Holland Pratt was in second grade at Liberty Lake Elementary when she competed in a kids’ version of a triathlon that wound up with a run leading to Pavillion Park.
The hill approaching the park proved to be a grueling test for many of the competitors with strides slowing down as the slope increased.
For Pratt, the final stretch represented a crossroads.
“I was determined to not quit,” she said. “Running up that hill was a turning point for me. It was about grit and fitness. I’ve never left it since.”
Over a decade after completing the race, Pratt found herself as a freshman cadet in basic training at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Three days of land navigation in a constant downpour left many feeling drenched in discouragement.
Then Pratt heard the words of a wise sergeant.
“He said, ‘Moping doesn’t help,’” Pratt recalls. “Then he asked, ‘What will you do to pick up others around you?’”
The line resonated with Pratt who hearkened back to her senior year at Central Valley High School and a dreary morning where she and other members of the Leadership Class were assigned as door greeters.
“I was having a bad morning and didn’t really want to be there,” Pratt said. “Then (Leadership Advisor) Mrs. (Leanne) Donley said, ‘Your smile may be the only smile some of these students see all day.’ It was a great reminder to have a sense of purpose and why.”
Pratt has carried that sense of purpose across the Atlantic Ocean to her latest stop – as a Rhodes Scholar studying at Oxford University in England. In 2022, she was one of 32 college students selected to receive the international post-graduate
award first established in 1902 and considered the most prestigious scholarship of its kind.
Prior to leaving for Great Britain last September, Pratt served a summer internship in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Institute of Peace. At Oxford, she is studying Global Governments and Diplomacy and enjoying an itinerary that has already included a trip to Iceland with future visits scheduled for Morocco and Scotland. Pratt’s world travels are made easier by her fluency in Spanish and Arabic.
“I’m learning about
implementing theory into practice and asking questions like, ‘How are we communicating on a global scale?’” Pratt said.
Pratt will fulfill a five-year commitment to the military following two years at Oxford. She plans to pursue a career as a Civil Affairs Officer, serving as a liaison between the military and the civilian world.
Pratt graduated from West Point last May. One of many highlights in her four years there included being named First Captain of the Corps of Cadets before her senior year, a unique honor achieved by only seven women in the 200-year history of the academy. The ratio of male to female students at West Point is 80
to 20.
At Central Valley, Pratt competed in cross country, track and soccer. She was initially focused on playing college soccer but that changed when she was left off the varsity squad as a junior. Instead of grumbling about the demotion, Pratt turned it into a positive.
“My confidence was injured,” Pratt recalls. “I went on a run right after I found out and realized I could either have a bad attitude or help my younger teammates. That was a pivotal experience for me. Our JV went undefeated and it turned into one of the best team experiences I’ve ever had.”
Pratt is the daughter of Gavin and Sarah Pratt who moved to Liberty Lake from Tonasket, Washington with their family when Holland was 5. She has a younger sister, Savannah.
An avid student of history, Pratt points to a story from World War II involving her great-grandparents that had a significant influence on her decision to pursue a career in the military. After her great-grandfather was sent to a concentration camp, her great-grandmother went into hiding. At one point, word spread that the Russian Army was converging on Hanau, the city in Germany where she and others had found refuge.
“Everyone was scared that the Russians were on their way,” Pratt said. “Instead, the Americans arrived. They brought food and clothing. My great-grandmother had her first cheeseburger.”
The example of goodwill and compassion in the storms of conflict has remained with Pratt like the lesson of climbing the hill toward Pavilion Park, greeting fellow students at CV with a smile and encouraging her fellow cadets in a rainstorm.
“No leader knows what they’re doing 100 percent of the time,” Pratt said. “You need to have confidence in being OK with moments of doubt. The main thing is working with what you have.”
Q: When do you first remember
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hearing about the Rhodes Scholarship and at what point did you consider such a unique honor attainable?
A: I first considered the Rhodes Scholarship during my junior or “Cow” year at West Point. My research advisor, Dr. Frey, had a meeting with me discussing future project goals in studying the prevention and resolution of mass atrocities like genocide and ethnic cleansing. He highlighted that graduate scholarships like Rhodes provided an opportunity for me to expand my worldview and engage with experts in my field of interest. I had received an email about applying for the scholarship but had originally deleted it because I did not understand what it was, nor had it been a priority in my mind because I was focused on the next steps in being an Army Officer. Thank God for Dr. Frey, otherwise I probably would have never applied!
Q: When did your commitment to academic excellence begin?
A: I would credit my love for reading as my true kickstart to academic excellence. There are some pretty entertaining photos of me dumping my bookshelves over as a 3-year-old to just sit and pretend I could read. My parents read to me every night as a child and my Papa Leonard would spend hours talking about history and books with me. Reading became my passion, escape and curiosity enabler. My mom would check on my room at night because I was constantly trying to stay up late reading with my book light from my papa. Liberty Lake Elementary School definitely facilitated this passion with its Reading Points program and amazing teachers like Mrs. Hansen who would bring me books from her house to read.
Q: How would you characterize the experience of growing up in Liberty Lake?
A: I would characterize growing up in Liberty Lake as empowering. The opportunities varied from running the Liberty Lake Kids’ Triathlon to participating in K-Kids through Kiwanis. All these activities were about exposure to hard work and service. I would also highlight the cohesion – it is phenomenal that I can visit home now, go to the Liberty
Lake Athletic Club and receive hugs and well-wishes from peers’ parents and kids I babysat. There is nothing that fills my cup more than getting hugs from the Calkins family –McCall, Connor, Kennedy, Parker and Campbell are my inspiration. Receiving videos of Campbell doing pull-ups – that girl motivates me to be better every day and I cannot wait to see her shine at West Point someday.
Q: Being accepted into West Point is a considerable achievement in itself. What do you think were some of the keys to get to that point when you were at CV?
A: Without a doubt the teachers/ coaches were key. My track/cross country coaches, Mr. Arte, Mr. McGuire, and Mrs. Butner, taught me how to lead and build a team. Señora Smith was a former Army linguist and inspired me with stories of grit. My instructors, Mr. Gruis, Mr. Butner and Mr. Kreiser, introduced me to my passions – history, physical fitness, mass atrocity studies. My leadership team, Mrs. Donley, Mrs. Williams, and Mr. Allen, taught me how to lead empathetically and empower others. I would also give huge credit to Mr. Gregson. He is a West Point graduate and mentored me through the application process. He is the epitome of selfless service and sacrifice. Whenever West Point got really difficult, my self-motivator was often, “Do it for Mr. Gregson, carry-on his legacy.”
Q: Along those same lines, how did you find a balance between your studies, sports and social life that made high school more than just one lopsided venture?
