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The Rare Who Care Homeless find refuge, kindness through Valley-based Blessings Under the Bridge. Page 12
A LESSON IN VALLEY GOVERNMENT PAGE 7
VALLEY SCHOOLS CREATE SENIOR PAGES PAGES 42-51
SUBARBAN FARM IN MILLWOOD PAGE 9
2 • JUNE 2016
The Park Bench
Court General – Champlin marches HUB to sustainable success By Craig Howard
Current Editor Those who may have been surprised at Phil Champlin’s ability to rally the HUB Sports Center from the brink of insolvency to one of the most popular recreational venues in the region have probably never heard of the Aggie Park Student Spirit Group. While an undergraduate student at the University of CaliforniaDavis, Champlin and a friend formed the student-based booster club from scratch, placing a new priority on school spirit and dedication. Like the Kennel Club at Gonzaga, the Aggies’ on-campus fan base became one of the largest and most recognized in the nation. Champlin, a native of Long Beach, CA., would go on to earn his degree in Agricultural and Managerial Economics from UC-Davis before receiving his MBA from the University of Southern California. When Champlin took over as the HUB’s third executive director in the fall of 2009, there wasn’t much cheering going on, let alone encouraging economics. The beleaguered site opened with high hopes as Sports USA in 2004 but by December 2005, had
NEWS closed its doors. The converted warehouse with four basketball courts sat silent until April 2007 when a group led by local pastor Ian Robertson revived the building with a new name – ValleyHUB. By the time Champlin was hired over two years later, the site was not exactly flourishing. Champlin took the cause to the streets, appealing to cities like Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley for support while collaborating with the Spokane Regional Sports Commission to bring in high-profile basketball, volleyball and wrestling events. The efforts paid off. In September 2010, the HUB was awarded nearly $43,000 from Spokane Valley in lodging tax funds. By that fall, selfsustainability for the venue was no longer a mirage. Last September, the HUB welcomed its one millionth visitor through the doors. The venue has become a second home to programs like AAU/Hoopfest and the YMCA as well as club soccer and volleyball teams. Activities like table tennis, badminton and pickleball have developed a following at the 67,000-square foot facility on the western fringe of Liberty Lake while random sports like dodgeball and BubbleBall also thrive here. The efforts of Champlin, his staff and the HUB board have not gone unnoticed. Last month, Visit Spokane awarded the facility its “Spirit of the Inland Northwest” distinction for the HUB’s impact on local tourism. In 2013, the Central Valley School District honored the venue with a meritorious service award for its HUB 360 program that mentors at-risk middle school students. In January, the HUB was named Nonprofit of the Year by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Champlin guides the HUB schedule throughout the year, organizing an agenda that includes high-profile tournaments and events as well as occasional appearances by local mascots like “Otto” of the Spokane Indians and “Swoop” from Eastern Washington University. Photo by Craig Howard
These days, Champlin is juggling the duties of executive director with the role of fundraiser. An ambitious capital campaign has already raised $1.8 million of a $3.9 million goal to purchase the building and establish a healthy operating reserve fund. Champlin migrated to the Inland Northwest with his wife, Jenifer, and their family in 2004 after he was promoted to vice president of operations with Skyhawks Sports Academy. Phil and Jenifer are parents to three children who can often be found at the HUB. Champlin was raised in the Sacramento area after his parents moved from Long Beach. Sports were central to Champlin as kid. He swam competitively and played soccer, basketball, baseball and volleyball growing up. He was a member of his high school volleyball team and found the sport to be his favorite. For the HUB, Champlin’s sports background, management experience and business savvy have proved to be a winning combination. The Current caught up with Champlin recently to talk about what it takes to turn a warehouse into one of the region’s favorite gathering places. Q: What did you know about the HUB when you were hired as executive director in 2009? A: I knew that the HUB group was the second ownership group in the facility. I knew that the first group wasn’t able to make it work and the HUB team was struggling to keep the business going. But like everyone involved from both groups, I could see a lot of potential and a great opportunity to fill a need in the community. Q: What were some of your first impressions of the potential of the building and programming there? A: The potential of the building was, and is, huge. It was designed and constructed very well. The amount of space and multi-use ability allowed us to dream big dreams and not say “We can’t host that event” because of a lack of flexible space. One of the things I love about HUB Sports Center is there aren’t many bad ideas about what we could provide/host within the facility. Q: Why does the community need a place like the HUB? The HUB Sports Center is such a unique facility. One of the greatest challenges for any event/activity is to have a location for it. The HUB provides that location and in a capacity where these events/ activities can grow. Spokane Valley
The Current
Phil Champlin took over as executive director of the HUB Sports Center in late 2009. The 67,000-square-foot venue on the western fringe of Liberty Lake has become a destination point for regional tournaments and events as well as local sports programming. Photo by Craig Howard and the surrounding communities don’t have many multicourt facility options that are open to the public. We’ve received numerous requests from communities in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah and California regarding our operations and facility design as they wish to have a similar facility in their community. The HUB fills a need for space to host activities that have a positive impact on youth and the community. There are so many fantastic life lessons that are learned through involvement in sports. The HUB Sports Center provides a unique blend of community programming focus alongside positive economic impact and development through its events and activities. Q: How might the HUB figure into Spokane County's current plans to expand parks and recreation options throughout the community? A: There is a proposal out regarding a ballfield project on the property to the east of the HUB. The latest proposal has eight baseball/ softball fields. This is a tremendous project that brings in community collaboration between the county, school district and cities. The (Central Valley) school district would potentially put in a middle school and have joint use of the fields. This would be in conjunction with upgrades at Plante’s Ferry Park to improve some soccer fields with turf and additional parking. This ballfield complex would be a great compliment to our indoor activities. The location “on the way to everywhere” and ease of access to the freeway make it a logical spot to build. There is a huge need
See CHAMPLIN, Page 3
The Current
CHAMPLIN
Continued from page 2 for more outdoor space for soccer, football, lacrosse, rugby, softball and baseball. This facility and the improvements to Plante’s Ferry help address this need. Q: How would you explain the popularity of a sport that has found a home at the HUB – BubbleBall? A: BubbleBall is the best game not many have heard about. It’s a combination of football and soccer. You are in the middle of a bubble with your legs/feet out so you can run and kick the soccer ball. We added a giant soccer ball for more game play and activity. If you like physical comedy, it’s a great game to watch and play. It has been a great additional activity for us. Birthday parties, team building exercises are especially popular. We recently engaged community organizations and set the world record for the longest continuous game at just under seven hours. Q: Have you seen communities of participants – whether it be for 3-on-3 basketball, pickleball or classes like yoga -- forming at the HUB over the years? A: The largest community that’s developed is the pickleball group. We’ve grown from a three-day per week program to four days a week and two nights. Recently, we’ve added sessions for advanced play and ladies only as well as a monthly clinic for beginners. Folks from this group have formed the North Idaho Pickleball Association and one couple brought pickleball to Costa Rica. There’s a couple basketball groups that come play on a regular basis. One group of friends that plays late once a week. The other group gets together for a lunchtime drop in play. Other small communities that have cropped up are the Zumba group, a badminton club, table tennis (which has now moved to a new location), Liberty Lake Fit Club (exercise group) and Farang Mu Sul a martial arts group. These groups/communities meet year round. Q: Tell us about your capital campaign and what needs to happen for it to be a success. A: We have an amazing opportunity to ensure the HUB Sports Center remains an essential and important part of our community through a capital campaign to purchase the building. This campaign will ensure the HUB remains a safe place for youth of this region for generations to come. A place to learn life lessons, skills
JUNE 2016 • 3
and to build the work ethic that creates a solid foundation towards becoming a promising community member. The campaign is for $3.9 million; $3.2 million is to purchase the facility, all the assets inside and the 8.5 acres we currently occupy. The other $700,000 will go towards an operating reserve fund to provide the HUB funding to continue to move forward with our current and new outreach initiatives. The $3.2 million is due by the end of 2016. The $3.2 million will be paid to the Inland Northwest Community Foundation and into a benevolent fund which will be reallocated back into the community for the benefit of youth. Options are available for naming opportunities within the facility (courts, studios, etc.). Contributions are tax deductible as we are a 501c(3)nonprofit. We have currently raised over $1.8 million dollars toward our goal. Q: How would you characterize community support for the HUB, both in terms of general buy-in for events and programming as well as the larger effort to secure the venue's long-term sustainability? A: Community support for the HUB has continued to grow as we’ve proven ourselves and this concept. There were many that didn’t believe that this facility would make it. We are a private nonprofit organization and have been self-sufficient since October of 2010. Our operating expenses are covered by a combination of rental/ program revenue, advertising sponsorships and grants. The majority of the donations received the last couple years have gone to expanding our outreach and programs for the community. The HUB is recognized as a valuable resource for the community and sought out as an event venue for a variety of activities and uses. Q: On a lighter note, you've had most of the area's wellknown mascots out to the HUB for events of one kind or another. If you could go from HUB executive director to being any full-time mascot, who would it be and why? A: We have some great mascots around the area from the schools to the local sports teams. That’s a tough question. I think I would go with (Spokane Indians’ mascot) Otto. We have a few things in common. Otto is a fantastic ambassador for his organization, enjoys making people smile and have a great activity experience and helping host events that benefit the community. I like his personality and zaniness. I will have to work on my dance moves though.
