Fund-raiser will assist Ferris orchestra journey to Italy

An Italian dinner, concert, and live and silent auctions to benefit Ferris orchestra students will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 20 at Spokane Community College’s Lair conference area, 1810 N. Greene St.

The buffet will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are $15, available in advance only. To order, call 838-5240.

All proceeds will benefit the Ferris orchestra students for their 2006 tour of Italy.

Panel seeks applicants

Spokane Public Schools is looking for district residents to serve on the Citizens Advisory Committee for Human Growth and Development.

The committee is responsible for reviewing all instructional materials and program components for the K-12 human growth and development curriculum.

There are openings for at least one member-at-large and one alternate position for the 2005-06 academic year.

The person selected for the member-at-large position will be a voting member of the committee; the person filling the alternate position will be a nonvoting member of the committee.

The committee meets on the last Wednesday of each month, September through May (except November and December (a special meeting is held instead on the first Wednesday of December), in the district board room at 200 N. Bernard St.

Application forms are available at the administration building, 200 N. Bernard St., or by calling Cathy Agrella at 354-5975.

The deadline for turning in application forms is May 20.

Registration under way

Spokane Public School’s Express Program is now registering for its summer child-care program.

The program offers care for children ages 3 through 12, and runs from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 20 through Aug. 26. Express is closed on July 4 for Independence Day.

Parents and guardians can enroll their children for one week, several weeks or all summer long.

The program offers weekly themes, scavenger hunts, book clubs, sports and outdoor adventures.

Enrolled participants will receive passes for the Spokane Transit Authority bus system, Riverfront Park and area swimming pools.

For more information and for registration information, call 354-7312.

Library summer reading programs

The Spokane County Library District and Spokane Public Library have teamed up again this year to present their joint Summer Reading Program, “Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds.”

Sign-up begins June 1 at all county and city library branches. As children sign up for the Summer Reading Program, they will be given a reading log to keep track of the books they read or hear this summer.

When they’ve read 15 books by Aug. 31, or earlier, they can bring their completed reading log to the library and receive a free book.

Library staff members have created a variety of recommended reading lists and posted them on the libraries’ summer reading Web site, www.summerreadingspokane.org.

Librarians are on hand in any of the 16 county and city participating branches to help with additional book suggestions.

Along with the summer reading program also comes a dungeon full of fun activities, highlighted by crest crafts, falcon feathers, puppet pals and storytimes.

There also are engaging and entertaining programs for youths of all ages, as well as family story evenings.

Check out the program Web site for a full calendar of summer reading activities. The program also encourages children who aren’t yet readers to sign up and be read to; they get a free book, too.

For more information on the Summer Reading program, call Thom Barthelmess at the Spokane County Library District, 924-4122, ext. 241, or Viki Ash-Geisler at the Spokane Public Library, 444-5331.

Chris Dhatt wins Ignatian Award

Chris Dhatt, a senior at Gonzaga Preparatory School, was the recipient of the Ignatian Service Award last month. He is the son of Gordy Dhatt and Julie Dhatt-Honekamp.

The Ignatian Service Award honors students who best represent the Ignatian spirit of community service.

Dhatt’s commitment to volunteerism is evident in his list of accomplishments. He has achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, overseeing the construction of more than 600 birdhouses at Palisades Parks.

He also built four information kiosks, two large signs and several trail markers.

Dhatt helped provide for four needy families during the Christmas season, volunteered for SpokAnimal, assisted at SNAP (Spokane Neighborhood Action Program) by helping build shelving, tables, bike racks and a barbecue pit, and is a teacher’s aide at St. Aloysius School.