A: My family and friends were my source of balance. It was either BC Calculus homework in Mr. Mack’s classroom or painting posters for Leadership right after school and then heading straight to sports. My favorite memories are hanging out with friends in Mr. McGuire and Mr. Arte’s classrooms after practice. Another aspect I hope to always practice in life was eating as a family at the dinner table. We made it a priority to always eat together. We had the best conversations about everything from how the day went to music to history/politics. I think it says a lot about how amazing my parents and sister are to say that I chose to be at that table nightly regardless of other events.
Q: The focus on being an
outstanding leader is clearly a priority for you. What were some of the lessons you learned at West Point that elevated your leadership skills?
A: I think my leadership philosophy, SERVE, spells the lessons out very well – Strengthen Belonging, Empower Others, Rally Grit and Value Excellence. West Point is unique because you are not just learning about leadership but actively practicing it as you have a certain position of responsibility each year. I learned from trial and error, both from myself and by observing others, what constitutes good leadership. I also had phenomenal Army mentors at West Point who were more than willing to share their experiences, lessons and advice. I could sit for hours talking with leaders like Col. Kuhlman, Bg. Quander, Maj. Saul, Maj. Ryan, First Sgt. Engstrom, and First Sgt. Davis. They helped me through some very difficult challenges at West Point and empowered me to achieve goals and build teams.
Q: Elite colleges are often a wake-up call for elite students who discover they are just one of many with exceptional aptitude. How was that adjustment like for you at West Point and now at Oxford?
A: The greatest mindset someone can have when going into an elite space is to not let it be a competition. We all have different perspectives, backgrounds and strengths/ weaknesses. I am absolutely not the smartest person in any room, but boy, do I have phenomenal classmates who elevate me in areas I am weak in. The adjustment for me was just about humbling myself to ask for help and making myself available to others who I could help in areas I was strong in. The sign of a fantastic, healthy academic institution is one that encourages students to elevate those around them, not tear them down in an effort to be number one. In my experience, those who don’t have that mindset become lonely pretty fast.
Q: What have been some of your initial impressions of Oxford and England in general?
A: Oxford is arguably the most diverse university in the world and I am absolutely blessed with highcaliber classmates both in terms of intelligence and character. Its value is not so much what’s learned in the classroom but rather the large
range of people you get to interact with daily. Oxford encourages perspective-sharing in the classroom, in the cafes and in the pubs. Travel is also so much easier out of England. Here is a prime example of these two thoughts combined – flying to Iceland for the weekend in a friend group with people from the U.S., Canada, Singapore, India, Mexico, and South Korea to hike glaciers while discussing how to solve the world’s problems. Now that is a unique experience I will cherish forever!
Q: What advice would you give to students at any level who want to succeed and thrive like you have?
A: Stay humble, stay gritty, stay passionate. You will experience failure and doubt. I never made varsity soccer, I used to be unable to do a pull-up, I got a C-plus in West Point boxing. So, don’t let it wear you down – use it to reflect and move forward. You will never know exactly what you are doing 100 percent of the time. Stay humble and admit failure because that’s what develops grit and makes you relatable to others. Lastly, do not let hardship quell your passion. Just because your passion gets difficult, gets exploited or leads down an unanticipated path doesn’t mean you should let it go. Eager to serve, willing to lead – your passion is the “why” that motivates you through hard times to help people.
Q: Finally, you have a degree from West Point, you’re a Rhodes Scholar and now you’re studying at one of the most illustrious universities in the world. Where do you go from here to make the difference you want to see in the world?
A: Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf wrote in his autobiography that he never made a decision for his career, he went where he felt his abilities could serve others best. Right now, I know that I want to be the best Scout Platoon Leader for my soldiers that I can be. In the future, I feel that I can serve others best as an Army Civil Affairs Officer where I am responsible for building relationships with foreign populations. I have truly fallen in love with the Army culture, so I plan to stay in as long as I feel I am serving others to my greatest capacity. My greatest wish is to chase that feeling wherever it leads me. It hasn’t led me wrong yet!
Total incidents generated by Officers and emergency calls for service last month 552
Traffic Collisions/Hit & Runs
/ Injury Collisions 4
Citations (Traffic/Criminal/ Non-Criminal) 10
DUI (Driving Under Influence) 1
Thefts / Vehicle Prowls / Vehicle Theft / Burglaries 19
Malicious Mischief 2
Argument / Assault DV / Simple Assault / Assault w/a Weapon 21
Parking Violations 1
Suspicious Vehicles 32
*The above numbers are as of 2/01/2023
3V3 TOURNAMENTS 3V3 TOURNAMENTS
Domestic Violence, 1/09/23: Officers responded to the 1600 block of N. Carson Range to a report of a domestic dispute. As officers arrived on scene, they determined there was a physical altercation that occurred between a mother and her adult son. The adult male pushed the female while arguing in addition to damaging the adult female’s vehicle that was parked out front. The male was arrested for Assault 4th DV and three separate counts of Malicious Mischief 3rd. He was transported to the Spokane County Jail for those charges. It should be noted that officers responded to eight additional Domestic Disputes where arrests were made during this month.
Suspicious Person/Fraud, 1/20/23: Officers responded to a male attempting to pass a counterfeit $100 dollar bill near the 22000 block of E. Appleway Avenue. Officers arrived and contacted an adult male who they later discovered to have a warrant for his arrest after he had initially failed to identify himself. They confirmed bill did appear to be counterfeit and during a search of his person incident to arrest they discovered an ID belonging to another male along with what appeared to be drug paraphernalia in his
vehicle. The male was arrested for his warrant and for forgery while a warrant was obtained to search the vehicle. A search warrant of the vehicle resulted in charges being forwarded on possession with intent to deliver drugs. (Several “Mexi” pills, Methamphetamine, and other paraphernalia was located inside the vehicle)
It should be noted that the Liberty Lake Police Department has had warrants searches of several vehicles this month and seized large amounts of drugs, stolen property, and identity theft items through pro-active contacts such as suspicious vehicles.
Suspicious Vehicle, 1/27/23: Officers responded to the 1300 block of N. Liberty Lake Road for a suspicious vehicle. Officers ran the vehicle plate and determined the adult male owner of the vehicle had a warrant for his arrest. Officers checked the photo of the owner, and it matched the description of the male walking towards the vehicle. Officers contacted the male as he was attempting to leave in his vehicle. The male became combative, and they had to use de-escalation techniques along with hands on to prevent his escape after advising him he was under arrest. The male was taken into custody for the warrant along with resisting and obstructing charges. Further investigation revealed the male also attempted to take several items from a nearby store but stopped before leaving when he noticed police vehicles outside.