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The Current
4 • JUNE 2016
Renovation of Ponderosa Elementary transitions to new school By Treva Lind
Current Correspondent A project to update Ponderosa Elementary now has a new strategy to construct a building from the ground up in the pattern of the Liberty Creek school being built in Liberty Lake. Constructing a Ponderosa facility instead of updating and expanding the old school will save time and money, Central Valley School District Superintendent Ben Small said. In February 2015, voters approved the district’s $121.9 million construction bond to update several schools, including Ponderosa. After holding two community meetings on April 21 and May 5 to receive public input about the proposal, the district is moving forward with a full replacement of
Ponderosa Elementary School, built in 1979, was originally slated for a renovation project but will now be reconstructed from the ground up, according to a revised plan announced recently by the Central Valley School District. The project will mean $1.4 million in savings over the first project and feature a faster timeline for construction. Photo by Treva Lind the structure by building on the school grounds to the east. The school, built in 1979, is located at 10105 E. Cimmaron Drive in the Spokane Valley’s vast Ponderosa
neighborhood. Using a slightly modified Liberty Creek architectural layout to build Ponderosa will save about $1.4 million, from an original estimated
cost of $18.5 million to modernize and expand the school, Small said. Ponderosa’s project is expected
See PONDEROSA, Page 5
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The Current
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PONDEROSA
bus to a location outside of their neighborhood to a temporary facility.
to go out for construction bids in November allowing the new school to open to students in spring 2018. An original projection for full-scale renovation and expansion of the existing building was estimated to start September 2017 and open December 2018.
Constructing the new school near the current building temporarily will reduce playground space until the older structure can be torn down, according to the district.
Continued from page 4
“We don’t take lightly any changes that we make to plans that have already been communicated to our community,” Small said. “However, in this case, it was in the best interest of the community and taxpayers to make these changes. Being able to build a new school instead of renovating, saving roughly $1.4 million in costs, completing this safer new learning environment for our students earlier than planned and allowing the students to stay in their current school during construction? That’s an opportunity that we just couldn’t ignore.” The change allows students to remain in their school while construction occurs in a secured onsite area, rather than an original plan of them having to take a
Meanwhile, the 73,000-squarefoot Liberty Creek Elementary for kindergarten through second grade is expected to open in time for the 2017-18 school year. That facility, designed to hold about 620 students, is across a field and a short distance from Liberty Lake Elementary, which will transition to grades 3-5 once the new K-2 school is opened. Under its construction bond, CVSD rolled out a schedule of building projects for major upgrades at schools and renovation of a former Yoke’s into a now opened facility for early education students and Mica Peak High School, formerly Barker High School. The district’s other projects in addition to Ponderosa and Liberty Creek include updates for Evergreen Middle School and for the elementary schools Greenacres, Chester, Sunrise and Opportunity.
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The Current
6 • JUNE 2016
Valley Council names Calhoun acting city manager
Spokane Valley City Council approved a motion during their May 17 meeting designating Mark Calhoun as the acting city manager effective May 18. He will carry out the duties of the city manager until a permanent city manager is selected, or until November 18, 2016, whichever comes first. Calhoun replaces Mike Jackson who resigned as city manager on April 27 after the City Council majority requested his resignation at an antagonistic Feb. 23 council meeting. Dean Grafos, Chuck Hafner and Bill Gothmann of the council opposed the move. A number of Spokane Valley residents also spoke out against the majority’s decision at the meeting. Jackson began working for the city in 2003 as Parks and Recreation director. He was promoted to deputy city manager in 2007 and was named acting city manager in January 2010. In August of that year, he was hired as full-time city manager. After two months of deliberations, debate and negotiations, Spokane Valley reached a settlement of $411,115.56 with Jackson on April 26. The amount includes one year of full pay and benefits and a half year of pay only. Grafos and Hafner have resigned from City Council in the wake of the city manager scenario, citing an inability of the council majority to collaborate. Calhoun joined the city as finance director in June of 2011. He was promoted to deputy city manager in August of 2014. A graduate of the University of Montana, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Accounting and Finance. Including his service for the city of Spokane Valley, he has 28 years of municipal experience.
Spokane Valley moves ahead with contract for City Hall By Mary Anne Ruddis Current Correspondent
The city of Spokane Valley has moved one step closer to a new home. At its May 3 meeting, the City Council officially awarded the construction contract for the permanent City Hall building to Meridian Construction of Spokane Valley with a low bid of $10,590,315. A total of nine responsive bids were received. To date, the cost for the project is just over $14 million. Included in the total is $1,160,800 for purchase of a 3.8-acre site at the southeast corner of Sprague and Dartmouth at the old U-City location, architectural and design services, and associated sales tax. This is approximately $250,000 less than the $14.4 million originally set for the project two years ago. The city has $6.3 million set aside and will borrow the additional $7.8 million through limited tax general obligation bond proceeds to be repaid over a 30-year period. Construction on the new facility is expected to break ground in late May or early June. Spokane Valley City Hall will be constructed on a 3.38-acre site at the southeast corner of Sprague and Dartmouth. The 65,172 square foot facility includes three above-grade floors as well as a full basement. The total project cost includes the construction contract and related sales tax, land acquisition, design, and a variety of other related services and furnishings and is below the $14.4 originally budgeted, according to city spokesperson Carolbelle Branch. It's expected that the annual repayment amount will be similar to the $434,600 annual cost currently paid by the city to lease space for city operations in Redwood Plaza at 11707 E. Sprague Avenue, Branch added. In a separate motion, the council authorized up to $100,000 for removal of existing power poles and placement of underground power lines on the site. Comp Plan update Also on May 3, the City Council and
Meridian Construction has been selected as the contractor for the new Spokane Valley City Hall. The building (depicted in the rendering above) will cover over 65,000 square feet on a 3.38-acre site. Contributed Photo planning commission participated in a joint session for an interactive discussion concerning land use alternatives, goals and policies for the Comprehensive Plan update. The project started in November 2014 and must be completed prior to June 30, 2017. Although the plan is amended annually, a detailed analysis is required every eight years to comply with the Growth Management Act (GMA). The interactive discussions, which included previously gathered input from the community, were led by Economic Development Coordinator Mike Basinger. Basinger explained that although the Comprehensive Plan must meet the GMA requirements, the purpose of the joint meeting was to receive guidance and direction from the members on the vision for the future and the growth of the city over the next 20 years. Discussion groups were led by Basinger and city consultants Doug McIntyre and Van Ness Feldman and Elliot Weiss of Community Attributes, Inc. The information will help the staff and consultant team refine the land use alternatives and the goals and policy focus areas to move the city forward. The May 10 City Council meeting quickly moved to public comments after council members reported on their recent activities and meetings attended. There were two public comment sessions. Some public comments seemed overshadowed by the ongoing controversies broiling through the city. Public with:
comments
opened
• Katherine Morgan from the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce urging the city to continue to support and promote the “Big 5” initiative. The Big 5 is
a community engagement effort launched by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce and implemented in partnership with Thought Exchange to identify and drive community-wide initiatives that stimulate community vitality and nurture economic prosperity for the greater Spokane Valley region. The five identified areas are greater outdoors, greater goods, greater learning, greater cures, and greater vision. • The parking of oversized commercial vehicles on residential streets was re-introduced to the council. The issue was brought before the council in May 2012 and an administrative report was prepared but the council took no action. The council was encouraged to revisit this safety issue. Surrounding cities have bans on vehicles over one ton being parked on residential streets because they impair clear lines of sight and cause safety concerns. • Dean Grafos, who recently stepped down from City Council over disagreements with the council majority spoke out on what he alleged to be a misdirection of funds by the city council: “In 2012 the city of Spokane Valley, a member of the CDGB block grant program, submitted a funding request for two street improvement projects in the amount of $459,000,” Grafos said. “After discussion and action by the council, the amount of money received by the city was reduced to only $115,000. Then by direction, Rockford received $184,000 and the Carnhope Water District, $69,000. This was in 2012. In 2016, the advisory board met to allocate funding for 2016. Spokane Valley had submitted the
See COUNCIL RECAP, Page 8
The Current
JUNE 2016 • 7
Spokane Valley’s form of government works for citizens By Bill Gothmann
the oldest governmental forms.
Cities like Spokane Valley are taking advantage of the CouncilCity Manager form of government to reduce costs and increase the quality of city services to all of us.
• The third form of government is the commission form, such as used by Spokane County. Commissioners do double duty, performing both the legislative function and the administration function. That is, they pass ordinances and they also supervise the functions of county government.
There are three basic forms of governments commonly used within the U.S.: • The Council-Manager form of government uses an elected City Council which acts as the legislative body, passing laws and resolutions. They then hire a professional city manager who carries out the day to day administrative operations of government by executing the laws and resolutions passed by the council. This is Spokane Valley’s form of government. • This contrasts with the Mayor-Council form of government such as that used in Spokane and Liberty Lake. Its form is based upon our federal model with the mayor heading the executive branch and the council being the legislative branch. This is one of
Some advantages of the council-manager form are: • It separates the political function from the administrative function. For example, a council member is not allowed to give assignments to city staff to further his/her own pet project. This greatly reduces politicizing such items as zoning, permits, service requests and law enforcement actions. • This form is based upon the same management form that private companies employ: a board of directors who then hire a professional manager to
form where a new administrative leader (the mayor) can ordinarily be chosen only at the end of his/ her term. Because his/her job is on the line, the manager is more sensitive to council wishes and less sensitive to just one council member’s agenda. The majority of the council has to agree on tasks given to the administration. History form
Bill Gothmann run the firm. Many people want the government to be run like a business and this model comes closest to that wish. • By employing a professional manager, the administration can increase efficiency while maintaining a high level of service. The manager is not a neophyte as an elected official might be. Appointed managers can be fired by a majority of the council, consistent with local laws, or any employment agreements they may enter into with the council. This contrasts with the Mayor-Council
of
Council-Manager
The Council-Manager form of government is fairly recent. The first American city using the form was Staunton, Virginia in 1908. Some large cities presently using this form are: Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, San Jose and Austin. In Washington State between 1970 and the present, 16 cities incorporated using the Council-Manager form of government (three of which later converted to the Mayor-Council form) and one incorporated using the Mayor-Council form. In addition, 22 existing cities changed to the Council-Manager form while 11 changed to the Mayor-Council
See GOVERNMENT, Page 10
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The Current
8 • JUNE 2016
Valley Chamber
HIGHLIGHTS
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20th annual golf tournament
Discover The BIG 5
Thursday, August 4 • 1 p.m. Shotgun Start MeadowWood Golf Course A unique opportunity to network with other business professionals in a fun and relaxed setting. Get out there and play golf with the Spokane Valley Chamber:
• Sponsor a tee or green and join the fun! • Join a team — invite your clients or your competitors for a memorable day on the golf course!
