Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bayview News : Bayview proud of its teens

Herb Huseland The Spokesman-Review

If you get excited only about news of crimes and tragedies, I am going to bore you to tears today.

This column is about kids, young adults – but not those who have been caught stealing stereos or shooting up schools. Today, I am talking about overachievers. Kids who manage to overcome peer pressure. Kids who are positive examples.

Many people from all over the Inland Northwest have wondered about the mystery rock piles alongside state Highway 54 in Farragut State Park. Columns have been written about them.

Are the little people left over from St. Patrick’s Day possibly responsible? No. Just kids using their spare time constructively. Instead of being bored, hanging out on street corners, they have an artistic streak.

Three young women – Holly Lodoen, 17; KayLee Darnell, 15; and Lacy Darnell, 19, all of Bayview – are the core group, sometimes joined by other friends.

This kind of activity reminds this old reporter of the pre-electronic age, when kids found fun in activities they created without spending any money or needing any tools. Good citizens, all.

Stormy Grecian, 16, and her sister, Vonnie, 17, are winners, too.

Vonnie, who will be a senior at Timberlake High School next term and elected as senior class president, works at Ralph’s Internet Coffee House. She is an honor student who doesn’t slow down when summer comes.

Her younger sister Stormy’s name belies her demeanor as she is as sweet as she looks. A junior attending Timberlake, she excels in sports, playing basketball and volleyball. Also an honor student, she works at the Buttonhook in the summer.

No sit-around whiners, these two.

Hans Neubauer, stepfather of both for the last seven-plus years, is credited for much of the support system these young women have enjoyed.

Shane and Cody Perez. Or is it Cody and Shane? These twin brothers also are hard workers, mowing lawns, working for local marinas.

These two are good citizens and popular with other kids and adults alike.

Expert skateboarders, the twins are known far and wide as superb jugglers. They not only juggle balls, bowling pins and lighted torches, but they also trade the objects back and forth, catching each other’s objects as they work out. The Perez twins have performed in many venues in the area.

Oh, and did I mention that they both are honor-roll students?

Bayview celebrates the teenagers who live here.

Space limitations prohibit naming all the young people who excel, but there are many more. I will attempt to talk about others in a later column.

Lest-we-forget department

Members of the Bayview Chamber of Commerce and other civic groups have asked me to give a huge thank-you to the U.S. Navy for its years of great support for Bayview Daze.

The sound system and reviewing stand for the parade and, of course, the barge that is used for the fireworks display, are provided by the Navy.

Also, thank you to the participating businesses and guests for achieving the fundraising goal for the fireworks.

Activities for this weekend in Bayview include breakfast and lunch at Terry’s Cafe and rib steak barbecue at JD’s on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Captain’s Wheel features excellent lunches and dinners as well as music by Nighthawk on Friday and Saturday nights. The Buttonhook features fine dining Thursdays through Mondays for dinner.