The story: A look back at how the Great Depression affected Spokane.

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Produced by Colin Mulvany

Think things are bad now? In this narrated historical slideshow, Spokesman-Review's Jim Kershner recalls what the Great Depression was like in Spokane.

The story: In tiny Spirit Lake, kids troop downtown to meet Santa.

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Many small towns have Christmas traditions. In Spirit Lake, Idaho, the town throws a Christmas party for the students of Spirit Lake Elementary with cookies, Santa and Christmas music. This year, the event was Friday, Dec. 5, 2008. The Chamber of Commerce, the Fire Department, the food bank and some high school kids pitch in the make it happen.

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The story: Coeur d'Alene's popular seasonal celebration puts a shining star on "Black Friday."
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It was soggy, rainy and cold, but thousands turned out for the annual celebration in Coeur d'Alene Friday, Nov. 28, 2008. The lighted parade, the singing of carols and the fireworks show have become a tradition that folks don't want to miss on the day after Thanksgiving.

Read Meghann Cuniff's Nov. 29 story.

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The story: Middle and high school kids have a new after-school option.
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Founder Kitara McClure says people are waiting for federal or state funding to start helping teens, but her idea was for a place where teens and adult volunteers can help each other, and donations can cover the rest. She founded P.O.N.Y.T.A.L.E.S. Youth Services, which stands for Positive Outreach Navigating Youth Teaching Adolescents Leadership and Entrepreneurial Spirit, which led to the opening of the new center, a place for teens after school, where they can learn job skills, get tutoring, take a dance class or work in the recording studio.

Read the Nov. 27 story from Voices reporter Cindy Hval.

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The story: Winemakers in our region can brag about the quality of their Northwest wines.
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There are more than a dozen wineries in Spokane, double what was here a decade ago. The weekend before Thanksgiving is the annual Holiday Wine Fest, where you can taste a little wine and pick your favorites for holiday meals and gifts.
Northwest wines are a solid value, say the winemakers.

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The story: Spokanites protest Prop. 8 and in favor of gay marriage.
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Well over 100 people turned out with picket signs Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008 to let Spokane now how they feel about California's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage, as well as laws in other states that limit gay rights.

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The story: Musicians, dancers and storytellers display their talents at the annual event at SCC
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Since 1996, the Spokane Folklore Society has put on the Fall Folk Festival, a cultural display of music and dance, where spectators can pick from a smorgasboard of entertainment over two days. On Nov. 8 and 9, 2008, 6000 entertainers and spectators flooded the Spokane Community College Lair building. Volunteer coordinator Mary Naber talks about the history of the event what it brings to Spokane.

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The story: The advent of electricity killed the windmill, but some locals are bringing it back.
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Hugh Grim, with the help of his friends, has erected two classic windmills, now in operable condition, in his yard on the western edge of Spokane. These photos show the mounting of his newest one, a 1933 model with a 12-foot fan. There's not much wind there, but he just gets a kick out of watching them spin. They harken back to his own early childhood in the 1930s, when windmills were used to pump water. When electricity arrived on farms, windmills were abandoned. He's saved three of them, two of them for his own enjoyment.

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The story: Local Rotary Clubs pitch-in to help food banks.
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Produced by Jesse Tinsley

Rotarians, Kiwanis and Lions picked apples side-by-side Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008 in the orchards around Green Bluff. Farmers donated the fruit that was still hanging on their trees at the end of the season and the volunteers made sure it got to Second Harvest, the food bank clearinghouse in Spokane.

The story: One of the region's premiere artists speaks about his work.

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Artist Harold Balazs just turned 80 years old and he continues to create a legacy of art, which includes dozens of works of public art. You might have seen his work on the Kingdome, the Lincoln Building, at North Idaho College or by the INB Performing Arts Center. His work is everywhere in Spokane and around the Northwest. He is best known for his enamels--metal panels coated with fired glass--and his sculptures in metal and concrete. His work is mostly abstract and whimsical and his fertile mind continues to fuel new work.

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The story: Tom Westbrook reads a letter from Barack Obama addressed to his his wife Janet who died last month of cancer.
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Produced by Jesse Tinsley

Tom Westbrook's wife Janet died recently of cancer, when she came home from chemo a few months ago, she told the doctor she hoped she'd live long enough to do two things: Vote for Obama and celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this December. The doctor wasn't sure she'd be able to do either. But when the ballots were mailed out last October, she got one wish. She marked her ballot and mailed it right away. Her daughter Sara, who was staying at the house to help care for Janet, took a photo of her holding up the ballot and posted it on the blog she was writing about her mother's progress. The blog went to family and friends, including Jane Austin in Minneapolis, who works for Democratic campaigns and sent it out to friends. Janet died on Oct. 27, and on Oct. 28, Tom Westbrook was opening the mail and saw an unfamiliar Chicago address among the condolence cards. It was a letter, dated Oct. 26, from Barack Obama, thanking Janet for taking the time from her fight against cancer to vote for him. On election day, as Obama was poised to win his historic victory, Tom Westbrook talked about what that would have meant to Janet.

The story: After 37-years as Gonzaga Prep’s freshman football coach, Ron Long walked off the field a final time a winner.

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Produced by Dan Pelle

This one is personal.

I have known Ron Long since 1971. He was my 7th grade teacher in Catholic grade school and my freshman football coach in high school. Long was the subject of a yearlong story I shot for The Spokesman-Review back in 1993. He was again on my mind two week ago when I heard he was retiring from coaching after 37 years. We had heard that line from him before. He told me he was leaving the coaching ranks back in 1993. And again in 1994 and 1995. “Just one more year,” he would say. “Just one more year.”

This time I think he means it. After calling Gonzaga Prep to verify the facts, I knew I had to record his last game, not just for the newspaper, or for him, but for all the players and families and students who have crossed paths with the coach. Long is more than just a coach. He is a teacher. Beyond his history classes at school, he has changed lives on and off the field.

On the day of his last game at Hart Field, Long preferred not to talk about himself. He always brought the conversation back to the kids. So I let members of the team speak for him.

Long and Bullpups defeated Lewis and Clark by a score of 22-20. But, even if they would have lost the game, there would be no doubt who the real winner would be. A winner for that past 37 years.

Read John Blanchette's column about Long here.

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The story: Randy and Amy tie the knot at a neighborhood theater.
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Randy Elkins and Amy Kepler are all about fun. So they chose the venerable Garland Theatre in Spokane for their wedding Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008. The two went there on dates and felt it was the right place. They even encouraged guests to throw popcorn as they ran to the limo.

More: Read Cindy Hval's story from the Oct. 30 Voices.

The story: Harvest takes place for what will be the first Green Bluff wine made exclusively from Green Bluff grapes.

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Video, narration and production by Thuy-Dzuong Nguyen

Stephanie and Davide Trezzi have been growing wine grapes for three years. This year, they're passing a total of five tons of barbera and dolcetto to winemaker Don Townshend, making it the first time a Green Bluff wine will be made exclusively from Green Bluff grapes.

The story: Just for fun, divers try carving in the lake.

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Produced by Jesse Tinsley

Jim Flodin of Divers West wanted to find an excuse to get a dive together in October, so last year he started the underwater pumpkin carving contest. It was cold enough that he only got a couple contestants this year. Flodin shot and shared his video with the Spokesman-Review.