Please call 911 immediately for emergency assistance when needed and call Crime Check if you see something you feel may need our attention. If you don’t hear back from Crime-Check in a timely manner, please call, and request officer assistance.
Have you ever wanted to be better informed on how the city of Liberty Lake’s government works or how it impacts your home or business life? Have you wanted to know the services you receive as a resident within the city connect with other organizations? Or do you need to broaden what you know about city operations because you’ve thought about running for one of the city’s elected offices or applying for one of its commission openings?
This spring, the city of Liberty Lake is launching its first-ever City Academy, which will offer
An upcoming arts project may require some rethinking of the term “points in the paint” for basketball players at Pavillion Park.
The Liberty Lake Parks and Arts Commission is seeking individual artists or artist teams to submit proposals for an outdoor floor mural that will be painted later this year on the two basketball courts at Pavillion Park.
Submissions for the Hooptown Mural Project were opened in late January and will close on March 17. The selected artist or group will receive a $16,000 stipend to create the work.
Full details about the project as well as information about submitting a proposal can be found on the city’s Parks & Arts Commission web page at www. libertylakewa.gov/433/Parksand-Arts-Commission.
citizens the opportunity to get a deep dive on how the city operates. Information at each session will come directly by topic experts from the city’s staff as well as leaders form local partnering organizations.
“A city academy is something some cities do to engage residents and provide more insights in how their local government works,” explains Liberty Lake City Administrator Mark McAvoy, who developed the upcoming local series. “It can also help encourage, inspire and inform potential future leaders of the city.”
Liberty Lake’s eight-part City
Academy series will begin on Thursday, April 13 and will continue for each Thursday through June 1. Each topicspecific session will begin at 7 p.m. at Liberty Lake’s City Hall (22710 E. Country Vista Drive) with the presentations lasting about 60 to 90 minutes each night.
Initial topics will cover such areas as:
• The city’s form of government and how it fits in with the structure of county and state government systems;
• Land use and zoning
• The city’s comprehensive plan
• How the city obtains revenue
• How budget-making decisions
Later sessions in the series are slated to include presentations focusing on services that Liberty Lake residents receive through the city’s partnerships with outside organizations, such as those involving fire response services, public utilities and public safety.
Dates for each topic in the City Academy will be posted on the city’s website and Facebook site. Interested participants can learn more about the City Academy and register to attend sessions by going to the “Our Community” section of the city’s website at www.libertylakewa. gov. Each week’s session will also be previewed on the city’s Facebook site.
hires, Liberty Lake Police Chief Damon Simmons said, “The addition of Officers LaRocco and Tuttle to our family marks a major milestone for our agency. We will have reached 20 sworn officers, having doubled in size in the last three years.”
Liberty Lake is seeking applicants for an adjunct (non-voting) position on the City Planning Commission. The term of this position will run through Dec. 31, 2024.
The City Planning Commission studies and makes recommendations to the mayor and the City Council for Liberty Lake’s future growth. For full details and application information for this opening, see the information posted here on the city’s website: https://www.libertylakewa.gov/ CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=712
The Liberty Lake Police Department has its first two new members of 2023 with the arrivals of Officers Jordan Tuttle and Cody LaRocco, who were both sworn in for their new duties on Feb. 7.
In introducing the two new
Officer Tuttle, who previously served as a patrol deputy in the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, grew up in Liberty Lake after his family moved to the city when he was 4 years old. Tuttle wrote in his application letter that he has wanted to be in law enforcement since he was 6 years old.
Officer LaRocco was most recently a patrol deputy with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office. Prior to that, he served for 11 years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which included work as a robbery detective in the Palmdale Station Detective Bureau.
• A workshop was held Feb. 21 to discuss library policies and where authority over those policies falls. A previous workshop on Jan. 17 included a 4-3 council vote on a motion that would add the words, “with the approval of City Council” to the existing Ordinance 119, giving council final say on what the library board brings forward. “I want this to be a cordial discussion, not us versus them,” said Mayor Cris Kaminskas at the beginning of the February workshop. Library Director Jandy Humble provided an overview of the current approach to library policy review and establishment, a process that includes extensive research into legal precedents. “I would hope that after listening to Jandy’s description of how policies are reviewed that oversight would be reconsidered,” said Trustee Brad Hamblet. Kaminskas told those in attendance on Feb. 21 that each email that came through from residents before the workshop was “in favor of the Board (of Trustees) retaining the responsibility they’ve always had.” Mayor Pro Tem Phil Folyer referred back to the original ordinance established in 2003. “I’ve never felt this was a political play or discussion,” he said. “This ordinance change does not imply that the library board or librarian cannot be trusted. The ordinance clarifies the City Council approves policy changes proposed by the board. This is not personal. The library is a department of the city and I think they should be treated equally.” Council Member Annie Kurtz countered that the policies presented by the Police Department are not reviewed
by council. Kurtz said if council took over authority from the board over library policies “it brings up a lot of questions. We don’t know anything about the library. We are way overstepping into a lane that’s not ours.” Kaminskas added that a number of policies related to departments like planning and the municipal golf course do not go before council for final approval. Council Member Jed Spencer who was in the majority with Folyer, Wendy Van Orman and Chris Cargill to change the ordinance said, “We’re being told we need to be an expert on some policies that we weigh in on but not others. I think this is just good business practice to take one last look at the policy as those who are responsible to the voters.” Council Member Tom Sahlberg who was in the minority on Jan. 17 with Dunne and Kurtz said, “a change to this ordinance is not necessary. It’s a change of governance.” The public comments portion of the Feb. 21 meeting featured a series of strong sentiments from residents opposed to any change to the ordinance and voicing support for the library board retaining authority over library policies. A first read of the ordinance change was included in the Feb. 21 agenda. Council eventually decided to hold another workshop with the library trustees before a second read and vote on the ordinance which has now been tabled until April 18.
• Council approved a twoyear contract with ZenCity, a community engagement platform for local governments on Feb. 21. The contract – at a cost of $12,000 per year – states that ZenCity will provide “a community engagement interface to share essential project context and invite resident collaboration and input.”
• Kaminskas presented Selkirk eight grader Sindhu Surapaneni with the Presidential Gold Volunteer Service Award on Feb. 21 from President Joe Biden. In 2021, Surapaneni was the youngest person ever honored
with a Spokane Arts Award for her work exemplifying inclusion. She has raised $13,000 for local homeless services causes since 2020.
• Joe Frank of Greenstone Homes addressed a recent change to parking code in River District Specific Area Plan at the Feb. 7 council meeting. Frank expressed hope that council would reconsider their vote and agree with Planning Commission recommendations.
