As the first rebate checks go out to help those affected by the Medicare prescription drug coverage “doughnut hole,” recipients are being told to be on guard against scammers.

Several state attorneys generals have warned about a series of scams related to the tax-free, $250 rebate checks; the first wave which have recently been mailed.

Medicare beneficiaries affected by the gap in prescription coverage and not participating in the Medicare “Extra Help” program will receive the checks automatically within about 45 days of becoming eligible. They do not have to sign up or give any additional information to get the checks. 

Seems everyone has a smartphone these days.      The iPhone is without a doubt the most popular. Possibly the most exciting things about these new devices are the ‘Apps’ – short for ‘applications’ – that run on them. These are essentially small programs that work on a smartphone just as they might on a normal computer. If you have an iPhone, iPod or iPad, you simply log into the iTunes store and download them to your device. It might seem like something for a new generation, but here are some Apps with the older users in mind:

Kathy White is a good hostess; she’ll offer you a cup    of coffee and a homemade baked good. This time it’s a chocolate chip cookie bar. You take a bite. “Is that cake batter I taste?” She gives you a sly smile and answers, “Not exactly.” She is not usually stingy with her recipes - unless they are waiting to be tasted, judged, and hopefully awarded a ribbon at this year’s Spokane County Fair.

Visit the crown jewel of Spokane treasures, beautiful Manito Park, for a celebration of the gardens and to honor 20 years of The Friends of Manito’s support and dedication to the improvement and overall enhancement of Manito Park.

Saturday, August 14th from 10 am to 2 pm, each of the lovely gardens will be hosting special activities for a fun-filled, family-friendly day. Garden clubs and local experts will be available to provide history and information.

Nothing signals the coming on of fall more than a trip to Pullman. Driving along Highway 195, the rolling wheat fields are especially striking when a wind whips through the land, creating a sea of amber waves. For Cougar fans, it means the start of football – and renewed hope for a winning season. Although Pullman is the epitome of a college town, there is lots to see and do off-campus, or at least outside the confines of Martin Stadium. For golfers, Palouse Ridge Golf Club is a picturesque,

University of Phoenix doesn’t have a football team.

But that doesn’t mean that the students are any less excited about going to school there. In fact, attending a non-traditional school where learning is the primary goal, and where classes are conducted not on campus, but through a virtual network, is an increasingly popular option for people with busy lives who are looking for a flexible way to further their education.

Are you sandwiched? Or are you feeling like a sandwich?

Sandwiched between the generations-our children need you; your parents’ lives have changed and they are starting to need you more. On one side, you have your family, children, school, sports, maybe even preschool and diapers. You have work you must keep up on so you maintain your position. On the other side, you have aging parents (two sets if you’re married) who may have developed

Cancer Care Northwest  is planning its Second Annual Cancer Resource Health Fair. This free event will feature cancer and general health screenings, educational lectures featuring CCNW’s physicians, booth exhibits from 25+local community partners, information and resources for cancer patients, massages, artwork created by cancer patients and more. Body mass index assessments (BMI), head/neck cancer screenings  and mole/skin cancer screenings will also be provided. Cancer nurses, counselors and cancer support staff will be on site to answer your questions.

The event will be held on Saturday, September 25th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Spokane Community College. For more information call Allison Benjamin at 509.228.1335 or visit our website www.cancercarenorthwest.com.

Community Cooking and Nutrition Classes

One World Spokane, 1804 E. Sprague Ave.

Aug. 4, The Fascination of Fruit, Fruit Salad; Aug. 11, Whole Grains vs. Refined Grains and Cabbage Rolls; Aug. 18, Think What You Drink, Truth Behind Fast Food and Healthy Crispy Chicken; Aug. 25, Good Oil Plus Food Safety and How to Freeze Food. All classes held from 6-8 PM., (509) 768-9479.

You might know actor Craig T. Nelson from the sitcom Coach where he played Hayden Fox, the head coach of the Minnesota State Screaming Eagle football team. You might know him for his roles in big screen movies:  Stir Crazy; Ghosts of Mississippi; Poltergeist; The Killing Fields; Silkwood; Devil’s Advocate; Blades of Glory; and The Incredibles, just to name a few. You might also know him as Zeek Braverman, the exuberant and outspoken patriarch of the Braverman family on the hit drama series Parenthood airing Tuesday nights at 10/9c on NBC.

She doesn’t look much like a hero. With warm brown eyes and a welcoming smile, she has the demeanor of an old friend. But Lorinda Nicol, Health and Wellness Director at Clare Bridge Spokane, is a true hero and has been recognized as such.

Nicol recently received the Hero Award from the Assisted Living Federation of America (AFLA). The award honors workers in the assisted living sector who have shown extraordinary dedication, leadership and courage.

Some of the most dedicated performers at the   Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox never appear on stage.

Each night before the curtain goes up, volunteers donate their services to help make the theatre more accessible to both patrons and artists. Among those working the front of the house are Maurice and Laura Vial. The husband and wife began volunteering with the Spokane Symphony in 1989.

With their honeyed scent and succulent flesh, peaches are the darlings of the summer stone fruit. Second only to apples as the largest commercial fruit crop, peaches are one of the most popular fruits in America, and with good reason. When you bite into a perfectly ripe peach, there’s almost nothing more delicious and satisfying to have the juice run down your arm while you enjoy all of its lip-smacking goodness.

Their hands flutter about like birds, their feet step and move lightly and their hips sashay to the beat. They wear long dresses in traditional Hawaiian prints and flowers adorn their hair, necks, wrists, and ankles. They are the Hauoli Dancers. Hauoli is a Hawaiian word meaning “peace, happiness, and joy,” a fitting word as the Hauoli Dancers are performers for Project Joy, an organization whose mission is to bring joy to others.

I will keep this letter short and sweet, as there are lots of things I want to do while the sun is shining.

One of the great parts of my job, is that thanks to modern technology, I can do my work pretty much anywhere there’s a hint of an Internet signal. You might find me doing 

Walking into an auction, you never know what might strike your eye. Perusing stacks and stacks of old postcards, long forgotten childhood toys, dog-eared books, and antique furniture, you can’t help but ask where does all this come from?

I’ll be darned if i have anything to say on my social networking site, which my friend Troy used to call My Face. At this rate, my profile photo is just about the extent of my presence. But just because I don’t have anything worthwhile to post right now doesn’t mean I can’t lurk about in other people’s business