holding a chili cook-off on Thursday (July 29) along with a cake walk, putt putt golf and raffle prizes. For just $5 you can have a salad bar and bowl of chili for lunch, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. My pals, El Paso Pam and Minnesota Madge, from KVNI will compete in the cook-off and Downtown Joe will be broadcasting live from the Lake City Senior Center. I'll pop in to sample some chili and vote in the People's Choice Award, hope to see you there! 667-4628, 1916 Lakewood Dr., Coeur d'Alene.

Family Reunion

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe's annual Julyamsh Pow Wow and Tribal Encampment is a celebration of native culture and tradition. Members of tribes from all over the country and Canada gather in Post Falls each year and we're fortunate to share in the reunion. Photographs from the 2010 Pow Wow HERE, and from 2009 HERE. Nathan Chasing Horse was one of the men's traditional dancers over the weekend. The Lakota Soiux from the Rosebud Nation appeared in the iconic Dances with Wolves in 1990. This photo of Chasing Horse was taken as he waited for the Grand Entry to begin on Sunday.

Still beautiful ...

Debra Johnson Brown was crowned Miss Coeur d'Alene the year after graduating in 1970 and in that capacity appeared in a number of promotional tourism publications, including this issue of The Fun Guide, circa 1971. Attending our 40th high school reunion this past weekend, I think Debbie is even more beautiful now. When we chatted about this magazine cover she grimaced at the memory of the matronly swimsuit she was modeling in the photo shoot. Like a fine wine, our beautiful friend is just getting better and better!

KVNI ~ The Voice of North Idaho

While I filled in as guest host on the morning show with Kris Siebers, the original Mr. KVNI popped in for a visit. Bob Hough, 83, was the popular host of the station for two decades in the 1950s and '60s. He's still a real pro and livened up the airwaves Monday.

Class of 1970 - 40 years later

A whirlwind weekend of reuniting for several classes of local high schools, including Coeur d'Alene high school's Class of 1970. The main event was held at the Roosevelt Inn, where several classmates attended elementary school. If I receive class photos from any of the reunions this summer, they'll be posted here!

Blooming "tree"

We have a petunia tree in our yard this year for the first time and while it's really pretty, it's no where near as gorgeous as this one. Brian (Kiwi) and Diana Kirk of Post Falls have knocked it out of the park with their blossoms!

Two Sisters Remembering a Third Sister

The Johnson sisters, now known as Kathy Hlebichuk and Karen Ouren, have found a way to honor, Barb, the sister they lost to pancreatic cancer. Their Two Sisters Cookbook Volume 2 is just back from the printers and available for purchase. For $15 you can own a great cookbook knowing the profits will go towards pancreatic cancer research. Copies of Volume 1 are also available for $12. Pick up your copies at Lather Salon & Spa at 1710 N. 4th St. in Coeur d'Alene or call Kathy or Karen at 664-1325.

Training Wheels

Saw this middle-aged woman on what looked to be a Goldwing heading south on Idaho Street in Post Falls this afternoon. As Goldwing owners, my husband and I got a kick out of these training wheels.

A Hero's Farewell

I've met some great people, famous people and extraordinary ordinary people in my life. But meeting Vernon Baker was an honor beyond what I'm adequately able to describe. He was a gentleman, humbled by the adulation of the public and a wee bit mischievious I sensed. Mr. Baker was a genuine hero for the history books and like the handful of real heroes I've met, would never describe himself as such. Word came on Wednesday that this Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and the last surviving member of the 92nd Infantry Division's Buffalo Soldiers, the first all-black unit to see combat in the war, had passed away. He lived an incredible 90 years of life, the last decades in north Idaho. We were honored to know him. Press stories HERE and HERE.

This week's Main Street

in print, in the Coeur d'Alene Press. Read which major movie star was in town this week and more HERE.

Dust in the wind

Monday's wind storm brought clouds of dust from the farmlands of Eastern Washington through north Idaho. Gusts up to 50 mph didn't deter these two women from their after work walk on the Centennial Trail through Riverstone. We'll be raking leaves and twigs from our poplar trees in our Post Falls yard for the next day or so in the aftermath.

Crushed in a good way

Coeur d'Alene Crush 97 won the Idaho Jr. Olympic Girls Fastpitch State Championship with two extra innings of International tie breakers and a final game score of 10-9. The Coeur d'Alene Crush won all three games in Lewiston over the weekend to earn the championship. Crush 97 will host a tournament in Coeur d'Alene July 23 -25 and will compete in the Western A Nationals August 2-8 in Spokane. Pictured are: front row (l-r) Mariah Montee, Breana Burke, Kylie Smith, JaeCie Wilson, Bryce Catt and Jadyn Behm; second row (l-r) Coach Travis Smith, Abby Howard, Kylie Rasmussen, Erin Higbie, Madisen Scholwinski, Analisa Raynor and Coach Julie Stark. *thanks Cynthia Raynor for sharing the photo!

