Jamie Tobias Neely

One of the great ironies of the Prozac era is that the little green- and cream-colored capsule you take to brighten your mood can simultaneously dampen your sex life. More than 24 million people around the world have received prescriptions for Prozac since it was introduced in 1987. Two similar drugs, Paxil and Zoloft, are its top competitors. But psychiatrists and pharmacologists say all three drugs have a sexual side effect no one wants to talk about. "It's turned out to be the Achilles' heel of the serotonin drugs," says Clarke St. Dennis, a Washington State University pharmacologist who consults in the psychiatric unit at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

Poor Hillary, the conventional wisdom goes. At 50, the first lady's been relegated to pink suits with matching pumps and "soft" topics like child care. Not so fast. There may be few issues more important to American families and our collective future than the one Hillary Clinton has just tackled.

What happens to the child who passes through grade after grade without learning to read? What does a high school teacher do with a freshman who can't decipher the science text?

The Spokane Symphony announced another $400,000 in combined donations to its major gifts campaign this week. The contributions came from the Wasmer Foundation, the Washington Trust Foundation and Washington Water Power. These donations were listed together because one of the donors asked the symphony not to reveal the specific amount of its gift. "These are people the community is hitting up every 10 minutes, and they're giving every 10 minutes," says Jonathan Martin, the symphony's executive director. "To me, it's very gratifying."

Let's talk junk science, and let's start with the tobacco industry. For decades, this industry lied to its customers and to Congress. Cigarette smoking doesn't cause cancer, tobacco industry officials testified, their faces as bland as their lies were bald. Why did they lie? For billions of reasons - each one a dollar of profit. Today, the country's major polluters - the oil, gas, utility and auto industries - adopt a similarly brainless stance and simply deny the work of respected scientists. Of course global warming is a serious threat to the planet. More than 1,500 scientists, including 102 Nobel laureates, have joined together to warn the world of this impending danger. These experts have called for significant cuts in the emission of carbon dioxide. It's the gas most responsible for unnaturally cranking up the heat in that enormous greenhouse we call the Earth's atmosphere. Why would this country's major polluting industries lie about such a dangerous prediction? The Earth's surface temperatures have been steadily increasing since 1860, when record-keeping began. Glaciers are melting. Sea levels are rising. The 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1982 - an era marked by summer heat waves, devastating floods and hurricanes, and tropical diseases moving north. Has anyone in the Inland Northwest forgotten last November's ice storm? Certainly, local insurance companies haven't. Nationally, insurance corporation execs are taking the threat of global warming very seriously, visions of millions of claims adjustment forms dancing in their heads. President Clinton is right in pushing for new, worldwide restrictions in carbon dioxide emissions. These restrictions will help slow our use of the Earth's limited supply of fossil fuels. They will also begin to safeguard the world of our children's children. Concerned about powerful interest groups living in Never-Never Land? Don't worry about this nation's senior scientists. It's America's top polluting corporations that are the real Peter Pans here. So why would these corporations - and their paid scientists and conservative think tank pals - lie? They have billions of reasons.

Dealing with a managed health care company, even on such mundane details as prescription refills and physician referrals, can be like struggling through a swarm of Spokane gnats on a warm October afternoon. Health insurance companies hide behind annoying clouds of illogical restrictions and paperwork snafus. The framers of Initiative 673 hope you'll bring a sense of annoyance to the voting booth on Nov. 4. But here's why you should set aside whatever bugs you about managed health care and vote no on this initiative:

A dental hygienist is always a woman who cleans your teeth, zaps your X-rays and scolds you about flossing. Should she be allowed to practice without a dentist's supervision in Washington state? Absolutely. On Initiative 678, it makes perfect sense to vote yes. This ballot issue opens new business opportunities for these professional women. It allows hygienists to provide lower-cost dental cleanings to the poor and the homebound. Among its safeguards to the public's health would be a new dental hygiene quality assurance commission. Nov. 4, vote yes. And don't forget to floss.

God's wildness startles people like a vivid dream on a restless night. He cannot be contained solely in the formal definitions that appear in Christian creeds and liturgies, says John Sanford, an Episcopalian priest, Jungian analyst and author. "God has never been caged in by any of our theology," Sanford says. Sanford will speak Oct. 24 and 25 in Spokane during the St. Stephen's Episcopal Church lecture series.

1. Dr. William Sears, the father of eight children, is the featured speaker at Family-a-Fair this weekend. 2. (Photo of book cover)

This week, a group of teens in Harrison, Idaho, mourned the loss of their friends after yet another fatal Inland Northwest car accident. Fifteen-year-old Miles Jones piled three friends into his 1983 Toyota Corolla after school last Friday and took off south of Harrison. Jones lost control of the car on a dangerous curve and hit a tree, killing himself and 17-year-old Edward Leonard.

