Thrill Of Fishing Shared At Fishfest
There’s no place my dad would rather be this Father’s Day than on the water waiting for the fish to bite. I remember fishing with him when I was young, and although I never had the patience to get the most out of the adventure, I’m grateful for the experience.
FishFest ‘95 will allow people with physical disabilities to experience the thrill of catching the “big one.” This third-annual event will be 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Bear Lake, north of Spokane.
FishFest is sponsored by the recreation therapy department at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute. Its goal is “to improve people’s quality of life and close the gap between the hospital and the community,” said Cheryl Brandt, community relations program coordinator.
Adaptive equipment and techniques enable people with physical impairments to learn how to fish. Fly Fishing Club members will demonstrate adaptive equipment for fly fishing. Also included will be boat transfer training to teach the proper method of transferring people in and out of boats, and how to determine if a boat is stable.
Registration is required; 838-7274.
Elegant bachelors auctioned
Friday is the fifth-annual Easter Seal “Evening of Elegance” bachelor auction at the Sheraton-Spokane Hotel.
A total of 29 bachelors, 24 to 60 years old, will be auctioned. Each bachelor has planned date packages, including a weekend in San Francisco, boating and dinner on Priest Lake, attending the Festival at Sandpoint, a dinner cruise on the Spirit of Puget Sound, and attending a Mariner game.
There will also be silent and live auctions of items and packages, a chance to win a treasure box and a drawing for a date with the bachelor of your choice. Several businesses will display wares and conduct drawings throughout the evening.
Doors open at 6 and bidding begins at 7:30. All proceeds benefit the Inland Northwest Easter Seal Society. Tickets are $12 each, or $84 for a reserved table of eight. For more information, call 326-8292.
Miss Spokane competition
Application deadline for the Miss Spokane Scholarship Program is Saturday; auditions will be July 13 at the Shilo Inn.
To be eligible, women must be between 17 and 23 years old and residents of Spokane, Ferry, Stevens, Lincoln, Adams Whitman and Pend Oreille counties.
Victoria Nicacio, the current Miss Spokane, will compete in Vancouver next weekend for the title of Miss Washington. The new Miss Washington will compete in September’s Miss America pageant.
For more information and an application, call 928-6287.
New exhibit at Cheney Cowles Museum
From June 24 through Sept. 24, Cheney Cowles Museum-goers will have multiple opportunities to explore the subject of rivers and dams in our area.
“Rivers and Dams: Promises, Progress and Perils” will feature an extended list of events and activities, including an opening festival, three major exhibitions, seven free Wednesday-night programs and a culminating symposium and expo at the Ag Trade Center in September.
For more information and a schedule of activities, call 456-7690.
Opera for kids, by kids
Spokane Art School’s popular summer youth program features “Operation Opera,” a monthlong workshop for young people 10 to 15 years old, held in partnership with the Uptown Opera of Spokane.
Kids will create a story, make music and sets, design costumes, fabricate props - and create an opera.
Two sessions are scheduled: July 5-14 and July 17-27.
Opera singers, choreographers, set designers and producers will work with the young artists. A video will be produced of the entire process, with a special screening downtown in late August.
Applicants must write a one-page letter stating why they want to participate in the program and/or what they hope to learn. Only 35 students can be accommodated at each session. Letters should be addressed to Operation Opera, Spokane Art School, 920 N. Howard, 99201.
Cost is $100 for each two-week session, plus a $50 fee for materials and supplies. Some scholarships are available through sponsorship by Washington Trust Bank.
For more information call 328-0900.
Concerts for kids
Spokane Public Radio, KPBX FM 91.1, and Music for Youth will sponsor three free Friday concerts for kids this summer.
The 11:30 a.m.-to-1 p.m. performances will include the Dixie Dandies on June 23 at the Riverfront Park Clock Tower; the B&B Percussion Duo, July 21 at Riverfront’s clock tower; and the Spokane Brass Works, Aug. 25 in Coeur d’Alene City Park.
Faith and good works to build house
Five Roman Catholic churches, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity Spokane, plan to build a home for a low-income family.
They hope to obtain a lot and break ground for the project, “House of Faith,” by Sept. 10. Parishes involved are Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, Sacred Heart, St. Ann’s and St. Augustine’s.
The churches will sponsor a fund-raising picnic at noon next Sunday at Comstock Park. Picnic tickets are $3 each or $10 for a family. House of Faith T-shirts will be sold for $15.
Plans are also being made for a July 29 raffle.
So far, the churches have raised $19,000, but they need a total of $45,000. Half must be raised before ground breaking.
For more information, call 455-9379.
$350,000 awarded
Foundation Northwest has awarded $350,000 to various charities since last July, the beginning of its fiscal year.
Now in its 20th year, Foundation Northwest has distributed more than $7.3 million in grants to the community, said Peter Jackson, president.
The foundation’s purpose is to effectively improve the quality of life in the Inland Northwest, Jackson said. It has more than 100 permanent charitable funds.
In the grant cycle just completed, several competitive grants were awarded to: the YWCA’s Transition School for its afterschool kids’ program and parent education; the Children’s Home Society of Washington for its family outreach services in Spokane’s West Central and Northeast neighborhoods; and the Retired Senior Volunteers Program, a tutoring program in Lewiston, matching seniors with school children.
Grants were also awarded to the Grant County Health Department for preventative dental care to low-income children; Familya-Fair for low-income families to attend the event; the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment for regional workshops; and Habitat for Humanity to hire a development officer.
The Starbuck School District of Columbia County to provide community access to school computers; the Dayton Public Schools for the Meadow Speech Camp; and the Children’s Home Society’s Tot Spot program in Dayton.
Forty-four college scholarships totalling more than $65,000 were also awarded.
Terry Brown honored
The state Trustees Association of Community and Technical Colleges recently presented Terry Brown, chief executive officer of Community Colleges of Spokane, with the 1995 Outstanding Advocate for Equity Award. The award recognizes individuals who show commitment to equity issues in the community and technical college system.
Brown was nominated by Roberta Greene, with letters of recommendation from Jose Pena and Denise Osei.