Up the river

Kim Washko (pictured) of Coeur d'Alene enjoyed a Saturday afternoon kayaking with her husband, Jim on the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River near Prichard.

Familiar faces

Idaho Governor Butch Otter and former Kootenai County Commissioner Katie Brodie made an appearance at the American Legion State Convention at RedLion Templin's in Post Falls on Friday.

Perfect cure for a hot day

Day 2 of 90+ degree temps created a crowd on Coeur d'Alene's city beach on a Friday afternoon.

Wildlife watch

Quite a few of my Facebook pals have been posting photos of urban wildlife of late, mostly deer, elk and moose. On Thursday on E. Riverview Drive a wild turkey hen was herding her dozen-plus chicks (poults) across the road as I drove by. Several of the babies huddled in a rock crevice alongside the road, posing for this quick photo. *For the past four years my OnLocation North Idaho blog has offered a pictorial view of life as we know it here in our little slice of paradise.

Bring on summer!

In print

This week's print Main Street from the Coeur d'Alene Press HERE.

It's open!

Just in time for the 90+ weather, the Q'emilin Park boat launch on the Spokane River is now open since the gates of the Post Falls dam have been closed. The public beach is open and the lifeguards are on duty! Story HERE.

Hard Landing

Those of thousands of us who were downtown in Coeur d'Alene to view the fireworks on Sunday night found ourselves in a traffic jam of enormous proportions after the show. I discovered last night, after we'd taken the long way home to Post Falls, the reason for the stalled traffic. A Cessna made an emergency landing on I-90 near Atlas Road just before the fireworks show ended. Miraculously neither the pilot Michael Eller, his passengers or anyone on the ground was hurt. On Monday afternoon, Christa Hazel shot this photograph of the plane being lifted by crane onto a tow truck. Coeur d'Alene Press story HERE.

A hometown parade

The 4th of July parade in Coeur d'Alene is a tradition for many in the region. It doesn't get more "mom and apple pie" than this. There's an album of photographs HERE. Be sure to read the Main Street print column on Wednesday in the Coeur d'Alene Press for some of the fun back stories from the 4th of July!

Fireworks!

We enjoyed the fireworks from the patio of the Coeur d'Alene Chamber visitor center. Fun to see friends and the families all coming out for the celebration of America. But our drive back to Post Falls required some creative routing ... up 4th Street north to Prairie Avenue and across the prairie. Turns out that a small plane had made a hard landing in the median of I-90 causing a traffic back up for thousands of cars.

4th of July Parade!

Since the 1960s when our family lived in the historic John T. Wood house on the corner of 9th and Sherman Ave. in Coeur d'Alene, the 4th of July parade has been a tradition for us. No fighting the crowds, we watched it pass by from the shade of our front porch. Through the years my daughters and now their sons, have enjoyed watching the parade, too. We've been in the parade with floats, I've driven a grand marshal or two in my car, and for years loved to see my father and his Marine Corps League buddies ride on the tank with the Chosin Few at the front of the parade. In 2004, I was on the fireworks fundraising team for the parade and met up with Dad in his tank before it started. (see photo) It was to be his last but it was a good one. We still attend the parade every year and while it's a bit bittersweet to see the veterans there at the front of the parade without him, it's a lasting patriotic legacy to celebrate our nation's freedom. See you at the parade!
NOTE: Idaho's Governor Butch Otter will appear in this year's parade in Coeur d'Alene!

Good News/Bad News

The bad news is that Avista will keep the flood gates of the Post Falls Dam open at least through the holiday weekend, which means the city beach and boat launch at Q'emiln Park will be closed for swimmers and boaters. The good news? The wide open gates provide for some spectacular viewing of the falls at Falls Park this weekend!
For current information on Spokane River flows and Coeur d’Alene Lake elevation call 769-1357. Coeur d'Alene Press story HERE.

Five generations on the 4th

Not long ago I came across this photograph from the 1990s that brought a smile. It's a favorite 4th of July memory for me. My 90-year-old grandmother made the trip from Santa Rosa for the holiday which we spent watching the Coeur d'Alene parade, followed by a picnic in city park. With my father, Ron Rankin, my daughter, Alyssa and my grandson, Matthew, we posed for a photograph that I will long treasure. My father and grandmother have since passed away but they'll be in my thoughts on the 4th of July for sure.

Pirates!

Lake Coeur d'Alene Cruises has added a pirate cruise for the summer. On Thursday's maiden voyage from Independence Point, Hagadone Hospitality President Jerry Jaeger was seen boarding with his grandchildren. The pirate captain was heard telling the passengers they were heading to Kidd Island!