Voices

There is a new sports bar in Concourse C at Spokane International Airport, one that celebrates sports figures who lived here in the area. The MVP Home Turf Sports Bar and Grill held its grand opening last week with Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Mark Rypien on hand to cut the ribbon.

Teens love to hang out at the mall. They cluster in groups at the food court, or prowl the shops looking for bargains while keeping an eye out for friends. Now at NorthTown, teens have a place of their own. On Nov. 15, P.O.N.Y.T.A.LE.S Youth Services (PTYS) celebrated its grand opening.

Alison Roy-Ting, a senior at The Oaks Academy in Spokane Valley, is not your everyday high school student. The 17-year-old, along with other Spokane-area students, spent about four weeks in a lab at Eastern Washington University this past summer through a National Science Foundation grant, where she worked and continued to learn about the biotechnology research in Silver Valley, began by Don Lightfoot, director of biochemistry and biotechnology at EWU.

Randy Olson doesn’t like to brag. He’s told only a handful of friends about his latest accomplishment, and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll catch him wearing his latest trophy.

The major overhaul and rebuild of the city’s six outdoor swimming pools is benefiting from nice fall weather. In some places, construction is a little bit ahead of schedule. “We are doing very well,” said Barry Russell, director of the city of Spokane’s Parks and Recreation Department. “We are definitely on schedule, and for some of the bathhouses we are a little bit ahead.”

Stepping into the Bark Canoe Store can be a surreal experience. The small shop, just off busy Division Street, is an oasis of quiet. Woven birch pack baskets hang from one wall. Spruce root dangles from the rafters, and the air is redolent with the scent of wood shavings. Small decorative canoes line the shelves. Full-size bark and fiberglass canoes in various stages of completion lie in the shop and in the yard behind it.

Every year, thousands of people ride, glide, roll and stroll by the big white boulder along the Spokane River Centennial Trail just before the trail crosses over the Spokane River into Idaho. It would be hard not to notice the 6-foot-tall boulder on the north side of the trail just opposite a small bench and a stone’s throw from the trail’s bridge over the river. What might be easy to miss, however – unless you stop to read the plaque on the boulder – is that the boulder officially marks the line separating Washington and Idaho.

What a nice adolescent male cat to bring home. He has the classic markings and is so handsome. This cat would make every day an adventure. Anyone interested in adopting this cat can visit SCRAPS at 2521 N. Flora Road, or call 477-2532. Or, visit our Web site at www.spokanecounty.org/ animals. Most available pets can also be seen posted on petfinder.com. Cats are $62.70 to adopt, which includes license, neuter, vaccination, microchip and a trip to the vet. Take advantage of the free private pet behavior counseling sessions.