What will those wacky Promise Keepers think of next? A call for women to remain silent in church? A crusade for long skirts and head coverings? A proposal for backyard huts where menstruating wives may be banished?

Beeper is very cute, but if you're not careful, she may die. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Think of two World War II era men in this region, one black and one white. Picture them of similar character: laboring long hours, worshipping regularly, supporting their families faithfully.

Along about junior high, it hits. Kids start asking their parents to drop them off at school a block away. They begin balking at joining regular family bike rides or hinting that a parent might want to lose those worn, faded shorts, or bag those unhip jeans. Children who once tagged along like cheerful puppies begin disappearing for long phone conversations as relationships with friends grow more intense. They become enveloped by larger, less parent-friendly schools. They begin to develop lives and identities of their own. All of that may simply be a part of growing up. But perhaps parents and experts in recent years have overemphasized the pursuit of independence at the cost of emotional estrangement. For as a new report from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health indicates, teens do best who have the warmest and closest connections with their parents.

The Spokane Symphony announced its largest single donation ever on Tuesday, a $525,000 gift from the Jewett Foundation that will fund the performance of a world-class guest artist annually in Spokane. The donation honors the memory of Mary Jewett Gaiser, a longtime trustee and symphony donor.

Schools send home piles of paper every fall on topics as diverse as AIDS education, Internet access and guns in the classroom. Yet, parents still can wind up baffled by one simple question: What will my child actually learn this year? Some teachers spell out their plans in great detail, sending letters home on the first day of school and talking frequently with parents. Others communicate only the vaguest details or not at all. Parents are left to wonder: Is second grade the year for rain forests and dinosaurs? Or is that third? This fall, Spokane School District 81 took a helpful step forward by sending home a list of learning goals with every elementary student. Now, whether your child attends Holmes or Hutton, you can count on butterflies in the first grade, honeybees in the second.

The Spokane Symphony this week announced early donations of $700,000 to its major gifts campaign. The gifts include the largest ever individual donation to the symphony, $500,000 from the Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation and the Cowles families. Cowles Publishing Co. owns The Spokesman-Review. The remaining $200,000 was given by the Johnston-Fix Foundation and the Fix family. The campaign, which is designed to support the symphony's endowment fund, stands at $2 million in pledges this week. Symphony officials hope to raise $3.5 million to $4.5 million. "These gifts contribute to the foundation of the symphony's next 50 years and follow on the heels of a 50-year history just completed that was heavily uplifted by the involvement of both these families," says executive director Jonathan Martin. Among the first patrons of the symphony in 1945 were Mr. and Mrs. William H. Cowles Jr., grandparents of Betsy Cowles, who is co-chair of the symphony campaign. Eric Allen Johnston, a prominent Spokane businessman, supported the symphony throughout his life, and his daughter, Harriet Fix, is the campaign co-chair. "We want to be leaders in this effort and believe firmly in the future of the symphony and its gifts to the whole Northwest," says Betsy Cowles. "We really have one of the best symphonies in the country, especially for our size." Cowles vividly remembers the first Spokane Symphony concert she attended with her parents at the old Fox Theater, right down to the white lace dress and Mary Jane shoes she wore. "It was just such a magical experience," she says. Cowles hopes the endowment campaign will help bring the symphony to a broader audience. "A lot of times, people think of symphonic music as elitist and only for the most educated," Cowles said. "It's not. It should be available to everyone and anyone in the community." Fix says, "The symphony is the heart and soul of the cultural life of Spokane." Her family is committed to continuing to support it. The symphony campaign will extend through next January, raising cash and five-year pledges. Symphony officials hope these major gifts will inspire others to donate, and have designed a campaign which attempts to broaden the base of symphony support. "The whole process is going along really well," Cowles said. "By the time we get to the community level of gift-giving, there will be a lot of new faces leading that charge."

