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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Cindy Hval

Cindy Hval

Current Position: freelancer

Cindy Hval is a freelance columnist and correspondent. Her "Front Porch" column appears on alternate Thursdays in the Voices section. Her articles appear in the Features section and throughout the newspaper. Visit her at www.cindyhval.com

Email
dchval@juno.com

All Stories

News >  Voices

Mother begins ‘new season of life’

Milestones are those things you're supposed to see coming from a long way off and be prepared for. My youngest child started first grade last week – a milestone I thought I was eager to reach. For 16 years, I've been an at-home mom. I clearly remember a day when I was nursing a baby, while making a toddler a sandwich and trying to talk a frightened 5-year-old down from the top bunk of his new bed. I felt exhausted and overwhelmed.
News >  Home

It’s tool time

How many screwdrivers does the average homeowner really need? Dan McLoughlin, a sales representative, has a dozen; just don't ask him to find them. Mark Vandine, a teacher at Lewis and Clark High School, has 15. Paul Didier, a church administrator, has 36. "Hey," Didier said, "When you need 'em, you need 'em."
News >  Voices

Blue street

For some North Side residents and businesses, the road to street improvement is bumpy, noisy and frustrating. In May, the city began a major redesign and improvement project on Crestline. Tom Arnold, city director of engineering services, said changing a two lane county road into a three-lane roadway is a big project. Crews are installing a concrete intersection at Crestline and Francis as part of a larger project to install a sanitary sewer system and reconstruct Crestline Street from Decatur Avenue to 300 feet north of Lincoln Road.
News >  Home

A look that works

When Delene Fitzpatrick purchased a leather sofa and chair, she had just one problem: She couldn't figure out how to make her new furniture work in her existing living room. "I know my limits," she said. So she called in an expert, Linda Keturakat of ReDazzle Design.
News >  Voices

Friend to Friend brightens life in care centers

Frances Opitz, 75, had regretted not spending time with her mother, who lingered in a Texas nursing home. Now, under the Friend to Friend of Greater Spokane program, she has become a regular visitor at Avalon Care Center in north Spokane.
News >  Voices

Longtime neighborliness

John Wojtulewicz would like to re-create the neighborhoods of his youth. In the 13 years he and his wife, Amy Mickelson, have lived in the South Perry neighborhood, in his quiet way, he's made great strides toward that goal. That's why he's been selected the South Side Voice's Good Neighbor of the Year.
News >  Voices

Making life better

Asking Ginger Wyman to talk about her neighbor Harlyn Grote is guaranteed to bring tears to her eyes. The words came easier in her nominating letter for the man chosen as this year's North Side Good Neighbor of the Year. She wrote about Grote's "big, loving heart" and gave this example.
News >  Voices

Student perspective

The Spokane Public Schools Board had a fresh new face at its Aug. 9 meeting. Rachae Mason, a 17-year-old senior from North Central High School, was sworn in as one of two student advisers. The second adviser, Alec Petrie, a senior from Ferris, will be sworn in later. Mason's mom, Leanne Mason, and grandmother, Donna Mason, watched proudly as she stood before Superintendent Brian Benzel and took the oath of office. She promised to discharge her duties as a student adviser to the best of her ability.
News >  Home

Living a cabin life

Many homeowners find the tasks of home maintenance challenging. Painting, weeding, repairing, replacing, cleaning – chores may seem endless. For folks who also own a lake home, envied as they may be, that challenge of keeping up with housework is doubled. "It takes a lot of work and organization," said Lisa Marks. She and her husband, Gary, have owned a cottage on the east side of Lake Coeur d'Alene for 21 years. Through trial and error they've learned to simplify the work of owning two homes to better enjoy each of them.
News >  Voices

Joy of backyard coops

As the nation grows more urbanized, some city dwellers have found a way to explore their agrarian roots, have an unusual pet, and get a better breakfast all at the same time. "I can't understand why more people don't have chickens," Chris Dill said from her home a few miles west of downtown Spokane.
News >  Voices

