Voices

On Saturday, Marcell Scott is selling some of his acrylic paintings to benefit TeamChild and Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery.

Our Thanksgiving dinners are often all about tradition. Family traditions centered around whose recipe for the green bean casserole will be featured. Is it corn bread or bread stuffing? Do the mashed potatoes have sour cream in them or not. And last but not least, which recipe for cranberry relish are we having? Yes cranberries; that tart fruit that finds its way into several beloved Thanksgiving dishes and as a garnish for the day-after turkey sandwiches. Given its history, I think it deserves a more prominent place at our celebration.

I wish I had it in me to believe that this Thanksgiving will turn out to be what we all hope for – a big joyous meal shared with family and friends, nourished by laughter, warmth and good tidings. But unless you and your companions are ideologically in sync, that Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving isn’t happening this day.

Spokane Valley Fire Department’s Project Risk offers a home visit by department staff to check smoke detectors, installing new ones where appropriate, and put together a fire escape plan for the home’s occupants.