November 2018 Splash

NOVEMBER

2018

THE

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COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE

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2 • NOVEMBER 2018

NEWS

The Park Bench

Honed in on Health – Ashley promotes innovative paths to wellness

By Craig Howard Splash Editor When it comes to achieving optimum wellness, Dr. Susan Ashley is pulling out all the stops.

The longtime practitioner of family medicine is known for what she calls “health care over sick care,” promoting proactive approaches that integrate traditional Western medicine with innovative methods – the result is a holistic strategy that puts chronic disease on its heels and quality of life at the forefront.

“I like seeing patients lives change for the better,” Ashley says. “I like to get to the root cause. Instead of just putting you on medications, I want to fix the underlying issues.”

Ashley gives the example of someone suffering from heartburn who could benefit from commonsense practices like drinking water with lemon juice, adding okra to their diet and eating almonds after a meal.

“I’m going to think outside the box,” Ashley says.

Ashley oversees two locations that sit on the corner of Liberty Lake Road near Appleway – Family Medicine Liberty Lake and Healthy Living Liberty Lake.

The first practice is “dedicated to the wellness of your family while offering premium care and specialties.” The second focuses on a goal of helping patients “achieve optimal health through a wide variety of state-of-the-art specialty treatments for aging, weight management, nutrition and other health issues.”

Ashley has the distinction of being the only board-certified physician in family medicine and anti-aging and integrative medicine in the Inland Northwest. She spent time as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and served two medical missions to the Ukraine as well as spending six months practicing tropical medicine in Nairobi.

A native of Houston, Ashley was

Dr. Susan Ashley oversees two clinics in Liberty Lake – Family Medicine Liberty Lake and Healthy Living Liberty Lake. The Texas native is board certified in anti-aging and regenerative medicine as well as family medicine. She is pictured with her new book, “Truckers’ Guide to Health and Longevity.”

Photo by Craig Howard the youngest of three children and was interested in science from an early age. One of her first science projects in school involved testing the nutritional factors of Vitamin C on two groups of lab mice.

“At first I was interested in studying oceanography,” Ashely recalls. “I wanted to be a marine biologist. Then I realized I got seasick.”

Ashley also considered becoming a professional pilot – she has her private pilot’s license – but decided to stay on dry ground and pursue medicine. She enrolled at the University of Houston after high school to study biology. After receiving her degree and teacher’s education certificate, she taught science at the high school level for a time.

Ashley eventually returned to the classroom as a student herself, enrolling at the University of Texas Medical School with a goal of going into family medicine.

“I liked the idea of taking care of the whole family,” she said.

During her fourth year at UTMS, Ashley was part of a rotation in pulmonary medicine at Rockwood Clinic in Spokane. After graduating from medical school in 1989, she began her residency here, finding a new home away from the Lone Star State.

“I liked this area right away,” Ashley says of the transition. “For one thing, Spokane was rated first in the nation for family medicine. I also love all the outdoor activities and the fact that there’s no humidity and very little traffic.”

Following her residency, Ashley spent time practicing in Cape

Cod, Massachusetts and Valdez, Alaska, Afterward, she returned to Spokane and joined the staff at Spokane Valley Family Medicine.

After 11 years there, she worked in urgent care before opening Liberty Lake Family Medicine in 2010.

Since starting with one employee who split time as a medical assistant and secretary, Ashley has steadily grown both practices. There are now 10 staff at Family Medicine and four at Healthy Living.

Ashley incorporates stem cell treatment, using only stem cells from umbilical cord tissue, for conditions such as chronic fatigue, joint pain, Multiple Sclerosis, heart issues and more.

Ashley is also known for administering the nutritionally based treatment NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) used to address everything from opioid addiction to Parkinson’s to depression and other conditions.

A clinically proven, medically supervised therapy, NAD is a coenzyme found in all living cells and something Ashley describes as “a miracle.”

“In 10 days, it eliminates the craving for opiates,” she says.

Ashley is also a published author who is getting the word out about her new book, “Truckers’ Guide to Health and Longevity” which features 3,000 copies in its first press run. She has a book signing set for Nov. 30 at the Barnes and Noble in Spokane Valley.

“It’s a book designed to help truckers from a regenerative medicine standpoint,” Ashley says.

“Whether it’s reversing diabetes, exercising on the road or eating

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right on the road.”

When not helping patients explore new avenues to their own well-being, Ashley can be found spending time with her husband Dan on the couple’s 10-acre farm just outside Liberty Lake. She also enjoys outdoor activities like tubing on Lake Coeur d’Alene and hiking. Ashley has two children, four stepchildren and nine grandchildren.

Q: In your many years of practicing medicine, what do you think are some of the most significant obstacles to people achieving optimum health?

A: The ever-increasing deductibles and out of pocket expenses patients are responsible for. This stops them from getting the necessary testing, lab and meds needed to evaluate and treat their condition.

Q: As a doctor who is telling folks what they should do to stay or get healthy, what sort of pressure do you feel to be an example of wellness yourself?

A: There is an ever-present pressure to attempt to stay as healthy as possible, including diet and exercise. If I'm not doing what I tell my patients to do, then how can I expect them to follow the same advice?

Q: Tell us about the origins of your new book, “Truckers’ Guide to Health and Longevity.”

A: In reviewing the health of truck drivers while performing DOT (Department of Transportation) exams, I realized that the population suffers from more health problems than the general population and that there was no one addressing this. I wanted a way to spread information throughout the U.S. that truckers could turn to as a resource guide, in helping them prevent and/or treat disease while utilizing my knowledge in antiaging and regenerative medicine.

Q: Your practice is known for offering approaches to help people address the aging process. How can we best embrace this inevitable aspect of our lives in a way that is positive and nourishing?

A: Aging is inevitable but we can do so much to slow the process and maintain our strength, health and vitality. These can truly be the golden years if we maintain the big three – our mobility, mind and eyesight. Take on new challenges, learn new hobbies, volunteer and give back to others, enjoy your grandkids, travel and see things you've never seen before.

See ASHLEY, Page 3

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NOVEMBER 2018 • 3

ASHLEY

Continued from page 2 Q: How has the location in Liberty Lake been a good fit for your practice?

A: The location is very visible, which is of benefit since we are also a walk-in clinic.

Q: We seem to live in a society that does not always place a priority on healthy living. From fast food to too much screen time to the overabundance of sugar, we are often bombarded with messages that run counteractive to long-term wellness. Do you have any advice on how we can filter these messages and stay on a healthier path?

A: You are so right about this.

It is a constant battle to stay on track with eating whole foods while avoiding fast and processed foods and finding the time and motivation to exercise regularly.

It's a conscious effort each of us must make to keep our mind and physical body active and healthy.

We also need to teach our children the same habits and keep the junk food out of our homes.

Q: What are some ways we

can keep active and fit in a world that can be so sedentary?

A: I daily recommend a regular exercise program and using an Apple watch or Fitbit is a great way to motivate and keep track of our activity.

Q: Give us your top three keys to maintaining good health A: Top three keys for health: A whole food diet with minimal sugar; regular exercise, both aerobic and strength training and taking medical grade supplements, especially as we age. For a more aggressive approach, use stem cells to help reverse aging.

Q: Finally, with cold weather around the corner, what can we do to stay active without getting frostbite and avoid the trap of getting stuck on the couch with a bag of potato chips?

A: If you don't belong to a gym, find another way to stay active.

When the weather is bad I will take a brisk walk at the mall or do a workout in my living room using a DVD. There is exercise equipment that is small and portable to purchase as well. Enjoy winter sports such as snow-shoeing or cross country skiing that you can do out your front door. Do not become a couch potato!

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4 • NOVEMBER 2018

NEWS

Kuney, Chase face off in allRepublican commissioner race

By Keith Erickson

Splash Correspondent

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In a race lacking a Democratic challenger for the first time in 40 years, the two Republican hopefuls seeking a four-year term in District 2 on the Spokane County Board of Commissioners both bring years of relevant experience.

Spokane County Commissioner Mary Kuney, appointed to the position last year by Gov. Jay Inslee, is opposing county Treasurer Rob Chase, who defeated Kuney in a reelection bid for treasurer in 2014.

District 2 covers the southeast section of Spokane County including Liberty Lake, the city of Spokane Valley, Millwood and southern portions of Greater Spokane Valley.

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Both candidates listed public safety, transparency and fiscal prudence as top priorities for commissioners, although their views differ on those issues.

Chase, who is finishing his second term as treasurer, said he believes the public is often “stonewalled” when seeking county information.

“I don’t think there’s enough transparency,” he said. “That’s one of the big complaints I’ve gotten as I’ve door-belled.”

Kuney, a certified public account who also served as a former state auditor, seemed puzzled by her opponent’s charges.

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“Anyone can come into any one of our meetings at any time,” she said. “Everything that we do is recorded and people can get any of those recordings. (Transparency) is an issue that I’ve only heard from my opponent.”

justify their expenditures at every turn.

“You can’t just go carte blanche on all requests,” he said. “I think the best way, really, to have a good economy is to not increase taxes, but to make sure you are spending the money you do have correctly,” he said. “I haven’t really seen that here.”

Chase said he’s reluctant to increase taxes, stating that commissioners used $5 million that could have been put toward roads to make up deficits and took the 1-percent property tax increase after the Legislature created a new property tax to boost school funding, causing taxes to go “sky high.”

Both candidates underscored their track records as public officials in promoting government efficiency.

Since he was elected treasurer in 2010, Chase said his department has overseen an increase in revenue collections of 20 percent.

“And we haven’t added any staff,” he said. “The only area we’ve added (personnel) is when the county took over waste management contract from the city. They operated it with 11 people and we do it with seven.”

Kuney said her accounting background along with experience auditing the county’s books can be applied toward serving as commissioner, especially when tackling the budget. “I’ve demonstrated an ability to be efficient and effective to make sure we are meeting the needs of our citizens with our budget,” she said.

Kuney said her proven record as a commissioner and support from other elected county officials, including Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, clearly demonstrate her leadership.

“I feel like I’m doing a great

See COMMISSIONER, Page 5

Kuney’s goals, if retained, are to support public safety and economic development initiatives to generate revenue for the county through sales tax from new businesses and property tax from new construction, which she said could help reduce future budget shortfalls.

“The two go hand-in-hand,” Kuney said. “Without strong public safety, we aren’t going to have a strong economy. People aren’t going to want to be here if there’s a lot of crime running rampant.”

Chase agrees public safety is a top issue for the county, but said as the elected officials controlling the budget, commissioners must

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Mary Kuney

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NEWS

COMMISSIONER Symphony passes Continued from page 4

job as commissioner and bringing common sense to the position,” she said. “I think that being on the commission one year and having the support of the elected officials who have chosen to endorse says a lot.”

Chase said his “generalized experienced” and knowledge of inner-workings at the courthouse gained during his eight years as treasurer set him apart from Kuney.

“I have a wide variety of experience you need as a commissioner,” said Chase, who holds licenses in insurance, real estate and mortgage brokering.

While Chase has raised far less money than his opponent, he believes there is a “diminishing return” when financing a campaign and touted his grassroots campaign strategy.

“I put up all my own signs and did 605 miles of doorbelling in the primary,” he said. “I met a lot of people and heard a lot of good ideas.”

Kuney secured 58 percent of the vote in the August primary election, with Chase obtaining about 39 percent.

Washington State Public Disclosure Commission data shows Kuney raised more than $80,000 in campaign contributions with $53,000 in individual donations.

Chase has raised more than $17,000 with a majority of that amount from individuals.

While both represent the GOP, their political ideologies and support bases differ. Kuney has generally garnered the backing from traditional Republicans, while more conservative party members affiliated with the Tea Party have tended to line up behind Chase.

Rob Chase

now offered through library

From Splash News Sources Liberty Lake Municipal Library is pleased to announce a new program in partnership with the Spokane Symphony that offers Liberty Lake city resident library cardholders the opportunity to attend a classical music concert this fall.

The library will have four Spokane Symphony concert passes available for a matinee performance conducted

by Eckart Preu at Martin Woldson Theatre at The Fox at 1001 W. Sprague Avenue in Spokane. The passes are available for “Sibelius and Brahms” on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 3 p.m. as The Silver-Garburg Piano Duo performs Brahm’s famous “Opus 25.” The first concert in the library/ symphony collaboration, Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 21” took place on Oct. 21.

This program is made possible by a generous donation from the Spokane Symphony providing these opportunities to enjoy classical music for a whole new generation.

“The Spokane Symphony is excited to join the library pass program to increase the cultural offerings available to Liberty Lake resident cardholders,” said Spokane Symphony Executive Director Jeff vom Saal. “We hope it will encourage families to come downtown and experience a Sunday matinee of classical music performed by our outstanding orchestra.”

Each pass, one per resident library card, is available on a first-come, first-served basis. It’s easy to reserve a Spokane Symphony Pass from the library by following these steps: Visit the online event calendar at http://libertylakewa.evanced.info/ signup. Resident library cardholders may reserve passes during the two weeks before each performance Pick up the pass from the library no later than the close of business on the Thursday before the concert.

