TIDBiTS of Spokane County, WA by John Ortiz

New eveNts

IN the

Community Living section

See Page 5

February 20, 2009

Issue #602

Published By: J. O. & Assoc., LLC www.spokanetidbits.com ads@spokanetidbits.com For Advertising Call (888) 884-6371

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It’s that time of year when Hollywood hopefuls don their Sunday best and pervade the Kodak Theatre… whether to win a statuette or just to “be seen.” Read on for some behind-the-scenes Tidbits all about the Academy Awards. • When winners wish to “thank the Academy,” they’re referring to the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, or AMPAS. It was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1927, with the goals of promoting the quality of the film medium and providing a forum for the many branches of the industry. (That is, a platform on which to honor not only actors and directors, but all contributors to film production). • How does one join AMPAS? The membership expands solely by invitation. Each year, about 100 invites are sent out to actors, writers, and other film industry personnel. Those who accept the invitation must pay an annual membership fee of $100 and sign documents promising to follow the organization’s rules. Those invited to join in 2008 included Josh Brolin, Jet Li, and Sacha Baron Cohen. • Much like the American population in general, only about 50 percent of Academy members bother to vote each year. • The list of rules and requirements a film must meet in order to be considered for an Oscar are just slightly little less complicated than those printed in the United Nations Charter. For example, submitted films must be of a certain running time, must be recorded on an approved film stock, and must have been publicly exhibited turn the page for more Tidbits!

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Home &

Garden

This is a haMMeR By Samantha Mazzotta

a Time to plant It might be hard to believe, with winter still pounding at our doors, that it’s time to start preparing the lawn and garden. But February is an ideal time to get ready for the upcoming growing season. In some areas, it’s not too early to start seedlings. In just a few weeks’ time they will be ready for planting, right about the time that the soil and weather are both warm enough to nourish those plants. To get ready for spring, start planning how you’ll begin your seasonal lawn care regime, pick out new plants you’ll want for your garden, inventory stored bulbs and seeds, and prep the lawn and garden tools. Lay out all of your hand tools and check for damage or rust. Clean off rust with a little steel wool, and thinly coat the metal parts with an all-purpose lubricant like 3-in-1 oil or WD-40. Wooden handles should get a fresh, thin coating of a wood-friendly treatment like linseed oil or butcher block oil. Unfold the lawnmower and other gas- or electricpowered lawn tools and prepare them for use. Make sure blades and chains are in place, check to make sure spark-plug connections are clean -- maybe even give the starting cord a good tug (in a well-ventilated area) to make sure starting is possible -- and electric cords are not frayed. Don’t fill gas-powered tools with gas just yet, but do fill a spare gas can with the correct mixture and store away from the house, well away from flames and in a well-ventilated area. Finally, make sure you have all the lawn and garden supplies you need to handle springtime tasks. This includes fertilizer, extra grass seed for bare spots, mulch and any other items that will make outdoor work go faster and easier. HOME TIP: Didn’t have time to start a compost pile last fall? Don’t fret -- start composting now with a smaller amount and lots of fresh dirt, then add organic materials and turn as usual. Send questions or home-repair tips to homeguru2000@hotmail.com, or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. (c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

hendrick Motorsports: 25 Years of excellence Hendrick Motorsports, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is NASCAR’s most successful contemporary team. Owner Rick Hendrick, one of the nation’s leading automobile dealers in addition to his racing success, will field four Sprint Cup teams this year, employing four drivers -- Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin -- who have combined for seven championships and 174 victories. Though Hendrick is NASCAR’s gold-standard team, the prevailing metal this year is silver. Employees lovingly restored a 1989 Chevy Lumina, made it a good-deal slicker than an ‘89 Lumina ever was, gave it a silver sheen and presented owner Rick Hendrick with another valuable exhibit for his museum/gift shop. Hendrick founded the organization in 1984 with five employees and 5,000 square feet of rented workspace. Today, more than 500 people work on the more than 100-acre campus in Concord, N.C. Hendrick’s teams have scored at least one win for 23 consecutive seasons. In its 25 years, Hendrick Motorsports has averaged 1.4 top-10 finishes per race and seven wins per season. The operative word at Hendrick Motorsports is self-assurance. Two years ago, its four drivers combined to win half the races. Johnson has won the last three championships. Counting NASCAR’s three major touring series, Hendrick has collected 12 championships in its history. If you’re keeping a scorecard at home, that’s