Visit the BIG 5 tab at spokanevalleychamber.org
For more information or to sign up, visit: spokanevalleychamber.org (Calendar tab). THANK YOU, MAJOR SPONSORS:
UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS
» June 17, 7-9 a.m. – Business Connections Breakfast
CenterPlace, 2426 N Discovery Pl. Speaker: Shann Ray Ferch, author and Professor of Leadership Studies, Gonzaga University
» July 15, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. – Business Connections Lunch Spokane Valley Event Center, 10514 E Sprague Ave.
» August 4 – Annual Golf Tournament MeadowWood Golf Course For more details, visit the Calendar tab at spokanevalleychamber.org
COUNCIL RECAP Continued from page 6
Blake Street project…and received funding approval for $270,000. A council member disagreed with the decision to fund $270,000 and led a discussion that resulted in funding for 2016 for the Spokane Valley project reduced to nothing. Thus, the total funds from 2012 and 2016 for Spokane Valley that were redirected from Spokane Valley was $551,000. Rockford received $408,000 and Carnhope Water District $142,000 and our city of over 90,000 people with many needs received the paltry sum of $115,000 for those two years,” Grafos continued. “That council representative is Deputy Mayor Arne Woodard and the Carnhope Water District chairman of the board is his fellow Council Man Sam Wood. On tonight’s agenda is an item on the limited availability of these federal funds. That being said, our citizens of all ages and impairments will continue to have to walk in the street at their own peril. I find it outrageous that this funding was given away… with a statement that it can easily be replaced anytime with a tax on our wealthier community. It’s insulting and it smacks of cronyism and corruption.” • Next up, stating past police problems, the issue of the need to create a public oversight committee was raised to address problems with any future police conduct. Another citizen spoke out to support dissolving the contract with the county sheriff. Other concerns urged the council not to cut funding for public safety. • Concerns were brought up about how decisions are being made on the City Council citing specifically the process that resulted in justifying an independent city hall. After the first public comment
This preceded the second session of public comments. Since Gothmann’s motion died and was not an action item, public comments concerning the motion were allowed. • Marc Mimms encouraged the council to vote for an independent investigation. He said the firing of Jackson and the “settlement requiring Mr. Jackson’s silence does not inspire confidence and would lead any reasonable person to conclude that there was wrongdoing by council participation,” Mimms stated. “Nearly a halfmillion of our tax revenue was spent to cover up bad judgment and errors.” Mimms further encouraged the council to authorize an independent investigation so that Spokane Valley residents can have answers to address the appearance of a cover-up. Trust needs to be restored and elected officials must be accountable, Mimms concluded. • Grafos spoke again and asked the question, “What do we have to hide? I think citizens deserve [an explanation] on how this happened.” • One speaker compared the council’s decision to fire Jackson, approve a large settlement and then deny an independent investigation to her insurance company agreeing to settle a car accident claim rather than fight it. She claimed to not be at fault and the insurance company chose expediency over getting to the truth of the matter.
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section, the council heard a motion read by Council Member Bill Gothmann calling for an independent investigation concerning the firing of City Manager Mike Jackson. Three specific investigative points were listed, starting with an appeal to investigate advance notice to the public about the meeting. Secondly, the legal sufficiency of notice given and lastly, the illegal meeting of three of four council members. The motion was not seconded and died.
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The Current
JUNE 2016 • 9
Millwood Farmers Market opens season with new features
them, the music selection is an eclectic mix of classic pop, bluegrass, gospel and something described as “electro-acoustic world fusion” music. Information on the 2016 music lineup can be found on market’s website at www. millwoodfarmersmar.wix.com. The website is brand new and aimed at promoting the market, which never advertised in the past. The Kings are changing that, getting out the word about the market whenever possible, including on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ MillwoodFarmersMarket.
Staci Lehman
Current Correspondent The Millwood Farmers Market is now open and ready for its biggest season yet. The market’s first day was May 18. The venue will be open from 3 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday through Sept. 28. Located at 8910 E. Dalton Street, the market provides the community with fresh local produce, handmade artisan goods and the opportunity for education and interaction with local growers, artists and crafters. The market has around 25 vendors, all selling something different. Besides staples such as vegetables, herbs, local honey and beekeeping supplies, grassfed beef, and organic poultry and eggs, the market is welcoming some new vendors this year. Bakery Bellacrosta joins the lineup with artisan breads, pastries and desserts and an herbalist will be on hand to advise on the use of plants and other natural substances to improve health and promote healing. Items such as homemade skin care products, candy, hand crafted leather and jams are also available. Besides vendors, there are other new aspects to the Millwood Farmers Market as well. “We’re going to do a big to-do for National Farmer’s Market week on August 3,” said Teri King, who manages the market with her husband Bill. “There will be face painters and a fire truck.” King said other entertainment is also in the works for that week and the market’s board is always looking for new ideas to keep things fresh. “Every year we try to do something to make a better market, to make it stronger,” she said. Last year, local market organizers worked with the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (a program that provides grant money to low-income seniors to purchase fresh food) to create the local “Fresh Bucks” program. Partnering with Catholic Charities of Spokane,
The Millwood Farmers Market, founded in 2007, opened its 10th year on May 18. The site on Dalton Street features locally grown produce, handcrafted items, artisan breads and more. Contributed photo Fresh Bucks uses a token system that lets patrons maximize their EBT funds. For every $5 the customer spends on their EBT card at the Millwood Farmers Market, they receive an extra $2 to be used at certain food booths. Millwood’s market isn’t just for adults. Young people are encouraged to participate in market events and programs as well. Each year a contest is held for students in the West Valley School District to make posters promoting the market. There is even one very young vendor. Fifteen-yearold Daniel Dion, who goes by the business name “Farmer Dan,” works with his parents to sell tomato and pepper starts at his market booth. “Mom and I do most of it and dad helps with carrying stuff around and setting up lights,” Daniel said. Daniel puts a lot of time into preparing for the market, spending half an hour each night watering and eight to twelve hours at a time when transplanting is required. He’s not getting rich from the work but enjoys it. “It kind of helps to pay for the hobby,” he said of his farmer’s market earnings. Daniel isn’t just learning to grow things, he’s preparing for his future. Despite being in just ninth grade, he already knows he wants a career in agriculture when he gets older, although he isn’t exactly sure in what respect.
The market also helps other locals pursue their interests and hobbies. King already has 12 local musicians lined up to play at the market this summer. Between
Despite Teri King being a nonpaid volunteer, both she and Bill have put a lot of effort into making the market successful. Community partners have helped also, with the Millwood Presbyterian Church, West Valley School District, the city of Millwood, Hutton House Settlement and the Inland Empire Paper Company also contributing to the market’s success. Even if food shopping isn’t on your to-do list, Millwood Farmers Market organizers encourage you to join the community on Wednesday evenings this summer to browse, eat, listen to music, and meet your neighbors.
