March 2021 Splash

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2 • MARCH 2021

The Splash

DOCKSIDE Care Bear – Twinning brings unique insights as CV counselor

By Craig Howard

Splash Contributing Editor

Kara Twining was still in college, on the verge of becoming a school counselor, when she learned a lesson that would influence her entire career.

In her final semester at Eastern Washington University, Twining was earning credits toward her social work degree in a real-life setting as part of the ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program).

Donna Syron was her supervisor and the two would make visits to families across the Central Valley School District. Regardless of the home’s condition, inside or out, Twining remembers Syron focusing on the family and how the program could help provide stability.

“She didn’t have a pen or paper,” Twining recalls. “She would just go and sit down and listen. She taught me how to hear people and the power of observation. She showed me that everyone’s trying.

Our visits were moments for just understanding.”

Twining’s work with Syron shed light on the importance of nonjudgmental encouragement with a priority on treating everyone with unwavering dignity. The focus on infinite worth and potential – as well as not taking things at face value – would come to define Twining’s vocation as a counselor, which now spans 25 years.

“I knew that whatever it took to catapult them to the next level, I wanted to be there at the gate,” she said.

Twining began her career in 1996 at Centennial Middle School in the West Valley School District, as a counseling assistant. She transitioned to East Valley High School next, staying five years before taking time off to raise her twin children, Kami and Scott.

Twining and her husband John, who grew up in Liberty Lake, have been married since 1998. Along with Kami and Scott, they have a son, Trevor. All three kids are enrolled at

Central Valley High School.

Twining returned to counseling in 2007, accepting a job at Post Falls High School. In 2010, she went back to her alma mater, University High School, where she worked until 2018. Even though the campus was different from the one she attended as a Titan, there were enough reminders of her own prep days to make the work setting, at times, a little surreal.

“Seeing the letter jackets, that was always weird,” says Twining, a resident of Liberty Lake since 2004.

While at U-Hi, Twining

attended a conference hosted by the Family Online Safety Institute in Washington, D.C. The seminar would spark her interest in educating kids and parents about social media, screen time and technology. She would go on to present on the topics at various gatherings and conferences for the next decade.

“I learned how important it is to have a no-fear approach about things you may not know about and to set boundaries,” Twining said. “We need to have a larger awareness of the whole picture. Just creating that little voice for our kids is so important.”

Her main duties at CV center around providing social, emotional and academic support for students.

The role entails looking ahead to college and careers as well as

Photo by Trevor Twining Longtime Liberty Lake resident Kara Twining serves as a guidance counselor at Central Valley High School where her three kids, Kami, Scott and Trevor are currently enrolled. A native of Spokane Valley, Twining has also worked at East Valley, Post Falls and University high schools.

student advocacy, resource referral and working with parents and teachers on the best ways to support kids. Her student caseload ranges from 350 to 450 each year.

In the fall, Twining will become a Falcon, joining the inaugural staff at Ridgeline High School in Liberty Lake. Regardless of where she makes her nest, it’s clear Twining remains committed to the wellbeing of students.

“We need to invest heavily in our kids,” she said. “We need to empower them and let them know they can go to that college or get that job. I believe in these kids.”

Q: When did you first realize that counseling might be a good career direction for you?

A: When I was doing my undergrad at Eastern Washington University in social work, I swore I would never work in schools. As a 22-year-old, I believed I had a plan to save all the children of the world and schools didn’t seem like the place to do that. Then during my practicum, I ended up at the CVSD ECEAP program following the amazing Donna Syron, who showed me the impact of education in the lives of families. Shortly after I unexpectedly got a job as a counseling assistant at Centennial Middle School working with legends in education: Amy Bragdon, Gene Sementi and Shelley Davis. They blew me away with their passion for kids and the power they saw in schools. Within a year, I was going back to school for my MA in Counseling Psychology at Gonzaga. I still remember clearly walking down the halls of Centennial laughing at the irony of me now working in a school.

Q: COVID-19 has altered all of our lives in different ways. What are some of the biggest challenges you see students facing in relation to the pandemic and its ripple effect?

A: This question triggers emotions for me as a parent and an educator. My heart breaks for the all students on many levels. I am saddened at the loss of “milemarkers” for students, all of which are so important to their growth and development in the teen years.

See TWINING, Page 5

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NEWS

4 • MARCH 2021

SVFD Report – Feb. 2021 Splash news sources

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Spokane Valley Fire Department crews responded to a total of 119 emergency calls in the greater Liberty Lake area* from January 15 – February 15, 2021 Emergency Medical Services 94 Building Alarms 8 Dispatched and cancelled en route 7 Fires 5 Motor Vehicle Accidents 2 Service Calls 2 Vehicle Fires 1 The *Service area for SVFD Station #3 in Liberty Lake • Calls saw an decrease from 142 last month to 119 this month.

• Emergency Medical Services saw an decrease from 122 calls last month to 94 calls this month.

• Building Alarm saw a slight increase from 7 last month to 8 this month • Motor Vehicle Accidents saw a slight drop from 3 last month to 2 this month.

Since December 25, SVFD has gone on 5 chimney fire calls.

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Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) units were dispatched just after 6 p.m., January 17, to the 4500 block of E. 2nd Avenue for a report of a fire burning around the wood stove. The homeowners had returned home from the store and saw fire on the roof of the house in the location of the stove pipe that had extended onto the house and was now involving the house. The homeowners called 911 and the fire was dispatched as a working house

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fire. Firefighting units from both Spokane Valley Fire Department and Spokane City Fire Department were dispatched due to the location of the residence being near the respective fire departments boundaries. First arriving Valley Fire units confirmed the fire surrounding the wood stove and burning portions of the house adjacent to it. Valley Fire crews made rapid attack on the fire and quickly contained the fire to the area of origin around the stove with minimal extension to the main structure. The initial actions

by SVFD personnel allowed for the homeowners to continue to occupy the residence with only minor repairs required to the structure.

The freestanding wood stove had been professionally installed and the only change stated by the homeowner was that the connection points for the stove pipe around the roof had been damaged during the recent windstorm but otherwise the stove was operating normally.

Spokane Valley Fire Department reminds citizens to always have wood stoves inspected if you have had any potential changes or impacts to the stove or structure surrounding it.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to a RV fire around 04:20, January 25. Valley Ladder 10 and Engine 85 were the first crews to arrive and found a fully involved RV fire. Crews quickly knocked down the fire. No other structures were damaged, and no injuries were reported.

There were no reported injuries to residents or firefighters.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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Jen Ballantyne Owner, Attorney

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Fire

Department would like to remind residents to ensure that all RVs have a working fire extinguisher that is readily available.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to a garage fire in the 3700 block of South Vercler around 10:50 January 25.

VE7 was the first crew to arrive and was able to quickly knock down the fire by using a pre-connected 1.75” fire hose. Additional crews performed a thorough search of the residence and checked to see if the fire had extended into the living quarters. The fire was confined to the garage.

Ten SVFD units responded to the call as well as two units from Spokane Fire District 8, as part of our automatic mutual aid agreement. There were no reported injuries to residents or firefighters.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department would like to remind residents to ensure that flammable liquids are properly stored in their garage.

