Welcome to the first Northwest Profiles of 2025.

How about that?

I'm Tom McArthur.

We have four armchair adventures to share with you this month, all created by our talented producers here at KSPS PBS, and all featuring local individuals who make living here in the Intermountain West such a great place to call home.

Up first, we get to look up as we look into the vibrant world of Spokane aerial performance arts.

From silks to hoops.

These acrobatic stunts require training and artistry that provide a fun challenge for all ages.

I'm Sherrie Martin, and I'm the owner of Spokane Aerial Performance Arts.

[music] I sort of tripped over, the aerial arts and ended up in an aerial silk class when I thought I was taking a gymnastics lesson and thought, well, this is really good.

So, we asked a gym owner that we know here in town if we could just put up a couple silks and teach at the end of the day, when they were done classes and she said, fine.

Just really started there.

That was 13 years ago.

[music] We have a lot of people who say, what's that?

When we say we do aerial silks or the aerial arts, and even if we say it's like Cirque du Soleil, a lot of people will then recognize it.

But a lot of people still won't.

[music] If you get a little bit technical, you're suspending yourself with your upper body.

So your finest muscles in your body, your hands, your forearms, are taking you upside down and into the air.

That I think is the most exciting part about it, because the challenge is really big.

It's a beautiful sport with a really big challenge.

And then, when you come to a class, you quickly find out.

You find out it's hard, but you also find out that you can master it.

So cool that way.

[music] We teach everything here that has to do with aerial arts.

We teach, aerial silk.

Our silk height is about 19 feet on our rigs.

Lyra, which is aerial hoop.

Handstands and hand balancing.

We teach a little bit of tumbling and anything else that augments your aerial training.

[music] It's a sport that's not mainstream.

And for kids who maybe aren't interested in some of the sports its a really nice alternative for them.

[music fades] [upbeat music] My name is Hailey Farr.

I'm 14 years old, and I've been taking aerial for about four years.

[Sherrie] She would come every day as her grandmother or mother would say.

She would come every single day if she could, and she would stay all day if she could.

Right now, I'm here about four days a week.

I teach all four days, but I have my main classes on Monday and Thursdays.

So we teach 18 classes a week.

We have four adult instructors, And then, because we're so busy and a lot of our classes are full, we also, train and use, student instructors.

[music] I'm an instructor for littles mostly, and its amazing to watch how, like, close they get to you because they're so little.

So that's like, kind of where the bonding starts, and then you see them get progressively better and it's really cool.

It's like the coolest thing ever when you see a little start as a beginner and then they keep continuing and they get really good.

[gym chatter] [music] I see this as my vocation, and because I have always been into this type of sport, it's how I serve.

[You are good.

Straighten your legs.

Wide straddle.]

It's really funny because all my life everyone has always told me you should coach, and I only wanted to be the athlete.

So.

It was funny that I shifted into this, and I would say that I really started embracing teaching as a service over the last like four years.

And I like the interaction, and I love watching people develop.

[music] We get every type of person into our gym.

We get, ex-gymnasts, we get, people who are really fit from other sports and come in to do this.

We get people who are not even in shape at all.

So, you wouldn't think that it's an every mans sport and art, but it really, it can be.

[music] Im Peggy and Im 66, and I've been coming to aerial since it opened its doors 13 plus years ago.

And I was here at the first session.

[gym chatter] I would say the hardest part about aerial is, it's age a little bit.

And then just the confidence of going upside down.

I was never a gymnast, so I never went upside down other than maybe hanging from the swing sets when we were kids.

But, I know I can do it and the encouragement from others in my class.

And of course, Coach Sherrie.

She goes, nah, you're going to get it.

You are so close.

And she's right.

[laughs] I can do it.

[Sherrie: Toward the back.

Stand up tall.]

[Peggy: Oh, look at that.]

[Sherrie: You did it!]

I think it is inspiring to other people to see older people doing this.

Some of the youth don't understand what 65 is.

You may as well be 80, but some of them will say, wait, that's my grandma's age.

So.

There's a ton of support between the ages.

The young kids know who Peggy is and Peggy knows who these little kids are.

[Peggy] For me, it gives me a perspective I would never have been able to be around kids that are 52 years younger than me, and it's still a special bond that we have in class, and they encourage me so much.