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10 • JUNE 2016
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GOVERNMENT
Continued from page 7 form. Many of the older cities within the state retain the MayorCouncil form. Thus, in recent years, the Council-Manager form has become very popular. Contrast with Mayor-Council form There is a significant contrast in duties of the mayors within the Council-Manager form and the Mayor-Council form. In the Council-Manager form, the mayor is one of the council members and is selected by the council. He/ she is the ceremonial head of the city and the chair of the council. However, the mayor has no more authority than that of other council members. Mayor Rod Higgens serves in this capacity in Spokane Valley. In the Mayor-Council form of government, however, the mayor heads the administrative branch of government. Thus, he/ she has considerable authority. Mayor David Condon of the city of Spokane, for example, is in charge of all city of Spokane employees. Note that if the head of Spokane’s administration wants to meet with the head of Spokane Valley’s administration, this would be Mayor Condon meeting with the Spokane Valley city manager (not the mayor). Council constraints
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Because of the separation of political and administrative functions in the Council-Manager form of government, there are a number of constraints placed on the public and the council members. Although council authorizes each of the staff positions, it has no authority over any of the staff except for the city manager. They cannot hire, fire, evaluate, or discipline any employee, except the manager. Only the manager has authority over staff members. Council members do not have the authority to give work tasks to city employees. Council members can, however, ask the manager to accomplish a work task. In fact, if council members pester employees too often, the manager can insist that all communications with staff go through him/her. Council members do have the same authority as any citizen to request information or service from the administration through proper channels. One weekend, I reported a bee nest on a park slide to our manager and Senske, our
contractor, had the problem solved within two hours. Note that I respected the manager’s authority and did not report the incident to the Parks director, but to the manager. At a recent council meeting, a Spokane Valley council member asked to sit in on the evaluation of contract proposals. It was pointed out that this violates the separation of political and administration and could lead to charges of improper council influence. Thus, he withdrew his request. Council’s duties are to approve what supplies/skills we are seeking. It is up to administration to issue the request for proposal, evaluate the applications and select the final applicant. Council can then award or reject the contract. Requesting service I have also heard members of the public seek this or that service. If the service already exists, then the public needs to go to the administration and ask for the service. For example, if the snow plows are not doing their jobs, then it is only the administration that can make sure it is accomplished. If, however, the public is seeking to add a service not yet authorized by the council, then council has to approve the service. Once this is done, the administration will carry out the service. Spokane Valley has on its website a Citizen Action Request online Entry System (CARES) system whereby you can request any of a number of services from the city. To do so, go to www.spokanevalley.org, click on “Departments” or “Services” tabs and “Report a Problem.” You can also call the phone receptionist at 921-1000 during work hours, where you will get a real, live person. The receptionist can help you obtain the city service you are requesting. There may also be times when you may need city service after hours. If it is an emergency requiring immediate attention, call 9-1-1. If immediacy is not required, call Crime Check at 456-2233. Council members are also here to serve you, so feel free to contact them. I had a citizen report a water leak in the street to me after hours. I reported it to the manager, helped him figure out that it was probably a fresh water leak, and then he contacted the water district to make the repair. The city stands to serve its citizens, by both its CouncilManager form of government and its commitment to its citizens. One way or the other, we are all here to serve you.
The Current
JUNE 2016 • 11
Spokane Valley Fire Department report
Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to a total of 1,164 emergency calls from April 22 through May 18. Highlights include: • Condo Fire – April 24 – SVFD units responded to a reported structure fire at U-City Manor condominiums at 221 N. Raymond Road just after 7 p.m. Heavy black smoke was coming out of an upstairs window when crews arrived. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze. One resident was home at the time the fire started in a bedroom and escaped with a cat. Firefighters rescued a second cat and administered oxygen to the animal. No injuries were reported. The smoke alarm in the condo was not functional at the time of the fire. Investigators determined the cause of the fire to be improper storage of a mattress too close to a heating unit. Damage was estimated at $10,500. • Service Call – April 25 – A man and his wife became stuck behind a malfunctioning entrance gate of the mobile home park at 7800 E. Alki Avenue shortly after 6 p.m. SVFD crews responded and held the gate away from the couple’s truck so they could safely drive away. • Electrical Fire – April 27 – Shortly before 4:45 a.m., SVFD crews responded to a reported fire in the 10400 block of East 24th Avenue. Crews arrived at the single family home to find a small, smoldering fire on the exterior of the home next to the front door. They quickly extinguished the fire and checked to make sure it had not spread into the home. The resident awoke to the smell of smoke and escaped with two dogs. There were no working smoke detectors in the home so crews installed detectors before departure. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was determined to be faulty wiring. SVFD offers free smoke alarms and carbon monoxide to residents. • Motor Vehicle Accident – May 1 – SVFD crews responded to a motorcycle-bicycle crash in the 5200 block of North Darin Road shortly after 4 p.m. Crews treated the patient they found lying in the middle of the road. The patient was a passenger on the motorcycle. Witnesses said the motorcycle was traveling north on Darin Road and a child on a bicycle was traveling south. The child attempted to turn left into his driveway in front of the motorcycle and their front tires collided. The child sustained minor cuts and bruising.
• House Fire – May 1 – SVFD crews responded to a reported residential structure fire at 4905 E. Eighth Ave. shortly before 6 p.m. On arrival, crews found a fire on the back deck extending into the attic of the two-story residence. The homeowner and dog escaped unharmed. The cause of the fire is believed to have been a minirefrigerator that was plugged in on the back deck. The base of the refrigerator was clogged with debris that prevented the compressor from venting and cooling. This caused heat to build up and ignite the debris around the compressor. Damage was estimated at $72,000. • Illegal Burning – May 3 – SVFD crews responded to a report of unauthorized burning in the 1300 block of South Marigold Road at 9:20 a.m. Crews arrived to find the homeowner burning a tree stump leftover from the November windstorm and extinguished the fire. It is illegal to burn any type of yard waste in the SVFD service area. • Service Call – May 10 - SVFD crews assisted a mother in gaining access to her car in the 11700 block of East Boone Avenue just before 3 p.m. The woman’s 2-yearold was locked inside the car, which was not running. Crews quickly gained access and the child was unharmed. • Extrication – May 16 – Shortly before 5:30 p.m., a two-vehicle high speed “T-bone” crash in the
center lane of Trent trapped one driver and shut down traffic in both directions. The crash happened outside SCRAPS at 6815 E. Trent. SVFD crews worked to extricate the driver and treat both drivers before they were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. June is National CPR Month – Did you know that about 80 percent of all heart attacks occur at home? And a heart attack victim is three times more likely to survive when a bystander starts CPR immediately? Spokane Valley Fire Department is working this month to educate our community that CPR is hands-only (no more mouth-to-mouth) and has never been easier. Enroll in a free Family CPR Class taught by SVFD firefighters. It takes just two hours to learn how to save a life. Call 928-1700 to register today. Contact the same number to learn about the Pulse Point app which alerts those trained in CPR when a cardiac crisis is happening in their vicinity. South Valley Fire Station #9 Open House – June 11 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.– SVFD invites the community to join us for free family fun at South Valley Station #9, 12121 E. 32nd Ave. Watch a live fire safety demonstration, try out radios and other firefighter gear, tour the fire station, take pictures and enjoy tasty treats. Visit www. spokanevalleyfire.com for more information.
By the numbers: • Fires*=67 • Emergency Medical Services = 921 • Rescue Task Force = 1 • Hazardous Materials = 11 • Motor Vehicle Accidents = 83 • Extrication = 4 • Water Rescue = 3 • Building Alarms = 55 • Service Calls = 19 *Brush, commercial, residential, rubbish, vehicle and unauthorized burning Spokane Valley Fire Department serves the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Millwood and unincorporated areas of Spokane County including the communities of Otis Orchards, Pasadena Park and the area surrounding Liberty Lake, with a combined population of 125,000 across approximately 75 square miles. SVFD firefighters and paramedics responded to more than 15,800 emergency calls in 2015. Established in 1940, the Department operates 10 stations providing fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials response, swift water rescue, fire investigation, fire prevention, commercial property inspection, CPR and fire safety training. For more information, call 928-1700 or visit www.spokanevalleyfire.com.
12 • JUNE 2016
COVER STORY
The Hope Squad – Blessings Under the Bridge delivers light to those in the shadows
coats, blankets and other warmweather gear were being delivered along with the food. A Christmas event was organized with businesses in Liberty Lake supporting the cause. In just a few months, 400 people had been served and Blessings Under
By Craig Howard Current Editor It’s been almost a decade since Jessica Kovac piled 40 sack lunches into her SUV and drove from Liberty Lake into downtown Spokane to seek out the homeless. It was unseasonably cold in October 2007 and Kovac remembers bundling up against the autumn chill that Saturday. She had converted her tips from waiting tables at Hay J’s Bistro into bread, sliced meats, chips and a case of bottled water. The result was a collection of meals packaged in what would later become known as the “Blessed Brown Bag.” “I walked and drove around the
first few weeks looking and serving,” Kovac recalls. “I felt called to serve the homeless.” After a month of delivering food and encouragement to a community forgotten by most, Jessica convinced her husband, Mike, to join her on the weekly missions. They would eventually find the majority of those they served under an I-90 overpass. The austere location soon become the unofficial home of a unique outdoor diner that offered equal servings of hope and nutrition. As a harsh winter descended, the couple found support from friends and customers at Hay J’s who stepped up with donations. Soon,
Mike and Jessica Kovac are cofounders of Blessings Under the Bridge, a nonprofit based in Spokane Valley that provides resources and encouragement to homeless residents. The effort has been featured on the Rachel Ray Show, in People magazine and in a Ted Talk. Photo by Craig Howard
Spokane Valley youngster scales challenges, delivers change
trek to the region’s most thorough medical care meant a long drive from their home in Montana. Just a few blocks from Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, Blessings Under the Bridge was hosting its weekly meal gathering and Violet figured they could use some help. Her best friend, Adeline Huffmanparent, had already been volunteering there with her mother, Dorothy.
