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FEBRUARY
2015
FAMILY COMES FIRST FOR 'CITIZEN OF THE YEAR'
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SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL MONUMENTS OF THE VALLEY
PAGE 21
Date night in Spokane Valley: A primer for the romantically challenged PAGE 18
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2 • FEBRUARY 2015
Communityminded career Miller retires after 33 years with SVFD By Craig Howard
CURRENT CONTRIBUTOR
In over three decades with the Spokane Valley Fire Department, Kevin Miller saw an agency transform from the ground up. It began not long after Miller joined SVFD in 1981 and was among a group of firefighters who transitioned into roles as paramedics, the first the department had commissioned. He later worked as a fire inspector and investigator before being named deputy fire marshal. Miller’s final job came as fire marshal, where he served from 2005 until his retirement on Dec. 31, 2014. A native of California, Miller grew up in the city of Bellflower, just south of Los Angeles. He moved with his parents and sister to Greenacres when he was 13. Becoming a firefighter was not on Miller’s list of career goals growing up. He graduated from Central Valley High School and had aspirations to be a history teacher and baseball coach. After graduating from CV, Miller latched on with a local lumber yard as a truck driver with plans to save money for school. Around that time, one of Miller’s friends encouraged him to take the test for firefighter applicants offered by the Spokane Fire Department. A couple of weeks after the SFD exam, he took a similar test through the Spokane Valley Fire Department, passed and began a career that would span 33 years. Miller returned to school in 1984 to earn his paramedic certification at Spokane Community College. In the late 1980s, he supplemented his SVFD work with a part-time paramedic job at Spokane Ambulance. Miller and his wife, Rose, celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary last July. She is a registered nurse and currently works as the research manager at Cancer Care Northwest. The couple raised four kids, all of whom were three-sport athletes at Freeman High School.
NEWS
The Current
The Current caught up with Miller recently to talk about life as a firefighter, the state of SVFD and his memories of a career spent promoting safety in Spokane Valley.
Q.
What was the transition like from urban California to suburban Spokane Valley when you moved here with your family in 1973?
A.
I was only 13 when we left. I can remember getting ribbed about moving to Greenacres. My friends wondered if I was moving out to the farm with pigs like the old TV show. It was a long time ago, but I remember California had a lot of traffic, people, houses real close to each other and the beach was close. We moved here in late July that year. My parents bought a new home on one acre near Eighth and Barker. There were 100 homes to be built, and we were the third one done. I remember sitting on the back porch that first day looking out over the large field of alfalfa and thinking that my friends were right — I'm living on a farm! When school started, I didn't know anyone in my grade at Greenacres Junior High, and most of the kids didn't like a kid from California. So it was tough that first year. The next year at CV was better because there were lots of kids who were new, and I made friends pretty quick. Q: What kind of student were you at Central Valley High School? A: I was an average student at CV. Got mostly B's and C's. I turned out for basketball and baseball but ended up getting a car at 16 so I quit sports and got a job. I worked at a car wash and Village Inn Pizza. High school was a lot of fun. Q: Did you ever have any aspirations to be a firefighter when you were growing up? A: Funny thing, I didn't. I don't even remember where the fire station was in my California neighborhood. I don't even recall seeing a fire truck in my time growing up in California. The first time I
CURRENT PHOTO BY CRAIG HOWARD
Kevin Miller retired on Dec. 31, 2014, after 33 years with the Spokane Valley Fire Department. A graduate of Central Valley High School, Miller served as fire marshal from 2005 until his retirement. remember seeing a fire truck was at the Spokane Interstate Fair. They parked them at the midway, and I remembered how cool they looked. Q: As you and other veteran employees of SVFD retire, are we seeing a new generation of firefighters who will carry the mantle? A: The new firefighters we see today are just like other people of this generation. They are more tech savvy and not afraid to ask questions. Most have been seeking jobs as firefighters for quite a while. They have been volunteers, obtained fire science degrees and other training to help them in the hiring process. Less than a hundred took the test back in 1981. Today there can be 600 or more applicants for six jobs. Q: What will you miss most about being part of SVFD? A: The people that make up the department I'll miss the most. We have amazing people who really care about providing a great service. They know when they head out the door that they are about to meet citizens who may be having their worst day. We are hoping to make contact and help them through their emergency. I will also miss my office staff who, with their professionalism, helped me be successful. I can honestly say in my 33 years, every morning, I looked forward to putting on that uniform and heading to work.
A Cup of Joe Q: The current board of fire commissioners has set a goal to improve the department’s insurance rating from 3 to 2, an upgrade that would mean a considerable savings for both residents and businesses. What sort of progress did you see on that pursuit in your time as fire marshal? A: The Washington Survey and Rating Bureau rates fire departments across the state. They look at how the department measures up by using a pretty elaborate system that looks at national standards and best practices. It looks at how many firefighters are on duty, how many and what kind of apparatus are in service, how much hose we carry, current training, how often are buildings inspected, do we have certified investigators doing fire investigations and how many public education programs offered — just a few of the areas they look at. In the past year, we have changed how we inspect commercial buildings. In the past, about a third of these building inspections were done by the firefighting crews. Today, all buildings are inspected by certified fire inspectors. Now, fire crews coming into buildings to
inspect the building look at how the building is built, are there any access issues and what is stored or being used inside the building. This information is now going to be at the fingertips of the responding firefighters to help them plan on how to attack a fire before they arrive. Should we attain that rating, we would be the only department in Eastern Washington to be as low as a two. Q: Fire Chief Bryan Collins has talked quite a bit about improving SVFD's level of diversity. Do you think the department is moving in a positive direction as far as that goal is concerned? A: We have started recruiting at local high schools and colleges aiming at making our department more diverse. Chief Collins has also put together a team of firefighters and staff on a committee that continues to look at ways to meet that goal. Q: What are some of the most important steps residents can take to make their homes safe from fire dangers? A: We stress fire safety at all levels in our public educations programs. Whether that is working smoke detectors, portable heater safety or junior fire education. But the No. 1 safety program I would like to see in my lifetime is the adoption of a residential fire sprinkler ordinance in new
See MILLER, page 4
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 3
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Does my mom have options besides dentures? A patient of mine who wore dentures once told me how she chose what to order from a restaurant menu. Her question was not, “What looks delicious?” It wasn’t even, “What would be healthy for me?” Instead, she was looking to order the few limited items that she knew she could chew. Her life changed dramatically when we were able to replace her dentures with dental implants instead. While dentures give you about 25% the chewing power of normal teeth, implants provide an actual replacement for natural missing teeth and restore over 90% chewing power. Secured in the gum or jaw, this method of placement makes them the most natural tooth replacement system. In short, they look and feel like your own teeth. You even care for them as you would your natural teeth. While dentures can be initially more affordable, their removable nature not only makes them less reliable, but less functional as well. Dentures require maintenance and care that is both time-consuming and potentially costly over time. We would be happy to visit with you or your loved ones about whether dental implants are right for you.
— Dr. Timothy J. Casey
Liberty Lake resident Member, American Dental Association
The Current
4 • FEBRUARY 2015
NEWS
Forgive www.forgivingprayer.com
In Case You Missed It Return ballots by Feb. 10 Registered voters have until Feb. 10 to return their ballots for the February special election on measures for several local school districts as well as the Spokane Valley Fire Department. Central Valley School District is asking voters to pass a capital improvement and construction bond that would raise nearly $122 million without raising taxes (due to the expiration of a previous bond). In addition, West Valley and Freeman School Districts are putting forward replacement levy requests that would be continuations of current levies that will expire at the end of 2015 without voter approval. The Spokane Valley Fire Department is also seeking to extend its Maintenance and Operation Levy for four years, 2016-2019. More information can be found at www. spokanevalleyfire.com. Voters who did not receive a ballot during the final week of January can contact the Spokane County Elections Office at 4772320. For more information, go to www. wei.sos.wa.gov/county/spokane.
STA reports record year Jacke specializes in customer service at Avista.
Spokane Transit Authority announced in January that 2014 was the region’s high-
Payment options that fit your lifestyle. With colder weather comes rising energy use. So to help with your energy bill we offer a variety of payment options, including: • Comfort-Level Billing to smooth out those seasonal highs and lows. (It divides your annual energy costs into 12 equal and predictable payments.) • Online Statement/Payments so you can receive and conveniently pay your bill electronically. • Energy Assistance Programs that may provide help to limited-income customers. We also have online tools such as our Bill Analyzer and Home Energy Advisor that can help you manage your energy use.
To find out if you qualify for payment options – or for more information – please give us a call at 1-800-227-9187 or visit avistautilities.com/assistance.
MILLER Continued from page 2
home construction. We, as a fire service, have made great strides in protecting our citizens in public buildings with sprinklers, but not in our homes. In my career I have never heard of a fire death in a building with a working fire sprinkler system. Q: You served as fire marshal from 2005 until your retirement. What are the primary differences between the responsibilities of a fire marshal and a fire chief? A: The fire chief is the top executive in the department. The chief is responsible for the overall operation of all aspects of the department. The fire chief in our department is hired by our elected fire commissioners. Our fire marshal is the chief officer in charge of the prevention division of the department. He is responsible for fire investigations, fire safety building inspections, new construction plan review, public education and enforcement of the fire code. The SVFD Fire Marshal's office is currently staffed with eight personnel that carry out those before-mentioned duties. Q: SVFD has a levy vote coming up on Feb. 10. Historically, the community has backed the department on the ballot. What do you think are some of the reasons for this level of support? A: The department gets approximately half of its funding through the special levy.
est ridership since 1953, reporting more than 11.3 million rides on STA buses last year. According to a press release, STA ridership increased 2.5 percent over 2013 and 44 percent since 2004. The organization estimated that passengers traveled over 48 million miles total. In December, the STA Board of Directors approved the STA Moving Forward Plan, which proposes the implementation of new services over the next 10 years such as later Saturday service, increased frequency, expanded transit coverage, more transfer options and improved travel times. Voters will decide whether to fund the ballot measure, which proposes a 3/10 of 1 percent increase in local sales tax, during the April 28 election. STA provides public transportation services through bus, paratransit and vanpool operations to the cities of Airway Heights, Cheney, Liberty Lake, Medical Lake, Millwood, Spokane, Spokane Valley and the unincorporated areas of Spokane County. STA is second only to King County in the number of passengers carried per service hour in Washington, the release said. We have always been good stewards of the taxpayers’ money. The department has no debt, no bonds and we pay as we go. Years ago, we saw the needs of our aging buildings and began to save and budget for their replacement. Our apparatus fleet is in excellent condition because we have a great maintenance facility and replacement program that helps us budget and forecast when it’s time to buy new ones. I think the voters see we are well managed and appreciate the service we provide. Q: How has the Spokane Valley Fire Department changed since you first signed on in 1981? A: The biggest change is how the Valley began to grow and the fire department grew with it. In 1981, there were six stations, with six front line engines, a ladder truck and one two-man paramedic squad and 85 total firefighters. Today, we have 10 stations with another planned in the next few years, eight front-line engines, two pumper ladder trucks, and a heavy rescue truck with on any given day six to seven of those trucks are staffed with at least one paramedic and sometimes two and a total of 183 personnel. We also have become more specialized by providing swift water rescue, trench rescue, hazardous material response, to name a few. We had always responded to those emergencies but also relied heavily on other agencies to assist us. Our personnel are better educated today, and the department encourages them to obtain college degrees and other levels of training and certifications.
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 5
A Good Time to Detox
By Monica Eggleston, ARNP, FNP-C
It’s a brand new year and a time that many people focus on “detox.” But what is detoxification, and why focus on it? Living produces toxic byproducts. Though our amazing human bodies are well equipped to eliminate toxins, our modern environment sometimes overloads our natural detoxification mechanisms, producing symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, weight problems, or even serious illness. You can improve your health by avoiding toxins: Avoid toxic foods and drinks (focus on getting a lot of leafy greens instead), toxic personal care products (use plant based and essential oils instead), and toxic household cleaners (use vinegar and baking soda instead). Avoid smoking (breathe fresh outdoor air as much as possible). You can also support your liver’s two detox phases. In phase I, your liver uses oxygen and enzymes to “burn” or oxidize toxins. In phase II,
SAME DAY EMERGENCIES INCLUDING
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6 • FEBRUARY 2015
THE BIG READ is coming to your community!
LIBRARY Creating a musical experience for families By Mary Kate Koch
CURRENT CONTRIBUTOR
In February, we will be all about The Call of the Wild by Jack London. We’ll have music, movies, and outdoorsy programs for all ages.
Family fun and learning are about to take on new meaning when Jim Gill, an awardwinning children’s musician and author, takes the stage for his Family Room Tour show 3 p.m. Feb. 22 at CenterPlace. Gill’s unique style, which blends music with play and gets everyone in the family involved, is a perfect way to shake off any winter monotony and enter spring on the right note. “[Gill] is fantastic,” Library Services Manager Mary Ellen Braks said. “He is a child development specialist and actually has a graduate degree in childhood development. He makes music everyone can enjoy and gets kids and parents alike up and interacting together. His music is all about play, so kids are able to learn and get physical exercise at the same time.”
IF YOU GO ... Family Room Tour
Featuring musical artist Jim Gill Feb. 22, 3 to 4 p.m. CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Way
THE BIG READ is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. Find out more at www.NEABigRead.org.
The whole family is encouraged to attend this free event as Gill turns the room into an energetic concert hall. Music will be available for purchase, including his most recent release, “Music Play for Folks of All Stripes.” For more: www.jimgill.com
While Gill is a talented banjo player, his songs are not just about the strumming. Gill’s songs feature clapping, dancing and even sneezing, all of which he encourages the audience to join in on. Each song is intentionally designed to incorporate singing and games in a way that helps kids learn about the world around them and develop better literacy. “His songs help kids learn about literacy because they play with words,” Braks said. “[Gill] touches on counting, he sings about selfcontrol, he’ll make kids do stop and freeze in the middle of the song, and he plays with rhyming.” The benefits of his music are no accident, but part of Gill’s training in childhood development. Musical play fosters listening skills and helps children develop stronger motor skills. Gill’s inclusion of parents in his musical play is also beneficial because this exposes children to the sophistication and subtlety of adult social cues. “Music breaks down words in a different way than reading,” Braks said. “Kids can hear the different parts of the word and how they fit together. Music is a fun way for kids to learn new vocabulary and parts of words, which translates into better decoding skills when reading. When Gill works with rhyming, it helps kids build phonological awareness. Pretty soon the kids are off and running trying to find out what else rhymes.” Gill will also be the keynote speaker for the Eastern Washington Association for the
Education of Young Children Conference on Feb. 21 at Spokane Falls Community College. Those interested in attending the conference can contact 7681457 or gofchildhood@gmail.com. The Family Room Tour celebrates the five awards from the American Library Association Gill has won over the last 20 years, as well as his most recent release, “Music Play for Folks of All Stripes.” Gill will have his music available for purchase at the concert, and the Spokane County Library District has his CDs available to check out. “There is going to be a lot of fun happening,” Braks said. “Bring the whole family, bring a blanket, and come down to enjoy a really fun concert.”
listen to that song the whole way through. Given our varied tastes, we often end up at the mercy of the most patient person, the one who has managed to hold onto all of their allotted skips. Since I’m the mom and the designated peacekeeper, I have found it to be in the best interest of family harmony (pun intended) to preload the CD changer with a variety of options that have equal kid and parent appeal. I present for your listening pleasure, an abbreviated selection of children’s musicians and CDs that fit my criteria. Jim Gill is a personal favorite of mine, and one that the whole family can sing and dance along with. The 5-year-old enjoys action-oriented movement songs, and “Movement Play for Folks of All Stripes” fits the bill. We particularly like “Beethoven’s Five Fingered Play” in the car, as it allows her to wiggle and play while confined to her booster seat.
Caspar Babypants’ album “Baby Beatles” includes covers of classic Beatles songs—super fun for mom and dad too. For those of you unfamiliar with Caspar Babypants, he’s Chris Ballew, the twice Grammy nominated songwriter and lead singer for the Seattle rock and roll band The Presidents of the United States of America. Recess Monkey is a group of three elementary schoolteachers from Seattle who rock. Their most recent release, “Wired,” provides all the high-energy music the title promises, and is a nice counterpoint to some of the more mellow kids music on the “Baby Beatles.” All of these titles are available at your local library, and a wide range of additional kids music can be downloaded from our digital library through Overdrive and Hoopla. Happy listening! Gwendolyn Haley is a Library Services Manager at Spokane County Library District.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Jim Gill is a talented banjo player and child development specialist whose unique style blends music with play.
Resource Review
By Gwendolyn Haley
SPOKANE COUNTY LIBRARY DISTRICT
www.scld.org
The Current
Now that we have a household that spans middle age, teen/tween and preschool, finding music that we all enjoy is a real challenge. We frequently play a game while traveling in the car called “Skipparoony” (invented by my husband). The rules are simple: everyone in the car gets three skips and stays, and we flip through the CD changer or radio randomly. Every time we land on a song, someone in the car has the option to shout “Skip!” which means we keep looking. If another listener shouts “Stay!” we have to
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 7
February is
Invest Now in Your Child’s Future and Keep God at the Core of Their Education
Dental Discount Month
Periodontal disease is a common and serious problem in dogs and cats with 85% of dogs and 75% of cats suffering from it. An early warning is tartar on the teeth. Built-up tartar supports the growth of bacteria, that in turn causes inflammation of the gums. Bacteria can enter the blood stream and cause or exacerbate respiratory, liver, kidney or cardiac problems. Once tartar accumulates and hardens, only a veterinary dental cleaning can eliminate it. (Dental Discount is $55.00 off invoice.)
Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.