• Council Member Dan Dunne, the city’s representative on the Spokane Transit Authority (STA) board, told his fellow council members that Liberty Lake has moved from ex-officio status to a voting member representing small cities. The city of Spokane has four voting members, Spokane County and the city of Spokane Valley both have two voting members.
• On Feb. 7, City Administrator Mark McAvoy gave a summary of a visit to Olympia that he and Kaminskas were part of along with representatives Greater Spokane Inc. McAvoy said the group heard feedback from legislators that they would support the opposition to delay the construction of the North/ South Freeway as proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee.
• A City Council strategy session will take place on March 4 with a site to be determined.
• Liberty Lake has been designated as a Tree City once again. The initial designation was awarded in 2003. Maintenance and Operations Director Jennifer Camp said Tree City signs would be appearing across town and a planting ceremony will be held on Arbor Day, April 28.
• A call for applications with the newly revived Civil Service Commission has been made. McAvoy said on Feb. 7 there were not enough applications submitted to fill the three seats on the commission. “We’re still looking for qualified folks,” he
said.
• The inaugural City Academy will take place over an eight-week period beginning at the end of spring break and running until the start of summer break. McAvoy said the curriculum will offer “an inside look into how the city makes decisions, allocates resources and works with partners to deliver core services.” The class will include 15-20 residents with a goal of “increasing engagement and training future city leaders,” McAvoy added.
• Mark Saba with the Community Engagement Commission said the group is working on creating an expanded community calendar as well as a city podcast that will kick off this spring. “This is another way for citizens to be involved in activities and opportunities in the city of Liberty Lake,” Saba said.
• Planning and Engineering Manager Lisa Key gave an update on the plan to update netting and poles at the Trailhead driving range. Costs for two different options range from $850,000 to $1.5 million. Key encouraged council to act quickly on one of the options to begin the bidding process and lock in prices before they increased. She added that the city would present the plan to their insurance company, Clear Risk Solutions, as part of the process. Council has asked staff to return with a new configuration that would reach an agreed upon price point before giving final approval.
• A stray cat at City Hall brought some levity to the Feb. 21 council meeting. “Don’t let him alarm you if he falls down,” Kaminskas said. “We’ll try to catch him. He was in the vestibule ceiling when I got here.” The roaming feline was not heard from during public comments.
When Cris Kaminskas was first appointed to the Liberty Lake City Council in January 2010, she was unaware that those who served on the governing board were compensated for their time.
As she delved into the immense workload of an elected official, Kaminskas calculated that the $300 a month salary amounted to around half of minimum wage for the hours she put in.
“I remember it was just about enough to make the car payment,” Kaminskas said. “The money is not why I serve. I do it because I love it.”
Now mayor, Kaminskas receives $2,500 a month. Council members make $787.50 each month following a 5-percent cost-of-living raise that went into effect Jan. 1. Another change that took place when the calendar turned to 2023 is the frequency of paychecks. Council, mayor and staff are now paid on the 10th and 25th each month as opposed to the previous distribution on the last business day of the month.
Last November, Finance Director Kyle Dixon oversaw a council workshop that provided an overview of the city’s Salary Commission and their approach to mayor and council compensation. Dixon referred to Ordinance 176, Section 5 which summarizes the commission’s goal “to base salaries of elected officials on realistic standards so that elected officials may be paid according to the duties of their office and so that citizens of the highest quality may be attracted to public service.”
The commission studied cities with strong mayor/council forms of government similar to Liberty Lake that also featured populations between 10,000 and 30,000. The results showed the average salary for mayor at $2,322 a month while the median council member salary rang in at $820 a month.
Mark Saba, one of three members of the Salary Commission along with Joan Wissmann and Jim Baumker, said Dixon’s help in gathering relevant market data has been the key to the group coming to a clear and fair recommendation.
“It’s given us good tools to dive into the situation so the city can keep up with the rest of their peers in the state of Washington,” Saba said.
Kaminskas said in the 13 years she’s been at City Hall, salary issues have not come up around the dais.
“I’ve never really heard anyone on council complain about compensation,” she said.
State law outlines two ways to determine compensation for elected officials – the first involves an ordinance passed by the sitting council to set salaries, yet the new rates only go into effect after the terms of the council members who voted on the change expire. The second, and more common, method is to leave the task up to an appointed Salary Commission which makes a binding recommendation for any changes to pay.
Kaminskas recalls the “binding” aspect of the process causing a stir in 2010 when the city was experiencing financial challenges and the commission came forward with a wage hike proposal for the 2011 budget.
“I remember the council was like, ‘Wait, we don’t want an increase,’” Kaminskas said. “We’re cutting hours and laying people off and this comes to the table. We talked about donating it back.”
Eventually, a technicality in the commission’s voting process voided the recommendation, “to the delight of all of us,” Kaminskas said.
In 2019, the Salary Commission reconvened after a layoff of several years. The focus of the group centered on pay levels for the mayor and council that had not changed since 2014. Compensation had stalled at $400 for council member and $1,250 for mayor.
“It had been awhile since the commission had met, let alone recommended any increases,” Wissmann recalls. “We were very far behind.”
Eventually, the commission recommended an increase in the mayor’s salary to $2,250 per month and raising the monthly council compensation to $720.
That same year, the city of Spokane Valley addressed their pay for elected officials for the first time in 13 years. The result was a 93-percent hike in council salary, from $750 to $1,415 and an 82-percent increase in mayor’s pay from $975 to $1,775. Unlike Liberty Lake, the mayor and council members in Spokane Valley also receive insurance benefits.
Wissmann, who brings over 20 years of experience in compensation, benefits and HR work to her current role as Salary Commission chair, said she looked into
the group after becoming a new resident of Liberty Lake.
“I was looking for ways I could help the town,” she said.
Saba took over for Holly Woodruff on the commission when she transitioned to City Council. Like Wissman, Saba said volunteering his time “is a way to be involved in the city.” He also serves on the Community Engagement Commission and is one of the catalysts for Winter Glow.
As a member of the inaugural City Council following incorporation in 2001, Judi Owens can recall a time when compensation around the dais stood at $20 a meeting. With the minimum requirement of two meetings per month that meant council members making $40 monthly even though the demands and workload far exceeded the baseline schedule.
“Being compensated was not our focus,” said Owens who recalls weekly council meetings often starting at 7 p.m. and going until 1 a.m. as the governing board discussed and passed a myriad of ordinances that would serve as the foundation of the new city.
“For a lot of meetings, we didn’t really adjourn, we just recessed,” Owens said.
Owens said the channeling of local tax dollars toward more concentrated services in areas like law enforcement and street maintenance translated into benefits for all residents, including council members.
