Explore Historic South, Without Leaving Town

Fri., May 5, 1995

Susan English Staff Writer

The Southern gentry set the standard for relaxed, gracious living. Wednesday, we can glimpse New Orleans-style living at a slide lecture being given at Cheney Cowles Museum.

James Kemp-Slaughter, an antiques appraiser from Seattle, will speak about historic New Orleans, focusing on the French Quarter and the garden district.

His presentation, “White Columns: Homes of the Southern Gentry,” will appeal to those interested in the history, architecture, antiques and the romance of the Old South. The event is free; it begins at 7:30 p.m.

Earth-friendly designs: Some designers are focusing on using recycled materials in home furnishings. For example, Santa Rosa, Calif., artist Roland Simmons turned rolls of corrugated paper into utilitarian light sculptures he named Lumalights.

Lumalights and other products utilizing recycled materials will be on display at the Washington State Recycling Convention, which opens Sunday with workshops and runs through Wednesday at Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park. The convention is a trade show and workshop for the recycling industry; however, the display will be open for public as well as convention participant viewing Monday and Tuesday.

Fixing it up: Several free how-to workshops will be held at HomeBase stores the next two weekends. Here’s the lineup of one-hour clinics:

On Saturday and again May 13, Hanging Wallpaper is at 10 a.m., Installing Ceiling Lighting is at 11 a.m., Laying Ceramic Tile is at noon, Installing Sprinklers is at 1 p.m. and Installing Locksets is at 2 p.m.

On Sunday and again May 14, Replacing Faucets is at 10 a.m., Installing Toilets is at 11 a.m., Hanging Interior Doors is at noon and Building a Fence is at 1 p.m.

Back to school: Those interested in learning more about native flora can register for the Native Plant Identification and Design Series, conducted by the WSU Cooperative Extension, May 24, 31 and June 7 and 14.

The cost is $40 and participants can register by sending their name, address, phone number and check (made out to Cooperative Extension) to 222 N. Havana, Spokane, WA 99202. Registration deadline is May 15. For more information, call 533-2048.

Good doo: The bad news: Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo is all sold out of ZooDoo gardening compost. The good news: Those interested can call the ZooDoo hotline in early August to sign up for the fall sale of compost, enriched with the droppings of zoo creatures.

ZooDoo sells for about $16 a cubic yard ($40 for a big pickup truck load), but you have to load it yourself. Or, for one of the more interesting voice mail messages, call the hotline now: (206) 625-POOP.

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