January 2020 Splash

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CHANGING PAGE OF10THE GUARD HENRY, HARVARD IMPROVEMENTS DELAYED PAGE 17

WATER CONTAMINATION EXPLAINED PAGE 26

MEET COUNCIL MEMBER KURTZ PAGE 2

2 • JANUARY 2020

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DOCKSIDE Stepping Up – Kurtz ready for challenge of a resident advisor, hall director government over two decades. joining council onandasleadership She will transition onto a council advisor.

By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor

Montana is known as the “Treasure State” and Annie Kurtz is quick to concur. Yet this native of Big Sky Country has sought and found treasure both in and beyond her home state in advocating for children, growing her own family and enriching the communities in which she serves.

This month, Kurtz will take a seat as a representative of the Liberty Lake City Council, only the eighth woman since the city incorporated in 2001 to serve on the governing board. She defeated incumbent Bob Moore with nearly 60 percent of the vote in November to earn a four-year term.

Kurtz moved to Liberty Lake from Denver in 2011 with her husband Dusty. The couple is proud parents of two daughters, both of whom helped their mom plant campaign signs leading up to the election. Before she became a stay-athome mom and PTO member, Kurtz worked for the state Children’s Administration as a regional lead and program manager responsible for 13 Eastern Washington counties.

Her budget and administration experience includes overseeing a multi-million dollar contract and tackling a myriad of duties, including policy implementation and technical consultation.

After graduating in 1999, Kurtz packed up her car and moved 140 miles due east to Billings where she signed on to work in a group home for girls who had experienced trauma.

She also found work as a dispatcher for 9-1-1. Hoping to transition into counseling, Kurtz decided to return to college for an advanced degree.

She received her master’s diploma from MSU in Health and Human Development/Family Science in 2004.

Kurtz ventured outside Montana for the first time after earning her second degree, accepting an offer to work for Child Protective Services (CPS) in Astoria, Oregon. She married Dusty – whom she had met when both were students in Bozeman – in 2006 and relocated with him to Denver where Kurtz found work with CPS in Adams County.

While campaigning last year, Kurtz emphasized her experience working in city, county and state

that will be addressing tough questions related to infrastructure, capital projects, growth, traffic and sustaining municipal revenue.

In her spare time, Kurtz enjoys gardening, reading and crafts and can be found with her family exploring the region’s open spaces in a classic 1960 trailer.

Q: What were some of your first impressions of Liberty Lake when you moved here from Colorado with your family in 2011?

A: In Colorado, we lived in a small town of about 10,000 outside of Denver and, so in some ways, we experienced a similar situation where we lived in a small town but commuted to a larger community for work. We really enjoyed being closer to friends and family who live in Montana but also being a few hours drive from the coast. I really enjoy how kind and generous people are in Liberty Lake. I enjoy that we do live

Kurtz grew up as an only child and moved frequently with her family before she enrolled at Montana State University. Her dad belonged to the National Guard and worked as cabinet maker and a real estate agent and appraiser. Her mom was employed at various banks and later in the cafeteria at the middle school where Kurtz attended.

Kurtz considered several careers through high school and into college – astronaut, veterinarian and FBI agent were all on the list at some point. As a sophomore at MSU, she settled on Sociology/Justice Studies as a major and worked to overcome an extreme case of shyness by signing

Photo by Craig Howard Annie Kurtz collected nearly 60 percent of the vote in the November general election to defeat incumbent Bob Moore and earn a seat on the Liberty Lake City Council. The Montana native brings an extensive professional background in areas like contract monitoring, program design and policy development.

in a small town with all of the smalltown energy and connectedness.

People are committed to making Liberty Lake a lovely place to live and it shows.

Q: What are some of the most significant changes you've seen in this community since making it your home?

A: The secret is out! We live in a beautiful place. I think the biggest change has been the influx of new community members and neighbors from other areas. As the economy has shifted not only here but in other more expensive markets, people want to live in a good community that is also affordable. With new residents comes the opportunity and energy for more new small businesses. We have new restaurants, coffee shops and small retail stores. I love that we can stay here in town and have so many wonderful options for services, meals or a night out.

Q: What were some of the main reasons you decided to put your name on the ballot for a run at City Council?

A: In the past few years I have seen many more women running for office in local, state and federal elections. I pointed it out to someone, and they said, “Why don’t you run?”

That planted the seed nearly three years ago. I didn’t feel like I had the time I would need when I was working full time with two young kids. However, when I decided to stay home, running became something I thought about more often. I gained a lot of valuable experience and exposure to our state government and legislature when I worked for the state of Washington and I developed a lot of relevant experience and skills that I thought I could bring to the City Council. I continue to be really excited about the opportunity to work toward improving the community here in Liberty Lake. Last, but certainly not least, I wanted to be a role model for my two young daughters. I hope they see me working for our community and that it translates into a desire to serve their community in any way they can as they grow up.

Q: As you were on the campaign See KURTZ, Page 5

JANUARY 2020 • 3

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4 • JANUARY 2020

SVFD Report – Dec. 2019

By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor

Spokane Valley Fire Department crews responded to a total of 93 emergency calls in the greater Liberty Lake area* from Nov. 15 – Dec. 15, 20 19:

• Emergency Medical Services 69 • Building Alarms 9 • Dispatched and cancelled en route 5 • Service Calls 5 • Motor Vehicle Accidents 3 • Fires 2 Service Call Lock Out – Nov. 15, 10:34 a.m. – Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to a Lock out call. Upon arrival firefighters made contact with the owner of the vehicle. Owner stated that she had accidentally locked a small child in the non running vehicle. Child was alert, oriented, and unharmed.

Owner gave consent to attempt to make access to the vehicle. Access was made through the passenger side front door with no damaged noted.

Child was left in care of family.

Alarm System - Nov. 20, around 10:12 p.m. Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to a call to an apartment complex where a CO alarm was going off. They removed the CO detector from Engine 3 and entered the apartment with the alarm sounding. The home owner stated his CO detector was beeping.

After investigating the problem crews found a dead battery in the apartment’s CO detector. Crews provided education about regularly checking smoke and CO alarms and the importance of replacing batteries.

Service Call Water Problem Nov. 21, around 10:00 p.m. Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD)

Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) units responded to a report of water flowing from a hydrant.

Upon arrival, crews found one hydrant with a diverter on it, flowing water into a large swail. Firefighters worked with Liberty Lake Sewer and Water personnel, who stated they are flowing several hydrants due to a recent ecoli incident in the water system.

Alarm System – Dec. 9, 10:08 a.m.

Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to a report of a CO detector alarming. Upon arrival, the home owners had opened several windows and doors to air out the home. The wife states that she had recently been told that her furnace needed to be replaced, and on a second opinion, she was told it was fine and did not need to be replaced. Valley Engine 3 brought in a CO detector, and could find no CO readings near the furnace, water heater, or gas fireplace. The home owner was going to swap out her CO detector with one from another area of the home, and see if that monitor would alarm in the same area as the first one. With the CO detector in place and not alarming, crews left instructions to contact 911 and leave the home immediately if this monitor alarmed later after crews were no longer on scene.

About SVFD - Spokane Valley Fire Department serves the City of Spokane Valley, City of Liberty Lake, City of Millwood and the surrounding unincorporated areas of Spokane County with a combined population of 125,000 across 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, one of only a handful in Washington State. For more information about Spokane Valley Fire Department, visit www.spokanevalleyfire. com. Follow us @spokanevalleyfire on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.

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Central Valley Levy on February Ballot

by Pia Hallenberg Splash Contributor

The board of the Central Valley School District has also approved a resolution to put a levy on the ballot in February.

That levy would be for the 2021 school year and has a value of $11,750,000 according to Central Valley School District Superintendent Ben Small.

A little over 14,000 students attend 27 different schools in the Central Valley School District, including two comprehensive high schools, two special schools and a

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“Our levy also pays for safety and security personnel,” Small said. “As a growing school district we need to sustain the safety level we currently have.”

Small said the levy has nothing to do with the flurry of school construction that’s been going on in Central Valley. That construction was funded by a bond that was approved by voters some years ago.

“The levy pays for 30 additional teaching positions in our district,” Small said. “We only get funding for 3.5 nurse positions for our district but we have 16 nursing staff. This levy pays for that difference.”

Small emphasized that the 2021 levy is to fund existing programs and staff.

“We are not asking for anything extra,” Small said. “This is to maintain the quality programs we already offer.”

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JANUARY 2020 • 5

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KURTZ

Continued from page 2 trail leading up to the general election, what are some things you learned about the community or heard from residents that may have surprised you?

A: I learned that by the City Council voting to approve a 1-percent increase in property taxes, it actually reduces the property tax that homeowners pay, while increasing revenue for the city. I actually learned quite a bit of information during the campaign about our town, taxes, traffic troubles and the city in general.

I had the opportunity to spend time with candidates running for office and to see all of the different ways in which ordinary people from unique backgrounds can come together for one purpose. The campaign process was pretty extraordinary and I encourage anyone who has an interest in running for an elected office to give it a try.

Q: How do you think your professional experience and skill set will lend itself to your new role as one of seven elected representatives of Liberty Lake?

Q: I have worked in four states in city, county and state government.

I have had the opportunity to work in rural Astoria, Oregon, mid-size towns in Montana, the urban county of Spokane and the metro area of Denver. Each area that I have worked has given me the opportunity to work with people of different cultures and ethnicities, various religions, people who speak different languages and be exposed to different customs and traditions. That exposure has impacted how I see the world and has made it evident that it is important to know the people in your community if you are going to be afforded the opportunity to represent them. I enjoy the nitty gritty detailed work of policy and program development.

I enjoy meeting with people to really understand how a decision will affect their business or their daily life. My wheelhouse is details – how they apply to policies, codes and, most importantly, people. I believe that I need to understand the full context of an issue in order to make an informed choice for our community.

I can read all of the proposals, plans, minutes and agendas. However, the best way to really understand impact of decisions is to meet with you. I enjoy working with people. I enjoy making things better. I prefer to hear what the issues are and then go to

task to make changes.

Q: You spent much of your professional life working to help children. Whether someone is a parent or not, how can we best support the well-being of kids?”

A: Encouraging the sustainability of local youth programs, athletic opportunities, art and music program and access to local health/dental/ vision and mental health services are ways to ensure that families have what they need locally to meet the whole person needs of their children.