www.spokanetidbits.com eight Cup (five Winston, two Nextel, one Sprint), three Craftsman (now Camping World) Truck and one Busch (now Nationwide) title. In other words, with that that kind of record, if they weren’t smug, they’d be disingenuous. Monte Dutton has covered motorsports for The Gaston (N.C.) Gazette since 1993. He was named writer of the year by the National Motorsports Press Association in 2008. His blog NASCAR This Week (http://nascar.rbma.com) features all of his reporting on racing, roots music and life on the road. You can e-mail Monte at nascar_thisweek@yahoo.com. (c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

PHOTO CUTLINE: Hendrick Motorsports drivers (LR) Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson pose during last month’s NASCAR Sprint Media Tour. (Jason Smith/Getty Images photo)

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The enveLOpe, pLease (continued): to paying audiences for a specified length of time in certain cities. • Oscar, as the Academy Award statuette is known, measures 131/2 inches tall and is heavier than you might expect, at 81/2 pounds. It’s made of tin and copper and then plated with gold. Since the identities of the winners are kept secret until the actual awards ceremony, the plaques on the pedestals of the statuettes handed out onstage are blank. Winners return them to the Academy the next morning to have their name, award category, and the year engraved on the plaque. As a protective measure, a unique serial number is engraved on the back of each Oscar, since they remain the legal property of AMPAS. • The Oscar statuettes are manufactured by R.S. Owens and Company of Chicago; the same company that produces the trophies for Miss America, the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. AMPAS usually orders about 100 Oscars (at $200 each) to ensure that they have extras to hand out in categories with multiple winners. • AMPAS rules prohibit studios from using certain methods to promote their films, including direct mail, telephone campaigns, and elaborate banquets. Instead, studios take out expensive “For Your Consideration” ads in film industry magazines like The Hollywood Reporter or Variety. Does this tactic work? DreamWorks Pictures spent over $750,000 on Variety ads to promote 1999’s American Beauty, which won five Oscars. • Once the preliminary voting commences, all AMPAS members are allowed to nominate candidates for Best Picture and the Best Actor categories. Only those who turn the page for more Tidbits!

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The enveLOpe, pLease (continued): work in the same specialization are allowed to nominate choices for technical awards. Only directors, for instance, can suggest a film for Best Director. Once the preliminary votes are tabulated, the top choices in each category become the official nominees. • After the nominees have been selected, ballots are sent out to all AMPAS members. All members get to vote in every category, even those in which they have no experience. This procedure has been the subject of much criticism. Few AMPAS members bother to screen the foreign film submissions, for example. As a result, a voter may have to select a film he or she has never even seen! • The final ballots are mailed to the public accounting firm of Price Waterhouse Coopers. Three PWC representatives retire to a locked, guarded room to tabulate the votes and prepare the sealed envelopes that contain the names of the 22 main winners. Those envelopes are given to a senior PWC official, who brings them to the auditorium and hands them to the presenters just before each winner is announced. A back-up representative travels to the ceremony in a separate car with a duplicate set of winners’ envelopes, just in case something happens to the first official (or the original envelopes) en route. • If the first courier makes it to the auditorium safe and sound, the back-up sits in the audience and opens the envelopes along with the presenter. This double-check measure allows a PWC representative to interject if the presenter happens to read the incorrect name or title onstage. Thus far in Oscar history, such a correction has never been necessary. • There are always more AMPAS members than there are seats in the venue where the Academy Awards ceremony is held. Nominees and presenters are given seats in what is called the “golden horseshoe.” It’s close to the stage so that their faces can be seen when the camera scans the audience, and also so they don’t have to walk far to present or collect their awards. When someone leaves the audience, a designated “seat filler” quickly rushes over and sits in the abandoned chair so that no empty seats appear on camera. • Of course, those in the golden horseshoe also require seats for their escorts and their entourage (personal assistants, family members, etc.), so another dozen seats or more may be spoken for. The families of executives from companies that sponsor the ceremony get the next batch of free seats. Any remaining tickets are offered for $200 each to AMPAS members on a first-come, firstserved basis. • Those bleacher seats outside the theater beside the red carpet are available only to those who win a lottery. Interested attendees must submit an application – along with a photo – and then wait to hear whether or not their name has been “pulled out of the hat.” The 400 or so spectators who “win” are given an official acceptance letter from AMPAS. No one else is allowed in the bleachers, even if they spent the night before waiting on the pavement in hopes of grabbing a vacant spot. • Even though the stars won’t begin arriving until 4 in the afternoon, spectators with bleacher tickets must arrive at the theater by 9:30 a.m. They’ll be rewarded for their patience with a view from a ringside seat when the stars arrive and walk the legendary red carpet. At 6 p.m., the bleacher crowd will cross the street to enjoy the TV broadcast of the event at the El Capitan Theatre. The End

