Libraries to Host One-Woman Show on ‘Western Women’

A one-woman show coming to several North Idaho libraries will look at the split personalities of women in western history.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, actress Melinda Strobel brings her new production “Western Women: Pioneers and Prostitutes,” to the:
►St. Maries Public Library, 822 W. College Ave., at 7 p.m., Monday, March 1.
►East Bonner Library, 1407 Cedar St., Sandpoint, at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 2.
►Post Falls Public Library, 821 N. Spokane St., at 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 3.
►Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave., at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 4.
►Boundary County District Library, 6370 Kootenai St., Bonners Ferry, at 7 p.m., Friday March 5.
►Pinehurst-Kingston Library, 107 Main Ave., Pinehurst, at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 6.
All programs are free.
This composite presentation introduces audiences to a variety of women who helped shape the American West. Among them will be Berthenia Owens-Adair, the first woman doctor in Oregon, stage coach driver Charley Parkhurst, and Idaho’s own Molly b’Dam’, the legend of Murray.
“The spirit of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers is brought to life in these humorous, poignant portrayals of struggle and perseverance,” Strobel says.
Strobel studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and has a degree in theater from Williamette University. She has performed in many shows in Oregon and Atlanta, Ga. Among others, her credits include multiple roles in “The Scandalous Adventures of Sir Toby Trollope” for Lakewood Theater; Mollie Ralston in the Oregon Stage Company’s production of “The Mousetrap; Aston in an all-female production of Pinter’s “The Caretaker;” and Caroline Ingalls in the world premiere of “Little House on the Prairie” for Oregon Children’s Theatre.
Most recently for Blue Monkey Theatre Company, she appeared in “Antigone,” and for Northwest Classical Theatre she performed in an all-female production of “King Richard II.”
Her film credits include “Thèrése,” for Luke Films, and “Ask for More,” for Sweet Talk Productions.
She has written and performed several one-woman shows including “Susan B. Anthony: The Napoleon of the Movement,” for which she received grants from Kentucky, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, California, and Colorado Humanities Councils.
An artist-in-residence, Strobel also teaches a various schools around Oregon. She lives in Portland and is married to Brett Strobel, minister at Christ United Methodist Church. They have two children, Colin, 15, and Peter, 11.
The North Idaho presentations are supported in part by a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council, a state-based program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
More news and information about the Coeur d'Alene Public Library is available online at www.cdalibrary.org

What's Happening at the Library?

Here's a video update of activities at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library produced by Jeff Crowe for CDA-TV. Cable Channel 19 provides live and recorded coverage of public meetings and other information of interest to the citizens of Coeur d'Alene. More news and information about the library is available online at www.cdalibrary.org.

Library Accepts Food for Fines Feb. 14-28

Give yourself a valentine and help your community Feb. 14-28 with “Love Your Library: Food for Fines” at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave.
From Valentine’s Day to the end of the month patrons clear can overdue fines from their library cards by donating nonperishable food items for people or pets. This amnesty does not apply to charges for lost or damaged items.
At the Coeur d’Alene library an overdue fine of $3 or more can prevent patrons from checking out items or using the Internet computers.
Donations brought in during “Food for Fines” will be turned over to the Community Action Partnership Food Bank and the Kootenai Humane Society.
Food donations will also be accepted from patrons with no fines to clear up. Call 208/769-2315 for more information.
More news and information about the Coeur d’Alene Public Library is available online at http://www.cdalibrary.org/

Library Closed Feb. 15 for Presidents' Day

The Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave., along with other city departments, will be closed Monday, Feb. 15, for Presidents’ Day.Normal library hours resumes Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 10 a.m.
When the the library is closed library databases with a variety of information can be accessed from the library website, www.cdalibrary.org. For database user names and passwords visit the library or call 208/769-2315 during open hours.

Specialized Needs Recreation Presents Valentine’s Day Dance February 5th!

This Friday, February 5th, Specialized Needs Recreation (SNR) will hold a Valentine’s Day Dance at the Prairie View Elementary School in Post Falls (2478 East Poleline) from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. There is a $5.00 entry fee per person. There will be snacks provided, prizes awarded, and a D.J. present. Come on out for a night of fun!

Please call and register for this event. If you have any questions about the dance, want to volunteer, or would like more information about SNR’s programs, please call Angie Goucher at 755-6781 or visit us on our website at www.snr.bz.

Specialized Needs Recreation is a non-profit organization that provides recreational opportunities for youth and adults who have developmental disabilities.