And it helps me to try moves that my brain's telling me, maybe not do that.

And then I try it and I succeed.

And...

I highly recommend it to anyone of my age or older.

[music fades] [upbeat music] I come back and do this over and over again to keep my own fitness and to serve others.

But really?

I haven't perfected it yet.

[music] I'm still working on it, and I hope I work on it ‘till I'm 80.

Now, I don't know in what capacity, but that's my hope.

I don't have any intention of changing, for a long time, I hope.

Perhaps this story provides inspiration for you to try out the aerial arts for yourself.

Well spoken Aerial Performance Arts has both youth and adult classes year round.

Check out their website for more information.

While we're looking up, let's gaze up on the wall to check the time on not just any clock, but one made by Richard Weatherly.

Richard has been crafting intricate clocks for more than 20 years.

We're grateful for the invitation into his workshop, where we see his prowess has grown beyond a casual hobby.

My name is Richard Weatherly.

We're in Spokane Valley, Washington.

Were in my shop.

I'm just a clock maker.

Very passionate about my clocks.

Richard Weatherly has dedicated himself to the art of clock making.

In his workshop, every curve and intricate design is a testament to his passion and precision.

But how do you describe this type of clock?

It's called fretwork.

Fretwork, to me, is just a clock with a bunch of holes in it.

Is what it amounts to.

My clocks, they're all made from rough cut lumber.

I make my own quarter inch boards, and I've been doing it now for 25 years.

Over the years, Richard has filled his basement with many of his creations.

He's been inspired by everything from Disneyland to the magical world of Harry Potter.

I was really interested in the Harry Potter series, the books and the movies.

I read the books probably three times and watched the movies numerous times, and then decided; this, this was the first thing that I actually built that was my own design.

I kind of wanted to do something along the lines of Hogwarts.

So this this piece right here.

Back to here.

And this.

I built that in 2017.

And that's kind of my interpretation of Hogwarts.

The first part of Hogwarts that I made, I made that in 2017.

And what Id do is I take different parts from different clocks and put them together with my own design.

So now I just built it one floor at a time and tried to put a little bit of it here, a little bit of it there.

The pattern is only the starting point you can do with them whenever you want.

Richard grew up in Tekoa, Washington.

In 1964, Richard joined the Air National Guard.

By 1976, Richard became an inflight refueling technician, or boom operator, for the KC 135 air refueling tanker.

And we traveled all over the world, we would drag fighters across the ocean.

Spent a lot of time in Europe.

Spent a lot of time in the South Pacific.

It was a great job.

During a family vacation to Oakridge, Oregon.

Richard was introduced to a woodworker who made fretwork clocks.

And the first time I saw the fretwork clocks, I just was amazed by them, and I just thought they were really neat.

And I thought, that's something someday I would like to do.

And then when I retired, 31 December 1999, the guys out of work asked my wife what they could get me for a gift when I retired, and she suggested a scroll saw.

Once Richard had his new scroll saw, a whole new chapter of his life began.

When I first got the scroll saw, I was not a woodworker.

I had never used one in my life.

So I started from scratch and I just started out simple and just worked my way up.

It was a lot of trial and error.

Richard says he does not sell clocks for profit, nor does he have a business.

But his passion had given him a purpose.

My wife's health was bad for several years.

In 2020, she wound up at Hospice House here in Spokane.

As their benefit auction approached.

Richard decided to donate one of his clocks to Hospice of Spokane as a thank you for taking care of his wife.

And then, by word of mouth, people started coming to me, asking for clocks for charity.

So I've been donating them ever since.

And his story of generosity has spread through the Spokane community.

I started keeping a log.

These two clocks over here will be number 240 and 241.

How long does it take to make a clock?

I'd say on average, anywhere from 60 to 120 hours is what it would take.

And I tell people, I've been doing this long enough, I'm pretty fast.

But the larger clocks take significantly more time.

Richard says his “Covid Clock” took approximately 800 hours, and the Hogwarts castle took over 1000 total hours to complete.

As far as favorites, I like them all.

The thing that makes me the happiest when I give somebody a clock, the look on their face when I give them a clock is more than enough payment for that clock.

It's been said that the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

By the measure of his love, Richard Weatherly does great work.