Dear Dave, I’m 22-years old, in the military, and our yearly household income is about $20,000. We’re trying to get out of debt, but we owe $13,000 on a car that we financed at 14.5 percent. We both got $500 limit credit cards to help rebuild our credit rating, so we could refinance the car at a lower rate. Can you give us any other advice? Josiah Dear Josiah, I can definitely help you with the interest rate problem. Sell the car! No, I’m not kidding. I’m not trying to beat you up, but you’ve got no business with a $13,000 car when you’re only making $20,000 a year. Even if you’d paid cash for it, that’s way too much money tied up in something that’s going down in value. You don’t own the car, dude, it owns you! Right now your entire life revolves around finding a way to keep a car you can’t afford. That’s ridiculous! If I were you, I’d sell the car, go get a little beater to drive, and give my wife a big hug. This thing is putting unbelievable stress on your marriage, dictating your direction in life, and it’s just a stupid car! Forget the idea of building

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your credit, too! That’s one of the biggest myths around. Credit hasn’t been much of a blessing to you so far, has it? Here’s the deal. If you can’t pay cash for something, you can’t afford it. When you pay cash, you don’t have any payments. Then, you have control of your most powerful wealthbuilding tool – your income! Now that’s a formula for success! - Dave

(maintenance agreement worth it?) Dear Dave, I’m interested in your opinion regarding buying a five-year maintenance agreement on a new treadmill. It covers repairs, and an annual visit to check and lubricate all moving parts. Is a maintenance agreement ever worth the money, especially if you’re not the handyman type? Anonymous Dear Anonymous, You know why they sell those agreements? Because they’re huge moneymakers! No, I wouldn’t do that. We have exercise equipment in our home, and we don’t have any maintenance agreements. Lots of folks make resolutions to start working out and get into shape, but very few see it through to the end. A high percentage of expensive workout equipment turns into very expensive coat hangers in a short amount of time. I don’t ever recommend maintenance agreements, or extended warranties. I self-insure by having money saved up, and buying quality items! - Dave * For more great financial advice, please visit www.davesays.org.

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Tidbits® of Spokane County, WA VA Expands Access to Medical Care

vice-connected but low disability percentage, non-service connected but low income, and so on. Through a complicated set of rules, Group 8 itself is broken down into sub-groups a, c, e and g, mostly involving dates of initial enrollment attempts. If you signed up for benefits in the past and were denied because of your income, you’ll need to apply again. What the VA needs to see is your income for the 2008 calendar year. If you’ve applied during 2009, they’ll already have those figures. For more information, go to www.va.gov/ healtheligibility and check out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Wade through the language and try to determine which subgroup of Group 8 you’re in ... and reapply anyway. Call the VA at 877-222-8387 or your local VA medical facility for more information.

Are you in Priority Group 8? If so, you’ve probably never received veterans medical benefits because it means you were turned down. That’s about to change for some of you. Last year the Department of Veterans Affairs decided to open health care to some of those in Group 8 who were denied care in the past because income exceeded the limits by 10 percent or less, or due to the geographic means test. (Translation: It’s cheaper to live in some areas than in others.) Now because of a $350 million infusion into the budget, the enrollment door has opened a crack. Changes are to take place starting June 30. The VA assigns each veteran who applies for medical benefits to one of eight groups. Assignment is based on a wide range of variables: more than 50 percent service-connected disability, former POW or Purple Heart recipient, already receiving other aid or assistance, ser-

