Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Here’s a way you can provide interesting and educational fun for your family and be of service to your community at the same time. Join the MAC, Spokane’s Museum of Arts and Culture. A family membership is $70 a year; an individual $35; seniors and student, just $25, and they provide free admissions and discounts all year long to this cultural jewel on our community. A MAC membership makes a great business or personal gift as well. The MAC, along with other cultural and arts entities in Spokane, are facing massive budget challenges, from cuts in government as well as local funding. Longtime board member, Ron Rector, has stepped in as interim director for a salary of $1 per year to help save on costs. The MAC needs our help too. It’s too valuable to our community not to act. Please go to www.northwestmuseum.org and click on Membership to join online, or stop by the MAC at 2316 W. 1st Avenue in Browne’s Addition to join in person, or call 509-456-3931 to enroll by phone.

Congratulations to Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau president Harry Sladich, he has been appointed to the board of directors of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle by Governor Christine Gregoire.

Spokane Laser Pain Clinic, owned and operated by Mari Pritzl at 1414 N Vercler, near Valley General Hospital in Spokane Valley, provides pain relief through low level laser treatments without the use of pain medication. They can also assist people to get off the pain medication they may have become dependant on, trying to manage pain. Working with a chiropractor and an MD, Pritzl can treat a wide variety of diseases and injuries. Among the most common are: repetitive stress injury, carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia, TMJ, ligament tendon tears, bulging discs, herniated discs, plantars fasciitis, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal stenosis, gout, neuropathies, as well as wounds of all kinds. The therapy is FDA approved, and is covered under most insurance if used as an adjunctive service with the Chiropractor or MD. Even without insurance the cost is surprisingly affordable, just $25 per person for a 15 minute treatment session. Treatment typically takes 8 visits or less. For more information or to set an appointment call 509 768-8076 or 509-535-9535 or email Spokanelaser@comcast.net.

If you’d like to march to your own drum beat, here’s how to get started. MALIDOMA! World Drum & Dance Studio, 408 West Third Avenue, is offering affordable classes on a variety of drumming techniques starting this week: Afro-Cuban drumming class begins tonight; West African drumming class begins Thursday night, May 28th; and Middle Eastern drumming is offered Friday night with studio owner, Michael Moon Bear. All classes are one hour and begin at 6pm. Drums are provided and the cost is $90 for an 8 week session. Drumming is a relaxing stress reliever and a fun way to make music, even if you don’t have any experience. To register, online go to www.malidoma.biz, or call 509-624-7573.

The Journal of Business Market Fact Book for 2009 is out. This valuable, annual statistical overview of Spokane and Kootenai Counties is free of charge in this week’s issue of the Journal. It’s available at newsstands, as well as at the Journal offices at 429 East 3rd Avenue, for $1.75 a copy. Call 509-456-5257 for more information.

Computer Commando tip from Doug Slayton: Got a document you need to get through but can't or don't want to sit at your computer? Well here's a nifty site that can solve that problem quickly and easily and yes...free. Turn text into sound files and then you can play them on the go. Go to: http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=CSaX4&m=1ly3ivSrg08dQ9&b=EXigy9b5YJw3WJJXlCVX0w and give it a shot. For more information contact Doug Slaton at 509-924-0308 or email Doug@ComputerServiceSpokane.com.

Coffman Engineers announces the promotion of Civil Department Manger, Tom Arnold, P.E. to principal in its Spokane office. He joined Coffman Engineers in June 2007 as the Civil Department Manager. Arnold received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Gonzaga University in 1983, and his Masters in Organization Leadership from Gonzaga University in 2005. He previously worked for the City of Spokane as the Director of Engineering Services (City Engineer).

