Monday, April 5, 2010

As the saying goes, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." This year that saying is truer than ever. In the age where every dollar counts, one group of local Spokane business women are collaborating to create the first ever "Buy Local Give Local" event for downtown. "LOCAL MOTION" was developed to create awareness for how local businesses support this community. The two day event will be focused towards support for local non-profits. Each business has chosen a recipient that will benefit from 10%of the total sales of that business during the two day event held on April 15th & April 16th from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. Local Motion maps can be picked up at all of the following participating businesses: Simply Northwest, Tangerine, Finders Keepers, Finders Keepers 2, The Make-Up Studio, Lolo, and Serendipity Boutique. Once shoppers have visited all of the locations they can turn in their ticket to give to the last store and they will be entered into a drawing for $300 worth of gift certificates to the participating locations. For more information contact Deena Moe-Caruso, owner of Finders Keepers, at 509-838-4590 or via email at dacruiser@comcast.net.

Lots of Easter egg hunts took place this past weekend, but the most unusual one will take place beginning at 10 am Saturday, April 17. Divers West dive shop at 1308 E. Best Avenue in Coeur d'Alene is having its 3rd Annual Underwater Easter Egg Hunt. For an entry fee of $20, divers get a chance to find 40 numbered eggs placed in Lake Coeur d’Alene, each with a prize valued at up to $200...and the elusive golden egg has a prize valued at $334. The entry fee includes lunch and a t-shirt. For more information go to diverswest.biz.

A new shop is opening in River Park Square next month; Oil & Vinegar, a gourmet culinary gift shop, will offer shoppers selections of imported olive oils and vinegars, herbs, sauces and more. Customers can taste and sample more than 30 oils and vinegars on tap. The 1,200-square-foot store, scheduled to open in May, will be located on the second level next to Nordstrom.

Also at River Park Square Whiz Kids and Children’s Corner Bookstore are under new ownership. New owner Jan St. George will consolidate the two stores into the current Whiz Kids location. The store, which will still be called Whiz Kids, is scheduled to reopen this month.

The Spokane Home Builder’s Association is hosting the 11th Annual Premier Home Improvement Show sponsored by Pro-build, April 16th to the 18th at the County Fair and Expo Center. For the second year the Extreme Team and Remodelers Council wants to help a family who is hurting in their home with the "Where does your home hurt" contest. You can nominate someone who desperately needs a part of their house re-done and if they win, the Extreme Team and Remodelers Council will come in and heal the hurt; visit www.SpokanesPremierShow.com for nomination forms! There will be a Pro-Corner with professional demonstrations, classes to attend and giveaways including the return of the CFL Bulb & Showerhead giveaway courtesy of Avista. Tickets are $7.00 with kids 12 and under for free. And if you go online to www.SpokanePremierShow.com you can get a one-dollar off coupon for the show. Show Hours: Friday April 16th 12:00pm to 8:00pm, Saturday April 17th 10:00am to 8:00pm, Sunday April 18th 10:00am to 5:00pm.

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Providence Holy Family Hospital announce the arrival of their new and improved Women’s Health Coach, which will soon hit the road to provide convenient mammography services to women throughout the tri-state region. The new Coach features state-of-the-art digital imaging equipment, which means having a mammogram takes less time for patients and requires less time for a radiologist to provide the results. The 45 foot-long vehicle includes a seating area and two private dressing rooms, in addition to the imaging area. It was built specifically for Providence by LDV, at a price of $1.7 million. The three major corporate donors were Safeway, Tomlinson Real Estate Group and Inland Imaging, which partners with Providence to provide the professional radiology services associated with mammography. This is the second coach Providence has purchased. In 1999, its first coach arrived and traveled more than 190,000 miles before retiring in 2009. More than 26,000 women in rural communities throughout eastern Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana had benefited from the convenience of having the Coach visit their places of work, shopping centers and local clinics. That vehicle, which today is unsuitable for long, out-of-town trips, has been donated to Catholic Charities and will be used to provide health care services to low-income families in Spokane. The new Providence Women’s Health Coach makes its debut to the public at the Spokane Women’s Show, April 16-18 at the Spokane Convention Center. (For tickets, visit SpokaneWomensShow.com.) To schedule the Coach in your neighborhood or city, call Providence at 509-474-2400 or toll-free at 877-474-2400.

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Liberty Lake Cellars wins gold. This year, Finger Lakes International Wine Competition judged a record 3,010 wines from over 660 wineries. Wineries represented 15 countries, including all 50 states of the United States and nine provinces of Canada. This is the first time that all 50 states were represented. The competition took place March 27-28, 2010 and was open to all commercial wineries. International and national judges representing distributors, restaurateurs, educators and winemakers evaluated all entries through blind judging where only the types of wine were known. The final judging resulted in Liberty Lake Wine Cellars receiving a Gold Medal for its 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is available for $25.00 in the tasting room and at a limited number of Spokane-area wine stores and gift shops. The website is www.libertylakewinecellars.com.

David Peden, P.E., LEED AP, Spokane Structural Principal of Coffman Engineers, Inc., has been appointed to the Washington State Building Code Council by Governor Christine Gregoire. According to council’s website, it is a state agency created by the legislature to provide independent analysis and objective advice to the legislature and the Governor's Office on state building code issues. Peden’s term will expire January 5, 2013. The Council establishes the minimum building, mechanical, fire, plumbing and energy code requirements necessary to promote the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state of Washington, by reviewing, developing and adopting the state building code. Peden is also member of the Gonzaga University Engineering Department Design Advisory Board from 1999 to present, and a member of the Downtown Spokane Partnership Board of Directors from 2006 to present.

Treat your kids, family, or sweetheart to an old-fashioned movie matinee on Saturday, April 10 at 1pm, as KPBX Kids’ Concerts presents the infamous Marx Brothers in the 1930 hit comedy, Animal Crackers, at The Bing Crosby Theater at 901 West Sprague, in downtown Spokane. The event is free and hosted by KPBX classical host and movie critic Leonard Oakland. Refreshments will be available for purchase from the Bing. Many critics rank Animal Crackers as the funniest Marx Brothers movie. Based on the hit Broadway play by George S. Kaufman and Morris Ryskind, Animal Crackers features Groucho Marx as explorer Captain Spaulding, who is the guest of honor at a party hosted by wealthy matron Mrs. Rittenhouse (Margaret Dumont). The plot is a delightful excuse for Groucho, Chico, and Harpo to run amok, with Zeppo playing his customary straight-man role. It features a Harry Ruby score, including the song "Hooray for Captain Spalding," Groucho’s theme, "Hello, I Must Be Going," and subsequent performances by Harpo and Chico. It also features one of Groucho’s most famous lines: "One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know," which is ranked the 53rd movie quote of all time by the American Film Institute. Animal Crackers was both a critical and commercial success upon initial release and remains one of the Marx Brothers’ most beloved and often-quoted movies; come see why on Saturday, April 10. The film’s running time is one hour and 45 minutes. Families with small children or others who can’t stay for the whole movie are still welcome to attend for as long as they can to experience the Marx Brothers on the big screen. Information about upcoming KPBX Kids’ Concerts and all Spokane Public Radio events can be found on the station’s web-site at: www.kpbx.org.

The business thought of the week is from technology executive, Travis White: "Dreams can often become challenging, but challenges are what we live for."

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