Take the Spokane Symphony Pass to Martin Woldson Theatre at The Fox for the concert.

Liberty Lake Municipal Library provides resources and opportunities for its community to learn, work, create and thrive together. Through a reciprocal agreement with Spokane County Library District, library services are also provided at no charge to residents of the other service area.

For more information on the library or its programs, please visit www. libertylakelibrary.com or call 2322510.

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6 • NOVEMBER 2018

Let’s Connect!

Join us to find out about innovative programs happening inside our schools and CVSD! All COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS EVENTS are from 7:30-9:00 a.m. and include breakfast: w November 1 – STEM Academy at Spokane Valley Tech,

115 S. University Rd. See firsthand how students utilize the engineering design process throughout their school day to enhance learning. Explore our design projects, Tradeshow of Innovation, Water Filter Design Challenge and more. w November 16 – Bowdish Middle School, 2109 S. Skipworth Rd. View a presentation on our Project Lead the Way engineering classes. Enjoy student presentations, followed by a hands-on activity for participants. This informative and interactive morning will highlight the great engineering work of our students! w December 14 – Progress Elementary School, 710 N. Progress Rd. Curiosity and innovation are leading to a high level of student engagement in our student choice electives and Project Lead the Way units. Learn from our students about how their passion in their learning has been ignited.

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NOVEMBER 2018 • 7

The Lookout MEMO from the

Mayor

By Mayor Steve Peterson

This message started out as “How we create our budget as a nexus to our strategic plan.” The events of October dramatically changed that topic. On Oct. 18, our morning was shattered by a 911 call for a pedestrian hit-and-run occurring at Mission and Country Vista.

The person hit was our neighbor, Marilyn. You would see her every day in those funky, florescent

tennis shoes using our sidewalk trail system. Marilyn was an avid walker covering 5-10 miles a day.

Thursday the 18th started the same except that at Mission and Country Vista her life and another person’s driving the vehicle collided.

She was killed crossing the street by an inattentive, in-a-hurry driver headed for the job site. To top it off, that person did not stop or care about their actions. They did not care about our Marilyn only about themselves. They didn’t care about our laws and community, only about themselves. They just didn’t care about…. well, we care!

We care about the safety of our citizens in their everyday life, for their families and their friends.

We care about providing a safe environment for all of us to enjoy.

Our trails are set away from the street, the bike lanes are marked, the crosswalks have flashing blinkers, our school is patrolled and the list goes on.

There are now cameras all around us to capture the moment.

We Care. What we cannot do is be the first line of defense, that is your job. Stop. Look. Listen – and be aware what is happening around you. Pass it along to your kids in

Council Corner

By Mayor Pro Tem Shane Brickner I started as a reserve police officer for the Liberty Lake Police Department back in 2006. I often get asked why I would work as a reserve police officer for free when there are so many risks in this day and age. I decided I wanted to help give back to the community in any way that I can and having a prior police background I felt this was an ideal opportunity to give back.

You might ask yourself what a reserve police officer’s duties are.

For our department, reserve police officers act as police officers while they are working shifts, meaning they have similar authority as a fulltime police officer. We will respond to similar calls throughout the city and assist full-time police officers in any capacity possible. Reserve police officers are required to work a minimum of 20 hours a month and are required to attend training throughout the year similar to fulltime officers. One of the classes I was fortunate to be able to attend was SWAT training.

Being a reserve police officer has given me a unique prospective as the mayor pro tem of Liberty Lake when it comes to conversations around not only public safety within the city but it has also given me a unique prospective when it comes to traffic flow and pedestrian safety.

One of the big areas of concern

for the City Council is traffic flow with the continued growth in our community but also within surrounding areas. I recently attended some meetings within the state and I brought up not only the need and concern for getting Harvard Bridge expanded to improve traffic flow along with the Henry Road overpass but I also brought up the great concerns of traffic flow on I-90 from Barker east to stateline. I emphasized what a safety concern this can be especially when emergency response vehicles need to get somewhere quick.

I invite citizens to reach out to me or any other City Council members regarding questions about priorities within our city. Go to www. libertylakewa.gov or call 755-6700 for contact information.

Snow Talk!

Getting prepped for winter roads

By Stephen Williams City Streets Section Lead The city of Liberty Lake has established some goals and objectives. Our primary goal is to provide safe and clean streets while providing great costumer service. The city has approximately 100 lane miles of streets with roughly 53 mile being collectors and arterials.

The city’s primary objective is to keep the collectors and arterials clean and safe for passage. The city’s focus on these streets allows the emergency vehicles to get within a few blocks of any home. When the snow arrives, many residents ask, “When will my street be plowed?” When the city has finished the collectors and arterials

November 2018 their safety training. No distracted driving and maybe keep an ear pod OUT for what’s around you. While our budget and strategic planning is just a part of delivering safety, the rest is up to you! We all need to focus on pedestrian safety! We do not want another needless tragedy to occur.

Our neighbor Marilyn will be remembered fondly for making a house a home, a neighborhood closer and a community better.

Her contribution, like yours, will ensure Liberty Lake continues to be Spokane County’s Premier Address!

You can depend on it. and enough snow has accumulated, the city moves on to residential plowing.

You can stay updated on the latest plowing information several ways – the city Facebook page or by receiving text alerts through the city website’s “Notify Me” program. Visit the city website at www.libertylakewa.gov for our snow removal plan. All of these are great resources for information on plowing. The city would like your help this winter with being patient, understanding and following a few rules: Do: Give snow-fighting crews the right-of-way to finish their important job.

Do: Drive with extra caution during winter months.

Do: Keep your sidewalk clear of snow and ice as much as practical.

Do: Allow plenty of room between you and snow equipment.

Do: Help city crews by not parking cars along major snow routes whenever possible. This will prevent your car from being “buried” by snowplows.

Do: Help out your neighbors and those who may need assistance with snow removal Don’t: Throw snow into the street when shoveling your driveway. Not only does it create hazards, but it is illegal.

Don’t: Forget to plan ahead for winter. Have your shovels ready, winterize your car and prepare for winter driving with the right tires and chains.

https://www.facebook.com/libertylakewa • www.libertylakewa.gov

The Splash

8 • NOVEMBER 2018

City Council News and Notes – November 2018

By Craig Howard Splash Editor • Rep. Bob McCaslin Jr. spoke to council during the workshop session on Oct. 16. The 4th District legislator said education and transportation continue to be two of his top priorities in Olympia.

Council members emphasized transportation priorities including widening the Harvard Road Bridge, adding a third lane on I-90 from Barker to the state lane and improving the safety of the freeway on-ramps. “I look at the safety issue from citizens’ standpoint and the fire department’s standpoint,” said Mayor Pro Tem Shane Brickner.

“We want to get to these people as soon as possible.” McCaslin said he and fellow 4th District legislators Rep. Matt Shea and Sen. Mike Padden “have a pretty good record of bringing transportation money to this area.” McCaslin said state revenue projections have another half billion being added to state coffers. “There’s a lot of elbowing that goes on when people hear about that kind of money coming in,” he said. “It’s important for business growth but more importantly for safety to bring these (transportation) projects here,” McCaslin said.

• McCaslin spoke frankly about marijuana, calling it “a gateway drug” that leads to the abuse of opioids and other drugs. He said community groups, churches and other organizations should take the lead on educating youth on the dangers of marijuana and other substances. He supports the idea of holding a drug dealer responsible for those who die from overdoses.

Brickner said the medical community, specifically doctors and dentists, should be provided with more direction on how medications with addictive qualities should be prescribed.

• Operations and Maintenance

Director Jennifer Camp said on Oct. 16 that swale repair work continues on Harvard and Wellington. She added that the pavilion stage at Orchard Park is currently being built.

• The 26th annual Leaf and Beach Cleanup will take place on Nov. 13.

The project is a collaboration between the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District (LLSWD) and the city. District customers can participate. Crews will pick up bagged, compostable yard waste starting Saturday, Nov. 10 at 8 a.m. The following are accepted: leaves, yard/garden vegetation, weeds, pine needle and grass clippings. Bags should be kept at a manageable weight. For more information, call LLSWD at 9225443.

• The Parks and Arts Commission announced last month that utility boxes in Pavillion Park were being wrapped with historical images.

The commission is working on an application process for artists interested in providing material for future utility box wraps • Work was wrapping up on the Heights overlay project said Director of Planning and Engineering Lisa Key during her presentation at the Oct. 16 workshop. City Administrator Katy Allen added the project had “some quality control issues,” adding, “the contractor is going back out to address those issues.”

• The city recognized October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a proclamation stating that Liberty Lake is dedicated to “domestic violence education, awareness and taking a firm stance against domestic abuse.” Chuck Teegarden with the Spokane County Domestic Violence Coalition accepted the proclamation • Dr. Julie Clark of Crazy Beagle and Liberty Lake Veterinary Center gave a presentation on both businesses during a spotlight at the beginning of the Oct. 16 council meeting. While business is thriving, Clark said parking continues to be a challenge and said regulations set forth by the city – mandating certain landscaping improvements among other requirements – have been prohibitive. “For me to add 14 parking

spots is going to cost $81,000,” she said. “It’s very frustrating.”

She also raised concerns about signage stipulations. “They’re just not business friendly,” she said. “I expect you guys to work with me a little better.” Clark added that Key has been helpful in the process.

Mayor Steve Peterson said she would discuss Clark’s concerns with Key the following day. Later in the meeting, Key told council, “We do have some challenges with our landscaping ordinance. We want to be business friendly while still maintaining that aesthetic that the city values greatly.”

• Laina Schutz said the Parks and Arts Commission is considering several possible locations such as City Hall and the library for a donated sculpture by artist. The piece is valued at $26,000.

• Bill Genoway of the Liberty Lake Sewer Water District said the first phase of the Eastside Water System Improvement Project is complete and the second phase is on track.

In an aside, Genoway said he had just returned from the East Coast and the trees there “have nothing on us,” adding, “if you want to see foliage and leaves, come here.”

• Council Member Dan Dunne said the Central Valley School District is now accepting ideas for the name of the district’s third comprehensive high school scheduled to open for the 2020-21 school year • Key revisited Greenstone’s request to allow RV parking in the Trutina neighborhood of the River District. The developer has come back to the city proposing increased landscape buffers near RV parking areas and a definition of “conditional use” as opposed to “permitted use.” Requests would come before council on a case-by-case basis, Key said. The Planning Commission has already recommended rejection of Greenstone’s first proposal to allow RV parking. Brickner disputed Greenstone’s claim that a large number of residents had come forward with this request. “We’re talking about six people out of 60,” he said. The revised proposal will be addressed at a future hearing.

26th Annual Beach and Leaf Pick-Up LLSWD and City crews will gladly pick up your bagged leaves

November 10-11th, from 8 a.m. to Dusk Please visit our webpage for guidelines on participating in this event.

We do not accept all types of waste.

Bag them and leave them on the curb! 922-5443 www.libertylake.org

Preliminary 2019 budget features new twists, turns

By Craig Howard Splash Editor Forget the latest titles on the New York Times Bestseller list, the most compelling read in Liberty Lake these days may just be the 2019 preliminary city budget.

Headlining this year’s fiscal prose is the captivating Capital Improvement Plan beginning on page 119 and featuring $5.8 million in design and construction of various projects. If you’re short on time, don’t worry – a quick reference guide of the plan is available four pages after the introduction.

The plot thickens with the debut of a fund tied to the new Parks and Arts Commission which outlines financial support for public art as well as signature community events like the Fourth of July Concert and Lud Kramer Memorial Labor Day Concert. Spoiler alert – this section does include references to a certain well-known local orchestra.

New characters are also part of the budget narrative introduced

by Mayor Steve Peterson at the Oct. 16 City Council meeting. In addition to blending the planning and engineering departments, the mayor has proposed an increase of five full-time employees next year – although one of those, a planning office assistant, joined the staff this year. One new police officer and three new operations and maintenance employees would be added under the mayor’s plan.

Peterson tipped his hat to the current operations and maintenance crew responsible for sustaining Liberty Lake’s trademark look.

“The city has a fully functioning street department that is able to do its own snow plowing,” Peterson said. “The parks department has expanded to meet the needs of a growing parks and trails inventory.

We have so many people out there working on your behalf to make this city clean, green and beautiful.”

Peterson emphasized the 2019 budget was guided in large part by the city’s new strategic plan, an initiative spurred by Council Member Bob Moore as a way to provide increased focus on municipal priorities. The mayor

See BUDGET, Page 9

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BUDGET

Continued from page 8

thanked Moore for his efforts and insights in promoting the concept.

“We have a good successful city not just because we have the plan in our heads but now we have it down on paper,” Peterson said.

The mayor went on to note that “creating the budget as a nexus to our strategic plan to achieve outcomes has been our mission.”

The plan features four “pillars” – vibrant economy and business environment; safe active and engaged community; sustainable resources and quality facilities and infrastructure.

