‘The Front Porch’ Has Valley View Courtesy Of Contributing Readers

A new feature is making its debut in the Valley Voice. It’s called “The Front Porch” and starting today you’ll find it here every Thursday.

This new column, which features commentary on Valley issues and observations about Valley life, is written by members of the Voice’s Council of Contributors.

The name was chosen to identify the column as a place for neighbor-to-neighbor discussion.

Near the end of last year, we invited readers who were interested in writing opinion pieces for the Voice to apply for membership on the council. We were looking to assemble a diverse group - natives and newcomers, younger readers and retirees, folks with different interests, and educational and work backgrounds. In short, we wanted people with just two things in common: They live in the Valley and they care about the Valley.

It would appear that we succeeded.

Some 60 readers responded to our invitation and 22 were selected.

These thumbnail sketches of our council members offer a brief introduction to the people you’ll be hearing from in the weeks to come.

Jennifer Bauman is a registered nurse who for the past three years has been a stay-at-home mom to her three young children. She and her husband, who have lived in Spokane since 1987, recently built their “dream home” in a rural part of the south Valley. Jennifer is interested in sports and fitness and in Valley lifestyle issues.

Grace E. Bostrom is a former correspendent for several small-town newspapers and is a published poet. She recently returned to Spokane after an absence of 27 years and has settled in the Valley. Grace is an active people watcher who looks for the humor in everyday situations.

Karen Buck has lived in the West Valley area for 27 years, including the past 11 in a “paper mill house” in Millwood. She is a registered nurse and is employed part-time doing surgical work. Karen is interested in Valley people, where they live and how they live.

Vernon Eden and Donna Kiddoo are a father-and-daughter team who share a seat on the council. Vernon is a truck driver for a local grocery company. Donna is a registered nurse at a downtown hospital. Both live in the Valleyford area. They’re interested in a variety of transportation issues, ranging from the ruts on I-90 to the STA’s desire to take over the model-car race track on Sullivan Road.

Jeff Gibson works for one of the Valley’s high-tech businesses. He lives on the Spokane River in Millwood and is interested in Valley history and in the river’s past, present and future. Jeff is married and has three children.

Patrick Haight has lived in the Valley for 40 years, minus a sail in the Navy and a few years in Seattle. Pat recalls when Dishman, Veradale and Greenacres were separate entities that sublimated a vague rivalry and is interested in how the Valley continues to change.

Deborah Lawrence Hale grew up in Wenatchee, and lived in Seattle and New York City before settling in Greenacres 12 years ago. She works as a legal assistant and is particularly concerned about growth issues in the Valley and in how the community responds to diverse cultures, ethnicities, thoughts and lifestyles. Deborah is married and has two children.

Anna Henry was raised in this area, but traveled extensively and lived for a time in England before settling in the Valley. Although she and her husband have no children, Anna is actively involved with several youth programs. She recently drove to Mexico and back with 30 teenagers to help them build homes there for the poor.

Mary Jane Honegger has lived in the Valley for 25 years. Married and a mother, Mary Jane loves to ride motorcycles and collects angels and dolls. She is concerned about Valley growth, issues ralated to youth, and the state of our library system.

Kathy A. Johnson is an Arizona native who lived in California, Oregon and Nevada before moving to the Valley last year. She is married, has two children, and works as a teacher. She is interested in education and enjoys the Valley’s mix of rural and urban settings.

Ann King moved to the Valley five years ago from Maryland, where she worked in sales and customer relations for a tire company.

Nancy Larson is a Valley native who teaches at an East Valley elementary school. She is interested in family and community affairs. Nancy is married and has two sons.

Scott Maclay, a Montana native who has lived in the Valley for more than 30 years, works in real estate sales. He has been involved with several political campaigns and ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner in 1996. Scott is a licensed pilot, a certified diver and loves ‘60s muscle cars. He is interested in local government and worries about increasing violence.

Patricia Munts is a serious gardener, a skilled quilter, a Girl Scout leader and knows how to handle a wrench under the hood of a classic Studebaker. Patricia also holds down a job as a grant writer and program coordinator for a company that organizes international exchanges for students and adults. She’s interested in the Valley’s natural history and how it affects us today.

Paul Norris lives in the Valley and writes an annual Christmas letter that his friends say is hilarious. Paul is concerned about a number of things, including Valley traffic, which he thinks is generally amusing.

Harry J. Rigg settled in the Valley after a 20-year world tour, courtesy of the Navy. He admits that he is usually politically correct, with infrequent relapses to the customs and attitudes of his childhood. Harry is interested in government and how we pay for it.

Tom Rogers Sr., a retired Valley teacher, was a leader of the effort to preserve the Dishman Hills Natural Area. He is a member of the Audubon Society, for which he writes quartery local bird reports, and is writing a book on the natural history of the Inland Northwest. Tom is concerned about environmental issues and about local government.

Tom Shelly is an ordained Lutheran minister who has also worked in banking, as a machinist, and as a psychiatric technician in a mental hospital. A native of Arizona and a longtime resident of California before moving to the Spokane Valley four years ago, Tom now lives in Veradale. He is married and has three children.

Michael Tibbals is a life-long Valley resident who, after a stint in the Air Force, returned to live in the same neighborhood where he grew up. He works in the health care field and is a part-time community college teacher. Michael, who is married and has three children, is especially concerned about the condition of the Valley’s parks and pools.

Vincent K. Wasson is a 15-year Valley resident who is studying for a business degree at Eastern Washington University. Married with two children, he is a youth sports coach and a PTA volunteer. Vincent is interested growth and how it affects schools and transportation, and in how scattered, segmented neighborhoods develop a sense of community.

D. Jay Williams is a Spokane native and a Vietnam veteran who has worked in real estate sales in the Valley since 1979. He is concerned about the environment and about orderly growth. Jay and his wife have raised three children and now are enjoying their grandchildren.

Jim Williams, who has lived in the Valley since 1960, is a longtime community activist: 14-year school board member, Valley Rotary president, Mirabeau Point committee chairman, and the list goes on. He has an insider’s insights into a lot of what goes on in the Valley. Jim is married and has five daughters.

, DataTimes