By Craig Howard Current Editor
It had been another depleting visit to the doctor for Ryan and Elizabeth Stunden and their daughter, Violet. Coping with chronic immune and stomach issues as well as a heart condition, Violet would again be preparing for surgery. Yet while her parents were swept up in discouragement, Violet was noticing the people in tattered clothes and taped shoes, carrying cardboard signs on a street corner in downtown Spokane. “We were leaving the hospital and just really stressed out as parents,” Ryan said. “First thing Violet saw coming off the Division Street exit were these people. She wasn’t concerned for herself as much as them. She wanted to get them a hamburger.” With lunch delivered, the family’s perspective shifted. “After that horrible visit, we were just lamenting in the car, thinking life is horrible and then that happened,” Elizabeth said. “Suddenly, we were thinking about others instead of feeling bitter.” Before the Stundens moved to Spokane Valley in 2014, the
“I think it’s really sad that these people don’t have any homes or much else,” Violet said. “We’re trying to help them. I think it’s nicer to help other people, to help people that don’t have the things we have. It makes me feel happy because I’m helping them. They’re very thankful.” One year, as Adeline’s birthday approached, she and Violet began talking about hosting her party at the meal site under the I-90 overpass. When Violet became sick and needed an operation, the idea took a different turn. “Instead, it was like, ‘What if we have a fundraiser while you’re at the hospital?’” said Elizabeth. “We’ll serve food when you get better.” Violet’s friends and family held a yard sale, made T-shirts and generated money and awareness for the cause. When Violet’s condition improved, the process of fundraising and bargain shopping for snacks and hygiene items turned into a regular campaign on behalf of the homeless. “We bring whatever we can, clothes, hygiene items,” Elizabeth said. “Something like shampoo or
toothpaste can really make them feel better. The homeless people we meet, they just feel ignored. You don’t need to have a lot of money or time. All they want is just to be treated like fellow humans, that’s it. That little bit of compassion goes so far.” Violet and Adeline were recently honored by the Chase Youth Commission as recipients of the Community Involvement award in the elementary school category. Jessica Kovac, founder of Blessings Under the Bridge, said the best friends have been “amazing examples of helping others.” “They’ve made such a difference,” Jessica said. “They’re really just so dedicated and so kind. You look at what they’ve done and they’ve donated more than a lot of rich grown-ups. I’m honored to see what they both become when they grow up.” Violet’s siblings, Griffin and Avery, also pitch in each Wednesday. Ryan said the experience has helped the entire family see beyond common misperceptions of the homeless. “I feel like everyone benefits from getting out there and helping
The Current
the Bridge was officially on the local nonprofit map. “I never knew or thought that one Saturday would lead to a full-fledged nonprofit,” Jessica said. “I never pictured this would be my job. I now serve tables under a bridge. This is about the respect we have for the homeless. We want to treat them with dignity.” The winters are especially rigorous for those without a home. Some find refuge in shelters, others curl up in the wedge of a bridge and hope for the best. “It’s heart-wrenching to think that people are out dealing with this kind of weather,” Mike says. Items that most take for granted are highly prized. “Socks are like gold to them,” Jessica said. “The main thing is just trying to keep their head and feet as
See BUTB, Page 13 these people,” he said. “You’re putting a face on a group of people that usually doesn’t get seen. Violet got us motivated to help these people. It doesn’t take a lot of money. A little bit of ingenuity and you could get stuff for really good deals whether it’s with coupons or finding someone who will donate something. You can pull yourself away from your PlayStation or your iPad for a few hours once a week or even once a month and get out there and help.” While Violet’s health has stabilized recently, she may require a kidney transplant at some point. In the meantime, the Stundens will continue to have an impact at their benevolent booth down the road from the hospital. “It’s turned into such a cool thing,” said Elizabeth. “I think if every person cared as much as Violet cared, every single problem in the world today, and there are a lot of them, would be healed and no one would suffer any more if people just cared more about each other.”
Violet Stunden sets up a booth at the Blessings Under the Bridge meal site in downtown Spokane with her family each week, handing out snacks and other items to the homeless. Just up the hill from the I-90 overpass, Violet has been treated for several chronic conditions at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. Photo by Craig Howard
The Current
COVER STORY
Valley family finds home serving homeless
Blessings Under the Bridge provides food, clothing, blankets and other items to homeless and low-income residents each Wednesday at the I-90 freeway overpass on the fringe of downtown Spokane. Between 300 to 400 people gather at the meal site each week. Contributed Photo
BUTB
Continued from page 12 warm as possible.” The charitable sidelight has become a weekly happening for the Kovacs and their crew of helpers. Every Wednesday, Mike and Jessica are joined by dozens of volunteers as they serve an average of 300 to 400 people under the I-90 overpass at Fourth Avenue and McClellan on the southern fringe of downtown Spokane. Along with a warm meal and coffee, stations offer clothing, haircuts, blankets, hygiene items and information from local resources. A four-week summer event, scheduled for every Wednesday from June 29 through July 20 will add live music, a barbecue-style meal, school supplies and more. “It’s consistent, it’s become a gathering, an event,” said Bob Peeler, who originated the SNAP Homeless Services program in 1987 and is recognized as a trusted guru by those on the street. “Blessings Under the Bridge is giving these people something to look forward to. It’s a place they can come and talk. You can see people genuinely care about each other there.” The Kovacs point to their Christian faith and scriptures like Matthew 25:35-36 – “For I was hungry and ye gave me something to eat” – as the basis for their work. By losing themselves in the service of others, they say they have found a new identity. “I had been very materialistic,” said Mike. “This gave me a sense of hope and purpose.” The effort also provided new stability for Mike and Jessica’s marriage. After 17 years, the couple had been on the verge of divorce. “Together, we became a team,”
Jessica said. The shifting of priorities and perspective was also connected to a book Jessica discovered around the time of her first delivery downtown. “Driven by Eternity – Making Your Life Count Today and Forever” by John Bevere creates an eternal, spiritual frame of reference for life on earth. “My life had new meaning,” Jessica said. “These people became our friends. We learn from them. They are kind, grateful, humble, forgiving. We get asked all the time ‘How are you going to fix these people?’ Well, they’re fixing us.” Despite work that takes place on the opposite end of the glamor spectrum, the spotlight has found the Kovacs. They have traveled to New York City for an appearance on the Rachel Ray Show and been featured in People magazine as “Heroes Among Us.” Blessings was named “Small Nonprofit of the Year” at the 2014 Agora Awards and Jessica was invited to give a Ted Talk last year. In May, the Spokane Association of Realtors named Mike and Jessica their “Citizens of the Year.” A book is also in the works. If the attention translates into awareness and support for the homeless, the Kovacs say they are on board. “This is our life – it’s who we are,” said Mike. “We just hope that people will see it and want to make a difference in some way. Help your neighbor, try to have an impact. It’s important to treat these people like we would want to be treated.” After several headquarter sites, Blessings has been based in a former warehouse on Sprague
See BLESSINGS, Page 14
By Craig Howard Current Editor Every Wednesday, Taysha Lopez coordinates a cheerful team of volunteers under the concrete roof of a freeway overpass. A 2013 graduate of Central Valley High School, Lopez already has her degree from Spokane Falls Community College and maintains a good job at a local restaurant. Ask Lopez about her accomplishments, however, and she seems most proud of ascending to the status of volunteer “leader” with Blessings Under the Bridge. As one of several leaders, she is responsible for her own station at the weekly meal site. “I come down here to see these people instead of the other way around,” Lopez said. “I’ve made a lot of friends.” Lopez said the experience of serving the less fortunate has helped refine her priorities. “It opened my eyes,” she said. “A lot of kids these days don’t realize what they have is what they need. My goal is to get everyone down here at least once. As a leader, my goal is to make sure our volunteers get the same impact that I did. It’s the people, just the experience out here. I feel at home. It’d be really upsetting not to be here every Wednesday.” Tania Lopez, Taysha’s mom, has served as volunteer coordinator with Blessings for the past two years. She met the organization’s founders, Mike and Jessica Kovac, in 2010 and signed on to help. “I have always had a heart for those in need and, at that time, it had been extremely surprising to me how difficult it actually was to find a place that I could do that,” Tania said. “The most rewarding thing about my work with BUTB is knowing without a doubt that the people we are serving, their lives are being changed.” Tania grew up in a small farming community in Oregon where homelessness was a distant notion. When she moved to Spokane, it was a challenge not to get caught up in the stereotypes.
JUNE 2016 • 13
“Quite honestly when I moved to the 'big city’ and saw homeless people for the first time I locked my car doors and rolled up my windows,” said Tania, a resident of Spokane Valley. “I was scared and heartbroken all at the same time. I wanted to reach out and help but was too scared. There is a stigma around homelessness that is extremely prevalent in our society and without even knowing it, I had bought into it, hook, line and sinker.” Her perspective changed after becoming part of a safety net under a bridge. “I know most of us are probably only a few paychecks away from possibly being homeless ourselves,” Tania said. “There are so many circumstances and stories. I don't think many of us have left a Wednesday night meal without having our hearts and lives changed.” Tania’s sons, Nathaniel Lopez and Levi Cosper, began volunteering with Blessings two years ago and have made the Wednesday gathering a part of their weekly routine. “As I’ve gotten to know these people, I’ve learned about their lives, I’ve seen they’re just normal, everyday people,” said Nathaniel, a sophomore at Central Valley High School. “My view of myself in the world and everyone else in the world has definitely changed since I’ve been volunteering. I’m not above everyone. My perspective now is that I’m kind of the same as everyone in the world.” Levi said volunteering on the front lines has shed light on the genuine challenges faced by others. “It gave me an insight of what these people go through each day,” said Levi, a sophomore at East Valley High School. “They’re just wondering if they’re going to get a meal or have clothes. It opens your eyes. Now I think more of other people than myself.” From replacing a stereotype with a real person to having a tangible impact on those who feel forgotten, Tania said donating time and resources brings its own unique rewards. “There is so much need out there, how can you not help?” she said. “How often do you get the chance to change lives? No matter what you do – volunteer, make (in-kind) donations or donate financially, you are helping to change someone’s life.”
