Cindy Hval

In 1993, at 17, Jason Moon enlisted in the Army National Guard. He signed up to serve with the 724th Engineer Battalion in Eagle River, Wis. It was like coming home. “My grandfather deployed out of the same building during WWII,” he said, “and my father served in the same place during the Vietnam War.”

The pain in my rib cage jabbed with startling ferocity. I squirmed in my seat in the crowded auditorium, trying to get comfortable. I was learning a painfully expensive lesson about the high cost of vanity.

When Isaac Liljenberg came across his brother’s collection of videos about World War II, it sparked an interest in him about those who had served “I wanted to meet a World War II vet,” said the 16-year-old. “I wanted to interview some people.”

Seven months after undergoing a stem cell transplant, Cat Davis sports a short new haircut and a big grin. The hairstyle was necessary when all her hair fell out during chemotherapy, but the brilliant smile is her trademark. However, in recent years, she hasn’t had much to smile about.

My ribs hurt. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I gasped for breath. I was 5 years old and my brother David had just introduced me to Bill Cosby. He’d brought home the “Bill Cosby is a Very Funny Fellow Right!” album, and we listened to it repeatedly that summer while David packed for college.

In the summer of 1962, Ron Brennecke wandered into a drug store in Elizabeth City, N.C. The West Valley graduate had been sent to North Carolina by the U.S. Coast Guard for technical training. He and a buddy were hungry, and the promise of a burger at the soda fountain drew them in. Like young, single men everywhere Ron said he and his friend asked the girl behind the counter the all-important question: “Where are the girls in this town?”

One of the best things about summer in Spokane is food truck dining. Finding freshly prepared food served by friendly cooks who are usually the owners of their mobile kitchens offers a fast, fun culinary experience. Three of the newest tasty-treat vendors in town are dishing up a variety of dishes, from succulent American Kobe beef sliders to tender carne asada to refreshing shave ice. Virtually all their offerings ring in at less than $10, making these finds a delicious bargain.

Diane Zahand had a passion for early childhood education. Now, even after her death, her work is continuing..

The morning sun warms my legs as I write. A pair of white butterflies flit above the petunias, daisies and geraniums that overflow the planters. A slight breeze ruffles the pages of my book. I’m in my happy place, otherwise known as the Great Gazebo.

Within minutes of walking into the Lisa Stiles-Gyllenhammer Boys and Girls Club in Mead, kids surround Daniel Robinson, 23. They swarm him, shouting his name, waving their hands and asking for autographs.

May Vidmar, 91, positively sparkles. From the bling on her black cowboy hat, to the rings on her fingers, and the twinkle in her eyes, she exudes vitality and good humor. On July 31, she held court at the Hillside Inn in North Spokane, as she does most mornings.

Lots of people have rugs or carpet on their living room floor. Not Brandon and Deyla Tanner – they have an exercise mat. The reason? Their 8-year-old daughter Trinity is prone to doing impromptu flips and handsprings throughout the house. “I like flipping,” she said.

A Washington State University team scored big and came home with a bowl win recently. While the Cougars are just gearing up for football season, the WSU Dairy Club traveled to Indianapolis for the American Dairy Science Association annual meeting. Competing against 11 other universities at the Dairy Quiz Bowl, the WSU team won first place July 8.

The June sun warmed my shoulders as I powered through the last leg of my 3-mile walk. Kenny Loggins’ “I’m Alright” filled my headphones as I mentally reworked an article due by the end of the day. A school bus stopped across the street. It pulled away to reveal one small boy standing by the curb. I smiled as I walked by. I saw his lips move and pulled the headphones from my ears. “Hey,” he said. “I don’t know where my house is!”

We got the blues again. All four of us. Last year’s pilgrimage to Wallace for the Historic Wallace Blues Festival was such a hit, our sons clamored to return again this year. Anytime a 13-year-old and an 18-year-old actually WANT to do something together is special.

The Jan. 20 photo of Megan Dunnagan on the front page of The Spokesman-Review caught the Rev. Michael Blackburn’s eye. He scanned the headline, “We’ve been waiting long enough” and saw the story was about a 28-year-old woman in desperate need of a kidney transplant. But Blackburn, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, didn’t read the article.

She noticed the handsome football player with the friendly smile at Anacortes High School. Faye Asseln recalled, “I had a little crush on him and said to myself, ‘Someday I’d like to meet somebody like him.’ ” He noticed her, too. “She hung on to the walls to get to class,” said Bill Asseln.

The room at Shadle Public Library filled quickly as parents and preschoolers gathered for story time on July 3. Always a popular activity, story times at the Shadle and South Hill branches are drawing even more participants since incorporating something new in March. A hint of that new twist was revealed as two young boys chatted while waiting for the first story to be read.

The rumbling woke me from a sound sleep. Blearily, I glanced at the clock – 5:30. I sighed. Saturdays are for sleeping in. Then came the roaring.

Four new kids arrived at Morning Star Boys’ Ranch on July 1. But unlike the 18 boys living there, these kids don’t get a private room. Instead, they are staying in a building out back with their mother, Angelina. Last week Angelina, a Nubian/Boer goat, rested in the shade while her four rambunctious, if a bit wobbly, sons huddled together in a nearby shed.

For 14 years, listeners of Positive Life Radio have supported the station’s Rice for Cambodia campaign. In May, that generosity was recognized by the Cambodian government. Program director Ernest Beck traveled to Cambodia to accept the Royal Order of Sahametrei, a medal conferred primarily on foreigners who have rendered distinguished services to the king and to the people of Cambodia. The medal has five classes, the station received level three, commander.

In the summer, lemonade stands spring up in neighborhoods across the city. Some kids hope to earn candy money. Some are saving for new bikes. Others just like the jingle of change in their pockets.

Discouraged. Disheartened. Disappointed. Those three D’s dogged me like an annoying kid brother tagging along, uninvited.

Sam Talkington first noticed them on the basketball court. The 2006 Lewis and Clark High School graduate is now a student at the University of Washington, and a part-time referee.