Monday, May 3, 2010

This Mother's Day weekend, May 7, 8 and 9, the Spokane Wineries celebrate their annual Spring Barrel Tasting from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. 16 Spokane wineries will open their doors for a weekend of wine, food and fun, sharing their newly-made wines with friends and colleagues. This is a time of celebration that typically marks the end of the winemaking season and the start of a new wine year. Activities at each winery include: Sampling new wines; sampling current vintages; sampling wines still in the winemaking process directly from barrels or tanks; talking with knowledgeable and friendly wine lovers at each winery. Tasting fees may apply. For a complete listing of all the wineries and their locations go to the Spokane Winery Association's website at www.spokanewineries.net.

Josh Wade is a coffee and wine lover from Spokane who chronicles news and reviews of coffee, shop, wineries, wine bars and a wide variety of wine subjects on his website www.drinknectar.com. DrinkNectar.com is an interesting and informative online interactive outpouring of Wade's passions for wine and coffee. He takes to the streets for video reviews of local business and people on the street. The goal is to bring greater awareness to wine and coffee, specifically those found in the Northwest and Spokane. DrinkNectar also provides wine reviews for wineries, video reviews, fun wine stories, wine challenges and Social Media tips that he learns from his journeys. You can also follow him on facebook.com/drinknectar and Twitter @nectarwine.

Two former Spokane residents have made the Time Magazine Top 100 list for this year; the list details "the people who most affect our world." Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins met at Mead High School in 1993. Mike was the artist and Jerry was the writer. They both were obsessed with video games. They both would have been successful in whatever field they went into, but they decided to produce an online comic strip about video games called Penny Arcade, which they started in 1998. Two years later it was popular enough that the two were able to quit their day jobs. Penny Arcade currently runs three times a week and has about 3.5 million readers. In 2003, they began a charity called Child's Play that provides video games to children who are patients in more than 60 hospitals around the world. In 2004 they started the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX), a convention in Seattle that celebrates gaming culture. Last year more than 60,000 people turned out for it. They recently finished the East Coast version in Boston. Their website is Penneyarcade.com.

Attorney John A. Riherd has opened an office in Spokane, offering a unique combination of both private and corporate legal experience of over 35 years duration. He is sharing space with Omlin Gunning CPA at 9515 N. Division. Riherd left Spokane in late 2001 to enter corporate practice as General Counsel for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of UT and Regence BlueShield of Idaho, moving up to Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer for Regence in Portland. He left there and entered the private practice with Harrang Long Gary Rudnick P.C., headquartered in Portland earlier this year. Riherd is in Spokane every other week working with clients and networking with business partners. His emphasis is on new and developing businesses offering "general counsel" services, and working with clients on wills and estate planning needs. Riherd can be reached by email at john.riherd@harrang.com and by phone at 503-242-0000.

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You've never seen golf shoes like these before! Fore!Women Golf at 122 south Monroe offers an exclusive line of women's golf shoes that are so fashionable that they can be worn off the course as well. Sandbaggers Golf Shoes for Women are comfortable, stylish and fun to wear. For more than 20 years Sandbaggers have been creating golf shoes that fit not only customers' feet but their unique personalities as well. You can see this impressive line of golf shoes online at www.hersandbaggers.com and then go try them on at Fore!Women. Call 509-624-5204 for more information.

The Kitchen Engine's "Mom's Favorite Recipe Contest" finals were held Friday afternoon at the kitchen shop in the Flour Mill. Three finalists prepared their dishes in the Kitchen Engine's demo kitchen between 4 and 6 pm. The winning recipe was Debbie Smith's "Mom's Amazing Chocolate Bread Pudding with Pecan Rum Flambe Sauce". Smith won a $500 gift certificate to the Kitchen Engine. Second place went to Kristine Santucci for her "Chicken Nachatta over Smashed Marscapone Potatoes" and third place went to Dianna Shimizu for her "Key Lime Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce". The three finalist recipes will soon be posted on the Kitchen Engine website, www.thekitchenengine.com. For more information about the Kitchen Engine call 509-328-3335.

A former Pop Shoppe location at 3803 South Grand, that most recently housed an antique business, is now the Hop Shop, a small tavern owned by brothers Andy and Glen Gardner, who grew up in the neighborhood and used to attend Jefferson elementary school across the street. The Hop Shop serves tap and bottled microbrews and craft beers, wines by the glass, as well as salty snacks in a comfortable setting that is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 4 pm to closing, usually 10 or 11 pm. In addition to their approximately 1,000 square foot inside space, they are planning to offer outside seating when the weather permits. Because the establishment is near two schools (Jefferson and Sacajawea), it will not be open during school hours. For more information call 509-747-9700.