The Current
14 • JUNE 2016
BLESSINGS
Continued from page 13 Avenue in Spokane Valley since 2014. Local businesses stepped up to help with plumbing, painting and even a donated walk-in fridge and freezers. The space on Auto Row across from Dishman Dodge sprawls 8,000-square feet and has created more space for Blessings to grow and serve. “It has allowed us to store more quantities of donations such as food, clothing, blankets, all our vehicles and other items used for our mission,” Jessica said. The Current caught up with Mike and Jessica recently to talk about what it takes to start and maintain a harbinger of hope for the homeless. Q: How would you describe the response from the community when it comes to supporting your work? Mike: The response we have had from those we have had contact with or those that know of us and been amazingly supportive. BUTB is run mainly from the hearts and blessings of people and companies in our community. It's such a great feeling for me when someone I have never met approaches me when they see me wearing a BUTB sweatshirt and says, "Thank you so much for the incredible work your organization is doing.” Q: There seems to be more awareness of concerns like poverty and homelessness in the Valley thanks to groups like the Greater Valley Support Network, Spokane Valley Partners, Hearth Homes and others. What have you learned about these issues as they relate to the Valley since you moved to this space on
Sprague Avenue? Jessica: The need is everywhere. In doesn't matter what area someone lives in. It's also great to see so many other resources and organizations offering services or coming together for the same common goal of helping and serving others struggling or in need. I believe the world is becoming more compassionate toward others, but there are still many who assume things that are not true. People judge by what they think or what they have been told or taught. That all homeless are drunk bums with no motivation to help themselves. It's been this misconceived notion for far too long. Q: What can the average person do to make a difference for the less fortunate in our community? Mike: I think one of the biggest things a person can do to make a difference in our community is get involved. Check out some of the different organizations the help the less fortunate and get a firsthand look of what the need looks like by volunteering. When you get involved, a lot of the misconceptions that people have and maybe the reason they don't get involved or support these organizations, might change. Q: What have been some of the keys to the growth and success of Blessings? Jessica: Blessings runs of "blessings.” I have met some of the most giving, generous and beautiful people in Spokane through BUTB. We are like a family. Somehow, some way our needs are always met through the support of the people who believe in what we are doing week to week. I think also when others hear the back story
This month, Blessings Under the Bridge will host a summer event that will add a barbecue meal, haircuts, music and more to the weekly agenda. The nonprofit relies heavily on donations from the community ranging from time to money to donated items and equipment. Photo by Craig Howard
Volunteer efforts, like the donation of original quilts by the Kiwanis-sponsored Key Club (above), are critical to the success of Blessings Under the Bridge. Contributed Photo of how Blessings started and the transparency Mike and I have shared in regards to our marriage, struggles etc. It gives others hope that they are not alone and despite what we all are going through or have been through we can still be a blessing to someone else by helping giving and serving. We all want to make a difference in some way. You don't have to be perfect to do that. Q: What do you think are some of the main stigmas that still exist about the people you serve? Mike: I believe a lot of people's misperceptions are that the people we serve choose to live this way. That is not the case at all. There are so many people we come into contact with a variety of reasons. Some don't know where to turn or have lost hope. Which is one of the main things we try to restore in people's lives. Q: What keeps you dedicated to this cause? Jessica: My mission was never to fill bellies and keep people warm. Those are just ways to say everyone is deserving and worthy of what we take for granted. It was always to offer something more than just that – love. Over the years the driving force has always been that same reason. Understanding that maybe by offering that and something consistent in these people's lives that it would spark a new light in their dim world. Knowing that week to week we can give that freely and unconditionally and see the impact it's doing keeps me going. But also seeing those who serve go from the way I once thought to completely humbled and brought to a joy they've never experienced is why I have yet to stop. Q: What would you say to someone who wants to help but doesn’t know where to start? Jessica: Our mission is live, love, serve. We encourage everyone who
has gifts and talents to use them in some way, to love others who are struggling the way you would want to be loved. To give from your heart and sacrifice your time and blessing willingly into something that is of value. Donate your excess towards something that you can see firsthand is making a huge difference in the life of someone who needs it. To take a chance on your heart. After all, the hand that blesses Is the most blessed. Q: How much does your faith influence the mission and priorities of Blessings Under the Bridge? Mike: I believe our faith is essential in our survival. We would not have grown to where we are without faith. Also I think our faith shines through to those we help as we love people unconditionally. When our new volunteers come to help, they are I believe touched by faith as well. I think our faith is essential in our operations. Without it, I don't believe we would exist. Q: Finally, what does the future hold for Blessings Under the Bridge? Jessica: The future will bring what it is supposed to. We've been asked to expand to the Valley and other cities across the country. I am always working with others to offer more to help those we serve. With now serving from eight different stations offering medical, phone service, resume building, resources for housing, bus passes and more there is no limit to what we will do if we can. Stepping out that first Saturday has taken BUTB very far and week to week, we’ll continue until its mission is complete. Want to help? To learn more about Blessings Under the Bridge and ways to support the cause, visit www.butb.org or contact Mike and Jessica Kovac by email at blessingsunderthebridge@ gmail.com.
The Current
JUNE 2016 • 15
Valley business makes time a clock priority By Steve Christilaw
Current Correspondent Tucked away in a second-floor shop on the corner of Broadway and Pines in Spokane Valley is a true endangered species – a young watch and clock maker. Ryan Fox is a certified watchmaker three times over and, together with his parents, Charlie and Merleen, owns and operates Tick Tock Time Repair. Charlie handles the shop manager duties while Merleen is the bookkeeper. It’s a comfortable shop. The many clocks tick tock away, providing a soothing white noise that has a calming effect. And every 15 minutes there comes a musical interlude – including one clock that plays a brief segment of Allan Sherman’s novelty hit “Camp Granada.”
Charlie Fox and his son Ryan address a customer’s questions at Tick Tock Time Repair, a Spokane Valley business now in its third year of operation. Photo by Steve Christilaw
There are only handful of schools teaching and certifying watchmakers, Charlie explains. Each accepts only a handful of students at a time. The Seattle school where Ryan learned his craft takes a dozen students at a time for a two-year program.
watches and clocks.
Of the 12 students that started, seven graduated. Ryan was at the top of his class.
It took a while for Ryan Fox to settle on watch and clock repair as a profession. After discovering a love of science at Central Valley High School, he studied American Sign Language at Spokane Falls Community College and went to work for the CV School District as an interpreter.
“A lot of graduates go to work at service centers,” Ryan explained. “The big manufacturers like Omega and Rolex operate their own service centers. A very small percentage of graduates open their own shops.” Rarer still is finding someone equally at home working on
Ryan, a Central Valley High School graduate, briefly studied mechanical engineering before enrolling at Watch Technology Institute in Seattle. Photo by Steve Christilaw
“A lot of the people who work on clocks are hobbyists,” Charlie explained. “And a lot of them are in their 60s and 70s. We’re members of their association, just to keep in touch. But they’re worried about the future.”
Fascinated by how things work combined with a natural ability to put things back together and to visualize how things work – even when they’re not actually working at the time, Ryan eventually found his niche. Following a brief stint in the mechanical engineering program at Brigham Young University and after long talks with his parents, Fox decided to focus on watch and clock repair and enrolled at the Watch Technology Institute in Seattle. He still keeps a couple project pieces he created as part of his training on his workbench, both crafted from scratch.