In addition, our schools and childcare programs have a tremendous impact on the overall well-being and future success of our kids. Liberty Lake residents have invested in our school district and it shows through the excellence of the education our kids receive every day. Well-being goes beyond just physical well-being but also encompasses education, basic needs, emotional health and future opportunities. We are fortunate to have many local organizations that offer support to youth and families in the community. Our health professionals, teachers, coaches, mentors, youth group leaders, dance, music and art teachers, and so many others, all support the well-being of our kids. Individuals can contribute financially, donate goods and items, and most importantly – give their time to organizations either in a volunteer capacity or through their employment in a service industry in order to directly and indirectly impact the well-being of kids in our community.

Q: Are there certain priorities for the community that you will have as you begin your first year as a council member?

A: One of the questions I was asked at the candidate forum run by the Chase Youth Commission was about how to ensure that the parks in Liberty Lake offer something for older youth (12-18). I’d like to work on engaging our youth in a process understand how the parks we have now can become a place for older youth to actively enjoy.

Community engagement was a big focus of my campaign and I want to actively begin to understand the current efforts to engage citizens and come up with a strategic plan for community engagement moving forward. Term limits were brought up a few times during the campaign and I think the City Council needs to discuss this in the new year. Access to the voting record of City Council members was also an area of interest

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Q: As a Montana native, can you speak to the deep roots and sense of belonging that seems so common among people from this part of the country?

A: Montana is a vast and beautifully small world. When I run into people from there, we often know someone in common and, if not

a person, we have the commonality of home. Montana is home to me and often the towns feel familiar like different rooms of the same home.

When I think of Montana, I think of hard work, kindness and strength.

Many of my favorite people still live in Montana and I know that even if we haven’t talked in years, I could call them in the middle of the night and whatever I need would be done.

I think a part of it is that the culture of Montana has been passed down for generations to those born and raised there. Things were often difficult See ROOTS, Page 29

6 • JANUARY 2020

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Police Report - Nov. 2019 Splash news sources

Total incidents generated by Officers and emergency calls for service last month 626 Traffic Collisions/Hit & Runs/ Injury Collisions 3 Citations (Traffic/Criminal/NonCriminal) 93 DUI 3 Thefts/Vehicle Prowls/Vehicle Theft / Burglaries 20 Malicious Mischief 1 Argument/Assault DV/Simple Assault / Assault w/a Weapon 10 Parking Violations 4 Suspicious Vehicles 16 Vehicle Collision - Nov. 18, 2019; Officers responded to the report of one vehicle roll over accident located at E Valleyway Ave and Timberfield Ln in Liberty Lake.

The female driver was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated by Fire Personnel.

A collision report was completed with no serious or life threatening injuries.

Theft, Nov. 15, 2019; Officers responded to the report of a theft in progress located at 1502 N Liberty Lake Rd (Walgreens).

While responded to the call, the involved male left the store and a description/direction of travel was provided by the employee. While Officers were in the area, the suspect was spotted. He was then detained and admitted to stealing items from two separate stores. He was then

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placed under arrest and the stolen items were recovered and returned to the respective businesses.

DUI, Nov. 17, 2019; Officers responded to the report of a vehicle vs. tree collision located at E Country Vista Dr and E Settler Dr. Upon arriving, and investigating the collision, it was determined the driver had been drinking and impaired to the point he should not have been driving a motor vehicle.

The driver was subsequently arrested and a blood warrant was requested through the courts to gain evidence of impairment.

Suicidal, Nov. 20, 2019; Officers responded to the report of a male located at Safeway who had blood on his shirt and forehead. Arriving Officers determined the male had been in the store bathroom and had cut himself with a razor blade.

The involved male told Officers he wanted die. Medics attended to the male’s injuries and transported him to Valley Hospital to be seen by Mental Health Professionals.

DUI, Nov. 29, 2019 Officers responded to the report of an erratic driver located at E Appleway Ave and N Signal Rd. The complainant advised 911 call takers she had been following the vehicle on the freeway and the vehicle nearly rolled over.

Officers caught up with the vehicle at the aforementioned intersection and contacted the male driver. Based on the following investigation it was determined the male was intoxicated and provided a PBT reading of .297; almost 4 times over the per se limit of .08.

Needless to say, the male was subsequently arrested for DUI.

JANUARY 2020 • 7

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The Lookout The Community Corner

By Mayor Shane Brickner As your new mayor, I first and foremost want to wish you all a Happy New Year and hope you are having a

great holiday season with your friends and family. As we reflect on 2019, I want to say thank you to all of the citizens of Liberty Lake.

Moving forward into 2020, we will see some changes. I know at times change can be scary, so let me assure you that the changes you see will be for the betterment of the community as a whole. One of those changes you will see is with

this very article, “Memo from the Mayor.” I would like to change this to “The Community Corner” where you will not only hear from me, you will also get to hear from other city departments, such as the library, police, parks, finance and the Parks and Arts Commission and Liberty Lake Youth Commission.

community members. I greatly appreciate this community and the strong sense of support I have personally felt. We are all in this together, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or ideas.

You can reach me at sbrickner@ libertylakewa.gov.

We will all make sure our message is insightful, while giving you the ability to meet staff members and

I wish you all a very happy 2020. Let’s make this year a great one! Thank you.

Winter Glow shines as spectacular success

The Depot wraps up construction

At the time of this publication the construction of the “The Depot” pavilion at Orchard Park will be complete. We weren’t able to provide a photo of the completion here. Instead, this photo shows the roof almost near completion (December 2019).

The Depot will provide citizens another local venue for movie nights, city events and concerts in the future.

With only a little over a month to plan for a lighting ceremony and 40 days of display lights, Winter Glow Spectacular staff and City crew put Liberty Lake on the regional map with this amazing event at Orchard Park.

There were approximately 70 citizen volunteers, along with Winter Glow and city staff installed over 200 light displays in 10 days. They were turned on in a full-spectacle lighting ceremony on Nov. 23 that included a Special Olympics athlete turning on the lights, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Tedi the Yeti, several local businesses providing treats from cookies to root beer floats, STCU providing employees to serve over 600 donated cookies and hot chocolate, to Trutina providing glow sticks. There was an estimated crowd of 1,500 to 2,000 who attended the lighting ceremony.

Orchard Park had regular attendance beginning in late November with the public walking through to view the lights up close where they were much grander in size. Driving by was also a nice way to view the displays since they cover almost a full 13 acres.

The displays included a large zoo of different animals around the tennis courts fences, Santa and his Reindeer, a large train,

January 2020

10 large candles, the North Pole entrance, a snowman display in the Splash pad area, and many smaller displays throughout the park.

While it isn’t known yet if this will be an annual Liberty Lake event, we know one thing for sure.

This year was phenomenal! There were over 250,000 views on the

city and 30 other shared Facebook pages, along with almost 10,000 people indicating their intent to see the light displays. The city of Liberty Lake staff hopes everyone enjoyed this event as much as we did providing it not only to Liberty Lake, but to the whole region.

Winter Glow will keep the lights on through Jan. 1.

Indiana Avenue opens near River District

The long-awaited opening of Indiana Avenue east of Orchard Park at Harvest Parkway took place on Nov. 21 It is currently open to Bitterroot Road and the completion to Harvard Road will be determined in 2020.

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

8 • JANUARY 2020

City Council News and Notes – January 2020

By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor

• Asmus shared an email from an anonymous citizen who thanked LLPD for a recent welfare check that provided valuable connections with local social service resources.

• Ann Nielsen has been hired by the city as a library technician.

• STCU donated $1,000 to the library as part of Giving Tuesday on Dec. 3 .

• The Friends of the Library book sale in November raised approximately $1,000.

• Director of the Coeur d’Alene Water Department Terry Pickle and Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District General Manager BiJay Adams gave a presentation on efficient water practices on Dec. 3 which noted that water usage in the region served by the Spokane County/ Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer triples during the summer. Methods to enhance water conservation include replacing turf with native and drought resistance plants, improving irrigation systems, making seasonal transitions and adjusting spray patterns.

The Idaho Washington Aquifer Collaborative is offering cities like Liberty Lake optional landscaping guidelines to improve water conservation.

• The city’s planning and

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building fee schedule has been updated. Planning and Engineering Manager Lisa Key said some fees have been lowered while others have been raised “in order to recoup costs.”

• Ann Long of Liberty Lake Coworking gave a presentation at the Dec. 3 council meeting. The business opens this month and specializes in shared office space for entrepreneurs, remote workers and freelancers.

• LLSWD Commissioner Bill Genoway and Adams gave a summary of the water boil order that took place in late November.

For more information please see page 26.

• A ceremonial swearing in for new elected city officials will take place at City Hall on Jan. 7.

• Council Member Mike Kennedy has earned the Advanced Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities.

• Waste Management donated $3,000 to be distributed equally among eight local nonprofits, including the local Kiwanis, Lions and Rotary clubs as well as Friends of Pavillion Park, the HUB Sports Center, Fallen Heroes, Friends of the Library and the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

• The city has received grant funding from the state

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Transportation Improvement Board in the amount of $875,000 for two projects – the Liberty Lake Road overlay and the Ridgeline High School traffic signal at Country Vista. The city will be responsible for the remaining $275,000.

• A fence has been installed at the city’s new public works yard.

• A focus group meeting on the Trailhead Master Plan is scheduled for Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. The public is encouraged to attend and provide input and ideas on the project.

• Finance Director RJ Stevenson told council on Dec. 17 that revenues for 2019 are expected to exceed expectations. The city had budgeted $8.5 million in income while the final number should be closer to $8.8 million.

• Holly Woodruff, president of Friends of the Library, said each of the group’s fundraising events in 2019 exceeded expectations with over $14,000 generated. “We couldn’t do this alone,” Woodruff said.

• Mayor Steve Peterson was honored at the Dec. 17 council meeting by city staff with several framed pieces of artwork while also being acknowledged by department leads. “We knew what the community needed and wanted and we tried to deliver on that,” Peterson said. “But the proudest you can be is of the people you hired and gave jobs to. What can I say other than this team is terrific.

Always remember, it’s the people out there who count. My pleasure

doing this. It’s been great.”

• Council Member Bob Moore was also recognized at the same meeting. “Bob has served our community greatly,” said Mayor Pro Tem Shane Brickner.

