‘Business After Hours’ Will Focus On Giving

Giving back to the community is the focus this month of the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “Business After Hours” event.

On Thursday, the American Heart Association will host “Christmas with a Heart” at its offices at 140 S. Arthur St. between 5:15 p.m. and 7 p.m..

Chamber members are invited to share in the spirit of Christmas by giving donations and support to the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. Food and drink will be provided.

For more information, including a wish list of items needed by local children, call 459-4105.

Also this week:

Tuesday

All bids on property being auctioned by the city of Spokane are due by 3 p.m. The city is auctioning seven parcels of land, including 26 acres of view property at Albion Heights, four acres of Spokane River frontage property on Trent Avenue downtown and 4.5 acres of property in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood. The city is also auctioning eight homes. For more information, call Dave Perry in the city’s real estate department: 625-6152.

* Spirit Lake City Council members and the city’s planning and zoning commission will meet at 7 p.m. at the Spirit Lake Community Center, 218 N. Fourth Ave., to discuss an annexation of 300 acres. The land is owned by a California businessman, John Sempre, who wants to put a $50-$100 million resort near the lake’s Mill Pond. Plans include 400 homes and condominiums, a marina, a golf course and a small ski course. For more information call (208) 623-2131.

* The Post Falls Chamber of Commerce will reward one shopper with $1,000 in cash for its “Partridge in Post Falls” promotion. The promotion was designed to encourage people to shop in Post Falls. Two dozen merchants participated in the program by offering coupons. The deadline for entry forms is Dec. 18. Coupon booklets are available at the chamber office at 510 E. Sixth.

* The Commerce Department reports on international trade for October. Also, the Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee meets to discuss interest rates.

Wednesday

The Coeur d’Alene Urban Renewal Agency meets at City Hall at 4 p.m. Items on the agenda include a presentation by the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association and Riverstone development participation in urban renewal.

* The Commerce Department reports on November housing starts and the Treasury Department reports on the federal budget for November.

Thursday

The Commerce Department reports on gross domestic product for the third quarter. The Labor Department reports weekly jobless claims.

This sidebar appeared with the story: ON THE SHELF Smart collecting

Forbes, Dec. 25: You can make a pile of money owning art or other collectibles, the magazine says in a cover story, but it adds that it’s best to go into the collectibles market without that expectation.

Business Week, Dec. 18: Financing the tech boom lifted the U.S. economy to unprecedented heights, the magazine notes. Now that the funding is starting to dry up, will the tech fall take the overall economy with it?