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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Michael Guilfoil

This individual is no longer an employee with The Spokesman-Review.

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News >  Business

Front & Center: Ace is the place for Tom Jarms

Tom Jarms learned the hardware business from his father, Ron. “I’m probably famous among Ace dealers for ‘Ronisms’ – quoting my dad. Things like, ‘You’re going to make mistakes. Just hope they don’t cost you too much.’ ”
News >  Business

Front & Center: Ken Marsh has built homes and a business with passion and a Skilsaw

Almost three decades ago, an article previewing the annual Spokane Home Show focused on the event’s relatively young participants – in particular, 32-year-old Ken Marsh. Having launched his own company when he was 22, Marsh had survived the economically perilous early ’80s, when mortgage rates peaked at 18 percent, and he looked forward to retiring comfortably by age 47.

A&E >  Food

Don’t be fooled by ‘garagesque’ label

‘Boutique,” “artisanal” and “hand-crafted” are adjectives sometimes attached to small-scale wineries. Doug and Shelly Smith prefer a more modest label, jokingly referring to their Liberty Lake Wine Cellars as “garagesque.”
News >  Spokane

Test your Bloomsday IQ

After 35 Bloomsdays, it’s safe to assume you know just about everything there is to know about the annual race – and running in general, for that matter. For instance, you already know the verb “run” has 645 meanings, more than any other word in the Oxford English Dictionary. (Examples: “Run a fever” … “run a bath” … “run an idea up the flagpole.”)
A&E >  Food

Pend d’Oreille Winery thrives from afar

SANDPOINT – Stephen Meyer was so eager to break into the wine industry that he took the first job he found: catching gophers. “After I proved myself in the vineyard and they saw I had a good palate, they made me cellar master,” Meyer said.
News >  Spokane

Batteries make ebikes a hit

They say what goes around comes around, and that certainly applies to bicycles. Back in 1895, more than a decade before Henry Ford introduced his Model T, Ogden Bolton patented a battery-powered bicycle.
A&E >  Food

‘A whole new dynamic of wine’

Fifteen years ago while vacationing with their families, buddies Greg Lipsker and Michael White bought a five-gallon winemaking kit on a whim. “We followed all of the instructions,” recalled White, “and were so proud of that first batch.” But his wife declared it “really unremarkable.”
News >  Business

The whole package

Sonderen Packaging was launched in the basement of a downtown print shop 49 years ago. Today it fills a sprawling 130,000-square-foot facility at 2906 N. Crestline St. Earlier this month, the Association of Washington Business recognized the company for its “commitment to workplace excellence, innovation and safety.”
News >  Business

Markdown central

As you stand in line this week, waiting to return the unwanted crock pot or karaoke machine Santa left beneath the tree, you may wonder where all that rejected merchandise ends up. One answer: Spokane Discount. Owner Steve Waco’s business philosophy is simple. “Buy the right stuff at the right price,” he said, “and make sure everything brought into the store sells within a month or two.”
News >  Business

When old is new

Gary Singer is a third-generation pawnbroker who joined the family business, Dutch’s Inc., in 1971 after dropping out of graduate school. He spoke with The Spokesman-Review at his store at 415 W. Main St. S-R: How does pawning work?
News >  Features

Back From The Dead 85-Year-Old Marr House, Once Rumored To Be Haunted, Is One Of 12 Preservation Award Winners

1. Cynthea and Timothy Cunninghamm lived next door to the Marr House for eight years before they were able to purchase it. Photos by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review 2. Timothy Cunninghamm converted the Marr House's former dining room into an office. 3. Kirby House 4. Waverly Place Bed & Breakfast 5. Eastern Washington University's Showalter Hall auditorium and lobby 6. Lincoln County Court House

The Cowboy Way Less Than A Day’s Drive Away, These Three Montana Guest Ranches Will Have You Whistling Your Favorite Cowboy Ballad

1. Montana dude ranches offer more than dusty trails and li'l dogies. Some feature alpine meadows and gourmet meals. Photo courtesy of Nine Quarter Circle Ranch 2. Appaloosa ponies, Saturday-night square dances and "gymkhana" games on horseback distinguish the Nine Quarter Circle Ranch. 3. Riding the range with real cowboys fulfilled the lifelong dream of Freddy Smits and his wife, Marianne. Photo by Michael Guilfoil/The Spokesman-Review 4. A stay at the Lonesome Spur Ranch includes a visit to the area's badlands. Photo by Victory Bjornberg