Cindy Hval

Some volunteers work on the front lines, visible to the community. Everyone knows their names and positions. But another kind of volunteer spends hours behind the scenes, serving quietly without fanfare. That’s the style of Patrick DeVries. Recently, the North Spokane Exchange Club presented him with its annual Golden Deeds Award, recognizing his efforts. DeVries, owner of DeVries Business Services, was honored for his work with Crime Stoppers of the Inland Northwest as a board member and past president.

Pluckyfluff. Possum fiber. Baby camel down. Banana silk. Fiber arts enthusiasts scour the Internet looking for such items. Their searches often lead them to Paradise – Paradise Fibers, to be exact. This eclectic Web site sells everything a knitter, weaver or spinner could imagine. For 14 years, the business has specialized in everyday items like knitting needles, as well as less common things like yarn made of 80 percent milk protein fiber and 20 percent cotton fiber.

It’s been reported that the average person will spend an estimated 20,160 minutes kissing in a lifetime. But sometimes all it takes is one kiss to set destiny in motion. That’s what happened to Roger and Chris Imes. “We met at Easter dinner in 1966 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” recalled Roger Imes. “We were immediately attracted to each other.” Imes, the son of an American serviceman stationed in Wales during World War II, had come to America to meet the father he never knew.

Tucked into the maze of bustling companies within the Spokane Business and Industrial Park, a once-small cookware manufacturer is rapidly becoming a green giant. In an effort to make Lloyd Industries more streamlined and efficient, President John Crow has discovered that trying to be leaner can equal greener.

New York City has them. Boise, Idaho, has them. Even Walla Walla, Wash., has them. And now Spokane has them too – human-powered hacks. On June 25, Spokane Pedicab took to the streets offering an eco-friendly, people-powered alternative for downtown locomotion.

At some point each summer, most parents are sure to hear their children utter the dreaded refrain, “I’m bored!” Unfortunately, economic woes have many families watching their budgets closely this year. That can be bad news for kids because entertainment expenses are often the first thing trimmed. The good news is, in the Spokane area it doesn’t take a lot of money to have a lot of fun. There are plenty of free family activities to choose from this summer.

At some point each summer, most parents are sure to hear their children utter the dreaded refrain, "I'm bored!"

A longtime North Side fixture is receiving a contemporary face-lift. Aaron Lake of Stejer Development said the makeover of the Town and Country Shopping Center on west Francis Avenue is scheduled to be completed next week. “This is the third substantial remodel of the center,” he said. “The exterior of the main portion received a new façade, new storefronts and new lighting.”

Mead High School teacher Kathy Carman reached a milestone in February. At 62, she completed Marine Corps basic training. Well, a portion of it anyway. In her high school classroom, she proudly displayed a badge that read: “Honorary Marine Recruit: This is to certify that the bearer has successfully completed the first two minutes of the twelve weeks of Marine Corps boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego.”

Thirty years ago, Guy Perham went to Ichabod’s North to shoot pool with friends and ended up meeting the love of his life. A beautiful barmaid with a warm smile caught his eye. “She was gorgeous,” he recalled. “And she scared me. I wasn’t really outgoing.” At the urging of his friends, he introduced himself. Diane Perham remembers that first meeting well. “He shook my hand,” she said. “He was so cute and so kind!”

For many families, private music lessons are an unaffordable luxury. But thanks to the TEAM Project (Teens Engaging in Alternatives through Music) at Holy Names Music Center, children ages 8-14 from Spokane’s most impoverished neighborhoods can experience the joys of music. According to literature provided by the school, “The TEAM Project models success and hopefulness for daily living by providing youth with positive role models, a constructive means of self-expression, and an opportunity for personal, emotional and artistic growth in a safe, supportive environment.”

It was dinnertime in the Skilled Nursing Unit at the Waterford retirement community in south Spokane. Michael Reofrir escorted a resident to the dining room. The lanky North Central High School senior carefully matched his stride to the faltering gait of the white-haired gentleman – Reofrir’s dark skin a striking contrast to his patient’s pallor. Placing a gentle hand on the resident’s back, Reofrir bent his head and listened attentively as the gentleman speculated about the upcoming meal.

Mirissa Toner may not have taken her first steps until age 3, but she’s been making great strides ever since. When she was born at 24 weeks gestation, she weighed only 1 1/2 pounds, and her mother, Christy Toner, received a grim prognosis. “They didn’t think she’d live,” she recalled. But her tiny daughter held on and beat the odds. After a four-month hospital stay, Mirissa Toner came home. However, more challenges lay ahead. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and suffered hearing loss, among other medical issues.

Not all teens learn best while sitting at desks during a traditional six-hour school day. Haylah Alkumeidy is one of them. When she transferred to M.E.A.D. (Mead Education Alternative Division) after her sophomore year, she was depressed, withdrawn and failing all her classes. “At the time, I didn’t know how to learn,” she said. “Sitting down for six hours wasn’t working. I felt frustrated. I felt like an idiot.”

Jacob Sabata says the most challenging thing about high school has been “making new friends and keeping up with my work at the same time.” It’s a balancing act many teens can relate to, but Sabata has had other challenges as well. Teacher Randy Mickelsen said, “Jacob has CP (cerebral palsy). He struggles with speaking, and ambulating is a bit difficult.” Yet according to Mickelsen, Sabata is one of the most active and involved leadership students he has. The 19-year-old senior maintains a 3.9 g.p.a. and is a member of the National Honor Society. Last year he started a Key Club (Kiwanis International High School Program) at the school. “He volunteers for everything,” Mickelsen said. “He’s smarter and more on top of it than most of the students here.”

Thomas Plumley hasn’t had an easy life. When other high school seniors are just waking to the sound of an alarm or a parent’s voice, Plumley has already spent several hours unloading trucks at Lowe’s. Julie Cruz admires his industry. Cruz, a mental health therapist at MAP (Multi-Agency Adolescent Program), said, “He works all night, then he puts his bike on an STA bus and gets himself to school.”

An occasion billed as “Your Pet’s Social Event of the Year” is just around the corner. This weekend, thousands of pets and their owners will flock to the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center for the eighth annual Pet Fest. For animal lovers, this is a celebration of all things wild and woolly, and cute and cuddly too. Where else can you see lizards on leashes, parrots on shoulders and cats in strollers? Not to mention humans wearing snakes around their necks like scaly necklaces.

With her dark hair swept back into a ponytail, 14-year-old Michelle Kazuba warmed up with the East Valley Middle School track team on May 20. At 4 feet tall, Kazuba is the smallest teen on the team – but her competitive spirit is huge. She not only competes in javelin and shot put for East Valley, she’s also a member of Team St. Luke’s, and has set records in shot, discus and javelin at last year’s National Junior Disability Championships in New Jersey.