Karene Garlich-Loman, a Spokane Realtor®, who is a sales associate with Coldwell Banker Tomlinson South in Spokane, has been awarded the Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource Certification by the National Association of Realtors. Nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures, according to National Association of Realtors data. Foreclosures and short sales can offer opportunities for home buyers, but it's extremely important to have the help of a real estate professional like a Realtor® for these kinds of purchases. Garlich-Loman adds value to the real estate transaction with her extensive knowledge and market insights, and this new certification will help her serve a growing need. Garlich-Loman is a member of the Spokane Association of Realtors, Washington Association of Realtors and National Association of Realtors. In addition to a Masters degree in Communications from Eastern Washington University, Garlich-Loman also holds the following real estate designations: Certified Residential Specialist, Certified Relocation Specialist, Residential Construction Certification, and Certified New Homes Specialist. When she's not selling homes, Karene serves on the boards of the Spokane Lilac Festival Association and of the Eastern Washington University Alumni Association.

Kelly Stopher recently joined Allied Fire & Security as chief financial officer. He will direct Allied's financial planning and accounting practices as well as its relationship with lending institutions, shareholders, and the legal and insurance community. Stopher comes to Allied most recently from Wells Fargo Bank and has a background in accounting as well as experience managing and leading companies such as Lee Read Jewelers and Weldon Barber. Stopher also spent five years in public accounting. He graduated from Washington State University and is a native of Spokane. He also coaches an AAU basketball team at Lewis & Clark High School.

Witherspoon Kelley attorney, Ned Barnes, the longest serving current board member of the Spokane Library Foundation, has been honored with a prestigious Distinguished Service Award for Trustees by the Washington Library Association.

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Spokane Valley YMCA and they will be having a week-long celebration culminating in a special lunch and program on Saturday, May 8th. The festivities include a family lunch catered by the Longhorn Barbecue at a cost of $11, good for 4 people, with 4 slider sandwiches, chips and drinks. Each additional person is $3.25 per meal. Activities planned in addition to the lunch are a movie night, All Star Jump Castle, Flat 4 Photo Booth, scavenger hunt, skate park launch party, retro aerobics, outdoor ZUMBA with Cooper Drummers and family games. For more information call 509-777-YMCA (9622).

The Washington Recreation and Park Association has awarded it's Citation of Merit-Citizen award for 2010 to Peggy Doering of Spokane Valley for her on-going contributions to Parks and Recreation in our community and statewide. For the past 20 years Doering has been involved in and chairs Valley Fest, the valley community's premier event. She has also been an active volunteer serving the Spokane Valley Arts Council, the YMCA Advisory Board, and the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce.

The Eastern Washington campus of the University of Phoenix presented 97 degrees, including 39 associate's degrees, 40 bachelor's degrees and 18 master's degrees, to its fifth graduating class at commencement this past weekend. University of Phoenix Western Region Territory Vice President and Director LeeAnne Herbold presented this year's commencement address. Student speakers included Daniel Kolbet, who received his master's of business administration and Theresa Hauenstein who received her bachelor's of science in psychology. As of February 28, 2010, 458,600 students were enrolled at University of Phoenix, the largest private university in North America. University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit www.phoenix.edu.

The Spokane Association of REALTORS® announces two more recipients of the 9th Annual "REALTOR® Excellence in Professionalism" awards. Receiving this honor for their achievements in 2009 are Patti McKerricher Boyd of Windermere North and Gregg Jones of Exit Real Estate Professionals. The purpose of this award is to recognize REALTORS® who have achieved specific high standards of professionalism. There are four parts by which the applicants are considered: NAR Designations and certifications; Community service; Leadership/Business development; and Education programs and real estate-related courses. Members must also have a minimum of $2,000,000 in net closed volume for the year 2009.

Mountain Gear and Huppin's have partnered up for the 2nd Annual 10 Million Dollar Warehouse Sale, this Friday through Sunday at Mountain Gear's warehouse at 6021 E. Mansfield in Spokane Valley. Friday hours are noon to 8pm; Saturday & Sunday are 9am to 6pm. The sale offers discounts up to 85% on outdoor gear and clothing with discounts up to 65% on home electronics.

By popular demand, the MAC (Spokane's Museum of Arts and Culture) presents BeGin, Friday, May 14 from 6 to 8 pm. The event features live music from The Booze Fighters, no-host bar, fun people and mingling. You can taste the new BeGin signature drink and tour the MAC's new exhibits! Free admission. For more information go to northwestmuseum.org.

The business thought of the week is from ad man Bruce Barton: "When you are through changing, you are through."

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