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volunteers needed -- Maybe You? You don’t have to wait until summer to find interesting things to do. Quite a few opportunities are available now, especially if you’d like to volunteer. Check out Senior Corps online [www.seniorcorps.org] and look for the drop-down menu under the Get Involved logo. Click your main interest and put in your ZIP code to get a list of volunteer opportunities in your area. I chose Arts and Culture and was surprised at the variety of listings. Little did I know that the college here in town needs volunteers to serve as guides for one of its exhibits! Then there’s ushering at one of the cultural centers. After I get people to their seats I can stay and watch the program -- for free. Now that’s exciting. Are you familiar with building supplies? ReStore, which is part of Habitat for Humanity, needs volunteers to man the retail stores in four-hour shifts. ReStores sell low-cost build-

ing and repair materials, with the proceeds going to help build houses for Habitat for Humanity. They’re in all states. You might also find volunteer listings for a handyman at nonprofit agencies. Like animals? Perhaps you can raise a puppy that’s destined to go to guide dog school or be a pet socializer at the animal shelter. Interested in genealogy? Look for opportunities at local colleges and historical societies to help catalog the collection, transcribe diaries and scan the photo archives. When I clicked the link on the Senior Corps site, I never imagined I’d find so much good information in one place, and I’m glad it’s there. Maybe you’ll find something interesting there, too. I understand now why many organizations don’t advertise in the newspaper for volunteers -- they can’t afford it.

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Matilda Charles regrets that she cannot personally answer reader questions, but will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to columnreply@gmail.com. (c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

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The Kitchen Diva By Angela Shelf Medearis

Backpack Lunches During the school year, I’m faced with the same dilemma every day -- what am I going to pack for my son Lorenzo’s lunch? Fortunately, help for my lunchtime quandary arrived by mail in the form of a new cookbook called “Real Food for Healthy Kids” by Tracey Seaman, head chef of the test kitchens for the “Everyday With Rachel Ray” magazine, and Tanya Wenman Steel, editor in chief of the award-winning food and recipe Web site Epicurious.com. While both women have stellar culinary backgrounds, the daily challenges of preparing healthy meals for their own children were the catalyst for this wonderful cookbook. As I read through the cookbook, I made note of the great lunch recipes I want to try. All the recipes include a nutritional analysis and have been kid-tested by children of all ages from around the U.S. “Real Food for Healthy Kids” also celebrates fruits and vegetables through creative, kid-friendly recipes. When children aren’t taught about the beauty of fresh vegetables, they miss out on an important connection to the earth and the flavors that make food so phenomenal. While a child’s picky palate is the focus of each recipe, adults will also enjoy the diverse menus. The cookbook also contains a wealth of helpful information about preparing meals for children with health issues. Author Tracey Seaman’s 13-year-old son is autistic, and her daughter is on a gluten-free diet. Seaman provides simple recipes and mealtime solutions for common health problems and food sensitivities based on her first-hand experience. “Real Food for Healthy Kids” is like a modern, family-oriented version of “The Joy of Cooking.” The cookbooks have a similar feel, right down to the quirky line drawings. This is a wonderful recipe resource for parents and children alike created by two culinary professionals and working mothers who firmly believe in the power of good food. CALIFORNIA-STYLE TUNA SALAD ROLLS 1 can (6 ounces) light tuna fish, preferably packed in water, drained and flaked 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 1/4 teaspoon wasabi paste* or freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 (10-inch) flour tortillas 2 medium leaves Boston lettuce 1 Kirby cucumber, peeled and coarsely shredded lengthwise (without seeds) 1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely shredded 1/2 of a ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced 1/2-inch thick

PHOTO CREDIT: Epicurious.com

1. Combine the tuna, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and wasabi paste or black pepper in a small bowl and mix until blended. 2. Lay the tortillas on a work surface. Spread 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise on each tortilla and arrange the lettuce on top of both; arrange cucumber, carrot and avocado lengthwise in rows near one edge. Spoon the tuna in a line next to the vegetables (away from the edge). Snugly roll up each tortilla into a cylinder. Cut crosswise in half. *Wasabi paste is available in the Asian section of the market. *** Angela Shelf Medearis is an award-winning children’s author, culinary historian and the author of five cookbooks. Her latest cookbook, “The New African-American Kitchen,” is in bookstores now. She’s known as The Kitchen Diva and is the executive producer and host of “The Kitchen Diva!” television cooking show. Visit her Web site at www.divapro.com. (c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Tidbits® of Spokane County, WA FITNESS