“He is a mentor and a leader in everything he does and I can say he is a true friend.” Moore, who served on the Planning Commission prior to his role on council, was the catalyst in bringing about the city’s strategic plan. “It’s been an honor and privilege to serve,” Moore said.

Council Member Cris Kaminskas – Moore’s daughter – said her dad, who previously served as a City Council representative in Ohio. was “her inspiration” to become involved in government.

• Sakti Hiatt, office manager and records clerk with the Liberty Lake Police Department, was recognized with the Mayor’s Award. “Sakti is known for her expertise and knowledge,” Peterson said. “We are fortunate to have her.”

• Chief Asmus presented the annual LLPD recognition awards on Dec. 17. The following were recognized: Officer Tuan Nguyen (Sergeant’s Award), Officer Jordan Bowman (Chief’s Award), Shane Brickner (Reserve Officer of the Year), Master Officer Mike Bogenreif (Officer of the Year).

• Brickner, who takes over as mayor this month, announced on Dec. 17 that he would be retiring as a reserve police officer, effective Dec. 31.

The City of Liberty Lake

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NEWS

Library finishes detailed needs assessment “There is no downward trend in

By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor

The library that began with a robust collection of volunteers and a dynamic drive for independence has now officially mapped out its path for the future.

The Liberty Lake Municipal Library Board of Trustees approved a strategic plan for 2020-2024 on Dec. 11 that emerged from a multi-faceted needs assessment encompassing much of 2019. At the Dec. 17 City Council meeting, Rob Cullin of Kimberly Bolan & Associates – the company hired by the city as the consultant for the project– gave an overview of the findings and resulting strategic plan. The complete report encompasses 85 pages.

The process of organizing the assessment included extensive community input, Cullin told council.

“We thought that was the important part of this – to see what the community wanted in their library now and into the future,” Cullin said.

A total of 479 people responded to a survey about library needs while over 70 people were part of the discussion group.

library use throughout the country and we don’t see that in Liberty Lake either,” Cullin said.

The assessment looked at every library in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, comparing square footage and its relation to the Liberty Lake Municipal Library. Findings showed that the library’s current space is “undersized.” A strategic retreat group determined that the current library is “at or over capacity,” Cullin said.

Those involved in the study voiced support for increased meeting space and better parking.

The strategic plan featured three focus areas – Community engagement and awareness; library as place and access to resources. The strategic plan includes a new mission statement, stating that the library “provides resources, opportunities, experiences and services to inspire, entertain and empower the community to connect, learn and grow.”

Cullin said it was clear that residents “want to be careful” when it comes to funding initiatives related to a new library, especially in light of failed

ballot measures in the past.

“Our advice is that this should be a community-driven process not a City Council-driven process,” he said. “Whatever direction you go, if it involves going to citizens for funding, make sure to combine that with private money.”

Barker to Harvard hits brakes Mike Gribner with the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) told council on Dec. 17 that the multi-million dollar Barker to Harvard capital project is on the “pause list” related to the outcome of Initiative 976 that passed in the general election, reducing vehicle tabs to a $30 flat fee.

I-976 was supposed to take effect Dec. 5 but a King County Superior Court temporarily blocked the change, citing a number of cities and counties that have taken issue with the initiative’s description on the ballot as well as its legality. If implemented, the transition is expected to result in a shortfall of up to $4 billion in the state budget over the next six years.

“There’s a lot of concern to where this is all headed and rightfully so,” Gribner said. “There are a significant amount of projects that are on pause now throughout the state. It’s up to the legislature as to how they want to deal with this budget shortfall.”

JANUARY 2020 • 9

Gribner said there is a possibility of “reracking the project list” in the next legislative session. He added that design portion of the Barker to Harvard project is “moving full-steam ahead.”

“At least some of these projects are going to be funded and I want to be ready,” Gribner said. “I think the most effective strategy is to work with your legislators because they’re going to decide what gets funded.”

Council passes 2020 budget City Council unanimously passed the 2020 municipal budget on Dec. 17 with the total ringing in at just over $15.6 million. Council approved a total of five amendments to the original budget, including a reduction of the legislative advisory fund from $25,000 to $10,000. Funding for public art was also cut from a proposed $61,500 to $35,000.

The agreement with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for EMS services was bumped $24,196 to a final amount of $204,196 while a pair of amendments – for recording equipment in council chambers and appropriations for the lodging tax – added $4,895 and $3,000 respectively.

The budget included an estimated beginning fund balance for 2020 of $7,837,792 and an estimated ending fund balance of $9,357,049.

16th Annual Kiwanis Father Daughter Dance March 7, 2020 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Mirabeau Park Hotel Early bird $55 per couple before Feb 14. $60 per couple at the door Additional daughter $20.

Dinner and dance package for 2 $114, $199 for dinner, dance, room, and breakfast.

Go to libertylakekiwanis.org Flowers available. photos available. Kiwanis Fundraiser. Raffle prizes and give aways.

Sponsorship opportunities available. Contact Paul Nigh at 661-331-9521 for details

A fundraiser hosted by the Liberty Lake Kiwanis club that invests in the children of our community.

10 • JANUARY 2020

COVER STORY

Elegant Exit – Peterson reflects on historic tenure as mayor

By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor

Steve Peterson learned the value of community near the shores of Puget Sound, gathering for salmon fries with family and friends at a civic hub called “The Cove” in Normandy Park, a suburb of Seattle.

In his hometown, Peterson heard the stump speeches of iconic leaders like U.S. Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson, and Dan Evans, who served for a dozen years as governor of Washington. Another politician of that era was Lud Kramer, who was elected to the Seattle City Council at 29 before becoming the youngest Secretary of State in Washington’s history.

Decades after stepping away from government and settling in the Inland Northwest, Kramer would become a mentor to Peterson, encouraging him to serve as Liberty Lake’s inaugural mayor.

Peterson served in that role for 15 of the city’s first 19 years, emerging from a small pool of candidates to take the gavel in 2001, the year Liberty Lake became the first community in Spokane County since Airway Heights in 1955 to incorporate.

Peterson quickly earned a reputation as a bold leader who sometimes skirted public opinion.

He led the charge in 2002 to purchase the Valley View golf course under the banner of preserving greenspace.

It didn’t take long before Trailhead at Liberty Lake became a recreation landmark and a revenue generator for the city.

Peterson was also a catalyst for other successful capital projects like the pedestrian bridge, Town Square Park and the completion of the trail network. Occasionally, the mayor’s ambitious approach would backfire such as city’s failed attempt to assume control of the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District in the early 2000’s – a move he would later call a mistake.

Still, Peterson’s footprint remains all over the county’s fastest growing community. He led the way in implementing two unique funding mechanisms – Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Local Infrastructure Financing Tool (LIFT) – that have spurred development and boosted infrastructure. Last year, Peterson channeled his inner lobbyist to secure state funds for a series of

The Splash We all worked well together before and after the election. All of our discussions were open and centered around meetings at the council table.

We were very open to word-smithing and compromise as we developed our legislation in ordinances and resolutions.

Q: Did you get the feeling in your first term as mayor that the city government had the support of the citizens? Or did you get the sense that some folks were still not quite on board about the community being incorporated?

Photo by Craig Howard Steve Peterson became Liberty Lake’s inaugural mayor in 2001 and served in that role for 15 of the city’s first 19 years. capital projects along the I-90 corridor from Barker to Harvard roads.

“I feel he’ll be remembered as a mayor who got a lot of stuff done,” said Sen. Mike Padden who represents Liberty Lake in Olympia as part of the 4th Legislative District.

“I enjoyed working with him on the Barker to Harvard funding which is so critical. He also had a tremendous relationship with the Central Valley School District. You now have three schools in Liberty Lake.”

Along with the financial savvy and administrative skill, Peterson could be found carrying out more commonplace duties, like dishing out popcorn at the Pavillion Park concession stand or greeting visitors to the Liberty Lake Farmers Market.

Wherever he happened to be, Peterson always spoke of his love for the community.

When the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce named Peterson its Citizen of the Year in 2017, it came with the honorary title of “City Builder” that seemed a fitting the mayor’s impact, from his efforts championing capital projects to exemplifying the civic pride that so many have grown to associate with the unique brand of Liberty Lake.

Q: As the Liberty Lake 2000 movement gained traction and more people were on board about the area becoming a city, did you think you might want to throw your hat into the ring for mayor?

A: No. I really got involved at the initial meeting Lud Kramer had in

November of 2000 when he proposed transition committees. In December, after being involved with more than three meetings of these committees, I approached Lud about my interest in the mayor’s position. I realized at that time the new city would need a “trail boss” to insure we could accomplish a successful incorporation.

Q: What do you remember about becoming mayor the first time around?

A: Along with myself, Ann Long and John Barnes filed on a Monday for the mayor’s position.

Because of Liberty Lake being the first incorporation in over 50 years (in Spokane County) there was a great deal of press coverage on that day. I wanted to set an example of a “premier” filing so I wore my tuxedo that day. Ann dropped out within a week of filing and John called me in early February saying he was dropping out. I was the last man standing! There were few signs out and as for door-hanging cards, I remember making our own on the computer so I had something to hand out during some canvassing and at candidate meetings.

Q: How would you describe the chemistry on the inaugural City Council?

A: We were all focused on making the incorporation successful. We had weekly meetings as part of the transition teams which included all candidates because we did not know who would be elected in April except Scott Bernhard who was unopposed.

A: We made bold moves that most new cities would not have. We did it ourselves and did not hire outsiders to put the incorporation together. We challenged ourselves on doing our own library, starting with no debt and getting early distribution of our anticipated November 2001 property tax from the county as well as creating our own police department.

There was some trepidation by our community and some pushback from the county but we continued to work together openly at the council table as we adopted around 165 ordinances.

Q: Trailhead at Liberty Lake has become one of the city’s landmarks along with being a steady revenue generator. Why did you take a chance on the idea of the city owning and operating its own golf course?

A: Initially, I looked at it as more than a golf course. I looked at it as a place where a future City Hall or other community buildings could be placed. I also looked at its books which showed underperformance that could be corrected and the covenant protecting greenspace expiring in 2015 which surely would be better defended by the city when we had ownership of the course. At the same time, I knew that we needed a parks department with the same type of equipment and personnel that were used at the golf course. I definitely did not look at it as a “chance” but more as an opportunity for our community.