Possible Illegal Burn, January 22 – Spokane Valley Fire crews were returning to their station, driving north on Harvard. They passed a home near the 3300 block where they saw yard waste being burned in the front yard. Crews stopped and talked with the residence of the home. Tree branches were being burned that had been cut from a tree on the property. Crews provided educational information regarding legal burning and what is considered yard waste. The burn pile of tree branches was approximately 5 to 6 feet in diameter. The size of the See SVFD REPORT, Page 9

Danielle Palm Attorney Estates & Elders Law 23403 E. Mission Ave #113, Liberty Lake, WA 99019

MARCH 2021 • 5

The Splash

TWINING

Continued from page 2 Without them, I see a drifting effect happening with students and the lasting impacts are yet to be known.

Personally, as a senior parent this loss is magnified. It is hard to not be sad and frustrated. At the same time, I have seen many amazing accomplishments come from students as well. Ultimately, it’s up to us as adults to help navigate them through it and fortunately kids are generally pretty resilient.

Q: It seems like most people focus on grades when it comes to evaluating a student’s progress or overall ability to achieve. Have you seen where this is not always the case?

A: As a counselor, I think it’s dangerous to use grades as much as we do to judge the abilities or capacities of a student. I have worked in enough high schools to know that an “A” in a class means something different depending on the teacher or the school. Yet, universities and scholarships applications, will view those “A’s” with the same value.

I don’t like that. I also don’t like that a kid with a lower GPA, is not considered “successful.” There is so much more to what students can achieve, than we can show in our four-letter grading system. I have seen countless “low-achieving” high school students go on to be incredible successes. I want kids to know that your high school GPA doesn’t stop you from doing anything you dream of, nothing is out of your reach. There is so much more to being a successful person in life. I care way more about the citizen, worker, parent or friend they will become, than their GPA. Q: What advice would you give to parents who are trying to help their kids establish a healthy approach to screen time?

A: Here’s my advice: Kids of all ages need balance. Focus more on the time they have time off-screen than trying to constantly monitor/control their on-screen. Give them time to participate in activities off-screen; keep them busy and do things with them off the computer. Then when they are on a screen you won’t be stressed by that inner guilt telling you they have been on too long. We also need to model the appropriate screen time and online behavior to our children all the time.

Q: You and your husband have called Liberty Lake home for many years. What have you enjoyed about raising a family in this community?

A: John grew up here and when we were first married he talked about how much he loved growing up in Liberty Lake! We have been fortunate to have both our parents live here as well. The small-town vibe that exists here, where you know someone on every street, your kids see their teachers at Safeway, you are on senior committee with parents you did soccer tots with, that’s pretty cool. I think as parents we look out for each other and each other’s kids. We celebrate the highs and are there for each other through the lows. My kids are so lucky to have that care and connection to such incredible people here in Liberty Lake, I wish I could list them all!

Q: You have talked about “losing our pause” in an age of rampant technology. How can we recapture our pause?

A: It’s funny because I had that “lack of pause” conversation many times before COVID. The idea that we operate too much, too fast and that technology has taken away our space for pausing, thinking or “sleeping on it.” Then COVID hits and the whole world gets a pause.

For a minute I thought, is this relevant anymore? But technology didn’t fail, it kept us moving right along, without a pause. We, as the adults, need to teach the pause and we aren’t good at it. Texting and emailing can happen so fast and our productivity levels are off the charts! However, I think it is important that we model and teach our kids about the importance of a quality conversations, especially around differences, taking time to think and the value of meaningful relationships, versus how fast we reply to messages or how expressive we can be in an emotional response.

Q: Finally, we all know being a teenager can be tough for a variety of reasons. It can also be a wonderful, invigorating and character-shaping time of life. What counsel would you give to kids -- and their parents -- who are navigating these unique and pivotal years?

A: Daily, I am encouraging students, and my own kids, to use this time to improve, grow, advance in ways they couldn’t before.

Someday down the road, I believe they will be asked, by a college, or by their grandkids, “What did you do during COVID?” I feel it’s important that the answer isn’t “nothing, I waited for it to go back to normal.” Get out there and take on this world! After all, I think we may just need these kids to save us!

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6 • MARCH 2021

The Splash

Introducing the

Safety Awareness Channel

Police Report - Jan. 2021 Splash news sources

Total incidents generated by Officers and emergency calls for service last month 622 Traffic Collisions/Hit & Runs / Injury Collisions 2 Citations (Traffic/Criminal/NonCriminal) 40 DUI (Driving Under Influence) 1 Thefts / Vehicle Prowls / Vehicle Theft / Burglaries 35 Malicious Mischief 1

Least Most

Argument / Assault DV / Simple Assault / Assault w/a Weapon 19 Parking Violations 1 Suspicious Vehicles 37 Theft/Malicious Mischief, 01/21/21; Officers took a report regarding damage to a construction trailer and the theft of tools from a construction site located in the area of Mica Peak Rd. The suspects returned and attempted a second theft on 1/28/2021. Directed patrols have been arranged for this area.

Robbery, 01/25/21; Officers responded to Home Depot regarding the report of a theft of power tools.

Employees were following the suspect but discontinued after the

suspect displayed a firearm. This case is currently under investigation by our detective.

Vehicle Theft/Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicle, 01/30/21; Officers responded to 1304 N Liberty Lake Rd (Safeway) on the report of a vehicle theft. After reviewing surveillance video, officers obtained a photo of the suspect and the vehicle he arrived in. They later discovered the vehicle the suspect arrived in was an unreported stolen vehicle out of Spokane Valley. Officer were able to contact the registered owner of that vehicle who was currently out of state.

Officers impounded that vehicle for safekeeping and further investigation.

Be safe, drive safe!

circles contain the number of incidents in a given area.

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MARCH 2021 • 7

The Splash

The Lookout Banner year ahead for LL capital improvements

By Lisa Key

City of Liberty Lake Planning Engineering & Building Director Between some projects that were deferred from 2020 due to COVID 19, and other long-term, planned projects that are finally coming to fruition, 2021 promises to be an unprecedented year for capital project construction in the city of Liberty of Liberty Lake. Capital investments approved by Liberty Lake City Council for 2021 total nearly $11.5 million.

Of that investment, $7.8 million will go toward the construction of the Harvard Road Bridge widening and ramp improvements, along

with the Kramer Parkway (formerly Henry Road) overpass and roadway extension, which are funded in part through the Washington Department of Transportation’s Connecting Washington program. The Harvard Road Bridge widening project will add an additional northbound lane to the bridge, as well as intersection improvements at the intersection of Liberty Lake Road and Appleway Avenue, and improvements to the I-90 west bound ramp. Construction for this project is just getting underway and is anticipated to be completed by this August.

The Kramer Parkway Overpass and Roadway extension will be going out to bid in March, with construction

slated to begin this summer and continue through summer 2022.

That project includes the installation of a signal at the intersection of Kramer Parkway and Country Vista Drive and a roundabout at the intersection of Kramer Parkway and Mission Avenue.

