Biz Bits: Pottery studio opens second location at Moscow

Ceramic mugs, serving spoons and casserole dishes are some of the items aspiring artists can make at Terracotta’s second studio that recently opened in Moscow.

The 1,700-square-foot space at 111 S. Main St. is about twice as large as the business’s first location in Pullman, which will continue to be open, according to a news release from Terracotta.

Classes on pottery, fused glass and candle pouring are among those offered at both locations for people of all abilities along with open studio time, drop-off kid clay camps, memberships and private parties.

The studios are equipped with electric wheels, kilns, slab rollers to help flatten clay, pug mills, which mix materials, work tables, extruders and dip-glaze stations. Ten types of clay as well as materials for fused glass projects can be purchased.

“The studios strive to heal and create community through creative activities, spaces and experiences,” according to the news release.

The business’s founder and owner is Candace Baltz, a graduate of the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University, who held a number of journalism jobs over two decades.

Among them were stints as director of student media at Oregon State University and her alma mater.

That career ended in 2020, Baltz said in an email, when she hit her head, leaving her with a tremor and loss of fine-motor coordination.

During her recovery, her family constructed a small studio with used equipment where she could do pottery, something she once had excelled in so much she had considered making it her career, she said.

As she tried to sculpt, Baltz said she found her injury made it difficult to do detail work that she had previously mastered.

Baltz and her family began identifying and investing in pottery tools and equipment that meshed with what she could do, which led to the creation of the studios that cater to potters and artists of all levels.

In addition to the studios, Baltz runs a consulting business that offers services to journalists and news organizations.

The Pullman studio is at 107 S. Grand Ave., Suite C. The studios are open for classes, by appointment and for special events. Registration for classes is available bit.ly/3xJRkrE.

Gritman moves to new electronic record system

All Gritman Medical Center locations have switched to a new electronic health record called OCHIN Epic.

The system allows patients to access their medical records online any time in a single place, according to a news release from Gritman.

Patients can make appointments, read messages from their medical providers, request prescription refills, track immunizations, see test results and find their bills at a portal called MyChart accessible through the web and a mobile app.

The MyChart patient portal replaces three separate patient portals previously used in the Gritman hospital and clinic system. An option allows patients to link their Gritman MyChart account with Epic accounts at other health care facilities.

Gritman will continue to store all medical records securely in accordance with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Patients still may request copies of historical medical records through Gritman’s health information management department.

Instructions about how to access medical records along with other frequently asked questions about the upgrade are available at gritman.org/Epic.

Kid-run Shiver Shack makes a splash in Pullman

Vanilla ice cream is nestled in the middle of a Hawaiian-style treat at The Shiver Shack, which has become a popular Pullman gathering spot since it debuted this summer.

The shaved ice at The Shiver Shack at 640 S. Grand Ave. can be served with a creme drizzle and any flavor of syrup, said Dan Fitzgerald, who, with his wife, Cassi Fitzgerald, is an investor and consultant for the business operators, their four children.

The Shiver Shack has 18 flavors for its shaved ices, such as blue raspberry, cherry cola, peach, lemon and lime. Some of those flavors are also ingredients in Italian sodas, another big seller, he said.

The business, which has outside seating at picnic tables, is located in the parking lot of Palouse Floors and Carpet Cleaning, businesses the Fitzgeralds own.

The hours are 1-7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday in July and August.

The business will provide summer employment for their children and The Shiver Shack’s employees, many of whom are friends of the Fitzgerald children, he said.

“When the kids go back to school, we’ll close it and roll it back out next summer,” Fitzgerald said.

Already the business is operating at a profit, exceeding the expectations their children outlined, Fitzgerald said.

Putting together The Shiver Shack has made this summer one of the best ever for the family, Fitzgerald said.

One of the highlights was Pullman Mayor Francis Benjamin participating in a ribbon cutting on The Shiver Shack’s opening day, he said.

The idea for the business emerged as they were thinking about options for their children, ages 10, 12, 14 and 15, who are just beginning to reach ages where youths often have summer jobs, Fitzgerald said.

“The kids got excited about it and we had them put together a business plan,” he said.

They bought the food trailer in the Boise area and their children did a one-day internship with an owner of a similar business in that area, Fitzgerald said.

The youngest two received special permission from a Whitman County Superior Court judge to be employees. All of the children earned food-handler licenses.

Their oldest daughter, Addyson, 15, serves as the manager. She’s done tasks such as hiring employees. One of her younger sisters, Bethany, 14, created logos. Together the children decorated the space in a tropical theme with bright colors and flowers, Fitzgerald said.

The result is so authentic many customers have told them it reminds them of vacations to Hawaii and Mexico.

“We’ve been really overwhelmed by the response,” he said.

Cabinets, direct from the Camas Prairie

When it’s completed, the new Nez Perce County courthouse will have something in common with one of Boise’s most popular nightspots.

A cherry hardwood crown molding trim is being used in the ceiling of the courtrooms, according to a news release by Pacific Cabinets.

Based in Ferdinand on the Camas Prairie, the business has 95 employees, not counting about 35 union carpenters, according to a news release from the company.

The agreement for the courthouse includes fabricating and installing the judges’ benches, courtroom seating, cabinet and other features in 62 spaces like offices, conference rooms and storage areas, as well as 10 hallways, according to a news release from Pacific Cabinets.

The work is being overseen by the Lewiston office of Pacific Cabinets at 1448 Main St., which has been open for seven years, employs six staff members and is hiring.

The custom details at the courthouse are among many examples of the upscale jobs Pacific Cabinets does in 13 Western states, said Stephanie Forsmann, a digital media marketing specialist at the company.

Wood paneling and counters in a lobby at Hotel Renegade as well as the bar on its rooftop called The Highlander are among Pacific Cabinets’ contributions to the boutique accommodation in downtown Boise, Forsmann said.

Closer to home, Pacific Cabinets did a $500,000 project in the new addition at Clarkston’s TriState Health with 27 patient rooms.

Cabinets and desks at nursing stations, as well as wood panels in patient rooms were part of that project, she said.

Applications being accepted for Boise Entrepreneur Week

BOISE – Applications are being accepted online through Thursday for Boise Entrepreneur Week, a competition where tens of thousands of dollars are at stake.

The contest includes a main pitch competition open to any industry and a Trailmix competition, presented by Albertsons, which helps food and beverage startups take their products from farmers markets to grocery stores, according to a news release from Boise Entrepreneur Week.

The grand prizes for those contests are $50,000 and the second prizes are $5,000. One finalist will be chosen to compete in the Startup World Cup Finals, where the grand prize is $1 million in investment.

Part of the reward for the Trailmix grand prize winner is shelf space at Albertsons’ Broadway store in Boise, with the potential for expansion into other regional stores if sales are strong.

Three other contests are being coordinated through Boise State University’s Venture College for the event Sept. 30 to Oct. 4.

One is “Hacking for Homebuilding” where teams choose a problem provided by the homebuilding industry and propose a solution in the form of a new business.

Another is a health tech challenge where teams identify a solution to a health care problem provided by organizers and present plans for a new venture that will solve it. HealthTech Idaho and Trailhead Boise are involved in coordinating that contest.

Connetic Ventures will select an applicant from those four competitions to receive $100,000 in equity funding.

The third contest affiliated with BSU is called “Scrap-to-Sculpture” where participants turn boxes of homebuilding scraps into art appropriate for a general audience. That event is supported by Franklin Building Supply and BSU’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Applications can be submitted at boiseentrepreneurweek.org/pitch-competitions.

Sponsors of Boise Entrepreneur Week include Zions Bank, JP Morgan and Perkins Coie.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.