“It wasn’t completely selfless on our part,” Owens said. “We weren’t getting the level of services we needed before incorporation but that was about to change.”
The first pay shift for council members rose the monthly wage to $250.
“That was after we’d been making 10 cents an hour or so,” Owens said. “It was still pretty insignificant for the hours we were putting in but none of us were in it for the money.”
Former Mayor Steve Peterson remembers a time in the early days of Liberty Lake over 20 years ago when the monthly wage for mayor checked in at $150.
“It’s all about love of community,” said Peterson. “At my best back then, I was making a dollar an hour, maybe 50 cents. Then, you go to an attorney and they’re getting $150 an hour. It wasn’t about the salary. If you love your community, that’s what you’re working for.”
The Liberty Lake Police Department is home to twenty officers including Police Chief Damon Simmons and Lieutenant Darin Morgan who are committed to the protection of the community. With their proactive policing, the city of Liberty Lake saw a reduction in overall crime over the past year.
The department began with the incorporation of the city in 2001 and has since gone under transformation during that time. The department began with just two officers patrolling the streets of Liberty Lake.
Chief Simmons was appointed to the position of Chief on December 15, 2020 and is currently the second officer to hold that title for the Liberty Lake Police Department. When Chief Simmons took on the role, the department structure was different. The chief at the time, was the only administrative rank, but with the growth that Liberty Lake is experiencing, an additional administrative rank was needed for the chain of command.
The 2022 year saw many changes to the department, including an additional two officer positions and a Lieutenant position created. “We looked at the level of service that we provide to our community as well as looking at officer safety,” Chief Simmons shares the information he gathered when deciding to create
the new officer positions, “For example, on the night shift, it wasn’t uncommon for us to just have one officer on duty working; that’s an officer safety issue. Not only is that an officer safety issue, but it’s hard to keep up with the call hold while providing the level of service to the community that it deserves with just one officer on duty.”
Proactive police work is an important part of the department and one that is difficult to accomplish when not enough officers are on duty. “We conduct traffic stops. We contact suspicious people. We conduct surveillance on our problem areas. We do all these things that give us the ability to head off crime before it happens.” Chief Simmons has brought on technology since his appointment to help with the proactive police work.
One of the major technology advancements that Chief Simmons has implemented over the past year to help with the proactive work is the use of the license plate reading FLOCK system. Chief Simmons considers Liberty Lake a ‘Port of Entry’ location since they lie at the boarder of Idaho and Washington. The department sees different and unique situation otherwise small precincts would not typically see. The agency sees people passing through and can stop people with warrants that might not be a resident of the city, but might just be passing through quickly.
Using the FLOCK system allows the officers to track cars based on license plate numbers in real time. For example, a homicide suspect wanted for arrest in Tacoma was identified travelling through Liberty Lake, then headed back west on I-90. The Liberty Lake agency was able to alert Spokane Police about the suspects direction of travel and the suspect was arrested
traveling through Airway Heights.
The FLOCK system uses a series of photos of rear license plates taken from nineteen cameras located throughout Liberty Lake and uploads them to a data base instantly. If a license plate number has been flagged, officers will get a notification on their phone seconds after the corresponding photo is taken. The camera detects and photographs around 25,000 vehicles daily and stores them for 30 days. During that time the license plates can be used to find stolen vehicles, abductions, hit and run suspects, helping officers identify cars when missing person alerts are sent out, are just a few of the ways the system helps officers.
In addition to bringing in additional technology to assist officers, Chief Simmons has tripled the training budget since 2021. Trainings that were hosted in 2022 at the Liberty Lake department included a Basic Incident Response to Digital Evidence, an FBI LEEDA course, and a Field Training Officer course. “It helps our ability to serve the public with; responding to calls, conducting investigations, conducting follow-up investigations, responding to active shooters, and other critical incidences.” Says Chief Simmons.
Chief Simmons has had a drive for police work since he was young. “I’m from Waco, Texas and my neighbor growing up was a retired Waco officer told me when I was a kid that I was going to grow up to be a cop. And that stuck in my head my entire childhood. I would watch him come out of his house with all his gear on and I just marveled at that. I thought I want to do that.” He joined the Air Force in 1996 as Security Police and served almost four years before leaving due to an injury. He then went on to become an officer for a few years
with the Great Falls police department in Montana before making a lateral move to the Spokane County Sheriff’s office in 2003. He worked in different departments within the agency until he was appointed Chief of the Liberty Lake Police Department in 2020.
“This is a great department. The culture and climate here is awesome. I wake up every morning and I have no problems coming to work. Sometimes you would think there’s a comedy show here because we can have so many laughs. It’s a great place to come to work. We all go to lunch together, sit down together, and the guys here have great off duty relationships.” Says Chief Simmons.
The Liberty Lake Police Department is very active in the community. Over the past year they supported many community events which included: SkyFast at Fairchild Air Force Base, Cruising with the Cops, Touch a Truck events, Escort for the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall, and more.
Last year saw a reduction of traffic incidents that the Liberty Lake Police Department responded to. Collisions decreased from 93 to 65. DUIs within the city reduced from 12 to 10. Traffic infractions drastically reduced to a three year low of 135 versus 330 infractions recoded in 2021 and 604 infractions in 2020.
Overall, the statistics for the department decreased during 2022, but remaining vigilant is always important. “We do live in a community that is safe. We do live in a community with a sense of safety. But we can’t let that skew our selfawareness. A lot of the crimes that we see in Liberty Lake occur because of a break down of self-awareness at the individual level. So, I ask the citizens, don’t leave valuable items such as
purses, computers, tablets, and cell phones in your vehicles overnight. I stress and plead that people stop leaving their firearms in their vehicles overnight. And lock your doors to your vehicles and garages at night. If you are going to be out of town, turn on some lights.” Chief Simmons warns Liberty Lake residents. “Because we live in an outstanding and safe community, sometimes people forgot that there are individuals that come into our community and exploit that feeling of safety.”
Awards were announced at the beginning of 2023 to recognize officers that helped keep the department running smoothly and showed professionalism and positivity throughout the year. This year was the first year that the Lieutenants award was given and the honor was bestowed upon Officer Derek Arnold. Lieutenant Morgan recognized Officer Arnold’s service. Here is a brief excerpt from his commendation letter. “There are several different responsibilities that get distributed to each of our officers to keep the organization running smoothly. MPO Arnold took on a number of those responsibilities over this past year. He took on the role of the department armor after completing the Glock armorer course and continued to add to that responsibility by becoming the pistol instructor for the department. MPO Arnold continued by becoming the primary weapons instructor for all our weapon systems. He became the lead weapons instructor for the department. MPO Arnold is always willing to take on more responsibility and ensures each one is done with pride and professionalism.” Shares Lieutenant Morgan.