The relationship between the city and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) “has never been better,” Peterson said. He pointed to WSDOT covering the costs of the design work for the widening of the Harvard Road Bridge and mentioned other city initiatives scheduled for 2019 like an extensive traffic study along Country Vista Drive.

A rebuild of Mission is also in the works. Meanwhile, revenue from the city’s utility tax continue to be dedicated to street improvements.

NOVEMBER 2018 • 9

Stevenson broke down the property tax distribution by taxing district, explaining that the city receives 12 percent of the overall dispersal. Property owners in Liberty Lake also contribute to fire protection (22 percent), state school (20 percent), general county (9 percent) school bond (13 percent) and general school (24 percent).

Currently Liberty Lake’s $1.47 per $1,000 ranks lowest among property tax rates for local jurisdictions, followed by Spokane Valley ($1.82), Airway Heights ($2.01), unincorporated Spokane County ($2.05) and Millwood ($2.13). Cheney ($3.55) and Spokane ($3.30) are highest among area cities.

The mayor’s budget is currently available on the city’s website – www.libertylakewa.gov.

Public hearings on the budget will be held during the next three City Council meetings while inquiries and input from the council – known as “mayor’s budget questions or MBQ’s” – are all due by Nov. 30.

Council approval of the final budget is expected in December with a first read scheduled for Dec. 4 and a second for Dec. 18.

“We’ve tried to keep up on all of our roads,” Peterson said.

The shift would add just over $24,000 to city coffers although Stevenson, who tacked on a PowerPoint presentation to the mayor’s budget overview, noted that the profound pace of property value appreciation would actually translate to an overall decrease from this year’s rate of $1.59 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $1.47 per $1,000 in 2019 even with the 1-percent uptick.

Stevenson gave the example of a home valued at $300,000 paying $444 of the city’s portion of property tax next year under the 1-percent increase compared to $450 this year with $20,000 in appreciation.

“Eat, Shop and Be Merry” is a special cover section that will champion what holiday guide aimed at area consumers and businesses — and as a bonus we’ll include your idea as part of our story featuring can’t-miss local gift ideas. Restaurants are encouraged to advertise and contribute a tantalizing menu item for our article on dining out.

On November 20 and 21, the guides will be distributed throughout the greater Valley area via The Splash and The Current. The December issues are strategically scheduled to land before Thanksgiving, just in time to remind residents about supporting local businesses on Small Business Saturday (Nov. 25) and throughout the holiday season.

The mayor noted the city has around $15 million in assets which include properties like City Hall, Trailhead at Liberty Lake Golf Course and the municipal library.

As longtime followers of the municipal budget are aware, no financial blueprint for Liberty Lake would be complete without the discourse over property tax. Each year, the city has the option of increasing the tax rate and, this year, Peterson – with support from Finance Director R.J. Stevenson – has included a recommended 1-percent hike.

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10 • NOVEMBER 2018

COVER STORY

Safe Landing – Air Force veteran turns tables on painful past

By Craig Howard Splash Editor Pain.

Caryn Baksis has experienced it on many levels – not in the form of combat injuries like many of her military colleagues, but through wounds to the heart that sometimes take longer to heal.

The opening of her counseling practice in Liberty Lake last year took place on March 7 – two years to the day that Steven Ostermann, her ex-husband and father to her three children, died from congestive heart failure. He was only 33 years old.

Those who know Caryn will tell you the date was no coincidence.

She has made it a habit to tackle heartache head-on. Her counselor profile on Psychology Today opens with a quote by Vivian Green – “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain.”

So, last March, with late winter showers tapering into early spring drizzle, Caryn chose to layer the most significant triumph of her professional life with one of the most emotionally wrenching episodes of her personal journey, like bitter frosting on top of a celebratory cake.

“I did that to honor him,” Baksis says. “I know that I feel that much pain because I loved him that much.”

Caryn and Steven met in 1999 shortly after both enlisted in the Air Force following high school. He was a high school football star from a rough neighborhood in Southern California where drugs and violence pervaded the streets.

far from bucolic, however. She was bullied at school and suffered from anxiety but still managed to pull good grades. At 11, the family moved to Newark, Ohio. When Caryn was 14, her parents divorced.

“It really affected me,” Caryn recalls. “I was depressed and slept all the time. School didn’t really matter anymore. I was scared.”

Caryn’s mom, Christi Downing, remembers isolating herself after the divorce, calling the period “the worst time of all of our lives.”

“I always said Steven could have been just another statistic,” Caryn says. “But he got out.”

“I just withdrew,” she said. “I was just thinking of me and not Caryn. It was really difficult on her.”

Caryn and Steven were both children of divorce who battled their way through volatility at home and found refuge in the military. Soon they were dating.

By her junior year in high school, Caryn found herself drifting further.

One day, her best friend mentioned she would be taking a screening test offered by the Air Force. Caryn decided to tackle it as well. She passed with flying colors, tallying a score high enough to qualify for a guaranteed job. She picked air traffic controller. There was only one problem – she needed a high school diploma to enter the Air Force.

“People who are wounded can see the wounds in others,” Caryn said.

“It’s unspoken but it’s there.”

Caryn was born in Jacksonville, Florida, not at – but on the way to – the hospital. With her father behind the wheel of a 1965 Ford Galaxy and her mother in the passenger seat, Caryn decided it was time to make her premiere in the world.

“We didn’t quite make it to the delivery room,” she said.

Caryn grew up near white sandy beaches and a bubbling creek that ran near the family home. Life was

Just as Steven had fled the risk-riddled environment of his hometown, Caryn made a decision to exit Newark, a city that had its own drug-related problems. She would head north to Barrow, Alaska where her dad had relocated, the northern-most town in the U.S. At Barrow High School, Caryn was a

The Splash

rare 19-year-old senior.

“It was humbling but I made friends,” she said.

With her high school diploma in hand, Caryn was ready for enlistment. She reported to WrightPatterson Air Force Base just east of Dayton, Ohio and then was shipped off to Biloxi, Mississippi for basic training/tech school. Caryn’s family tree includes some military branches, including her dad who served in the Navy as well as both the Army and Air Force National Guards and a grandfather who fought in the Army during World War II. “It was a pressure cooker,” Caryn recalls of her introduction to the military. “But I never thought of giving up. I knew that if I could make it through basic training and be an air traffic controller I could do anything.”

Part of that resolve was due to the support and encouragement of her mom who was there to see her daughter off on the beginning of her military journey.

“My mom is amazing,” Caryn says.

“She taught me so much. She’s someone who got a degree in history with four kids. She’s just my pillar.”

Christi remembers Caryn’s decision to join the service coming as “a total surprise.” Looking back, she expresses appreciation for what the experience taught her daughter.

“It gave her the direction she was looking for,” Christi said.

Caryn excelled over the course of her training and eventual assignments as an air traffic controller as did Steven. For a time, they were stationed at the same base in Clovis, New Mexico.

Then he was assigned to a base in Portugal. Before leaving, Steven proposed to Caryn at an airport in Columbus, Ohio. She accepted and they exchanged wedding vows in April 2004.

The young couple was anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first child in December 2005 but instead of a celebration, Caryn and Steven found themselves planning a funeral. Steven Jr. was stillborn and life turned upside down.

“It changed Caryn said. chaplain came just said, ‘Why

Caryn Baksis is a single mom of three, an Air Force veteran and a counselor with a successful practice in Liberty Lake.

She moved to the Inland Northwest in 2011 from Texas to be closer to her mother. Baksis earned her bachelor's degree from Gonzaga University in Psychology and master's in Marriage and Family Counseling, also from Gonzaga.

Contributed photo

everything for me,” “I remember the to our home and I me?’”

Caryn would go through a miscarriage and another stillbirth before having her daughter Camryn in 2006. A second daughter, Ashley, and a son, Lucas, would follow.

“I was bitter and angry for a long time,” Caryn says. “My bitterness

See HEALING, Page 11

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HEALING

COVER STORY

and anger destroyed my ability to be a good wife.”

“She followed her dream,” he said.

“It’s rare for someone to go out solo, but she did it. I’m sure she’s having a positive impact on people’s lives, both vets and civilians.”

Caryn received some counseling after the losses but did not maintain the therapy – something she regrets.

“If I would have stayed with counseling after I lost my babies, I think would have saved my marriage,” she says. “I needed to learn what I was feeling and feel what I was feeling. If I could have done that, I wouldn’t have been so scared.”

“I remember not wanting to be singled out as different from my peers or seen as a weak link,” she said. “I think it was a matter of pride, too. Now, I know the power of it. I think there are leaders in the military now that understand the power of identifying flaws and weaknesses and learning how to deal with them.

If you don’t get that help, you end up struggling alone and it reinforces that negative cycle.”

Toward the end of October 2003, Caryn was deployed to Iraq as part of the War on Terror. She served until March 2004 at a base in Tallil near the borders of Iran and Kuwait.

The base was originally utilized to provide theater airlift and combat search and rescue support.

“I knew after 9/11, we were going to war,” Caryn says. “I was proud of serving. I was proud to be a 22-yearold woman over there, supporting our mission.”

Caryn’s time in the Middle East was part of a distinguished six-year career in the Air Force that included a tenure as a watch supervisor overseeing shifts that included six to 12 air controllers at a time.

couldn’t do it,” she said.

Sturtevant was one who knew better.

Continued from page 10

These days, Caryn helps veterans and active duty military personnel overcome the stigma she faced while serving in the Air Force – that soldiers are too strong for counseling.

NOVEMBER 2018 • 11

Christi says her daughter has gone from “being a survivor to really thriving.”

“I think it’s fabulous the way she works with people,” she said. “She’s taught me a lot about me. I see what kind of woman I am now and it doesn’t make me mad at myself.”

Caryn married Steven Ostermann, a fellow air traffic controller, in 2004. The two met in 1999 after enlisting in the Air Force. Ostermann passed away in 2015 from congestive heart failure at the age of 33.

Contributed photo “The Air Force taught me a work ethic that I didn’t have before,” Caryn says. “It taught me that I was capable of so much more than I thought I was. The military gave me a life I wouldn’t have had if I’d stayed in Newark, Ohio.”

After a few rocky years, Caryn and Steven divorced in August 2011.

Caryn and her children moved from Houston to the Inland Northwest that summer to live with Caryn’s mom who moved to Spokane Valley in 2004. Caryn and her kids later moved to an apartment in Liberty Lake.

“I love this community,” Caryn says. “I love all the support that’s here.”

Buoyed by the G.I. Bill, Caryn enrolled at Spokane Community College and later transferred to Gonzaga University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

While Caryn was working on her master’s in Marriage and Family Counseling from Gonzaga, she was an intern at the Veterans’ Outreach Center in Spokane Valley. Robert “Stu” Sturtevant was office manager

there at the time and recalls Caryn’s first week corresponding with Steven being admitted to the hospital.

“I found out she had a family emergency,” Sturtevant said.

“Losing her husband, going to school and raising her kids, it was pretty amazing how she was able to focus and press on with her degree and see her clients.”

For Caryn, her work at the Vet Center became a refuge.

“The only time I wasn’t hurting was when I was counseling,” she said.

Sturtevant says his former colleague has emerged from life’s storms to help others find shelter.

“She’s been through a lot but she’s pressed on,” he said. “I think the tough things she’s gone through and overcome have made her a better counselor.”

After completing her internship at the Vet Center in June of 2016 and earning her master’s, Caryn worked for a counseling office in Spokane Valley before venturing out on her own.

“I had a lot of people telling me I

The nurturing approach carries over to Caryn’s approach to single parenting, Christi says.

“She’s an amazing mom,” she said. “She’s like a great gardener who gives her kids the sun, water and nutrients to grow.”

While Caryn is at a better place now – she recently purchased her first home in Spokane Valley and her practice is gaining solid traction – she is quick to point out that there are still days spent dancing in the rain.

“With life, you get to have this happiness, but you’re also going to feel this pain,” she said. “I do still experience the pain. I make room for feeling that instead of ignoring it.

We’re taught very well to stay busy, to rub some dirt on it and keep going but we’re not really taught how to feel less than perfect.”

With the turbulence of her past informing and enlightening her present, Caryn says she savors the opportunity to lift others up and be nourished herself.

“I went through it and now I’m trying to help people,” she says.

“I believe in them until they can believe in themselves. The people I see teach me so much about the resiliency of the human experience.

It really helps with my healing. It’s a gift.”

COMMUNITY

12 • NOVEMBER 2018

The Splash

Calendar of Events COMMUNITY EVENTS Nov. 3-4 | Fall Craft Show benefiting the Central Valley High School Marching Band and Color Guard – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information contact: cvmbPublicity@hotmail.com.

Admission is $2.

Nov. 3 | Spokane Valley Heritage Museum Heritage Luncheon – 11 a.m., Eagles Lodge, 16801 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley. This year’s program is “Spokane Valley: Where It All Began, 1858-1930” and will be presented by Chuck King and Jayne Singleton. Attendees will also enjoy a silent auction, the presentation of the annual Heritage Preservation Award and lunch. Tickets are $20. For more information call the museum at 922-4570 or visit www. spokanevalleymuseum.com.

