Washington Voices

Until recently, there were two things one could be sure to encounter at Shalom Ministries at the beginning of the day: hungry people and fresh graffiti facing the alley behind Central United Methodist Church. Shalom has been feeding homeless and low-income downtown residents in the basement of the church at Third Avenue and Howard Street since 1994, and program coordinator Holly Chilinski was getting more and more frustrated by the constant graffiti problem.

Nine seconds. In America, every nine seconds a child is reported beaten, raped, verbally assaulted or severely neglected, according to a local foster care placement agency, Olive Crest. Who knows how many such incidents go unreported? That four children also die each day due to abuse, according to Olive Crest, offers proof that society needs to work harder to protect the most vulnerable among us. Since 1973, Olive Crest, a privately run foster care agency, has been doing just that. Its mission states: “Olive Crest is dedicated to preventing child abuse, to treating and educating at-risk children and to preserving the family one life at a time.” Founded in California, the organization provides shelter and care for boys and girls from birth to 22.

North Central High School drama students will perform William Shakespeare’s comedic tale of spitfire Katherine Minola in “The Taming of the Shrew.” The students give the show a 1980s twist and include surprises to the classic story of Baptista Minola’s refusal to let his younger daughter, Bianca, marry until his older daughter marries first. Kate, also known as the shrew, comes with a huge dowry and is pursued by many suitors. But, Kate has little interest in marrying.

When 16-year-old Tasha Kelly-Schafnitz heard her friend’s mom had breast cancer, she felt bad. When she heard that a car wash benefit to help with medical expenses raised less than $10, she felt worse. Then she decided to do something. Kelly-Schafnitz, a student in the Veterinary Assisting program at the Spokane Vocational Skills Center, enjoys both animals and woodworking. She’s combined her two passions by crafting 3-D puzzles in animal shapes out of alder, maple, pine and oak. Now, she’s selling her intricate puzzles and donating the proceeds to help her friend’s mom.

A group of Inland Northwest residents, including family members of a local war hero, gathered in Best, Netherlands, earlier this fall to mark the 65th anniversary of the Allied liberation of the Low Countries in World War II. Pfc. Joe E. Mann, who was born in Reardan, was awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for his valor along a Dutch canal during the operation in September 1944.

Cheney will have a new mayor at the start of 2010. Tom Trulove will take the office after a 1,167 to 573 victory over Mayor Allan Gainer in the Nov. 3 election.

Last week Deer Park resident Ray Daves stood in front of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. He closed his eyes as sobering memories filled his mind. Each gold star on the memorial’s Freedom Wall represents 100 American lives lost during World War II. There are 4,000 gold stars. For Daves, an 89-year-old survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, those stars are personal. “I thought about men who were my age but didn’t get to enjoy life,” he said. Men like his friend, George Maybee, who was killed on the battleship USS Arizona, which sank during the Pearl Harbor attack.