1. Home Sweet Home. Frank Decorey moved from a nursing home to assisted living at Mission Ridge. "I don't like institutions, so I'm going back to my home place in Butte. Nothing against this place. It's great. This has got nursing homes beat 100 ways. That's no way to die." Late this summer, Decorey, 84, did move back to his old home in Montana. Not all elderly people can return home, however, and choosing an appropriate living situation can be confusing, not to mention stressful. Among the options is assisted living, which tries to provide as much independence and privacy as possible, combined with the special medical assistance some residents require. Photography by Torsten Kjellstrand 2. A Helping Hand. Mary Pringle has Alzheimer's disease. She gets care from her husband, Lem, and the assisted living staff at the Waterford. Health coordinator Jeri Carver stops by during a meal to check in. When couples have different medical needs, it sometimes means an end to their living together. But not for Lem and Mary. See their story inside. Pages E8-9 3. Ideal Fit. Left: "The reason I live here is I need help. I've got a little Alzheimer's and I forget things," says LaVerne Pettis in her room at The Academy. But her concerns go beyond conveniences and safety issues. "I chose this room because it had room for a decent rug, which I already had. It suits me. It's just right. You can see it's a nice room." 4. The Luau. Left: Cooper George resident Bob Colliton, in his 70s, learns to dance during a Luau in August. The facility not only roasted a whole pig, served with all the trimmings, but also arranged for authentic Hawaiian dancers to entertain and instruct residents. 5. Puppy love. Right: When Velma McKibbin, 81, was looking for an assisted living facility, she wanted more than the usual services. "The first question I asked was 'Do you take pets?' and those that didn't (take pets) I just hung up on." She ended up at Mission Ridge with her toy poodle Schotsie. 6. Pool Party. Left: Katherine Slinkard, 89, lines up a shot during pool night at Maplewood Gardens, while Geri Ellis watches. Pool isn't a new game to Slinkard, who uses a cue she gave her late husband for Christmas in 1968. 7. All Smiles: Right: Ruth Waters, 82, has some fun with 4-month-old Rahale Getnet. Rahale came to Moran Vista with her father, Getnet Tefferi, for a feeding and a visit with her mother, who works at the facility and is the adopted daughter of the owners. Assisted living facilities vary in size and complexity. Some are large, corporate-owned facilities. Others, such as Moran Vista, are smaller, family-owned and operated centers. 8. Blooming. Right: Jo Laney, 85, keeps her own garden behind the Maplewood Gardens. "You can see which balcony is mine from here in the garden," she says. "I've got stuff growing out there, too." Among the crops in the garden: flowers, beans and peas. 9. Quiet Time. Above: Brother Tony Cannon comes to Moran Vista every Monday to deliver Communion. When a flu bug recently kept most residents in their rooms, Cannon had a one-person parish, Ray Young, 86. Many residents struggle after leaving their life-long religious communities. Some still travel to their old churches, but many rely on visiting ministers. 10. Roll Call. Left: When residents arrive for meals at Maplewood Gardens, their names are checked off a list. If someone doesn't show, the staff calls the resident's room to make sure everything is well. If there is no answer, they pay a visit.

Why do American women find Princess Diana so fascinating? Perhaps it's because she represented an archetype, the beautiful princess, from the stories we devoured when we were young. A decade before we encountered feminism, European-American girls memorized fairy tales. By the age of 3, we developed the capacity to imagine we too were dazzling royalty, as we played dress-up in long gowns, and imprinted the words "happily ever after" on our tiny psyches. We never pretended to be Superman or Babe Ruth.

How do you put a price tag on a teacher's finest hours? Exactly how many dollars and cents will compensate an excellent college professor for that instant when a new realm - whether math or music, or macroeconomics - suddenly yawns open in a student's life? The moment an English professor detects a struggling writer's authentic voice and nurtures it? The hour a religious studies instructor captivates an entire classroom and profoundly alters his students' thinking? In universities across the country, those priceless moments often are valued less than the knowledge - and grant money - generated by faculty research. A recent survey of Washington State University payroll records appears to show that the school's top teachers are paid significantly less than its top researchers. On a nine-month contract basis, the teachers average $59,068, $27,712 less than the researchers' average pay of $86,780.

For former welfare recipient Laura Askew, a job offer from the White House sounded as exciting as a free trip to Disneyland. "I was just overwhelmed," she said. "I called my sister. I was just hollering on the phone." Askew, 29, is exactly the type of person likely to succeed under the country's new welfare-to-work program. She had an employment history; she had been laid off from a plant in Raleigh, N.C. During the last year, she applied for welfare for the first time, and signed up for an office skills class. The White House mail clerk job, with a salary in the $18,000 to $20,000 range, became her storybook ending.

One day in early June the Washington State Patrol office handled two reports of road rage by noon. In the morning, one driver made a bad lane change on Interstate 90. Another driver responded by flipping him off and tailgating. Both pulled off the shoulder and jumped out of their cars. One man carried a gun; the other had a criminal record. Later that morning, several Lewis and Clark High School students sped down the freeway during their lunch hour. A woman was driving in the passing lane. Her boyfriend was a passenger.

I don't exhibit rage on the road; I incite it. I brake for practically everyone: Small boys chasing large red balls into the street. Elderly drivers peering through cataracts to navigate traffic lights. The random 3-year-old ambling down a main arterial without a parent.

All right, everybody, swallow hard. If, by the way, you happen to be looking in the mirror and notice any bulges on your thyroid gland as you swallow, you might want to see your doctor.