Nov. 8 | Salute to Veterans Dinner - 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Southside Community Center, 3151 E. 27th Ave., Spokane. All veterans eat free.

The evening will include an honor guard from Fairchild Air Force Base, special recognition of veterans from all services and Gold Star families and personal stories told by veterans.

Musical entertainment by The Willows and Bill Comphe. KHQ anchor Dan Kleckner will be the MC. Cost for non-vets: $15 for members of the Southside Community Center; $17 for non-members. Reserve space by Nov. 5 by calling 535-0803.

Nov. 9 | Veterans Day Panel – 6 p.m., Liberty Lake Municipal Library, 23123 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake.

This special event will feature local veterans telling stories and answering questions from attendees. Panelists will include vets from the Navy, Marines, Army and Air National Guard.

Nov. 16-17 | Liberty Lake Library Fall Book Sale, Liberty Lake Municipal Library, 23123 E Mission Ave., Liberty Lake. As always, there will be a huge

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selection of books, audiobooks and DVDs. All proceeds benefit the library directly by funding programming, summer and winter reading, special events and much more.

Nov. 20 | Tom’s Turkey Tuesday – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, 720 W. Mallon, Spokane. Stop by to pick up your complimentary Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of Tom’s Turkey Drive. Visit www.krem.com for more information.

Nov. 25 | Christmas Lighting – 3 to 6 p.m., Spokane Valley United Methodist Church, 115 N. Raymond Road, Spokane Valley. This free community event will feature games, crafts, singing and refreshments. All are Welcome.

Nov. 29 | Celebration of Lights sponsored by the Greater Spokane Valley Rotary Club – 5:30 p.m. This free community event will start at the east end of the Spokane Valley City Hall, 10210 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley. The choral group from Bowdish Middle School will sing and there will be hot chocolate, candy canes and a visit from Santa Claus.

Dec. 2 | Holiday Craft Show – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Spokane Valley Adventist School, 1603 S Sullivan Road, Spokane Valley. This event will feature holiday handmade decor and more. For more information, contact svascraftfair@gmail.com or visit http://tinyurl.com/svascraftfair.

RECURRING

ACT 2 senior classes | Affordable classes offered by Community Colleges of Spokane to those who are retired or planning to retire. A wide range of courses from geology and history to exercise and art are offered at CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place, as well as other locations throughout the area. “Focused Fitness on Dishman Mica,” a yoga class, is now part of the schedule. More at www.sccel.spokane.edu/ACT2 Al-Anon family meetings |

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Mondays, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Liberty Lake Library, 23123 E. Mission Ave. No meetings on holiday Mondays. Is there a problem of alcoholism with a relative or a friend? Al-Anon family groups can help. For more information call 456-2125 Military Sobriety Support Group | 10 to 11: 30 a.m., Spokane Vet Center, 13109 E. Mirabeau Parkway, Spokane Valley. Call Steve at 8934746 for more information Baha’i Fireside Conversation | 7 to 8 p.m., third Thursdays of the month.

Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Discussion of Baha’i teachings, history, and perspectives on resolving the challenges facing humanity. All are welcome. More at 599-2411 or www. bahai.us Catholic Singles Mingle | meeting times and locations vary. This group, with no dues, is for single adults of all ages. More at www.meetup.com/ Catholic-Singles-Mingle DivorceCare Recovery Support Group | Mondays, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Eastpoint Church, 15303 E. Sprague Ave. Learn how to heal from the deep hurt of divorce and discover hope for your future. DivorceCare for Kids (ages 5-12) meets at the same time and location. Cost is $25 for workbook.

More at 892-5255 or eastpointchurch. com Grange Meeting and Dessert | 6:30 p.m., third Wednesday of the month, Tri-Community Grange, 25025 Heather Street, Newman Lake. The public is welcome for this communitybased service organization. For more information call 226-2202 or see us on Facebook Liberty Lake Library | 23123 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake. Various clubs and weekly meetings including book clubs, children’s story times, LEGO club, computer drop-in class, knitting club, and more. More at www. libertylakewa.gov/library Men’s Weekly Bible Study | 7

a.m. Tuesdays. Millwood Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite Road, Millwood. The men’s weekly Bible Study meets in the Reception Hall with different members sharing in the leading of the study. All men are invited to join. More at www.milwoodpc.org Spokane County Library District | Locations include Argonne, Fairfield, Otis Orchards and Spokane Valley.

Special events and weekly activities for all ages including book clubs, children’s story times, classes, Lego club, teen anime club and writing clubs. More at www.scld.org Toastmasters, Liberty Lakers #399 | 5:45 to 7 p.m., Wednesdays at the Liberty Lake Library, 23123 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake. This is a speaking and leadership development club.

Spokane Valley Quilt Guild | Meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of February, April, June, August, October and December at Valley Assembly of God Church, 15618 E. Broadway, Spokane Valley. Open to all interested in sharing ideas and skills of our quilting craft. Participants have can access a comprehensive library, can engage experienced teachers and participate in community service projects. More at www.svqgspokane. com Free lunch Last Sunday | Spokane Valley United Methodist Church, 115 North Raymond Road, Spokane Valley - 12:30 p.m. in the church’s Fellowship Hall, Room 115

MUSIC & THE ARTS Oct. 18-Nov. 11 | Spokane Watercolor Society Juried Show, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture - Helen South Alexander Gallery, 2316 W. First Ave., Spokane. Days/ times: Tuesday - Sunday 10 a.m. 5 p.m. The opening reception and awards program will be held Oct. 18,

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from 5-8 p.m. The jurist is nationally and internationally known watercolor artist Birgit O'Connor.

Nov. 2-11 | “Shrek the Musical,” Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave., Spokane. Based on the Oscarwinning DreamWorks Animation film, this stage presentation is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure. Tickets are $16 at door; $14 in advance; $13 for seniors; $12 for age 12 and younger. For more information call 227-7638 or visit www.bingcrosbytheater.com.

Nov. 29-Dec. 15 | "A Charlie Brown Christmas" by Charles M. Schulz. The classic animated television special comes to life in this faithful stage adaptation, in which Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang discover the true meaning of Christmas. Visit www. libertylaketheatre.com for more information.

RECURRING Pages of Harmony | 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Wednesdays. Thornhill Valley Chapel, 1400 S. Pines Road. If you enjoy singing, you will love the fourpart, a cappella harmony of this men’s barbershop chorus. More at www.pagesofharmony.org Spirit of Spokane Chorus | 6:45 p.m., Tuesdays. Opportunity Presbyterian Church, 202 N. Pines Road. Make new friends by joining this women’s chorus, specializing in four-part, a cappella harmony in the barbershop style. More at 218-4799 Spokane Novelists Group | noon to 4 p.m., second and fourth Saturday of the month. Otis Orchards Community Church, 23304 E. Wellesley Ave., Otis Orchards. A support/critique group for writers. Open to anyone with an interest in writing fiction (no memoirs, nonfiction, poetry, etc., please). Participants should bring 5-10 pages to read aloud and 6-8 copies for others to read along and critique. More at 590-7316 Spokane Valley Camera Club | 7:15 p.m., third and fourth Monday of the month (September through April). Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District building, 22510 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake. All levels of ability—students through experienced photographers—are invited to learn.

Social events include field trips and workshops. More at 951-1446 or www.sv-cc.org Teen Writers of the Inland Empire | 4 p.m., first Thursday of the month (except holidays). Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Writers (sixth grade and older) meet to write and share their work. More at 8938400

HEALTH & RECREATION Nov.

4

NOVEMBER 2018 • 13

|

Real

People,

Real

Solutions – Lutheran Community Services Northwest annual fundraising luncheon – program begins at 1:30 p.m. at Mukogawa Commons, 4000 W. Randolph Road, Spokane. This event will feature food, philanthropy and fun in support of Lutheran Community Services Northwest, a local nonprofit agency helping people recover from mental health, trauma and addiction issues; supporting families beset by trauma and poverty; resettling and supporting refugees; finding foster homes for neglected children and working with families to keep at-risk teens from being removed from their homes; helping seniors and people with disabilities remain independent and standing up for victims of crime.

For more information, call 343-5020 or email cmckee@lcsnw.org with questions.

Nov. 9 | Operation Veteran Smiles – A free dental care event, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the dental office of Dr. Justin Rader, 1223 N. Government Way, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Call 208664-9225 for more information.

Through Nov. 30 | Through the end of November, Sullivan Park Assisted Living Community, 421 S. Adams Road in Spokane Valley, will offer free and confidential cognitive screenings for seniors. Each screening takes approximately 30 minutes.

To schedule your screening, please call 790-4326.

Nov. 6 and Dec. 4 | Quit for Good – Tobacco Cessation class. Have you tried quitting smoking before without success? INHS and Providence Health Care are teaming up to provide a free four-week program designed to help you have long-term success in quitting tobacco. Tobacco cessation tools will be available to you as well as tobacco cessation experts. The class includes Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) while supplies last when NRT is not covered by participant’s health insurance. This is a live, interactive webinar. Log in information will be emailed with your registration confirmation. For more information, call 232-8145 or visit www.inhs.info.

Nov. 20 and 27 | Know Your Numbers: Risk Factor Screening, INHS Community Wellness Center, 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Spokane.

Do you have hidden risks? Sign up to get immediate results for cholesterol, blood glucose, waist circumference, blood pressure and more.

Nov. 29 | Pre-diabetes screening, INHS Community Wellness Center, 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Spokane.

This simple blood test provides information about a person’s average levels of blood glucose, also called blood sugar, over the past three months. Immediate results are provided and can be discussed at the

See CALENDAR, Page 14

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The Splash

14 • NOVEMBER 2018

CALENDAR

Continued from page 13 time of appointment with a registered dietitian and/or a certified diabetes educator. For more information, call 232-8145 or visit www.inhs.info.

Wednesday mornings | Mindful Music & Movement class, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Specifically designed for those living with chronic health issues such as: Parkinson's, dementia, COPD, MS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, cancer. Supporting body, mind and soul. $10 donation suggested. Facilitated by boardcertified Music Therapist, Carla Carnegie. Willow Song Music Therapy Center. 21101 E. Wellesley #102.

Otis Orchards. For more information, visit www.willowsongmusictherapy. com or call 592 7875.

RECURRING HUB Sports Center 19619 E. Cataldo Ave., Liberty Lake. Various activities and events occur throughout the week including: • Pickleball drop-in: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Mon. through Thurs.; 10 a.m. to noon Tues. and Thurs.; and 6 to 8 p.m. Wed. and Sun. $3/seniors ($5/ non-seniors) • Classes including Kenpo Karate and Zumba Aerobics. See website for cost

and times Tuesday afternoons | Decreasing Anger Group, 3 to 4:30 p.m., the Vet Center, 13109 E. Mirabeau Parkway, Spokane Valley. Eligibility: Combat veteran from all eras, military sexual trauma survivors, Contact Steve at 893-4746 to make an intake appointment.

CIVIC & BUSINESS Nov. 6 | “Hope for the Homeless” – 7 to 8:30 p.m., Spokane Valley United Methodist Church, 115 N. Raymond Road, Spokane Valley . Come and learn about current homeless situation in the Spokane Valley. There will be a panel discussion and several agencies will be there to offer resources. For more information, call 926-7262.

Nov. 6 | Compass Club Ladies Luncheon and Auction – noon, Ramada Inn at Spokane Airport. The Compass Club been an organization since 1948, when seven women decided to form their own club to provide more opportunities to meet people and to get to know friends better through hobby groups. The purpose of the Spokane Compass Club is to develop fellowship and acquaintance among new residents and assimilation

into the life and social activities of their new community. Cost of the luncheon is $25. Reservations are required.

Please contact compassres@gmail. com Mondays in November | Financial Literacy with Dycelia Weiss – 12:30 to 2 p.m., STCU Community Education Kitchen and Classroom at Spokane Valley Partners Food Bank and Family Services, 10814 E. Broadway, Spokane Valley. Call 9271153 or visit www.svpart.org/foodbank/ for more information.

Library, 23123 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake Liberty Lake Lions Club | Noon to 1 p.m., every first and third Wednesday of each month. Meetings are at Barlow's Restaurant, 1428 N. Liberty Lake Road. For questions, call Mary Jo at 558-5426 Liberty Lake Centennial Rotary Club | Noon to 1 p.m., every Thursday at the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water building, 22510 E Mission Ave. For more information, go to www.

LibertyLakeRotary.org Liberty Lake Merchants Association | 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Liberty Lake Portal, 23403 E. Mission Ave., Suite 120. More at 999-4935 Liberty Lake Municipal Library Board | 10:30 a.m. the first Thursday of each month, 23123 E. Mission Ave. Liberty Lake Planning Commission | 4 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month, City Hall, 22710 E. Country Vista Drive Liberty Lake SCOPE (Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Effort) | 6:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, City Hall, 22710 E. Country Vista Drive Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District Board | 4 p.m. on the second Monday of each month, 22510 E. Mission Ave.