Q: In layman's terms, explain how the city has benefitted from LIFT and TIF? A: True layman’s terms mean we will increase our city revenue over 25 years by $ 50 million in cash. TIF allowed us to capture our property tax from the River District which was growing but also the property tax which was going to Spokane County, Spokane Valley Fire and Valley Library as it grew. Instead of us getting $1.60 per $1,000 of assessed See PETERSON, Page 17

The Splash

COVER STORY

Brickner brings civic-minded resume to new mayor role

the show since 2012 and from 2001 to 2007 before that. He plans to meet with the entire municipal staff, then with department heads and finally with individual staff members.

In 2011, Shane Brickner ran for a position on the Liberty Lake City Council while also running a different campaign that had nothing to do with politics.

“I think the unknown is always scary,” he said. “I just want to put their minds at ease. I want them to feel like they’re supported and cared about as human beings not just as employees. We have to see the human side of things and find a good life-work balance.”

By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor

That fall, Brickner faced off against Keith Kopelson in the general election, earning a place on the city’s governing board by a mere 77 votes. Earlier in the year, he gained attention by walking 17 consecutive hours during Liberty Lake’s version of Relay for Life, the worldwide program that raises funds and awareness in the fight against cancer.

In both cases, Brickner entered the race to make a difference.

“I love to be involved in my community,” Brickner says. “I love to work with people to make an impact for the better.”

In the most recent general election, Brickner became only the third mayor in Liberty Lake’s history, defeating incumbent Steve Peterson by a margin of 56 percent.

He officially takes the gavel this month.

“I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me but I’m excited,” Brickner said of the transition from City Council to mayor.

In Liberty Lake’s “strong mayor” form of government, Brickner will craft the city’s preliminary budget, be in charge of hiring and firing municipal employees, oversee departments and serve as the public face of Liberty Lake. He will not, however, have a vote at the dais as he has for the last eight years – other than in the rare case of a tiebreaker.

“My goal is to work with the staff and the council to make sure they know they’re supported,” Brickner said.

On the campaign trail, Brickner emphasized the importance of transparency and communication at City Hall. Leading up to the vote, he adeptly utilized social media to get the word out and held forums to gather feedback. As a council member, he was known for his listening ear and collecting input from residents. His latest effort involves rallying for a traffic light out of the Legacy Ridge neighborhood.

“What I’ve seen from Shane is

just pure selflessness,” said Council Member Cris Kaminskas who has served with Brickner for the past eight years. “He always works through things with a calm demeanor.

As mayor, I think he will be very empowering and very trusting and make sure the council and staff are involved from the get-go.”

In addition to his experience at the dais, Brickner brings a unique perspective as a reserve police officer.

He signed on with the Liberty Lake Police Department in 2006 and has been donating time ever since. The job requires a minimum of 20 hours a month and carries the same authority as a full-time officer.

Brickner said he is grateful for the insight front-line law enforcement has given him as a city leader.

“I have a unique perspective on public safety,” he said. “I look at things differently.”

As a council member, Brickner has spoken up about issues like mental health and substance abuse, urging the city to take a more proactive role. He has volunteered with the Spokane Opiod Task Force and the Spokane County Mental Health Task Force “Drop the Stigma” program and coordinated a presentation by the Spokane Regional Health District to council last year on the correlation between insufficient housing and a litany of social problems.

Brickner said he plans on “a threepronged approach” to the transition at City Hall where Peterson has run

Brickner said he had a “good meeting” with 4th District Sen. Mike Padden – a longtime friend of Peterson’s – recently and has also talked with Rep. Bob McCaslin Jr. from the same district. He has also had talks with leaders from the city of Spokane Valley.

“I want to mend that relationship,” Brickner said. “We’re neighboring cities. We have to work together.”

As he prepares to preside over his first council meeting as mayor, Brickner said he expects everyone to exercise decorum.

“I think it’s important to have respect at those meetings,” he said.

“I’ll ask people to step out and calm down if they’re disrespectful.”

Brickner said he will remain in a job as a national sales manager for Cordant Health Solutions, a lab testing company, despite his new demands as mayor.

“I’ve had good communication with my company,” he said. “I take being mayor very seriously. I don’t take it lightly that people trust me to do this. I’m not going to treat it any differently from a full-time job.”

JANUARY 2020 • 11

Meet Your New Mayor – The Brickner bio

By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor

Born: March 10, 1975 in Spokane Family: Wife Jamie, three kids and one grandchild in their blended family Education: Shadle Park High School, Eastern Washington University Public office experience: First elected to Liberty Lake City Council in 2011; unchallenged on ballot in 2015; defeated Steve Peterson in 2019 mayor race; has served as mayor pro tem for the last four years.

Volunteer experience: Former Little League president; founded a chapter of the Grief Share support group in honor of his brother Greg in 2007; served with the Spokane Opiod Task Force and the Spokane County Mental Health Task Force “Drop the Stigma” program; has served as a volunteer officer with the Liberty Lake Police Department since 2006.

Hobbies/interests: Was a competitive swimmer and cross country runner in high school; has studied martial arts, riding motorcycles and swimming with Great White Sharks.

Neighborhood: The Meadows; moved to Liberty Lake in 2004.

Honors: “Everyday Heroes Award” from Pacific Northwest Kiwanis; Volunteer of the Year with LLPD multiple years.

Photo by Craig Howard Shane Brickner collected 56 percent of the vote in the most recent general election to become the third mayor in the history of Liberty Lake. Brickner has served on the City Council since 2012 and been mayor pro tem for the last four years.

12 • JANUARY 2020

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14 • JANUARY 2020

The Splash

Calendar of Events COMMUNITY EVENTS Until Jan 2 | Winter Glow Spectacular – Various times, Orchard Park, 20298 E Indiana Ave Orchard Park will be lit up with Holiday lighting and displays, including animation and music.

It’s all FREE, walkable or drivable around the perimeter.

Jan 18 | Bingo, Auction, and Chili Feed – 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. Veradale United Church of Christ, 611 N. Progress Road, Spokane Valley.

We will have Bingo with Prizes a Silent Auction and a night of FUN! Cost is $10.00 at the door for Chile, cornbread, beverage, dessert & 2 Bingo Cards. For more, 509-926-7173 or veradaleucc@gmail.com.

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. For more, search for “Act 2” at scc. spokane.edu.

Baha’i Fireside Conversation | 7 to 8 p.m., third Thursday 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. For more, call 599-2411.

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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.

Free Last Sunday Lunch | Spokane Valley United Methodist Church, 115 N. Raymond Road, Spokane Valley - 12:30 p.m. on the final Sunday of every month in the church’s Fellowship Hall, Room 115 Grange Meeting and Dessert | 6:30 p.m., third Wednesday of the month, Tri-Community Grange, 25025 Heather St., Newman Lake. The public is welcome for this community-based service organization. For more, call 2262202.

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,

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children’s story times, classes, Lego club, teen anime club and writing clubs. More at 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 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 Ave., Spokane Valley. Open to all interested in sharing ideas and skills of our quilting craft. Participants can access a comprehensive library, engage experienced teachers and participate in community service projects. More at svqgspokane.com.

MUSIC & THE ARTS Jan. 5 - 6 | Gulliver’s Travels Auditions – 6pm, TAC at the Lake, 22910 E. Appleway Ave., Liberty Lake. The play takes audiences on all four famous voyages, from Lilliput to Brobdingnag to outer space and to the land of the noble Houyhnhnms and the comic Yahoos.

Gulliver’s Travels is a joy for actors and audiences everywhere. For more, visit tacatthelake.com.

January 17 - 19 | “The Importance of Being Earnest” Various times.

Ignite! Community Theatre,10814 E Broadway Avenue, Spokane Valley. A Booklight (readers theatre) production of Oscar Wilde’s classic that pokes fun at Victorian society. $5 at the door only. More at igniteonbroadway.org.

January 18 | Play in a Day – Lost at Sea Various times. TAC at the Lake, 22910 E. Appleway Ave., Liberty Lake. Play in a Day is an exciting, challenging, and fun workshop where participants devise, direct and act in a 15 minute play that they perform for family and friends. In just one afternoon, we work together to create and perform a unique play!

More at tacatthelake.com.

RECURRING The Fire Brigade| 7 p.m., first Saturday of the month, Ignite!

Community Theatre, 10814 E. Broadway Ave., Spokane Valley.

Ignite!’s improv troupe fires up family-friendly comedy. For more, visit igniteonbroadway.org.

Pages of Harmony | 6:30 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays, Thornhill Valley Chapel, 1400 S. Pines Road.

Four-part, a cappella harmony, men’s barbershop chorus. More at 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 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 Spokane Valley Quilt Guild | Meetings at 6:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of February, April, June, August, October and December at Valley Assembly of God Church, 15618 E. Broadway Ave., Spokane Valley. Open to all interested in sharing ideas and skills of our quilting craft. Participants can access a comprehensive library, engage experienced teachers and participate in community service projects. More at svqgspokane.com.

HEALTH & RECREATION Jan. 13 - 24 | Two-week Yoga for Osteoporosis Workshop – M, W, F 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Focused Fitness, 2426 S Dishman Mica Rd. Learn 12 poses which have been shown to stimulate new bone growth and reverse osteoporosis. This

The Splash

COMMUNITY

workshop is designed to teach the poses and their proper execution so that they can be practiced at home, a 12 minute per day practice. Prior yoga experience in not required.

Registration $35 per person.

For more, indigoyoga.press or elenemjohnston@gmail.com

RECURRING Al-Anon Meetings | 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, call 425344-9280.

Al-Anon Family Meetings | Tuesdays, noon to 1 p.m., Opportunity Christian Church, 708 N. Pines, Spokane Valley. Is there a problem of alcoholism with a relative or a friend? Al-Anon/ Alateen family groups can help. For more, call 456-2125.

Decreasing Anger Group | 3 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, the Vet Center, 13109 E. Mirabeau Parkway, Spokane Valley. Eligibility: combat veteran from all eras, military sexual trauma survivors. For more, call Steve at 893-4746 to make an intake appointment.

Saturday at 9 a.m. (kids 7 and under) and 10 a.m. (8-14). Adults Mondays and Thursday 6:30 to 8 p.m. Ladies Day clinics 10:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays. For more, contact Larry West at larrywest1@live.com or 7241192.

