Monday, May 11, 2009

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The 10th Annual Inland Northwest Tourism Awards are TODAY, May 11, 3:30pm in the Grand Pennington Ballroom of The Davenport Hotel. You can still RSVP online at VisitSpokane.com/tourismawards.

Cyrus O’Leary’s Pies just received TEN blue ribbons in the Commercial Division of the National Pie Championships, bringing their total to 46 first place awards since they began competing in the festival in 2002. Cyrus O’Leary’s Pies, owned by Cyrus Vaughn, Barclay Klingel and Dennis Dipo, has been in business for over 25 years and features a complete line of more than 50 gourmet pies, made fresh daily and distributed to many supermarkets and restaurants throughout the Spokane area. Cyrus O Leary’s pies are also distributed frozen around the country, as far away as the East Coast and Hawaii. Their website is cyruspies.impro.biz.

Caffé Pazzesco (which means "crazy about coffee") is a company that brings coffee service to the workplace. They opened in January of 2006 and now have about 350 customers; and they’re adding 10-15 customers each month. They have recently launched an exclusive line of Caffé Pazzesco blends that have been very successful, such as the deliciously dark "5 O’Clock Shadow" or the smooth taste of "Cool Beans." Besides coffee, Caffe Pazzesco also provides area design treatments to bring the coffee shop experience to the workplace. For more information go to caffepazzesco.com; call 509-838-2119 or send an email to getcoffee@caffepazzesco.com.

Jean Chatzky, award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and financial editor for NBC’s Today, will be the guest speaker at Women Helping Women Fund’s annual luncheon on May 18. Chatzky is the author of five books, including her newest release, The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper Even in the Toughest of Times. Funds raised at the luncheon are donated directly to programs managed by Spokane County non-profit agencies. WHWF stewardship includes identifying and funding viable agency programs designed to meet the most urgent needs of women and children in Spokane. For more information on the luncheon or Women Helping Women Fund log on to whwfspokane.org.

May is small business month and in our state small business is big business. We have more than 525,000 small businesses in Washington, of those about 150,000 create about 95% of our jobs. Greater Spokane Incorporated is celebrating small business month with a number of events. For details go to greaterspokane.org and click on "small business."

Paula Davenport, formerly a reporter with The Spokesman-Review, has been hired as the media relations specialist at Kootenai Health, the umbrella organization for Kootenai Medical Center and several specialty and outreach facilities.

Divers West is offering a free introduction to scuba diving at the Hayden Boat Show and Watersport Expo June 5,6,7 at Honeysuckle Beach, in Hayden, Idaho. They even provide the wetsuits. A variety of boat vendors are ready to demo boats on Hayden Lake, power boats, sail boats, kayaks, canoes!! For more information or to sign up as a vendor contact Melissa Flodin at Divers West 208-664-0751 or email diverswest@verizon.net.

Bruttles has teamed up with Hospice of Spokane to offer their signature Soft Peanut Brittle and Chocolate Covered Bruttles to raise funds for hospice care in our community. These decadent confections, rooted in Aunt Sophia’s recipe from the Davenport Hotel, are available in a variety of sizes. Hospice of Spokane can mail your order for you, or you can pick it up at Hospice of Spokane (121 S Arthur St.) It makes a great gift! Call Jackson at Hospice of Spokane at 509.456.0438.

Marketing Associates of Spokane will hold their monthly meeting Thursday, May 14. This month’s presentation is titled "Search Engine Optimization and Marketing: what you don't know and what it is costing you" presented by Mike McDevitt, of Foundry Interactive. The program is about simple things you can do yourself to make your company more discoverable online. The program will be 11:30am to 1:30pm., at the Red Lion Inn at the Park at a cost of $20 for members and $30 for non-members. Please RSVP per the MAS website www.maspokane.org by May 11. Lunch will be provided. For more information please contact April Smith, at GeoEngineers, 509-363-3125.

The widely anticipated "Latah Creek Variety Market" is coming to the Latah Plaza!! Scores of vendors will be setting up shop in the Latah Plaza Fathers Day Weekend , June 20-21. Besides vendors selling antiques, crafts, artwork and home decor items, growers from throughout the area will be selling an array of fresh homegrown fruits, flowers, vegetables and spices. Currently 70+ vendors and local artisans have committed to this market, making it one of the largest street markets in the Inland Northwest of its kind. Vendor applications are available at Chaps, 4237 S. Cheney-Spokane Road, located in the Latah Plaza; by calling 509-624-4182; or by e-mailing a request to mychaps@MSN.com. Successful vendor applicants will be mailed a Vendor Agreement package outlining the requisite fees, rules and guidelines.

The nation's largest Armed Forces Torchlight Parade celebrates 71 years during the Spokane Lilac Festival, May 9-17. The celebration culminates with the parade on Saturday, May 16, at dusk. For the second year in a row, the festival includes Spokane Navy Week featuring various exhibits and displays. You can donate $5 for a Spokane Lilac Festival pin at most downtown retail outlets and the Visitor Information Center, 201 W Main.

Coleen Mohaghan, formerly a partner of OMS, has rejoined NAC/Architecture as a senior associate and director of interiors. She had previously been with NAC for 12 years before staring her own firm. She is a graduate of Montana State University with a degree in professional design.

After years of seeing their tempting television commercials, Spokane is finally getting our own Red Lobster restaurant May 25. Spokane’s Red Lobster, the anchor tenant for the nearly completed Northtown Square, will be located at 4703 North Division at Wellesley, the former location of Wendle Motors. The restaurant will be open for dinner beginning May 25 at 4pm and lunch at 11am starting on June 1.

"Unprecedented Challenges. Resilient Leadership" is the focus of a seminar that will help business owners, business leaders and managers learn the tools and skills needed to thrive in a time of uncertainty in the workplace and to help deal with anxiety, financial stress and low morale issues. Learn about leadership in the face of challenge from community leaders and business owners whose organizations have weathered past storms of depression, recession and economic downturn. This half day seminar will be held Thursday, June 4 from 7am to noon at the Teleconference Center at Foley Center, Gonzaga University, 502 E Boone. Cost of the seminar is $50. For more information, contact Val Fields at Associated Industries, 509-326-6885. Seminar is sponsored by ACRAnet, Associated Industries, Gonzaga University and Greater Spokane Incorporated.

The business thought of the week, on this Mother’s Day Monday morning, is from my mother, Maryellen Clark: "You are what you think you are, so always think great thoughts."

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