Cindy Hval

MILLWOOD – Lots of folks dream of flying. As children, they watch jets zoom overhead, or they gaze at crop-dusters circling above fields and wonder what it would be like to soar through the air. That fascination was reflected on the faces of the huge crowd at the Fourth of July Spokane Indians game, as four yellow-winged biplanes soared overhead in tight formation. These colorful Stearman planes are owned and piloted by four local men who met at Felts Field. "Our hangars are within a hundred yards of each other," said Jeff Hamilton. Their love of flying and passion for these vintage World War II aircraft have created a tight bond between them. They've been flying together for several years.

When most folks hear the word "tomato," they think of something red and juicy to complete a BLT. When Phyllis Samis hears it, she thinks of the first time she met her husband-to-be, Clint.

One of Spokane County's most vital yet unsung resources will get much-needed publicity on Nov.13. That's when Patty Duke will speak at St. Joseph Family Center Partners in Hope Luncheon. The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia founded St. Joseph Family Center, located just blocks from Gonzaga University, in 1890. The center functioned as an orphanage until 1982 and has been serving the community as a nonprofit counseling center since 1987.

MILLWOOD – Lots of folks dream of flying. As children, they watch jets zoom overhead, or they gaze at crop-dusters circling above fields and wonder what it would be like to soar through the air. That fascination was reflected on the faces of the huge crowd at the Fourth of July Spokane Indians game, as four yellow-winged biplanes soared overhead in tight formation. These colorful Stearman planes are owned and piloted by four local men who met at Felts Field. "Our hangars are within a hundred yards of each other," said Jeff Hamilton. Their love of flying and passion for these vintage World War II aircraft have created a tight bond between them. They've been flying together for several years.

The black-and-white photo shows a B-17 flight crew looking impossibly young and irrepressibly confident. Their 22-year-old leader, first pilot Louis Anderson sits on his haunches in the front row. The photo was snapped as the 10 young men prepared to depart for Chelveston, England. It was May 1944 and the crew of this G-model Flying Fortress eagerly anticipated defending their country. Thirty-five missions later, Anderson returned home, having lost only one of his original crew. From his north Spokane living room, he recently recalled his tour of duty. Tall, broad-shouldered with silver hair sharply parted, the 86-year-old still cuts a commanding figure, but his smile is warm, his voice is soft and his blue eyes twinkle.

We have a Harry Potter at our house. He's not a wizard and doesn't wear glasses. But he does have an amazing scar, and he is also "the boy who lived." Eight years ago, Sam entered the world in the same speedy fashion as his three older brothers. Fifteen minutes after our arrival at Holy Family Hospital, our 9-pound 9-ounce bouncing bundle of boy arrived.

According to Diane Huff, the true heart of Green Bluff isn't found in sprawling orchards or corn mazes. It isn't found in hayrides, jumping castles or apple cider. The heart of Green Bluff, she believes, is found behind the doors of the old Grange that sits on the corner of Day Mount Spokane Road and Green Bluff Road.

Waning autumn sunlight filtered through a high window, making dazzling patterns in the water. The reflected sun glinted off palm trees and white sandy beaches, while an azure ocean sprawled in the distance. No, this soothing scene isn't from a travel brochure. The Mediterranean beach is actually a mural elegantly arched on the walls of the water therapy room at North Spokane Sports and Physical Therapy Clinic.

For Kayla LaFrance, the launch of the space Shuttle Endeavour was a dream come true. Instead of watching the event on NASA television, she witnessed it in Florida as a VIP guest of NASA.

Michael and JoDee Hickey have taken what most would consider a setback and spun it into a success story. When Michael Hickey was laid off from his position as an engineer with Sprint, the loss of his job became the catalyst to launch his dream – a family-owned textile mill. Now, four years later, Quail Run Fiber Mill is a thriving cottage industry in Airway Heights.

It's harvest time in the Inland Northwest. In commercial orchards and family backyards, fruit trees hang heavy with apples, pears and juicy plums. But many times, especially at private residences, the fruit falls to the ground and spoils or is nibbled by deer and birds. When Bob Slyter saw perfectly good fruit rotting on the ground, the waste first troubled and then inspired him. Slyter and his wife had recently moved to Spokane from Colorado and joined the Rotary Club of Spokane-West. "The Rotary was looking for a 'dirty hands' project," he said. He knew local food banks would welcome donations of fresh produce, so he proposed a home harvest program.

Michael and JoDee Hickey have taken what most would consider a setback and spun it into a success story. When Michael Hickey was laid off from his position as an engineer with Sprint, the loss of his job became the catalyst to launch his dream – a family-owned textile mill. Now, four years later, Quail Run Fiber Mill is a thriving cottage industry in Airway Heights.

Waning autumn sunlight filtered through a high window, making dazzling patterns in the water. The reflected sun glinted off palm trees and white sandy beaches, while an azure ocean sprawled in the distance. No, this soothing scene isn't from a travel brochure. The Mediterranean beach is actually a mural elegantly arched on the walls of the water therapy room at North Spokane Sports and Physical Therapy Clinic.

Michael and JoDee Hickey have taken what most would consider a setback and spun it into a success story. When Michael Hickey was laid off from his position as an engineer with Sprint, the loss of his job became the catalyst to launch his dream – a family-owned textile mill. Now, four years later, Quail Run Fiber Mill is a thriving cottage industry in Airway Heights.

For Kayla LaFrance, the launch of the space shuttle Endeavor was a dream come true. Instead of watching the event on NASA television, she witnessed it firsthand in Florida as a VIP guest of NASA.

On a table next to the window, a dismantled violin rests on a pile of wood shavings. Clad in a blue apron, apprentice luthier Caridwen Spatz works to transform the unlovely school instrument into something that just might make beautiful music.

When most folks hear the word "tomato," they think of something red and juicy to complete a BLT. When Phyllis Samis hears it, she thinks of the first time she met her husband-to-be, Clint.

My childhood friend Kay (Murphy) Mortlock died earlier this month. That damned lung disease Wegener's granulomatosis finally prevailed. She'd lived with it for so long and had tiptoed to the edge of mortality several times already.

Kae O'Brien's profession, coupled with her favorite hobby, has given her an edge in a nationwide contest. O'Brien, a cook at Holy Family Hospital, is an avid NASCAR enthusiast. "I've been a huge fan for about 10 years," she said in the hospital kitchen. "My dad always watched, and my sister never misses a race." And when her sister saw a blurb regarding the NASCAR Cooks! contest on the Internet, she knew just whom to call.

Fifty-one years ago Ferenc Fehér (pronounced fair-ance fay-HAR) entered a Walgreen's Drug Store in Florida. He needed change to make a phone call. Those few coins would change his life forever. The cashier noticed his sapphire-colored eyes and was intrigued by his thick Hungarian accent. Fehér doesn't recall his first impression of that helpful cashier. But he certainly remembers the second time he saw her.