Liberty Lake Running Club | Meets at Liberty Lake Physical Therapy, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays through October. Weekly three mile run/ walk. Earn T-shirt after six runs.

Military Sobriety Support Group | 10 to 11:30 a.m., Spokane Vet Center, 13109 E. Mirabeau Parkway, Spokane Valley. For more, call Steve at 893-4746.

Mindful Music & Movement | 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Wednesdays, Willow Song Music Therapy Center, 21101 E. Wellesley #102, Otis Orchards. Specifically designed for those living with chronic health issues such as Parkinson’s, dementia, COPD, MS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, cancer. $10 donation suggested.

Facilitated by board-certified music therapist, Carla Carnegie. For more, visit willowsongmusictherapy.com or call 592-7875.

JANUARY 2020 • 15

THANK YOU TO MY CLIENTS AND FRIENDS FOR MAKING 2019 ANOTHER GREAT YEAR! Once Again, I am the #1 Listing and Residential Resale Agent in Liberty Lake!

LIBERTY LAKE AND SPOKANE VALLEY HOMES SOLD IN 2019 BY PAM 8207 E Vista Ln - $1,685,000 175 N Holiday Hills Dr $1,108,000 1218 S Starr Ln - $997,500 6708 S Summit Ln - $910,000 2602 S Park Rd - $889,970 10401 N Starr Rd - $775,000 770 N Holiday Hills Dr $707,000 21801 E Mullan Ln - $675,000 8304 E Woodland Park Dr $655,000 1307 N Dunbarton Oaks Ln $627,000 16819 E Temple Rd - $599,970 12924 N March Horse Ln $585,000 17010 E 18th Ct - $579,970 2216 S Twilight Ln - $579,900 24880 E Reston Ave - $530,000 16517 E 24th Ln - $509,500 2109 S Steen Rd - $499,970 1902 S Clover Dr - $495,000

1700 N Willamette Rd - $284,000 19730 E Dechutes Ave 1126 N Tanglewood Ln $473,000 $269,900 3307 N Molter Rd - $460,970 2814 S Park Ln - $260,000 17417 E Apollo Rd - $460,000 23112 E Sinto Ave - $259,000 24673 E Blue Ridge Ave 4811 N Mitchell Dr - $250,970 $444,912 302 S Sullivan Rd - $243,000 23511 E Broadway Ave - $435,000 103 S Neyland Ave - $219,970 23130 E Settler Dr - $434,970 618 S Long Rd - $210,000 4708 S Progress Ct - $425,000 10804 E 10th Ave - $207,500 3929 S Best Ct - $415,000 101 S Neyland Ave - $195,000 13409 E Crown Ave - $397,539 0 Broken Lance Ln - $195,000 23706 E Trent Ave - $395,000 21418 E Harvard Vista Ln 3518 N Molter Rd - $365,000 $160,000 4822 S Rowan Terrace Ln 208 S Neyland Ave - $155,000 $365,000 22855 E Country Vista Blvd 10713 E 19th Ave - $337,000 $144,700 123 N Knudson St - $332,000 262 N Legacy Ridge Dr 1700 N Meyers Ct - $329,910 $124,000 Lot 10 S Molter Rd - $320,000 305 S Liberty Lake Rd - $115,000 101 S Lakeside Rd - $320,000 0 S Best Ln - $85,000 1103 N Progress Rd - $303,000 0 S Wright Blvd - $82,450 18403 E 9th Ave - $300,000 13XX S Lilac Ln - $40,850 22928 E Sawgrass Ln - $289,900

Call Me Today to List Your Home!

Pam Fredrick, Broker (509) 370-5944

pamfredrick@johnlscott.com

For a virtual tour visit: www.pamfredrick.com

CIVIC & Support BUSINESS

DivorceCare Recovery 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.

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. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday; 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday. $3/seniors, $5/non-seniors.

• Classes including Kenpo Karate, Taekwondo and Fit for YOUR Life.

See hubsportscenter.org for cost and times.

Liberty Lake Community Tennis Association | Rocky Hill Park, Liberty Lake. Free tennis clinics through Aug. 10 as follows:

Jan. 15 | Liberty Lake Coworking Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening! – 3 to 6 p.m., Liberty Lake Coworking, 23505 E Appleway Ave, Suite 200. Ribbon cutting, networking and refreshments organized by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce. For more or to register, visit spokanevalleychamber.org.

Jan. 24 | Gem of the Valley Gala – 5:30 p.m., Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center, 1100 N Sullivan, Spokane Valley. Join the celebration of excellence at the 17th annual Gem of the Valley Awards Gala. This premiere event features raffle items, a live auction, an elegant dinner and awards program honoring citizens, non-profits, and businesses of the year. Tickets: $75 per person. For more or to register, visit spokanevalleychamber.org.

Jan. 29 | After 5 Networking – 4:30 to 6 p.m., Mountain West

See CALENDAR, Page 16

Experience the Difference of Pentecost

Come and Pray with Us! Services: Sunday @ 11am & Tuesday @ 7:30pm Prayer: Monday-Saturday 6am-9am www.spokanecornerstonechurch.org 21326 E Mission Ave, Liberty Lake WA

16 • JANUARY 2020

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CALENDAR

Continued from page 15 Bank, 12321 E Mission, Spokane Valley. Business connection event organized by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce. Free to members, $10 non-members.

For more or to register, visit spokanevalleychamber.org.

Liberty Lake City Council | 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, City Hall, 22710 E. Country Vista Drive

RECURRING

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, 1428 N. Liberty Lake Road

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

Friends of Liberty Lake Municipal Library | 2 p.m. the last Wednesday of each month, Liberty Lake Municipal Library, 23123 E. Mission Ave.

THE

LIBERTY LAKE

COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE

Liberty Lake Lions Club | Noon to 1 p.m., every first and third Wednesday of each month at Barlows, 1428 N. Liberty Lake Road.

For more, 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 District building, 22510 E. Mission Ave. For more, visit LibertyLakeRotary.org.

Liberty Lake Merchants Association | 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Liberty Lake Portal, 23403 E. Mission Ave., Suite 120. For more, call 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 | 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.

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Student of the Month

Athlete of the Month

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Zach Griffin’s school day begins at 6 a.m. with jazz band and stays in harmony with an emphasis on music and academics. The Central Valley senior maintains a 3.98 grade point average and is a member of the National Honor Society. After his family moved to Spokane Valley when Griffin was a freshman, he didn’t waste time integrating into CV’s well-respected music programs. He has been playing the trumpet since the age of 10 and took up the French horn two years ago. Griffin is French horn first chair in the symphony and first trumpet in CV’s award-winning marching band. He also plays in the pep band and wind ensemble.

Griffin’s schedule includes AP classes in government and calculus 1 & 2.

He would like to major in music in college and has aspirations to teach music as a career.

Peyton Howard has gone from a valuable bench player on the best girls’ basketball team in the nation to a standout starter and offensive catalyst. The Central Valley senior leads the 2019-20 Bears in scoring at 15 points a game. She had 22 points, seven rebounds and four steals in a win against Post Falls last month. In an overtime victory over Gonzaga Prep, Howard poured in 15 points and made nine of 12 free throws. As a sophomore, she was a critical reserve on a CV squad that won the 4A state title and was ranked No. 1 in the country by USA Today after winning the Geico High School National Championship.

Howard maintains a 3.7 grade point average and has volunteered as an official for Special Olympics.

Howard will continue her basketball career on scholarship at Seattle University.

Anyone who has ever stopped by The Well on Country Vista Road knows of the positive energy and generous approach of Natalie Gauvin. The owner of the business serves up hope and encouragement along with topflight coffee and food. A native of San Diego, Gauvin opened The Well in 2016. She has a degree in art history and criticism from the University of California-San Diego and worked for years in professional theatre and as an accomplished artist. Gauvin has an extensive background in modern dance, yoga and meditation. She has taught yoga since 2005. Her latest venture involves taking the practice of mindfulness to area schools with a goal of “helping kids deal with the stresses of modern-day life.” She is also the founder of the Mindfulness Coalition. Gauvin is the proud mom of two sons, ages 13 and 16.

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COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE

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Thanks you for all you do in our community

JANUARY 2020 • 17

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PETERSON

Continued from page 10 valuation now we were getting around $4 to $5 of the incremental value as it grew. It has provided the city with $5 million to $7 million dollars that we would not have had for infrastructure investment. Using our TIF to match LIFT which is a state of Washington commitment of $25 million dollars allows us to double our money. Orchard Park, the two roundabouts on the northside and all of the new roads and pump stations on the northside have been paid out of LIFT. I’m extremely proud of creating the TIF in 2005 and working with the state legislature on creating LIFT ( Liberty Lake was one of three demonstration projects defined in the legislation). When leaving the mayor’s job in 2007, I stated at that final council meeting that LIFT will prove to be the most significant financial accomplishment of our city. The statement has proven to be correct.

Q: As you traveled around the region over the years, how did you notice the perception and recognition of the city of Liberty Lake change?

A: Citing one of my favorite childhood books “The Little Engine that Could!” is how our city at AWC (Association of Washington Cities) was perceived by its leadership in our beginning years. Across our region, we have been well respected for our leadership on regional issues and economic development. Over the past few years, Mayor (David) Condon of Spokane was fond of saying that half his cabinet lived in Liberty Lake. It’s a fine testament for our community.

Q: What do you love most about this city?

A: The trails, greenspace and people that we call friends and neighbors. We have created a great place for people and their families to call home!

Q: What will you miss most about being mayor?

A: Visioning for our community and working for our citizens and putting together a terrific team of employees to achieve that vision.

Being mayor was a very rewarding job and one that was always interesting especially as we developed the infrastructure, assets and team to set the city up for success in the future.

One would say you never work a day in your life if you work at something you love! I truly did love working for Liberty Lake – Spokane County’s premier address!

Harvard, Henry road improvements paused with passage of I-976

By Nina Culver Splash Contributor

A long list of road and transit projects in Eastern Washington have been put on hold with the passage of Initiative 976 and two in Liberty Lake – the new Henry Road Interstate 90 overpass and the widening of the Harvard Road I-90 overpass – are among them.