An additional award, Sergeant Award, was presented to Master Police Officer Stephanie Olivas by Sergeants Bogenreif and Isaac. Here is a brief excerpt of her commendation letter. “Officer Olivas represents this department in a positive and professional manner both on and off duty. She recently made herself available during her days off to assist officers with an only Spanish speaking suspect. She has become a certified Car Seat Technician and will be holding classes in the future, to ensure that Liberty Lake residents are installing Car Seats correctly. This in turn, will create a safer commute for the children of Liberty Lake and the surrounding area. Officer Olivas has allowed us to adjust her shift to accommodate for the agency’s needs, making a safer work environment
for her shift partners. She is a “Team Player” who always puts the needs of the department over hers.” Shares Sergeant Bogenreif.
Officer Jordan Sowell was the final officer to be recognize for the 2022 year and received the honor of Officer of the Year. Liberty Lake Police Chief Simmons awards this himself and had the following excerpt to say about Officer Sowell. “Officer Sowell’s commitment to public safety, our community, and our agency is reflective in his exemplary work ethic and attitude. He is a great example of the fact that leadership is not based on stripes, bars, leaves, or stars. He is truly an instrumental part of our agency fulfilling our mission.”
When asked what the community needs to be aware of Chief Simmons responded, “We are seeing an increase of fentanyl within our community. It’s not so much with our citizens, but it’s with those ‘Port-of-Entry’ problems. So, we are seeing a lot. Educate your children. Don’t accept pills if you don’t know what they are. Educate yourself and your kids on the danger of it cause it is here.”
Lieutenant Morgan has lived in the Liberty Lake area for several years and is proud to call the city his home. After serving in the Army for over twenty years as a Military Policeman, he retired from duty and moved
to serving his local community as a Patrol Sargent. He has been with the Liberty Lake Police Department for fifteen years and views the department and community as an extension of his family. “The biggest thing for me in this community is the way that the citizens feel about their law enforcement as a whole. They are very law enforcement friendly. We are always welcomed and get greeted and people love to see their officers out in the community. They respect the job that we do and appreciate the job that we do. I’ve never been in a community that is so law enforcement friendly.”
“It starts with our city government, our mayor, our city administrator, and our city council. We have such a supportive city government and community and it’s such a joy to go to work everyday and be able to step out into the community and stop at one of the local gas stations or stores and have just great conversations with people. Everyone waves at you with five fingers (wink) and that doesn’t happen everywhere. It’s almost a joke for Lieutenant Morgan and I that to grab a bite to eat or get gas, it’s going to be a 30–45 minute conversation with somebody, it’s just a great community! It’s truly a joy to come to work every day.” Chief Simmons shares about Liberty Lake.
• SCRAPS was requested to respond to 79 calls for service in Liberty Lake. They impounded 44 animals, conducted 7 investigations, and responded to 4 emergency calls. They trapped 0 additional animals for a total of 56 responses to 79 calls for service. Totaling 66% for calls for service.
By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor
Considering the group’s farmworker-like meeting time of 7 a.m. weekly, there may be no service club more aptly named than Spokane Valley Sunrise Rotary.
Along with the robust wakeup call, the long-established organization continues to boldly exemplify Rotary International’s motto of “Service Above Self” through a variety of community service projects and programs emphasizing the well-being of youth.
“I enjoy being part of Sunrise Rotary because it’s a group of downto-earth people who come together to make the world a better place,” said Karen Toreson, club chair and former teacher and principal in the Central Valley School District. “Educational programs and aid to families and students are some of my favorite projects.”
One such undertaking is a vocational scholarship program open to graduating seniors from Spokane Valley and Freeman public high schools. The club distributed three, two-year scholarships last year valued at $3,600 each and will provide three more this year. Application deadline is March 31.
Sunrise Rotary collaborates with the Robert B. Pendleton Scholarship Foundation on the program which focuses on career training in fields like cosmetology, carpentry, EMT, welding, auto repair, nursing, culinary arts and more.
“The kids going to four-year schools are going to get their help,” said Chuck Stocker, a Sunrise
charter member and former superintendent in East Valley and Freeman school districts. “We need to invest in opportunities for vocational students.”
Toreson said the scholarships have served as catalysts for young people finding direction and purpose.
“We’ve had amazing stories of things these kids have overcome and fought through,” she said. “This has made a difference in their lives.”
Sunrise Rotary’s impact extends beyond the U.S. into places like Honduras where the club has established educational access for kids through Internet access and computer labs. Another project provided a boiler to a previously unheated orphanage in the Republic of Georgia while yet another campaign years ago gifted a wheat combine to farmers in Russia.
George Schneider, another charter member, led a campaign for AIDS/HIV awareness in Africa.
“Rotary is such a close-knit community worldwide,” said Sandy Wade, a Sunrise member since 1995 who has visited Central America seven times to coordinate assistance for kids and families in Honduras. “We go to these conventions and we see international projects we can help with.”
Sunrise Rotary also supports local efforts like the CVSD P.A.C.E. program, book drives for East Farms Elementary and the West Valley Robotics program. Mix in reinforcement of Rotary International’s End Polio Now campaign and energy vouchers for local families and it’s no wonder members like Toreson call Sunrise “a wonderful place to work together for the betterment of others.”
The club will host its biggest fundraiser – a dinner and silent auction – on April 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the Mirabeau Park Hotel where the weekly meetings are held. Tickets are $80 per person. For more information, visit www. spokanevalleysunriserotary.com.
By Craig Howard Splash Contributing Editor
As the only senior on the Valley Christian boys’ basketball team this season, Kaden Kenlein knew that the spotlight was his on Jan. 28 for a home contest against Chesterton Academy of Notre Dame.
While Kenlein shone on Senior Night with 19 points, he was happy to share the stage with his stepbrother Noah Burns who poured in 30 points in a narrow loss to the Panthers’ Northeast League 1B rival. The combined 50-point feat included Burns tying his older brother’s school record for most three-pointers in a game with eight.
“There’s nobody I’d rather have tie my record than Noah,” Kenlein said.
Due to often-smaller enrollment at 1B schools, teams are allowed to field eighth graders, meaning Burns could suit up and start for VC at 13. He led the Panthers in scoring this year at nearly 14 points a game.
Burns said having his older brother as a teammate was a key to his success.
“If I was having a bad game, he’d be there to pick me up,” he said. “Kaden was a real encouragement to me. He’s just a real good leader.”
While the brothers first suited up together last year in the West Valley Summer League, the backyard hoop at home previously hosted a slew of one-on-one battles between the two. Kenlein claims he is undefeated in the overall matchup but Burns has a different recollection.
