The Slice: It’s because they’re hungry for conversation

Here’s something I have wondered about.

Is Spokane the biggest city in which crows are a common sight downtown?

Let’s move on.

Re: Up With People (mentioned in Tuesday’s Slice): “I must not have been as jaded as you because I thought they were wonderful,” wrote Carol Nelson. “Now, I’m old and cynical and know the world is not quite as ‘refreshingly positive’ as they sang about. So if a pretty Up With People girl did settle in Spokane, what would she be doing now? She would probably be close to our age. Is she still bouncy and positive? Still singing and dancing? Something to think about.”

Lauren Hopkins shared this. “What a blast from the past! I was also a senior in high school in 1973 and we had a mandatory assembly featuring Up With People. This was on Long Island, New York. Nobody thought they were cool. We thought they were the fakest dorks ever and we girls were in no way attracted to any of those guys. We thought they looked like Ken dolls.”

Well, let’s hear from one of the Ken dolls.

Even though I said some snide things about Up With People, North Idaho UWP alum Mike Mann sent me a totally civil note after that column appeared. Mr. Mann, I salute you.

He was in a California-based UWP troupe the year before that unit deployed its upbeat forces to Expo ’74.

“I’m male, heterosexual, and married with grandchildren. The rumor about frontal lobotomies is understandable, but an exaggeration.”

Mann, whose work involves adapting technology to assist those with disabilities, said he isn’t aware of any Expo-era UWP members living in our area.

Taking it in stride: “I happened to be in Washington on business the day Nixon resigned,” wrote Keith Gehr. “In a cab that evening I asked the driver what he thought about the day’s events. He was obviously not very impressed since he replied ‘Oh, things like that happen around here all the time.’ ”

Today’s Slice question: What percentage of teachers have more misgivings about school starting than most kids?