Regional news
CdA celebrates Arbor Day today
Coeur d’Alene is having an Arbor Day celebration today in City Park that will include a tree planting and free seedlings.
People who attend the ceremonial tree planting or one of the demonstrations will qualify to receive a free tree up to 8 feet tall.
The activities will include a self-guided tree tour, educational exhibits and refreshments. Festivities start at 10 a.m. near the gazebo.
Mayor Sandi Bloem will accept the city’s Tree City USA award. This is the 21st year Coeur d’Alene has qualified for the honor by meeting award criteria such as observing Arbor Day and a budget that allocates at least $2 per resident on trees.
Tree planting demonstrations will be held at 11 a.m. and noon. Demonstrations on how to help young trees thrive will be at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Cinco de Mayo events
North Idaho College’s Diversity Events Committee is inviting the community to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with free salsa dance lessons and Latino music and dance performances.
Celebracion de la Raza (celebration of the race) begins with music by Mariachi Guanajuato in the Grand Bay Dining Room of the NIC Student Union Building from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Salsa dance lessons will be offered in the Lake Coeur d’Alene Room of the Student Union beginning at noon, followed by a dance demonstration at 2 p.m. in the Grand Bay Dining Room.
All events are free and open to the public.
For more information, call (208) 769-3397, or for information in Spanish, (208) 769-3398.
Race deadlines near
Sunday is the final day to register online for the NIChallenge, a May 7 adventure race organized by North Idaho College’s Outdoor Pursuits program.
Teams can still register in person through Thursday at the Outdoor Pursuits office on the lower level of NIC’s Student Union Building.
The NIChallenge will be held at Farragut State Park, where teams of two or four members will compete in a race that includes 10-15 miles of mountain biking, 4-6 miles of trail running, 2-5 miles of paddling and navigation. Divisions include coed, male and female.
Cost is $75 per person.
For details, or to register online, visit www.nic.edu.
Little Vandal hatched
A little Vandal hatched Friday afternoon at the University of Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene center.
The college announced Friday that the first of Ima Vandal’s goslings was spotted in the nest outside the dean’s window. For much of the afternoon, though, UI staff were only able to catch glimpses of the young Canada goose.
Ima Vandal has been sitting on six eggs outside Jack Dawson’s window all spring, her every move captured on a webcam. People across the country placed guesses on when the first gosling would hatch.
To see the action online, visit www.cda.uidaho.edu/ima.