RECURRING Central Valley School Board | 6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, CVSD administration building, 19307 E. Cataldo, Spokane Valley Liberty Lake City Council | 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, City Hall, 22710 E. Country Vista Drive Liberty Lake Kiwanis | 6:45 a.m. on the first through third Wednesdays of each month, City Hall, 22710 E. Country Vista Drive. Fourth Wednesday, the club meets at noon at Barlows restaurant, 1428 N. Liberty Lake Road Friends of Liberty Lake Municipal Library | 2 p.m., the last Wednesday of each month, Liberty Lake Municipal

,

The Splash

NOVEMBER 2018 • 15

Look into the facts behind I-1631 Initiative 1631’s new $2.3 billion energy tax would increase every year with no cap

$2.3 Billion Energy Tax, Increases Every Year

Unelected Board, No Accountability

I-1631´s new energy tax would cost Washington families and consumers more than $2.3 billion in the first five years alone. And I-1631´s escalating taxes would automatically increase every year – with no cap.

There would be no meaningful oversight of the unelected board of political appointees in charge of spending the billions in revenues collected under I-1631. There is no specific spending plan and no requirement to spend funds specifically on reducing greenhouse gases.

Source: Fiscal Impact Summary of I-1631, Washington State Office of Fiscal Management, Rev. 8/24/2018

Consumers Pay Higher Gas Prices Washington already has the third highest gasoline prices in the nation, and I-1631 would drive these prices even higher. An independent study shows that I-1631 would increase gasoline prices by 13 cents per gallon in the first year, with automatic increases every year, indefinitely. These increases would quadruple to 59 cents more per gallon within 15 years.

Source: Initiative I-1631, Sec. 8 (3); NERA Economic Consulting, Analysis of Economic and CO2 Emissions Impacts of Washington Initiative 1631, October 2018; AAA, State Gasoline Price Averages

Sources: Initiative 1631, Sec. 4, 5, 6; Washington State OFM, Fiscal Impact Study of I-1631, August 24, 2018

Hurts Families and Small Businesses Families and small businesses would face higher costs for gasoline, heating fuel, natural gas, electricity and other goods and services.

I-1631 would cost the average Washington household $440 more per year in 2020, increasing every year indefinitely, reaching $990 by 2035. This would especially hurt those who can least afford it.

Sources: Initiative I-1631, Sec. 8 (3); NERA Economic Consulting, Analysis of Economic and CO2 Emissions Impacts of Washington Initiative 1631, October 2018

“I-1631 would cost the average household $440 more in 2020. Household costs would continue to increase every year, with no cap, especially hurting families and those on fixed incomes.”

Vicki Malloy Farmer/Orchardist, Malaga

“I-1631 would continue to increase prices for electricity, heating and gasoline every year, making it harder to compete with out-of-state companies.”

Sabrina Jones Small Business Owner, Spokane

“I-1631 would force Washington consumers to pay billions, and then would give an unelected board a blank check to spend those billions however it chooses, with no specific plan and no guarantee of less pollution.”

Rob McKenna Former Washington Attorney General

“Consumers would pay billions in higher prices for gasoline, electricity, heating fuel and natural gas. But there’s no guarantee it would help our environment.”

Colin Hastings Executive Director, Pasco Chamber of Commerce

Small businesses, family farmers and consumers across Washington agree

FactsAbout1631.com Paid for by NO on 1631 (Sponsored by Western States Petroleum Association), PO Box 7035, Olympia, WA 98507 Top 5 Contributors: BP America, Phillips 66, Andeavor, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Valero Energy Corporation

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Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be our national bird, not the bald eagle?

Wild turkeys are the largest game bird in North America. It is estimated that there are over seven million in the wild. There are two species wild and ocellated. Eggs take about 28 days to hatch. They eat acorns, seeds, berries and insects. Fossils show that they had been domesticated in Mexico from at least 800 BC and that Native Americans hunted them since about AD1000. While most domesticated turkeys are too heavy to fly, those living in the wild prefer to fly up to a low branch to roost for the night. They used all parts of the bird; besides eating the meat, feathers were used to stabilize arrows and as decorations for ceremonial clothing, skins have been tanned and used for boots and belts and male spurs were used as projectiles on arrowheads. Turkeys can see in color up to 100 yards away, run up to 25 MPH, fly up to 55 MPH and can even swim. A group of wild turkeys is a flock but a group of domesticated is called a gang. There are several differences in males and females; males are more colorful, larger, have some hairlike bristles on their chest called a

beard and gobble loud enough to be heard a mile away, females cluck, cackle and do not gobble.

Males poop in spirals and females make a j shape.

The caruncle is the red-pink fleshy growth on the head and upper neck of a turkey. The wattle is the bright red growth under their neck and the long red fleshy growth by their beak is a snood.

There are 50 million turkeys butchered at Thanksgiving time every year as part of an industry that grosses over one billion dollars a year. 88% of Americans will eat turkey for Thanksgiving.

70% of a turkey is white meat while only 30% is dark meat. The heaviest turkey ever weighed 86 pounds. The wishbone or furcular is formed by the fusion of the birds two collarbones. It acts as a spring to store and release energy when flying.

This is why it really needs to be dry before you can break it.

A mature turkey has about 3,500 feathers, most of which are composted. It is said that Big Birds costume on Sesame Street is made of turkey feathers.

Henry VIII was the first English king to eat turkey.

The Splash

NOVEMBER 2018 • 17

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The Splash

18 • NOVEMBER 2018

Meadowwood residents speak out over tree trimming

By Benjamin Shedlock Splash Correspondent A drive down Desmet Road in Liberty Lake reveals a wide range of approaches to tree trimming.

Some trees have been pruned to exactly 13.5 feet above the ground. Others have been trimmed lopsidedly, allowing a 7.5-foot sidewalk clearance but reaching toward the ground on the yard side. Some haven’t been trimmed at all.

The various tree trimming approaches of the Meadowwood Homeowners Association (HOA) reflect the homeowners’ different reactions to a series of communications the HOA and the city of Liberty Lake sent in August and September. Some HOA members found the explanations hard to interpret. The Meadowwood HOA includes more than 3,000 homes.

The communications were part of a new, proactive approach the city is taking to addressing tree trimming in the two-decade old developments. As the trees mature, the city is trying to make sure they receive adequate maintenance for safety. Many residents, however, were surprised and confused by the unprecedented communications, which offered what the HOA board acknowledged was “incorrect or misleading” information.

On Aug. 28, the HOA mailed a letter explaining the ordinance and giving residents until Sept. 28 to comply. Those who did not would have their trees cut by an HOAcontracted arborist at a cost of $55 per hour. Some residents pruned, but their efforts were not always uniform or compliant.

“The neighborhood has been negatively impacted,” said homeowner Judy Kotar. One of her neighbors, Lindsey Pell, agrees. “I am concerned that this incident could change the whole look of our town,” Pell said. Both are concerned with the aesthetics and health of the trees.

“I thought it was poorly worded,” said another homeowner, Jordan

This tree on Desmet Road in the Meadowwood neighborhood is one example of recent foliage maintenance that has some residents up in arms. The city of Liberty Lake, the Meadowwood Homeowners Association and residents are in discussions on alternative approaches that would have a more positive aesthetic result.

Photo by Craig Howard Jeppson, who along with Pell felt like the letter seemed concerned only with trees between streets and sidewalks.

On Sept. 20, in response to homeowners’ confusion, the HOA board posted a letter from the city on its website. It clarified that arborists would not trim homeowners’ trees unless they requested it. It also removed the deadline, indicating that homeowners should make their own timing decisions based on the needs of their trees.

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Not all the homeowners were aware of the second notice. “I felt like (the website) was a poor avenue for communication,” said Pell. It also didn’t come soon enough for homeowners, like Jeppson’s neighbor, who had already trimmed his trees to a uniform 13.5 feet.

“I agree that the communication piece didn’t go as smoothly as it should have,” said Liberty Lake City Administrator Katy Allen. Allen described the miscommunication as a growing pain of the city moving toward a proactive stance on tree trimming in partnership with HOAs.

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As for the length of time between the two letters, Allen explained that it took at least a week before the city or HOA realized the degree of confusion. Then the city collaborated on its response with the HOAs. “The goal was to get it

right the second time,” Allen said.

Meadowwood HOA President Scott Kingsford agreed. He received only a few clarification questions at first. When it became apparent the confusion was more widespread, they responded.

“Part of (the reason the city is being proactive) stemmed from the fact that we have so many mature trees now,” said Liberty Lake Operations and Maintenance Director Jennifer Camp. As trees mature, they block signage and rights of way. A blanket letter, said Camp, was the best way to provide instructions and information.

In contrast, said Allen, Liberty Lake has historically relied upon complaint-based enforcement for tree trimming code enforcement.

The city’s new approach required them to work closely with HOAs. The HOAs are also looking for comprehensive ways to address tree maintenance.

Kingsford explained that the Meadowwood HOA had been fielding more and more calls in recent years from homeowners seeking clarification of their tree trimming responsibilities.

The city is primarily concerned about safety. According to Allen, homeowners will not be cited for

See TREES, Page 19

The Splash

NOVEMBER 2018 • 19

TREES

Continued from page 18 trimming to the wrong height.

“There has to be a safety issue,” Allen said, such as tree limbs that are too low for driving or that obscure signage. Beyond that, she says, “it’s your tree. You can prune it whenever you want.”

At the same time, tree ownership is complex, said Allen, and there are as many unique circumstances as there are homeowners. The city and HOA each maintain common areas, as do private homeowners.

These areas can intermingle, according to Kingsford. Moulter is an arterial, so the city trims its trees, but Mission is not, so a patchwork of HOAs, homeowners, and the city maintain its trees.

A good rule of thumb, noted Camp, is that trees adjacent to homeowners’ property are their responsibility. Homeowners who need guidance on how to maintain their trees should refer to the Sept.

20 letter. If that doesn’t answer their questions, they can call her or the city engineering office.

Meadowwood HOA members agree with the need to trim trees. “The intent was good,” said Jeppson, who was happy with the enforcement move and thinks some people will only comply if they are fined.

But, they believe the city should promote a uniform look. “Property value is a concern of mine,” Jeppson said. He feels proper management can create a “feel or uniformity” to the neighborhood, but he says his block is starting to lose its cohesive appearance.

Student of the Month When asked how he has become one of the leading tacklers in the Greater Spokane League this season, Central Valley senior linebacker Jaren Thomas had a simple response, “Just fly around the field and don’t give up.” After CV’s first two games against nonconference opponents Bellevue and Garfield, Thomas ranked among the top 100 high school tacklers in the nation with 31. He has paid his dues to shine this season, lettering as a sophomore and junior but mostly playing special teams. The senior is also a standout lacrosse player and a key part of CV’s state semifinal team last season. In the classroom, Thomas maintains a 3.65 grade point average and is a member of the leadership program. He is considering Colorado State and Washington State University for college.

Others agree. “I think it would be better for the trees if somebody that knows how to prune them does it,” Kotar said. She believes professional trimming across the city would help maintain a consistent look and tree health.

The city agrees appearance is important and believes that homeowners are a key part of creating it.

“Our goal is to make the requirements easy to find an easy to follow,” Allen said.

Proper trimming information is posted on websites for the city of Liberty Lake (www.libertylakewa. gov) and Meadowwood HOA (www. meadowwoodhoa.com) which include the new letter guidance.

Residents can always call the city at 755-6700 for more information.

Citizen of the Month

& Thanks you for all you do in our community

Central Valley senior Abby Sims plays baritone saxophone in the wind ensemble and alto sax in the marching band where she is a section leader. She was recently awarded the prestigious “Happy Feet” award for her marching expertise. The lifelong Liberty Lake resident is also part of CV’s jazz band. Sims maintains a 4.0 grade point average and has been a member of the National Honor Society since her freshman year.

The senior participates in the leadership program and was part of the school’s AP Environmental Science class that researched the Saltese Flats area last year. Sims has also studied dance for years, competing in a variety of genres including tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical and modern. She would like to be a nurse anesthetist and is considering the University of Washington and George Fox University.

The Community Box is brought to you by

Join us for our 8th annual

Athlete of the Month After six distinguished years as a member of the Liberty Lake Library Board of Trustees, Johns stepped down recently to start a new chapter. Her support of the library continues, however, as chair of the book sale this month.

Johns serves as treasurer of the Meadowwood Homeowners Association and is a volunteer at First Presbyterian Church in Spokane, teaching Bible School and contributing to the Jubilee Committee. The Pennsylvania native has her undergraduate degree in nursing and a master’s in education with an emphasis in nursing. She was part of the faculty at the Washington State University College of Nursing for 15 years, retiring seven years ago at director of professional development. Carol and her husband David have been married for 37 years and have four children and five grandchildren.

benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project

Saturday, November 10 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Come find crafty gift ideas including aprons, quilts, dog blankets, team related items, homemade pies, jams, breads & much more. Specialty gift items for the person who has everything!