Other transportation projects, which total just over $1.2 million, include the installation of traffic signals at the new Ridgeline High School and at the intersection of Legacy Ridge Drive and Country Vista. Also on the list is the installation of flashing beacons at the intersections of Winrock/ Autumn, Country Vista/Eagle Street and Country Vista/Eagle Bend.

How well do you know Liberty Lake

Skiing and snowmobiles may not come to mind when you think of modern-day Liberty Lake but did you know there was a time in the 1970s when the area now known as Legacy Ridge was a hub for cold-weather recreation?

Within a decade of opening, Holiday Hills shut down after financial struggles, leaving only a barn, track and old lodge fireplace.

Scheduled parks and public facilities projects include the completion of the Pavillion Park irrigation system upgrade, the resurfacing of tennis courts at Orchard Park and the installation of a shade structure at Rocky Hill Park, as well as the construction of the new Public Works facility on Kramer Parkway and the installation of a new emergency generator for the Liberty Lake Police Department. Parks and public facilities projects total just over $1.2 million in investment.

Other city-wide planning projects include the development of a Stormwater Master Plan (for which the city received Department of Ecology grant funding) and a sidewalk master plan.

property. If a sidewalk can be ground, then the homeowner can either call a contractor to come out and grind it smooth or contact Jen Camp at the city to inquire about the sidewalk grinding program. Please note, if the sidewalk cannot be ground, it is still the responsibility of the homeowner to replace the affected sidewalk panel.

From Holiday Hills to Legacy Ridge

Nearly 50 years ago, Carlson Hill, north of the lake, became “Holiday Hills,” replete with a ski lodge and restaurant, RV park, ice skating, equestrian activities and more. In February of 1972, the site hosted the Intermediate Snowmobile Championships.

When the forecast showed a scarcity of snow, organizers retrieved truck loads from the Coeur d’Alene forest in order to hold the event.

March 2021

Q: What is the sidewalk grinding program? Does it cost the homeowner?

Sidewalk Q&A - Staying pedestrian safe in LL The city of Liberty Lake and its citizens want to create a community that is safe and accessible to everyone. To create a better city, we are providing information and assistance opportunities regarding the upkeep of city and homeowner sidewalks.

How Can I Help?

Reduce Hazards

Tripping

&

Slipping

• Trim back or remove shrubs and bushes that may hang over sidewalks •

Repair cracks and heaving

• During winter months, shovel and de-ice to keep sidewalks safe •

Tree limbs that hang less

than 7.5 Feet above the sidewalk should be pruned or removed • If the sidewalk has heaved 2 inches or less, it may qualify for the city grinding program Bushes that encroach on or over any part of the sidewalk area must be cut back or removed. Tree limbs that hang over the sidewalk area at an elevation of less than 7.5 feet above the sidewalk level must be removed or pruned accordingly.

Sidewalk damage from heaving or cracks must be repaired if it creates a tripping hazard.

For trip hazards less than 2 inches, please refer to the FAQ below: Q: What should I do if I have a trip hazard along the sidewalk bordering my property?

A: Trip hazards are the responsibility of the adjacent

A: It is a program provided by the city to help homeowners maintain safe walkways around their properties. If the homeowner chooses, they can contact the city to be added to a list for assessment of their trip hazard by city staff.

There is no cost to the homeowner.

Q: What do I have to do to get started with the program?

A: Call Jen Camp at 509-7556700, and your information will be taken. A staff person will come out and assess if the walk can be ground. If it can, then the city will coordinate with the homeowner to sign a liability waiver, then schedule a time when the sidewalk can be ground. Please remember, if the sidewalk has heaved beyond a certain point and cannot be ground, then the homeowner should call a contractor to replace the affected sidewalk panel.

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

8 • MARCH 2021

City Council News and Notes – March 2021

By Craig Howard

Splash Contributing Editor

• Pat Dockrey of Liberty Lake Kiwanis informed City Council on Feb. 2 that the annual Kiwanis Father/Daughter Dance has been cancelled for this year.

Dockrey said the club would be discussing the status of this year’s Liberty Lake Yard Sales and report back to council at a later date.

• City Engineer Ben Schmitt updated council on the Henry Road Bridge design and value engineering process last month.

The $14.5 million overpass and roadway project is expected to improve safety, connectivity, system resiliency and emergency response needs.

• Mayor Cris Kaminskas told council that staff has been working on a comprehensive list of regional and local boards and committees for appointments.

• Detective Ray Bourgeois has retired after a long tenure with the Liberty Lake Police Department spanning back to 2002. Officer Jordan Bowman has been promoted to detective.

• Council approved an agreement with AAA Sweeping LLC to address street sweeping throughout the city. The contract is not to exceed $70,000 per annum.

• The Liberty Lake Parks and Arts Commission is accepting submissions for the installation of a statue of the artist’s interpretation of the the “Liberty Lake Together” logo, to be installed in Liberty Lake.

Submission deadline is March 31. For more information call City Hall at 509-755-6700 or visit the city website at www. libertylakewa.gov.

• Woodruff was selected as the newest City Council member on Feb. 23. The council vote was split evenly between Woodruff and Baird before Kaminskas broke the tie.

NEWS

Questions raised over residence status of former mayor

By Craig Howard

Splash Contributing Editor

Historically, the public comments portion of most City Council meetings is short and uneventful compared to the rest of the agenda.

At the Feb. 2 council meeting, a letter from a Liberty Lake resident was read into the public record that called into question the residence status of former Mayor Shane Brickner while he was in office at the end of 2020.

Brickner stepped down as mayor on Dec. 30, citing health concerns.

Tom Stanley, who moved to Liberty Lake in 2015, submitted a letter to the city that provided a timeline on a move Brickner and his family made at the end of October to a home on South Quinimose Road, a property outside Liberty Lake municipal boundaries. According to state law, elected officials must live within established limits of the jurisdiction they represent.

“He (Brickner) no longer lived in the city and was no longer eligible to hold office as mayor,” Stanley wrote.

“I think it is important for the public and the Liberty Lake City Council to have the information I found in Spokane County public records, RCWs (Revised Code of Washington) and at MRSC (Municipal Research and Services Center).”

Brickner was wrapping up his first year as mayor of Liberty Lake when he announced he would be stepping down based on a recommendation from his doctor. Brickner’s statement on Dec. 30, 2020 pointed to medical issues, that in his words, “my provider said I can no longer ignore.”

“People would tell me all the time that I was burning both sides of the candle and some day it would catch up to me,” Brickner said at the time.

“I never expected it to catch up to me the way that it has.”

Upon Brickner’s resignation, City Administrator Katy Allen commended Bricker for his efforts over the past year. He was the catalyst in the “Liberty Lake Together” campaign that rallied citizens in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Shane brought the kind of leadership that united city staff, council and the community,” she said.

Brickner first joined the Liberty

Lake City Council in 2012 and served as mayor pro tem before running against incumbent Mayor Steve Peterson in the fall of 2019.

He became the third mayor in the history of Liberty Lake by capturing nearly 57 percent of the vote. Prior to becoming mayor, Brickner served as a volunteer officer with the Liberty Lake Police Department for 14 years.