PreK & Kindergarten Visitation Friday, February 6th 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
VCS Preview Night
Thursday, February 12th 6:30 PM Call today to save your student a seat! 509-924-9131 Preschool - Graduation
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Jerry Ponti Jamie Engstrom Ruth Reiha Doug Honken
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Hours: M-F 8-5:30 Sat 8-5 www.PontiVet.com • 25007 E Wellesley Ave • Otis Orchards • (509) 922-7465
8 • FEBRUARY 2015 LIBERTY LAKE KIWANIS AND THE CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY PRESENT THE 10 TH ANNUAL
Father Daughter Dance 2015
s ’ e c i l A n i g n i Even and l r e d n Wo Saturday, March 7, 2015 ♥ 7 - 9pm Doors open at 6:30pm
COMMUNITY Calendar of Events COMMUNITY EVENTS Feb. 2, 7, 12 & 21 | Sourdough Songs 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Feb. 2: Argonne Library, 4322 N. Argonne; Feb. 7: Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley Ave.; Feb. 12 (2 to 3 p.m.): Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave.; Feb. 21: Fairfield Library, 305 E. Main St. Brad Keeler and Linda Parnam will share ballads and tunes from the Klondike Gold Rush days along with a few modern songs inspired by the time. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 3 & 4 | Crafting Effective Resumes
6 to 7:30 p.m., Feb. 3: Fairfield Library, 305 E. Main St.; Feb. 4: Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley Ave. Learn to create the right resume for your industry and experience. Registration is required for this adult program. For more: www. scld.org
Feb. 5 | “The Call of the Wild” book discussion 4 to 5:30 p.m., Rocket Bakery, 3315
Area Wide Event • Semi-Formal Attire is Recommended
N. Argonne. Adults and teens are invited to gather with fellow book lovers to interact with the text more deeply through discussion. For more: www.scld.org
Tickets: $45 per couple
Feb. 6 | VCS PreK & Kindergarten visitation 9 to 11 a.m., Valley Christian School,
CenterPlace at Mirabeau Point 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley
Additional daughters $20 each
10212 E. 9th Ave., Spokane Valley. For more: 9249131 or www.valleychristianschool.org
To purchase tickets:
Feb. 7 | Seed Library Kick-off 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley Ave. Spokane County Library District will kick off their seed library with a seed propagation class and a seed exchange with Master Gardener Steve Nokes. Bring your green thumb and saved seeds to the grand opening of a brand new seed library! A series of gardening programs on Feb. 14, 21 28 and March 3 will help you get ready for Spring. For more: www.scld.org
CALL: 688-0300 OR VISIT: spokanevalley.org/recreation
and click on the online program registration link. Space is limited, early registration is encouraged! FOR QUESTIONS CALL:
Linda 951-3573 or Pat 979-6652 Ticket price includes long-stem rose, favors & refreshments!
Raffle tickets $1.00 each Photo packages available by Dorian Studio Music by Complete Music DJ Services
The Current
Feb. 8 | An Evening with Jack London 6 to
8 p.m., CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place. In this dynamic portrayal, actor and scholar Michael Oakes tells the greatest story Jack London ever wrote—his own life. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 9, 17, 25 & 28 | Who Pooped in the Forest Near My Library? 4 to 5 p.m., Feb. 9:
Argonne Library, 4322 N. Argonne; Feb. 17: Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley Ave.; Feb. 25 (10 to 11 a.m.): Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave.; Feb. 28: Fairfield Library, 305 E. Main St. In the forest, animals leave clues in the form of scat. Learn more about identifying animals by what they leave behind. For children in grades K-5. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 10, 12 & 19 | Can You Believe Your Eyes? 4 to 5 p.m., Feb. 10: Spokane Valley
Library, 12004 E. Main Ave.; Feb. 12: Argonne Library, 4322 N. Argonne; Feb. 19: Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley Ave. Join other children in grades K-5 to learn about eyes as well as make a phenakistascope to amaze family and friends. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 10 & 11 | Ready for Work courses
6 to 7:30 p.m., Feb. 10: Fairfield Library, 305 E. Main St.; Feb. 11: Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley Ave. Learn how to access, search, enroll and engage with Gale Courses and Microsoft IT Academy. Registration required. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 11 | Tween Club: Who Done It? 4 to 5
FREE TAX HELP AT LIBRARY Spokane Valley Library 12004 E. Main Ave. AARP Tax-Aide will offer free tax help to low and moderate income workers on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Feb. 2. The site will operate 4 to 7 p.m. Mondays, 1 to 4 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays until April 15 (with the exception of Feb. 16). For more: www.scld.org p.m., Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Put your detective skills to the test and find out how Mr. Body met his end in our life-size game of Clue. Just for tweens in grades 4 and up. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 11 | Mission Avenue project community meeting 5:30 to 7 p.m.,
Greenacres Christian Church, 18010 E. Mission Ave. The public is invited to review updated plans for the Mission Avenue project from Flora to Barker, as well as discuss landscaping options. For more: 720-5001 or caldworth@spokanevalley. org
Feb. 11 | Long-term Care Planning and Important Documents 101 6:30 to 8 p.m.,
Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Melissa Williams and Jim Rund of Star Financial and Insurance Services will cover financial planning for long-term care, as well as what legal documents to have in order to prepare for end of life. Registration required. For more: www.scld. org
Feb. 12 | Wolves in the Pacific Northwest 7 to 9 p.m., Gonzaga University Jepson Center, 502 E. Boone Ave., Spokane. This event will discuss the reintroduction of the wolf into the natural environment and some of the issues that have arisen as a result. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 12 | VCS Preview Night 6:30 p.m., Valley Christian School, 10212 E. 9th Ave., Spokane Valley. For more: 924-9131 or www. valleychristianschool.org Feb. 14 | Valentine’s Day Feb. 14, 26 | Snowshoeing for Beginners
2 to 3:30 p.m., Feb. 14: Argonne Library, 4322 N. Argonne; 7 to 8:30 p.m., Feb. 26: Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Local snowshoeing expert Kathy Kalich shares everything you need to know to start snowshoeing on the right foot, including necessary equipment, how to pack and where to go locally. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 14 | Inland Northwest Vegetable Gardening 2 to 4 p.m., Otis Orchards Library,
22324 E. Wellesley Ave. This lecture with Master Gardener Marilyn Carothers is part of a series of gardening programs (also on Feb. 7, 21 28 and March 3) that will help you get ready for Spring. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 16 | Presidents Day
See CALENDAR, page 9
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 9
COMMUNITY
CALENDAR
arm knitting of infinity scarves are some of the activities. For more: 892-4412 or 291-3722
Continued from page 8
Rockford Historical Society 11:30 the second Friday of each month (Feb. through Nov.), Harvest Moon, 20 S. First St. For more: 291-3193 or 838-4173
Feb. 17 & 18 | Ready for Work: Shifting Gears 6 to 7:30 p.m., Feb. 17: Fairfield Library,
305 E. Main St.; Feb. 18: Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley Ave. Whether you’re newly graduated or unemployed, looking to change careers or finishing military service, this workshop will help you assess where you are and where you might want to go. This program is for adults; registration required. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 18 | Spokane Valley Book Club 2 to
3:30 p.m., Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Join fellow book lovers to discuss “The Call of the Wild” by Jack London. For more: www. scld.org
Feb. 18 | “The Call of the Wild” movie showing 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Spokane Valley
Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Washington State’s Mt. Baker stands in for the Alaskan Yukon in this 1935 film adaptation starring Clark Gable and Loretta Young. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 21 | Basics of Soil Composting 2 to 3
p.m., Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley Ave. This lecture with Master Gardener Eberhard Schmidt is part of a series of gardening programs (also on Feb. 7, 14, 28 and March 3) that will help you get ready for Spring. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 21 | White Night of Hope 6 p.m.,
Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. This white carpet, semi-formal event featuring dinner and dancing is a fundraiser for GraceSon Housing, an organization helping teen moms and their children. To register or for more: gracesonhousing.ejoinme.org/wnoh or 939-5370
Feb. 24 & 25 | Microsoft Word for Job Seekers 6 to 7:30 p.m., Feb. 24: Fairfield
Library, 305 E. Main St.; Feb. 25: Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley Ave. Learn to create professional documents from scratch or an existing template. This program is for adults; registration required. For more: www.scld.org
Feb. 28 | Growing Tomatoes from Seed to Harvest 2 to 4 p.m., Otis Orchards Library,
22324 E. Wellesley Ave. This lecture with Master Gardener Marilyn Carothers is part of a series of gardening programs (also on Feb. 7, 14, 21 and March 3) that will help you get ready for Spring. For more: www.scld.org
Recurring Café Card Club 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, On Sacred Grounds, 12212 E. Palouse Hwy., Valleyford. Play pinochle, cribbage or hearts. For more: www.onsacredgrounds.com Catholic Singles Mingle This group with no dues is for single adults of all ages. For more: www.meetup.com/Catholic-Singles-Mingle
Liberty Lake Library 23123 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake. Various clubs and weekly meetings including book clubs, children’s story times, LEGO club, computer drop-in class, knitting club and more. For more: www.libertylakewa.gov/ library Pancreatic Cancer Action Network 6:30 p.m. the first Monday of each month, Liberty Lake Municipal Library, 23123 E. Mission Ave. For more: www.pancan.org or 534-2564
Rockford Crochet Class 10 a.m. to noon,
Saturdays. The Harvest Moon, 20 S. First St. Hairpin Lace, knit, embroidery, needlepoint and
Spokane County Library District Valley
branch locations include Argonne, Fairfield, Otis Orchards and Spokane Valley. Special events and weekly activities for all ages including book clubs, children’s story times, classes, Lego club, teen anime club and writing clubs. For more: www.scld.org
Spokane Valley Eagles 16801 E. Sprague.
Breakfast served Sundays 9 to 11:30 a.m. Lunch served Thursdays 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. followed by Bingo from 1 to 3:30 p.m. For more: www. foe3433.com
Spokane Valley Kiwanis 6:45 a.m. Tuesdays, Valley Hospital Education Center, 12606 E. Mission. For more: www.spokanevalleykiwanis. net
Spokane Valley Writer’s Group 6:45
p.m. the first and third Thursdays of every month, Lakeside Church, 23129 E. Mission. This supportive critique group welcomes adult writers. For more: 570-4440
MUSIC & THE ARTS Feb. 13 | Elvis Tribute Dinner Show 6:30
p.m., Mirabeau Park Hotel and Convention Center, 1100 N. Sullivan Road. The Valentine’s Eve dinner show “Love Me Tender” features headliner Brad Mitchell, Elvis Tribute artist. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; show starts at 8 p.m. Cost is $49 per person. For tickets and more: www. eventbrite.com
Feb. 13 | “From the Heart” benefit concert for Spokane Valley Partners Food Bank 7
to 10 p.m., St. Joseph’s Church, 4521 N. Arden Road, Otis Orchards. The 9th annual concert features professional and amateur musicians combining their talents to take you on a tour of sweethearts, cheating hearts and strong hearts in song and dance. The concert is followed by a dessert reception. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12, and $30 for families ($2 more at the door). For more: 926-7133 or info@ stjoeparish.org
Feb. 26 | “Nunsense A-Men!” 7:30 p.m.,
Spokane Civic Theater, 1020 N. Howard, Spokane. Proceeds from this performance benefit CVHS 2015 Grad Night. Tickets cost $35. For tickets or more: 216-9607 or sorth@cvsd.org
Feb. 27 to March 15 | “American Idle: Murdering the Music” Liberty Lake
Community Theatre, 22910 E. Appleway Ave. During this dark comedy, contestants start going down, one by one, during the live show. For times, tickets and more: www.libertylaketheatre. com
Recurring Inland NW Bluegrass Music Association Music Showcase 7 to 9 p.m., third Saturday
of the month (October through May), Trent Elementary School. Bluegrass bands and related acoustic performers of all ages are welcome to attend. Cost is $5 for members; $7 for nonmembers. Ages 12 and under are free. For more: www.spokanebluegrass.org or 484-4668
Spirit of Spokane Chorus Tuesdays, 6:45 p.m., Opportunity Presbyterian Church, 202 N. Pines. Make new friends by joining this women’s chorus, specializing in four-part, a capella harmony in the barbershop style. For more: 2184799 Spokane Valley Camera Club 7:15 p.m., third and fourth Monday of the month (September through April), Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District building, 22510 E. Mission Ave. All levels of ability—students through experienced photographers—are invited to learn. Social events include field trips and workshops. For more: 951-1446 or www.sv-cc.org
CIVIC & BUSINESS Feb. 4-8 | Spokane Boat Show 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday), Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. Over 50 dealers from around the Inland Northwest representing the newest model boats and boating accessories will be at this show. Admission, good for the entire week, is $10 for adults, $5 for ages
12 to 17; and free for 12 and under. For more: www.spokaneboatshow.com
Feb. 13-15 | International Auto Show 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat. and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sun.; Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. Sponsored by the Spokane New Car Dealers Association, this show is the largest gathering of new cars, trucks, vans and SUVs in the Inland Northwest. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and free for children 12 and under. For more: www.spokaneautoshow. com Feb. 26 to March 1 | Custer’s Home & Yard Show Noon to 8 p.m. Thurs. and Fri., 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. Sat. and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun.; Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. This show features innovative ideas, displays and demonstrations including landscape attractions featuring flowers, trees, waterfalls and ponds. Admission, good all weekend, is $7 for adults and free for children 12 and under. For more: www.custershows.com
HEALTH & RECREATION Feb. 1 | Eclipse Volleyball Tournament
HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. For more: www.hubsportscenter.org
Feb. 2 | Coed 4v4 volleyball league begins 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. This 8-week Monday night session runs through March 30. For more: www.hubsportscenter.org
Feb. 3 | 21-day Purification Program meeting 7 p.m., Intelligent Balance Spinal
Care, 2310 N. Molter Road, Ste. 108, Liberty Lake. This free informational night will explain the program (held Feb. 16 through March 8) by a registered dietician and includes a patient guidebook and all supplements necessary for a 21-day cleanse. Cost for the program is $300 and includes the items mentioned above. For more: www.drkimshiplet.com or 924-4443
See CALENDAR, page 20
Feb. 13-15 | “Hunting Cockroaches”
7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. on Sun.), Ignite! Community Theatre, 10814 E. Broadway Ave. This readers theatre production tells the story of an eccentric immigrant couple from Poland who are having a hard time adapting to life in their new country. They both just need to get some sleep, but flashbacks to their past keep them awake just as the cockroaches under the bed invade their thoughts. For ticket prices and more: www. ingiteonbroadway.org
Feb. 21 | “The Dancing Princesses”
7:30 p.m. Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, 1001 W. Sprague, Spokane. Dancers with the Valley-based Spokane Youth Ballet, under the direction of Kristen Potts, will perform in this original production. Tickets available through the Fox Box Office, TicketsWest or at the door. For more: kpotts777@yahoo.com or 570-2856.
Feb. 22 | Family Room Tour show 3 to 4 p.m., CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place. Award-winning children’s musician and author Jim Gill will turn the room into an energetic concert hall for the entire family. For more: www. scld.org
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Spokane Youth Ballet will perform an original production of “The Dancing Princesses” at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox on Feb. 21. While guest artists and adults have been cast in main roles, teenage and younger students will dance the roles of princesses, golden maidens, silver fireflies and diamond fairies.
The Current
10 • FEBRUARY 2015
Valley Chamber
HIGHLIGHTS
COMMUNITY
Education Brief Colleges honor local students The following Valley area students were recently recognized by colleges for their academic performance or meeting graduation requirements. Information was provided via press releases submitted from schools or parents. Arizona State University (Tempe, Ariz.) Dean’s List, 3.5+ GPA Liberty Lake: Jordyn Awbery, Mackenzie Via Spokane Valley: Sarah Gingras, Arik Jacobson, Parker Phillipson
Graduates
Greenacres: Sara Picard
Eastern Washington University Dean’s List, 3.5+ GPA
CONNECT.
EMPOWER.
What does a Chamber do? Who do you call when you’re looking for a hotel in a safe area of a city you are visiting? Or when a plow knocks over your mailbox? If you need to know who can cater a special event you have planned, who can give you direction? Many people think the Chamber of Commerce has the answers, so we regularly get calls for a variety of reasons, including business referrals. A few people stop by to pick up information or to have certificates of origin signed. But is that it? Is that what a Chamber of Commerce does? Some chambers have a visitor’s center focus, while others are economic development organizations. Most are a combination of the two. The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce is a regional Chamber, serving the communities from Post Falls to Spokane Falls since it was founded in 1921. We are a nonprofit organization of voluntary business memberships, promoting the interests of our members for a vibrant region for years to come.
Info center
Daily, we hear from callers requesting information about attractions and travel needs for their future visit. Those considering relocating to our community
INNOVATE.
often call for more information about the area and a relocation packet. We often redirect callers with issues we can’t resolve to the organization that can address their concerns, like the city, the BBB or Visit Spokane. Any requests for goods or services are referred to our members first.
Business center
With our committees, events and directories, we connect our members to develop strong local networks. This results in business-to-business exchange that benefits individuals, organizations and ultimately the region. A library of business resources is available to check out in our business center, and we offer business incubator space for new and emerging businesses. We also offer an entrepreneur training program that has been named the best in the state. Our government action and transportation committees continually stay informed and act on current issues. We represent the interests and advocate for business in issues that could adversely affect them. Workforce development is the primary focus of our business education committee. Our work truly does speak to our vision: We are a unifying business force dedicated to community vitality and economic prosperity. Ultimately, we’re working for a Greater Spokane Valley with a quality of life for families today and generations of families to come.
