Cindy Hval

Cindy Hval is a freelance columnist for the Voices neighborhood sections. Her Front Porch column appears twice a month in the Thursday Voice.

Contact Cindy

Email: dchval@juno.com
Fax: 509-927-2175

Recent stories by Cindy

Race sends cyclists on quest

April 9, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 Despite the unpredictable weather, mountain bikers are busy dusting off their rides, pumping up their tires and getting ready to hit the trail. What if there was a way to …
Elementary business

April 2, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 In these challenging economic times, knowing how to manage money can mean the difference between financial solvency and financial ruin. Junior Achievement, an international nonprofit organization, believes teaching children to …
Rotary honors Swedo’s nurturing hand with teens

April 2, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page V3 For Cheryl Swedo, hospitality specialist at the Spokane Skills Center, March 25 started as another busy day at work. She bustled around the dining room as she and her students …
Still bowled over after nearly seven decades

March 21, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page V1 If first dates are a signal of things to come, then conventional wisdom would dictate that Morris and Doris Little shouldn’t have had a second outing. “It was a blind …
Community of compassion

March 19, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page V1 It looked like any other preschool classroom. Colorful toys and puzzles lay within easy reach, and the sound of happy giggles filled the room. A group of children gathered around …
Careful observer

March 15, 2009 in Idaho Voices on Page I14 His big brown eyes seem to find beauty in things others may miss: a glistening arc of water from an outdoor fountain, the ghostly whisper of winter fog along a …
Today’s hit music makes mom long for ’80s lyrics

March 12, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N2 I don’t know how it happened. Perhaps it’s a byproduct of turning 40, and I ignored the warning signs. But it’s too late now. I’ve become a radio-yeller. The kind …
‘Everyone should be able to dance’

March 5, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page PF1 The undead came to life in the YWCA’s gym last week. With Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” playing from a boom box, a dozen kids writhed, shimmied, stomped and danced. The children …
Restoring childhood memories

March 5, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page W6 For several weeks the ponies have patiently waited. They’ve been stoic when little noses pressed against the glass and looked longingly at them. Meanwhile, in the silence of the Carrousel …
Student readers win in Bikes for Books program

March 5, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 Friday the 13th turned out to be a lucky day for two Garfield Elementary students. Carson Baldwin-Bonney, 7, and Ashley Sullivan-Garcia, 9, each won a new bicycle last month, courtesy …
Talent takes young dancers to China

February 26, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 Rows of toes clad in pink ballet shoes stretched along the barre at Dance Emporium on a recent afternoon. But the size-14 black shoes stood out, as does the wearer, …
Day of relaxation brings winter into perspective

February 26, 2009 in Idaho Voices on Page N2 I sat in the stillness of Clare House at St. Joseph Family Center and listened to winter. A ceramic mug of coffee warmed my hands and I closed my eyes. …
‘Weather girls’ had wartime role

February 19, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page W4 Discussing the weather is often regarded as a banal conversation starter – a topic to banter about before moving on to more substantial things. But not for Evelyn Conant. When …
Finding someone to blame can take a lot of time

February 19, 2009 in Idaho Voices on Page PF2 According to industry experts, print is dead and no one reads newspapers, books or magazines anymore. This can make earning a paycheck as a freelance writer rather challenging. However, being …
Modelers construct world in miniature at club’s new home

February 12, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N4 On a recent morning the pounding of hammers and whir of saws filled the air as members of the River City Modelers prepared for an open house. They were working …
Mt. Spokane powderhounds on patrol

February 7, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page V1 For over 70 years the Mt. Spokane Ski Patrol has been the eyes and ears of the mountain. It’s an organization rich in leadership and history. The patrol was the …
Family hopes through hardships

January 29, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S4 If bad things happen in threes, then the Baumann family has had its allotted share of misfortune. In April 2007, Tami Baumann, then 46, underwent open-heart surgery to correct a …
Penchant for pink poses no problems

January 29, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page W2 I’ve always been a girly-girl. The kind that begged to wear dresses to school, and wore lace-topped socks, shiny patent leather shoes and carried a matching purse. Of course, I …
Seniors tackle, master basics in Computer Kindergarten

January 22, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 Like any kindergarten class, Dave Fender’s students did plenty of cutting and pasting. But instead of blunt scissors and Elmer’s glue, the tools they used were more sophisticated – as …
She married man of her dreams, even though he didn’t dance

January 22, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page W1 Vina Mikkelsen dreamed about him every night as she cried herself to sleep in a home run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in Helena. “He was tall and …