Did you know that the Inland Northwest is home to the sole veterinary school in the state of Washington, and one of the oldest in the United States?

The Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine opened in 1899.

Its first graduating class numbered three.

Today, annual classes have 140 who treat 20,000 animals a year.

So the human animal bond is alive and well in the state of Washington, and the demand for veterinarians is just increasing.

So the vet school started in 1899.

We were one of the first colleges to be founded in the university, and I think that just recognizes the importance of veterinary medicine in our state.

So last year, we had over 2400 applicants for 140 slots.

we had over 2400 applicants for 140 slots.

So as the numbers show, it continues to be harder to get into veterinary school than medical school.

The vet school is set up as a four year program right now.

And and at WSU, we have the first three years of their program is mostly didactic three years of their program is mostly didactic in the classroom.

in the classroom.

First year is very overwhelming where you think you know what you're doing.

I was like, I got a 3.8, I can do this.

And I had to relearn how to.

Study people equate vet med as drinking from a firehose, and I think that's totally true.

But I think that the faculty and the staff, the technicians and assistants, really want us to succeed.

Second year and third year, you start getting out into the labs.

More touching animals.

They're not alive...but But the majority of the clinical experience comes our fourth year where they rotate every two weeks.

Fourth year just seems really scary, but it's my favorite one for sure.

We do teach still a very broad breadth of education to our students.

So they get, you know, large animals, small animal exotics, So they get, you know, large animals, small animal exotics, So they get, you know, large animals, small animal exotics, they get all of that so that they don't have to choose right up front.

A lot of people change their mind on how their career wants to go.

So we have three departments Integrative Physiology, and Neuroscience.

Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology.

and Veterinary Clinical Sciences, we're also home to two schools, the School of Molecular Biosciences and the Paul G Allen School for Global Health.

And we have two big service units.

So the veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab.

And just this past year, we started a new public health major to serve rural, remote and underserved populations.

Theyre you go...good boy!

At our teaching hospital.

We treat all animals.

From bears to cows to dogs to goats to raptors.

We're one of the oldest veterinary teaching hospitals that's out there.

It's, quite a bit different than going to your local vet.

We have, veterinarians and we also have specialists as well that see everything from cancer to, neurologic problems, heart problems is what I deal with.

Our specialists are doing procedures that aren't done anywhere else in the state.

We have equipment like our linear accelerator that there are very few of them.

Ours is brand new.

We have equipment here that and we do procedures that aren't done anywhere else.

We definitely draw from all over the state and the really the Pacific Northwest.

And then us being a teaching hospital, we have students involved in the process which can slow things down because we're teaching, but it's also really good in the sense that we get to slow down and hopefully not miss anything.

The teaching hospital is hard, you know, everyone can be stressed but helps you keep in mind what we're here for, especially when you're taking exams every week.

Everything went well!

Great.

Yep, yep.

So he's waking up right now.

I graduated from veterinary school 25 years ago, so I got no formal training in communication or in leadership or in problem solving from a team standpoint.

When I went through vet school, we realized that there was a lot of the non-technical skills or non-technical competencies that we were overlooking in our training that that's a really important element.

So we have a really great communication program starts in our second year.

And so we actually have actors from the community act as clients with pets acting out different scenarios.

And I feel like a lot of that has prepared me for the real world.

I definitely have a greater toolbox because of that.

I also think that simulation based education is really important as far as communication.

Getting those clients in there and talking to them is really, really beneficial, and I really like how it's incorporated into our curriculum.

It's pretty unique to Washington State.

Then there's small intestine all floating around in there and other stuff, but we can't necessarily feel it.

Simulation based education is using models, mannequins, actors, technology environments to create authentic scenarios for our learners to be immersed in, to either reinforce or help them put together concepts and ideas, their clinical skills.

So we have been accredited through the Society of Simulation and Health Care.

We were their first veterinary specific simulation program, Surgeon I think were ready.

The SIM lab is really helpful as far as getting the basics down, like suturing and seeing those procedures in real life.

I think you're patient is painful.

Can you hold off just a second?

This is what we call an integrated simulation where we have communication, clinical reasonings and technical skill elements all mixed together in a very realistic environment.

Administering one mill of hydro.

This is really important for our learners to be able to get in, work on their skills, know how they're going to respond to stressors, and be in situations before they're faced with those same situations.