COPS shops want to know about graffiti

It shows up on fence lines, in alleys, on garages and empty buildings – colorful swatches of spray-painted letters. They may read "omt" or "wow," but graffiti is rarely harmless mischief done by kids with too much time on their hands.
News >  Voices

COPS shops want to know about graffiti

It shows up on fence lines, in alleys, on garages and empty buildings – colorful swatches of spray-painted letters. They may read "omt" or "wow," but graffiti is rarely harmless mischief done by kids with too much time on their hands.
News >  Voices

Beating the boredom

School's out, the sun's shining, and from homes all over the city comes the refrain every parent dreads, "I'm bored. There's nothing to do!" One answer to the boredom blues can be found at a local library. All city, county and Valley branches offer free story reading for children.
News >  Voices

Don’t plan too much for lake trip

The summer after our less than successful excursion in a borrowed RV, my husband, Derek, and I decided to rent a lake cabin for a week. Indoor plumbing, electricity, a lovely beach, what could go wrong? I sat down to make a list of things to pack. Four double-sided pages later, I called my husband's cell phone.
News >  Voices

Barnlike shed covers backyard digs

Recently I wrote about my tumble into a hole that my industrious sons dug in the backyard. Concerned readers have asked, whatever happened to the tunnel in your yard? As Paul Harvey says, this is the rest of the story.
News >  Voices

Families honor teacher

For 33 years, Pat Moen has welcomed nervous 5-year-olds to kindergarten and reassured their anxious parents. At Grant, Bemiss and most recently Woodridge Elementary, she's been a warm introduction to school for local families. When she announced her retirement earlier this year, parents at Woodridge wanted to honor her in a special way. On June 10, a large crowd gathered at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church to recognize Moen's years of dedication to the youngest students.
News >  Voices

Canada geese all right for Dofuss the goose

Rick Jacobs is familiar with the sounds of waterfowl. His family owns a home on Jump Off Joe lake, 35 miles north of Spokane, near Valley, Wash. The lake teems with ducks, swans and Canada geese. One morning three years ago, he heard a noise he couldn't identify. "It sounded like a prehistoric shriek from something out of Jurassic Park," he recalled. He looked out his window. A domestic gray goose was strutting across his lawn. He'd never seen and certainly never heard this goose before.
News >  Voices

Frolicking Capernaum

The crowd at Big Daddy's was boisterous. In the dim light of the South Hill bowling alley, excited teens and young adults hunted for the right bowling balls while others devoured pizza. It could have been any youth group outing, but this group was unique. This was the monthly activity for Capernaum, a Young Life group for those with special needs. Young Life is a nondenominational Christian organization committed to improving kids' lives and preparing them for the future. Three years ago, volunteer Jon VanAnrooy introduced Capernaum to the Spokane area.
News >  Voices

Personal round of vows

Pastor Paul Olfson is an expert on weddings. For 25 years, he's performed about 125 weddings per year – that's more than 3,000 weddings. Last Sunday, though, he was on the other side of the altar, celebrating his 50th anniversary by renewing his vows with his wife, Shirley.
News >  Voices

Mead senior shows courage

Samson Lim's physical stature may not be as mighty as that of his biblical namesake, but the staff and students at Mead High school say his spirit certainly is. At age 9 Lim was diagnosed with dystonia, a rare neurological movement disorder. As a result, everyday activities like walking, sitting and standing became challenges. Eventually, he had to use a wheelchair.
News >  Voices

Exchange Club honors Colville optometrist

Mark Rainer had a good life. His family and thriving optometric practice in Colville kept him busy. He enjoyed the outdoors and running Bloomsday. Then, one night in 1986, he had a stroke while sleeping. He was 35 and began to lose everything that mattered to him. Fellow optometrists rallied to keep his practice open, but the effects of the stroke made it impossible for Rainer to keep his license. Despite months of rehabilitation he was left with short-term memory loss, a limp and slurred speech. He lost his marriage and his practice, but he didn't lose his determination to live a good life and to help others do the same.