Buzz Bin

by Inlander Staff


Rock Conservation -- Subdivisions aren't sprawling only across the homelands of spotted toads; they're also chewing up rock cliffs that might serve as great crags. There's a group dedicated to redressing such wrongs, a sort of a Nature Conservancy for rock climbers, called the Access Fund. On Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 5-11 pm, Mountain Goat Outfitters, 915 W. Broadway Ave., will host the Kickin' Access benefit, featuring a bouldering exhibition (climbing without ropes, six feet off the ground), a slide show by famed climber Kurt Smith, raffles, contests and music. Check it out: Only 2 percent of America's half-million rock climbers contribute to the Access Fund. So access your social responsibility on Tuesday night.





Theatrical Fruits -- While you're up at Green Bluff savoring the luscious apples, consider stopping by to taste the fruits of homegrown theater as well. Tacked onto the back of the Green Bluff Grange (near the intersection of Day-Mount Spokane and Green Bluff Rd.) is the Old Orchard Theater, presenting performances of Bedside Manor Fridays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 3 pm and 7 pm and Sundays at 3 pm from Sept. 20-29. It's a musical comedy about a hospital with crabby doctors, crazy patients and interns who can't stand the sight of blood. The cast of 22 ranges "from under eight to over 80," and they're performing for a good cause: Proceeds go towards $500 scholarships for Green Bluff-resident (or Old Orchard-participating) college students.





Food for Thought -- Every now and then we confess to just how poorly we eat here in the Bin (for instance, last week's Vanilla Coke and Skittles admission). This and previous junk food disclosures have not escaped the notice of Mary Jane Butters of Moscow. Butters, who publishes the delightful magazine Mary Jane's Farm, also makes instant organic foods. Horrified at our fast food choices, she immediately sent us a sampler box. We must say that we're in love. We ripped open the package to find a dozen or so packets of "Campus Cuisine" in such tempting forms as "Organic Red Pesto Pasta" and "Organic Nick's Couch Potatoes." Mary Jane's foods come in 60 different varieties, including drink mixes, baked goods, soups, pastas and more, and you can choose from campus, office or backpacking versions. Order yours at www.maryjanesfarm.org. Yummy!