Handle on business: Wheat Montana grand opening today

Today is the grand opening, free-sampling party for Coeur d’Alene’s Wheat Montana Farms Bakery and Deli at 405 Neider Ave. (at Highway 95).

Offering all-natural breads from grain from the company’s wheat ranches in Central Montana, the store sells a wide variety of bakery items, sandwiches, soups, coffee, gift items and flours. Coeur d’Alene’s 2,200-square-foot space includes a deli counter, seating for 40 customers, a drive-through window and a glass garage-door opening to allow seasonal outdoor seating.

Also offering catering services, the 15-employee store is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. With its headquarters at Three Forks, just east of Bozeman, Wheat Montana has nine stores in Montana and is opening two in Spokane (one on the South Hill this weekend), three in Boise and one each in Richland, Kennewick and Colorado.

Dirk Anderson manages the Coeur d’Alene store. Phone 667-3354.

Check www.wheatmontana.com.

Exotic woods products available at BlackStone

Products made from exotic woods are available through BlackStone Specialty Woods at 1741 W. Hayden Ave. The company celebrated its grand opening of its 23,000-square-foot showroom last weekend.

With products on site or available by order, BlackStone offers hardwood floors, paneling, moulding, doors, decking, railings, trims, stairways and cabinets. The company does finish and trim work from its seven-employee shop on Arrow Drive (near the airport) in Hayden.

Owner Todd Schild is originally from Blackfoot and came to North Idaho in 2000 from Fort Worth, where he became interested in building fine furniture. He has three employees in the showroom, which is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. Phone 772-5490.

Unique motif at Prairie Center

Special gift items in home décor and jewelry are featured at Unique Motif, a new store between Pita Pit and Papa Murphy’s on the west side of Prairie Shopping Center.

The store’s inventory includes domestic and imported furniture, candles, jewelry, framed art, lamps, wind chimes, baskets, purses and wallets. The 1,500-square-foot space was formerly an outlet for Sylvan Learning Center, which moved to Post Falls.

Dawn Kushlan is co-owner and manager of the store, which is owned by her parents, Gene and Sue Kushlan of Goldendale, Wash. She has two employees. Holiday hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10 a .m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Phone 772-1503.

This week’s tidbits

“A few people may have choked at the news of a planned Coeur d’Alene Funeral Home to be located across from the Senior Center.

It’s not too much different from Beehive Homes assisted living-center having rooms overlooking a cemetery.

“An advocate for recycling, I’m not thrilled that the Kootenai Country Solid Waste Department is stopping its collection of glass at its Ramsey Road location on Jan. 1. A spokesperson said recycling glass is too costly as the nearest glass reclamation place is in Portland.

Seems like a waste for all those wine and beer bottles. Not that any come from our place.

“Here’s wishing happy holidays (including today’s winter solstice party people) to all my readers and those who just like to gaze at my photo. Cheers!