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Cindy Hval

Cindy Hval is a free-lance columnist for The Spokesman-Review in the Voices department. She writes for The Spokesman-Review Voices neighborhood sections in Spokane County. Her stories appear weekly, and her Front Porch column appears twice a month in the Thursday Voice.

Recent stories by Cindy

Classical dance on Saturday

February 4, 2010 in Washington Voices on Page N4 Last week at the Academy of Dance in Spokane Valley, magical maidens and ladies-in-waiting danced across the studio floor. The dancers, members of the Spokane Youth Ballet, were preparing for …
It’s never too late to skate

February 4, 2010 in Washington Voices on Page N6 On a recent evening, the lobby of the Eagles Ice Arena burgeoned with eager skaters waiting for their lessons to begin. Chattering children squirmed as parents laced up their skates, …
Seniors take the stage

February 4, 2010 in Washington Voices on Page S7 Since 1972, one organization has been adding the melody to mature, the swing to senior and the rhythm to retired. Funded in part by the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, …
Totally lost in marital translation

February 4, 2010 in Washington Voices on Page V1 Many marital experts agree that a little mystery in a relationship adds spice. For Derek and me the ongoing challenge of translating woman-speak into man-speak continues to add intrigue, even …
Rivalry’s spirit benefits a cause

January 28, 2010 in Washington Voices on Page N11 Six years ago, Jim Preston, assistant principal at Mt. Spokane High School, found a way to channel the fierce rivalry between Mead High School and Mt. Spokane to benefit a …
Classes teach infants water survival skills

January 28, 2010 in Washington Voices on Page V1 Ten-month-old Katie Claycomb isn’t walking yet, and her vocabulary consists mainly of happy baby babble. But if Katie accidentally falls into a body of water, she knows exactly what to …
Novice fans of skating blissfully unaware

January 21, 2010 in Washington Voices on Page S1 It seemed only fitting that the first event of the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships I attended was Monday’s Novice Ladies Short Program. To say that I’m a skating novice …
Model accomplishment

January 17, 2010 in Idaho Voices on Page I1 For 25 years, P.J. Trzeciak has been turning gawky teens into self-confident young women. When she started a small modeling agency with $500 and some rented tables and chairs she …
Pearl Harbor survivors thanked with apple pie

January 17, 2010 in Idaho Voices on Page I4 Americans love holidays. Especially holidays that revolve around food. We’ve got Thanksgiving. We’ve got the Fourth of July. But how about a day to celebrate one of the nation’s favorite …
Hillyard council pitches in to take out the trash

January 7, 2010 in Washington Voices on Page N1 Willa Natarajan, 66, didn’t know what to do. She’d received several letters from the city’s code enforcement office advising her to clean up her property. “Yes, my yard is a …
Cindy Hval: Gift creates Wii Fit of frustration

January 7, 2010 in Washington Voices on Page N1 Knowing that every year my New Year’s resolution is the same (to regain the figure I had at 21) this Christmas my husband thoughtfully provided a gift to get me …
Family gets surprise home remodel

January 3, 2010 in Idaho Voices on Page I6 When Leslie Nelson met Deb Farnsworth last year, she couldn’t have imagined their friendship would result in a community project that changed her entire house. Nelson just wanted to change …
Steel panther embodies Mead High’s community

December 31, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 Sculptors don’t often receive raucous applause – especially from hundreds of teenagers. But at the Mead High School holiday assembly on Dec. 18, shouts and cheers rang out for sculptor …
Gift of new mobility

December 24, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 Christmas shopping just got a lot easier for Wes Hixon. On Dec. 5, the 24-year-old disabled veteran received a retrofitted Chevy Uplander courtesy of Wheels for Warriors. Since 2005, this …
In midst of chaos, the rocking chair

December 24, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 In the midst of unearthing Christmas decorations, I surveyed the downstairs family room. Actually, “wreck” room is a more apt description. Green and red bins burgeoning with tinsel and ornaments …
Choir sets stage for kids’ artistic, personal growth

December 17, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 On Dec. 9, the lobby of the Davenport Hotel bustled with arriving guests and the mezzanine overflowed with visitors enjoying a Christmas tree display. Suddenly, in the midst of the …
Spokane fencing club draws young and old

December 17, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 A visit to the Spokane Fencers Unlimited facility in north Spokane can feel like a trip back in time. A journey to an era of swashbuckling pirates before Johnny Depp, …
Traveling librarians

December 10, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 Each month the library comes to the Vintage. This retirement center in north Spokane is just one of 42 locations that Spokane Public Library outreach librarians Judy Killin and Al … 1
Tour opens new view of region

December 10, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page V1 As someone who has lived most of her life in the Spokane area, I consider myself quite familiar with the city and all its amenities. But when an invitation crossed …
Brotherly loves lasting

December 3, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page V1 Lasting marriages run in the Fels family. In November, Gene and Evelyn “Evie” Fels celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary. Gene’s brother Wilbert “Joe” Fels and his wife, Nora, celebrated their …