League of Women Voters sponsors land-use panel at Cd’A library

“Both Sides of the Fence – Balancing Land Use Issues” – a panel discussion examining property rights and land-use in North Idaho – will be presented Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. in the Community Room at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave.

The panel is being sponsored by the Kootenai County League of Women Voters in conjunction with “Between Fences,” a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution at the library through Dec. 20. Refreshments for the evening will be provided by the Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library. The panel will be moderated by Coeur d’Alene Press Managing Editor Mike Patrick and participants will include Art Macomber, land use attorney; Kootenai County Commissioner Rich Piazza; developer Steve Meyer; Collin Coles, Senior Planner for the City of Post Falls; Lee Shellman, neighborhood action advocate; Gerry House, chairman of an electric utility board and Wes Hanson, community/environmental activist.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

“Between Fences” deals with the history of fence building in the United States and the issues of property ownership and land use. The free exhibit is open to the public on the upper level of the library during regular library hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Related local exhibits are on display in the Parkside Gallery on the lower level.

“Between Fences” has been made possible in Coeur d’Alene by the Idaho Humanities Council, the Richard K. and Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation and the Avista Foundation. Local projects are also supported by the Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.

People who need accommodations to attend in library programs are asked to contact the staff prior to the event at 208/769-2315. More news and information about the library is available online at www.cdalibrary.org.

PHD Celebrates Home Health Month with Food Drive

Panhandle Health District (PHD) is honoring National Home Health Month this November with a month-long non-perishable food drive for area food banks. The drive will culminate Nov. 21 with an open house and chili feed at PHD for the public.

"Panhandle Health District's Home Health program earns national honors year after year for its exceptional patient care," says PHD Director Jeanne Bock. "Collecting food is a great way for us to engage the community in that caring spirit."

Employees in each area of PHD are collecting food, cash, cleaning products and pet food for one of four local food banks. PHD is encouraging the public to add to the donations that began on Halloween with a staff potluck. The food will go to the Rathdrum Food Bank, Athol and Spirit Lake Food Bank, Post Falls Food Bank and the Coeur d'Alene Community Action Partnership.

The drive will end Nov. 21 with an open house at PHD headquarters, 8500 N. Atlas Rd. in Hayden, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The public is invited to bring non-perishable items for the food banks and celebrate National Home Health Month with free flu shots for the first 30 visitors and chili for all.

At the open house, Panhandle Home Health will demonstrate its Telehealth monitors. Telehealth is cutting edge equipment that enables homebound patients to record their vitals and transmit them to Home Health staff for frequent monitoring. The equipment "talks" patients through the process.

Boxes for food bank donations will be in the PHD lobby through Nov. 21.