For the majority of his work, he says, it’s easier and cheaper to simply order replacement parts. “Manufacturers intentionally change the size of their parts so that nothing is interchangeable anymore,” he said. “In the old days, you could swap out parts. Now you have to order parts from the manufacturer.” The watchmaker’s art has changed over the years. The pocket watches that were such a commonplace part of Spokane’s railroad past are largely disappearing. Cheap timepieces are, almost by design, disposable instead of repairable. “That’s a challenge,” Ryan said. “In a lot of cases, it would cost more to repair a watch than it would cost to buy a new one. In fact, that’s one of the biggest challenges. You can’t always diagnose exactly what’s wrong with a watch. It can always be any one of several things, or a combination of several things. It’s a challenge to estimate what it cost to repair it and not end up undervaluing your own time.” The shop has been open now for two-and-a-half years, and business is brisk. “We’re open six days a week and on Saturdays, I go out to make calls on people who can’t come in to the shop,” Charlie said. “If you
look around town, you’ll only find four watch repair ships out there. But the folks that run those shops? They’re getting up there – they’re between 60 and 80 years old.” Time – artfully maintained by Tick Tock and a handful of others – marches on. What: Tick Tock Time Repair Where: 12308 E. Broadway, Ste. 2, Spokane Valley – 400 square feet dedicated to keeping proper time Who: A self-described “family business with family values.” Charlie (shop manager) and Merleen (bookkeeper) are proud parents of Ryan, a certified clock and watch maker. When: Shop is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Watch maker in the shop from 10 to 3. Open each second Saturday, 10 to 2. Closed other Saturdays. Closed Sundays. More: The shop is open to the public during the week for walkin traffic for watch batteries, watch bands, quick inspections and other services. Contact: 891-TOCK (8625), www.ticktocktimerepair.com
COMMUNITY
16 • JUNE 2016
The Current
Calendar of Events COMMUNITY EVENTS
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1-800-424-5555 or dial 811 Inland Empire Utility Coordinating Council www.ieucc811.org
May 30 | Memorial Day Service conducted by American Legion Post 241 from Spokane Valley – 11 a.m., Pines Cemetery, 1402 S. Pines, Spokane Valley. May 30 | Memorial Day Breakfast hosted by the Liberty Lake Centennial Rotary Club – 8 a.m., Pavillion Park. The annual event benefits Honor Flight. Serving pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee and juice. At 9 a.m. colors will be presented, followed by the National Anthem. Guest speakers include Col. Brian Newberry, retired Fairchild Air Force Base commander. June 7 | Spokane Valley Quilters’ potluck and meeting, 6:30 p.m., Spokane Valley Assembly of God Church, 15618 E. Broadway Ave. The meeting will start 30 minutes after the potluck. The speaker will be Betty Kuhlers who will be speaking about art quilts. For more information, call 924-6320. June 10-11 | Liberty Lake Kiwanis Community Yard Sales – Friday, June 10 from 3 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, June 11 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Go bargain shopping at 250 registered sites across the Liberty Lake community. Those who register their sales for a nominal fee of $10 benefit with listings in a yard sale guide and map to identify their locations. June 11 │ South Valley Fire Station #9 Open House – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., SVFD South Valley Station #9, 12121 E. 32nd Ave. The community is invited to join SVFD for free family fun at this open house. Watch a live fire safety demonstration, try out radios and other firefighter gear, tour the fire station, take pictures and enjoy tasty treats. More at 892-4155 or www.spokanevalleyfire.com. June 18 | Ninth annual Soap Box Challenge – Saturday, June 18, 8:30 a.m. This event is sponsored by the Spokane East Rotary Club with special needs children navigating the downhill trek with the help of volunteers. The cars start near Pavillion Park and run down Molter Road to Valleyway. A barbecue lunch will be served after the last race at 12:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit Spokane Guilds School, Buddy Ball and HOPE School. Through June | Young Man
in a Hurry: The Life of Isaac Stevens. This exhibit at the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum showcases Governor Isaac Stevens’ controversial treaty negotiations, his Civil War heroics and connection to Spokane Valley history. It is the first in a series examining the Valley’s early history, through June. Presented in association with the Washington Secretary of State Office and Legacy Washington. Hours are Wednesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Group tours welcome by appointment. The museum is located at 12114 E. Sprague Ave. Cost is $6/adults, $5/seniors, $4/ages 7-17, free/ age six and younger. For more information, call 922-4570 or visit www.valleyheritagecenter.org. RECURRING The Millwood Farmer’s Market runs every Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. through Sept. 28 in front of Millwood Presbyterian Church, 8910 E., Dalton off Argonne. Featuring food and farm vendors, artisan crafts, music and more. Market accepsts token System, WIC, senior vouchers, EBT and Fresh Bucks programs. For more visit millwoodfarmermar.wix.com/ market. The Liberty Lake Farmers Market takes place each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 8 at Town Square Park, 1421 N. Meadowwood Lane. The market features local food and farm vendors, artisan crafts and baked goods, live music and more. For more, visit www. libertylakefarmersmarket.com. ACT 2 senior classes Affordable classes offered by Community Colleges of Spokane to those who are retired or planning to retire. A wide range of courses from geology and history to exercise and art are offered at CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place, as well as other locations throughout the area. More at www.sccel.spokane.edu/ ACT2. Baha’i Fireside Conversation - 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., third Friday of the month. Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Discussion of Baha’i teachings, history, and perspectives on resolving the challenges facing humanity. All are welcome. More at 599-2411 or www.bahai.us. Café Card Club - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays. On Sacred Grounds, 12212 E. Palouse Hwy., Valleyford.
Play pinochle, cribbage, or hearts. More at www.onsacredgrounds. com. Catholic Singles Mingle meeting times and locations vary. This group, with no dues, is for single adults of all ages. More at www. meetup.com/Catholic-SinglesMingle. Spokane Valley Partners Food Bank distribution takes place Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10814 E. Broadway by appointment. Appointments are available during the following days/times: Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Thursday (reserved for advanced-age seniors — age 60 and over — and/or physicallyhandicapped people with limited mobility): 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Address verification is required. To make an appointment, call 927.1153 ext. 10, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Grange potluck and meeting - 6 p.m., first Wednesday of the month, Tri Community Grange, 25025 Heather St., Newman Lake. A potluck will be followed by a 7 p.m. meeting for this communitybased service organization. More at 481-7447 or geje2@yahoo.com. DivorceCare Recovery Support Group - Tuesdays 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastpoint Church, 15303 E. Sprague Ave. Learn how to heal from the deep hurt of divorce and discover hope for your future. DivorceCare for Kids (ages 5-12) meets at the same time and location. Cost is $25 for workbook. More at 892-5255 or eastpointchurch.com. Men’s Weekly Bible Study - 7 a.m. Tuesdays. Millwood Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite Road, Millwood. The men’s weekly Bible Study meets in the Reception Hall with different members sharing in the leading of the study. All men are invited to join. More at www. milwoodpc.org. Pancreatic Cancer Action Network - 6:30 p.m., the first Monday of each month. Liberty Lake Municipal Library, 23123 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake. More at www.pancan.org or 534-2564. Rockford Crochet Class - 10 a.m. to noon, Saturdays. The Harvest Moon, 20 S. First St., Rockford. Activities include hairpin lace, knit, embroidery, needlepoint, and arm knitting of infinity. More at 892-
The Current
4412 or 291-3722.
JUNE 2016 • 17
COMMUNITY
Rockford Historical Society 11:30 a.m. second Friday of the month (Feb. to Nov.). Harvest Moon restaurant, 20 S. First St., Rockford. More at 291-3193. Spokane County Library District locations include Argonne, Fairfield, Otis Orchards, and Spokane Valley. Special events and weekly activities for all ages including book clubs, children’s story times, classes, Lego club, teen anime club and writing clubs. More at www.scld.org Spokane Valley Eagles 16801 E. Sprague Ave. 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. More at www.foe3433. com.
MUSIC & THE ARTS June 4-5 | “Mary Poppins, the Broadway Musical” – 7 p.m., Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia Ave., Spokane. Tickets: $12 for adults; $8 for those 12. For more information: 509-3284886.
N. Sullivan Road. Square dance lessons for $3 per person; no partner needed. More at 270-9264. Pages of Harmony - 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Wednesdays. Thornhill Valley Chapel, 1400 S. Pines Road. If you enjoy singing, you will love the four-part, a cappella harmony of this men’s barbershop chorus. More at www.pagesofharmony.org. Spirit of Spokane Chorus - 6:45 p.m., Tuesdays. Opportunity Presbyterian Church, 202 N. Pines Road. Make new friends by joining this women’s chorus, specializing in four-part, a cappella harmony in the barbershop style. More at 2184799. Spokane Novelists Group - noon to 4 p.m., second and fourth Saturday of the month. Otis Orchards Community Church, 23304 E. Wellesley Ave., Otis Orchards. A support/critique group for writers. Open to anyone with an interest in writing fiction (no memoirs, nonfiction, poetry, etc., please). Participants should bring 5-10 pages to read aloud and 6-8 copies for others to read along and critique. More at 590-7316. Spokane Valley Camera Club - 7:15 p.m., third and fourth Monday of the month (September through April). Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District building, 22510 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake. All levels of ability—students through experienced photographers—are invited to learn. Social events include field trips and workshops. More at 951-1446 or www.sv-cc. org
June 25 | “Play in a Day” – Noon to 5 p.m., Liberty Lake Theatre, 22910 E. Appleway Ave., Liberty Lake. Play in a Day is an exciting, challenging and fun workshop where participants devise, direct and act in a 15- minute play for family and friends. Using workshop games and activities, participants are encouraged to work as a team, explore the topic and take full ownership of their work. The theatre provides props, costumes and maybe even music. Play in a Day is a recurring monthly workshop at the Liberty Lake Theatre that takes place on the last Saturday of each month. All participants need to be at least 8 years old and/or be able to read with minimal assistance. Cost: $25 per participant. More information: www.libertylaketheatre.com or email to info@libertylaketheatre. com. RECURRING
HEALTH & RECREATION
Country Jammers Dance- 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., first and third Sunday of the month. Newman Lake Grange, 25025 E. Heather Lane, Newman Lake. Free (donations welcome). More information at jandg2@comcast.net.
June 4 | Hoopfirst 2016 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo, Liberty Lake. It's 3-on3 basketball season and the fourth annual Hoopfirst Tournament is at the HUB Sports Center featuring
Drop-in Square Dance Lessons - 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (through May 18). Western Dance Center, 1901
Spokane Valley Writers’ Group - 6:45 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month. Lakeside Church, 23129 E. Mission Ave. This supportive critique group welcomes adult writers. More at 570-4440. Teen Writers of the Inland Empire - 4 p.m., first Thursday of the month (except holidays). Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Teen writers (grade six and older) meet to write and share their work. More at 893-8400.
See CALENDAR, Page 18
Draw yourself in the picture, come have fun on the 10, 25 and 50 mile bike ride.
Coloring Contest
Ages 2-4, 5-7, 8-10 Prizes include registration in the Cycle Celebration ride with T shirt, bike tune up, and more Return to Valleyfest, PO Box 368 Spokane Valley, WA 99206
18 • JUNE 2016
Save the Date for our
6TH ANNUAL
PIG ROAST & LUAU JULY 9 • 4 to 10 p.m.