The hold also impacts the project to add roundabouts to Barker Road at the I-90 interchanges (located within The City of Spokane Valley), which was scheduled to start construction in June. The Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley projects were slated to receive $20.9 million over the next couple of years in a package deal known as the “I-90 Barker to Harvard improvements.”

Initiative 976 was set to create $35 car tabs, eliminating millions of dollars in funding that is used for road and transit projects across the state. Voters approved the initiative in November and the law was supposed to take effect on Dec. 5. Several local governments, including King County, sued to overturn the law on the grounds that the ballot title was misleading and a judge put a hold in implementation of the law while the lawsuit works its way through the courts.

That leaves dozens of projects across the state in limbo, with no one sure if the funding will eventually be available or not. “The judge stayed the implementation and the governor asked the Washington State Department of Transportation to create a pause list,” said Liberty Lake City Administrator Katy Allen. “If it wasn’t a safety project, a preservation project or a project already financially committed, it got paused.”

The financially committed projects are ones where contracts have already been signed, she said.

“To rescind the contract would be costly,” she said.

The Henry Road overpass, which would extend Henry Road over I-90 and create a critical northsouth connection, and the Harvard Road overpass are both on the list.

“Right now, this is where we are,”

she said. “We’re paused. “

Allen said there’s no way to tell how long that pause will last.

“The best thing that could happen during the legislative session is that they identify funds to keep some of these projects going,” she said.

But Allen isn’t sure how likely that would be. “I don’t think we have anything confirmed,” she said. “Everything is still up in the air. This legislative session is short.”

The design of the Harvard Road project is nearly complete and the city had planned to go out to bid in the spring with construction occurring in 2020, Allen said. The city might be able to find other grant money to move that forward.

“We have other funding sources,” she said. “We could take the design documents and apply for other funding. The challenge is that everyone else will be doing the same thing.”

The Harvard Road project includes both widening the overpass to add a second northbound lane and improving the westbound I-90 on-ramp at Harvard Road to make it easier for traffic to merge onto the freeway.

The Henry Road overpass still needs to be designed, which takes about a year to complete. The city was slated to contribute $6 million to the project, most of in later phases. Allen said the city has negotiated an interlocal agreement with the state to use some of the city’s contribution for the design phase instead so that project won’t stall completely.

“We would like to use it to move the project forward,” she said. “If you don’t have a design, you’re that much further back. We’re keeping the ball rolling.”

WSDOT has approved the proposed interlocal agreement and the Liberty Lake City Council is scheduled to vote on it at its Jan. 7 meeting. That agreement will allow the city to move ahead with the design work and acquiring right of way.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department and the Central Valley School District joined Liberty

Lake in lobbying the legislature to provide funding for the Henry Road overpass sooner rather than later because of the connectivity it provides. Currently the only northsouth route over the freeway is Harvard Road, which is frequently congested.

The fire department recently built a new fire station near Henry Road and the school district recently finished a new middle school near Henry Road on the north side of I-90 and is currently building a new high school on the south side of the freeway.

Allen said she hopes that by the time the design work on the Henry Road overpass is done the state will have figured out how to move forward with the projects on the pause list. The original plan was to put the Henry Road overpass project out to bid in early 2021 and do the construction in 2021 and 2022. Whether that schedule can be met remains to be seen.

“Between now and then we will have either received 976 funds that were cut loose or find new funding,” she said.

Allen said Liberty Lake and other cities and counties across the state will just have to wait and see what happens to their funding. “Until this plays out, there’s no certainty as to what is going to happen when,” she said.

“I don’t speculate. There are no guarantees.”

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About and for Liberty Lake seniors

Snow angels to the rescue

By Nina Culver Splash Contributor

When the snow flies in Liberty Lake people can expect to see some snow angels out and about, but not in the form of an outline in the snow on someone’s lawn. The snow angels are the people with a snow shovel, volunteering to clear driveways and sidewalks for the elderly and disabled.

“This is our third year of snow angels,” said Liberty Lake’s Operations and Maintenance Director Jennifer Camp. “That’s where it started.”

It all began simply enough.

“When our department took over the street snow plowing, we got lots of calls,” Camp said. “People were plowed in.”

City staff cannot shovel people’s driveways, she said. In trying to figure out a solution, she sent a group text to several Parks and Arts Commission members asking if they could help. She’s the city’s staff liaison to the group and knew them well. Several commissioners responded, willing to grab a shovel and hit the streets.

“Our Parks and Arts Commission has stellar human beings and they love to help,” she said. “I knew they would jump at the chance to help.”

The City of Liberty Lake now acts as a clearing house in all seasons, matching residents in need with volunteers willing to shovel snow, pull weeds, mow lawns and rake leaves. They also help with any other tasks the city might need help with. The volunteers even helped distribute bottled water to homebound residents when the town’s water supply was contaminated recently and a boil order was in effect.

“It kind of snowballed,” Camp said. “I send a text out and I get an immediate response.”

File photo During the winter season volunteers known as “Snow Angels” emerge to assist those in need with clearing sidewalks and driveways.

Anita Eylar, the city’s activities and events coordinator, helps Camp match those in need with volunteers. “What we decided to do is have a program for all seasons,” she said. “We created a Facebook page for each season.”

The Snow Angels were three people strong when the group began. Now there are 21 volunteers lined up to help throughout the year. The community has been very grateful for the program, Eylar said.

“We’ve had people very excited about it, very thankful,” Eylar said.

“We see that growing.”

People cannot sign up for services in advance, but can simply call each time they have a snow berm that needs to be removed or leaves that need to be raked. “It’s on a one-time basis,” Eylar said. “The city is only facilitating the requests.

It’s the volunteers who are giving their time. It’s just another added

community added.”

service

that

we’ve

Tom Chamberlain, who serves on the city’s Parks and Arts Commission, has been a Snow Angel since the program began. He said he was a handyman and has all the tools he might need. “I’m just here to make the community better,” he said. “I still have decent health. It doesn’t take all that long.”

When asked why he volunteers his time to shovel other people’s sidewalks, Chamberlain shrugs.

“Because I can,” he said. “I think I’ve been given a lot in my life and this is a way of giving back.”

He said he prefers to do snow removal the old-fashioned way, with a shovel and, if necessary, a pick to break up ice. “It doesn’t take long as long as you get to it right away,” he said.

Chamberlain said he lives in the Rocky Hill neighborhood and

tends to focus his efforts in that area. “When it snows a bunch, we get a bunch of calls,” he said.

Camp said it just makes sense for the city to facilitate the volunteer program. “We found that we were a natural connection,” she said.

Eylar said the city has been focusing on the volunteer service more in an effort to help spread the word about the service. She hopes it will become better used. “We’re getting the word out more,” she said.

People can call the city at (509) 755-6700, make a request online at www.libertylakewa.gov or send a message on Facebook to ask for help. “We’ll take requests from any channel,” she said.

People interested in volunteering can also call the city to get their name on the roster of those able to help their fellow residents who need assistance.

JANUARY 2020 • 21

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Seasoned CV boys spring to stellar hoops start

By Craig Howard

Splash Contributing Editor

Early in the 2019-20 season, the Central Valley boys’ basketball team registered several statement wins that could very well pave the road to state.

It started with the Bears’ first game on Dec. 3 against Greater Spokane League rival Gonzaga Prep, a team that steamrolled most opponents on its way to the 4A state title last year. This time, CV got the best of the Bullpups, 87-76.

“I think that win was important for the kids,” said CV head coach Mike Laws. “We saw that determination and focus. We have a lot of respect for that program and for us to come out and play that well in our first game was big.”

The Bears are 6-1 to begin the year with nonconference wins over Eisenhower and Post Falls – a squad that took down CV last season. The Bears’ only loss came in a challenging road environment at Richland, 6057. After that, CV reeled off four straight wins, including defeats of GSL foes North Central, Mead and Ferris.

“When you have that early success, it helps the team buy in,” Laws said.

Laws, in his second campaign after taking over for longtime head coach Rick Sloan, points to the experience and chemistry of this

year’s squad as strengths. The roster includes seven seniors, five juniors and one sophomore.

“Our seniors have been down that road before,” Law said. “As a team, they’re a pretty selfless group.

The guys like being around each other, which helps.”

Senior Jayce Simmons, a threeyear starter at point guard, leads the way as a scorer (14 points a game) and distributor (4 to 1 assist-toturnover ratio).

“Jayce’s leadership has been crucial,” Laws said. “Just his understanding of the game is great.

I’d say he’s taken it to a different level this year.”

CV finished 13-11 last year, missing out on regionals by one game. The team lost key contributors Grant Kelly, Josh Wilson and Kyle Clay, who paced the Bears in scoring. Laws knows CV must rise to the challenge in order to become the 21st team in program history to play on the state stage. Only two 4A teams between the GSL and MidColumbia Conference will make the trip to Tacoma.

“We’ve talked about it,” Laws said. “The kids want and think that getting to Tacoma is their mission.”

The Bears will tune up in Oregon over the Christmas break, playing in a Corvallis holiday tournament that will feature some of the region’s elite teams. Over the summer, CV had success in tournaments hosted at schools like Curtis and Kamiakin.

“We came out of the summer thinking that the pieces were there,” Laws said.

One of those pieces is junior center Gavin Gilstrap who fought back from a broken leg. The 6-10 post is averaging 11 points and 10 rebounds this season.

“Gavin’s worked real hard,” Laws said. “He’s a difference maker inside. He changes shots and really kind of owned the paint. Right now, we’re just trying to get him feeds near the hoop. He’s also shown that his outside game has improved.”

Senior Quinn Johnson is also part of Bears’ formidable front line. The 6-5 forward is a three-year starter.

“Quinn used to be a 5 but has

taken his game to the perimeter,” Laws said. “He’s a strong rebounder and a good post defender and his defense is getting better and better on the perimeter.”

Senior guard Noah Sanders leads CV in scoring, putting up 15 points a game, including 24 in the home win over Ferris.

“Noah is a high flyer with a nice outside shot,” Laws said.

Laws said this year’s team has displayed versatility on the offensive end, going inside and out, releasing on the fast break while showing an effective half-court game.

“We’re pretty up-tempo,” he said. “We’ve been pushing the ball a lot better. We just have to be careful not to do too much. We need to play Central Valley basketball and not get away from our foundation.”

