Music To Their Ears

The Long Ear is expanding to the extent that its owners may have to rename the place Dumbo.

The compact disc and tape store is moving from its 2,800-square-foot space at 2924 Government Way in Coeur d’Alene, to 4,000 square feet at 2405 N. Fourth St.

Formerly the home of Big Sky RVs, the new location gives The Long Ear so much parking area that the owners hope to have special events in the ample area around the store.

This will kick off with their Ear Fest 2000 on Saturday, Aug. 19. Included will be specials sales, live acoustical music inside the store, electronic music in the back yard and DJs from KPND and KVNI FM stations in the south parking lot.

“We’re hoping that this will be the first of many special events,” said Deon Borchard, who owns The Long Ear with her husband, Terry. The Borchards started the store in 1985 after moving from Big Bear, Calif. They discovered North Idaho during vacations.

Now with seven employees, The Long Ear will add DVDs and some import items, including figurines and candles. The store caters to music lovers of all types.

More than 10,000 invitations have been sent for Ear Fest 2000, which will include sandwiches and beverages from neighboring businesses. A drumming circle will be featured at 9 p.m.

The store will be closed Aug. 6-9 in preparation for the move. Opening date is set for Aug. 11. Details are on thelongear.com Web site, or call 765-3472.

Among new buildings and businesses popping up on both sides of I-90 on the east side of Post Falls is the new Quality Stoves store at 1835 Edmonton Ave.

The business offers sales, installation and service for gas, propane, pellet, wood and diesel stoves. The 6,500-square-foot business, located between Beaudry Motorsports and Midway Nissan, also includes kitchen appliances and outdoor furniture.

Owners Jeff and Melissa Barnhart and seven employees hope to move the store in late October from 100 W. Prairie Ave., Hayden, to the new facility. A North Idaho native, Jeff started the business 20 years ago after a debilitating logging accident.

The new building will triple the showroom space of the current location. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 to 4 Saturdays. Call 772-9111.

Meanwhile, another store under construction near Quality Stoves is Bella Marble & Granite, a 10,000-square-foot facility.

Animal House will open a 10,000-square-foot store at 620 W. Dalton Ave. in Coeur d’Alene in mid-August. The full-line pet shop is an expansion of its 6-year-old store at 1600 E. Seltice Way in Post Falls.

The new location, across the street from Skate Plaza, will include a warehouse and showroom specializing in quality dogs. The space also will allow the sales of bulk orders, with 800 square feet devoted just to dog and cat food.

Owners Dave and Kathleen Chesnut , originally from Moscow, Idaho, and Bloomfield, Mich., respectively, will have 18 employees between the two locations. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 4 Sundays. Call 665-7200 or 777-8885.

Tidbits:

We’re headed for what is traditionally the biggest weekend of the year for Coeur d’Alene with the Street Fair downtown, special events in City Park, Art on the Green at North Idaho College and the final weekend of the Parade of Homes. All events are free.

The latter is the biggest home show in the history of the sponsoring North Idaho Building Contractors Association, with 30 houses on show throughout the county and in Liberty Lake. Follow signs along major roads to any of the participating houses to obtain a list of the entries.

A few years ago some readers encouraged us to embark on a save-the-tree campaign for the huge, historic western catalpa tree that was originally threatened by the construction of the Boston Market store in front of Coeur d’Alene’s Big K store.

Gathering positive publicity, Boston Market showcased the tree by wrapping its drive-through lane around it. And the tree outlived the store, which closed shops nationally.

Now this catalpa is one of many magnificent trees mentioned in the pamphlet “Historical, Unusual and Big Trees of Coeur d’Alene.” Sponsored by Idaho Panhandle Kiwanis, the publication is available through the CdA Parks Department and at City Hall.

First Step, a Internet service provider, is celebrating the grand opening of its new store Saturday in Eastside Marketplace in Moscow. Call 882-8869.