1421 N. Meadowwood Ln. Liberty Lake, WA 99019 | 509-924-4994 | www.spokanevalleychamber.org
Liberty Lake: Jack Applegate, Max Barham, Kelsey Baycroft, Dexter Calkins, Joel Christensen, Sunny Collins, Micah Duncan, Jared Fincher, Evelyn Fletcher, Kimberly Foley, Savannah Hoekstra, Emily Hollenbeck, Ryan Hotchkiss, Kimberly Jones, Sophie Kaatz, Kyle Kallestad, Victoria Leichner, Alexis Marlatt, Jordan Marlatt, Maria Mccauley, Kelsey McCune, Claire McMichael, Kellen Middleton, Iliya Mikheyev, Michaela Mitchell, Arin Mitchell, Abby Pedersen, Arianna Rios, Brady Sanders, Wendy Shaw, Bhavneet Sidhu, Acacia Smith, Miranda Spencer, Jessica Stelzer, Adam Stintzi, Courtney Tibesar, Ashtyn Turnbow, Nicholas Valentine, Makayla Williams Newman Lake: Michelle Stout Otis Orchards: Karissa Grant, Clifton Jewett, Sarah Geibel Rockford: Nicholas Cherrington, Justin Grandinetti, Jedidiah Lara, Andrew Duncan, Cameron Floch, Alex Quinnett, Shelby Nelson, Miranda Atwood, Micha D’Auria, Jordan Freer, Kimberly Cook, Casey Phinney, Aubrey Hamiton, Joshua Richardson, Danielle Pace, Rachel Underwood, Tyler Cossey, Leaira Anderson, Andrea Zimmerman, Marianne Wipf, Colbi Smith, Carleee Gude, Christopher Barkley Spokane Valley: Rebecca Abercrombie, Chandra Abney, Damon Albrecht, Blake Albretsen, Elisha Allred, Christopher Altmaier, Mikayla Amsden, Natalie Anderman, Courtney Anderson, Brittany Anderson, Zachary Anderson-White, Jack Applegate, Mckenzie Arnold, Mark Avena, Ryan Babcock, Alyssa Bailey, Kennedy Bailey, Thomas Ballard, Latorya Barbee, Max Barham, Michael Barnhart, Molly Ann Barnhart, Alaina Bates, Kelsey Baycroft, Shelbea Bean, Kali Bennett, Taylor Berdar, Jessica Bergman, Veronica Bermann, Elizabeth Bernbaum, Christina Blindauer, Jared Bocook, Brianna Bogart, Shelby Bollman, Jordan Bonertz, Colleen Bowerman, Mark Boyer, Brianne Brewer, Neil Brommer, Sakeedra Brooks, Christine Buckley, Alla Burlakov, Haley Busby, Benjamin Byers, Dexter Calkins, Hannah Calligan, Rayanne Calton, Kendra Campbell, Abraham Campbell, Ross Carlson, Michael Chisum, Daniel Christensen, Joel Christensen, Alyx Christophe, Morgan Cockrill, Jessica Colegrove, Sunny Collins, Kylie Cook, Dylan Cosby, Elizabeth Covillo, David Covillo, Chantal Coyner, Ian Craig-Scott, Nicolas Cress, Chad Cromwell, Andrew Crosby, Alivia Cunanan, Scott Curtis, Christina Custer, Mika DAmico, Samantha Daniel, Michael Davies, Mary Davisson, Mary DayPestana, De'Sean Dean, Benjamin Deccio, Madisen DeGeest, Taylor Dewitt, Michael Dixon, Brianna Dobson, Weston Dotson, Tyler Dotson, Jessica Doty, Kyle Duckett, Matthew Duddy, James Duncan, Nicholas Durand, Dani Dyer, Erin Eatock, Aaron Edgerton, Christopher Edwards, Alyssa Farrell, Hailey Ferguson, Kaley Fields, Joseph Figg, Lilliya Filenko, Jared Fincher, Delaney Fisher, Shane Fisher, Benjamin Flanigan, David Florianovich, Kimberly Foley, Camille Frank, Daniel Franzese, Heidi Fried, Erica Fuhrman, Timothy Gales, Paige Gallaway, Anna Garbuz, Carly Garza, Stephannie Gerard, Caleb Gilbert, Karendeep Gill, Jaspal Gill, Savannah Glamp, Rachael Glamp, Alexander Godun, Payton Goodwin, Mariya Gorbenko, Shea Gowdy, Jorin Graham, Jeremy Gratz, Hayden Griffith, Michaela Groh, Amanda Guarisco, Ashley Guilbault, Amanda Guilbault, Brandon Gunn, Jennifer Hammond, Hannah Harder, Kaylin Harris, Christa Harter, Paige Harvey, Jared Harward, Kyle Haugen, Caleb Heale, Christina Hebert, Amanda Hennings, Samantha Hensch, Shawn Herring, Bryce Hoekema, Savannah Hoekstra, Emily Hollenbeck, Steffany Holten, Abigail Hood, Ryan Hotchkiss, Amy House, Stephanie House, Arianna Hudson, Taylor Hunter, David Ivanov, Kyndra Jacobs, Chandler Johnson, Justyn Jones, Sophie Kaatz, Ilona Kalpakchi, Brandon Kautzman, Abigail Keenan, Kevin Kelly, Sabrina Kelstrom, Karen Kenny, Aidan Killackey, Cally King, Wyatt Kittilstved, Orion Koffman, Amanda Kolhoff, Scott Kopczynski, Laura Kramer, Kalen Lakoduk, Eric Larson, Kristina Lattin, Bryce LeBaron, Victoria Leichner, Jeremy Lenhartzen, Jessie Levno, Madison Lewis, Tabitha Liljenberg, Brandon Lorentz, Brian Loupe, Patrick Loyola, Cassandra Lucas, Gabrielle Lucente, Emily Lyonnais, Kiwani Mack, Nikkol Macy, Kaitlin Malakowsky, Jamie Manning, Kristy Mardini, Jordan Marlatt, Alexis Marlatt, Taylor Martin, Jeremy Martire, Shelby Marvel, Phillip Mason, Matthew Mastronardi, Andrew Mastronardi, Jeremy Mattfeld, Caleb Mazzola, Tyler McCartney, Maria Mccauley, Kelsey McCune, Susan McInerney, Jobeth Mckoon, Alexander McLean, Claire McMichael, Richard Mehlbrech, Andrew Melvin, Myra Menzer, Hannah Meyer, Kellen Middleton, Iliya Mikheyev, Jared Miller, Holly Miller, Jacob Miller, William Milliken, Spencer Millsap, Arin Mitchell, Michaela Mitchell, Seth Mongan, Annaleesa Montoya, Matthew Montoya, Catherine Mors, Brianna Morse, Rebekah Mulloy, Lindsey Nelson, Alissa Nelson, Joshua Nestoss, Kennedi Newman, Danny Nimri, Emily Nimri, MacKenzie Norman, Megan Nutley, Stephanie Olson, Joel Orchard, Alexei Osipenko, Austin Parker, Michael
Parkes, Krystn Parmley, Alyssa Partridge, Thomas Patton, Abby Pedersen, Natalya Peganov, Sadie Perry, Megan Pester, Trent Petersen, Courtney Petrini, Nathan Ployhar, Josiah Plumb, Alla Pogorelova, Kirsten Poldervart, Magen Potter, Timothy Potts, Wyatt Price, Bertram Price, Hayley Primm, Jason Pritzl, Jessica Pugsley, Christin Quinn, Jonathan Rapose, Darallee Rassier, Rita Raynor, Daniel Replogle, Chandra Richardson, Arianna Rios, Hannah Robb, Christina Rohm, Hannah Rolli, Sydney Russell, Savannah Rutter, Kaitlyn Sabie, Paige Salveti, Jordan Sampilo, Cierra Sande, Brady Sanders, Ronald Scheck, Andrew Schimmels, Elizabeth Seagrave, Jacob Segalla, Wendy Shaw, Patrick Shelley, Mark Sherbinin, Chloe Sholtz, Alexis Sicilia, Bhavneet Sidhu, Lex Silvrants, Ryan Simmelink, Ashley Simmet, Emily Simmons, Yekaterina Slyusarev, Acacia Smith, Kang Son, Ariel Sopu, Adrianna Sosa, Miranda Spencer, Jessica Stelzer, Adam Stintzi, Nathan Stranberg, Alizabeth Sturgill, Darlene Suesue, Moriah Svenonius, Zachary Szabrowicz, Jennifer Tabert, Mikayla Taylor, Joshua Taylor, Sarah Teichmer, Gretchen Tempel, Makinzee Thomas, Courtney Tibesar, Gabriel Tinder, Stephen Trainor, Adara Tredway, Joshua Tucker, Ashtyn Turnbow, Zachary Turner, Austin Upmeyer, Rachel Uptain, Nicholas Valentine, Britney Van Winkle, Mykel Vanek, Mariya Vasyukhnevich, Ashley Vaughn, Stephen Vera, Brandon Vick, Morgan Voelker, Jacklyn Von Steuben, Samantha Waco, Sarah Wallis, Madeleine Walsh, Shayla Weiler, Vicki Welton, Crystal Whitney, Ethan Whitney, Jessica Williams, Megan Williams, Britany Williams, Makayla Williams, Khalil Williams, Scott Williams, Jacquelynn Womack, Jacob Wood, Jennifer Woodbury, Sarah Yates, Alexander Yoseph, Paul Yount, Joyce Zhang, Ruslan Zhuk, Elina Zhukov Veradale: Anne Weisbeck
Gonzaga University President’s List, 3.7+ GPA Liberty Lake: Grace Pariseau
Michigan Technological University (Houghton, Mich.) Dean’s List, 3.5+ GPA Liberty Lake: Emma Zellmer
Oregon State University (Corvallis, Ore.) Honor Roll, 3.5+ GPA Spokane Valley: Stephen P. Lucas (straight As)
Spokane Community College Honor Roll, 3.0+ GPA Greenacres: Michaela Boyer, Johannah Brown, Erik Buechler, Gwendelen Cady, Kevin Cao, Isaac Humble, Cassandra Ingraham, Andrey Lavrov, Angelina Lavrova, Alissa Maughan, Miranda Morden, Brooklyn Petrini, Cody Sherrodd, Wendy Simonds, Jordan Sowers, Mackenzi Taylor, Valeriy Titov, Brian Wickstrom, Igor Zhukov Liberty Lake: Katlyn Anderson, Jason Biggs, Kelsey Bliss, Sara Borgman, Kristin Bradford, Kelly Campbell, Danielle Cosper, Chanse Cramer, Cole Craypo, Nicole Crist, Laura Gilbert, Shenice Gillespie, Patrick Grady, Tyler Gumm, Ronald Hayes, David Hunton, Keith Hyle, Mallory Jones, Jamie Kappler, Diana Karptsov, Madison Lacross, Maci Mclain, Elizabeth Monsey, Sheena Moya, Lisa Nash, Janelle Nguyen, Krysta Oglesbee, Chad Ohl, Roman Oleynik, Mckenzie Quaintance, Desiree Russell, Stephanie Scheurer, Logan Schwartzenburg, Michael Sherry, Kendyl Spencer, Brandon Stalker, Andrew Stewart, Heather Sutton, Daniel Taylor, Lydia Tombarelli, Jessica Unruh, Sarah Vogel, Scott Webb, Ann Welzig Spokane Valley: Sheldon Ahrendt, Cynthia Allen, Maya Anger, Taryn Avena, Justin Brown, Alona Burlakov, Nadine Burton, Casandra Calvin, Alexis Chyczewski, Austin Cook, Darren Corneliusen, Ryanjames Cruz, William Currier, Angelina Dedkov, Courtney Dixon, Stacey Emmerson, Huijuan Fan, Landan Fisk, Kaylee Gutierrez, Mark Hankins, Sarah Hankins, Richard Harrison, Katrina Hartzog, Shanaya Jennings, Eric Johnson, Nikita Lavrov, Alexandra Morton, Anh-Tuyet Nguyen, Nathen Osterholm, Jeffrey Paulus, John Pearson, Tracy Pierce, Kristen Portch, Susan Quintana, David Rodriguez, Katlyn Salisbury, Riley Sine, Antony Sizov, Kristina Sizov, Samantha Slinkard, Heather Stuart, Sergey Ustimenko, Alexandria Vargas
Spokane Falls Community College Honor Roll, 3.0+ GPA Greenacres: Alyssha Conant, Laura Filardo, Jeremy King, Jared Krafft, Zakary Longoria, Trevor Peterson, Clare Pursch, Rachael Pursch, Ashleigh Schelin, Mikhail Shevchenko Liberty Lake: Jessie Angle, Samantha Avey, Matthew Busch, Amanda Chandler, Mindy Curry, Chase Davis, Allison Dimmler, Zachariah Duncan, Stephen Ertel, Seiji Furukawa, Amber Gimlen, Ronda Gimlen, Micaiah Gray, Kathleen Hagmann, Matthew Hommel, Noah Huth, Nathaniel Koch, Jesen Korver, Brittni Ludington, Alexandria Mclaughlin, Trevor Mitchell, Jessica Neihoff, Karissa Olson, Christopher Pittella, Jordyn Sandford, Jordan Semler, Chadwick Smith, Hong Sun, Cody Tibesar, Tyler Valentine Mica: Lisa Miller, Andie Olson Newman Lake: Michelle Deroetth, Lance Dickinson, Nicholas Hallowell, Paige Halvorson, Amanda Hutchins, Genevieve Moak, Amanda Phillips, Colby Steiner, Jessica Winters Otis Orchards: Alex Barry, Bobbi Clayton, Nathan Drew, Jessica Finney, Jennifer Gonzales, Ashley Hamilton, Jacob Johnson, Robert Johnson, Sarah Lawrence, Ashley Marlow, Chad Mathias, Caleb Mina, Garrett Newbill, Anthony Pfau, Zachery Rearrick Rockford: Jesse Kitterman, Aja Ellis Spokane Valley: Zachary Ames, Nicholas Anderson, Seth
See EDUCATION, page 11
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 11
COMMUNITY
Community Briefs BUTB seeks sponsors Blessings Under the Bridge, a non-profit dedicated to feeding, clothing and serving the homeless in Spokane, celebrated one year of being in their Spokane Valley HUB in January. They recently renegotiated the lease for the 8,000-square-foot warehouse and hope to have an official open house in the future. The group is looking for sponsors to help them finish renovating this facility, specifically with kitchen flooring, drywalling and carpeting. They are also in need of sponsors willing to cover one month’s lease and utilities. To learn more, visit www.butb.org.
Tickets on sale for dance Tickets are on sale for the 10th annual Father Daughter Dance to be held 7 to 9 p.m. March 7 at CenterPlace Regional Event Center in Spokane Valley. Presented by Liberty Lake Kiwanis and the city of Spokane Valley, the theme for the night is Alice’s Evening in Wonderland. Tickets are $45 per father/daughter couple and $20 for each additional daughter. To purchase tickets, call 688-0300 or visit www.spokanevalley.org/recreation.
Top-rated healthcare, right here at home.
EDUCATION The Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality ® Measures 2013
Continued from page 10 Ashley, Michelle Ball, Heather Bauer, Natalie Benson, Palvi Bhatia, Robin Bishop, Ebony Bjaaland, Grace Blanchard, Chloe Boyle, Rebecca Bramel, Cory Bromley, Daniela Brown, Dakota Brownfield, Kendra Bruno, Teresa Brynestad, Jill Buckner, Mathew Bueckers, Trevor Burgess, William Burrow, Samuel Busby, Amanda Calhoun, Kori Carlquist, Alberto Casillas, Lexandra Clark, Zawatti Clark, Jose Clemente, Cynthia Cobbs, Heather Cooper, Sarah Cope, Sarah Cottam, Erin Cowan, Mackenzie Crist, Tatiana Crumb, Shawn Dahlin, George Dalke, Tuan Dang, Alice Davies, Kimberly Davila, Kara Degroff, Justine Delmedico, Dominica Devaney, Colin Deyarmin, Katrina Dorscher, Brittany Dugger, Jessica Dunning, Stephen Eggers, Rhiannon Engelhardt, Brooke Escalera, Samuel Eschenbacher, Zeke Farr, Alexander Feliciano, Jessica Feliciano, Trinity Ferrell, Trent Ferster, Alexandra Figueroa, Jody Finborg, Karalynn Foo, Dane Frobe, Jessica Gaynor, Stefanie George, Christina Gerardy, Allison Gleason, Lauren Gordon, Nathanael Grady, Alexis Hall, Tracy Hamilton, Kendra Hamm, Austin Harrison, Derek Heaslet, Tanner Hiebert, Krystyl Hilts, Ashlee Hodl, Isaac Hood, Michael Houbrick, Michael Houbrick, Michael Houbrick, Michael Houbrick, Michael Houbrick, Michael Houbrick, Michael Houbrick, Michael Houbrick, Nichole Hudson, Brook Humann, Ashley Hutchisson, Alexis Ice, Heather Jackson, Danyelle Jassman, Sera Jesse, Kylee Johnson, Amanda Jones, Catharine Judkins, William Kahler, Garret Kenney, Susan Kimble, Krysten Kole, Svetlana Kozubenko, Alexander Lahman, Cassidee Lawrenson, Stephanie Leberman, Cami Lee, Jungwha Lee, Alicia Levins, Jacob Lindley, Jonathan Lollar, Taysha Lopez, Janna Lower, Hank Luce, Aaron Lyon, Blake Marsh, Sara Martin, Elijah Matney, Erica Matney, Linda Mcconnell, Samantha Mccoy, Corey Mcgowan, Walter Mcneilly, Elezaveta Mikheyeva, Adam Miley, Shaun Moeller, Judy Morrow, Tyffanie Myers, Peggy Nance, Ala Nasco, Nathan Navarra, Mandy Nelson, Olivia Nemec, Lacey Nordby, Gina Ochoa, Mathias Oliver, Amanda Olivetto, Hailey Ortiz, Leah Pape, Olha Pavlovska, Carlos Perez, Charles Pickett, Jennifer Pogue, Kydell Postels, Audrey Pratt, Kathryn Pratt, Solongo Purevsuren, Elizabeth Rich, Krista Robley, Sarah Rodgers, Fernando Rodriguez, Torey Routson, Natalia Rudenko, Samantha Ruhs, Kjora Sande, Bret Schoo, Karly Schuh, Jared Seckel, Blake Shindler, Davyd Shkurat, Breanna Sigmon, Austin Sloan, Elizabeth Smith, Kayla Snider, Adrienne Stansberry, Robert Stark, Lydia Stewart, Bethiah Streeter, Simon Taylor, Kyle Taylor-Nunley, Marissa Terry, Kelley Thorne, Katrene Tokarenko, Gwynn Tougas, Allison Towey, Jenna Trinkle, Ryan Tucker, Andrew Vanhoff, Brittany Vens, Allen Verhage, Katherine Wardsworth, Amanda Warren, Oryanna Weidner, Katy Welte, Frederick West, Calvin Whitman, Christopher Whitmire, Katrina Whitsett, Daniel Willard, Kaylyn Williams, Tonya Williams, Lisa Willms, Rochelle Witter, Corri Woods, Tasha Woods, Olivia Zertuche, Sofiya Zuyev Valleyford: Silas Uhder Veradale: Jacob Burgess, Justin Ellery, Jared Grebe, Angela Lucas, Jennifer Mccoy, Rudolph Panasyuk, Joshua Spivey, Breann Swan, Matthew Troxel, Christian Turner
At Valley Hospital, our dedicated and experienced medical staff includes more than 450 physicians and offers 20 specialties ranging from emergency medicine and surgery to oncology and obstetrics. By focusing on delivering quality care, we have become one of only a third of the nation’s hospitals recognized three years in a row by The Joint Commission as Top Performer
®
on Key Quality Measures®. We excelled in two key measures during 2013: Surgical Care and Pneumonia. Earning this distinction is what inspires us to work even harder for you so that we can become your trusted health partner. Advanced medical care and technology, right here at home. For you.