MeadowWood Golf Course Clubhouse

24501 E. Valleyway Ave. | Liberty Lake For more information or to contribute: renebbc@hotmail.com 100% of proceeds support the Wounded Warrior Project; help us top last year’s donation of $11,066

Also - Support our local homeless by donating a pair of socks when you visit.

The Splash

20 • NOVEMBER 2018 Brought to you by

Evergreen

About and for Liberty Lake seniors

LL’s Silver Cafe dishes up meals, camaraderie

By Tyler Wilson

Splash Correspondent Delivering meals directly to homes is not the only way Greater Spokane County (GSC) Meals on Wheels serves area seniors in need.

Liberty Lake is one of 12 locations that house the organization’s Silver Cafes, where meals are served in a community setting five days a week.

Liberty Lake’s Silver Cafe is located at Talon Hills Apartments, where paid staff and volunteers serve meals to seniors at 11 a.m., Monday through Friday for just a recommended donation.

Clare Gaffney-Brown, communications manager for GSC Meals on Wheels, said the Silver Cafes are intended to encourage

seniors who are able to leave their homes to share time with others.

‘It is about building a sense of community, where you can bond over a nutritious meal together,” Gaffney-Brown said. “Isolation has become such a prevalent issue for many seniors.”

Joey Yonago is the senior nutrition program director for GSC Meals on Wheels, and as a registered dietitian, oversees the menu that is used across the various Silver Cafe locations, including Liberty Lake. Based on state standards and both federal and state funding, GSC Meals on Wheels works to provide nutritious meals to both homebound seniors and to those who attend the cafes. The meals have no added salt and are intended to provide one-third of a person’s daily recommended diet.

Yonago said the Talon Hills location in Liberty Lake averages about 12-15 diners per day, though some days will host larger groups.

The Silver Cafe program is for seniors 60 and older, but younger patrons can dine with their

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eligible older spouse, or unpaid caregivers are also welcome. The recommended donation for each meal is $3.85, but diners can pay what they can.

“With Talon Hills, they always have puzzles and other things for people to do when they get there,” Yonago said.

Paid site managers (there are two at the Liberty Lake site) keep count of typical attendance to make informed estimates and a Meals on Wheels staff member will deliver the prepared food to the location from the program’s Spokanebased kitchen. Site managers and other volunteers then help prepare plates, serve food and socialize with attendees.

“We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers,” GaffneyBrown said. “Everyone takes a test for food handling but they don’t need to have any experience. It’s really just being open and willing to help other people in the community and having that care for seniors.”

Anyone over the age of 18 is welcome as a volunteer for GSC Meals on Wheels. There continues to be high demand for both Silver Cafe volunteers as well as drivers around the community. GaffneyBrown said many volunteers are seniors looking to connect and give back to their communities.

“We’re always needing drivers,” she said. “We have 40 routes throughout Spokane County. We have a need for about 250 drivers every week throughout the county, from Medical Lake to Liberty Lake.”

Gaffney-Brown said GSC Meals on Wheels provides about 800 to 1,000 fresh meals each day via their home-delivered meal program and the 12 Silver Cafes throughout Spokane County. GSC Meals on Wheels is independent of Meals on Wheels Spokane, which focuses on the city of Spokane, but there is some overlap in coverage.

“We can serve those people as well – we compare it to having more than one hospital in a town or having two baseball teams in the same city,” Gaffney-Brown said.

Jeanne Rogers serves as site manager of the Liberty Lake Silver Cafe along with her husband Reid. The site typically hosts around a dozen guests per lunchtime. Meals run $3.85 although no guest is ever turned away for inability to pay. Photo by Craig Howard

Fountains

While supported by government funding and a number of grants, Meals on Wheels programs are always in need of monetary donations and volunteers.

The Silver Cafe at Talon Hills Apartments in Liberty Lake offers seniors a friendly dining experience on weekdays starting at 11 a.m. It is one of a dozen communal meals sites hosted by Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels.

Photo by Craig Howard “Seniors have a harder time getting out in the winter, so we definitely see an uptick when the weather gets colder,” GaffneyBrown said.

GSC Meals on Wheels holds various fundraisers throughout the year. The organization also gives out holiday gifts to their clientele every year, which have included blankets, books and crossword puzzles.

“Really the best thing, if people can’t give monetarily, we ask people to give their time,” GaffneyBrown said.

Want to find out more?

The Liberty Lake Silver Cafe is held at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday at Talon Hills Apartments, 25000 E. Hawkstone Loop in Liberty Lake.

Daily menus can be found on the GSC Meals on Wheels website at www.GSCMealsonWheels.org. You can also find schedule and location information for the other Silver Cafes in Spokane Community, as well as information on how to sign up for the home delivery program, donate or volunteer. The GSC Meals on Wheels office is located at 12101 E. Sprague Ave. in Spokane Valley. Call 924-6976 for more information.

The Splash

NOVEMBER 2018 • 21

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The Splash

22 • NOVEMBER 2018

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Ames sisters turn work ethic into soccer success

By Mike Vlahovich

Splash Sports Editor When you jump in the car and hit the road with five athletic children – four of them soccer playing girls with a boy sandwiched in between – it’s a matter of getting down the road so you can get to the practice, the game or tournament. For the Ames family, it turned into a lot of miles over the years.

“It was the Little House on the Freeway” Kara Ames quipped.

“Literally it was get into the car and go.”

Two daughters of Bill and Kara Ames – Ashley and Kasey – have played or are playing soccer at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. A third, Central Valley senior Maggie, is committed to go there and the youngest, Bears’ junior Dori, expects to play collegiately as well.

time national finalist, winning one championship. “I actually was the leading scorer,” said Ashley, still sounding incredulous over the phone. The team also finished in the top four and reached the round of eight during her tenure. She scored 22 goals and added five assists during her career, was a graduate assistant coach and today teaches at a K-8 school nearby in Portland.

She never played with Kasey, who graduated from CV in 2015, but her national title concurred with one of Kasey’s two state 4A titles at CV. By the time she got to Concordia Ashley had graduated.

“I always joke I should have redshirted,” Ashley said.

Kasey is finishing her career at Concordia which is now an NCAA Division II school and competing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. She is the team captain and recently was named the conference’s Defender of the Week. Her plan is to become an airline flight attendant.

She had started at Grand Canyon University, said it didn’t feel right and walked on at Concordia earning a scholarship in the spring.

“I was lucky enough that Grant took a chance on me,” Kasey said.

“I’ve loved everything about it.”

She recalled the two CV titles as obviously a highlight of her career.

“I had two great years being back-to-back champions at Central Valley,” Kasey said. “Ashley had a lot of influence.”

Coincidentally, Ashley was a forward and Kasey is a defender and younger sisters, Maggie and Dori are forward and defender respectively as well. Maggie has committed to Concordia.

There was a time Dori felt like soccer taking too much time out of her life and took a break. Two years later she realized how much she missed it, came back and is glad she did. Dori has another year as a Bear but expects to play in college.

The pair began their quest for perhaps another state title as the

Even their son Billy tried soccer but, “it didn’t stick with him,” Kara said. His stellar high school career ended early as a senior last year when he was injured and unable to compete in both football and basketball.

When asked to describe their children’s aptitudes Kara said Ashley “has that competitiveness where Kasey was a little more methodical. Maggie is a lot like Ashley. She makes things happen.

Dori is more in Kasey’s camp. She knows where the ball should go and is very competitive.”

Bill added, “Ashley is the motherly one, that’s the big sister, she’s the caretaker. Kasey’s the fun-loving one, she loves to joke around.

Maggie just has that intensity and the fire. She’s a go-getter.” And Dori? “I think she’s probably the best pure athlete. She’s also the emotional one.”

That the Ames progeny athletic comes as no surprise.

are

Bill Ames III was a two-sport star at University High, graduating in 1985. He was part of third and fourth state basketball trophies and played football at the University of Washington. Kara (Lavin), is a 1985 CV grad and one of seven siblings.

The Lavin name is synonymous with Gonzaga Prep athletic success.

She has run two Boston Marathons and the Coeur d’Alene Iron Man competitions.

Certainly with that many children in the house there are sibling spats.

Kasey said their mother remedied confrontations by having the kids “say one thing we liked about each other. It would get us to laugh and forget what we were fighting about.”

But she quickly adapted and at Gonzaga Prep would become a second- and first team All-GSL player and one of the league’s top scorers. The Bullpups made a short state tournament appearance before her graduation in 2011.

She became a member of a two-

“The fact we went to state last year and finished second, just to have that sister bond is the best thing ever.”

As seriously as sport is in the Ames household it isn’t all consuming. Bill and Kara have told their children as they grew the most important thing was to make sure they were having fun.

Bill III’s work schedule took the family around the country and Ashley, a 2011 Gonzaga Prep graduate, got her soccer start in North Carolina, a place she loved.

When she learned of the move to Liberty Lake “I was not a happy camper,” she recalls.

“I was looking at certain schools and I knew someone who knew (coach) Grant (Landy),” Ashley said about finding Concordia. “He came to a tournament and was interested.”

Splash was going to press.

Being the only males in a family in a household of seven, Bill III says, “It’s been a really active house with a lot of noise with a lot of joy.

Nobody’s at a loss for words.”

Concordia University in Portland, Oregon has been the collegiate soccer home of at least two daughters of Bill and Kara Ames. Ashley (left) was part of two national finalist squads while Kasey (right) is current team captain. Two more Ames sisters are also soccer standouts at Central Valley High School – Maggie is a senior and has committed to Concordia while Dori is a junior on CV’s undefeated team.

Contributed photo

He and Billy IV, he quipped, “do a lot of listening.”

“I don’t know where that came from,” Kasey retorted when apprised of dad’s comments. “They have as much to say as us girls.”

The Splash

Sports Notebook – November 2018

By Mike Vlahovich

Splash Sports Editor Runner-up in state 4A girls soccer last year, this season’s unbeaten Greater Spokane League champion Central Valley Bears begin their quest this month for another quest at that the school’s third state title.

Depth and experience greeted first-year coach Rob Rowe, with plenty of goal scorers, including forwards Maggie Ames and Megan Robinson, defenders Kailyn LaBrosse, Maggie Ames and Marissa Bankey and middledefenders Mady Simmilink and Dori Ames among the many.

“Marissa broke her leg last year,” Rowe said of her return earlier in the year. “She’s a game-changer.”

Drew Scott and Clair Kauffman, replacements for injured senior AJ Crooks, shared goalie duties and only allowed more than one goal in a match twice during the season.

The Bears had a perfect 13-0 regular season record, outscoring

Final Point

Branching out with the Valley’s family tree of athletes

By Mike Vlahovich

Splash Sports Editor A while back during a memorial for a friend of ours whose son was a standout middle-distance state champion runner, his University High coach Bob Barbero wondered if I could have had written about a third-generation family athlete.

Two generations for sure, Bob being part of one, I said as we mulled it over, and mathematically the possibility of a third, although none I’m aware of.

I do know, however, while writing a story about Bill and Kara Ames’ four soccer daughters I realized that I have been involved with as many as four generations if you include administrators.

You can’t mention the Central Valley School District without including Ames’ names.

its opponents 46-12.

SPORTS

“One of the big things going for us is our defense,” Rowe said then.

“It’s just a solid group.”

He knew what he was talking about.

Football fingers crossed If Central Valley beat Mead in their season finale (after Splash presstime) to finish 6-3, it would give them the third-place GSL 4A playoff berth.

If the Panthers won, the Bears’ season would be over.

A tough loss for the Bears came against Lewis and Clark. A 20-point fourth quarter rally left the Bears two points short. CV rebounded with strong wins over Mt. Spokane (31-14) and North Central (49-0) The rivalry game against U-Hi was a one-sided with CV winning 41-7.

Bears’ Hunter Chowdoroski and Zack Jongeword piled up yards on the ground for the Bears who trounced Ferris 42-12 the week earlier.

Cross Country to state The Central Valley boys are chasing Lewis and Clark with five members of their team back,

Patriarch Bill Ames was the highly regarded principal at Central Valley High. His sons, Bill Jr. and Bob were Bears’ athletes in the late 1950s and young Bill went on to a career as teacher, coach and the athletic coordinator at University High.

His son, Bill III, was a multi-sport star at U-Hi during one of the best athletic times in school history and like his uncle went on to play college football at the University of Washington. The fourth generation includes soccer stars Ashley, Kasey, Maggie and Dori and, in the middle, three-sport son Bill IV. I used to wander the halls of the four Valley high schools on a weekly basis back in the day, to parley with coaches and get to know athletes on a more personal level, not just warriors in uniform.

That was the advantage of writing for our family-owned Spokane Valley Herald, the weekly newspaper and heartbeat of the Valley until 1992 and my move to The Spokesman-Review. Come to think of it, I’m now writing for my third-generation newspaper.