He works as a national sales manager for Cordant Health Solutions, a lab testing company.

Stanley’s letter stated that “on Sept. 7, 2020, Mayor Brickner listed his house for sale at 24318 E. Marti Court in Liberty Lake. On Sept. 11, 2020 he accepted an offer to sell the Marti Court home with a contingency before closing he would find an equal or better residence for their family. At some later date in September or early October, Mayor Brickner entered into a purchase agreement for a home at 4810 S Quinimose Road, Liberty Lake, WA 99019, property well outside city limits.”

Stanley’s letter goes on to state that on Oct. 23, 2020 a Realtor signed closing papers on Brickner’s house in Liberty Lake at 24318 E. Marti Court and that Brickner signed and completed papers on the house Oct. 30 while on the same day finishing closing documents for the property on Quinimose Road.

Stanley said he reached out to MRSC, the state’s recognized resource for municipal government to inquire about Brickner’s eligibility to serve as mayor following the move.

“When the question of moving and residence as it relates to RCW 35.A12.060 was brought to MRSC, the response to moving and being a resident is a very fact-specific issue,” Stanley said. “Mayor Brickner did not qualify as a resident according the MRSC because he showed his address on two public documents to be outside the city limits.”

RCW 35A.12.060 states that “the office of a mayor or councilmember shall become vacant if the person who is elected or appointed to that position fails to qualify as provided by law, fails to enter upon the duties of that office at the time fixed by law without a justifiable reason, or as provided in RCW 35A.12.060 or 42.12.010. A vacancy in the office of mayor or in the council shall be filled as provided in chapter 42.12 RCW. An

The Splash incumbent councilmember is eligible to be appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of mayor.”

An article on the MRSC website specifically addresses the question of elected officials moving outside the jurisdiction they represent: “An elected official can move out of the city, county or special purpose district that they serve if the move is temporary and the individual intends to move back into the jurisdiction and re-establish permanent residence there as soon as reasonably possible,” the article states.

“Mayor Brickner’s sale and moving from his home ‘triggered’ the action outlined in RCW 35A.12.060,” Stanley said.

“Again, Mayor Brickner’s actions on Oct. 30, 2020 showed he clearly created a vacancy in the office of mayor for the city of Liberty Lake. That vacation of the mayor’s office took place well before his letter written on Dec. 30, 2020.”

Contacted in late February by the Splash, Stanley said he is “not on a witch hunt.”

“If there is a provision that allows him (Brickner) a grace period then I’m barking up the wrong tree,” Stanley said. “I just want some accountability.

He was a well-liked guy but we should hold elected officials accountable whether they’re well-liked or not.”

Stanley ran for City Council in 2019, losing to Cris Kaminskas. On Jan. 5, Kaminskas was confirmed by a council majority to replace Brickner as mayor. She will serve until the end of 2021 and is required to appear on the ballot this year and be elected to fulfill the remaining two years on Brickner’s term.

In his letter, Stanley questioned how Brickner’s status from Oct. 30 to Dec. 30 may affect the validity of certain ordinances and resolutions passed during that time as well as the hiring of new Police Chief Damon Simmons, a Brickner appointment on Dec. 15.

Stanley has since backed off any issues surrounding Simmons’ appointment.

“I don’t want them to get another police chief,” he said. “I’m good with this police chief. He’s well-qualified.”

Stanley said he would be tuning into the virtual City Council meeting on March 2 to “ask the council if someone who lives outside Liberty Lake is eligible to hold elected office.”

“Really it just boils down to whether he (Brickner) was out of the

The Splash city or not,” he said.

NEWS SVFD REPORT

Stanley’s letter also mentioned what he called an “unauthorized use of the city of Liberty Lake logo” by a local resident who supported Brickner and several City Council hopefuls during the 2019 election season. The logo, Stanley said, was used improperly in the “promotion of Mayor Brickner’s candidacy for mayor as well other members of the council who were up for election or re-election.”

Contacted by the Splash in late February, Brickner said the logo claim was “old news.”

“The matter was fully investigated by the Liberty Lake Police Department and the Public Disclosure Commission,” Brickner said. “Both investigations completely and unequivocally exonerated me of any wrongdoing. The investigations were closed only after the agencies involved determined there was no evidence whatsoever of any violations on my part. The findings from the investigations are publicly available from the city of Liberty Lake and from the Public Disclosure Commission website.”

As for the issue of his move in October and how it may have affected his status as mayor, Brickner said it was too early to comment.

“The purported claims of my residency are under investigation, so I’m not at liberty to discuss it at this time,” Bricker told the Splash.

“I’m fully cooperating with the investigation and I confidently look forward to the results.”

Allen said the city is aware of Stanley’s claims and will continue to gather information.

“The city is looking into the situation and we want to make sure we have all the facts correct and our evaluation complete before the City Council evaluates how they want to move forward,” Allen said.

In other city news, interviews took place in late February to replace the council seat previously occupied by Kaminskas. The list of candidates included: Conrad Band, Kimball Bighorse, Tiffany Hanf, Holly Woodruff, Thomas Sernka, Melanie Thomason, Lauren Horton, Janice Krogh, Sharon Carvo, Thomas Mickler, Dannetta Garcia, Chris Cargill, Jamie Freeze Baird, Gary Green and Douglas Morrison.

The appointment of the new council member was announced after presstime.

Continued from page 4

fire and the type of material were not legal to be burned. Only clean seasoned dry firewood is allowed.

The homeowner refused to put out the fire. The Sheriff’s Office was advised. And the resident put out the fire to full extinguishment.

MARCH 2021 • 9

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Smoke Investigation, January 23 - Spokane Valley Fire was dispatched to a call for smoke sighted in the area. Crews drove to the area but did not see or find any smoke. Upon further investigation driving around the area for a few blocks, crews saw a small fire contained in an approved fire pit. They notified dispatch and went back into service. As crews continued down the road about ¼ mile, they saw a large yard waste fire approximately 5’x5’ burning.

Crews stopped and provided education on legal burning and provided contact information for DNR and how to obtain a burn permit. A hose was brought out to put out the fire.

Vehicle Fire, January 25 Spokane Valley Fire responded to a call for a car fire. Crews arrived with the objective of life safety and to extinguish the fire. Crews saw light smoke coming from the cabin as they arrived. Valley Engine 3 Coned off the right lane of I 90 for safety. The driver of the car said that the dash had started arcing and smoking. Crews pulled a bumper line and extinguished the fire. Once completed, the scene was turned over to WSP. Alarm System, February 14 Spokane Valley Fire responded to a call where water was coming from the front entryway of a commercial building. Valley Engine 3 requested help for entry into the sprinkler room. Once inside they were able to shut down the main water to the sprinkler riser and open the drain.

Crews then silenced the alarm. The sprinkler line had broken due to the colder temperatures. A fire watch was put in place and the sprinkler company contacted for repairs.

The scene was turned over to the manager.

Connect with SVFD at: spokanevalleyfire.com. For department news, safety information, and timely updates, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor, and YouTube.