Lazy Bones Barbecue is a delicious new restaurant that just opened at 4334 South Regal at 44th. John Fletcher, who was previously in partnership with his sister at Picabu’s at 14th and Lincoln, is the owner. The restaurant, in the former Wheat Montana location, serves sandwiches, wraps and burgers; salads and chili, a variety of plates including wild salmon and smoked Barbecue glazed tofu. But the signature dish is barbecued ribs and chicken (and from personal experience, it’s great!) The baby back ribs and chicken are cooked to perfection and glazed with a variety of sauces. Lazy Bones Barbecue offers a fresh and modern take on traditional apple-smoked barbecue fare. Fresh, healthier sides like lentil-apple salad, grilled vegetable kebabs and southern greens compliment classics like mac-n-cheese (including Kraft for the kids), sweet potato fries and cornbread (there are 14 all together). They smoke only natural pork from Hills Farms in Pendleton, Oregon, fresh Washington chicken, and certified Angus beef. An eclectic mix of alternative barbecue choices are also available like smoked pork tacos, BBQ crusted prawns, or teriyaki apple-ginger burger. They also offer kids meals and desserts that include brownies, pecan pie and a peach cobbler bar. A gluten-free and vegan menu is also available. You can dine in (the atmosphere is fun), take out, or feed a crowd with their catering options. Lazy bones Barbecue has packages to serve from 4 to 22 people or more. They are planning to offer on-site catering soon. Lazy Bones is open Sunday through Thursday 11am to 9pm, and Friday and Saturday 10am to 11pm. The phone number is 509-448-RIBS (7427) and the website www.lazybonesbarbecue.com.

Combat Lingo, a wrestling and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) Academy, opens this week at 3621 East Springfield (at Freya) offering a wide variety of training services by Ty Lingo. Lingo has 20 years of coaching wrestling experience in Spokane, 10 as an assistant at Ferris and 10 years as head coach at Lewis & Clark. While competing as a wrestler he was a two-time state placer for Ferris and a two-time Olympic style State Champ. Lingo is currently 3-1 as a local MMA amateur with one title belt. He has a BA in education from EWU. Combat Lingo give members the opportunity to lift weights, wrestle on a full sized mat, run on treadmills, practice takedowns with "Adam" a take down machine, work with punching bags, and participate in a wide variety of instructional classes, including intense conditioning. There are no contracts, no initiation fee, and the monthly cost is $60 a month for an individual or $100 a month for multiple members (like father and son). For more information, email wrestlingo@msn.com.

Congratulations to Jessie McLaughlin, fair coordinator for the Spokane County Interstate Fair. She has been awarded the Certified Fair Executive designation from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions. McLaughlin is the first of Spokane’s fair employees to receive this designation.

Community-Minded Enterprises is organizing and hosting "Unity in the Community’s" first fundraiser, "Up on the Roof," 6-8 p.m., Thursday, June 4. The event will feature music by the Manito String Quartet, a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres and beverages in a unique setting – the rooftop of Isabella’s restaurant at the Saranac Building, 25 W. Main Avenue, downtown Spokane. "Unity in the Community", the Inland Northwest’s largest multicultural celebration, has steadily grown from 50 attendees in 1994 to nearly 8,000 in 2008 according to Ben Cabildo, Unity’s chair and director of AHANA, business education and training program of Community-Minded Enterprises. Tickets for "Up on the Roof" are $20 per person, available through brown paper tickets at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/67464. Up on the Roof $250 sponsorships include four tickets to the event and special recognition that evening and throughout the Unity In the Community celebration. Silent auction donors will receive two free tickets. For more information, contact Community-Minded Enterprises, 509-444-3088.

Spokane Civic Theatre executive artistic director, Yvonne A.K. Johnson, has been elected to the AACT Board of Directors. At the annual membership meeting in June, Ms. Johnson will officially assume her position as Member at Large. The American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) represents the interests of community theatres across the nation.

If you’re looking for quality child care, Child Care Resource and Referral introduces the electronic child care directory for the Spokane area. The 2009 Child Care Directory compiles a list of child care options available, then sorts them by city and zip code. You can choose from nearly 500 licensed child care centers and family care providers and the directory also includes tips on how to choose the right child care, safety, school readiness information and helpful parenting tips. The service is free. Just log on to http://www.community-minded.org/family/ beginning May 28, 2009. Information will up be updated quarterly.

Lawton Printing is proud to announce another step in its sustainable business practices, achieving certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Ensuring environmentally responsible forest management practices worldwide aids in sustaining the earth’s forest resources for future generations. Fulfilling the requirements to attain this status enables Lawton Printing’s customers to print onto FSC certified papers and utilize the FSC logo as well as the Rainforest Alliance logo on their printed materials. Staff is in place to assist the marketing and design community on how to best implement the logo(s) into collateral and promotional pieces. For more information about Lawton Printing visit www.lawtonprinting.com.

The business thought of the week, is from motivational author, Sally Hogshead: "The antidote to fear is action."

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