It's that time of year when classmates reunite to mark the decades since graduation. I encourage everyone who's able to attend yours, especially those of you who still live in the area. Often the locals take a pass thinking that they see many classmates regularly but there are just as many who are traveling back to their hometown in hopes of reconnecting for a weekend. So if you haven't already signed on for your reunion, do it! And to those of you who've taken on the sometimes thankless job of organizing ... kudos. CHS '70 has celebrated four reunions with our ASB president of yesteryear, Tim Shepperd, at the helm. Big job for sure.

Here's a list of Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland high school reunions that I've gathered. Contact info is included if it was available but here's a tip ... if you graduated from high school in a year that ended with the numeral "2" odds are you're having a reunion. :) Most of these events have information pages on Facebook, too.

July 13,14: CHS '82, Erin Delaney, 515-1210. July 20, 21: Lakeland HS '92, 659-8361, idelkhuntr@yahoo.com; CHS '92, on FB; July 27-29: LHS '82, Keith Erickson, 819-0907; Aug. 4,5: PFHS '02, CHS '02, cda02reunion@gmail.com; Aug. 10-12: PFHS '82, PFHS '92, CHS '72, Carol Barker Kreighbaum 755-6099, ckreighbaum@cdainn.com; Aug. 17, 18; CHS '67, cindycdachs67@aol.com.

The Spirit of America was the theme for the fourth annual Food Drive and Golf Cart Parade in the Highlands golf course neighborhood this past Saturday. A fitting theme for these residents who have collected more than 6,000 pounds of food for the Post Falls Food Bank with their fun parade in four years. Kudos to organizers Jim and Pat Thyssen and to decorated cart winners, Ande and Dick Lein - first, and Ken and Margaret Tompkins- second.

What I love about our communities is that in every corner and in so many neighborhoods, acts of generosity like this take place every day.

Another stellar, picture-perfect Fourth of July is in the books. Here are a few tidbits from the Fourth of July parade ... the pre-parade fly-over was local businessman and former Navy F-14 pilot Jerry Goggin in a 1958 Beechcraft T-34. He soared over the parade route, with a smoke stream to the delight of the crowd. I think Jerry was having so much fun he made the pass several times ... for what might be the first time ever, the Grand Marshal walked the route in front of a convertible. Robert Shoeman was decked out and dapper in a bright blue blazer, color-coordinated with the bright red convertible. Only problem ... evidently there was a malfunction with the convertible top which wouldn't open. Good sport Robert walked and waved for 15 blocks or so ... spectators within a block or two of the announcing skybox heard the non-stop commentary as entrants passed by. On the street with a microphone was the lovely Marilee Wallace, and I had the skybox perch for parade shout-outs. Behind the scenes and making it happen was Curtis Ormesher of ROX. He and his crew, Kevin Ormesher and Ryan Grady did a great job not only with the music but with the sound equipment and seeing me safely, if not gracefully, up to and down from the scaffolding!

To every season ... it's with heavy hearts and wonderful memories that our community says farewell to two men of influence. Gerry House was a fourth-generation resident of Hayden Lake whose great-grandparents on both sides of his family were among the first settlers of the area. Honored as Hayden's Distinguished Citizen in April, Gerry's passion was preserving history and telling really great stories.

Gary "Big Daddy" Rasmussen spent over half century as teacher, coach, booster, friend and mentor to thousands of Coeur d'Alene Vikings. The word icon is the most fitting description of this bigger than life man. Not a doubt that the big man is putting a team together in Heaven and they're wearing Viking blue!

So how big was the 2011-12 school year in the Lakeland School District? Incredible A+ statewide recognition for the following Lakeland administrators and faculty. Kudos!

Kurt Hoffman- Principal of the Year, Georgeanne Griffith- Middle School Principal of the Year, Bev Bradford- Lifetime Achievement Award, Patty Morrison- Elementary Rookie Principal of the Year, Darrell Rickard- Idaho Transportation Supervisor of the Year, Tom Taggart- Idaho Business Official of the Year, Lynette Wade- Numerica Champion Award, Becaa Palmer- U of I Award for Outstanding Teaching and Beth Brubaker- Governor's Industry Award for Notable Teaching in Science.

Weekend highlights: Saturday, 6 p.m. at Q'emiln Park the Herborn Band - all the way from Herborn, Germany - will provide a free concert in their Associate City of Post Falls. Sunday is the Coeur d'Alene Garden Club's 15th Annual Garden Tour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and what could be better during these Dog Days of Summer than the Blessing of the Animals on Sunday from 3 to 4 p.m. in the field at Community United Methodist Church. It's on the corner of Ramsey and Hanley in Coeur d'Alene and creatures of all kinds are welcome.

Happy Birthday today to Fernan Village Mayor Richard Jurvelin, turning 70, and Post Falls City Council member Betty Ann Henderson, Jeri Lee, Bill Graves, Scott Grant, Scott Mote and Maxine Nelson. Tomorrow Chelsea Rosenberger, Paul Burke, BeBe Fletcher, Cheri Burila, Emily Hodgson and Jim Welborn celebrate. Friday the 13th birthdays will be lucky for Ingrid Yates, Mark Daanen, Julia Koontz, Becky Rider, Kris Mans and Karen Applebee. Dee Barnes, Barb Chambers, Kathleen Esquibel, John Lasher, Jim Lyons, Jaime Vanderpool will blow out the birthday candles on Saturday. Best wishes for a happy birthday on Sunday to Angela Olson, Andreas John, Kris Seibers (40), Katie Mans, Brian Bunch, Loretta Lyon, Marisa Buffaloe, Glen Collins and Wayne Huckabee. Next week starts with birthday celebrations for Sandi Morrison, Yvonne Smith, Marcy Clutter (50!), Rich Doughty, Cindy Wiedmer, Patrick Ryan and Doug Jaworski on Monday and John Malloy, John Condon, Cherie Bates, Erik Nelson, Janet Brock, Emily Crawford, Terry Werner, Belinda Rowe and Amber Flinn on Tuesday.

Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. She was voted Best Local Writer for 2012 by the readers of the North Idaho Business Journal. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri is on the air Mondays and Wednesdays on 1080 ESPN AM (KVNI). Find her on Facebook!