Mary Beth Donelan

Don't worry if you missed the free KPBX Kids' Concert featuring Milonga, a Latin Dance Band at Riverfront Park – it was rescheduled due to rain and will take place Friday at noon in the Clocktower Meadow. During the concert, kids can make art projects with Mobius, the new combination of the Children's Museum and the future planned Science Center. The concert, sponsored by Spokane Cardiology, Windermere Real Estate and Whiz Kids/Children's Corner Bookshop, lasts for an hour.

The state of Washington is seeking creative writing talent to help in the design of the state quarter. In 2007, the U.S. Mint will issue a Washington state quarter as part of the 50 State Quarters program. Members of the public are invited to submit narratives online at www.governor.wa.gov/quarter describing in 100 words or less what images or words should appear on the coin. Submission deadline is July 30.

Experienced local singers are needed for The Festival at Sandpoint Chorus, which will perform Beethoven's Choral Fantasy at the festival's grand finale concert with the Spokane Symphony on Aug. 14. Weekly rehearsals will take place on Tuesday evenings beginning July 19 at 7 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Sandpoint. Call director Rob Kincaid at (208) 263-3504 for details.

A memorial bronze statue of the late Columbia space shuttle astronaut Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson will be unveiled today at 2 p.m. in the breezeway between the Spokane Opera House and Convention Center. The larger-than-life-sized statue by Spokane sculptor Dorothy Fowler will be visible from the Lilac Meadow in Riverfront Park. Plans call for it to be placed later at a new science center in the park dedicated to Anderson.

Teens – it's time to think about that summer job, only four weeks left until summer vacation. Here are some tips: Start looking early. Don't wait until school's out to start looking for a job. Begin your search in the spring (now).

Art on the Edge is partnering with Anchor House to create a 15-foot-by-100-foot mural on the west wall of the Idaho Youth Ranch Thrift Store at Fourth and Roosevelt in Coeur d'Alene. Art on the Edge is a free art program for area youths and is offered through St. Vincent DePaul. It has offered art classes at Anchor House, a community-based residential and day treatment facility for troubled youths, for several years. The mural, funded through grants from the Idaho Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, is being overseen by Jan Wilhelmi, a local professional muralist. It will focus on arts and culture, particularly music.

Wholeschool.org is providing a free course for children age 6-11 in self-understanding. The Youth Education To InspireClub is a fun-filled experience using live Web casting each Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Spokane Valley beginning Tuesday. Children will learn about their minds and bodies, emotions, explore their creativity and each lesson includes fun activities away from the computer.

WORLD'S LARGEST Ice Cream Cake Social, celebrating the Make-A-Wish Foundation's 25th anniversary of making dreams come true for chronically and terminally-ill children takes place today at Cold Stone Creamery from 5 to 8 p.m. Customers will receive a free slice of ice cream cake in exchange for a donation to Make-A-Wish at both locations, 9502 N. Newport Hwy. and 3011 E. 29th Ave.

First Night Spokane is accepting applications from visual and performing artists for the fifth annual Celebration of the Arts on New Year's Eve. This year's theme will be "A World of Wonders." Applicants are encouraged to interpret and incorporate the theme into their presentations. The application deadline is June 30. Applications are available online at www.firstnightspokane.org. They should be mailed to First Night Spokane, P.O. Box 8348, Spokane, WA 99203 or e-mailed to info@firstnightspokane.org

SPOKANE FALLS Community College Youth College offers three fun-filled weeks of educational, recreational and entertaining courses designed for boys and girls ages 9 to 13 at SFCC, located at 3410 W. Fort George Wright Drive. Participants choose from a variety of classes that vary in length from one to three hours. Start and end times are coordinated so students can take a number of classes each day. Classes begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude by 4 p.m., with a break for lunch (students bring a brown bag lunch). Working parents can drop off their Youth College students at the "round-up area" between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m., with pick-up hours set for 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Weeks to choose from are June 20-24, June 27-July 1 and July 11-15. Class fees range from $31 to $165 depending on the activity.

