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Avista Energy Resource Team goes mobile

Avista Energy Resource Team goes mobile

Avista Utilities is taking their services on the road setting up their mobile Energy Resource Team in communities throughout the area. Today, they were in the Spokane Valley with Second Harvest's mobile food bank offering tips and supplies to make homes more energy efficient.

 

“The biggest goal is to educate people on ways to conserve energy in their homes,” says Ana Matthews, a Consumer Affairs Program Manager with Avista. The Energy Resource Team provides resources and materials to help people who are struggling lower their monthly bills and set them up with resources such as SNAP when they need more help.

 

Avista workers handed out bags with rope caulk, window insulation kits, fridge coil cleaners and compact florescent light bulbs to help get homes on their way to a lower bill. Matthews says the biggest energy sucker is drafts in the home and they come from places you might not think to look such as your outlets.

 

Registrations due March 15th for Tree Planting Workshops in Coeur d’Alene, Bonners Ferry

 

Promptly renewing a forest with tree seedlings is key to sustainable forestry, whether to replace harvested trees or those that died from fire, insects, or disease. Every year that the forest is understocked is a loss in forest growth. Brush or grasses taking over a site can make establishing new trees very difficult and expensive. Finally, the Idaho Forest Practice Act requires reforestation within five years of timber harvest. In March, a half-day workshop titled “Successful Tree Planting” will introduce participants to key elements of planting forest trees successfully. The program will feature:

·         Indoor instruction on: planted vs. naturally generated tree seedlings; site preparation; seedling stock types;  seedling sources; planting tools and technique; responding to inadequate moisture, wildlife damage, and other threats to seedling survival; and financial and technical assistance to help forest owners plant trees.

Natural Living Show

Learning how to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle has never been more easy.  This weekend, more than three dozen vendors will be on hand at the Natural Living Show to help you make better choices for your body, environment and our community.

The show will feature local cheese-makers and handmade soaps. And, if you ever wanted to have your own eggs fresh from your backyard there will be a workshop on urban chickens too.

Here are all the details:

 Saturday, October 13th

10 am-6 pm

Spokane Community College Lair

Admission is $7, although if you swing by Sun People Dry Goods located at 32 West 2nd Avenue, Suite 200 you can pick up FREE passes!

Students in Idaho get fresh fruit and veggies

Over 100 elementary schools in Idaho were awarded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program grants.

“Through the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, schools will not only provide more nutritious options to Idaho students but also teach them about the benefits of healthy eating,” Superintendent Tom Luna said.

The program was started by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in hopes to expose students to a larger variety of fresh fruits and veggies, above and beyond what the other USDA programs already offer school kids.

A perk of the program is that students will be able to try new, exotic fruits and veggies while their teachers can use them for fun lesson plans.

The application process for these grants was competitive and funds runs from July 1, 2012 until June 30, 2013.

For more information: Child Nutrition Programs at the Idaho State Depatment of Education.

 

Local Entrepreneur Launches New Website

Local Entrepreneur Launches New Website

Every June, I dust off my cowboy boots, pair it with a polka dot sundress and hightail it to The Farm Chicks Antiques Show at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. For self proclaimed "junkers" the show is what Disneyland is to a 5 year old. Really, it's THAT exciting. Trust me.

In this crowd, a slight obsession for all things vintage and fabulous instantly bonds women from across the country. The show features refurbished antique furniture, beautiful, handcrafted home accessories and decor. The search for that perfect vintage piece is all part of the experience.

What started out in a barn in 2002 is now one of the largest show of its kind in the country. Serena Thompson, who lives on Green Bluff, is the entrepreneur responsible for creating the funky and oh. so. fabulous. weekend event.

Thompson has also penned several cookbooks, is a contributing editor for Country Living Magazine, a wife and mom to four boys. Whew! She pretty much rocks.

And now she's getting ready to launch her latest venture, a website called My Favorite Find. I recently had the opportunity to ask Thompson a few questions about her latest project.

AB: Tell me about your latest project My Favorite Find. How did you come up with the idea?

ST: I'd been receiving a lot of mail from all over the world, from readers asking how they could find great events similar to mine or shoppes in their area and from others who were hosting these events and running these shoppes, wondering how they could promote them. I soon realized there wasn't anything for them out there and decided that I'd just create it myself. And My Favorite Find was born.

Sandpoint Neighbors Host "Coop Crawl"

Sandpoint Neighbors Host "Coop Crawl"

After a similar event in Moscow, Idaho, Bev Kee started Sandpoint's own "Coop Crawl" to check out Sandpoint neighbor's own chickens in the city limits. On June 17th, participants visited each others home and gardens to see examples of local urban poultry. Check out the recap: 

Are Potatoes Getting a Raw Deal?

Are Potatoes Getting a Raw Deal?

Idaho Governor Butch Otter is tired of seeing potatoes get a bad rap.

Several studies, including one recently by the New England Journal Of Medicine, finds eating potatoes regularly contributes to weight gain.

Governor Otter says he's disappointed that one of the most nutrient-dense and affordable vegetables are being singled out when eating just about anything irresponsibly will make you fat.