Power lines firm will reach CdA

This company keeps a low profile although its work is high in the sky.

Mountain Power Construction, which “builds” outdoor power lines, is putting a new headquarters facility northwest of the Pleasant View Road-Interstate 90 interchange west of Post Falls. With four buildings totaling about 6,000 square feet, the company will move from its Industrial Avenue location in Coeur d’Alene this fall.

Serving five western states with 190 employees, Mountain Power has had its headquarters in North Idaho since 1983. The base operation has 15 employees with offices, a shop and storage buildings.

A lineman by trade, Rich English, who owns the company with his wife Karen, came to Sandpoint from Mount Shasta, Calif., in 1979 and to Coeur d’Alene in 1983.

Cutting Edge a sharp business

Although several businesses with “cutting edge” in their names are in the phone book, this is the one that sharpens anything that needs it – knives, scissors, lawnmower blades, garden tools, etc. It’s also the one moving from Ramsey Road to 3640 Cedarblom, which isn’t easy to find. It’s one block south of Home Depot and behind Sunset Village Mall between the former Sunset Bowl and Coeur d’Alene Cinema buildings.

Grand-opening specials will be offered after the move Monday. John and Karen Thurston bought the 20-year-old business a year ago. Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, they discovered North Idaho while on a vacation and moved here from Sacramento in 2004.

Cutting Edge hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Phone (208) 765-6352.

Absolute Mechanical to Poplar

With its heating and cooling contracting business expanding, Absolute Mechanical is moving from Best Avenue to 131 Poplar Ave., Coeur d’Alene, this weekend. The business has 20 employees who will work out of the 5,000-square-foot facility.

Owners Mark and Marcelle Janes came to Coeur d’Alene from Issaquah, Wash., in 1995. They also have Island Rentals (personal watercrafts and accessories) on Second Street. Their full-service mechanical contracting is for both residential and commercial needs. Phone (208) 755-7000.

Library store moves, expands

The Twice Told Tales bookstore in the Post Falls Library has expanded to a new location within the building at 821 N. Spokane St. Now in the room that the coffee shop vacated, the former bookstore room will be remodeled into a comfortable discussion room, according to Joe Reiss, library director.

Operated by the volunteer Friends of the Post Falls Library, the store has up to 5,000 volumes of used books as well as books on tape, videos and library logo merchandise. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Here are this week’s tidbits:

“Don’t hurt me. I know you like to read about new restaurants, and I hinted that I’d have one for you this week. However, the owners say “Please wait (again).”

“Businesses closing in the past weeks include Los Sanchez Restaurant (in the old Godfather’s Pizza building on Best Avenue, Coeur d’Alene), Weldon Barbers (near Sunset Village) and 4th Street Auto Parts, Coeur d’Alene.

“After 80 years, Fonks General Store in Wallace is closing by the end of July. Coeur d’Alene investors bought the 100-year-old building so its two employees (both now looking for work) are having a 30-percent-off sale.