& HEALTH

TO YOuR GOOD heaLTh by By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

check for colon cancer Before symptoms appear DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What are the symptoms of colon cancer? Are there any? -- B.P. ANSWER: The colon is about 5 feet long. It begins in the lower-right side of the abdomen, ascends on the right to just below the liver, crosses over the abdomen to the left side and then descends to the rectum. Symptoms of colon cancer depend where the cancer is located. Cancers on the right side often cause open sores that bleed. Since it takes a while for undigested food to reach the rectum from the right side of the colon, the blood often is seen as tarry, black stool. Cancers of the section of colon that spans the upper part of the abdomen from the right to the left sides can cause obstruction of the bowel. Cancers of the left side of the colon, the most common site for colon cancer, can lead to narrow stools, cause stomach cramps and discharge bright-red blood into the stool. Weight loss is a sign of colon cancer, regardless of its site. Don’t wait for symptoms to check for colon cancer. This cancer has a number of excellent screening tests, and it can be detected early, when it’s treatable and curable. Everyone at age 50 should have a colonoscopic exam, a scope exam of the colon. The examining doctor sees every inch of the colon and spots any cancer or any polyps, the precursors of colon cancer. X-rays called double-contrast barium enemas are another way of detecting colon cancer. The booklet on colon cancer deals with its detection and treatment. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue -- No. 505W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL

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32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery. *** DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a serious problem. I say “serious” because I have had a doctor laugh at me for asking the following question, for which, incidentally, I paid $25. For about six years, I can hear my heartbeat loudly in my left ear. No one can tell me why. I hear it 24/7. I am about to lose my sanity. I pray you can help. -- D.M. ANSWER: Lots of people hear their heartbeat in one or both ears. The condition is called pulsatile tinnitus. One of the biggest causes for it is artery hardening, something that comes with age. Blood flowing through less flexible arteries near the ear becomes noisy. People hear their own heartbeat. Caffeinated beverages make the beating louder. Put a radio at your bedside and tune it to soothing music at night. The music can often muffle the heartbeat sound. If music doesn’t work, then turn the radio to a location where you hear static. Static often gets rid of the heartbeat noise. Sometimes changing the head position abolishes the beating sound. A few rare conditions produce pulsatile tinnitus -- a narrowed neck artery, an artery-vein malformation, a damaged aortic heart valve and high blood pressure are examples. I would guess these conditions would have been discovered in the six years you have had the problem. *** Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 328536475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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DEAR PAW’S CORNER: When I’m staying in a rental home at the coast, where is the best place for my dog, “Riley,” to stay: the rental home or a kennel close by? -- Todd Y., Neotsu, Ore. DEAR TODD: If you’re bringing your dog on vacation with you (which is fantastic, by the way), he should stay with you if at all possible. A kennel tends to be a stressful place for dogs, even if you come to pick him up every day. If you’re vacationing in an unfamiliar place, you may not know how well the kennel is run, if the dogs that stay there are kept healthy and happy, and if illnesses like kennel cough are kept to a minimum. Riley will beneﬁt from his owner being with him in an unfamiliar place, particularly at night. So, Riley should stay with you. If you’re bringing him on vacation, he should experience the vacation with you. A caveat, however: always get clearance from the