“I think I’ve won one or two times,” he said.
At 6’1, Burns stands taller than
his older brother at 5’11 though Kenlein has the advantage in girth. Burns was the tallest player on the Panthers’ squad this season. VC ran a pass and cut offense that focused on Burns as the first scoring option.
“The dynamic was so cool,” said VC head coach Todd Gossett. “Kaden was always looking out for his brother. He completely deferred when he could have been the man at all times. He was the most spectacular teammate, just facilitating for everyone.”
After averaging 13 points a game last year, Kenlein put up just over eight points per contest this season but led the team in assists. In a game against Wilbur-Creston-Keller, Kenlein assisted on every point scored by the Panthers other than
converted free throws.
“I’m not a fan of selfish basketball,” Kenlein said. “We had a young team and honestly this was like a building block year. It wasn’t going to help if I shot the ball every time. I wanted to be an example.”
In a Jan. 7 matchup against Chesterton at the HUB Sports Center, the Panthers held a ninepoint lead in the second half only to lose the advantage but claw back to go up by one. After a Chesterton player missed a pair of free throws in the waning seconds, Kenlein grabbed the final rebound to secure a 43-42 win. Right before halftime, Burns sank a half-court three-point toss, one of three such shots he converted during the season.
“That’s the loudest I’ve ever heard it at the HUB,” said Gossett. “It was standing room only. I know that game is something Kaden and Noah will remember for a long time.”
In the stands that night was a proud mom – Jessica KenleinBurns – who works as a College and Career Guidance counselor at Valley Christian.
“It’s just been one of the greatest things,” she said. “It’s rare for siblings that far apart to be on the same team together. I knew Noah would handle the basketball part of it OK but there’s a lot more pressure at this level. Having his big brother there was a big help.”
While Burns excelled on the court this year, basketball is viewed as his second-best sport. He is a standout pitcher and outfielder who struck out 14 batters in a club league game for the Spokane Crew last season and hit .700 in fall ball. Because VC does not field a baseball team, he will likely join the roster at Ferris High School as a freshman.
Kenlein, meanwhile, is headed to Grove City College in Pennsylvania this fall where he will study entrepreneurship.
Gossett said the brothers set a high standard both on and off the court.
“These kids are phenomenal,” he said. “They thanked me after every practice and were always courteous and grateful. They were the first ones in the gym and the last ones to leave.”
While Burns is looking forward to next season and being part of roster with more experience, he said having his older brother as a teammate will always be a highlight of his days at VC.
“I would say this would be my favorite year, just playing with my brother,” he said.
“It
The sky is the limit for Abigail Michaelis, a senior at Central Valley High School who was recently named valedictorian for the Class of 2023. Michaelis maintains a 4.0 grade point average and is co-president of CV’s National Honor Society, a group that participates in service projects like a blanket-tying event and food drive benefiting local nonprofits. The senior plays the violin and participates in Chamber Choir, Chamber Orchestra and Acapella Choir. She recently advanced to state in two categories for Chamber Orchestra. She was part of the Spokane Youth Symphony for two years. Michaelis is a Spokane Scholar nominee in Social Studies. She also participates in Civics School, a competitive program patterned after Knowledge Bowl that features topics related to government and civics. Michaelis is part of Teen Writing Group at SPARK Central. She plans to study Sociology in college.
It’s not often that a first-year basketball player in the Greater Spokane League leads his team in scoring. Caden Andreas, a freshman at Ridgeline High School, can take his place among those ranks. Andreas averaged 10 points, four assists and two steals a game for Falcons squad that improved from one win last season to 8-12 this year. “Caden is a great kid who brought some major energy and work ethic to our team,” said Ridgeline head coach Freddie Rehkow. “He’s super coachable and he made his teammates better. I’m proud of the person he is on and off the court.” Andreas tallied a season-high 17 points in a win over Cheney and had 15 against Gonzaga Prep. He is also on the roster of 509 Stars, a club team. In the classroom, Andreas maintains a 4.0 grade point average.
When it comes to Liberty Lake power couples, Don and Nancy Walker shine in the community service category. Nancy volunteers as a tax aide for AARP at the Lake City Senior Center and is a substitute driver for Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels. “I have a penchant for people,” Nancy says. “I like helping them.” Don is an Army veteran who was the catalyst for the inaugural Hometown Heroes project last year, a display of banners honoring local members of the military. He has volunteered for New Beginnings, a veterans’ support organization and is co-founder of Veterans Help Net, an online resource guide. Don is a Rotarian and co-publisher/editor of Veterans Chronicle and Veterans Press which appear monthly in the SpokesmanReview and Coeur d Press. Don and Nancy have five kids and 11 grandkids in their blended family.
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Discussions about possible odors from the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District’s sewage plant have led Greenstone Homes to withdraw a suggested plat amendment to the Trutina development east of Harvard Road that called for dozens of single family homes.
Greenstone has been responsible for developing many Liberty Lake neighborhoods, including the River District. The Trutina development just north of Indiana Avenue is designed for seniors and vacant land bordering Indiana and Harvard Road is currently slated for commercial use and multi-family housing. It is this vacant land that Greenstone wanted to turn into single family homes.
The sewer treatment plant is just east of Harvard Road and south of Indiana Avenue, which would have meant that homes would be right across the street from the plant. General manager BiJay Adams said the district was concerned that there would be an increase in odor complaints if homes went up across the street from the plant, which has been there since 1982.
“There’s no ifs, and or buts
about it,” he said. “It’s a sewer treatment plant. We all know what goes on there.”
Jim Frank, the owner of Greenstone Homes who semiretired and gave control over day-to-day operations to his son several years ago, said the proposed change would not have required a change to current zoning. “The zones out there allow a wide range of uses,” Frank said. “We were just doing a preliminary plat.”
Adams said he’s not sure how many odor complaints have been received by Greenstone or the city, but the district receives between four and six complaints a year. Most of those come from people on the east side of the Trutina development, since the prevailing winds go in that direction.
“We have received odor complaints from existing residences,” Adams said.
Frank said Greenstone has received only a few complaints. “The odors from the treatment plant are a very difficult kind of thing,” he said. “I’ve never smelled it. I don’t live there, of course. There’s no history of a lot of complaints.”
Frank said there are options to cut the odors from the plant, including adding chemicals. “I don’t think this is a big problem, but if it becomes a big problem, it’s incumbent on the sewer district to mitigate that,” he said.
Adams said controlling odors, which they already do as much as possible, isn’t as simple as simply using chemicals. One of the most
common ways of doing it is to cover the open air basins. “Our facility was constructed in 1982,” Adams said. “It was not constructed to be covered. If you cover our basins, they’re concrete and you create a corrosive environment.”