To learn more about our services and how we’re working together, for you, visit SpokaneValleyHospital.com or call 509-924-6650.
12606 E. Mission Avenue Spokane Valley, WA 99216
12 • FEBRUARY 2015
PROFILES
The Current
Family comes first for Dishman Dodge’s Hollenback Longtime dealer named Chamber’s ‘Citizen of the Year’
MARLENE “MARTI” HOLLENBACK Age 72
Occupation Dealer principal/president, Dishman Dodge Ram Chrysler Jeep
Unique fact about me I lived in Japan for about a year and a half. My first child was born there.
Favorite car In the summer, I drive an orange ’08 Dodge Challenger. It makes me feel young.
By Treva Lind
CURRENT CONTRIBUTOR
Favorite hobby
When Marlene “Marti” Hollenback talks business, the conversation quickly turns to family. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Hollenback, 72, is dealer principal and president of Dishman Dodge Ram Chrysler Jeep, a role she took in 1995 when asked by her father Mark Hollenback, who founded Hollenback Motors here in 1949 and later acquired and ran Dishman Dodge. Her dad believed in her, she said, so she left a 25-year career as a registered nurse. “When dad first invited me into the business, I resisted,” she recalled. “After a lot of thought and prayer, I decided to take this on, and I’m so glad I did. It will be 20 years this April. I love it. I’m doing something I never dreamed I could do.” Today, Hollenback’s two sons, Mark Waltermire and Matt Waltermire, work at Dishman and are involved with her in decisions for day-to-day operations. Though she plans to remain active for a while, she said they will be her successors in the business. Mark is general manager; Matt, systems administrator. Hollenback said her work at Dishman is still very rewarding. “I love my employees; I love the challenge,” she said. “What I enjoy most of all is I get to work with my two sons. We’re very collaborative. The three of us come to our decisions together. We get along beautifully. They’ll be third-generation dealers. “I also want the dealership to feel like family to my employees, because they are our most valuable asset, and to my customers as well.” Carrying on her father’s legacy is important to Hollenback, and today, the dealership at 7700 E. Sprague continues to grow with its multiple auto lines, a state-of-theart sales center, and just over 100 employees. The dealership also has supported multiple community nonprofits, mainly for children. Giving donations and sponsorships to those organizations also is part of her dad’s legacy, Hollenback said, adding that he believed in giving back to the community that supported his business.
have four children: daughter Dee Dee, Mark, Matt, and my youngest daughter, Denielle, who has owned Simply Northwest since 2011.” A potential fourth-generation Dishman dealership could happen among Hollenback’s grandchildren, who range in age from 18 months to 21, with another due in April. She is able to spend more time now with them, she said, although she works two days a week at Dishman, and then from an office at home. As a hobby when time allows, she enjoys helping Denielle build gourmet gift baskets at Simply Northwest. The auto industry faces many regulatory and legislatives issues, so addressing them is also part of her work. Before 1995, she said she’d never considered holding such a big role in the business, although she and her former husband had held a majority share near the time her father asked her to take over. Mark Hollenback died in 2005 at age 91. “I had great parents,” Hollenback said. “It’s always been so nice that my dad believed in me. Even though I had a lot of managerial experience from my nursing career, I was surprised when he asked me. It was scary coming into a man’s world, but I felt immediately accepted, especially by the local dealers.” She said her son Mark has worked at the dealership since 1985 and taught her much about the auto trade, and she shared management knowledge with him. Early on, she hired a dealer development consultant and joined NADA’s 20Group, a program among dealers sharing business and financial best practices. “I learned a lot through that experience.” For the dealership’s community donations and sponsorships, Hollenback said she tries to focus on the ones that benefit children. “I love kids; they grow up so quickly,” she said. “They’re our future — future contributors to the community, future customers, our future leaders.”
Helping my daughter make gourmet gift baskets.
CURRENT PHOTO BY TREVA LIND
Marti Hollenback, the dealer principal and president of Dishman Dodge Ram Chrysler Jeep, was recently honored as the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce's Citizen of the Year. She is pictured with sons Matt Waltermire, left, and Mark Waltermire. Hollenback herself has received multiple community awards the past two decades. Newly added to that list is a recognition presented to her in January: the 2014 Harry E. Nelson Citizen of the Year award from the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce as a community contributor. Katherine Morgan, president and CEO of the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber will recognize her at the Gem of the Valley Gala on Jan. 31 at the Mirabeau Park Hotel. “Marti Hollenback is the embodiment of an extraordinary citizen, making the Greater Spokane Valley a better place to live as the result of her energy, passion and commitment to serving the people of this community,” Morgan said. “It’s such an honor,” Hollenback said, days before the event. “It was surreal when they came to tell me.” Max Spalding, part of the family that runs Spalding Auto Parts and last year’s award recipient, said he’s long known the Hollenback family and how giving they are. He’s seen Hollenback at work for United Way and the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, among other causes. “I think it starts out with her folks,
and her folks were always giving people,” Spalding said. “I think they raised a daughter who is very giving.” “She’s very deserving, a great person,” he said. “They grew a business in the community, and they want to give back.” Marti Hollenback is the eldest of three daughters. She first worked in nursing at Valley Hospital, starting in 1969. She later moved into in-service training and managerial positions, including as director of community programs for Empire Health Services. Hollenback currently serves as a Valley Hospital trustee and is on the board for Partners Advancing Character Education. For her industry, she has served since 2005 as the Washington state director to the National Auto Dealers Association board, and is on the state board as well, both requiring much travel. She said family-owned dealerships are becoming less common nationally, although there are still ones in Spokane, including Gus Johnson, George Gee and Wendle Ford. “I’ve always wanted us to remain a closely held family dealership because that’s what my dad would have wanted,” she said. “Family is my No. 1 priority. I
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 13
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Wondering about
You had to do what?!? Museum shows kids how life used to be By Josh Johnson
CURRENT STAFF WRITER
Have you ever called your grandma using Facetime or Skype? Or how about something as simple as getting a glass of water from a dispenser on your fridge or going tubing behind a motorboat? Did you know that 100 years ago, if a boy or girl your age saw you doing any of those things, they wouldn’t be able to believe their eyes? Making a phone call, getting a glass of water or even crossing a lake or river worked very differently not that long ago. While no one could see 100 years into the future from 1915, you can find out how a lot of things worked in the past. You might just have the same reaction: You won’t be able to believe your eyes! The Spokane Valley Heritage Museum is a nearby place that has displays to show you how people used to live many years ago. The building they are located in is actually over 100 years old itself! The Current talked to Museum Director Jayne Singleton about things she likes to show kids to illustrate how being a boy or girl in Spokane Valley used to be much different. Here are four of her favorites.
Wonderland? CURRENT PHOTO BY JOSH JOHNSON
Phones like this one were used to contact a switchboard operator, who would find out who you were calling and connect you. hear on the other end. At the Spokane Valley Museum, they have several examples of how older phones worked, including an actual switchboard that would be run by a human being — an operator. If you wanted to you’re your grandmother, the switchboard operator would literally take your phone line and plug it into your grandma’s phone line so that you could hear each other. You can use the switchboard or make a call on a rotary phone and see how it works at the museum.
2. Crossing the lake or river In our community, the Spokane River separates it north from south. Suppose you wanted to cross this river 200 years ago. There were no bridges, so a man named Antoine Plante started a service to take people and their supplies across the river on a special boat called a ferry. Plante’s Ferry Park is named after him, and it’s
See MUSEUM, page 15
1. What was the first Wonderland creature that Alice saw? A) The White Rabbit B) The March Hare C) The Caterpillar D) A gopher 2) The Queen of Hearts wanted her roses to be what color? A) Yellow B) Pink C) White D) Red 3) What type of animal swept away the path that Alice uses in the forest? A) Bird B) Dog C) Walrus D) Skunk 4) In the croquet game, what animals were used? A) Flamingos and hedgehogs B) Rabbits and ostriches C) Gophers and cats D) Dodos and turtles 5) What did the flowers think Alice was? A) A girl B) The Queen C) A flower D) A weed
1. Talking on the phone The first phone call was made from Alexander Graham Bell to his colleague, Thomas Watson, on March 10, 1876. It was not made with an iPhone 6 Plus! His idea was that the sound of people’s voices could be turned into an electrical signal down a wire of any length and then turn back into a sound someone else could
Written under the pen name Lewis Carroll, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” is a fantasy book filled with all kinds of peculiar and interesting creatures. The author, whose real name was Charles Dodgson, published the book in 1865 about a young girl’s adventure in a strange world, and several movie variations have been created over the years. See how much you know about this classic story by taking the trivia test below. Circle the choice you believe is correct, and then check your answers at the bottom of the next page.
CURRENT PHOTO BY JOSH JOHNSON
This dugout canoe is at the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum. It is shown with animal furs inside of it. It is about 200 years old.
6) The White Rabbit was really late for what? A) The Caucus Race B) Tea party with Mad Hatter C) Announcing the Queen’s arrival D) Date with Mrs. Rabbit
10th annual
Father Daughter Dance March 7 • 7 to 9 p.m. CenterPlace at Mirabeau Point 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley Alice’s Evening in Wonderland is the theme at this event presented by Liberty Lake Kiwanis and the city of Spokane Valley. Semiformal attire is recommended; girls with any type of father figure are encouraged to attend. Tickets are $45 per couple ($20 per additional daughter). Space is limited. For tickets or more information, visit www. spokanevalley.org/recreation or call 688-0300.
7) Who wished Alice a happy un-birthday? A) The Caterpillar B) The White Rabbit C) The Cheshire Cat D) The March Hare and Mad Hatter 8) Alice was put on trial for what reason? A) Participating in the Caucus race B) Following the White Rabbit C) Making the Queen lose her temper D) Cheating at a game she played with the Queen 9) When the Cheshire Cat disappeared, what was the only part that remained? A) His smile B) His tail C) His eyes D) His ears 10) The dormouse always fell asleep in what? A) Flowerpot B) Teapot Sources: www.disneyclips. C) Bowl com/funstuff/alicequiz. html, www.funtrivia.com/ D) Mug en/subtopics/Alice-in-Wonderland-Book-9157.html
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 15
COMMUNITY
MUSEUM
At left, kids tour many outdoor museum displays during the warmer months, including this interactive display where people can operate pitcher pumps. “Kids can pump water and learn what it was like before indoor plumbing,” said Jayne Singleton, director of the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum.
Continued from page 14
where his ferry service was located. Even before Plante ferried people across the river, the local Indians would use canoes to travel on the man local rivers and lakes. The museum is home to a canoe like this that was made by the Nez Perce Tribe. Called a “dugout canoe,” it was made by burning out the center of a large log. Stone tools were then used to further shape the canoe so there was a place for people to sit.
3. Getting a drink of water During the summer, the museum opens up an outdoor area behind it that includes water pumps. Remember that glass of water we talked about? There were no sinks in houses or showers that just provided water by turning a knob. If you needed a drink, or water for cooking, cleaning or bathing, you would go outside and use a pump. This sort of thing wasn’t exactly convenient in the middle of winter. Brrrr!
4. Going to the bathroom Speaking of not convenient in the middle of winter, imagine if your bathroom wasn’t
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Crazy-in-love cartoon characters Many popular movies and TV shows build storylines around love, and kids’ shows are no exception. For this activity, match the cartoon character with his love interest. Answers can be found at the bottom of the page. _____ 1. Wall-E _____ 2. Simba _____ 3. Tramp _____ 4. Lightning McQueen _____ 5. Woody _____ 6. Pongo _____ 7. Buzz Lightyear _____ 8. Mike Wazowski _____ 9. Bambi _____ 10. Phineas _____ 11. Fred _____ 12. Peter Pan _____ 13. Flynn Rider _____ 14. Carl _____ 15. Shrek
CURRENT PHOTO BY JOSH JOHNSON
down the hall. Instead, what if it was down the hall … and through the living room … and out the back door … and across the yard … and located in a small wooden shed that didn’t have any heat or air conditioning. “This was the toilet, even into the early 1900s in the Valley,” Singleton said. The museum has an outhouse to show kids what it was like — but fortunately it’s not there for people to use. “It’s a one-holer with a dummy sitting on it,” Singleton said.
A) Ellie B) Celia C) Eve D) Faline E) Fiona F) Isabella G) Jessie H) Lady I) Little Bo Peep J) Nala K) Perdita L) Rapunzel M) Sally N) Wendy O) Wilma
The outhouse at the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum greets visitors with the sign, “the way it used to be.” Fortunately, the museum has restrooms visitors can actually use inside. To learn more about how life used to be in Spokane Valley, visit the museum with your parents at 12114 E. Sprague Ave. You can find out more by calling 922-4570 (don’t worry, cell phones will work) or using that fancy thing called the internet at valleyheritagecenter.org.
A heart-y dose of stats Compiled by Tammy Kimberley CURRENT STAFF WRITER
Did you know that if you lined up the 8 billion conversation heart candies produced each year, they’d reach from Rome, Italy to Valentine, Arizona and back again 20 times? Check out more random facts and figures about Valentine’s Day below.
498 A.D. 1840s 150 58 1902 15 8 100,000
The year Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 as St. Valentine’s Day
The first mass-produced valentines were sold in the U.S.
Millions of cards and gifts given each year for the holiday
Going to the dentist can be fun and easy! We’ve got convenient hours to fit your family’s schedule. Evening, early morning, and Saturday appointments available.
Call to schedule an appointment today!
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Millions of pounds of chocolate candy purchased during Valentine’s Day week Year Necco first printed conversation hearts (Sweethearts)
Characters that fit on a Sweetheart, eight on top and seven on bottom
Check out our Facebook page for contests and events.
Billions of conversation hearts made each year Pounds of conversation hearts made daily
Sources: www.infographicpost.com/awesome-facts-aboutsweethearts/2013/02/13; www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/ history-of-valentines-day/interactives/valentines-day-by-the-numbers
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Answers to Crazy-in-love Cartoon Characters: 1) C, 2) J, 3) H, 4) M, 5) I, 6) K, 7) G, 8) B, 9) D, 10) F, 11) O, 12) N, 13) L, 14) A, 15) E Answers to Wondering About Wonderland?: 1) A; 2) D; 3) B; 4) A; 5) D; 6) C; 7) D; 8) C; 9) A; 10) B
The Current
16 • FEBRUARY 2015 Brought to you by
About and for Valley seniors
Valley Red Hots builds bond among women By Sarah Robertson
CURRENT CONTRIBUTOR
The entrance to the Spokane Valley Senior Center is pretty quiet. But if you make a trip upstairs to room 243 on the third Thursday of the month, you’ll be greeted with the melodic sounds of 20 kazoos. And if you peek in the window or door, you’ll see a room full of ladies adorned in purple clothing and lovely red hats. Since 2003, this Red Hat Club has been meeting at the Spokane Valley Senior Center, wherever the Senior Center has called home. The club — known as the “Valley Red Hots — was started by “Queen Mum” Janet Gray. At 81, she still serves in that capacity and couldn’t imagine it any other way. When asked why she decided to found a club, Gray said, “The Red Hat Society was growing, and I would see red hat people around everywhere.” She inquired at the senior center about hosting a group, and they agreed. The original club began with nine ladies. Most of the original members were strangers to one another, but as Gray pointed out, “We made a lot of new friends, great friends.” Today, the group numbers around 22. Most of the women are in their 70s and 80s, but a few are in their 60s. According to “Red Hat Rules,” women are allowed to join as official members after 50. Women under 50 can join but must wear lavender and pink. Long-time member Mary Cady loves the diverse hats. “Looking across the room, no two hats are alike—some costly and many handmade, decorated from craft stores and inexpensive. You only need one red hat, but it’s fun to collect several new styles,” she said. The Red Hat Society began when a woman, Sue Ellen Cooper, impulsively bought a red hat. After reading a poem by Jenny Joseph entitled “Warning,” she gave the hat to a dear friend with a copy of the poem. Cooper took to heart the line, “When I am an old woman I shall wear purple/ With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.” By 1998, the Red Hat Society was born. According to the Red Hat Society’s website, the organization’s mission is to be a “global society of women that supports and encourages women in their pursuit of fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment and fitness.” The Valley Red Hots have a few extra rules.
