I always knew I’d one day have to step in and do the mayor’s dirty work. Not that I’d characterize helping a charity as dirty. But when Spokane Mayor David Condon wimped out, The Salvation Army emailed me to ask if I would “serve as Mayor Pro Tem” in its annual red kettle Ring Off against Coeur d’Alene Mayor Sandi Bloem. Who am I to dodge the Army? Well, except for the time I ran off to college in 1969, that is. So mark your calendars for Dec. 15. That’s the day you’ll want to stop by the Spokane Fred Meyer store on Thor, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. I’ll be there along with a soon-to-be-named “Dream Team” of yuletide jingle-janglers. … Meanwhile, over in the Lake City, Bloem and her minions will be ringing away at the Fred Meyer. The less said about the opposition the better. The contest is simple: Whoever raises the most money wins bragging rights/Doug Clark, SR. More here.

Question: Who do you think'll win?

Majors John and Lani Chamness of Coeur d'Alene's Salvation Army Kroc Center are being transferred to new positions as the divisional commanders of the Hawaii and Pacific Island Division of The Salvation Army in June. The Chamnesses have been with The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene since its inception in 2006. They helped lead the initial bid to bring a Kroc Center to Coeur d’Alene, and subsequently spearheaded the planning and construction of the building. Both majors have served as an integral part of center, overseeing pre-development, fundraising, planning of Kroc Church, creation of the advisory board and more … Kroc Center Associate Officer Major Ben Markham will be stepping into the role of Kroc Center executive director/Kroc Center news release. More here. (2006 SR file photo: Major John M. Chamness, left, of The Salvation Army shakes hands after learning Coeur d’Alene was selected as a site for a $65 million Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center)

CDAJim: I am saddened, but not surprised to hear of their well-deserved promotion back to the area where Lani’s family lives and where they were stationed in the past. John and Lani are incredibly dedicated to The Salvation Army’s mission of “Doing the Most Good” which they have shown that since they first arrived in our area. I know they will continue that dedication for many, many years to come. A very sincere “God Speed and Aloha”.

Question: Have you had the pleasure to know the Chamnesses during their time in Coeur d'Alene?

Coeur d'Alene Mayor Sandi Bloem, left, and Spokane Mayor Mary Verner have challenged each other to see whose city can raise the most money to help support their community. Each Mayor will be hosting a Salvation Army Red Kettle at a participating Fred Meyer location this Saturday, from 9am-8pm. Kettles will be tallied mid-day, and the city with the highest grossing kettle at the end of the day wins. Mayor Sandi Bloem is scheduled to staff the Red Kettle at Fred Meyer in Coeur d'Alene from 9am to 11am, and will also be visiting her kettle throughout the day. The remaining hours will be staffed with Salvation Army Advisory Board members, community volunteers, and/or paid workers. Mayor Mary Verner is scheduled to staff the Red Kettle at the Thor/Freya Fred Meyer in Spokane from 10am to 11am. The remaining hours will be staffed with community volunteers and/or paid workers/Salvation Army Kroc Center news release. More here.

Question: Who do you think will win? Why?

David Farmer uses the power of his voice to encourage people to give. The Salvation Army bell ringer abandoned his bell to sing by the donation box instead.Farmer turned the Safeway in Coeur d'Alene into his stage on Wednesday. His audience was made up of people coming in out and of the store.Farmer described himself like a juke box. He runs through the first verse of 16 different carols over and over again through out the day.Farmer has turned heads and been called amazing. But for the 63-year-old, he's out there to encourage people to donate/Anusha Roy, KXLY. More here (including video)

Question: Do you prefer your Salvation Army bellringers to sing or just ring their bells?

A passerby slips money into the donation kettle as Salvation Army's Mathew Niblack belts out a tune in front of the Fred Meyer in Port Orchard, Wash. in Port Orchard, Wash., Wednesday. Story here. (AP Photo/Kitsap Sun, Meegan M. Reid)

Question: Do you contribute to the red kettles on your way into a store or on way out? Also, do you ever give more than $1?

Captain Kyle Smith, of the Salvation Army, mans his post outside the Northpoint Walmart, Dec. 17,  in Spokane. Smith was trying to break the record for continuous bell ringing. He was hoping to stay for 32 hours – and did.

He rang in the morning. He rang at night. He rang in the sunshine. He rang in the snow. For 36 hours, Salvation Army Corps Capt. Kyle Smith stood by his red kettle and rang his bell. By doing so, he shattered the previous world bell-ringing record of 30.5 hours. Read more. Cindy Hval/SR

Is there a world record that you would like to set?

In Twin Falls, News-Times reporter Amy Huddleston discovered what life was like on the other side of the little silver bell that rings out from various stores during the holiday season. She rang a Salvation Army bell for three hours. Writes she: “I was given a bell, a red kettle, a very large red coat with the words ‘Salvation Army, Doing the Most Good’ printed on the front and a post outside the Magic Valley Mall food court.” Also, she was told “to smile, ring the bell nicely and tell people ‘God Bless’ because as (a Salvation Army official) said, ‘we are a church first of all’”/Amy Huddleston, Twin Falls Times-News. More here. (AP file photo)

Question: Do you drop a dollar or so into the collection plate every time you encounter a Salvation Army bell ringer? Or every other time? Or sometimes? Or never?

The Salvation Army store on 3rd Street in Havre, Mont., closed early today, at 3 p.m., not for any weather-related reason, but for a beach volleyball tournament. (AP Photo/Havre Daily News, Zach White)

• Cartoon: Obama recreates himself/David Horsey, Seattle P-I
  
• Ex-EWU/UMontana coach Kramer may be next Idaho State coach/Jay Heater, ISJ
• Official election turnout: Lowest since 1978/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise
• Spokane police officers who shot gunman ID’d/Meghann Cuniff, S&G
  
• Transgender woman charged w/giving fake breast exams/Jay Orr, Statesman
  
• Ex-Zag Poling shining at Seattle Pacific/Jim Meehan, SportsLink
• Day after: Breaking down Gonzaga loss to Aztecs/Jim Meehan, SportsLink
• CdA to remove streetlight at 5th & Sherman/Victoria Bruno, CdA Today
  
• Skip Smyzer registers as lobbyist for ConocoPhillips/Associated Press
• Trends show fewer eligible Idahoans voting/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise
• Idaho safety Keo suspended for half game for hit/Chadd Cripe, Statesman
• IRS: 400 refunds, nearly $500K undeliverable to Idahoans/Idaho Press Tribune
• Montanan charged w/computer theft after leaving cell phone behind/DIL
• Coeur d’Alene police appoint Perry as chaplain/Jon Ingalls, CdA Today
  
• Orbusmax Special: UOregon 1st Pac-10 school to go smoke/tobacco free here
  

It sounds made up (National Donut Day). But (today’s) sugary celebration is actually a real holiday. In fact, since 1938, the first Friday in June has been celebrated as National Donut Day. Its beginnings were sweet and meaningful…and its modern-day meaning is pretty sweet too. National Donut Day now means a free-sugar-crawl around town grabbing up all of the free donuts that national and local chains offer. The holiday was initiated by the Salvation Army as a nod to the women who served donuts to soldiers during the first World War/RedPlum. More here.

Question: What is your favorite kind of doughnut? And/or: Do you really think cops eat too many doughnuts?

 A bell ringer for the Salvation Army solicits donations on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York, Wednesday.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Question: How often do you give to the Salvation Army bellringers during the yuletide: Every time you hear the bells ringing? Occasionally, if I have loose change? Rarely? Other?