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COVER STORY

10 • MARCH 2021

Happy Trails to Us

LL network set unique precedent

By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor

When Derek and Laina Schutz moved with their three kids to Liberty Lake in July of 2017, they discovered a world-class trail system right in their own backyard.

The family migrated to the Inland Northwest from the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia where Laina recalls a sparse offering of footfriendly amenities. The accessibility of pedestrian paths in Liberty Lake provided a refreshing contrast.

“We really got to know the community just by walking the trails,” Laina said. “The fact that Liberty Lake has not only so many trails but also sidewalks is not typical of everywhere.”

From walking to jogging to roller blading and biking, the Schutz family became frequent flyers on a trails network that winds like a friendly maze throughout greater Liberty Lake. From their home in the Rocky Hill neighborhood, the paths provide safe routes to the farmers market, library, schools and retail sites.

“I don’t know where you’d go to find trails like we have in Liberty Lake,” he said.

The Catalyst A native of Lawton, Oklahoma, Specht grew up exploring trails that meandered through the Wichita Mountains where American bison and Texas longhorns roamed. When he moved to Inland Northwest with his wife Kathy in 1985 to work for Hewlett Packard, Specht continued his outdoor treks, wandering along old logging roads on the southside of the lake and exploring natural areas like Mica Peak.

“Liberty Lake has always been a walkable area,” Specht said. “I used to walk through the grass fields. It’s just that the trails system brought connections to where people wanted to go.”

Specht

was

integral

to

the

campaign at the very start, working with the Liberty Lake Property Owners Association on a community survey that gauged priorities among residents regarding trails. Specht and Jim Frank, founder of Greenstone Homes, noticed considerable gaps in the network once it emerged from the pedestrian features Frank included in construction of the Meadowwood neighborhood.

“As we developed Meadowood, trails were an integral part of our design of that community,” Frank said. “But there were a lot of trail deficiencies outside of that community. The initial driving force of the trails committee was how to build onto what we had.”

Specht was the clear choice to chair the inaugural committee says Leslie Zilka, one of the original members of the Friends of Pavillion Park (FOPP) along with Frank and others. The trails committee branched off FOPP which had galvanized local interest to build the

“For one thing, being able to run on the trails and not the road is a nice sense of security,” Laina said.

It’s been a quarter century since residents of then-unincorporated Liberty Lake submitted a grant to the National Recreation Trails Fund Act to construct extensions to the existing fabric of trails. A year earlier, in 1995, a gathering of 50 community members formed the Liberty Lake Trails Committee, initially meeting for a series of trail design workshops. Even though the grant fell through, committee chair Tom Specht recalls the early discussions setting the tone for an historic effort.

“The community thought and planning for that grant helped focus the community trail building efforts,” said Specht. “The Trails Committee became committed to developing an overall community trail and pedestrian plan.”

The grassroots undertaking would lead to what Specht describes as “a trails network that is one of the world’s best integrated systems.”

The Splash community’s signature greenspace.

“There was really no question as to who would be the leader of the committee,” Zilka said. “Tom came with a background as a project manager.”

The committee kept residents informed with a steady stream of communication in the form of meetings, workshops and newsletters. As interest grew, Specht and his crew went to bat for another grant – with a different result this time.

The Conversation Webster’s defines “charette” as “a meeting in which all stakeholders in a project attempt to resolve conflicts and map solutions.”

In April of 1999, the term caught hold in Liberty Lake as the trails committee secured a technical assistance award from the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program of the National Parks Service. The support translated into a three-day charette to discuss the future of trails in Spokane County’s easternmost community. Along with a robust citizen turnout, representatives of the Washington chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (WASLA) took part in the brainstorming session, only the second time the group had collaborated with National Parks and the first such gathering on the east side of the state.

Local landscape architect Mike Terrell helped coordinate participation from WASLA and says the charette set a standard for future collaborations between the group and the National Parks Service.

“Liberty Lake was one of the first projects like that,” Terrell said.

“It’s been the foundation for the work they’ve done in the state with WASLA.” As residents drew upon the expertise of skilled landscape architects, the designs for a conceptual trails plan took shape.

Photo by Tom Specht The city of :Liberty Lake sets aside funds in the municipal budget each year for trails upkeep, including the clearing of snowy paths in the winter. The extension of the community's trail grid gained traction in the mid-1990s when a group led by Tom Specht and Jim Frank began looking into ways to add onto existing pathways in the Meadowwood neighborhood being developed by Frank and Greenstone Homes.

“We broke into groups and just asked, ‘What do we want this to look like?’” Zilka recalls. “It was a big deal. There was a lot of great, creative energy.”

Alex Stone was one of three National Parks representatives to participate in the charette. She remembers encouraging residents

The Splash to have an ambitious vision.

COVER STORY

MARCH 2021 • 11

“I told them to think big because budgets and politics are going to wear things down,” said Stone, an outdoor recreation planner. “I was impressed with the turnout. The committee did a really good job of community engagement.”

The Community Cash While the blueprint may have been in place following the success of the charette, the Liberty Lake Trails Conceptual Master Plan still needed a strategy to fund the improvements.

Enter the Transportation Benefit District or TBD. The TBD is a taxing district created by citizens to generate funds for transportation-related capital projects. In Liberty Lake’s case, the TBD was brought up as a way for residents to install a self-imposed property tax supplement to pay for trails. The initiative went on the ballot in fall of 1999 with the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District service area established as the election boundary A super majority – or over 60 percent of votes – was needed to approve the tax – expected to raise approximately $800,000.

“We had people going door to door, standing on the corner waving signs and making telephone calls,” Specht remembers. “Our slogan was for the price of a pizza dinner you can afford to pay for trails for your community. It was very gratifying to see nearly 70 percent of the people of Liberty Lake vote to increase their property taxes to fund trails.”

As Liberty Lake’s population grew, TBD coffers did too. In March of 2013, Spokane County officials informed the city of Liberty Lake that there was still money left over from the tax. After a long hiatus, the trails committee reconvened with city representatives to discuss how to spend around $180,000. The funds went toward extensions of the network on Sprague form Liberty Lake Road to Molter and along the county golf course east to the lake.

Frank points to the TBD as another example of the Liberty Lake community taking initiative to improve itself, a trend that began with the establishment of the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District in 1973, followed years later by the construction of Pavillion Park. Just

Image courtesy of Leslie Zilka Plans for new trails like the one above emerged from a three-day gathering - or "charette" - in 1999 attended by local residents, representatives of the National Parks Service and members of the Washington chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The event was the first of its kind in Eastern Washington and established the blueprint for today's Liberty Lake trails network. a year after the TBD passed, voters approved incorporation of Liberty Lake.

only as a liaison with the country commissioners but was also a major guiding force for us.”

“The sewer system gave people the confidence that they could solve the park problem,” Frank said. “Then came the trails and incorporation. I think people realized that we could get things done and not be afraid of the challenge.”

After the successful vote for cityhood in 2000, Liberty Lake officially incorporated in August of 2001, inheriting the trails plan from the county and carrying the baton on a variety of projects led

by Mayor Steve Peterson, the City Council, Community Development Director Doug Smith and City Engineer Andrew Staples. The city’s allegiance to pedestrian-friendly features has continued over the years, from trail projects blended with road construction to clearing trails of snow during the winter.

