Silver Lake Mall will be more lively starting Friday when Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts opens in its new 18,000- square-foot space on the west side of the complex. The business moved from its long-time space next to Safeway on Fourth Street.

The new major space comprises smaller spaces that formerly were occupied by Maurice's, Graffiti Skate Shop, Bulldog Cigar, Radio Shack and Huckleberry Thicket - all having moved to new locations, mostly within the 350,000-square-foot mall.

The largest fabric-craft business in the nation, Jo-Ann has more than 750 stores in 48 states with its headquarters in Hudson, Ohio.

With its grand opening here March 21, open hours are also the mall hours - 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 to 6 Sundays. Phone 762-4913. Check www.joann.com.

Aaron's Rent-to-Own to Post Falls

Offering rentals, leases and sales of furniture, appliances, electronics and computers, Aaron's Rent-to-Own is adding a store in Post Falls in April. The 9,356-square-foot location will be at 1910 E. Seltice Way (at Greensferry) in what previously housed Steve's Sports Dugout and later Sky Prairie Church.

Owners Hilliard Thornton and David Lyons also have five stores in Montana and the one on Government Way in Coeur d'Alene (since 2006). They hope to have another in Sandpoint.

With its headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., since 1955, the company has more than 2,000 stores. With six employees, hours at the Post Falls store will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 to 8 Fridays and 10 to 5 Saturdays. Check www.aaronsrents.com.

360 Fitness adding Riverstone space

The move from its space west of Highway 95 (west of Texas Roadhouse) to the former Coeur d'Alene Athletic Club building downtown at Second Street at Coeur d'Alene Avenue isn't the only news for 360 Fitness.

This spring the exercise business will add a location with a personal training focus just west of Main Street in the Riverstone complex. Originally planned to house a Barnes & Noble bookstore, those plans for the 50,000-square-foot building died. The new 360 Fitness will occupy about 6,000-square-feet, and building-owning Riverstone Ventures (Bo Sullivan-Day, Cliff Mort and Pat Volkar) have the remaining space available. Phone 661-3157.

Both the 360 Fitness locations plan to be open 24 hours daily.

And now for your Tidbits

The Chef in the Forest restaurant at Hauser Lake has closed. The website (that also closed last week) said to watch for new owners. It originally opened in 1977.

- Earlier this week, in the always-busy parking lots at the Kroc Center, 17 vehicles in a row were white, gray or black. Boring. Not even a funeral there.

- How about the news that North Idaho College hopes to build a sports/event center in Riverstone? Although there's no plans yet, speculators guess it will be in the complex's northwest corner.

- Thumbs up to volunteers Marcia Kramer and Kirk Allender who "picked up a pickup" load of trash and a rotten deer carcass from East Upper Hayden Lake Road.

- Openings keep being delayed for the Subway at Seventh and Sherman downtown and the Bullman's Pizza in Riverstone.

- A whole unit "comprises" its parts.

- The Buddhist who refused Novocain during tooth surgery had a goal to transcend dental medication.

- Contact Nils Rosdahl at [email protected].