Washington Voices

Mark Stinson likes to mix and match, switch things up, mess with opposing coaches – so it’s understandable that he’s pleased with the potential his 2012-’13 University Titans are showing thus far in the Greater Spokane League girls basketball season. After dropping their first three decisions of the season, losing by two points to Ferris (59-57), by six to Class 3A rival Mt. Spokane (47-41) and by seven to Kamiakin (51-44), the Titans have rebounded to post convincing victories over Central Valley and North Central and pull off a 44-43 win over Mead.

Standing tall this season over the many people in busy pursuit of those last few gifts for Christmas is one of Spokane’s largest Christmas trees – the several-stories high tree that occupies much of the atrium area of River Park Square in downtown Spokane. People take pictures by it. Children have a visit with Santa in front of it. And the public gazes across and then down upon it as they ride the escalators up to see movies at the AMC theaters in the mall. They’ve been admiring the tree since it was first put in place in 2002.

Kringle came to the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service shelter Nov. 29. He’s an adult male medium mix and he passed the test with cats and dogs (leashed introductions are appropriate). Shelter workers say Kringle was very shy at first but has warmed up. There’s a video of him at www.petfinder.com or www.adoptapet.com. He loves to run and play, and he’s gentle on a leash and enjoys walks.

The Ferris High School ASB officers camped out in the cold for a cause earlier this month in their annual “Freezin’ for a Reason” fundraiser, to raise awareness about homelessness and hunger. The students spent three nights and four days huddled around a campfire and slept in tents in the Ferris parking lot. They went without showers and depended on the community for food. Jennifer Walther, the Ferris ASB leadership adviser, said the students were dedicated to their cause. “They were trying to better understand homelessness in Spokane,” Walther said. The students plan the fundraiser for December because they say it needs to be cold enough, Walther said. “It shows how tough they are,” she said.

By the time you read this it will be almost a week since the horrific shootings in Newtown, Conn. Columnists, pundits and politicians will have opined, analyzed and commented. Graves will have been dug. Memorial services held. The initial shock and horror has faded, muted by holiday happenings. After all, life goes on and sorrow dims.

When most people think about parent volunteers in the school, they think of moms and grandmothers. One kindergarten class in the Central Valley School District is working to bring fathers into the classroom in one of its most popular events of the school year. In Kim Martins and Kasi Miller’s class, fathers of students are invited to come and make gingerbread houses with their children.

In the past three years, the University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival has engaged in more outreach to regional schools. Last week it was the Mead High School jazz choir’s turn to get a little special attention. Festival artistic director John Clayton stopped by to work with the choir and its repertoire.