One day, there was a drive to CV where Principal Ames and I chatted about various things, catching up on the school’s doings. One topic I

From the Fairway – Local golf results

From Splash News Sources Trailhead Ladies Golf Club – Trailhead at Liberty Lake Golf Course Results from Sept. 26 White Tees Flight A Gross: Shelia Kellmer - 45; Net: Hedy Longworth - 32 Flight B Gross: Kathy Zinkgraf - 52; Net: Joyce Jacobs - 31 Flight C Gross: Ann Parman - 56; Net: Elaine Lukes - 33 Chip In: Ann Parman #6 Birdie: Shelia Kellmer #2 Spokane Valley Women’s Golf League – Liberty Lake Golf Course Results from Aug. 15 Flight A Gross: Crissy Lindly - 49 Flight A Net: Valarie Hartfield - 43 Flight B Gross: Lisa Pounds - 58 including defending state 4A individual champion Ryan Kline along with Evan Peters, Joey Nicholls , Sheamus Mahoney and Tyler Hunter. LC edged CV by one point in Pasco last year for the 4A team crown.

Volleyball has struggles The Bears were 3-6 during the GSL regular season and 5-9 including non-league, not counting

NOVEMBER 2018 • 23

Flight B Net: Gail Bailey - 47 Flight C Gross: Kim Sellars 64 Sandy Nowaski - 64 Flight D Gross: Amy Faucheux - 65 Flight D Net: Nancy Moore - 51 Chip in

Crissy Lindly - #6 Aug. 22 Flight A Gross: Diane Perry - 43 Flight A Net: Norma Sellars - 32 Flight B Gross: Gail Bailey - 49 Flight B Net: Sue Dotson - 36 Flight C Gross: Sandy Nowaski - 60 Flight C Net: Kathleen Burns - 48 Flight D Gross: Amy Faucheux - 60 Flight D Net- Nancy Moore - 33 Longest Drive Flight A: Diane Perry Flight B: Sue Dotson Flight C: Mellisa Poe Flight D: Nancy Moore tournaments.

Senior Hayden McAuliiff led CV in kills, while junior setter Olivia Minnick led with double digit assists in most of the matches. McAuliff was among the top Bears in service aces.

A key blocker was senior Elli Rodgers, while senior Kylie Beckett was among the digs leaders.

recall was about teachers’ pay. Bill told me that he made more money in the summer selling farmers crop insurance than during the school year.

injury-plagued season that kept him out of football and basketball.

He still managed to earn multiple varsity letters in both sports plus track in his time at CV.

Why did he continue teaching I wondered? “Because I love kids,” was his answer. (Interestingly I got a similar comment from an exWest Valley teacher and coach who also worked summers.

There have been numerous brother-sister family sporting standouts I’ve covered over the years. The four Stocker siblings, including Kevin from CV, were the children of administrator Chuck who I had dealings with in my job. Kevin’s kids were Bears. I covered Jim Bjorklund, whose daughters Jami and Angie starred at University and went on to play at Division I basketball at Gonzaga and Tennessee respectively.

Later I kept in contact with Bill Ames Jr. who was both coach and activities coordinator at U-Hi. During Bill III’s time as a Titan, the football team reached a rare post-season game his senior year.

His junior and senior years, U-Hi, along with another CV legacy, Steve Ranniger, fueled fourth- and third-place state basketball finishes in 1984-85 (U-Hi, practically an annual state hoops qualifier since the school’s inception wouldn’t qualify for state again until 2012.)

And this is what Bill and his wife Kara hath wrought: Daughters Maggie and Dori, who are driving the Bears toward another state tournament and older sisters Ashley and Kasey who went on to play at Concordia in Portland. Sandwiched in between is brother Billy, who graduated last year following an

The list goes on and on.

Bob Barbero, for instance, was one of the first athletes I covered in track and cross country as an athlete at West Valley. I covered him again as a state champion cross country head coach and track distance coach at University. He currently is helping his son, Mike, coach the Titans. A half-century of the Barbero clan, but I’m still waiting to cover the feats of that third-generation athlete.

Unless, unbeknownst, I already have.

The Splash

24 • NOVEMBER 2018

Look into the facts behind I-1631 Initiative 1631’s new $2.3 billion energy tax would increase every year with no cap

$2.3 Billion Energy Tax, Increases Every Year

Unelected Board, No Accountability

I-1631´s new energy tax would cost Washington families and consumers more than $2.3 billion in the first five years alone. And I-1631´s escalating taxes would automatically increase every year – with no cap.

There would be no meaningful oversight of the unelected board of political appointees in charge of spending the billions in revenues collected under I-1631. There is no specific spending plan and no requirement to spend funds specifically on reducing greenhouse gases.

Source: Fiscal Impact Summary of I-1631, Washington State Office of Fiscal Management, Rev. 8/24/2018

Consumers Pay Higher Gas Prices Washington already has the third highest gasoline prices in the nation, and I-1631 would drive these prices even higher. An independent study shows that I-1631 would increase gasoline prices by 13 cents per gallon in the first year, with automatic increases every year, indefinitely. These increases would quadruple to 59 cents more per gallon within 15 years.

Source: Initiative I-1631, Sec. 8 (3); NERA Economic Consulting, Analysis of Economic and CO2 Emissions Impacts of Washington Initiative 1631, October 2018; AAA, State Gasoline Price Averages

Sources: Initiative 1631, Sec. 4, 5, 6; Washington State OFM, Fiscal Impact Study of I-1631, August 24, 2018

Hurts Families and Small Businesses Families and small businesses would face higher costs for gasoline, heating fuel, natural gas, electricity and other goods and services.

I-1631 would cost the average Washington household $440 more per year in 2020, increasing every year indefinitely, reaching $990 by 2035. This would especially hurt those who can least afford it.

Sources: Initiative I-1631, Sec. 8 (3); NERA Economic Consulting, Analysis of Economic and CO2 Emissions Impacts of Washington Initiative 1631, October 2018

“I-1631 would cost the average household $440 more in 2020. Household costs would continue to increase every year, with no cap, especially hurting families and those on fixed incomes.”

Vicki Malloy Farmer/Orchardist, Malaga

“I-1631 would continue to increase prices for electricity, heating and gasoline every year, making it harder to compete with out-of-state companies.”

Sabrina Jones Small Business Owner, Spokane

“I-1631 would force Washington consumers to pay billions, and then would give an unelected board a blank check to spend those billions however it chooses, with no specific plan and no guarantee of less pollution.”

Rob McKenna Former Washington Attorney General

“Consumers would pay billions in higher prices for gasoline, electricity, heating fuel and natural gas. But there’s no guarantee it would help our environment.”

Colin Hastings Executive Director, Pasco Chamber of Commerce

Small businesses, family farmers and consumers across Washington agree

FactsAbout1631.com Paid for by NO on 1631 (Sponsored by Western States Petroleum Association), PO Box 7035, Olympia, WA 98507 Top 5 Contributors: BP America, Phillips 66, Andeavor, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, Valero Energy Corporation

The Splash

The Adventures of Leon Guile and ‘Trailing Boats’

By Ross Schneidmiller

Liberty Lake Historical Society About a week after taking a job at Liberty Lake Park, a young Leon Guile went from sweeping the floor of the Dance Pavillion to operating the boat docks for park management. He was nicknamed “Tarzan” by his peers because of his strength and muscular appearance.

Those physical attributes would serve him well tackling the heavy fleet of Mullins Pressed Steel

HISTORY Rowboats in the park’s boat livery.

Among his duties Leon rented, cleaned and maintained the rowboats and canoes. He also captained a touring launch. A bonus of the job was a cot in the canoe barn located on the boat dock where he would spend his nights. In the later evening he would often add a “lazy back” and cushions to a canoe and paddle amongst the pilings supporting the Dance Pavillion while listening to the sounds of the orchestra reverberate off the water and out into the night.

Morning came early for him and sometimes before sunlight backlit

Big Rock and the Selkirk Range to the east of the lake, awakened by the pounding of an ambitious fisherman ready to rent a boat for his fishing adventure.

Rowboats rented for 25 cents an hour and a deposit of $1.50 was required. The rental deposit receipt was time stamped at time of rental.

If the boat was returned before six hours had expired, a partial refund of the deposit was due. Thinking they could go and return quicker than they could, overambitious rowers, tired and sore, would find themselves too far from the boat docks to receive any money back.

They would often abandon their vessels and catch a touring launch

NOVEMBER 2018 • 25

back to the resort.

On a Monday morning nearly 100 years ago, after Leon had collected 11 abandoned boats from around the lake, a serendipitous photo was captured by the click of his camera.

Now called “Trailing Boats” it is one of the most admired photos of Liberty Lake history. Taken with a small format camera, this snapshot was scanned from a 2-by 3-inch image. When blown up to 16” by 20” and larger, Leon’s creative eye can be appreciated all the more.

Did You Know?

A “lazy back” is a back support.

Early models for canoes were often made out of wood or wicker.

Counter clockwise from left: Trailing boats photo, circa 1919. Time stamped rental deposit receipt, 1918. Leon Guile holding the time clock in Liberty Lake Park, circa 1919 . Images courtesy of Liberty Lake Historical Society

The Splash

26 • NOVEMBER 2018

Carol and David SVFD Report – Johns November 2018

Our fundraising letter campaign last spring was a huge success and these contributers went above and beyond.

We would like to recognize our

Carol and David Gold Level Contributers.

Our fund raising Johns letter campaign Ourspring fund raising last was a letter campaign huge success last spring was a Carol and David and David Pam Fredrick and these huge successCarol Carol and David Johns Johns Pam Fredrick and these contributors Johns

From Splash New Sources

Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) crews responded to a total of 80 emergency calls in the greater Liberty Lake area* from Sept. 20 – Oct. 18, 2018: • Emergency medical services – 61 • Motor vehicle accidents – 3 • Fires - 4 • Building alarms – 4 • Service calls – 1 • Hazardous materials - 2

contributors • Dispatched and cancelled en nd raising went above Carol & David Spokane Teacher’s Credit Union Ourabove fund raising route –5 went und raising Spokane Teacher’s Credit Union ampaign letter campaign Liberty and beyond. *Service area for SVFD Station Johns Liberty Lake Lake and beyond. ring campaign last #3 in Liberty Lake was a spring was a Wewould would We huge success pring a Burn Ban lifted – As of Oct. ccess was 12, outdoor recreational fires are Pam Fredrick and these like to to recognize success like recognize allowed in the cities of Liberty Pam Fredrick se contributors Lake, Millwood, Spokane Valley GoldPam Level Fredrick heseourwent above utors and unincorporated Spokane Spokane Teacher’s Credit Union Gold LevelLiberty Lake our contributors. ibutors County. This means outdoor fires – and beyond. bove Spokane Teacher’s Credit Union including campfires and backyard contributors.

We would above Liberty Lake fire pits with approved fuels – are Spokane Teacher’s Credit Union ond. like to recognize Thank you to those who gave allowed. Open burning of fields, Liberty Lake beyond. ld our Gold Level waste and garbage is always donations for our Summer Soiree. yard prohibited.

Read more at www. ould contributors.

Thank those who recognize Thank you to those who you gave to donations for gave spokanevalleyfire.com o Level recognize d Service call – Sept. 28 – donations for our SummerSVFD Soiree. our Summer Soiree!

Thank you to those who gave Liberty Lake Engine 3 was Gold Level utors. donations for our Summer Soiree. returning from training when a ibutors. woman stopped by the fire station

Thank you to& those who gave Anne Thank you who Soiree. gave donations for to ourthose Summer Dan&for our Summer Soiree.

Anne donations Dan

Anne & Anne & Anne & Liberty DanLiberty Lake Dan Lake

Dan

Juice

Juice Company Company

The Well

on Country Vista Drive just before 11 a.m. and asked to have a ring removed from her finger. A ring cutter was used to make two cuts to remove a piece of the ring, which was then adjusted so the woman could remove it.

Unauthorized burning – Sept.

29 - Shortly after 10 a.m., SVFD crews responded to a reported illegal burn in the 18800 block of East Buckeye Avenue. They arrived to find a 4-foot burn area with firewood and grass. The homeowner said he was from California and was unaware of the burn restrictions in the area. He promptly put the fire out and apologized.

Garage fire – Oct. 4 – Firefighters responded to a reported structure fire in the 18800 block of East Marlin Drive shortly after 4:45 Thank you to the Liberty Lake community for your generous p.m. Incoming units could see a Thank you to the Liberty Lake Community for your smoke column and upgraded the support and participation in all our fundraising events for theresponse to a working fire, bringing generous support and participation in all Liberty Lake Municipal Library, the heart of of ourour community. more resources to the scene.

Thank you to the Liberty Lake community generous fundraising events for the Liberty Lake Municipal for your Firefighters arrived to find a garage fully involved in fire, threatening support in all our fundraising events for the Library,and theparticipation heart of our community. the attached home. They quickly

The Well

ty

y pany

Liberty Lake Juice Company

Well

The Well

Liberty Lake Municipal Library, the heart of our community.