Covered basins are designed and built in a way to accommodate for corrosion, Adams said. Trying to do it after the fact will cost at least $10 million and will only benefit a small number of people in part of one neighborhood, Adams said.
“The financial burden on our ratepayers would be extremely high to benefit a small group,” he said.
Adams also has his doubts about whether covering the basins would actually work. The Post Falls and Spokane County sewer plants have that type of a system and there are still odors, he said. “They’ll never be eliminated,” he said. “It’s really difficult. I mean, it’s a sewer plant.”
The stakes could be high if more complaints about odors are made. There are rules and regulations about odors that are enforced by the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, Adams said. Each complaint has the potential to result in a $1,000 fine.
Those concerns were laid out in a letter from the district to the city on January 20 requesting that the city deny the modification to the Trutina plat unless several requirements were met, including having Greenstone create an odor buffer, help pay for new odor
control technologies and disclose on the title report of every Trutina property that the property is directly downwind of a sewage treatment plant.
“The proposed change would compound the potential conflict between residents within the development and odors from the sewage treatment plant,” the letter reads.
The letter also pointed out that there were no complaints about odors from the facility until the Trutina development went in, since all other areas served by the district are to the south and west.
“It is undeniable that the odors from the District’s sewer plant did not have a negative impact until the development additions were constructed and the new residents to the area began to complain,” the letter reads.
Greenstone chose to withdraw the amendment request in February. “We decided to restrict the plat to what it originally was,” Frank said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we decided we didn’t want to expose people living in single family housing more than necessary.”
But Frank made it clear that the decision to withdraw the plat amendment doesn’t mean that the land on the northeast corner of Harvard and Indiana will stay vacant, regardless of any odors from the sewage treatment plant.
“There will be some development there,” he said. “As time goes on, we’ll figure out if it’s a big problem or not.”
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The month of March is known as Verde Loco to the students and faculty at Ridgeline High School in Liberty Lake. School spirit is displayed all month long, cumulating in a final performance by the students at the end of the month.
We all have memories of our high school days and the different traditions that helped showcase our school spirit. For a new school, however, there are no set-in-stone traditions and it is up to the faculty and student body to create new ones.
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Ridgeline is a new school that had no spirit traditions in place and so a year ago in January of 2022 brainstorming began with the ASB student body and the ASB advisor Byran Conrad to create school spirit events. The Ridgeline High School’s mascot is the Falcons and their primary color is green. Armed with those two starting ideas, the decision was made to make March the month of school spirit and the name Verde Loco, meaning “crazy green” in Spanish. “It started with the idea that since March is already kind of a green month and that no other school really has a month dedicated to their school spirit, so we choose March as Ridgeline’s month,” Ryan Setter explains about the conception of Verde Loco.
School spirit promotes a sense of belonging and community, making students feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves. When students feel connected to their school, they are more likely to be involved in school activities, including academic, social, and extracurricular activities. This can lead to increased student engagement and a more positive overall school experience. School spirit helps create a positive school culture, where students, faculty, and staff feel motivated and invested in the success of the school. School spirit can also create a sense of pride and excitement among students and faculty.
ASB President senior Owen
Rich has helped organize Verde Loco along with a team of seniors in the ASB program including, but not limited to, Ryan Setter, Lily Pesnell, Hayden Bennett, and Srikar Surapaneni. This year will be the first graduating class of Falcons from Ridgeline and the seniors are excited to help leave a lasting tradition for their lower classmen.
Verde Loco is a month-long class competition kicking off on March 1st. Each grade competes for the coveted trophy cup awarded at the end of the month by collecting points for various events. “All four grades have a theme and they figure out a theme to incorporate ‘green’ into it somehow. And then they use that theme the whole month. It starts with the hall they decorate, then the flag they decorate, and ends with the performance they have choreographed,” Senior Srikar Surapaneni explains the main events for the grades to participate in.
There are other smaller ways the classes compete against each other. On Friday, points are awarded for the class wearing the most Falcon wear, Wednesday during their lunches events are held where the classes can gain points, largest contribution to the food drive, the winner of the Powder Puff football game, and more.
Ridgeline has an average class size of 350-400 students and coordinating schedules to get together to plan the various events and participate in the final performance can be challenging. “There were about 50 kids from each class last year, and I think the juniors had the most. For the first year, it went very well,” Srikar reminisces on last years events.
The class with the highest score at the end of Verde Loco is declared the winner of Verde Loco and they win bragging rights for the remainder of the year, a six-foot-tall trophy, and getting to have their class-decorated flag displayed in the glass display case in the front of the school for a year. Last year, the Juniors won the event, and they are hoping to once again end the month of March with the title of Verde Loco champions. There are ways for the public and community to be involved with the month-long event. Shop Loco is a collaboration between local businesses and the Booster club with the funds going directly back to the
programs at Ridgeline. Stickers with the slogan ‘Shop Loco’ are displayed at participating businesses in Liberty Lake.
The Powder Puff football game will be open to the public to come, watch, and cheer on the students. The two teams are made up of the student body with one team consisting of the Senior and Freshman girls and the other team the Junior and Sophomore girls. To attend the game on March 7th, bring cans of food to donate to the food drive.
The final event the students will compete in is the Battle of the Green, where they will perform the performance, they have collaborated on and worked on over the course of several weeks. This is an after school event that is also open to the community to come and enjoy. All the performances are recorded and posted onto their different media
platforms including the Ridgeline YouTube channel.
Ridgeline counselor Kara Twining is proud of the event and the unity she sees from the students. “It’s a friendly competition. Every grade level cheered for every grade level. It was mass hysteria for whoever was out on the court preforming. That’s something that is truly unique to see.”
The ASB students helping to organize this year’s events at Ridgeline are all very excited to be apart of helping build on this tradition of school spirit for Ridgeline and Verde Loco events.
“Participate if you’re at Ridgeline,” says Ryan, “There is no better feeling than to feel like you belong to a community of your friends or class.”
Srikar thinks, “It’s a super cool experience and a high school experience that is like no other. I
think its cool to be able to say that we put it on and that we’re also the first graduating class at this school and it’s cool this class got to be a part of all of that.”
“It’s a great opportunity for all of us to come together for a friendly competition,” Lily loves competitions and this is an event she’s been looking forward to for her senior year, “I’m super excited for the Powder Puff game because I haven’t been able to participate in one before.”
“My favorite part of Verde Loco as a whole is just the unity it brings to the school. Like last year we all started out fresh and we got the opportunity to build something and work together and support each other doing it.” Hayden explains.
Owen, the ASB President, has final words for fellow students, “Let’s fly high Falcons and reach for the stars! (air horn blasting).”