A local chapter of the Red Hat Society, also known as the Valley Red Hots, has been meeting at the Spokane Valley Senior Center since 2003.
VALLEY RED HOTS Noon to 2 p.m. Third Thursday of the month Spokane Valley Senior Center 2426 N. Discovery Place If you are interested in joining this chapter of the Red Hat Society, contact “Queen Mum” Janet Gray at 534-9479. For more about the Red Hat Society, visit www.redhatsociety.com. life takes us next,” Cady said. “We laugh, we hug a lot and keep each other strong!” The ladies keep up on their philanthropic interests even if they are content to mostly meet for lunch and play games. They collect aluminum can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House and take up a yearly collection for the Spokane Guilds School. Beyond the fun and fancy hats, the ladies seem to agree that it is the friendship and support that keeps them close and anxiously awaiting every meeting. “Just by having fun, it lifts our spirits through hard times,” Gray said. “It’s how we help each other.”
Trivia Test CURRENT PHOTOS BY SARAH ROBERTSON
“Our motto is accessorize, accessorize, accessorize,” said Cady. “We are a dis-organization, and the rules are flexible.” Gray added with a chuckle, “Our official sport is shopping.” Aside from their monthly meeting, the Valley Red Hots like to plan outings and events as a group. Gay LeBret, a member since 2008, loves going to tea at Heritage Funeral Home’s Heritage House. “They do a really nice tea with soup and fancy desserts,” she said. “We wear our fancy hats and purple clothes—it makes us feel special.” Gray’s favorite outing was a pajama party where the ladies wore their pajamas to Shari’s Restaurant for breakfast. Cady’s favorite event was a “funny fashion show.” The group organized the event
a few years ago for other Red Hat chapters; about 300 ladies attended. A wedding dress made out of plastic bags was one of the more creative entries. Aside from modeling some unconventional fashion and going out in public in pajamas, the Valley Red Hots also enjoy lunch around town, ValleyFest parades, cruises on Lake Coeur d’Alene, and even attending “senior prom” at the Eagles’ lodge. However, Gray admitted with a laugh, “As we’ve gotten older, we don’t do that so much.” While they may have slowed down their activities a little, these Red Hat ladies maintain very strong relationships. “Underneath the frivolity, we have a bond of affection forged by common life experiences and genuine enthusiasm for wherever
1. LITERATURE: What is Hagrid's first name in the Harry Potter book series? 2. HISTORY: In what modern-day country did the ancient Etruscan civilization once thrive? 3. U.S. STATES: What is the state capital of New Hampshire? 4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Where was President Lyndon Johnson sworn into office? 5. MOVIES: What was the name of Roy Hobbs' baseball bat in "The Natural"? 6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What kind of animals would a cryptozoologist study? 7. MYTHOLOGY: Who was Castor's twin brother? 8. INVENTIONS: Who is credited with inventing blue jeans? 9. TELEVISION: In what sitcom series was the character of Frasier Crane introduced? 10. WORLD GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of Portugal? — 2015 King Features Syndicate Inc.; Answers can be found on the following page
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 17
Hairwork jewelry sells for big bucks ‘Collecting’ by Larry Cox KING FEATURES SYNDICATE
Q: I have inherited a brooch that contains human hair. My grandmother told me that the hair belongs to a distant relative and has been in the family since the 1850s. What can you tell me about this type of item? — Winlow, Missoula, Mont. A: Human hair was used to make jewelry and other items throughout the Victorian era. Especially popular were hair wreaths, often crafted of hair from deceased family members. In recent years, prices for many of these keepsakes have risen dramatically. For example, a brooch often can sell in the $500 to $750 range, and an ornate framed hair wreath from the 1880s recently sold for $1,500. For additional information, you might want to get a copy of "Collector's Encyclopedia of Hairwork Jewelry" by C. Jeanenne Bell and published by Collector Books. Q: I have a copy of Newsweek, which was the commemorative issue published after the death of Lady Diana. It is still sealed and
COMMUNITY was never opened. How much is it worth? — Mary, De Land, Fla. A: I contacted several magazine collectors, and they seem to agree that your issue of Newsweek would sell in the $10 to $15 range. Keep in mind that millions of copies of that issue were printed, and it is not scarce. Q: I have a bowl marked Dedham and wonder where it originated and if it is worth keeping. — Sam, Morgantown, Va. A: The company was founded in Chelsea, Mass., as the Chelsea Keramic Works. The name was changed to Dedham in 1895 after relocating to the town of Dedham, near Boston. Early pieces, especially ones signed by the artist, are especially desirable. Your bowl, depending on size, style and condition, could be worth several hundred dollars. Q: I have a Roseville set of bookends in the gardenia pattern. Do you have any idea of its value? — Betty, Merrill, Wisc. A: I found your bookends referenced in "Warman's Roseville Pottery: Identification & Price Guide" by Mark F. Moran and published by Krause Books. There are at least six Roseville price guides, but this one is my favorite, and I feel it accurately reflects current values. Moran believes your bookends in green are worth about $140 for the pair. Q: In 1950, I received a Teddy Trucker toy made by Fisher-Price. I do not have the original box, but the toy is in almost pristine condition. I have been offered $75 for it. What do you think? — Steve, Palm Desert, Calif. A: According to my references, your toy, No. 711, was introduced and marketed in 1949. Values I've seen are in the $225 to $575 range. Do the math. Write to Larry Cox in care of KFWS, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to questionsforcox@aol.com. Due to the large volume of mail he receives, Mr. Cox cannot personally answer all reader questions, nor do appraisals. Do not send any materials requiring return mail.
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Answers to Trivia Test 1. Rubeus 2. Italy 3. Concord 4. Aboard Air Force One, following the assassination of President John Kennedy 5. "Wonderboy" 6. Legendary animals like the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot 7. Pollux 8. Levi Strauss 9. "Cheers" 10. Lisbon
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18 • FEBRUARY 2015
COVER STORY
The Current
One romantically challenged man's attempts to become less romantically challenged By Josh Johnson
CURRENT STAFF WRITER
Life goes so fast, you have to really treasure the special moments, you know? Like when I was in the kitchen recently with my wife of 15-some years, Kim, and we were having the nicest conversation about life, our kids, our dreams and even how fortunate we are to have one another. And then I thought of this really great joke to tell her. "You know," she looked at me, surprisingly straight-faced, "there are all kinds of guys. There are funny guys, intelligent guys, tough guys and even handsome, amazing and romantic guys. "I got the funny guy." Yes! I knew she thought I was funny! And while that was my immediate thought, I quickly realized the mood that seconds before was rich and full with an unforced connection — it had vanished with the sound of a punchline. You've heard of hopeless romantics? I've always accepted the fact I'm romantically hopeless. But something about this little interchange sparked within me the thought that, by George, I could give this romance thing some effort. Note to self No. 1: Try to stop using the expression, "by George." I glanced from Kim to the calendar. It was almost February, the month I typically associate with over-the-top schmaltziness that crescendos mid-month. If holidays were oatmeal flavors, I would call Valentine's Day "Sappy Maple Mush." Maybe people would stop buying it, and we could all get ready for the Major League Soccer season (Go Sounders). But there I go again. I've resolved to try to turn things around
this February. It's clear I'm going to need some help. I think about "Dear Abby," but my experience with advice columns is that the turnaround time for assistance is worse than the DMV. I decide to go to the place where I have several more friends than people I actually know: Facebook. I confess via keyboard that my status is "romantically challenged" and ask for great local advice: date ideas, gifts, restaurants, etc. Turns out, this was mostly a great idea (see selection of responses on page 19). People actually do some really neat things for their significants. Suddenly, the fact that my go-to Valentine's date destination has been Chuck E. Cheese — for years! I'm not making this up! — is a little bit embarrassing. My logic was sound: The place is absolutely dead on Feb. 14! You don't have to elbow through tons of kids to play the best games! They have an eclectic house band! But now Facebook was showing me it's possible to aim higher. Note to self No. 2: Giving your wife the extra when there is an uneven number of tokens does not constitute a Valentine's gift. One of the first Facebook responses was from Kendra Grabowski of Liberty Lake, who for the past seven years has made and sold jewelry with a friend through asyouwishdesignjewelry. com. I absolutely am intimidated by jewelry, but decide I should investigate what all the fuss is about. Plus, I know Kendra's husband is a fellow soccer fan, so I trust her judgment. Turns out, lots of men are intimidated by jewelry, Kendra explains, but that doesn't prevent them from trying. "Some men order online and are competent and stuff, but we are willing to be more personal and
let people call us if they want to so we can talk them through their order," Kendra says. "There is a part on our website where we have simple customization; it's kind of set up for you." I find that I like this concept. Kendra explains that their specialty includes things like adding initials, a short message, or kids' names to their jewelry. Also, it's surprisingly affordable. Next, I investigate the Facebook advice of Tracy Love, who shared that a couples massage and dinner out is the way to go. Dinner out happens to be a specialty of mine, but the couples massage part honestly makes me a little anxious. I'm just being real here. I've never understood it. Of course, I've never tried it. I immediately think of Carrie Magruder, owner of the BrickHouse Massage and Coffee Bar, 14222 E. Sprague Ave. or online at brickhousemassage.com. In past encounters, she always struck me as a sweet person who was trying to trick me into getting a massage by offering coffee. I love coffee. It is my weakness. If I'm going to consider this couples massage thing, the presence of coffee could be the game changer. Carrie immediately has good news for me: Couples massages are on sale through March! Between coffee and discounts, I'm slowly letting my guard down. I decide to cut right to the chase. Words ending in "assage" and "icure" have always made me incredibly nervous. "I would say that you would be surprised," Carrie responds. "We have a lot of male clients. I promise you the first thing you are going to say to yourself is, 'Why did I wait so long?' It's something a lot of men are nervous about, but there is nothing to be nervous about when you are working with a professional who is trained and
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Suggestions for 'romantically challenged' reporter Josh Johnson were numerous. They included, from top to bottom, an indulgence package at the BrickHouse Massage and Coffee Bar, a painting and wine event with Van Gogh and Merlot and customized jewelry from Liberty Lake's asyouwishdesignjewelry.com.
concerned with customizing the experience." She went on to explain how you are pampered in every detail, and if you order the indulgence package which includes additional services after the massage, you can even eat Chinese food with chopsticks together while getting a manicure or pedicure. "Do you have to use chopsticks, Carrie?" (I've never been able to use chopsticks and figure this could ruin the mood.) Note to self No. 3: Carrie says chopsticks not required. As a bonus tip, Carrie encourages me to customize the experience for my wife by having a special note or gift waiting for her
when we arrive. She promised candles, rose petals, a take-home gift and then added that magic word: "latte." I hang up surprised that I am suddenly considering this whether Kim chooses to come or not. Next on my list to call is Ulysses Mireles, owner of Van Gogh and Merlot (vangoghandmerlot. com). The concept of his business is teaching people to paint while they enjoy a drink. He partners with local venues such as Vintage Vines (106 N. Evergreen), Forza Coffee (325 S. Sullivan), Spice Traders Mercantile (15614 E. Sprague) and Twisp Cafe and Coffee House (23505 E. Appleway in
See DATE NIGHT, page 19
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 19
COVER STORY
ADVICE FROM FACEBOOK Here are a few other responses to Josh's request for Spokane Valley-area date or gift tips for the romantically challenged. Warning: Some of these may not have the intended effect. Nicki Hunnel: Great gifts at Simply Northwest in the Spokane Valley, including great hand-painted signs made by a Liberty Lake resident. SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Sandee Franklin: I'm not giving away our favorite spot. Hannah Johnson: Night tennis at Central Valley High School. ... Dessert at Twigs or Hay Js (if they still have the B52 cake, its AH-MAZING). Teri Finch: An evening on Liberty Lake — bottle of wine and the love of my life! Trevor Farris: Panda Express Jayme Pesnell: Breakfast date at Little Euro!! We love that place! Anthony Carollo: Most traffic at the Wake Up Call coffee shops is drive-thru, so their shops are really quiet. Great spots for a quiet date. ... Or get a coffee to go and explore the St. Joseph's Cemetery (Otis Orchards/Trentwood area). There is so much area history out there. Judi Owens: Applebee's bench seat high tables in the lounge. You can catch a game on TV and have dinner or appetizer with your favorite beverage. Lots of people watching sitting side by side. Jean Marie Simpson: What about a picnic at the Symphony concert in Pavillion Park? Ryan Lingbloom: Who needs to go out for a date? We watch dateline. After it's revealed that the husband killed the wife, I lean over and tell my wife I love her. You're welcome, guys! Editor's note: After Ryan, the comments suddenly died down.
At left, Spokane Indians mascot OTTO surprised Melba with flowers, Indians tickets and a gift certificate for Valentine's Day 2014. Above, Elvis will be in the building of the Mirabeau Park Hotel Feb. 13 for a "Love Me Tender" Valentine's event.
DATE NIGHT Continued from page 18
Liberty Lake). Ulysses tells me many of his February events are couples events, and that while all kinds of groups attend the sessions, it's often used for date night — even first date night. "People who have never, ever met each other and are going on their first date can show up, kind of with no pressure, in an environment with many other people, so they don't have to worry about it being socially awkward," Ulysses says. He says this summer, a couple who had their first date over Van Gogh and Merlot are actually getting married. Speaking of marriage, he says the events have been the scene of more than one wedding proposal. In one instance, Ulysses led the group through a deal where couples sit across from one another, paint something on a canvas secretly, and then show it to one another on the count of three. "This guy wrote on his canvas, 'Will you marry me?'" Ulysses recalls. "Her jaw was just wide open. Family and friends were taking pictures and video taping. It was a pretty awesome experience to be a part of." I remember proposing in 1999 with an elaborate bit that included one of those sucker ring-pops. (Again, I'm not joking.) Note to self No. 4: Remember to thank Kim for saying "yes" anyway. Jewelry, massages, art — these
are all things that are traditionally out of my comfort zone, but I'm suddenly finding myself warming to them. Even still, I worry about one thing. What if I turn into a pedicured painter who gives thoughtful jewelry in February, and my wife no longer recognizes me? While I am sold on the idea of turning over a new leaf in this area, I decide to investigate a few more things more traditionally my style. I came up with three. The first one had actually been in the back of my mind for a while for it's all-too-obvious Valentine's Day tie-in: a date at Spokane Valley Archery. I call owner Josh Jones (a man I like to think of as three letters away from perfection). Say, Josh, do you have any Cupid's Arrowtype specials for Valentine's Day? That's when I find out Valentine's Day actually isn't their busiest of the year. What? I sense I'm on to something that could be really big for my new friend Josh. "It's usually more of a family thing, but occasionally we will get couples," he said. I know he's the owner, but perhaps he's new here? "I've been working on bows personally in Spokane for 25 years," he responds. He and his father moved the business to its current location at 3809 S. Linke Road in Greenacres 15 years ago. They have a 100-yard practice range with targets at 5-yard intervals as well as other options, including an indoor pro shop with shooting lanes for when the weather isn't ideal.
I try to convince Josh that this place is made for Valentine's Day. He admits that when he was younger, there were one or two interactions he had on the range where there was evidence Cupid must've been nearby, hiding behind a tree and giggling. "But that's not how I met my wife," he adds quickly. I realize I'm going about this all wrong. As usual, I hadn't been fully listening. While there are many groups and families that utilize Spokane Valley Archery, he agrees wholeheartedly that it makes for a great date experience. I was making archery out to be all mood music and candlelight, but Josh says that a simple lesson with an instructor and a couple hours on the range provides the type of experiences that are foundational to real-life relationships. "Anytime you can learn something new with somebody, it develops a bit of a bond," he says. Note to self No. 5: Cupid's arrows can work in more ways than how they are depicted in cartoons. Next I call my friend Andy Rooney, general manager of the Mirabeau Park Hotel. They always have great things going on around Valentine's Day, so I ask him what's on tap this year. He doesn't disappoint: At 8 p.m. Feb. 13, a "Love Me Tender" event featuring Elvis impersonator Brad Mitchell will be held. Tickets are $25 per person for the show, or $49 for the show and a threecourse dinner including steak (now we're talking) and $79 for the show, the three-course dinner and overnight accommodations (bingo).
I should keep my third and final idea a secret lest it spoils the surprise should I decide to do this for Kim, but I'll spill it anyway. Last year, the Spokane Indians debuted an idea for the gift that keeps on giving, and I missed the bus. Fortunately, they are doing it again this year. The first 20 people who reserve the "Indians Sweetheart Valentine's Day Pack" get the following for $99: two tickets to three Spokane Indians games, $40 gift certificate to the Indians Team Store and a dozen red roses delivered to your sweetheart on Feb. 13 by OTTO, the Indians team mascot. Talk about a great way to embarrass surprise Kim with a visit from the Big Blue Dinosaur of Love while entertaining her coworkers. But there I go again, missing the point. The best part of this gift, to me, is actually the games. You see, we have two children, and ... take it away Indians Director of Public Relations Dustin Toms: "The Kid Zone in right field doubles as a little miniature day care!" (Exclamation point added by me.) Toms said the seats are nearby, so not to worry. Nothing like a February gift/experience that buys three summer date nights. Note to self No. 6: Surely there are bonus points for planning ahead. Josh Johnson is editor and publisher of The Current. Send your own Spokane Valley-related date or gift ideas to josh@valleycurrent. com for consideration in a future issue.