What's Happening at the Library

Here's a video update of activities at the library produced by Jeff Crow for CDA-TV. Cable Channel 19 provides live and recorded coverage of public meetings and other information of interest to the citizens of Coeur d'Alene. for more news about the library and the city visit http://cdacity.blogspot.com/ the city's news blog.

Grant Awarded

The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department received notification today that their grant application submitted under the Grant Programs Directorate's of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) fiscal year 2009 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program has been approved for award. This grant is for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and is in the amount of $283,900.00, with the federal share of $269,705.00 and our match of $14,195.00. Congratulations to CDA Fire for assembling a competitive grant package!

Wagner Named as Idaho's Building Official of the Year for 2009

The Idaho Association of Building Officials (IDABO) has named City of Coeur d’Alene Building Services Director Ed Wagner as Idaho’s 2009 Building Official of the Year at its 2010 IDABO Education Institute held in Boise January 25 - 29. This prestigious honor recognizes Mr. Wagner’s professional stature and respect throughout the State of Idaho as a preeminent Building Official and reflects his statewide leadership in promoting IDABO’s mission that includes placing the public health, safety, and welfare above all other interests, applying the special knowledge and skills of the membership to meet this goal, investigating and identifying the application of safety in the construction, occupancy, and location of buildings and related structures, supporting consistency and enforcement of the adoption of the International Building Code, other ICC Codes and related documents, supporting uniform regulation and legislation pertaining to building construction, and promoting the uniform application of zoning practice and interpretation. There are over 150 Building Officials in the state. Mr. Wagner currently serves on the Board of Directors of IDABO.


Mayor Bloem stated, “It gives me great pleasure to see Ed Wagner so deservingly recognized as Idaho’s Building Official of the Year. Ed has long been known as knowledgeable, consistent, and professional. Not only does he know the code business, but he has a steadfast focus on customer service while serving our community.”

Death Investigation

Coeur d’Alene Police is currently conducting an investigation into the death of Timothy W. Shackelford, 25 years of age of Coeur d’Alene. Coeur d’Alene Police and Fire Department medical personnel responded to a 911 call on January 17th at 2:29 am. The caller stated they were driving in the area of 5th Street and Front Avenue and had just seen a male lying unconscious in the roadway.

Medical personnel were the first to arrive on the scene. They advised police that there were no signs of trauma to the body of the victim, and his clothes were not disheveled. They advised the victim had a strong odor of alcohol emitting from his person and was unresponsive. Ambulance personnel transported Shackelford to Kootenai Medical Center.

The Kootenai County Coroners office contacted Coeur d’Alene Police detectives on January 22, 2010 and reported Shackelford suffered from a fractured skull was pronounced brain dead on January 20, 2010. Medical personnel removed Shackelford from life support on January 23, 2010.

Detectives located friends of Shackelford that had been with him in their car just prior to 911 dispatch receiving the call. They stated that he had possibly fallen from the vehicle or jumped from the vehicle while it was moving. His friends did not notice that Shackelford was missing until a few minutes later. They advised they looked for him and could not find him, so they went home.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Coeur d’Alene Police Department at 769-2320.

Workshop Adds New Element to Writers Competition

A new element has been added to one of the oldest and most popular programs at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.
In conjunction with the library’s Writer’s Competition, a free Writing Workshop will begin at the library on Feb. 4.
Entry forms for the 2010 Writers Competition at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library – its 22nd year – are available at the library beginning Sunday, Jan. 31. A pdf version of the forms can also be downloaded at the library’s website at www.cdalibrary.org. Click on the “About Us” link and then “Annual Events” to find the Writers Competition page.
Copies of the forms are also available through the mail by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Attn: Writers Competition, Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814-4012.
The eight-week Writers Workshop will be taught by Toby Reynolds each Thursday beginning at 6 p.m. through March 25. A 2009 graduate of Boise State University, Reynolds received his bachelor’s degree in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis. He is a Coeur d’Alene resident and also attended Coeur d’Alene High School and North Idaho College.
The workshop will be limited to 20 participants and preregistration is required. To register, visit the Research and Information Desk at the library or call 208/769-2315.
The Writers Competition is for unpublished fiction and nonfiction prose of up to 2,000 words. No entry is too short. There is no category for poetry or rhyming prose due to the specialized nature of the judging criteria.
Beginning this year participants are limited to submitting two entries in the competition.
“Competitors can submit two fiction entries, two nonfiction entries or one in each category,” said David Townsend, Library Communications Coordinator. “This has been done to give our volunteer judges the opportunity to better review the entries they receive. In some cases in the past few years judges in some of the age groups might be reading 40 or 50 entries. That can be very demanding.”