Laws points to Mt. Spokane, Ferris and Gonzaga Prep as the Bears’ toughest competition in the GSL. CV travels to Mt. Spokane on Jan. 7 to face an undefeated Wildcats’ squad ranked third in the state by MaxPreps.

“I’ve seen our team face some adversity already this season and fight through it,” Laws said. “It’s becoming the character of this team.

We just have to be more consistent with moving the ball. Ultimately, if we’re going to get to state, we have to be lock-down defenders.”

Final Point

By Mike Vlahovich Splash Contributor

When first I met John Tuft, his features reminded me of Dudley Do-Right, a strong-jawed Canadian mounted policeman and foil of Snidely Whiplash in a children’s television cartoon series some 50 years ago.

He was chiseled, stood upright with shoulders thrown back as if perpetually at attention and wore his hair in a flat-top befitting the career military man he was. Tuft was a foil, but things always worked out in the end. Tuft was no foil, but the resemblance to Do-Right sticks in my head to this day.

JANUARY 2020 • 23

The Splash

Orrell brings winning history to new role at CV

and Felice represented that as well as you can.”

In fact, Schuller was on the CV bench next to her former player in the Bears’ season opener against Gonzaga Prep.

Schuller is proud to have former players Orrell and Hayley (Hodgins) Middleton, now head coach at Richland, in the area coaching ranks as role models for young women coming up through their respective programs.

By Steve Christilaw Current Correspondent

Felice (Moore) Orrell had planned to spend this basketball season concentrating on her two kids, who were both sick when the call came in from the Central Valley School District.

Orrell had spent last season as the varsity assistant coach at Central Valley High School, her alma mater, where she helped the Bears win two state championships, including an undefeated season in her senior season of 2002.

A 6-foot-2 former All-Big Sky center at Eastern Washington, Orrell was pretty settled in her plans.

“To be honest I had planned to kind of step back this season and put my family first,” she said. “My family is my huge priority.”

And then the CVSD offered her what has always been her dream job. Would she like to be the head girls basketball coach at CV? This all transpired on the Thursday before the start of practice for the season. Orrell took a day to discuss the opportunity with her family and then spent the weekend preparing to start practice.

Orrell is a former high school head coach. After several years as an assistant coach in the Greater Tuft and I became good friends through his role as Spokane County Parks and Recreation director and mine as a rookie sportswriter at The Spokane Valley Herald.

Long overdue, in November his name was added to the Inland Northwest Sport’s Hall of Fame Scroll of Honor.

I got to know him a half century ago as the longtime parks and recreation director for Spokane County, and an innovator who sated the area’s appetite for recreational sports.

That first meeting half a century ago, if my feeble mind remembers correctly when he came into the Herald on another errand. He was also coach of a county swimming

Felice Orrell Wenatchee area she took the job at Eastmont High in East Wenatchee.

She said she drew on that experience preparing for the start of practice.

Moore made herself a solid force in the middle for the Bears through hard work – often staying after practice ended to work on entry passes from the coach. She gained a reputation for making the players around her, including Emily Westerberg, Caitlin Corchaine and Raeanna Jewell, better.

In fact, her toughness and obvious willingness to work hard made her the first player recruited by then first-year Eastern Washington University coach Wendy Schuller.

“She had come off of Coach (Dale) Poffenroth’s state championship team at CV and was as tough and competitive as any player I have coached,” Schuller recalled. “We talk a lot in our program about being tough, smart and unselfish team and brought results to our society editor, Pat (Smith) Goetter.

We were introduced and he offered me a proposal. Why not run standings of the county basketball and softball leagues? Why not?

There was plenty of space to fill in the sports pages of the family newspaer and I had to justify my existence.

The sports were to be recreational.

Everyone on a team was to play equally. Though standings were published by yours truly, they really didn’t count.

Fat chance. The human psyche isn’t built that way on the field of battle. The games were serious, the technical fouls were real. Blood occasionally flowed.

But Tuft’s way offered a caveat.

The job of coach for the prestigious girls’ basketball program at Central Valley came open as the result of a surprise announcement the week before practice started when the district announced that it was not renewing the contract of Ryan Bragdon after one season.

The reason for the move was not for any misconduct during his one season as head coach, but instead for issues relating to his dismissal as head coach at Northwest Nazarene University, where he was terminated mid-season.

There was an issue at NNU over Bragdon’s relationship with a former player. An investigation commissioned by the Central Valley School District and obtained by local media found that he was not “forthcoming about the nature and extent of a relationship with a student athlete.”

The report concluded that relationship “is not appropriate in high school or collegiate athletics.”

Northwest Nazarene did not cooperate with the investigation.

At the end of the year, the serious would get their Jones in the form of end-of-season single elimination tournaments, trophies and a team photo plaque (still have a few of those hanging around the house. We didn’t care about the outcome of the regular season. “Training Table” at the Jackson Hole Tavern, owned by our sponsor and player, the late Ron Jackson, was more important). Turns out you can have a good time and still be competitive.

When we moved on to The Spokesman-Review, John would still send me long letters to remind me of all that he had accomplished.

I’m not sure if he was lobbying for his place in the Hall of Fame.

They recorded his accomplishments that went back as far has his years

Representatives of the school district attempted to contact the university through its legal counsel but got no response.

Bragdon and NNU signed a nondisclosure agreement.

The school refused to sign a waiver for the investigation or to allow Bragdon to be completely forthcoming about the situation during his application process for the CV job.

The investigation stated that “a sexual relationship between the parties could not be substantiated based on information available,” and added “it cannot be confirmed that the relationship formed the basis for the university’s decision to remove Mr. Bragdon because, as noted above, the organization has refused to respond to all inquiries.”

Bragdon, 41, is a Central Valley graduate. He has stated that allegations about his relationship with the student-athlete are “absolutely 100-percent false.”

Now that she is leading the team, Orrell has a different offensive and defensive strategy than was used last year. But that’s not important, she said.

“The most important thing I can do is to be a role model,” she said.

After dropping the season opener at home to Gonzaga Prep and a nonleague game to Beaverton, Oregon, the Bears rolled off five straight wins to go into the Christmas break 5-2, with nonleague games against Sunnyside and Moses Lake on the schedule before returning to Greater Spokane League play against Mt. Spokane. growing up in Yakima. He was a career colonel in the Army Reserve reaching the rank of colonel; historian at his alma mater, North Central High; a manager at Albi Stadium, all his swim coaching successes and his innovative recreational programs.

He also lobbied for several peers he thought belonged in the Inland Northwest Hall of Fame.

John wasn’t able to witness his induction. He’s in failing health in hospice.

As a member of the Hall of Fame committee I regret I didn’t lobby for him much sooner, a man I’ve known and worked with half a century.

A man who put his own stamp on and embodied Spokane County adult recreational sports as much as, maybe more than anyone else.

24 • JANUARY 2020

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JANUARY 2020 • 25

26 • JANUARY 2020

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Contamination crisis averted

By Nina Culver

Splash Contributor

Recent issues with water quality led to a boil water order in Liberty Lake that frustrated residents and left Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District engineers baffled as positive E.coli tests appeared and disappeared literally overnight.

District manager BiJay Adams said they’re still investigating the cause of the positive tests. “We’re not finished with the investigation to definitely say,” he said. “We may never know.”

The first indication of a problem came on Nov. 16, a Saturday. A homeowner who lived at the furthest point on the district’s system to the northeast had a connected a booster pump to their line and were having water quality issues. Only two homes in the area were served by that water line. “They’re out of our district boundary,” he said.

The district agreed to test the water at a nearby fire hydrant, which was done on Nov. 15. Test results take 24 hours to come back from the lab and the test came back

positive for E-coli on Nov. 16.

“They’re not the source of the E.coli,” Adams said, noting that the water was going downhill to the two homes. “Water is going to them, not the opposite direction.

When we found that E.coli, we moved upstream to find the source of it.”

Two different nearby hydrants were tested that Saturday and on Sunday the results were in – positive for E.coli The original hydrant was also tested again and the results were clean. That day, on Nov. 17, the Department of Health was

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contacted and a boil water order was issued to the two homes at the end of the water line, including the one that had originally asked for the water to be tested.

The clean test on the original hydrant caused more than a little head scratching. “It was really confusing to us,” Adams said.

On Nov. 17 the district got to work. The district’s water is usually not chlorinated, but in order the clean out the system the district chlorinated the water line leading to the two homes and chlorinated two water reservoirs. The system was flushed to purge the chlorinated water. The two “dirty” hydrants were tested again and this time there was no trace of E-coli. At this point the district didn’t believe the problem was widespread, Adams said.

Additional tests done in multiple areas on Nov. 18 also came back clean. More samples were taken on Nov. 19 and when the results came back on Nov. 20, there was one positive E.coli test from the commercial area north of Appleway. As soon as that result came in a district-wide boil water advisory was issued, Adams said.

Word was sent out through press releases, social media and alert systems.

Adams said the district moved to “isolate” the commercial area north of Appleway. “That’s where all the positive tests were,” he said. “This is the lowest part of our system. We were going to keep it there.”

What followed was days of chlorinating, flushing the system, more chlorinating and dozens of tests. The district made sure to test the water at both elementary schools and other key locations like day cares and retirement homes.

All those tests came back clean.

The district bought a truck full of bottled water and had it available for citizens to pick up at the fire station, the library, City Hall and the district office. It was delivered to the disabled and elderly who were unable to come pick it up.

Water usage dropped significantly and Adams said he

JANUARY 2020 • 27

The Splash had to issue a public request that people run water in their bathtubs to help flush the chlorine from the system. The residents responded, sending the daily flows from 800,000 gallons a day to 1.6 million gallons. “A great response,” Adams said. “That’s what we needed.”

Along the way the district realized something, Adams said.

“All of the E.coli positive sample were at our dead end lines,” he said.

The district then started directional flushing, turning off wells to manipulate the flow of water. The dead ends were opened to flush the system.

The Department of Health requires two sets of clean tests done 24 hours apart in order to lift a boil order, Adams said. Those tests were done on Nov. 23 and 24. “It was going swimmingly until about an hour before the samples were done incubating,” he said.

One home at the extreme southern edge of the district tested positive for total coliform in a sample collected Nov. 24. “Total chloroform occurs naturally in the environment, in the dirt, but it’s not naturally occurring in the water,” he said. “We thought this was a false positive.”