LOCAL LENS
20 • FEBRUARY 2015
COMMUNITY
CALENDAR
The Current
CV preschool program celebrates 25 years
Continued from page 9
More than 300 preschoolers and about 100 community members celebrated 25 years of the Central Valley Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP) on Jan. 15 inside the former Yoke's grocery store on the corner of Sprague and Progress. Central Valley purchased the building in July for the future home of the CV Early Learning Center (including ECEAP) and Barker High School.
Feb. 7 | Warrior Camp Proving Ground MMA Event 7 to 10:30 p.m.
HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. Cost is $20-30 and tickets can be purchased at Warrior Camp, 5027 E. Trent, Spokane. For more: www. hubsportscenter.org
Feb. 8 | Sideout Classic Volleyball Tournament HUB Sports Center,
19619 E. Cataldo Ave. For more: www. hubsportscenter.org
Feb. 15 | Sweetheart Shoot-Out Futsal Tournament HUB Sports
Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. Boys and girls U7 through U14 are invited to participate. Registration is $125 per team, due by Feb. 6. For more: www. hubsportscenter.org
Feb. 16 | HUB Multi-Sport Kids Camp 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. HUB Sports
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Shutterbug Snapshots
Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. Boys and girls in first through sixth grade are invited to come sample a variety of sports. Cost is $55 (or $30 for half day option). For more: www.hubsportscenter.org
Feb. 28 | Apex Volleyball Tournament HUB Sports Center,
19619 E. Cataldo Ave. For more: www. hubsportscenter.org
Recurring Bloomsday registration open Online registration is now open for the 39th annual 12-kilometer race in downtown Spokane. Those who sign up by Feb. 8 have a chance to win one of three Apple iPad mini 3 tablets. To register or for more: www.bloomsdayrun.org Riverview Little League Baseball registration open Regular registration
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Michael Hassett captured these shots of local fowl in January. The sharp-shinned hawk (at left) was found on the Centennial Trail and the common goldeneyes (above) were on the Spokane River just east of Harvard Road.
closes March 8, and late registration closes March 15. For more: www.eteamz. com/riverviewlittleleague
Windermere marathon registration open Registration for
the June 7 marathon or half marathon from the Valley area to Spokane is open. To register or for more: www. windermeremarathon.com
KidFIT Spokane HUB Sports Center,
Senator Padden speaks to crowd at capitol
Hands-on learning experience
19619 E. Cataldo Ave. This children’s movement and fitness program offers classes in dance (ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop), gymnastics and cheerleading for girls and boys ages 3 and older of all levels. Join anytime. For more: 953-7501 or www.kidfitspokane.com
Sports opportunities HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave., Liberty Lake. Badminton, basketball open gym, pickleball, Zumba and other recreational options available. For more: www. hubsportcenter.org All calendar listings were provided to or gathered by Current staff. If you would like your event considered for the community calendar, please submit information by the 15th of the month to calendar@ valleycurrent.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE
Senator Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, addressed more than 3,000 pro-life activists at the 37th Annual March for Life in Olympia in January. Padden is the sponsor of Senate Bill 5289, known as the Parental Notification Bill, that would require an underage child’s parent or guardian to be notified before she may have an abortion.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Centennial Middle School students in Mrs. Wright’s class recently enjoyed hands-on learning at the Washington State University School of Nursing.
Local Lens Share your snapshots for The Current’s photo page. Email photos@valleycurrent. com with scenes from around town, community events and group photos.
HISTORY
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 21
Monuments commemorate, memorialize Valley’s history By Jayne Singleton
SPOKANE VALLEY HERITAGE MUSEUM
Historical events, places, archeological sites, markers and monuments reside in the Spokane Valley. They are all around us commemorating and memorializing events that shaped our Valley long before we made our mark on it. They speak to the progress of humanity, the taming of the Spokane River by building bridges or ferries, and to the shameful history where the bones of 800 Indian ponies
marked our Valley. These monuments preserve our heritage. They are as sentinels stopping time with their unique story. The Spokane Valley Heritage Museum hosts “Drive Your History Tours.” In the spring of 2015, one of the tours will be “The Monuments Tour,” which will interpret each Historic Marker in depth. To learn more about our Spokane Valley history or these upcoming events,
check the museum’s website for dates of tours. Included on this page are four of the more prominent historic monuments dotting our Valley. Jayne Singleton is director of the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum, which contributes photos and information to The Current as part of a series on Spokane Valley history. For more about this article or other aspects of our community’s heritage, visit the museum at 12114 E. Sprague Ave. or call 922-4570.
MULLAN ROAD’S INTERSECTION:
This historic monument marks the Mullan Road where it came through the Valley. It is located on the southwest corner of Sprague and Vista. The Mullan Road was the military road from Fort Benton, Mont., to Fort Walla Walla, Wash. It was approximately 600 miles long.
WHERE PLANTE CROSSED THE RIVER:
STATE LINE SETTLEMENT: This historic marker was erected in 1946 by the Spokane Pioneer Society and others. It is located near the old visitor’s center at the state line. The marker honors the history of the area that became known as Spokane Bridge. It is where the history in this entire region began. The first store, house and post office were located here long before there was a Spokane. The land the marker claims became a crossroads of cultures. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe, fur traders, missionary priests, miners, freighters, the Army, settlers and Captain John Mullan all traveled on or near the site.
This historical marker honors Antoine Plante and can be found, fittingly enough, at Plante’s Ferry Park. Plante is considered the first permanent settler in the Spokane Valley. He began operating a ferry to cross the Spokane River in about 1853. Some of his more famous passengers were Territorial Governor Issac Stevens and Captain John Mullan. The Mullan Road crossed the river at Plante’s Ferry.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SPOKANE VALLEY HERITAGE MUSEUM
HORSE SLAUGHTER REMEMBERED: Horses were valued by the
local Indian tribes as a sign of wealth, and they were also used for transportation. In 1858, as the tensions escalated between the encroaching white settlers and the Indians, Colonel George Wright was dispatched to put a stop to the Indians who were defending their ancestral lands. On the morning of Sept 9, Wright was traveling through the Spokane Valley along a route nearly paralleling Mission Avenue on his way to Cataldo Mission, when clouds of dust rose above the hills of Liberty Lake. The dust was from a large herd of horses on the move. Several soldiers were ordered to capture the horses from the Indians. The horses numbered between 700 and 800 or more, according to eyewitness accounts. Wright determined that the horses would be killed as a means to defeat the Indians, although a number of horses were kept by the Army. The massacre of the horses took at least two days. The bones of the slaughtered horses could be seen for many decades after the slaughter. Years later, the area was referred to by the Indians as a “White Lake” because of the bleached bones visible as their ancestors came into the Valley from the hills above Liberty Lake.
BUSINESS Bakery turns corner with great donuts, referrals
The Current
22 • FEBRUARY 2015
By Valerie Putnam
IF YOU GO ...
CURRENT CONTRIBUTOR
Not everyone can make a good donut. The shops that do become destinations — like Gary and Barbie Wheeler’s Sweet Tooth Bakery and Espresso Shop in the small community of Newman Lake. The shop has even adopted the motto, “We have the best donuts ever, anywhere.” "It's extremely difficult," Sweet Tooth Bakery and Espresso Owner Barbie Wheeler said about making really good donuts. "People say ours are so good they want their friends to try them; so they'll overnight them there. We've had customers send them all over the country.” Barbie believes Gary's madefresh-daily donuts are the reason for their success. "They're completely different," Barbie said. "They are lighter. Gary has a secret recipe that he does; he combines different things.” Gary has worked in the industry for 40 years, perfecting his recipe over time. Besides donuts, Gary and his son, Matt, prepare a variety of baked goods to sell at the bakery, such as cupcakes, cakes and cookies. The business took three years to develop a steady customer base. Success has come strictly by wordof-mouth advertising. "Word of mouth has grown it like you wouldn't believe," Barbie said. "People come from all over." Gary and Barbie decided to start the business when their careers fell apart. At the same time the company Gary worked for went bankrupt, Barbie was struggling selling real estate during the slow housing market. That was the point the couple decided to do what they knew best and start a bakery. "We thought we could do this," Barbie said about the bakery. "We've done it before, so we knew we could do it again." The couple took a risk and invested their retirement into the Newman Lake business. They decided on the location because they were living in the area at the time. "We took it as a challenge," Barbie said of the location, which was four miles from their home. "We thought if we put in a good bakery we could make it."
Sweet Tooth Bakery and Espresso 24921 E. Trent Ave. Newman Lake (509) 226-4444 www.sweetoothbakery.net Hours: Monday through Saturday from 5 a.m. to noon. Menu items: Donuts, brownies, muffins, bagels, cupcakes, cookies, breakfast sandwiches and espresso drinks. Healthy baked dog treats are available. Special occasion cakes are available by special order. To help celebrate Valentine’s Day, special orders are being taken through Feb. 12 for decorated cupcakes, cakes, brownies and cookies.
CURRENT PHOTO BY VALERIE PUTNAM
Sweet Tooth Bakery owners Gary and Barbie Wheeler (and granddaughter Lexi, age 2) work the counter of the Newman Lake business. Upon deciding to start the business, the Wheeler family spent the next three months renovating the building themselves. "This was just a shell," Barbie said gesturing to the facility they currently occupy. "There was nothing in here." They remodeled the entire interior, including adding walls, pastry cases, renovating the bathrooms and painting. Gary selected the bakery colors as pink and black. "He saw something pink and black he liked," Barbie said. "People think I picked it, but I didn't. I love it." When the doors opened to Sweet Tooth on March 12, 2012, they found out quickly the location was a deterrent. "This is not a great location for us,” Barbie said. "It's off the street, and people speed by.” During the first two years, the couple struggled to keep the doors open. "It was hard," Gary said about starting the business. "It takes a while to establish this type of business."
"The first two years everybody that came in said, 'Wow I can't believe you're still here,'" Barbie said. “’Are you guys making it?'" Although they never shared the status of the business with their customers, the couple was unable to meet their financial obligations. They eventually lost their Newman Lake home. "It was extremely hard," Barbie said about losing their home. "It was hard on our marriage. But we've been married 40 years; we've learned to weather things. "We just had faith it was going to make it. And it did. This last year it has just blossomed. We're glad we stuck it out." Both Barbie and Gary grew up in the Spokane area and got married just out of high school. The couple moved to Dallas in 1975 so Gary could attend college. He got his first job in the bakery business working for Winchell's Donuts while attending school. The couple returned to Spokane in 1978 to manage the area's Winchell locations. "I think he ran every Winchell's in Spokane back in the day," Bar-
bie said. In 1986, the couple opened their own bakery, Wheeler's Discount Donuts, on the north side of town. They chose to sell the business in 1988 because of the strain of the long-distance commute from the Valley. Although the Sweet Tooth opened in March, the couple celebrates the business anniversary in April when the weather gets warmer. This year, the couple plans to introduce French Crullers, cherry fritters and Red Bull smoothies to the menu as part of its anniversary celebration. "No one in Spokane is doing French Crullers and Red Bull smoothies," Barbie said. The Wheelers plan to run a special contest giving customers the opportunity to have a drink named after them. During the month of April, the Wheelers are encouraging patrons to bring their own Red Bull smoothie recipes into Sweet Tooth. The winning recipe will be announced in May. This fall, the couple hopes to open a second bakery in Liberty
Giving back: The Wheelers donate leftover donuts to various local charities, such as Newman Lake Fire Department, Dream Center, Union Gospel Mission, Real Life Ministries, East Valley Schools, Boy Scouts, Victory Faith Church, Spokane Christian Academy and many others. They also donate other baked goods for fundraisers. Lake. They are currently scouting locations and considering three in the area. The menu and hours will be the same at both locations. Family owned and operated, both of the Wheelers’ adult children, Matt and Angie, have helped in the daily operation of the business since it opened. Gary and Matt currently do all the baking, while Barbie manages the front of the store. Angie and her husband, Ben, helped open and manage the business the first couple years. Currently, they have one fulltime employee and plan to hire a part-time employee to work the espresso machine. Lexi, the Wheelers’ 2-year-old granddaughter, spends time with the Wheelers and is learning the bakery business. "She's our third generation coming through bakery business," Barbie said. "She loves every minute of it."
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 23
SERVICE DIRECTORY CLEANING SERVICES RESIDENTIAL & SMALL OFFICE CLEANING SERVICE
SHEILA KEEN OWNER
509.475.7769 KEENKLEEN.COM
DANCE LESSONS PRIVATE ARGENTINE TANGO Lessons with Felipe Liberty Lake single or couple www.in-tango.com 509 389-4154 plechten@msn.com
Painting Heinz Painting & Handyman BBB accredited, hardworking, honest, and on time. Free estimates! Now is the time to get your house painted. Call today! Dave Heinz, 509-953-8093. Licensed, bonded & insured, HeiNzpH924Bw. Many satisfied Valley customers.
PET SERVICES GROOMING BY NICOLE 15 years experience in Spokane Valley with all breeds and temperaments of dogs and cats Now at Liberty Lake Veterinary Center, 22026 E. Country Vista Dr., Liberty Lake • 509-928-3007
VALLEY PARENT CO-OP PRESCHOOL NOW ENROLLING! Valley Parent Co-op Preschool is a birth to 5 preschool program operated by parents in a cooperative effort with the Community Colleges of Spokane. It is a playbased program that combines parent education with a rich learning experience for you and your child. Classes are M, W & F. For more info, call 509-720-9209.
yoga instruction
Sunflower Yoga Small classes with individual attention Gentle, beginner & intermediate yoga
Jackie Kittel OTR/L, E- RYT 500 Iyengar Certified Yoga Instructor
(509) 535-7369
www.sunfloweryoga.net
Advertise in the Service Directory! As little as $10 gets a business into 10,000 copies of The Current. Call to learn more: 242-7752
The Current
24 • FEBRUARY 2015
BUSINESS
One Valley to be released mid-February Winning contest photos to be featured in 2015 Directory FROM STAFF REPORTS
For the second year in a row, judges selected a photo taken by Cathy Cardon for the cover of the One Valley Business & Community Directory. Her photo of a sunset over the Spokane River was taken from Barker Road in August of last year. Shots of birds claimed the runner-up prizes in the contest. Rich Semler was awarded second place, and Michael Hassett received third place. The top three finishers will receive gift cards to a directory advertiser of their choice. Selected photos from runners up are featured throughout the directory.
The contest was sponsored by Peridot Publishing, the Liberty Lake-based company that also distributes The Splash and The Current newsmagazines. For the second year in a row, the company partnered with the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber to produce the Directory, which provides Valley-area information on the community, local businesses and the Chamber.
Cathy Cardon’s photo of the Spokane River was selected as the winning image of the 2015 One Valley Business & Community Directory photo contest. Rich Semler claimed second prize with his photo of a bird on a fence. Michael Hassett’s shot of a yellow warbler on a branch was awarded third place.
The 2015 Directory will be available to Chamber members at the Feb. 20 Business Connections meeting. Copies of the directory will also be available mid-February via regular distribution points and news racks for The Current. To be notified with the next photo contest opens or for information on how you can secure a directory, contact 242-7752 or directory@valleycurrent.com.
SUBMITTED PHOTO BY RICH SEMLER
SUBMITTED PHOTO BY CATHY CARDON
SUBMITTED PHOTO BY MICHAEL HASSETT
Biz Notes Susemiehl joins Chamber as marketing, events coordinator Courtney Susemiehl began work as the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce’s new marketing and events coordinator at the beginning of the year. "It is with much enthusiasm that we have Courtney join our growing Chamber," President and CEO Katherine Morgan said. "Her background in development and marketing as well as her authenSUSEMIEHL tic passion to further the vision of our Chamber earned her a place on our team." Susemiehl served as marketing specialist for Sterling Bank for nearly four years where she coordinated local sponsorships and events. Prior to that, Susemiehl was the development director at Habitat for Humanity-Spokane and director of development and outreach at Hospice of Spokane. Susemiehl holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications and radio/ television from Eastern Washington University and is a member of Spokane MarCom Association. She is also involved in the community as a LC Instrumental Music Parents Association and a member of Ronald McDonald House Charities Marketing Committee and United Way
Allocations Committee.
Regional cancer alliance formed Three of the area’s leading health care providers in cancer services recently created an alliance aimed at elevating the quality, coordination and experience for patients in the region. Effective Jan. 1, Cancer Care Northwest, Kootenai Health and Providence Health Care formed InnerPacific Alliance for Cancer Care, LLC. All outpatient radiation oncology services for the alliance are now provided by Cancer Care Northwest, the release said. Patients are able to receive comprehensive, personalized radiation oncology services from a single provider that coordinates services at member locations throughout the Inland Northwest. Services are available at Cancer Care Northwest sites at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Holy Family Hospital in Spokane, Kootenai Health in Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls and at four Cancer Care Northwest clinics throughout the area. For more, go to www.innerpacificalliance.org or call 228-1000.
Next IT moving to Valley Next IT will move this fall from the Paulsen Center in downtown Spokane to a single-tenant building at 12809 E. Mirabeau Parkway, Spokane Valley. Its new space will be designed to encourage formal and informal employee collaboration, including huddle spaces, conference rooms and an open center
space with bleacher seating. Founded in 2002, Next IT employees 160 and specializes in virtual assistant technology. For more, visit www.nextiit. com.
