Idaho Voices

Hurricane season, which officially started June 1, sure got a slow start in the Atlantic. Bill, the very first Atlantic hurricane of 2009, did not form until this past Monday. At the same time, there was a flurry of tropical activity, with tropical storm Claudette making landfall on the Florida panhandle, and tropical depression Ana weakening in the Caribbean.

Today The Rhythm Dawgs (Classic Rock) – 3 p.m., Rotary Lakeside Bandshell, Coeur d’Alene City Park, Coeur d’Alene, 667-3162.

Cindy Smith doesn’t fool around when it comes to coaching the Sandpoint High School dance team. She sets her expectations high and the young women whom she instructs always rise to the occasion. It is because of those expectations and hard work that the dance team from this small North Idaho community consistently places near the top in state competitions.

Coeur d’Alene George Mitchell, 2909 N. Fourth St., commercial, 15-unit apartment building, valued at $950,000.

For 08-23-2009

POST FALLS – The Compass Club will have its September luncheon aboard the River Queen from Templin’s Resort, 414 First Ave. in Post Falls, on Sept. 1. Boarding will begin at 11:15 a.m. Tickets are $35 per person.

No wonder my ears were burning Saturday. I was being roasted at a St. Pius X Catholic Church celebration of Father Andrew Schumacher’s 50 years as a priest. Berry Picker Claudia, from Post Falls, called Monday to describe how the former St. Pius padre regaled his former parishioners with a tale re: a story I wrote about him for the Christmas 1988 edition.

A kitchen for cooking demonstrations will be added as Gourmet Way moves to Hayden Creek Plaza (8222 Government Way) on Sept. 1. The kitchenware, giftware, custom gift basket, wine and ale shop has been at 6848 Government Way for 10 years. Gourmet Way has a wine club that invites members to special events and with special purchases while familiarizing them with wines from around the world. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 to 5 Saturdays. Phone (208) 762-1333.

North Idaho College is inviting community members to audition for its choirs. Auditions for Jazz Co., the jazz ensemble, will be Monday and Aug. 31, from 7 to 9 p.m. in Boswell Hall, in Room 128. The ensemble performs seven times per year and specializes in vocal jazz music.

The only purple hair we expected to see walking into the place was on the heads of Kellogg’s many lovely grannies. So we were mildly bewildered when we slipped out of the torrential summer rain and into the Sunshine Inn to be greeted by a smiling young waitress with shoulder-length vibrant violet locks and rocker girl gear. Her soundtrack was the corny, fist-pumping grunge of Puddle of Mudd’s “She Hates Me,” which blared at a delightfully disruptive volume from the open passageway that separates the dining room from the chaos of the attached lounge. “Anywhere you like, guys!” she hollered over the music and the outbursts of laughter emanating from the just-off-work Friday bar crowd.

Annual Farragut Naval Training Station Reunion – Sept. 12, in Farragut State Park, Athol, Idaho. Opening ceremonies with flag raising and memorial is at 9 a.m. A dance at Bayview Community Center begins at 7 p.m. Call Janice Lauer at (208) 660-0660 or Bob Moore at (208) 683-5707 for more information.

I get excited on the rare occasions when I’m able to spend a leisurely summer evening sculling around Lake Coeur d’Alene on the family watercraft. There’s something especially rejuvenating about the cool, misty wind in my hair, the remarkable view of the city skyline and the ambient sound of the frat boys getting sick over the side of the Mish-an-Nock. Recently, I had the honor of being one of the first guests aboard my mom and stepdad’s newly purchased speedboat. Eddie’s Bar & Grill was our destination for the evening; we were curious to see how it had changed since the Gozzer Ranch folks took over a few years ago, upsetting locals in the process by ending the former Arrow Point Grill’s popular Thursday all-you-can-eat spaghetti feed.