Monday, November 30, 2009

December’s First Friday is this Friday, December 4, with scores of art showings all around downtown Spokane. Abstract expressionist Edward Gilmore will be displaying never before seen art at the Fernwell Building, 505 West Riverside at Stevens. Gilmore’s remarkable paintings, and some first ever giclees (the process of making fine art prints from a digital source using ink-jet printing) of selected works will be on display and for sale. In addition some of the artist’s tools, such as saw horses, brushes and paint sticks, works of art themselves will also be available. The event will feature live music by the Tim Nodland Jazz Experience, wine tasting by Latah Creek Winery and appetizers by Ferrante’s. For a look at Edward Gilmore’s art go to www.isitagilmore.com. For a complete list of First Friday participants and locations go to the Downtown Spokane Partnership website, downtownspokane.org, click on events and click on First Friday.

Spokane’s Family Home Care is one of the top home care agencies in the country. The company has been named to the 2009 HomeCare Elite, a compilation of the top-performing home health agencies in the United States. This annual review identifies the top 25 percent of agencies and further highlights the top 100 and top 500 agencies overall. Winners are ranked by an analysis of quality outcomes, quality improvement, and financial performance. Family Home Care has been providing in-home health care services to residents of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho for nearly 40 years. Currently owned and operated by Michael Nowling (former President of The Heart Institute of Spokane), Family Home Care, has nearly 250 employees, including nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers, dieticians and in-home aides. The company serves its clients, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All patient care is supervised by registered nurses or reviewed regularly by personal physicians to guarantee the best home health care service. Family Home Care’s website is www.familyhomecare.org and the phone number is 509-473-4900.

For generations of Spokane children, the corner of Main and Wall was a special place during the holidays. The Crescent department store had animated Christmas displays in their window. Madeleine’s Café and Patisserie, which now occupies that space at 707 West Main, is bringing Christmas back to the Crescent. The windows will turn into a French Christmas Village; and they will display actual photos of the original Crescent windows during this holiday season. On Sunday, December 6th, December 13th, and December 20th (9am to 2pm each Sunday) Madeleine’s is offering a chance to meet St. Nicholas, a buffet breakfast with live music and a special treat for children. For reservations and tickets, call 509-624-2253.

Pool World and the Spokane Humane Society have teamed up to provide pet pictures with Santa this Saturday at Pool World’s valley store at 13524 East Sprague. The photos are no charge, but they are asking for a donation to the humane society. Pet food donations are also accepted. The event is Pool World’s 18th Annual Warehouse Sale where they are offering the year’s biggest discounts on spas; their grills, saunas and tanning beds are also on sale. Customers can get bigger discounts by bringing toys for Toys for Tots. Pool World’s valley store phone number is 509-928-6585 and the website is www.poolworld.biz.

Thinking of Selling Your Business? Learn how at the next Watson Company Seller’s Seminar December 9, from 9am to noon at Centerplace Event Center, Mirabeau Pt. Park in Spokane Valley. Seminar topics include: Deciding to Sell your Business, Steps in Selling your Business, What Buyers Look for in a Purchase, Business Valuation and the Role of a Business Broker. Watson Company is celebrating their 82nd Anniversary. The company is the oldest real estate firm in Spokane. Owners, Dick and Charlene Pierce provide business brokerage services in Eastern and Central Washington as well as North Idaho. Go to www.watsonco.net for details and registration and for more information. The phone number is 509-624-5291.

With the holidays fast approaching, the gift of chocolate is always a good idea and Chocolate Myracles’ is proud to introduce its new line of Christmas chocolates. They are offering Venezuelan White Chocolate Polar Bears, Chocolate Pine Cones filled with sunflower seeds that are chocolate covered and candy coated in vibrant Christmas colors, and a Christmas truffle made with Belgian bitter-sweet dark chocolate with hints of all-natural peppermint and topped with white chocolate and crushed candy canes. Owner Julia Myracles is excited about offering these specialty items for the holidays. Chocolate Myracles has a full line of delicious and beautifully presented truffles and chocolates as well as gourmet chocolate sold in bulk. For more information, visit their website, www.chocolatemyracles.com.

