On May 17th, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., at Prairie View Elementary School in Post Falls (2478 East Poleline Road), Specialized Needs Recreation (SNR) participants are hosting a Talent Show in efforts to raise money for scholarships to their upcoming summer day camp.

The cost is $5.00 per ticket at the door. There will be raffles held throughout the night for Couples Night Out, Ladies Day Out, Men's Day Out, and Family Night Out. Many wonderful donations have been given for these baskets by businesses in the community, such as a night stay and dinners at the Coeur d'Alene Resort, the Coeur d'Alene Casino, dinners from Crickets, Azteca Southwest Bar and Grill, haircuts, tanning, and movie passes from Post Falls Cinemas and Regal City Cinemas - just to name a few.

Come for a night of pure talent and family fun when SNR participants put on a wonderful show, "As Seen on T.V." The summer camp, which this fundraiser supports, is held five days a week for eight weeks, providing healthy, fun activities for youth ages 4-21 with special needs.

SNR is still in need of volunteers for this event. If you are interested in helping out at the Talent Show, during the summer camp, or want more information about this program, contact Angie Goucher, SNR Executive Director at 769-2317 or 755-6781.

The League of American Bicyclists has designated Coeur d'Alene a Bicycle Friendly Community at the Bronze level. This decision involved careful review of a very detailed application and consultation with local cyclists.

The city's designation, in effect until May of 2012, is awarded only to communities with remarkable commitments to bicycling.

The city was recognized for, among other benefits, its Class I bike trails, its requirements that developers build new Class I bike trails when planning new developments, its engineering requirements that bike paths be added when streets are due for overlay, and bike-accessible bridges.

The city was also recognized for its commitment to bicycle education, such as holding bicycle safety demonstrations for adults and children at events where it encourages attendance by giving away bike helmets.

The City of Coeur d'Alene received a Safe Routes to School Grant in 2007, which is a program adopted by the State of Idaho to encourage physical fitness among school children by encouraging biking and walking to and from school. The city is currently working on the education aspect of that grant by attempting to form a Safe Routes to School committee with parents and teachers.

For more information about the Bicycle Friendly Community designation, please contact Monte McCully at 292-5766.

The Specialized Needs Recreation Program (SNR) has been awarded a grant for $1,725.00 from the Adirondack Community Trust - North America Sports Community Fund. The grant will be used for SNR's Camp Allstars Program.

Camp Allstars provides school and after school programs, as well as programs during spring, summer, and winter vacation breaks. The camp is typically filled with six (6) hours of meaningful and memorable activities such as community outings, crafts, and games. The day camp is provided for youth ages 4-21 with special needs.

The Adirondack Community Trust - North America Sports Community Fund provides the financial opportunity for North America Sports, Inc. to help the many nonprofit organizations that support Ironman events, with a heavy emphasis on providing sports opportunities for children. The North America Sports Community Fund has given away more than $1 million to nonprofit groups in the various communities in the U.S. and Canada which host Ironman events. The North America Sports Community Fund was moved to the Adirondack Community Trust (ACT) in 2002. ACT is structured so that donors can take full advantage of tax benefits either during their lifetime or through their estates. Funds are pooled for investment and grants are made annually according to donors' wishes. ACT currently manages 170 different endowed funds with assets of $24 million dollars and has distributed $8 million in grants.

Specialized Needs Recreation is a non-profit organization that provides recreational opportunities for youth and adults who have disabilities. For further information, please contact Angie Goucher at 769-2317 or 755-6781.

Specialized Needs Recreation (SNR) continues to offer its after school program for youth in the community who have special needs. If you have nothing to do after school, come enjoy the fun. Camp Allstars After School programs are filled with 2 hours of meaningful and memorable activities such as community outings, crafts, games, and cooking. The after school program is provided to those individuals who have developmental disabilities and/or special needs ages 4-21.

The after school program is held from 3:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. The cost is $3.00 and some scholarships are available if you qualify. The program is held twice each week. On Wednesdays, it is held in Post Falls at the Post Falls Middle School. On Tuesdays, the program is held at Lake City High School in Coeur d'Alene. Transportation may be arranged if needed. Unfortunately, SNR is not able to provide 1:1 assistance but individuals who require 1:1 assistance are still encouraged to join us with their care provider or assistant.

Specialized Needs Recreation also offers summer, winter, and spring break day camps as well as school days off throughout the year, in addition to 5-to-10 monthly activities for all ages. If you would like more information about Camp All-Stars, would like to register your child for camp, be placed on our monthly mailing list, or if you are interested in volunteering, please call Angie Goucher at 755-6781 or 769-2317.

Specialized Needs Recreation is a non-profit organization that provides recreational opportunities for youth and adults who have developmental disabilities.

City Hall is typically open from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. weekdays, but citizens can now access City Hall 24-hours a day, everyday. By dialing 676-7405, citizens will be able to leave a message regarding any city issue, problem, or complaint - any hour of the day. Messages will be monitored every day, and appropriate departments or individuals will be directed to address the issue and get back to the citizen who called. Citizens will be asked to leave their name and number.

Remember, the City 24-Hour Hotline number is 676-7405.

The citizens of Coeur d'Alene have another way of communicating with the Police Department without calling the business number or 911 and having a police officer respond to their house. This phone line allows a person to leave information regarding a particular crime, criminal activity in their neighborhood, drug activity, a hit and run vehicle, recovered stolen property, dogs running loose, illegally parked cars, or other information regarding the quality of life in their neighborhood. The caller is able to leave their name or remain anonymous, if they wish. The phone number for the TIP line is 769-2296. The TIP line is operational twenty-four (24) hours a day, 365 days a year, and will be monitored on a daily basis. The phone number will not take the place of the Department's regular business phone number 769-2320 or the emergency number 911. The TIP line will give citizens another convenient and quick way to inform the police about concerns that they may have in their neighborhood.