FOR MORE ON THIS STORY

General Services Time Change

Beginning with the February 8th meeting, the start time for General Services Committee meetings has been changed to noon. Public Works Committee meetings will continue to begin at 4 pm. Both the General Services and Public Works Committee meetings are held in the Community Room of the Coeur d’Alene Library on Mondays of the week following City Council meetings (unless there is a Monday holiday in which case they are moved to Tuesday.

Signs of the Times

An illegal sign is a serious issue for a Code Enforcement Officer. At the very least, it’s an eyesore. At its worst, its placement can block a driver’s view and be a traffic hazard. It doesn’t matter if it’s a garage, yard or estate sale sign, a sign for a get rich quick offer, for affordable life or health insurance, an election sign, or an offer for sprinkler blow outs - your Code Enforcement Unit has the sometimes daunting task of addressing the constant flood of illegally placed and non-permitted signs. This article is an effort to create better public awareness of the city’s requirements for proper sign use.

In a nutshell, any sign that advertises a commercial service or business cannot be placed anywhere off of an advertised business’s property without first consulting the city to find out if such placement is legal. Signs that advertise garage sales are not allowed in the public right of way and cannot be placed on private property without the consent of the property owner. Failure to remove the sign once the sale is over further constitutes a littering violation.

Signs in any business district must have a permit. Applications are available in the city’s Municipal Services Department. Political signs must adhere to strict placement rules which are made available to candidates and the political parties who place them.

In all cases, your Code Enforcement Officer may remove signs from their point of discovery and can seize them if they are not permitted or are otherwise illegally placed. If you are having a garage sale and have posted illegal signs for it, you may get a surprise visit from your Code Enforcement Officer.

Signs that are placed illegally typically become litter. Many are sometimes placed in an area where they become a distraction to drivers or block the right of ways to pedestrians or motorists. Since the safety of the public is paramount, any sign posing a risk to others needs to be removed immediately. If you wish to report an illegally placed sign or a sign that is not permitted, please do not hesitate to contact the city of Coeur d’Alene Municipal Services Department at 769-2229 or the Code Enforcement Unit at 769-2390. Let us know where the sign is and any other relevant information. Signs have their place and time, but they also need to be safe and legal.

What's Happening at the Library?

Here's a video update of activities at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library produced by Jeff Crowe for CDA-TV. Cable Channel 19 provides live and recorded coverage of public meetings and other useful information for the citizens of Coeur d'Alene. For more news and information about the library visit www.cdalibrary.org.

Arbor Day Button Art Contest Announced

An art contest to design a button for Arbor Day celebrations has been announced by the local Arbor Day Committee. The contest is open to middle school and high school students who live within the Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, and Lakeland school districts. The winning art will be featured on a button that will be distributed, along with tree seedlings, at Arbor Day events in late April.

This is the fourteenth year for the Arbor Day Button Art contest. The art that is selected for first place will be made into 2000 buttons that will be given to fourth graders and others who participate in Arbor Day celebrations in April. Designs must be submitted by Friday, March 5. The local Arbor Day committee will select 6 to 10 finalists. The selected art will then be judged by the real experts – a group of fourth grade students.

The winner of the contest will receive $75, a t-shirt featuring the winning artwork, and a supply of the Arbor Day buttons to give to family and friends. The second place winner will be awarded $50, and the third place winner will be awarded. Information regarding the contest has been distributed to public school art teachers. It is also available at the Coeur d’Alene Parks Department (710 E. Mullan Avenue), the Post Falls Parks and Recreation Department (408 Spokane Street), the Hayden Urban Forestry office (8930 N. Government Way), and on-line at http://www.cdaid.org/urban/index.html.

Arbor Day is a tree-planting holiday celebrated both nationally and internationally. Idaho’s official Arbor Day is the last Friday in April – April 30 in 2010. The Arbor Day Committee consists of representatives from federal, state, and city governments as well as several local service organizations. The Arbor Day seedlings and buttons that are distributed are purchased with donations from local forest products companies, nurseries, and tree services. For more Information, contact Karen Haskew, 208/769-2266.

Dividend Check - Idaho State Insurance Fund

The City recently received an unanticipated $33,785 dividend check from the Idaho State Insurance Fund related to the 2008 Policy Period based on claims and/or expenses relative to the cost of premiums paid. The City's experience modification rate has consistently been below 1% which is considered good. The additional excellent news is that the city's rating for 2010 has been reduced from the 2009, .93% rate to .84%.

Kudos to the City's Risk Reduction Committee, City's Management Team, and City Staff for proactively seeking and supporting a safe work environment. Safety pays.