Role Models North Side Lilac Princesses Working For A Better Spokane

Thu., April 10, 1997

Janice Podsada Staff writer

The North Side princesses are overflowing with civic and community pride. They have given of their heads and hearts - and significant time - to make Spokane a better place.

Latisha Stephens of Rogers High School, tackled the hard job of relating to teen mothers in an effort to prevent child abuse.

At school, she wrote a series of articles for the school newspaper advising her fellow seniors how to go about finding a scholarship to defray the sometimes-overwhelming cost of a college education.

Mead High School’s Erin Moore has been a DARE role model. She takes time out of her busy academic schedule and maintaining a 4.0 grade point average to talk to kids about the pitfalls associated with using drugs and alcohol.

Pang Xiong is proud to be the first member of Spokane’s Hmong residents to be crowned a Lilac Princess. Her crowning has brought pride to her community and highlighted her civic efforts. She has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and helped coordinate ArtFest activities at the East Central Community Center.

Crystal Stoehr of Shadle Park spent a summer in Mexico for 10 days with her youth group, helping the residents of a small town clear a field so their children could have a place to play sports.

Returning from the visit, Stoehr said she gained an appreciation for all she has in life. She is guided by this proverb: Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.

The coronation, the moment 12 Spokane area girls and the schools they represent are waiting for, is this weekend.

The Lilac Queen Coronation will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Shadle Park auditorium. Tickets are $3 at the door. Look inside for more information on all of Spokane’s Lilac princesses.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: See related stories under headline: 1997 Lilac Festival Princesses

See related stories under headline: 1997 Lilac Festival Princesses

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