Idaho Voices

A major change involving 13 employees, about 100 students, hundreds of customers and two key Coeur d’Alene locations will occur in early January. The Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy will move from 317 Coeur d’Alene Ave. to 410 Neider Ave. The new facility (the old Tidyman’s grocery store) will allow the school to expand from 10,000 to 15,000 square feet and up to 125 students and additional instructors.

One of the main reasons people watch the weather forecast is to get an idea just how hot or cold it is supposed to be at some time in the future. Many of us have some type of thermometer either inside or outside the house, and being the weather geek that I am, I check the temperatures numerous times a day. There are many ways of measuring temperature, and also several different scales with which to measure. The simplest technique for measuring temperature, is to take some kind of liquid which expands or contracts in response to heat and cold, and to measure the change in volume of the liquid.

Filings from Aug. 27-Sept. 9. Chapter 7 (liquidation petitions)

Coeur d’Alene Shawn Williams, 713 N. Seventh St., fire damage repair, valued at $70,000.

For 10-10-2010

Students and their families at Lakes Magnet Middle School will take a bicycle “fund” trail ride on Saturday in the Saddle-Soup-Skedaddle on the Prairie Trail. Beginning at 11 a.m., starting from Coeur d’Alene’s Fort Ground Grill, Lakes trail riders will head north up the Prairie Trail portion of the Centennial Trail. The ride will end at 2:30 p.m., back at the Grill, where students and their families will no doubt be ready for a hearty meal, including soup, of course, a sandwich and something to drink.

For many people, the mention of a fedora-style hat brings to mind images of Gene Kelly singing in the rain or a moody Humphrey Bogart gazing into the eyes of Ingrid Bergman in “Casablanca.” I may be hopelessly lost in the ’80s, but when I think fedora, I immediately picture Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon tearing his way through the jungle in the music video for “Hungry Like the Wolf.”

In yet another futile attempt to prove that people are smarter than fish, 116 Oktoberfish contestants took to the water on Oct. 2. The day was beautiful with temperatures near 80 degrees and calm waters. While it was a thoroughly enjoyable day upon the waters of Lake Pend Oreille, the fish appeared to be laid-back as well. Few fish were caught the first of the two-day tournament in which about $3,000 in entry fees would be divided Sunday afternoon.

There’s a funny story behind that Northwest Boulevard billboard that Ron Nilson/Robert Ketchum leased in their bid for election to the North Idaho College Board of Trustees. Seems the ad exec for the Lamar Outdoor account happens to be none other than … (drum roll, please) … Dave Wood, husband of NIC Trustee Christie Wood. Christie is running for re-election against Ketchum Nov. 2.

BOISE – This week will bring the big debates in the races for Idaho’s U.S. Senate and 1st District congressional seats, with incumbent Sen. Mike Crapo and Congressman Walt Minnick facing off with their challengers on statewide TV. The “Idaho Debates,” sponsored for the past three decades by the League of Women Voters and the Idaho Press Club and broadcast live on Idaho Public Television, will turn to the Senate race on Tuesday night, starting at 7 p.m. Pacific time, with Crapo debating Democratic challenger Tom Sullivan.

COEUR D’ALENE – The Coeur d’Alene Public Library Youth Services will debut “Game Cafe” on Wednesday at the library, 702 E. Front Ave., from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The activity will take kids away from the computer and give them the opportunity to play “old-fashioned” board games, such as bingo, checkers, chess, Parcheesi, Sorry! and Scrabble. Door prizes and snow cones will also be provided. The free activity is intended for ages 9 to 13.

The beautiful fall weather over the past week, which included a mixture of mild, sunny days followed by lawn-quenching rains, has probably kept most people’s minds off the dire predictions of a snowy upcoming La Niña winter. I thought I’d bring the subject up again, however, since the National Weather Service recently put out some interesting statistics about La Niña, El Niño, and seasonal snowfall totals.

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

There are two kinds of water slides: the commercial ones with admission fees that can be found at swimming pools, amusement parks and theme parks; and natural rock water slides that only require a drive and a short hike. A natural water slide near Priest Lake offers family fun. We are lucky in the Inland Northwest to have abundant water, snowcapped mountains and clear, rushing streams.

For all practical purposes, we are coming to the end of the gardening season. The plants will go on until there is a killing frost, but we are losing so much heat and daylight now that the chances of getting much riper are waning. It’s time for fall cleanup. Pulling out the spent plants is going to leave a lot of bare soil exposed to erosion, nutrient loss and invasions from enterprising weeds over the winter. An easy way to reduce all three of these issues is to plant cover crops in any of your bare vegetable beds.

“Distinguished, male American bulldog who loves long walks, heart-to-heart talks or just hanging out, is looking for a long-term relationship. If you are lonely and looking for a devoted companion, so am I.” Toby Toby was abandoned when his family moved away, and is just one of the many adoptable pets that Kootenai Humane Society volunteer Nancy Morrison hopes will find a loving home.

Kent Nelson believes music is meant to be shared. Whether that’s loud, soft, slow or speedy he leaves to his students. At CDA Rock School in the Guitar Stop in Dalton Gardens, Nelson instructs aspiring musicians. They come ages 8 to 17 and display a range of musical tastes and abilities.

It has been nearly two years since Sandpoint’s Cedar Street Bridge was forced to close temporarily, and since then it seemed the popular shopping venue would never recover. Home to this town’s Coldwater Creek retail store until nearly five years ago, the Bridge was always a favorite of both local citizens and visitors.

The business news this week is big news – maybe not so big as far as billions of dollars and hundreds of employees, but more so in the physical size of these places. Construction should begin early in the year on Love’s Travel Center on 10 acres bordered by Pleasantview Road, Expo Parkway and the westbound onramp to Interstate 90.