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rental home’s owner before bringing a pet. Vacationrental agreements often stipulate that no pets are allowed in the house. This happens, sadly, because not all pet owners control their pets, and damage can be done to the rental property. Many rentals that allow pets will charge an extra fee, sometimes per pet, to cover any potential damages. The fee is usually nonrefundable -- but in my experience it’s much cheaper than the cost of keeping your pet in a reputable kennel. If the vacation rental you’re considering does not allow pets, look for another house in the area. Several sites on the Internet list pet-friendly rentals, including Oregon.com (http://www.oregon.com/lodging/ pet_friendly.cfm); HomeAway.com (http://www. homeaway.com/index.cfm/tgt/oregon-pet-friendlyvacation-rentals); and DogFriendly.com (http://www. dogfriendly.com/server/travel/guides/us/usstateOR. shtml). Send your tips, questions and comments to Paw’s Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or e-mail them to pawscorner@hotmail.com. (c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Making a Difference in Spokane It’s a Wonderful Life - November, 2008 Last winter, during a time when we had alot of snowfall, I was driving downtown one afternoon and was stopped at the red light in front of a local tavern. As I waited for the light to change, an intoxicated man waddled out of the tavern, stood atop a large snow bank waiting to cross the street, slipped and fell face first onto the pavement, into the street. The light turned green, and the people in front of me proceeded to drive around him. I pulled over onto the snow bank and jumped out to help. The man was too large for me to help up. So I peered into the tavern and asked for help. Two intoxicated men came out and obviously knew who my snow bank man was. “Clarence!” they yelled. “What are you doing on the ground?” They tried to lift him but they couldn’t. They managed to roll him over, drag him onto the cold icy sidewalk, dropped his feet, and went back into the tavern. By this time his t-shirt had bunched up under his back and I could tell he was cold and his skin was turning red. I had called 911 and they were on their way. Nobody else stopped to help. I had about 10 minutes of time to just wait with frustration that I could not lift Clarence, nor talk to him. All I could do was look into his sky blue eyes, surrounded by his haggard red face and white hair. I knew that he could see me, and at one point he muttered, “I’m cold.” I felt so helpless... The fire trucks arrived and the paramedics jumped out and went over to Clarence. They immediately recognized him. “Clarence, what happened? Are you hurt? Where do you want us to take you today? Detox or the hospital?” I watched, hopeful that I would see Clarence get up and walk and talk. But he continued to lie on the ice. They did manage to get him to sit up. As I watched this all unfold, a paramedic came over and asked if I was the 911 caller. I said I was and he asked me questions about what had happened. Then, out of the blue, he said, “Thank you very much for waiting with Clarence. Usually people call us, then leave the scene. You are one of very few who ever stay.” This statement shocked me. Why would you just leave a soul in the cold snow not knowing if he had been taken care of properly? I felt then that it was okay for me to leave. I got in my car and drove away, with tears in my eyes for Clarence. What was his story, would he get help? I couldn’t stop thinking of his bright blue eyes peering up at me from the sidewalk. Jump to early November. I had been working at the Salvation Army as Business Administrator for about a month. What a difference working for a non-profit is, as compared to my previous corporate job! I had gotten a good education about the needy and less fortunate in our community and what great work the Army does to care for them. One day in my office, I had been thinking of Clarence as I so often have done since the accident. I think it was his eyes and his name I couldn’t forget. Clarence, like the soul on It’s a Wonderful Life. Then, all of a sudden, as I was looking out my office window, I saw Clarence get off the bus in front of our campus. It’s Clarence! I ran down the hall to the door just in time to see him walk past my building to the Family Resource Center. He was walking, quite swiftly and I stood with a smile on my face because this was my first glimpse of Clarence walking upright! I was overcome with emotion! I returned to my office and told my story to the Captains. Later that day, I was on a tour of the Resource Center and went into the waiting room for our emergency shelter and food bank. There, sitting in a chair waiting for assistance, was Clarence. I smiled and kind of did a little wave, but knew he didn’t know who I was. Jump to November 25, our big Thanksgiving Turkey give away day! At 7:00 am I went out to check on the line of people waiting to get into our community center for their turkeys. Standing at the front of the line was Clarence!! Once again, he was in my life, on our campus, requesting assistance. I went up and said hello and asked how he was. He asked if there were two lines this year and I said no, just one. He then said, “well then I had better go get in the right line.” He knew he had cut in front of about 50 waiting people, so preceded to walk about a block back to the end of the line. A good man, I thought. I then raced around looking for the Captain to tell him my Clarence was here! I found Captain at the canteen vehicle parked on the street, right in front of Clarence who had just been given a hot cup of coffee. “There’s Clarence”, I pointed out to the Captain. “Well, God bless him,” he replied. Later that morning, I was working the food distribution line. It was so busy, I had forgotten about Clarence. We were giving out over 6,000 turkeys! A few moments later, Clarence appeared in my line. I went up to him and for the first time, said his name. “Hi Clarence, thanks for coming today! Can I help you with your turkey?” He said yes and produced a big bag and a backpack. I helped him get his bag of groceries into the bag and zipped up his turkey into his backpack. I got both bags on his shoulders for him, all while looking into those familiar blue eyes. “Happy Thanksgiving Clarence,” I said. He grasped my arm, and after all this time and all my thoughts of him, in one sentence he said to me, “Thank you dear.” Sheila Geraghty Business Administrator, Spokane Corps Att

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