Another sample was taken from the same house as well as in multiple other locations in the immediate area. All those tests came back clean. “We demonstrated it was a false positive, but DOH required us to reset the clock,” Adams said.

The district was able to lift the boil order for all areas except the commercial district north of Appleway on Nov. 27. The boil order for that area was lifted on the morning of Thanksgiving Day. Adams said additional districtwide testing was done a week after the boil order was lifted. All the tests came back clean. “That gave us a lot more confidence that we got it taken care of,” he said.

Adams said the district is making changes to ensure nothing like this happens again. The district hasn’t had any other issues with positive E.coli tests since 1973, he said.

Photo by Nina Culver Throughout the process the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water district tested various locations and marked on the map their findings. The red marker was the first to test positive for E coli.

Some businesses have hydrant permits allowing them to draw water from fire hydrants. Adams said all those businesses were notified that they can only use the hydrant at the district’s water reclamation facility in the future. “It has the highest level of protection possible,” he said.

Adams said the district is coordinating with the Spokane Valley Fire Department and will install locks on all its fire hydrants to prohibit unauthorized access.

All 34 commercial businesses located in the zone where the positive E.coli tests came from were inspected to make sure backflow devices were functioning properly.

The devices prevent water from flowing back into the water system.

In addition, all irrigation systems in that area have been locked out, which will require businesses to have a backflow test done before the systems are turned on in the spring.

Adams said he believes the most

likely cause of the contamination is E.coli entering the water system during an end of season sprinkler blow out done on an irrigation system with a broken backflow device. A broken device will allow water to flow into the system instead of only allowing it to flow out. “E.coli has to come in from outside,” he said. “That’s probably the cause.”

Adams said residents will now be required to have a backflow test

done on their sprinkler systems annually. The tests cost between $30 and $70 and a report will have to be sent to the district confirming the test results. Adams said the district will likely have to hire a new employee to process all the reports that will be submitted.

“There’s going to be increased regulation from us to increase protections to keep this from happening in the future,” he said.

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The Splash

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Winter Glow Spectacular would like to Thank the City of Liberty Lake and all of the Sponsors who made this event possible.

Without the support from the following sponsors, Winter Glow Spectacular would not have been able to light up Orchard Park from November 23, 2019 until January 1, 2020.

Following are the Sponsors that helped bring Winter Glow Spectacular to Orchard Park in Liberty Lake WA.; The City of Liberty Lake, Yoke’s Fresh Markets, Greenstone, George Gee Automotive Co., Ace Hardware on West Rowan, Trutina, Dept of Corrections, Custom Tax & Business Services, Laborers Local 238, Electrical Workers Local 73, Action Materials, Banner Bank of Liberty Lake, Building & Construction Trades Council, Friendly Son’s of St. Patrick, Jim & Lois Morrison, Palenque Mexican Restaurant, Progressions Credit Union, Safway Services, Sir Speedy Printing of Spokane Valley, Spike & Dig Volleyball Tournament, Spokane Regional Labor Council, Spokane Valley HUB Sports Center, True Legends Grill, Union Local 44 Steamfitters, Union Local 82 Head & Frost Workers, Union Local 690 Teamsters, Union Local 1439 Food & Commercial Workers.

Winter Glow would also like to Thank the many volunteers that came out to build, restore, maintain and set up the 250+ Holiday displays that were in the park.

These volunteers worked countless hours to bring Winter Glow Spectacular to our Spectacular Community.

Many Thanks from the Winter Glow Board, Ed Miller, Phil Robinson, Rich Reilly & Shirlene Ingraham

JANUARY 2020 • 29

The Splash THE

LIBERTY LAKE

COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE

EDITOR/PUBLISHER

Ben Wick

ben@libertylakesplash.com

CO OWNER

Danica Wick

danica@libertylakesplash.com

OFFICE MANAGER

Paula Gano paula@libertylakesplash.com

Larry Passmore

circulation@libertylakesplash.com

CIRCULATION

CONTRIBUTORS

Nina Culver, Pia Hallenberg, Craig Howard, Ross Schneidmiller, Mike Vlahovich

The Liberty Lake Splash P.O. Box 363 Liberty Lake, WA 99019 Phone: 242-7752 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.

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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.

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

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ROOTS

Continued from page 5 for the generations before us and so when you are needed, even when you just sense that you are, you draw down from your roots and get to work. No one is more amazing at this than my husband and I couldn’t ask for a better role model in generosity and kindness for our daughters. He is Montana through and through.

Q: Attendance at City Council meetings has seldom been robust.

Live streaming hasn't drawn many more followers. How would you characterize the community's general interest in their city government and what can be done to generate more involvement?

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.

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A: It seems like there is a core group of concerned citizens that ENRI CHED LI VI NG. LASTI NG VALUE. are invested and some of them attend meetings regularly. I’d like to find ways to engage more people consistently. I had a few ideas that THE YOU WANT I proposed during THE the campaign that I’d like to bring forward and hopefully my peers have other ideas for us to build on. Some of my ideas included holding council meetings in different neighborhoods, identifying neighborhood leaders from all of the different micro-communities within Liberty Lake to attend and report back to their neighborhoods, having office hours for residents to come in and see a council member and finding innovative ways to get information to residents. People are busy and THE U D ES ERVE they elected City Council members Fieldhouse Pizza YO • BECU to represent them. I think there are Windermere • Liberty Lake Family Dentistry a number of people who are happy Banner Fuel• Liberty Lake EyeCare with how Liberty LakeNew is running homes in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Post Falls & Coeu and so they feel their attendance at meetings is unnecessary. I’d THE LIBERTY LAKE like to make sure that we provide gr ee n s t o n e h o m e s . c o m Index of advertisers opportunities for those that have Following are the local advertisers in ideas, concerns, or solutions to have this issue of The Splash.

COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE a variety of ways to make their voices heard either at a council meeting or ProductCare Recycling 24 Hennessey 21 Amaculate Housekeeping 21 in another format.

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Q: As you settle in at the dais in 2020, what are you looking forward to most about being part of the city's governing board?

A: I am excited to get to know the current City Council members better and begin to get things done for our community. I think this year will bring in a new productive energy and I am happy to be a part of it. I am looking forward to working with city staff, residents, business owners and other community leaders to make decisions and enhance the livability of Liberty Lake now and for the future.

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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.

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The Splash

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The Splash

Clothing Drive hosted

by LL Youth Commission

ON THAT NOTE

JANUARY 2020 • 31

By Nina Culver Splash Contributor

Central Valley High School junior Chloe Bryntesen and her friend Natalie Alva got the Liberty Lake Youth Commission back up and running again two years ago – by accident.

They filled out an application on the city of Liberty Lake’s web site, but accidentally filled out the wrong one. “We thought we were applying for a position on the Parks and Arts Commission,” Bryntesen said.

They discovered their error when city finance director R.J. Stevenson contacted them about their application for the Youth Commission. Stevenson is the city’s liaison to the Commission. The teens decided to go with their mistake and Bryntesen said it seems like it was meant to be. “We’re glad that we did,” she said.

The city had a youth commission previously but it had died out around 2010 due to lack of interest, she said. “It just kind of ended,” she said. “We got it back up and running.”

The group has a talent show in the summer and this last summer organized a summer reading program in one of the city parks.

During the month of December the nine members were focused on a winter clothing drive. Boxes were placed in Yoke’s, at City Hall, at the Liberty Lake Library and at Liberty Creek Elementary School.

Commission members also put up flyers and posted on social media to advertise the drive.

They were looking for donations of all kinds of winter attire, including hats, gloves, jackets, pants and boots. “Anything that would help keep someone warm in the cold weather,” she said.

The clothing collected during the drive, which ended Jan. 1, will be donated to the Teen & Kid Closet in Spokane. “It benefits a lot of kids in need throughout many ages,” she said. “They’re always looking for extra winter clothes. We figured

Contributed photo 2019 Liberty Lake Youth Commission from left to right: Chloe Bryntesen, Maci Young, Natalie Alva, Savannah Pratt, Garrett Packebush, Tom Dunne, Cooper Young (not pictured: Sarah Pecha, Ben Hadley)

they could use clothes of all sizes.”

The Commission did a clothing drive last winter as well, but it got off to a slow start. It was created because the teens wanted to help the community rather than hosting events like they usually do, Bryntesen said. The drive wasn’t advertised well and only a car trunk full of clothes was donated to the Salvation Army.

This year’s drive was better publicized and has been bringing in more donations, she said. “We’ve had a lot of jackets so far,” she said.

The teens also decided to switch their donations from the Salvation Army to the Teen & Kid Closet because the Closet is much smaller and doesn’t have as much community recognition as the Salvation Army does. “We felt like we wanted to donate somewhere that was in more need of help,” Bryntesen said.

The drive accepted new or gently used items and Bryntesen went through her own closets looking for items to give away. “I’ve donated a

lot of jackets that my younger sister and I outgrew,” she said.

Bryntesen said she enjoys serving on the commission and it’s open to any teenager in the area. At least five of the nine members have to live within the Liberty Lake city limits and all have to be high school students. All the current members are juniors at Central Valley High School. They heard about the commission from Bryntesen and Alva.

“All the people who are on it, it was word of mouth,” she said. “We did all know each other.”

Bryntesen said she thinks having a Youth Commission is important.

“We feel that our community needs a Youth Commission,” she said.

“It’s kind of cool to have a say in what goes on in the community and volunteering and being involved in events. It gives the youth a say.”

She said she’s learned a lot by being on the commission. She even enjoys going to city council meetings to give reports on the commission’s activities. “It has opened my eyes to

a lot of different things that go on in the community,” she said. “The city council really backs us up and will help us with anything we want to accomplish, which is really cool.”

Bryntesen said she’s always been involved in various leadership activities and sees her work on the Commission as an extension of that.

“I really enjoy working with the other members of the community and the members of the city council, who come together and generate ideas,” she said. “I really wanted to make a difference in someone’s life. I feel like with the Youth Commission I can do that.”

Since all the current Youth Commission members are juniors, Bryntesen said the group will be focusing on recruitment soon in an effort to attract younger members who can keep the commission going after all the current members graduate from high school. She doesn’t want the Commission to fade away again.

“We’re going to start working on that this summer,” she said.

32 • JANUARY 2020

The Splash

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