Industrial Park welcomes new tenant Mallory Safety and Supply LLC recently moved into the Spokane Business & Industrial Park at 3808 N. Sullivan Road, Spokane Valley. The safety supply distribution company recently leased approximately 5,000 square feet of space in the Park’s Building 100. For more, go to www.malloryco.com.
Horizon absorbs United Health Services Credit Union Horizon Credit Union recently announced its plans to merge with Spokanebased United Health Services Credit Union. If approved, United Health Services Credit Union President and CEO Chuck Zeller said the three Spokane-area branches will operate under the Horizon name. The merger would provide United Health Services members access to different technology and services such as managing accounts online, remote deposit, 24-hour lending and mobile apps. As of December 31, United Health Services had 8,600 members with an estimated $99 million dollars in assets. Following the merger, the combined operations will
approach $800 million dollars in assets and will employ 250 people. Zeller, who's been with United Health Services for 33 years, plans to retire after the merger is complete. He said the 28 employees at United Health Services will be retained. Horizon Credit Union CEO Jeff Adams says they hope to complete the merger by the end of October. Founded in 1947, Horizon currently has 18 branches in Washington, Idaho and Montana with 53,000 members.
Gibby Media wins award Gibby Media Group, 1213 S. Pines Road, received a Silver CINDY award during the recent International CINDY Competition. Its winning entry, “Wisdom Earned,” is a 110-minute film documentary told from a mountain climber’s perspective. The film was written and directed by Lon Gibby. It was co-produced by Gibby Media Group and world-renowned Spokane mountain climber Chris Kopczynski. CINDY (Cinema in Industry) awards are presented to individuals and groups who have produced programming that achieves the highest levels of excellence in production value and message effectiveness. Over 9,450 entries from around the world were judged covering over 165 subject-matter categories of media. Did your business recently open or receive recognition? Submit the information to Biz Notes at editor@valleycurrent.com.
SPORTS Burland netting success in both soccer, basketball The Current
By Mike Vlahovich
CURRENT CONTRIBUTOR
Choices, choices. Do you commit to a college and play soccer, a sport in which you were named the Great Northern League Most Valuable Defender? Or do you pick a college for basketball, the sport you lead your school in scoring? It’s a dilemma most athletes would die for. Fortunately, East Valley’s Hannah Burland has a little bit of time yet to decide. Just a junior and third-year starter, Burland has nearly doubled her scoring average from a year ago for the Knights, who last year finished sixth in state basketball with the best record in school history (21-4) and this year have taken up where the veteran team left off. During the fall, the 5-foot-10 Burland not only was the top soccer defender in the GNL, but also pitched in offensively with a goal and six assists on a 14-4 team that lost in the first round of the State 2A playoffs to rival West Valley, despite having beaten the Eagles three times during the season. Small wonder then that so far four colleges have shown interest in her for either sport, one for both. The graduation of Alex Rankin and an injury to Taylor Morscheck during soccer season expanded
FEBRUARY 2015 • 25
Burland’s scoring role and thrust her into an unfamiliar position this basketball season. Typically a wing, where she can face and attack the basket, Burland has been used more in the post to take advantage of her size. It has resulted in her averaging a team leading 16 points per game this year, including games of 29 and 23 so far. “She starts at the post position and moves out when Emily Fletcher comes in,” coach Rob Collins said. “But I’d rather play her on the wing. She handles the ball, drives and shoots well.” Going up for a shot against Post Falls early this season, Burland stepped on an opponent’s foot and twisted her ankle, missing all or part of three games. Taped up and back in the lineup for the beginning of league play, it was like she hadn’t missed a beat. Like most high school athletes today, Burland started early. She was playing basketball and soccer, she said, at age 4. Coming from an athletic family — her father Zach and mother Chrissy (Ham) were both Knight athletes, and her brother Gage starred at EV and is a freshman baseball player at Gonzaga University (see July Current) — it was natural. “I think I wanted to do it, but I think it was just something fun,” she said of her early start. “Usually every kid just tries out for every
sport.” By sixth grade, the passion had kicked in, and traveling began. Soccer and basketball became the sports of choice. “It’s hard doing both,” Hannah admits. “I’d always have to go from one sport to the other or sometimes pick which to (practice), depending upon the season. A lot of the coaches have kids who were like in the same boat as me so they understand. Ever since I got my (driver’s) license (last July) it’s helped out a lot.” If she had to pick a sport, right now it would be soccer. But since working with Spokane Stars director Ron Adams on her shooting and ball handing, her basketball confidence has increased — so the college dilemma hasn’t made choosing any easier. “The University of Montana is sticking out for me,” Hannah said. Logical, certainly, considering the school has shown interest in both sports. “But I don’t know for which sport.” Eastern Washington has approached her for soccer and Minnesota State for basketball. Gonzaga has talked to her about soccer, which would allow her to be closer to Gage. “I miss him since he’s gone to college,” she said. Even though he only lives 20 minutes away, he isn’t home much.
CURRENT PHOTO BY MIKE VLAHOVICH
It's basketball season for East Valley High School leading scorer Hannah Burland. She is also receiving collegiate interest for her soccer skills. She’ll know more where she’s headed after a summer of traveling the country on Stars basketball and Shadow soccer teams.
Until that time comes, there’s still a month of basketball left to play. Afterward, her senior year beckons.
Several Valley teams positioned for postseason By Mike Vlahovich
CURRENT CONTRIBUTOR
There were Golden Plungers, Golden Thrones, Stinky Sneakers and a Battle of the Bone. Yes, winter sports were full of spirit. But don’t forget the action on the courts and mats propelling teams and athletes headlong into February’s basketball, wrestling and gymnastics postseason. There was a compelling four-team boys basketball battle for Greater Spokane League supremacy. Who can remember when four teams could conceivably have been tied for first place with three games remaining in the season? The outcome of the Stinky Sneaker ri-
valry game between Central Valley and University held in its hands the fates for the game and league title — and it lived up to billing.
So, too, the Battle of the Bone wrestling showdown between the Titans and Bears, winner earning a share of the GSL championship before the team members go their ways this month in search of individual tournament glory. Freeman wrestlers capped a four-year journey with a showdown against perennial state champion Deer Park for the Northeast A League championship at the end of January. Central Valley and East Valley girls basketball hope to take a step further than last season’s postseason successes and Knights wrestlers dominated in the Great Northern League.
What a game
U-Hi and CV took turns with Spokane’s Rogers and, ultimately, Lewis and Clark atop or tied among one another in the GSL. Then came the spirit game. The Titans had beaten the Bears by 14 earlier in the year and rallied from an eight-point deficit late in the first half to lead by four at halftime. CV went on a 22-8 tear after intermission and had things seemingly in hand leading 42-31 heading into the game’s final eight minutes. But three 3-pointers brought the Titans back before Eli Emerson’s two free throws saved the day, 48-45. The win left CV alone atop the league at the time, a game ahead of the trio before CV faced LC in a late-January game (played after The Current's press deadline) that either created a four-team jam or put the Bears in the driver’s seat.
With four games remaining: Central Valley’s Michael Hannan was averaging 15.3 points and Cameron Tucker 12.8 points per game; University’s Spencer Matt 13.2, Austin Dill 12.0 and Robert Little 10.4. Third-place West Valley boys, which handed first-place Clarkston its only league loss, has been led season-long by Martin Herford’s near-15.0 average. East Valley has struggled this year, but Dante Clayton is averaging 11.8 points and Tanner Jacobs 10.5 for the Knights. Freeman has had its ups and downs, but the third-place NEA team upset then-coleading Lakeside and has three double figures scorers, Jacob Phipps at 16.1 points per game, Ryan Maine at 13.9 and Jack Paukert at 11.7.
See NOTEBOOK, page 30
The Current
26 • FEBRUARY 2015
SPORTS
Orndorff belies perception with style, success By Mike Vlahovich THE FINAL POINT
The perception of the heavyweight high school wrestler is of two sumo-like individuals, upper bodies locked and slogging through six action-less minutes, unless one loses his balance and the other tumbles on him. Otherwise, they hang on each other, no stall points are called and then lock up again in overtime until someone manages to hang on and win by criteria. OK, that’s being a tad hyperbolic, but it is likely the reason why University 285-pounder Tate Orndorff expressed surprise last month that he was named outstanding wrestler during the Inland Empire Classic, hosted by his high school. “It’s really hard for a heavyweight to win that award,” he told me. “I don’t know, people don’t give credit to the upper weights that much.” Wrestling is perceived to be a niche for whippet-quick little guys too small for other sports, and the 150-to-180-pounder whose agility is considered to be more athletic. Like football, we cheer the backs and ends, not the linemen (unless they are our
children). Orndorff ’s well-deserved accolade is reason that perception isn’t reality. The upper weights have evolved over time as nutrition and physical training have made us bigger, faster, stronger. Where once everyone 190 pounds or more was lumped into what was termed the unlimited weight class, now there are 195, 220 and Orndorff ’s 285 pound classes. Can you imagine wrestling a kid weighing 100 and more pounds heavier than yourself? I can remember a story about retired Central Valley School District educator Dave Bouge, former principal at Bowdish Middle School. I remember him soldiering admirably against a kid who approached something like 400 pounds. He didn’t need moves, just laid on Bouge and eventually smashed him flat. We had a chuckle over it later, although it wasn’t a laughing matter at the time. He said he couldn’t breathe. Today, that wrestler wouldn’t be allowed to compete. As it turns out, Spokane Valley schools have been cutting edge when it comes to state upper weights success. East Valley has hogged (pardon the expression) the top weight class, beginning with Myke Miller, whose dad, Chuck, coached West Valley’s 1972 state champions and later coached at EV. Myke won the 3A title when it was still called unlimited back in 1978. More recently, Knights Justin Moody and Courtney Howard won back-to-back
4A 285-pound titles in 2001 and 2002, and Tyler Jolley, who later starred in football at Eastern Washington, took the 3A title in 2006. They were at the smaller end of the 285-pound scale. West Valley’s Chris Bastin was the Valley’s first State 3A State 285 pound titlist in 1990 (The Greater Spokane League had a winner, Rogers’ James Watkins, in 1989). Orndorff is a hybrid of athleticism and size, not to mention a product of genetics. It was ordained that Orndorff would be outstanding. His dad, Dave, was an AllAmerican wrestler and played football at Oregon State University, a tandem highly unlikely in this era of specialization. Tate was All-GSL in football last fall, his playing weight at the time listed at 270, and he was conspicuous if uncomfortable on the field, the only player on the team wearing a gold helmet, virtually all season, earned for numerous visually spectacular plays. “I didn’t like it,” the modest youngster said. “I really don’t like the attention. I told him (coach Rob Bartlett) I didn’t want it, but he really wanted me to (have) it.” Tate has committed to wrestle at his dad’s alma mater, but though he likes football, won’t be seeing double duty. He likely isn’t tall enough and, “Playing two sports in college, it’s hard to do that nowadays,” he said. Wrestling has consumed him. He finished third in state as a sophomore, won state with a perfect 38-0 record last year,
makes the summer traveling circuit, and this winter finished second in a prestigious tourney in Ohio. The Washington state tournament is in three weeks.
Rest in peace, Chris They were, arguably, the best set of athletes ever competing at the same time at University High during a span from 198283 through 1984-85. Chris Dyko, Bill Ames, Steve Ranniger and Greg Yandt were Titan football teammates and multi-sport athletes. The first three played on state-placing basketball teams. All four received Division I scholarships. Dyko and Ames became football rivals, the former as a Cougar, the latter a Husky. “We competed against each other in four Apple Cups,” Ames recalled. “Of course, he was on the offensive line and I was a tight end, so we never lined up against each other. “He was a great guy.” Dyko’s career took him from Washington State to the NFL and Canadian pro leagues. Tragically, his life was cut short at age 47 in January, struck and killed by a motorist while bicycling in Florida. You left us far too soon, Chris. Mike Vlahovich is a longtime Spokane Valley sportswriter and member of the Inland Northwest Hall of Fame Scroll of Honor.
HUB hosts Project Unify basketball, boxing championships Several kids in the HUB 360 program (below) had a chance to hear from WBO Lightweight Champion Terence Crawford when the HUB hosted the preliminary rounds of the 2015 USA Boxing National Championships Jan. 19-22. Several area high schools, including Central Valley, East Valley and U-Hi, competed in the Project Unify basketball league (a Special Olympics program) at the HUB Sports Center in January.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
OPINION
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 27
Letters to the Editor Overcrowded students ask for yes vote Every day as 8th graders we face overcrowding. Over 100 students who are supposed to go to Greenacres Middle School attend Evergreen Middle School. Many of them have to take a bus ride to and from school. They spend an hour getting to school and another hour getting home. That’s over 55 school days a year on the bus. Over the past two years, there has been an increase of 9 percent (or 54 students) at our school. We now have 707 students, and they keep on coming! In the hallways we run into each other, knocking our books all over the place. The outside traffic is congested, just like the mall at Christmas! Lockers are just as crammed as the hallways. Next year we may have to fit three students to a locker. Our building’s too small; we have four portable classrooms. Luckily, next year we are going to Central Valley High School, a way bigger school. Oh wait — they are overcrowded too. It seems Central Valley School District has a trend of overcrowding. Help take care of Evergreen Middle School by voting yes for the bond.
Kyle Thiede and Lindsey Johnson Evergreen Middle School
Seniors still have reasons to support schools My wife and I have lived in the CVSD since 1966. We have four sons, all of whom went through the school system and are now contributing members of the communities they live in due in no small part to the education they received in the Central Valley School District. I urge all voters to support the Central Valley Maintenance & Operations Levy and bond issue but specifically my fellow senior citizens. Some senior may say they have no kids in school so why should I support the schools. Quality schools enhance our economy and subsequently the value of our prop-
About the Opinion Page The Current wants to hear what’s on your mind. Interact with the opinion page with a le er to the editor (350 words or fewer), guest column (700 words or fewer; please send a mug) or via Facebook or Twi er: editor@valleycurrent.com facebook.com/valleycurrent @valleycurrent As with all content, opinion page submissions may be edited for space, style or clarity. This is a community newspaper, so be relevant to the Valley for the best chance at publica on. “In all debates, let truth be thy aim, not victory or an unjust interest. And endeavor to gain, rather than to expose, thy antagonist.” — William Penn
erty. Many of us senior citizens are considering downsizing. It is a proven fact that many new, young families purchase their homes based on the quality of the educational system in the community. The proven effectiveness of CVSD certainly has a positive impact on our home value when we consider downsizing. Realizing that there will be no increase in our annual school taxes, please join us in voting yes for the CVSD bond and M&O levy. Our collective offspring will reap the benefit of their passage.
Joe Dawson
Spokane Valley
Move community forward with vote for schools This February, Spokane Valley residents will have an opportunity to help build upon the growing prosperity of our Valley community with a yes vote for our schools. Speaking only as private citizens and long-time business owners, we have seen the value of careful spending for infrastructure development including good roads for commerce, common sense regulation and public safety priorities—-all important to encourage and entice new business, job growth and families to Spokane Valley. However, equally important infrastructure is having innovative, relevant and safe schools along with a careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Spokane Valley school districts strive for this daily. Doing ever more with less, they seek creative solutions, develop cost-effective partnerships across boundaries and repurpose old buildings over new and “make-do.” But now, the need is too great. The world is fiercely competitive, one city, one state or one region versus another. Companies select locations mindful of school districts for an educated workforce and family livability, as well as their bottom line. Please help our community move forward with yes votes for Central Valley and West Valley Schools, and for our children and our future. Thank you.