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Officials of YMCA/YWCA associations from all over the country are visiting Spokane to see the new face of "The Y". Although every Y is designed for the community it serves, Spokane’s new facilities are being used as examples of future trends in meeting the mission of the Y. Land Expressions worked closely with ALSC Architecture and Vandervert Construction to design and develop the YMCA/YWCA on the Newport Highway in North Spokane. The goal was to attain a green, environmentally sound, multi-functional facility to serve the needs of people of all ages, single women, at-risk-children, athletes, and families throughout Spokane County. Indoors, Land Expressions built the water wall designed by ALSC. Outdoors, Land Expressions designed and installed the entire landscape. Signage restrictions prevented the Y from having a sign on the highway. Land Expressions designed a large Y sculpture of columnar basalt and metal, to direct traffic to the building. Silhouettes of children, using their arms to spell out Y, M, C and A, (just like the song) welcome visitors to the entrance. Columns of basalt are used as benches at the entrance, accented by curving sidewalks in a field of colorful concrete. High grassy berms separate the Y from the Pinewater Plaza shopping center. Metal and rock gabion walls and berms in the median strip enliven a space that is often ignored as merely functional. The entire design works visually with the earlier landscape of Pinewater Plaza, also designed and installed by Land Expressions. Land Expressions relationship with the northside YMCA/YWCA goes back many years. The land was originally owned by the Nelson family and is where Dave Nelson, owner of Land Expressions grew up. To contribute to the Y and the communities of north Spokane, the Nelson family in 2000, sold the land to the Y at well below market price.

Local authors Don Caron and Lyle Hatcher will be at Ferrante’s Marketplace Café, 4516 South Regal, on Saturday December 5 beginning at 3:00 pm, signing and personalizing their book, Different Drummers. The new novel is currently available at Ferrante’s as well as at bookstores throughout the area. The book relates the true story of two boys growing up in North Spokane in the mid-60’s, one of them hyperactive and the other in the late stages of muscular dystrophy. It is receiving rave reviews from celebrities, educators, doctors, and readers of all ages. Go to the website www.differentdrummersbook.com for more information.

The Salvation Army’s annual fundraising Red Kettle Campaign is underway with 73 Red Kettles at 48 local grocery stores and retailers. The goal for the entire Kettle Campaign is $300,000, so drop something in every time you see one. Approximately one-quarter of the charity’s annual general contributions are generated by the Red Kettle Campaign. The Salvation Army is dedicated to its people-serving ministry not only during the holiday season, but year round. Although The Salvation Army’s visibility is more heightened during the holidays, their programs operate 365 days a year.

Kevin Rasler will become president of Inland Empire Paper Co. effective January 1, succeeding Wayne Andresen, who is retiring December 31 after 11 years as president and 30 years with the company. Rasler, who serves as general manager of the company, joined Inland Empire Paper as a chemical engineer in 1985 and served as production manager for 13 years. Andresen oversaw Inland Empire Paper’s largest expansion which included installation of a state-of-the-art paper machine in 2001, expansion of the paper recycling facility and installation of a new refiner, slated to begin service next month.

Before you deck the halls, paint some walls. Call The Paintworks for a free estimate. Over 25 years of quality workmanship, quality paint, affordability, and on-time schedules.
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Right on time for Christmas, the Evergreen Railroad Modelers present their first Annual Toy & Train Show, Sunday December 6, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm a the Mirabeau Park Hotel, I-90 & Sullivan Road, (Exit 291) in the Spokane Valley. The show features dozens of vendors from all across the region with toys, gifts, Christmas décor, plus model trains of all kinds on sale! Admission is $5.00, children under 12 free. For more information call Jerry Quinn at 509-939-5845.

Eastern Washington University will celebrate the Silver Anniversary of its Computer Science Department with a reception from 12:30-3:30 pm, Thursday, December 3, in the atrium of the Computing and Engineering Building on the EWU campus. Eastern’s computer science roots go back to 1969, when Computer Science Studies were first brought to the university. Then in 1984 – the year of the Apple Macintosh debut - the Computer Science Program was formed and authorized to award both a Bachelor of Science (BS) and a Master of Science (MS) in computer science. Today, the program is housed in the state-of-the-art Computing and Engineering Building, which opened in the fall of 2005.