Money raised from the TBD was leveraged with other funding sources like matching grants. The overall tally from the initial tax eventually came to $2.3 million.

“It was a huge demonstration of commitment on behalf of a community to have that kind of attachment to a vision,” Stone said.

The Collaboration With an official trails plan in place, Specht and his committee could pass the document along to Spokane County to integrate into its own pedestrian plan. The hand-off meant projects like a trail along Harvard Road leading to the Centennial Trail would be included when the county tackled that street.

Pat Harper was working as the county’s engineering administrator when the first trails began to be constructed with TBD funds.

Specht said Harper “served not

Early on, the city tackled trail enhancements like the pathway along Liberty Lake Road with land donated by longtime local developer Elmer Schneidmiller. The new pathway led to the doorstep of the Alpine Shores neighborhood near the lake and served as a bridge between newly the incorporated city and the unincorporated area south of Sprague. Later, the stretch became home to one of several exercise stations on the Fallen Heroes circuit course honoring local veterans. in

Other projects bridged gaps the network, including the

“stateline trail” in the shadow of a former railway line along I-90 that would provide a critical connection to the Centennial Trail and create a convenient loop for trail-users.

Ponderosa Pines planted along the path were 4 feet tall when the trail went in and now tower beyond 20 feet. Meanwhile, the existing Meadowwood network expanded with upgrades like a trail that originally ended at Valleyway being extended to Sprague.

Specht lives a stone’s throw from one of the most utilized sections of the trail grid, a tree-lined route on Sprague that runs parallel to the Liberty Lake Golf Course. On a brisk morning in early February, Specht headed out for a stroll and found no shortage of fellow walkers braving the cold.

“You can walk on the trails here year-round,” Specht said. “I know I do. Without the trails, we’re a cardriven society where you just pull up in your driveway and go into your home. Trails make it possible to meet and talk with your neighbors.”

The Sprague section grew over the years, eventually leading down to the Sandy Beach RV & Camping Resort, an idea championed by See TRAILS, Page 12

12 • MARCH 2021

The Splash

TRAILS

The influence of the Liberty Lake trails network has spread to neighboring communities, Terrell says, while the model of a grassroots effort to build such a system continues to inspire similar efforts.

Continued from page 11 Shirley Schoenberger who wanted residents near the lake to have a safe passageway onto the central trail line. After Schoenberger passed in 2014, her husband Ron had a bench installed and dedicated to his late wife along the path she had walked so often.

“In Liberty Lake, I just remember people saying, ‘We need to do this,’” he said. “Trails are really important to communities. It really makes a difference in the health and safety of a community to have a good trails and pedestrian system.”

“We call it ‘Shirley’s Trail,’” Specht says.

Along with Schoenberger, Specht calls attention to other key trail advocates who have passed over the years, including Lud Kramer, Bruce Steele, Tina Wallingford, Kaye Whitney and Barb Midkiff.

Specht says the spirit of collaboration that went into the trails transcended politics and backgrounds that may have conflicted in other settings.

“To get that many people to all work on something together, it’s pretty extraordinary,” Specht said.

“We had federal, county and city support in addition to so many residents. Everyone came together to work on the trails.”

Terrell, who has worked as a landscape architect on many of the trail improvements, says Specht and others deserve credit for paving the way with a variety of influential sources.

“I’ve been very fortunate to support the people who do the heavy lifting with the jurisdictions and have the vision,” he said.

The Connector While trail construction continued at a healthy pace in the early days of the city, one critical piece was still missing – a link between the south side of Liberty Lake and the developing north side.

A pedestrian bridge was needed to span Interstate-90 and connect

Frank says trails “have become a defining aspect of Liberty Lake.”

Contributed photo The Liberty Lake trails network features approximately 24 miles of pathways within city boundaries as well as additional pedestrian routes just outside municipal limits. A taxing mechanism called the Transportation Benefit District approved by residents in a 1999 special election provided the funding foundation for trails construction. the tapestry, allowing southside trail-users to access north-end routes and, most importantly, the Centennial Trail. Meanwhile, residents in the burgeoning River District looked forward to safely navigating over the freeway onto the community’s well-established trails.

“They basically said, ‘No one is going forward with this and it’s not getting built.” Peterson said.

Bridging the gap would not be easy.

“They told me, ‘You don’t have enough money,’” Peterson recalls.

“Well, I said, ‘We don’t know if it’s not enough if we don’t bid it out.’”

“When we had the community meeting on the trails, we had everyone with three self-stick dots mark on the maps what they thought was the most important piece of the trail,” Specht recalls.

“The pedestrian bridge was covered with dots. I thought, ‘Oh no, they had to pick the most difficult to achieve.’”

Steve Peterson, mayor at the time, knew the importance of making the connection. He was approached by Specht, Zilka and others about addressing the project, which appeared stuck in the water.

Peterson rolled up his sleeves and approached the Washington Department of Transportation about the stalled project. The cost estimate he received was a hefty $1.6 million.

Eventually, the bid for the main portion of the pedestrian bridge came in at $1.08 million.

Construction started in April 2005 and was done by July. A decorative pattern depicting the four seasons graces the guardrails. Later, under the administration of Wendy Van Orman, the span across the on-ramp was completed.

“It created a connection between the older part of Liberty Lake and the newer part,” Specht said.

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Zilka says she’s out on the trails five days a week, walking with friends and relishing the opportunity to catch up, exercise and enjoy the fresh air. Looking back to the early days of the trails committee, she said the vision always had traction.

“I don’t think I ever doubted that it would happen,” she said.

Peterson calls Liberty Lake’s unique pedestrian amenities “Liberty Lake’s number one asset.”

“If you ask people why they moved here, they’ll talk about the trails,” he said.

Specht, the grandfather of it all, says he takes pride in providing a resource that has made healthy, outdoor routines so popular for so many.

“If your kids are out exercising now, there’s a good chance, they’ll be exercising for a lifetime,” he said.

“We’re building a future generation of walkers, bikers and runners by making it safer.”

Stone, who is based on the westside of the state, has visited Liberty Lake over the years and seen the remarkable ripple effect of the three-day spring gathering over two decades ago.

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“The river is important, the lake is important but it’s the trails that tie everything together,” he said.

“They have become a significant contributor to the fabric of our community. I’ll have friends come here to play golf and they’ll say to me, ‘I’ve never seen so many people walking.’”

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“You see so many different ways of walking and biking safer and making connections work,” Stone said. “I get the sense you can go almost anywhere on those trails.”

MARCH 2021 • 13

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About and for Liberty Lake seniors

Liberty Lake Library

By Nina Culver

Splash Contributor

The Liberty Lake City Council is having an ongoing discussion about what to do with the results of a library needs assessment that clearly indicated that the current library is extremely short on space.

A consultant was hired to review information and prepare the assessment, which has been presented to the council. “We performed the needs assessment in order to identify future needs in the community,” said City Administrator Katy Allen. “We kind of got that objective look at our facility.”