Dean and Elizabeth Grafos Spokane Valley
‘Citizens’ mislead taxpayers Duane Alton and his cronies are at it again. Hiding behind the misleading label, Citizens for Responsible Taxation, they have once again plastered the community with a last-minute flyer filled with halftruths and falsehoods in an attempt to undermine passage of the Central Valley School District’s upcoming levy and bond measures. This group has been using the same stealth tactics for years. They wait until
See LETTERS, page 28
Current Editorial
An informed voter checks the 'FACTS!' Consider the source when weighing reasonable replacement requests from CV, WV and Freeman
The yellow mailer showed up in late January, timed to land in the mailbox along with the ballots for the Feb. 10 special election. This particular piece of mail urged voters to oppose Central Valley School District's bond and levy measures. From the strategically bolded words and headlines, it purported to be full of “NEW” information and “FACTS!” It served as the latest installment in our society's sad heritage of last-minute campaign scare tactics and misinformation. It's like trying to get the final word in an argument — with your first word. Where were these “FACTS!” the past several months at the dozens of sparsely attended information sessions, meeting presentations and public forums where the ballot measures have been presented and discussed? Proponents of local school issues, and the school districts themselves, have worked tirelessly to provide information and messaging and build a case for why these measures are absolutely critical not just for future generations, but to our current economy. Mr. and Mrs. Valley Voter: Please don't be swayed by a last-minute cry of “wolf.” The yellow flyer you may have received
does not contain reliable facts intended to contribute to an informed debate. Please note, this is not to say you shouldn't independently weigh the merits of the various school district ballot requests. It's merely to say that using this yellow flyer as a tool for doing so would be a misguided approach. For one thing, the flyer continually uses the term “new” when referring to CV's bond and levy — even putting it in quotes as if to admit the semantics behind its usage. Every school measure on the local ballot is a replacement measure in the sense that the tax rates are not going up one iota. Districts must place terms on their levies, so voters can consider them again every three years or so and districts can made adjustments if and when necessary. As for Central Valley's construction bond, district leaders have emphasized repeatedly that they heard from citizens that they didn't want “new” taxes — and so this particular bond merely replaces one that is retiring off the books. Tax rates won't be going up. By voting yes, voters will merely be maintaining current tax rates — with the added bonus in the bond's case of being able to make longoverdue improvements to CVSD facilities and capacity. The flyer lists several “FACTS!” that seem to undermine the very definition of the word. Since when is “you will have to decide what areas of your budget you want to cut” a “FACT!” when a family's taxes won't be changing? How is this a “job-wrecking tax” when our local economy was built
See EDITORIAL, page 29
The Current
28 • FEBRUARY 2015
Honesty builds trust, integrity By Bryan Jarrett
CURRENT GUEST COLUMN
According to Wikipedia, honesty refers to “a facet of moral character and connotes positive and virtuous attributes such
LETTERS Continued from page 27
the ballots are schedule to arrive in voters’ mailboxes, and then they paper the community with questionable facts, misstatements and exaggerations. Their timing, by design, makes it impossible for the school district or its supporters to challenge their allegations or correct the misinformation. In contrast, the school district is required to have its information available for public perusal months before the actual vote. The backers of the group don’t identify themselves on either the material they distribute or their website; and they use addresses that are not linked to their regular residence (one year they listed the address of their vacation home which shared an address with several neighboring properties). When called out on one especially egregious statement — that a district’s levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $2,490 over two years instead of the correct amount of $249 — they issued a late and weak correction stating that is was “just an innocent mistake.” Its not hard to imagine their response if the school district understated the cost of their proposal by a factor of 10. Their website (www.taxfacs.com) states that the group is composed of the “... families of two million home-educated children” and the “... families of 5.9 million private-school-educated children.” However, Washington’s Public Disclosure Commission reports that the Alton family provides 99 percent of the organization’s funding. Nowhere on their website can you find names or contact information for any of the individuals associated with the group. The return address on their current
OPINION as integrity, truthfulness and straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct, along with the absence of lying, cheating, theft, etc.” Furthermore, honesty means being trustworthy, loyal, fair and sincere. At Partners Advocating Character Education (PACE), the definition for this month’s character trait of the month, honesty, is easily defined as “sincerity and reverence or love for the truth.” Why is honesty so important? That answer seems easy, right? Being honest is the right thing to do. We have all heard the famous Benjamin Franklin saying, “Honesty is the best policy.” By being honest in our lives, we build trustworthiness and integrity with our family, friends, co-workers, etc. We even hold ourselves accountable. In the mortgage industry, honesty is sought after in many ways. Whether it is a loan officer applying or renewing their professional licenses, or a borrower completing a loan application, there are laws and regulations to punish dishonesty. Loan officers are trained to recognize possible
dishonesty and ask questions to uncover a reason to be concerned with an applicant or not. The Federal Trade Commission implemented the Red Flags Rule which requires many businesses and organizations to implement a written Identity Theft Prevention Program designed to detect the warning signs — or red flags — of identity theft in their day-to-day operations. As a parent, honesty becomes even more important as raising children who are honest is vital to shaping their character and setting them up for success. Trust is the foundation of a strong family, and trust is built from consistent honesty. Relationships survive on each person being honest to each other. Have you ever been dishonest for personal gain only for that poor decision to come back around to bite you? These experiences in life are humbling, right? We are reminded how important being honest 100 percent of the time is as it paves the way for stronger relationships, personal and professional.
How do we do our part to build honesty in our community? That answer is easy — be honest. Support organizations that place value on educating and supporting the same. PACE is a grassroots Spokane Valley initiative to promote the importance of good character through partnerships with schools, businesses, public agencies, residents, faith-based organizations and community service groups. Working from a common list of monthly character traits, partners promote and integrate each trait into the regular activities of the organization. Consider supporting PACE by becoming a partner or friend of PACE.
flyer is a post office box on the South Hill. An internet search for either Duane Alton or Citizens for Responsible Taxation will reveal the group’s 10-year history of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in attempts to defeat school funding measure across the state. Fortunately, the vast majority of measures they have tried to torpedo have been overwhelmingly approved by citizens who saw through their shenanigans. Hopefully, Central Valley voters will do the same in this election. It’s time to man-up, Mr. Alton. If you have problems with the school district’s levy or bond requests, state them up front and in a timely way so that the school district and supporters have time to respond to your concerns and correct your misinformation. Quit hiding behind disingenuous names and addresses. Let voters make an accurately informed decision about whether or not to support the proposed measures.
security risk of portable classrooms. Our schools are an investment we must maintain in order to attract and keep a healthy business presence which, in turn, promotes strong property values. Central Valley School District has structured this bond to accomplish a great deal without raising taxes while meeting the educational needs of our children. It’s a win, win for everyone. I think back to my grandparents who voted yes for schools in their day so my mother could enjoy art and music. Likewise, my parents voted yes for levies when I was young so I could study music and journalism. In my family being a good citizen meant supporting our local schools. Even as a struggling single parent, I always voted yes for Central Valley schools, so my kids could experience band, sports, art and other activities that helped develop the whole child. Now as a grandmother, I want my grandchildren to benefit from this same rich tradition. Citizens in Central Valley have always supported our schools. We know that our schools are an anchor in our community. We take pride in the many ways our students excel whether it is in academics, sports, drama or music. From pre-K through high school, Central Valley schools keep our community vibrant and growing. Vote yes, yes for the CV Bond and Levy. Love your school this February.
District’s Bond and Levy measures, right away. Every ballot is so important — and your “yes” vote will help secure the future and safety of our great schools and learning environments for every kiddo. CVSD is responsible and committed to every child who comes through our doors, regardless of the socio-economic status the child comes from, or the disabilities or obstacles the child may face. But we need more and better facilities to serve these children responsibly and equitably. Our local economy depends on us securing safe and appropriate learning facilities for our students to continue to attract homeowners and citizens to the Spokane Valley, which helps maintain and increase home values — every homeowners’ concern. Our school board has listened to our citizens and committed to not raising the tax rate with these measures, yet we are able to make significant progress with what is quickly becoming a critical issue in our schools. Please help us secure the future of Central Valley schools and our economy; the time is critical.
Dennis Ray
Liberty Lake
Bond crucial to vitality of community As a 30-year resident of Central Valley, I am voting yes for the Central Valley Bond and Levy. These two proposals are vital if we want to maintain the economic vitality of our community. It has been 16 long years since our community passed a bond. It’s time we do so again! Today, a number of CV schools are in dire need of upgrades to make them secure, energy efficient and less crowded. Four of our schools have no interior doors to lock in case of an emergency including the school where I teach, Greenacres Elementary. Many schools have the added
Jill Moll
Teacher, Greenacres Elementary
Secure the future of CV schools I am urging all taxpayers and citizens to please return your ballot marked with a “yes” vote for Central Valley School
Bryan Jarrett came to Envoy Mortgage from the insurance profession where thousands of his clients trusted him to insure their assets. Bryan has served on numerous community boards including the EWU Eagle Athletic Association, GSI’s Education Roundtable and the International Trade Alliance. He wrote this column as part of a series highlighting the PACE trait of the month. The trait for February is “honesty.”
MJ Bolt
President, Central Valley School Board of Directors
Vote to maintain school excellence As a Central Valley graduate, resident, parent and retired employee, I have experienced educational excellence over many years. Innovative programs, quality staffing and high academic standards have distinguished Central Valley School District and established a tradition of pride and excellence.
See LETTERS, page 29
The Current
FEBRUARY 2015 • 29
OPINION
EDITORIAL
LETTERS
Continued from page 27
Continued from page 28
on the backs of great schools, yet many of their playgrounds are starting to look like a sales lot for manufactured homes (in this case, portable classrooms being installed at $300,000 a piece)? Who wants a job in a community where we are sending our kids to schools that haven't been updated in more than three decades? If our tax dollars “ALREADY fund 100 percent of all basic education for our children,” as the flyer states, wouldn't we be hurting ourselves by taking $269 million of that funding away? These are replacement taxes, remember? Voting “no” will actually take funding away from the schools. If our math is correct, that would leave us funding somewhere less than “100 percent of all basic education for our children.” No, this flyer doesn't contribute to the debate. In fact, it leaves out the fact that a passage of CV's bond will actually trigger $58 million in state construction matching funds, money that would otherwise be invested in some other Washington community's infrastructure and economy. In that sense, an affirmative vote is not only about keeping taxes the same, but saying “yes” to a massive outside investment of state money. Here at The Current, we believe that each voter is responsible to cast an informed vote. We all have different perspectives, and we respect those who vote “no” after carefully considering the request our school districts have placed before us. What we don't have patience for are lastsecond perspectives that attempt to mislead as opposed to contribute to an honest discussion of the proposals. We are guided by the great wisdom of William Penn printed regularly in the info box on this page: “In all debates, let truth be thy aim, not victory or an unjust interest, and endeavor to gain, rather than to expose, thy antagonist.” The aforementioned mailer would not make William Penn very proud, but we have already focused too many words on the latest exercise in black-on-yellow truth-twisting. This is about being properly informed. From our perspective, we have looked at the various proposals being put forward by Freeman, West Valley and Central Valley, and they have gained our support as responsible continuations of much-needed funds. Quite frankly, Central Valley's construction bond strikes us as urgently necessary given the massive growth in the district since the last bond was passed way back in a different century (1998). But let's be clear: We aren't asking you to take our word for it. We hope you will give these ballot items the sincere and honest attention they deserve. Be informed. Weigh the need, and measure it against the request. Just make sure the sources of the information you base your ultimate decision on contain facts, not “FACTS!”
Central Valley is now at a crucial point. The district is growing. Over the past 10 years Central Valley has grown by 1,700 students without building any new schools. An additional 900 students are projected in the next 5 years. Last spring the CV Facilities Planning Committee considered more than 4,000 community thoughts before developing a bond package to address our district’s most urgent needs without raising the tax rate. Community priorities were: school safety and security; children attending schools in their own neighborhoods; a practical, cost effective approach to construction; and projects that doesn’t raise the tax rate. The proposed bond package addresses all three of these community priorities. Voter approval will not raise the tax rate. Our last voter-approved 1998 high schools bonds will be paid off. Levy approval to continue school programs and operations is also crucial and will not raise tax rates. It is time to approve this bond and levy vote. We must continue our tradition of pride and excellence. Vote yes for CV schools.
An open letter to the Citizens for Responsible Taxation
Karen Toreson Liberty Lake
I am a registered and concerned voter in the Central Valley School District and not affiliated with the district in any way. I received your yellow mailer along with my ballot in the mail. Your claims were quite interesting, provocative and generated some questions in my mind. I hope you will respond with some information that will enlighten me. You obviously have data and information that the CVSD does not truly need this money. Could you please share your plan to accommodate the growth in the district and help with overcrowding? I am certain that you must have thought this through and prepared a plan for growth that will provide for a quality education that is more cost effective and will not require the busing of students from, say, Liberty Lake to the west end of the district. I feel certain you must have done a very thorough analysis of the district's budget and found numerous items that can be cut back or eliminated to free up dollars which can be allocated to more urgent needs. I feel you must have identified these items of need as well. You must have done this budget analysis in the context of maintaining a very high educational environment and kept the best interests of students in mind. Surely you have attended school board
meetings and met with district administrators to share all of the plans, data and information you have garnered. Could you please share with me what their responses were to these revelations? Did they refuse to discuss your plans, ideas and alternatives and cost-cutting ideas? I am also sure you must have attended one of the local open houses at the various schools to express your ideas. I am a huge fan of quality education. I believe that a top-notch school district is one of the life bloods of a community. A top school district attracts a quality and educated population. It also attracts businesses and encourages a better quality of life for all concerned. I actually believe a quality school district results in lower taxes in the long run by the types of individuals and businesses it attracts. By the same token, I do not want to see waste and misappropriation. I also love to see creative problem solving and involvement by people outside the system. I am certain no one would want to harm a process, organization or person on general principal without offering constructive alternatives, plans or ideas. I look forward to seeing your alternative plans, ideas and financial data. I am sure we all want quality education for our children and the community at large.
Randy Long Liberty Lake
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The Current
30 • FEBRUARY 2015
SPORTS Volume 4, Issue 2 EDITOR/PUBLISHER
Josh Johnson
GENERAL MANAGER
Tammy Kimberley
Sarah Burk
josh@valleycurrent.com tammy@valleycurrent.com GRAPHICS EDITOR
sarah@valleycurrent.com CIRCULATION Dean Byrns Mike Wiykovics
circulation@valleycurrent.com CONTRIBUTORS
Gwendolyn Haley, Craig Howard, Mary Kate Koch, Treva Lind, Valerie Putnam, Sarah Robertson, Jayne Singleton, Erik Smith, Mike Vlahovich
On the cover: Stock illustration
About
The Current 23403 E. Mission Avenue, Suite 102 Liberty Lake, WA 99019 P: 242-7752; F: 927-2190 www.valleycurrent.com
The Current is published monthly. It is distributed by or before the first of each month to drop-off locations in Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Millwood, Rockford, Otis Orchards, Newman Lake — just about anywhere that has historically been referred to as part of Spokane’s Valley.
NOTEBOOK Continued from page 25
The scoring machine Greatness is writ throughout GSL girls basketball history. Their names can be found from Division I colleges to the WNBA. But Central Valley’s Madison Hovren will likely have outscored them all by the time her career is said and done. Five times this year, Hovren has scored more than 30 points, with games of 34 and 32 against rival University. For the second straight year, her season scoring average is “hovrening” at 23 per contest. And the Bears were part of a taut three-team chase for second place in the GSL as the playoffs approach in a week. Junior Brooke Bailey is averaging 13.1 points per game and senior Emma Kennedy 10.3 for fifth-place University. East Valley girls, sixth in state last year, wrapped up first place early, unbeaten in the GNL and leading by three games. Besides the near-17.0 scoring of Hannah Burland, Jordan Phelan, Elle Burland and Skylar Bastin have been key performers. District Basketball begins for teams as early as Feb. 10.
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Wrestlers’ new season
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Wrestling is a team sport, but foremost it's about the individual, and that season begins next week with district competition. Fridays and Saturdays beginning Feb. 6 and ending at the state tournaments in Tacoma Feb. 21-22, the cream will rise to the top. Freeman coach Chad Ripke could have been speaking for all area coaches when talking about his Scotties a couple of weeks back: “To get out of league’s going to be a grind. To get outta regionals is going to be a grind.” His team has 13 seasoned seniors, seven of them state veterans, including finalist Markus Goldbach, who went 17-0 over a three-year period heading into that final match against Deer Park, which was contested after The Current's press deadline. Central Valley returns two state finalists, two-time champion Blake Beard, second place finisher Bryson Beard and state veterans Braedon Orrino and Chauncye Garrigan. This is one of the less experienced University teams in memory, with only two returning state veterans, including state champion Tate Orndorff and runnerup Cam Sorensen. But somehow, Don Owen has mentored the Titans to its accustomed spot atop the GSL and top-three finishes in four tournaments (two of them championships). EV returns three state placers among four qualifiers, including third-place Trey Meyer. WV state runner-up Jace Malek, however, is injured and doubtful.
Barlows Family Restaurant • City of Liberty Lake • Clark’s Tire and Automotive Healthy Living Liberty Lake • K9 Country Club • KiDDS Dental Liberty Lake Liberty Lake Family Dentistry • Liberty Lake Orthodontics Liberty Lube Spokane County Library District • Spokane Spine & Disc • Thrivent Financial
Index of advertisers Following are the local advertisers in this issue of The Current. Amaculate Housekeeping Avista Utilities Barlows Restaurant Casey Family Dental Central Valley Citizens for Education Central Valley Theatre Clark's Tire & Automotive Cornerstone Pentecostal Church Evergreen Fountains GraceSon Housing Foundation
13 4 13 3 3 7 3 13 17 23
K9 Country Club KiDDS Dental Kiwanis Father Daughter Dance Lakeside Holistic Health Legacy Animal Medical Center Liberty Cross Ministries Liberty Lake Family Dentistry Liberty Lake Orthodontics Northern Quest Resort & Casino Otis Orchards Community Church
5 15 8 5 13 4 5 13 32 3
Ponti Veterinary Hospital 7 Providence Health Care of Spokane 1 Side by Side Counseling Services 3 Simonds Dental Group 32 Spokane County Library District 6 Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce 10 Valley Christian School 7 Valley Hospital 11 Service Directory 23
Of note: This thank you message was produced by The Current’s advertising team, which works its tail off on behalf of partner businesses, helping them share their messages through advertisements. This is an independent function from The Current’s editorial team, which has its own evaluation process to determine the community news stories and features it pursues. For more information about a win-win partnership that expertly markets your business to thousands of readers (while making this home-grown community newspaper possible), email advertise@valleycurrent.com. With story ideas, contact editor@valleycurrent.com.
The Current
PARTING SHOTS
FEBRUARY 2015 • 31
Shoe, toilet trophies awarded during rivalry games
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERIK SMITH; FACEBOOK.COM/ERIKSMITHPHOTOGRAPHY
Students and staff from Central Valley and U-Hi battled for bragging rights during the annual Stinky Sneaker rivalry game Jan. 22 at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Area. After a night of crazy costumes, skits and cheers, Central Valley High School claimed wins in both games while University High School was awarded the coveted shoe trophy.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
West Valley photography teacher Dirk Linton shared these photos of the annual Golden Throne basketball game against East Valley on Jan. 10. During the weeks leading up to the competition, students at the two schools saw who could raise the most money for charity. West Valley won the challenge this year and gave a $2,579.97 donation to the Guild School.
The Current
32 • FEBRUARY 2015
For You And Yours ...
With Purchase of a New Patient Exam, Necessary X-rays & Recommended Cleaning. Offer expires 2/28/15.
Dr. Ross Simonds • Dr. Amanda Roper