Michelle Kurimura-Miller, a Shadle Park High School graduate who attended Eastern Washington University, recently was named STCU North Branch manager. Kurimura-Miller has worked for financial institutions since 1995. She has been a volunteer for Junior Achievement and Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Synergy Healthcare has partnered with Dr. Philip Faler, a Naturopathic Physician, in offering a monthly workshop called The Synergy Series. It will be held at Synergy’s Spokane Valley location on the first Thursday of every month from 6-7:30 pm. The workshops, open to the general public and medical professionals, will cover a range of health and nutrition topics. The December 3 workshop, called "It Must Have Been Something I Ate", takes a look at food sensitivities. Cost is $10.00 and RSVP is required. Call 509-413-1630 for information or to RSVP. Synergy Healthcare, Inc. is a Spokane based manual therapy clinic with 19 employees. They offer Physical, Occupational, and Massage Therapy to those recovering from illness and injury. Synergy also offers gentle therapeutic yoga classes for those wanting to ease into an exercise program. Synergy’s northwest Spokane office is located at 1605 West Garland and its Spokane Valley site is at 12012 East Mission. The website is http://www.SynergySpokane.com.

Vendors of Fred Meyer have made it possible for the regional One Stop Shopping stores to donate $30,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Eastern Washington Affiliate. The donation is the result of Fred Meyer’s October "Giving Hope a Hand" promotion. During October -- Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- Fred Meyer highlighted specific vendors in its stores and ads. Those vendors committed to a donation in return. The check presentation will be Tuesday, December 1st at 10am at the Fred Meyer store at 400 S. Thor. Susan G. Komen for the Cure® is the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested nearly $1.5 billion since inception in 1982. As the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists, they’re working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. The next Race for the Cure will be held in downtown Spokane on April 18, 2010.

Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture upcoming events include a workshop on Lithography with artist Kevin Haas. Kevin is an Associate Professor of Art at Washington State University, and will be at the MAC on Saturday, December 5th from 1:00 – 5:00pm. This workshop is sponsored by the Spokane Art School at the MAC and inspired by the current exhibit Art and People: Spokane Art Center and the Great Depression. Pre-registration is required and space is limited! Go to www.northwestmuseum.org for more information.

Also at the MAC, Friday, December 11, 6:00 - 8:00 pm come enjoy BeGin! a once-a-month after-work party. Friends hook up at the MAC to BeGin the weekend with adult refreshments, music, and exhibit cruising. Guest Artists: Six-Foot Swing Jazz Band. 6’ Swing entices even the most timid toe tapper to rise up and cut the rug. The band has become one of the most sought after small ensemble jazz bands in Spokane. Ages 21 and over. Free to members. $7 general admission includes first beverage.

Expansion of the Northeast Community Center at 4001 N. Cook is underway. The 31,000 square foot, 3-level addition, will house services that address critical needs of Northeast neighborhoods including increased access to primary medical care and youth programming. Ground breaking ceremonies took place last Monday with President Bill Duffy and Expansion Chair Pete Fortin of the Northeast Community Center Board taking part. They were joined by State third district representative, Timm Ormsby, City Council Representatives Al French and Bob Apple, and representatives of the four community development neighborhoods served by the Center. Not only will the construction infuse money into the area's economy by providing jobs for construction workers, when complete, additional services operating in that new facility will generate approximately 20 new jobs in the neighborhood. Throughout the construction, current services will remain available. Access will be through the East Entry nearest the Spokane Public Library’s Hillyard Brach and through the West Entry nearest the new parking area at the corner of Garland and Stone. Architect for the project is Doug Heyamoto of NAC Architecture. Walker Construction was the successful bidder for the public works project. Construction is expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2010.

Tim Henkel, president and CEO of United Way of Spokane County is the new chairman of United Ways of Washington Organization.

The business thought of the week is from English philanthropist and writer Charles Buxton: "You must never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it."

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