Libraries are not just about checking out books. There are craft events, book clubs, story times and many other programs at the library. There are also computers for community use. “The business of providing library services is evolving and changing,” Allen said.

Former library director Jocelyn Redel, who recently left the city, was working to make changes based on the needs assessment before she left. One of the programs she started was to forgive fines as long as books were returned, Allen said. “That’s the goal, to get the book back, not collect the fines,” she said.

The needs assessment noted that the current library is at capacity and recommended that the library should be between 16,500 to 19,500 square feet as the population continues to grow. The current library is just under 9,000 square feet. “We’re a little bit shy,” Allen said.

The library has been working to maximize its space for several months, said interim director Jandy Humble. The shelves that lined the children’s room in rows, jutting out into the center of the room, have been removed and the Friends of the Liberty Lake Library paid for new, taller shelves that line the perimeter of the room and are bolted to the

walls, Humble said. “It opened up our entire room,” Humble said.

“We have more room for moveable seating or storytime.”

The library also had several large, diner-style booths and a massive wooden table, all of which were bulky and essentially fixed into position. “Those were hand me downs from other areas of the city,” she said.

That furniture has been removed and replaced with more comfortable, easily moveable furniture that can be reconfigured as needed. CARES Act money was used to purchase some of the furniture because it can be spaced out to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions, Humble said.

A small group meeting room was created and the staff offices were adjusted to free up as much space as possible.

The rows of computer stations that used to take up space in the middle of the main room are also in the process of being removed.

“We’ve been shifting from computer stations to laptops so it takes up less space,” Humble said.

Redel presented several options for the future of the library to the city council in February. The first

option is to co-locate a new library with other city facilities. That would lead to operational efficiencies because some amenities, such as meeting space or a parking lot, could be shared and not duplicated in two locations, Allen said.

It’s not unusual for cities to colocate a library in City Hall or a community center, Allen said. The library currently shares a building with the police department, but it’s not a true co-location because the two agencies don’t share resources, Allen said.

The second option is to build a new library or renovate an existing building into a library within the next 10 to 15 years.

Renovating the current library was not seen as a viable option because there is no space to expand the building or the parking lot, which is already at capacity during peak library hours.

One of Redel’s suggestions was for the council to begin saving $100,000 a year toward a future library project, Allen said, even though decisions about what would be built and where are likely years down the road.

The council discussed the issue,

but postponed making a decision on setting aside funding until the next meeting on March 2. The council appears to be divided about what to do, Allen said.

“It was pretty split,” she said.

“No firm decisions have been made yet.”

Though the needs assessment was complete last year, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the discussion about what to do next. A new mayor was recently sworn in and there have been changes on the city council as well, Allen said.

Now the city is searching for a new library director to continue the work outlined in the needs assessment. The city is looking for someone who can become familiar with the assessment and engage the community and the city council on the path forward, Allen said.

Applications for the position were received during February. “We have quality applicants,” she said.

The top candidates will be interviewed by Allen and the mayor via Zoom. It will be up to the mayor to make the final hiring decision, Allen said. The city hopes to have a new library director on board by mid to late March.

MARCH 2021 • 15

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Local teacher flourished as three-sport college standout

By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor

Growing up in Spokane, Christine (Peterson) Francek was accustomed to the unique traits and weather patterns of the four traditional seasons.

As a college student on the other side of the country, Francek established herself as an uncommon athlete with a dynamic approach to a variety of seasons.

At St. George’s School, a private K-12 college prep academy along the Little Spokane River, Francek remembers facing an uphill challenge when she first took up basketball. For years, snow skiing had been her best winter sport. She excelled on the Mt. Spokane racing team and later at the Mt. Schweitzer Alpine Racing School.

At one point, she nearly qualified for the Junior Olympics.

Basketball – at least initially – was another story.

“I was horrible, definitely one of the worst on the team,” Francek recalls.

“I remember dribbling the ball off my foot.”

Shift ahead to Francek’s junior year at St. George’s and an outlook that was decidedly different. She was a starter on a team that finished 30-0 and won the 2B state championship in 1994 by defeating Davenport at the Spokane Arena. Francek earned first team AllState tournament honors as a junior.

“By Chrissy’s freshman year in basketball, she was amazing,” says former St. George’s teammate Elizabeth Willis. “She was just so athletic. Any sport she tried, she ended up being good at.”

In high school, the list of other sports for Francek included soccer – where she was an All Greater Spokane League player for Lewis and Clark, in lieu of a team at St. George’s – track and cross country where she won an individual state title as a junior and led the Dragons to a team 2B crown.

Francek received college recruiting letters for basketball, soccer and track but eventually opted to sign with Stanford University for soccer, a sport she had played since the second grade.

The Cardinal qualified for the NCAA tournament in Francek’s freshman season – but Palo Alto represented an adjustment for the first-year Division 1 player.

“It was a little overwhelming,” Francek said. “Stanford was good for me to be surrounded with those kinds of athletes but ultimately, it wasn’t the best fit.”

Francek considered switching to track or basketball at Stanford but a conversation with St. George’s basketball coach Ross Thomas opened up another door. Middlebury College, where her friend Willis had signed for soccer, was an NCAA Division 3 school

in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). By January of 1996, Francek was enrolled as a student-athlete on the campus in Vermont’s Champlain Valley nestled between the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks.

“I knew I wanted to go to a school that would be a good fit academically and also knew I wanted sports to be part of my college experience,” Francek said.

Willis recalls Francek’s transition to Middlebury being seamless as she blended in with the soccer team and quickly adjusted to life on campus.

“Chrissy is probably the most humble person I know,” Willis said.

“I don’t even think she mentioned Stanford when she came to Middlebury.

It was just amazing to me how she got

Contributed photo University High School teacher Christine (Peterson) Francek (left) was a standout athlete in the early 1990s at St. George’s School in Spokane before earning a soccer scholarship to Stanford University. After a season at Stanford, Francek transferred to Middlebury College in Vermont where she excelled in soccer, basketball and track.

better in college, just faster and more skilled. She never appeared tired or fatigued.”

Francek became a starter on a Middlebury basketball squad that won the NESCAC title her junior year. In her career as a Panther, she exceeded 1,000 points. In 1997, Francek was part of a soccer team that reached the NCAA Division 3 Elite Eight. In track, she qualified for nationals in the 400-meter hurdles three years in a row.

“You couldn’t ask to coach a better kid and a finer athlete,” said Jen Fulcher, who coached soccer and basketball at Middlebury when Francek was there. “The great players make everyone around them better and that was Chrissy. She was all about the team and competing and being humble all the time.”

In addition to “a relentless work ethic,” Fulcher remembers Francek being the player Middlebury turned to when a game came down to the deciding play.

“The best players play like they’re not afraid to fail,” Fulcher said. “I knew that Chrissy would find strength and joy in that moment.”

After graduating in 1999 with a degree in math, Francek moved to New Jersey where she taught and coached at a private school. She married in 2001.

The following year Francek was hired

by University High School as a math teacher and coach. Her husband Jason is the assistant principal at Horizon Middle School. The couple lives in Spokane Valley and has two sons.