NOW THAT HUNTING for Easter eggs is over, it's time to think about what to do with the kids for their spring break. It's a great time for the family to get away from the cold, dark days of winter and have some fun in the sun. Keep your family safe while on your trip by following these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

NATIONAL POISON Prevention Week is March 20-26. Some 30 children die every year due to unintentional poisonings, and approximately a million phone calls are placed to poison control centers annually by adults seeking help when children have swallowed something harmful. For more information, go to www.poisonprevention.org Here are some good housekeeping rules to prevent poisonings:

VALENTINE'S DAY is next week and here are some ideas to make your Valentine's Day a little more fun and a lot less expensive, according to www.LivingOnADime.com. Take two pieces of construction paper and cut a big heart out of each one. Staple or glue the edges together and write your Valentine's name and a note on the outside and fill with candy.

Christian Youth Theater-Spokane North is looking for a local dog to play Toto in its upcoming production of "The Wizard of Oz." Auditions will be Dec. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Met, 901 W. Sprague Ave. All breeds are welcome.

AUDITIONS FOR THE SPOKANE Symphony Chorale, a volunteer chorus affiliated with the Spokane Symphony, will be Jan. 10 at Holy Names Music Center, 3910 W. Custer Drive. Upcoming Symphony Chorale appearances include the Feb. 19 pops concert with John Williams and a May 20 classics concert featuring the Glorias by Vivaldi and Poulenc.

Entries are being accepted for an "Agriculture in the Inland Northwest" photo exhibit, a new event added to the 2005 Spokane Ag Expo. The photography contest celebrating agriculture is open to all ages. Entries must be submitted by Dec. 10 and will be displayed at the Ag Expo Jan. 11 to 13. Awards will be given in adult and youth categories. Entrants should submit either color or black-and-white prints (minimum 8-by-10-inches and maximum 11-by-14-inches). Photos may be mounted on cardboard or matting (not framed). Entries are limited to four per person.

NOVEMBER IS National Adoption Month and the theme is "Answering the Call." The purpose is to raise awareness about the nearly 130,000 children in foster care nationwide waiting for permanent families. Prospective parents should keep in mind that they don't have to be perfect to be perfect parents, to become loving adoption parents. The history of National Adoption Month goes back more than 25 years, to 1967, when the governor of Massachusetts first proclaimed Adoption Week and later that year President Gerald Ford made it official nationally.

SURVIVING BABY'S first year without going broke is a challenge to all new parents. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an average of $6,200 is spent on baby supplies in a child's first year. New mothers want the best for their children and are extremely susceptible to marketing and advertising messages to help them be good moms.

LOCAL ARTISTS ARE being sought to display their work in the historic, renovated Montvale Hotel in downtown Spokane. The 105-year-old structure at 1001 W. First Ave. is scheduled to reopen in November as a 36-room boutique hotel. Artwork will be displayed on a rotating basis in the grand lobby and two-story atrium. Artists can submit a letter of interest and work samples (or links to online samples) to info@conoverbond.com, or mail to ConoverBond Development, 157 S. Howard St., Suite 600, Spokane, WA 99201, attn: Chad.

Applications are being accepted for five vacancies on the Spokane Arts Commission. The 16-member advisory board meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. Members must be Spokane city residents. Of particular interest to the selection committee are people with visual arts experience; marketing and public relations professionals; and representatives from the business community. Applications may be obtained at the mayor's office on the fifth floor of Spokane City Hall or in the Arts Office in Suite 610, and online at www.spokanecity.org.

Worldwide Day to Play is being celebrated on Saturday by Nickelodeon. The station plans to go dark from noon to 3 p.m. With childhood obesity reaching epidemic status, it's important to encourage kids to turn off the TV and get exercise, if only for an afternoon. Teaching your child about diversity can start at an early age. Parents should acknowledge that everyone is different, that everything has value. They should lead by example and home is where children should first learn tolerance. Raising children in an environment that accepts individual differences will allow parents to discuss the ways people are different. Remember that those differences may include age, gender, skin color or even weight, as well as ethnicity. Children learn by example, demonstrate your tolerance with your words and actions. Talk to your child about tolerance and expose them to diversity by reading books about other cultures. Attend multicultural events in your community, such as Unity in the Community, held in Spokane each summer, and sing songs from other cultures. Talk about your family's heritage, where your ancestors lived before coming to this country, and which customs your family still celebrates. Answer your child's questions about differences honestly, using simple, nonjudgmental language, and remind you child that we're all different and that it is those differences that make each of us special.