Idaho Voices

The body of a Post Falls businessman missing for nearly a week in Lake Coeur d'Alene was recovered Friday night, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said. Gary Scott "Scotty" Shawver had jumped into the lake Aug. 2 to retrieve a hat that fell into the water. The owner of an auto body shop, Shawver apparently drowned. The sheriff's office had not been able to locate the body all week. On Friday about 8:30 p.m., the agency was contacted by a local dive company that had been diving in the Stevens Point area and found a body in 60-foot-deep water. The sheriff's Recreation Safety Division and dive team responded to the scene and recovered Shawver's body from the lake bottom. Friends and family members of Shawver were on the scene during the recovery. An autopsy will be conducted next week, officials said.

The weather continues to make headlines around the world. Huge storms in the U.S. and on other continents have created travel headaches for many people. Although winter officially began Dec 21, much of the northern U.S. and southern Canada have already endured record snows and bitterly cold temperatures.

Well, this is it – my last work for The Spokesman-Review. Although the exact date isn’t available, this business column first was published in 1985, the same year I became the journalism instructor at North Idaho College. So, if I scribble a little math (not often easy for a words person), that’s 25 years. Take that times about 50 columns a year for about 1,200 total. Since each column contains four-plus items, and I’ve written about nearly 5,000 businesses.

Filings from Dec. 16-21. Chapter 7 (liquidation petitions)

Coeur d’Alene Standard Insurance, 2626 N. Government Way, commercial, tenant improvement, shell only, valued at $80,000.

For 01-02-2011

Catholic Young Adult Group – For ages 18 and older, meets first, second and third Tuesdays for Bible study and prayer, 7-8 p.m. at St. George’s Catholic Church, 2010 N. Lucas St., Post Falls. Jennifer, (208) 704-6550. United Methodist Women – Meets the first Tuesday of each month, 12:30 p.m. at Community United Methodist Church, 1470 W. Hanley Ave. (208) 765-8800.

To paraphrase an old quip from some unknown wit, the only things that will survive the impending nuclear holocaust are cockroaches, Cher and Hudson’s Hamburgers. Eventually, all situations must go pear-shaped and come to an end, and so is the sad fate of this humble little local section of the newspaper you hold in your ink-smeared fingers. You can put away that bottle of Jack Daniels and dry your tears – shameless plug alert – because new columns will continue to happen at www.getoutnorthidaho.com.

COEUR D’ALENE – The Kootenai Pickleball Players and the City Recreation Department will begin their first session of the year today, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the gymnasium at Project Coeur d’Alene School, 1619 N. Ninth St. Sessions will also be held on Friday evenings, from 6 to 8. Pickleball is generally played as a doubles game. All levels of play, from beginners to expert, are welcome to play. Paddles and balls will be provided.

In September 2000 I began as a correspondent for this paper, bringing local news and feature stories to North Idaho readers.  This will be the last edition of the Handle Extra, and so it follows that this will be my last column.   As I reflect over the last 10 years, I always recall my first story.  It was about a doctor who traveled to Third World countries and provided an invaluable service to women in need of ob/gyn care.  The medical provider stressed how important it was to spend time with each of her patients, both locally and abroad, to not only assess their physical well-being but also their emotional health.

If this dream were to become reality, McEuen Field would be no longer. In its place: a 20-acre destination park designed from the ground up to serve “the greatest number of uses for the greatest number of people, of all ages and abilities, throughout all seasons,” according to the mission statement of Team McEuen, the four-person crew of engineers, architects and a landscape designer tasked with the park redesign.

Today Bill Reid (Jazz) – 1 p.m., Di Luna’s Cafe, 207 Cedar St., Sandpoint, (208) 263-0846.

Looks like the weather experts weren’t too far off on their prognostications of a snowy winter. Only time will tell how much we really get. One thing is clear though; we won’t be seeing green outdoors for a long while. That makes the next couple of months a great time to tune up our houseplant knowledge. Whether you are a neophyte or an experienced indoor gardener, it never hurts to start your education with a trip to the Gaiser Conservatory in Manito Park. The 3,000-square-foot conservatory is home to several thousand plants from all over the world. It is a great place to see what is possible to grow at home. The conservatory is free and open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. except holidays.

Filings from Dec. 10-16. Chapter 7 (liquidation petitions)

Coeur d’Alene Russell Page Architects, 3452 N. Government Way, commercial, Jamms Yogurt, valued at $15,000.

For 12-26-2010