With live animals.

I think our biggest legacy is the compassionate and amazing veterinarians we train.

That go out with their skills and are literally capable of treating every animal on the planet.

And we look forward to the next hundred and 25 years.

And we look forward to the next hundred and 25 years.

The WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital offers emergency services for small and large animals.

24 over seven 365 in Pullman.

A veterinary chaplain will be leading a celebration of life and remembrance for our animal companions in April.

Finally, tonight, we know the Wizard of Oz gives the Tin Man a heart that helps him love and care for others.

What if someone gave you a heart?

Would it do the same?

Meet Lanny Burrrell, a similar wizard at heart.

My name is Lanny Burrell.

I'm well known in Riverview Retirement Community as the Heart man.

started making hearts about 25 years ago.

Maybe even 26.

>>Spokane's Lanny Burrell has a Heart issue one that this 85 year old retiree replenishes daily.

Holed up in the Riverview Retirement Communities woodshop Lanny spends hours on end making heart shaped gems that are meant to brighten up the lives he touches by the gift of giving.

>>I had a little woodshop in the basement of my home and, was rebuilding a coffee table for my wife, and I was cutting some other pieces off, and I had a really nice little piece that I didn't want to throw away.

So I made a heart, gave it to my wife, and she loved it.

So I made another one.

And another one and another one and pretty soon I was giving them away, >>Lanny's endeavors of making and giving away his handmade hearts made a big splash when Mike Ellis, a marketing professional in Spokane, heard about Lanny's heartfelt activities and wrote about him and his gifts of kindness.

The story was picked up nationally by people magazine.

>>I'm always looking for good news stories.

And when I heard Lannys story, I said, this is the good news story that a whole lot of people need to hear.

I knew that it was going to be a story that would spread like wildfire, but I had no idea how far it was going to go.

>>I get paid a lot for giving away hearts.

I tell one story.

I was, I was shopping at Yokes, on Foothills Drive, and, dad was pushing a little one, I'm guessing less than two years old.

I held out their heart and said, dad, does this little angel need a heart?

And, before he could answer, she held out her hand, grabbed the heart, took it between her hands.

Like this, and then put it over her heart like this all the time, beaming a beautiful smile up at me that brightened all of Yokes.

As I walked on by dad, I said, dad, I think I just got paid $1 million for that heart.

>>Lanny is one of those quiet givers.

And people love quiet givers because they're so used to people that do things for attention, for recognition, for accolades, for applause.

And Lanny never made a single heart for that.

He made it because he wanted to be able to touch people's lives positively.

>>Spending hours on end creating these small gems has given Lanny a purpose.

One that not only feeds into his giving nature, but one that touches lives.

>>I make them, freehand.

I don't have a set pattern.

I try to make them fit the piece of wood.

So I get the most beauty out of the beautiful part of the wood in a heart, and, and try to get as many hearts out of a chunk of wood as I can.

>>In the back of a room.

At a recent Riverview craft sale, Lanny shows and sells his wares front and center, along with others from the Riverview Woodshop.

>>Most of our proceeds either go to support the shop itself or to support, what they call the Riverview Foundation, which, goes toward helping people who move here run out of funds or run short on funds.

And then Riverview uses the Assistance Foundation to help those people who need a little more help.

>>I've seen the response to stories like Lanny over and over again.

It's that when positivity enters the room, negativity no longer feels welcome.

>>A lot of people tell me what I'm doing is is really nice and really wonderful, especially when they're asking me.

They tell me how, how much they appreciate what I'm doing.

I'm trying to spread a little bit of love, and there's a whole lot of not a not love going around and around in the country now.

So it's if I can just take a little teeny bit of love out there, then it makes me feel good.

As Lannny's fame grows, so does his output of hearts.

He always has a backlog of work creating his wooden treasures that have grown in leaps and bounds.

His output doesn't appear to be easing up any time soon.

2025 is the year of the wood snake in the Chinese zodiac.

The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, falls on January 29th this year.

The year of the Wood Snake is a time to seize opportunities and navigate challenges with grace.

May it be so!

Happy New Year!

We look forward to sharing an all new edition of North West Profiles with you in February.

Safe travels.

Until then, I'm Tom McArthur.

Bye for now.