“I always knew I wanted to raise my family in a place like Spokane,” said Francek. “Plus, I love U-Hi. It’s the best place I could work. We have phenomenal staff and administration that supports our staff.”

Francek coached cross country, track, soccer and basketball at U-Hi in addition to soccer at St. George’s. She last coached in 2007.

As for the rarity of being a threesport athlete in college – not to mention completing two Iron Man competitions – Francek says she simply savored each season.

“My favorite sport was the one I was playing at the time,” she said. “I think it’s good to play multiple sports.

You never know what you’re going to excel in.”

MARCH 2021 • 19

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Student of the Month

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Michael Nelson has been overcoming the odds his entire life. The Central Valley senior was born with a condition knows as hypoplastic left heart syndrome and has undergone several surgeries and recovered from two strokes. He maintains a 3.85 grade point average and his lettered in choir since his freshman year. He first participated in choir at Greenacres Middle School.

An Eagle Scout, Nelson completed his Eagle Project by coordinating a supply drive for the Ronald McDonald House.

He has also volunteered at Second Harvest and helped with food drives.

“I like helping people,” he said. Nelson is also an accomplished writer and would like to publish a fictional series.

The Liberty Lake resident is focused on several goals following high school, including serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attending Brigham Young University-Idaho.

Chloe Williams was an integral part of the Central Valley girls’ basketball team winning the 4A state title last year. She had 17 points in a win that sent the Bears to the quarterfinals and led CV with 20 points and six rebounds in the championship game.

The Liberty Lake resident was named to the All-State Tournament second team. Williams went from reserve to key starter as a junior. “I had to step up,” she said. “It was a good challenge for me.” In soccer, Williams has lettered since her freshman year and was part of a runner-up state finish in 2018. She was named to the All Greater Spokane League second team last season. The senior maintains a 3.9 grade point average and is a member of National Honor Society. She will continue her basketball career at Montana State University-Billings.

Lorraine Halverson has been part of the Liberty Lake community since 1981 when she moved from Northern California with her husband Harley. A longtime member and past president of The Friends of the Library, Halverson was a catalyst for fundraising events like the Mothers’ Day Tea and generating awareness for community support of the library. The Chicago native was also one of the founders of the Liberty Lake Community Yard Sales in 1994. Halverson has her undergraduate degree in religion from Willamette University and a master’s in education from Stanford University.

While at Stanford, Halverson was part of the school’s first Lutheran Student Association. She has been a longtime teacher of (ESL) English as Second Language at The Barton School in Spokane and has served as a Bible study facilitator. She and Harley are proud parents of four grown children.

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MARCH 2021 • 23

Kvinnacare – Bringing Groundbreaking Technology to Liberty Lake

By Tie Lemerond Splash contributor

Opening its doors on February 8th, Kvinnacare brings a groundbreaking technology to its Liberty Lake, WA. location called SonoCiné. SonoCiné Automated Whole Breast Ultrasound System (AWBUS) is an FDA-approved computer-guided ultrasound system to be used annually along with your routine mammogram.

Developed by Dr. Kevin Kelly, a physician from Pasadena, California, the SonoCiné system was designed to provide much greater detailed images, especially for women with denser breast tissue.

On February 15, 2019, a bill was signed into law saying that all mammography providers must include updated information about breast density in reports sent to both the patient and their referring health provider. Why is this bill important? Prior to the passing of this bill, many women did not know how much breast density relates to breast cancer risk, nor did they know if they had fatty or dense breast tissue.

Dr. Amy Abernethy, principal deputy commissioner at the FDA, stated during a briefing with a HealthDay reporter, “Given that more than half of women over the age of 40 in the United States have dense breasts, helping to ensure patient access to information about the impact that breast density and other factors can have on the risk for developing breast cancer is an important part of a comprehensive breast health strategy."

Every year, over 40,000 women die with breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society estimates that about 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2021 and about 43,600 women will die from breast cancer in 2021. These staggering numbers are why the American Cancer Society recommends regular screening for women and why

Kvinna founder, Angela Barnes, is bringing awareness to the SonoCiné technology. “There are so many women walking around with time bombs in their body that if they knew that they had access to a screening that would catch these cancers early, then I can’t move fast enough. I can’t talk to enough people,” stated Barnes in a media video release.

Along her journey to search for a place to have the scan herself, Barnes came across other startling information. She read multiple stories where mammograms had failed women by not detecting their cancer because they had dense breast tissue. Barnes then related these stories to her friends’ story, who has been fighting a horrific battle with breast cancer. Due to the fact that her cancer was missed by her mammogram because she has dense breast tissue, her cancer has now spread, and she is at stage four in her cancer fight.

If she had she been made aware of the SonoCiné technology, her story may have had a much different story line.

How Does SonoCiné (AWBUS) work?

The AWBUS system is not meant to replace regular mammograms, but to be used as an adjunct to them. After arriving for the appointment, a patient slips on a proprietary camisole that fits similar to a sports bra and holds their breast in place.

The patient then lies on their back while the ultrasound tech completes the scan. SonoCiné takes approximately 3000-5000 images and stitches them together in rows of images that play as a movie for the radiologist to read. The SonoCiné technology can catch cancers as small as 3 mm (about an eighth of an inch) at stage zero or stage one.

It catches 100 percent of breast tissue and has been proven to be 300 percent more accurate than mammography at detecting invasive cancers that were 1

Contributed photos TOP: Kvinnacare founder Angela Barnes BELOW: Kvinnacare is bringing innovative SonoCine (AWBUS) system to Liberty Lake in an effort to provide whole breast ultrasound for women of all desnity types.

centimeter or less in diameter.

Cancer and dense breast tissue both appear white in a traditional mammogram. Barnes refers to finding cancer in a mammogram of a woman with dense breast “like trying to find a golf ball in a snowstorm.” In a SonoCiné scan, cancer cells stand out darker colored, therefore making them easier to see.

Per the Kvinna website, SonoCiné AWBUS was designed to find mammographically occult breast cancers as small as 3mm, which is before they become metastatic (Stage 0, 1a or 1b). Whereas traditional mammography misses more than 50 percent of 10mm-or-smaller cancers in women with dense breasts or implants.” SonoCiné has none of the discomforts or radiation of traditional mammograms.

Additionally, women with implants also benefit from this technology because it produces clearer images.

Currently, the state of Washington does not require

insurance companies to cover the $375 cost of the scan. However, Kvinna accepts private pay, Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account cards.

They will also provide patients with a Superbill and proper documentation so they can submit to their own insurance for possible reimbursement as some insurance companies will provide a partial reimbursement.

Kvinna will also refer patients to an oncologist if cancer is detected and provide them with a medical report of their findings.

Barnes named the clinic Kvinna which means Woman in Swedish. She is a Liberty Lake resident, and her vision is to see a SonoCiné machine in every major city in America. Kvinna is located in the Liberty Lake Health and Wellness Building located at 1334 N. Whitman Lane Suite 202, Liberty Lake, WA 99019.

Their phone number is (509) 9605550 for appointments or online bookings at www.kvinnacare. com

24 • MARCH 2021

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