‘Tools For Tough Times’ Theme Of Spokane Ag Expo

(From For the Record, January 12, 1999:) Dates incorrect: Spokane’s Ag Expo and Farm Forum will be held today through Thursday. The Monday Business Planner incorrectly stated the dates of the expo.

With crop surpluses, price pressures, export issues and plenty of other hot topics to discuss, the Spokane Ag Expo and Pacific Northwest Farm Forum will draw several thousand farmers from the region this week.

Theme of the sessions is “Tools for Tough Times.” The events, which start today and run through Wednesday, will be held in the Spokane Arena and Convention and Ag Trade Center.

Among the highlights of the more than 300 exhibits is a hands-on welding booth where participants can try the latest technology with guidance from the pros.

For event information call (888) 374-EXPO.

In other events this week:

Monday

The National Potato Commission holds its annual meeting in Maui through Friday.

The IRS opens its taxpayer helpline at (800) 829-1040. Assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Spokane’s newest District Court jurist, Judge Harold Clarke III, begins his four-year term.

Tuesday

Dr. Kim Kidwell, a spring wheat breeder at Washington State University, will speak on the results of spring wheat trials and share information with farmers making planting decisions this spring. The meeting begins at 6:30 a.m. at the Hartley’s Wheel Inn Restaurant in Steptoe. For more information, call John Burns, WSU extension agent in Colfax, at (509) 397-6290.

Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce members will preview legislative priorities at their breakfast meeting, which begins at 7 a.m. at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. Coeur d’Alene Day at the Idaho State Legislature is Jan. 25. For information, call 644-3194.

Ritzville area ranchers will discuss water issues that affect their operations at 7 p.m. at the Circle T Restaurant in Ritzville. Gary DeVore of the Adams County Conservation District and Doug Allen of the Washington State Department of Ecology will speak. For more information, call Tom Platt at (509) 725-4171.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture holds the first of two sessions for farmers and grain receivers on feed grain shipments in Modesto, Calif.

The Spokane Restaurant and Hospitality Association holds its annual membership luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Ramada Inn at the Airport. Cost is $17.50 per person. Call (509) 467-7744 for reservations and information.

Wednesday

The Labor Department releases producer prices for December.

Thursday

The International Trade Alliance offers an “International After Hours” session for networking and discussion of issues affecting the region. The gathering, first of a monthly series, is 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the main floor lounge of the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Spokane.

The Commerce Department releases retail sales for December and the Labor Department releases consumer prices for December.

Friday

The Commerce Department releases business inventory data for March and the Federal Reserve releases industrial production totals for December.

ON THE SHELF Forbes, Jan. 11: Cover story lists the magazine’s picks for top big companies, including Avista Corp., formerly Washington Water Power, in the energy distribution category.

Penny-pinching A penny may not be worth what it once was, but 75 percent of all Americans still would stop to pick up one from the street, according to a survey commissioned by Coinstar Inc. Here are other findings: Older Americans were more likely to pick up a penny than their younger counterparts, with 90 percent of respondents over the age of 65 saying they would vs. 67 percent of those 18 to 34 years old. Nearly three-quarters of Americans save their change. Thirteen percent of Americans store their coins in a piggy bank.