The Well

extinguished the fire, preventing fire damage to the home. Due to a large amount of material inside the garage and the nature of construction, firefighters remained on the scene through the night to ensure the fire was out. No injuries were reported.

Investigators determined that the fire started in along the north wall of the garage in a plastic pail used for trash.

The homeowner said his uncle was smoking inside the garage before the fire started. The fire was determined to be accidental.

Spokane County Fire District 8 also responded to this fire.

Motor vehicle vs. pedestrian – Oct. 18 – Shortly after 8:15 a.m., firefighters responded to a reported pedestrian involved in a hit-and-run collision at 24800 E. Mission near County Vista Road. Paramedics arrived to find a 61-year-old woman lying unconscious in the street in the care of bystanders.

They quickly assessed and tended to her multiple injuries. A SVFD paramedic continued emergency medical care in the ambulance as she was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The woman later died from her injuries. The driver was later apprehended and charged with vehicular homicide.

About SVFD - Spokane Valley Fire Department serves the cities of Liberty Lake, Millwood, Spokane Valley and unincorporated areas of Spokane County including the communities of Otis Orchards, Pasadena Park, and the area surrounding Liberty Lake, with a combined population of 125,000 across approximately 75 square miles.

SVFD firefighters and paramedics responded to more than 17,280 emergency calls in 2017.

Established in 1940, SVFD is an Accredited Agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), one of only a handful in the state of Washington.

SVFD operates 10 stations providing fire suppression, emergency medical services, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials response, special operations rescue, fire investigation, fire prevention, commercial property inspection, CPR and fire safety training.

SVFD also provides free fire safety inspections and installation of free smoke detectors. For more information call 928-1700 or visit www.spokanevalleyfire.com.

The Splash

NOVEMBER 2018 • 27

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28 • NOVEMBER 2018

OPINION

The Splash

EDITOR/PUBLISHER

Ben Wick

Danica Wick

ben@libertylakesplash.com CO OWNER

danica@libertylakesplash.com

EDITOR

Craig Howard

craig@libertylakesplash.com OFFICE MANAGER GRAPHICS

Paula Gano

paula@libertylakesplash.com

Hayley Schmelzer

hayley@libertylakesplash.com

CIRCULATION Larry Passmore

circulation@libertylakesplash.com CONTRIBUTORS

Keith Erickson, Craig Howard, Julie Humphreys, Ross Schneidmiller, Benjamin Shedlock, Mike Vlahovich, Tyler WIlson The Liberty Lake Splash P.O. Box 363 Liberty Lake, WA 99019 Phone: 242-7752; Fax: 927-2190 www.libertylakesplash.com The Splash is published monthly by or before the first of each month. It is distributed free of charge to every business and home in the greater Liberty Lake area.

Additional copies are located at drop-off locations in Liberty Lake and Otis Orchards.

The Splash is brought to you by

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Dear Editor,

Recently, a group of concerned private citizens formed an organization called "People for Effective Government" or "PEG.” We come from all walks of life with one common goal: to bring more civility to public discourse and to encourage less partisanship in the body politic.

We believe that most people's political beliefs fall somewhere between the 30-yard lines and do not reflect the inflexible ideology of the extreme left nor right.

We believe that those in public service need to find common ground in order to meet the challenges of the future and preserve and protect our system of government and the ideals embodied in a democratic republic as envisioned by our nation's founders.

PEG has thus far held four public forums, featuring History Professor Dale Soden of Whitworth University, Cornell Clayton of the Thomas Foley Institute for Public Policy at WSU, Tom Trulove, former mayor of Cheney and Sam Reed, former Washington Secretary of State.

Former Washington State House of Representatives

Democratic Majority Leader Lynn Kessler will be PEG's November public forum speaker. You can find out more about PEG by going to our web site at pegnow. org. You can also "like us" on Facebook.

Please consider joining our movement to achieve more effective government in the days to come.

Sincerely, Mark Newbold People for Effective Government (PEG) Spokane WA

Wick Enterprizes Submitted materials

Publishing House

Announcements, obituaries, letters to the editor and story ideas are encouraged. Submit them in writing to editor@libertylakesplash.com. Submissions should be received by the 15th of the month for best chance of publication in the following month’s Splash.

Subscriptions Liberty Lake residents receive a complimentary copy each month. Subscriptions for U.S. postal addresses outside of the 99019 ZIP code cost $12 for 12 issues.

Send a check and subscription address to P.O. Box 363, Liberty Lake, WA 99019. Subscriptions must be

received by the 15th of the month in order for the subscription to begin with the issue printed the end of that month.

Correction policy The Splash strives for accuracy in all content. Errors should be reported immediately to 242-7752 or by email to editor@libertylakesplash.com. Confirmed factual errors will be corrected on this page in the issue following their discovery.

About the Opinion Page The Splash opinion page is intended to be a community forum for discussing local issues. Please interact with us by sending a letter to the editor or Liberty Lake Voices guest column for consideration.

Letters to the editor of no more than 350 words or guest columns of about 700 words should be e-mailed to editor@libertylakesplash.com or mailed to P.O. Box 363, Liberty Lake, WA 99019. A full name and telephone number must be included for purposes of verification. A photo of the author must be taken or provided for all guest columns.

The Splash reserves the right to edit or reject any submission. Business complaints or endorsements will not be accepted, and political endorsement letters will only be accepted if they interact with issues of a campaign.

Views expressed in signed columns or letters do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper or its staff. Editorials, which appear under the heading "Splash Editorial," represent the voice of The Splash and are written by Publisher Ben Wick.

Advertising information Display ad copy and camera-ready ads are due by 5 p.m. on the 15th of the month for the following month’s issue. Call 242-7752 for more information.

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Copyright © 2018 All rights reserved. All contents of The Splash may not be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

The Splash

NOVEMBER 2018 • 29

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The Splash is committed to serving Liberty Lake through excellent community journalism. We can’t do it at all without you, our readers, and we can’t do it for long without support from our advertisers. Please thank our business partners and look to them when offering your patronage.

Our sincere appreciation to the following businesses for their foundational partnerships with The Splash and its partner publications:

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Index of advertisers

Following are the local advertisers in this issue of The Splash.

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Family Medicine Liberty Lake

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Liberty Lake Sewer & Water District 8 Lorraine Fine Jewelry

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Fieldhouse Pizza

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North Idaho Dermatology

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Friends of the LL Library

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Northern Quest

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Casey Family Dental

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Cathy for Congress

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George Gee

Central Valley School District

6

Greenstone 27

Simonds 32

Jim Custer Enterprises

Spokane Gymnastics

Central Valley Theatre City of Liberty Lake

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John L Scott - Pam Fredrick

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Lilac Family Eyecare

Demars Financial

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Liberty Lake EyeCare Center

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Wounded Warrior Project

Dennis Cronin

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Liberty Lake Family Dentistry

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Liberty Lake Orthodontics

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Cornerstone Pentecostal Church 30

Eastern WA Committee for Progress 29

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Of note: This thank you message was produced by The Splash’s advertising team, which works its tail off on behalf of partner businesses, helping them share their messages through advertisements. This is an independent function from The Splash’s editorial team, which has its own evaluation process to determine the community news stories and features it pursues. For more information about a win-win partnership that expertly markets your business to thousands of readers (while making this home-grown community newspaper possible), email advertise@libertylakesplash.com. With story ideas, contact editor@libertylakesplash.com.

The Splash

30 • NOVEMBER 2018

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The Splash

Be the Match – LL woman defeats leukemia with transplant

By Julie Humphreys Splash Correspondent It’s almost Halloween and 8-yearold Emma is dressing up as Hermione for Halloween. Her brother, 6-year-old Collin is Harry Potter and her 4-year-old brother Camden gets to don Dobby attire. Pretty popular choices for Halloween costumes – but the fact that mom is able to make her children’s costumes this year is the most impressive feat.

That’s because Vanessa Shafer has been waging a brutal battle with leukemia for more than a year and a half. This Liberty Lake mother and seamstress, who used to make and sell clothes online, was too sick to make her children’s costumes last year. That she is well enough to engage in the art of sewing once again is no small achievement, bringing no small joy.

The turnaround, in Vanessa’s cancer, which was an aggressive, fast growing type of leukemia, happened because of a bone marrow transplant that has given Vanessa a new lease on life. And it happened because someone was willing to “Be the Match.”

Before Vanessa’s diagnosis in February of 2017, she had been experiencing migraines – major head pain – like she had never felt before. Her joints were achy. When she went to the doctor, bloodwork showed her white blood cells were elevated. A week later the while cells had doubled. The next day she saw an oncologist and within nine days she began a grueling treatment regimen that would last for nearly a year and keep her in a Seattle hospital for months at a time, away from her family.

“What was going through my head was a whole lot of shock and fear,” Vanessa says. “You hear ‘leukemia’ and all the stories and you hear of people who are no longer here. I was told I had leukemia, to go to the hospital, that we have a room for you. I packed a suitcase and a toothbrush and stayed 23 days, the first time.”

There were rounds of rounds of chemotherapy and constant bone marrow biopsies to see if Vanessa’s white blood cell count was down.

Because leukemia is in the blood, it is everywhere in the body. No body part escaped treatment, even Vanessa’s spine was injected with chemo. The goal was to wipe out all the cancerous cells but that also meant Vanessa’s immune system would be wiped out.

ON THAT NOTE With a severely compromised immune system, Vanessa’s recovery days at home were rough. She had to wear a mask. Getting sick when you have no immunity can be fatal.

All of the childhood vaccines she had were rendered void. She was extremely vulnerable to everything.

Yet somehow through all of this – five rounds of chemo with setbacks later – Vanessa’s bone biopsies showed zero cancer. Victory, but potentially short lived according to statistics. Vanessa had an 83-percent chance of relapse to cancer. Unless, she underwent a bone marrow transplant, then her relapse chance dropped to just 10 percent.

With a transplant, Vanessa was still facing months and months more of treatment, hospitalizations and additional time away from her family.

“When I first found out I needed chemotherapy, the first person I called was my mom,” Vanessa recalls. “She quit her job and immediately became a full-time caretaker to my children. My husband Michael had to keep working. My health insurance was through his employer.”

The first and most ideal option for someone facing a bone marrow transplant is a sibling who can donate their marrow. Vanessa’s two siblings were tested. They were a match for each other, but not for her.

That’s when she turned to a worldwide marrow registry called “Be the Match.” The registry, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, includes more than 19 million potential bone marrow donors. Vanessa needed just one. She got four.

Vanessa is half Hispanic, half Caucasian. The more ethnically diverse one is, the harder to find a match.

It took about two weeks before Vanessa got a letter saying she had four potential matches and that the registry would be reaching out to those people to see if they were all actual matches. Her match, she would learn a year after the transplant and only after both parties agreed to meet, was a 24-year-old woman from Massachusetts who was also a mother.

“It seems like such a big deal to do for someone you don’t even know,” she says. “She said if she were in my shoes, she would want someone to do the same for her.”

Grace Ndayizeye of Spokane Valley hopes for the same. She was diagnosed at birth with sickle cell anemia. The disease is characterized by pain crisis episodes where a person undergoes periods of extreme, unrelenting, unstoppable pain. Grace has learned to live with the pain even though it wipes her out. Her sophomore year of high school, she was absent more than she was in school.

Now 19, Grace also experiences si-

NOVEMBER 2018 • 31

lent strokes which affect the brain and alter her behavior, her school life and more.

Grace has been on marrow registry for two years. But because she is African American finding a match is like finding a needle in a haystack she says. Only 3-to-5 percent of the millions of registrants on the registry identify as Black or African American. The numbers are equally low for other minorities, making it very difficult for minorities to find the lifesaving/life altering match they need.

“People always ask, ‘How can I help?’” Grace said. “I say, ‘If you can help in this way, why wouldn’t you?’

If you donate a kidney, you are out a kidney. If you donate bone marrow, you grow it back.”

Indeed the process of donating marrow is much less taxing than that of receiving marrow. Grace feels if more people understood that, they would sign up to be a donor. She hopes all minorities will consider registering on Be the Match to give her and others like her a chance to be the cured.

“My support system definitely gets me through this and my faith,” Grace said. “I know that God has plans for me.”

You can learn more about being a donor and what it entails at www. bethematch.org.

Vanessa Shafer of Liberty Lake overcame a diagnosis of leukemia thanks to a bone marrow transplant provided through a donor registry called "Be the Match." Shaffer, a proud mom of three and skilled seamstress, is healthy again and back to sewing Halloween costumes for her kids.

Contributed photo

The Splash

32 • NOVEMBER 2018

IT’S SHOWTIME!

(FOR MORE THAN JUST MOVIES.)

With all the new venues now open at Northern Quest, every visit can be a unique experience. Shop at Windfall for your favorite hom home, outdoor, lifestyle and jewelry brands, take in a movie and have dinner (at the same time!) at M&D, challenge the kids on the latest arcade games in Cyber Quest, or drop the little ones off at Kids Quest while you have some play time of your own.