Police chief receives award

Coeur d’Alene police Chief Wayne Longo walked into the state’s Regional Advisory Committee on Substance Abuse on March 12 expecting reports on drug prevention efforts by various agencies and nonprofits working together to end alcohol and drug abuse. But the group surprised him with its coveted Community Services Award instead.

Longo was honored for helping develop the Meth Is My Neighbor prevention program, enforcing underage drinking laws in North Idaho and “anytime we need a speaker, he’s (there),” said Tammy Rubino of the committee. Longo also was a prime mover behind Coeur d’Alene’s successful “Turn in Your Prescription Meds,” Rubino said.

Explorer Thompson focus of lecture

Kris Buchler of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will give a presentation on “David Thompson’s Natural World” on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Lake City Senior Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Drive in Coeur d’Alene.

Thompson was a fur trader, explorer and geographer. He also observed numerous animals and plants and recorded many of the species he encountered. In her presentation, Buchler will use Thompson’s names for species and identify the more familiar names used today. With pelts, feathers and a live animal, Buchler will recreate the environment Thompson explored centuries ago.

The presentation is free.

For more information, call (208) 772-3953.

Group plans to build new ice arena

The Kootenai Youth Recreation Organization’s board of directors plan to build a new ice arena on the site of its former facility.

The record snowfall in December caused the roof on the original ice arena to collapse and resulted in too much damage to salvage the building.

Approximately 1,000 recreational skaters and spectators visited the arena weekly. The arena was “home ice” for the Coeur d’Alene Lakers Junior A hockey team and other youth hockey teams organized under the Coeur d’Alene Hockey Association and the Cristeros Hockey Club.

Other groups who used the arena include adult hockey leagues, figure skating, public skating, broom-ball, skating instruction, and hockey official training/certification.

Details regarding the new facility, including preliminary architectural drawings, will be discussed in a public meeting on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Army National Guard complex, 5555 E. Seltice Way in Post Falls.

If you are interested in attending, reserve a space by e-mailing info@kyro.org.

Civil rights leaders honored for work

Longtime Coeur d’Alene residents Scott and Mary Lou Reed were honored Monday night with the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations’ 2008 Civil Rights Award.

Mary Lou Reed was a founding board member and the first president of the Human Rights Education Institute, in addition to sponsoring human rights legislation while a member of the Idaho State Senate. Scott Reed has been a legal advisor to the task force for 28 years and also drafted in 1986 the civil remedies addition to Idaho’s malicious harassment law, the human rights organizations said in a news release.

The Reeds also have made major financial contributions to civil rights organizations through the Margaret Reed Foundation, in honor of Scott Reed’s mother, the release said.

The task force and the education institute also honored elementary school Principal Bob Shamberg with the 2008 Bill Wassmuth Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award. Shamberg has served for years as co-chairman of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Celebration for fifth-graders in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls. Shamberg is principal of Borah Elementary School in Coeur d’Alene.

LCSC alumni plan celebration

Lewis-Clark State College Alumni Chapter will host an evening of food, fun and more on Monday at 5 p.m. at Cricket’s Downtown Bar and Grill, 424 Sherman Ave. in Coeur d’Alene.

The event is open to all LCSC Alumni, students, faculty/staff and friends.