1999 adults / $799 kids 12 & under DRINK SPECIALS, PRIZES, FUN AND GAMES! $
DAN CONRAD BAND
CALENDAR
COMMUNITY
Continued from page 17 teams from throughout the region. Divisions for both boys’ and girls’ teams, 4th through 12th grade. June 5 | Windermere Marathon and Half Marathon – 7 a.m., marathon begins at Rocky Hill Park in Liberty Lake; half marathon starts in Mireabeau Point Park in Spokane Valley. Both courses conclude in Spokane’ Riverfront Park. Registration for the marathon is $110, and the halfmarathon is $100. To register or for more information, go to www. windermeremarathon.com. June 18 | Girls’ All State Basketball Classic – 9 a.m.7:30 p.m., HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo, Liberty Lake. The 20th annual Washington/ North Idaho High School Girls’ All State Basketball Classic features the best players from 3A, 2A, 1A and B schools. The teams are divided between West and East. The B game begins at 1:30pm, followed by 1A at 3:30 p.m. and the 3A/2A contest at 5:30 p.m. Allday admission is $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and children under 12. June 19 | Dad’s Day Dash benefiting SNAP – 9 a.m., Manito Park, South Hill. This fourth annual event features a scenic 5K course for runners and walkers. Now a Bloomsday Second Seed Qualifier, the race is chipped and timed by Across the Line Timing. A Corporate Team Challenge includes prize baskets for the top three teams. Cost: $20 or $25 with T-shirt. Register at www. snapwa.org/ddd5K. All proceeds benefit SNAP, Spokane County’s community action agency which provides resources, education and encouragement to an average of 45,000 low-income residents each year. RECURRING HUB Sports Center 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. Various activities and events occur throughout the week including: • Badminton open gym: 7 to 9 p.m. Tues., $5/person • Basketball open gym: Noon to 1 p.m. Tues. and Thurs., $4/person • Pickleball drop-in: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Mon. through Thurs.; 7 to 9 p.m. Wed. and Sun. $2/seniors ($4/non-seniors) • Classes including Kenpo Karate, Modern Farang-Mu Sul, and Zumba Aerobics. See website for cost and times. KidFIT Spokane HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. This children’s movement and fitness program offers classes in dance (ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop),
The Current
gymnastics and cheerleading for girls and boys ages three and older. More at 953-7501 or www. kidfitspokane.com. Yoga in Rockford 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Rockford Park, 20 W. Emma St., Rockford. In case of inclement weather, classes will be held at Dave’s Autobody, 8 W. Emma St.
CIVIC & BUSINESS June 1 | The 31st annual AGORA Awards presented by Greater Spokane Inc. – 3 p.m., Davenport Grand Hotel, 333, W. Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane. AGORA Awards is the region’s premier business awards ceremony that celebrates and recognizes business excellence. This is a chance for the public and Greater Spokane Incorporated to congratulate each of the businesses and nonprofits for the important role they play in the community and for contributing to the region’s economic growth. Tickets: $45. More information: www.greaterspokane.org. June 17 | Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Connections Breakfast – 7 to 9 a.m., CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley. Shann Ray Ferch, a professor of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University will be the keynote speaker. Ferch focuses on the nature of forgiveness and how servantleadership honors personal and collective responsibility. Tickets: $25 for GSVCC members; $35 for non-members (additional $10 after June 13). More information: www. spokanevalleychamber.org. RECURRING Spokane Valley Kiwanis - 6:45 a.m. Tuesdays. Valley Hospital Education Center, 12606 E. Mission Ave. More at www. spokanevalleykiwanis.net. Spokane Valley Rotary - noon to 1 p.m., Tuesdays. Darcy’s, 10502 E. Sprague Ave. More at www.svrotary.org. Flag Museum, sponsored by the Sons of the American Revolution and the Fairmount Memorial Association, details the rich history of the American flag, Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Pines Cemetery, 1402 S. Pines Road, Spokane Valley. For more information: 926-2753 or www. fairmountmemorial.com/southpines-cemetery
LIBRARY
The Current
Explore the Valley’s creativity on Second Saturday
JUNE 2016 • 19
SUMMER 2016
By Jane Baker
Spokane County Library District Art, culture, and creativity – all three come together as the Spokane Valley’s “Second Saturday” art tour becomes a reality on Saturday, June 11. Hatch: Creative Business Incubator has partnered with Spokane Valley Library, Broadway Elementary, Mellow Monkey Yoga, Magicraftsman Studio and the Spokane Valley Arts Council to present a Valley-wide art tour showcasing a variety of creativity from local grade school students to international artists, all in one evening. Second Saturday has been a monthly event at Hatch since January, attracting upwards of 200 people each Saturday night. With this growing momentum of support, Hatch General Manager Jesse Swanson reached out to other Valley locations to share the Second Saturday concept. “Downtown has First Friday and Coeur d’Alene has Second Friday, but people think there isn’t an art scene in Spokane Valley and that’s just not true,” Swanson said. “Second Saturday has great potential for the Valley, every little thing to drive business helps and this is centered on artwork.”
Summer at the library: Ready, Set, Read! By Gwendolyn Haley
Spokane County Library District Everyone in my house looks forward to summer—adults and kids alike. The daily schedule relaxes. Bedtime and morning routines loosen up. After the hustle and bustle of the last few weeks of school – last concerts, exams, final projects plus end of the year BBQs, meetings and parties – We. Need. A. Break. But a few weeks later, boredom can start to creep into the day. Summer is a great time for kids and families to continue learning together and keep boredom at bay. And the library is the perfect place
Art galleries can seem intimidating for those who don’t know a lot about art or think only the wealthy can afford art. Second Saturday provides the opportunity to become familiar with local galleries and see that art, artists and galleries aren’t intimidating at all. There is no right or wrong way to view art or enjoy it. “Second Saturday is just asking people to look at art and then ask themselves why they like it or why they don’t,” according to Swanson. “Art is original, generated for personal expression. Any thought that is put into it is the byproduct of the process of being creative and bringing something into the world.” Second Saturday is June 11 from 5 to 9 p.m. at four locations:
University students have taken on the project, “Recovering the Classics,” a prompt to design new covers for classic literary works in the public domain – Spokane Valley Arts Council works will also be on display Hatch Gallery, 9612 E Sprague Ave. – Featuring Kenyan artist Nicholas Sironka, author of “Feed Me with Words” – Exhibit: “The Strength of a Woman” –
10 Batik paintings
Mellow Monkey Yoga, 9017 E Euclid Ave., Millwood –
Coffee and coloring
–
Display by a featured artist
Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E Main Ave.
Magicraftsman Studio, 19209 E Appleway Ave.
– Kindergarteners and second graders from Broadway Elementary have created art based on children’s authors, including Eric Carle and others
– Surrealism: A Retrospective of Work by Roch Fautch
– Eastern
Washington
to facilitate that. This year, the theme for summer reading at the Library District is “Ready, Set, Read!” Every week is packed with immersive fun and playful learning in all 10 of our libraries. We have crafts, classes, stories, and workshops for everyone. Each week, we have half-adozen Play and Learn Storytimes at Spokane Valley Library – five for children ages 0–5 and a family program for those with children in grades K–5. We kick off our summer lineup with KC Puppetree’s amazing puppet show and bring back some favorites like Zaniac Alex Zerbe and Noiseguy Charlie Williams. Spokane Valley Library hosts these events twice, one afternoon and evening each week, giving everyone a chance to join in the fun. Older kids in grades 4 and up get to try their hand at our creative clubs – drawing, cooking, Minecraft realm building and SNAP circuits engineering. For teens, we
Where can you go this summer for music, magic, electricity, dancing, hiking, stories, entertainment, and to get loud? THE LIBRARY! Free fun for kids, and grown-ups too.
Second Saturday already has plans to expand in September with two more Valley galleries joining the art tour for the fall.
have longer, multi-day sessions to explore art mediums, 3D printing and solar-powered s’mores. Adults won't be left out of this summer’s fun. There will be opportunities to play games, color, draw, and even Zumba. Local band Hot Club of Spokane will be performing at the Spokane Valley Library and other locations around the county this summer, too. As always, the Library District can help you get started on a new hobby or relax with a new favorite author. So get ready. Get set. And jump into summer at your local library!
Visit www.scld.org/summer-16 for details.
#ReadySetRead
The Current
20 • JUNE 2016
Windermere Marathon, Half Marathon set to keep impressive pace
By Derek Brown Current Correspondent On your mark, get set – go and establish a local running tradition. The Spokane Valley and surrounding communities will be hosting the eighth annual Windermere Marathon and Half Marathon this year on Sunday, June 5. Last year, the event drew nearly 2,000 participants. “The Windermere Marathon is a premiere marathon, in fact it has grown organically to be the largest organic marathon in Eastern Washington and North Idaho,” Executive Race Director Elaine Kennelly said. “It didn’t start off that way, but now we’re number one.” The marathon begins at Rocky Hill Park in Liberty Lake, and runs through Liberty Lake, the Spokane Valley, and finally finishes in Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane. The 26.2-mile race is an official Boston Qualifier and is certified by USA Track and Field. The half marathon begins at Mirabeau Point Park in Spokane Valley and winds up at the same finish line as the marathon. The course takes runners largely down the Centennial Trail, going along the Spokane River from the Harvard Road Trailhead, down to the Howard Street Bridge in downtown Spokane. “It’s a beautiful run, and the city of Liberty Lake is a wonderful, wonderful community,” Kennelly said. The event began humbly back in 2008 and has gone through a number of upgrades over the years. After a few tweaks, such as placing the starting point at Rocky Hill Park and getting the course up to Kennelly’s liking, it’s become known as one of the most scenic runs in the Northwest. “There’s been an outpouring of support,” Kennelly said. “Especially from Liberty Lake. I feel like it was a good move, because now it’s a more beautiful course to run.” The run will feature Taiko drumming, a feature Kennelly wanted to add for years, ever since running the Boston Marathon. “You’re coming up over the hill there in Boston and what do you see? The drummers,” she said. “And it’s so great to hear that, so motivating. I wanted to bring some
of that here to Spokane. I really want to bring a lot of what I’ve seen in other places here to the Windermere Marathon so people in our area can get a taste of the bigtime marathons.” Kennelly herself has run over 100 marathons and knows the meaning of a quality course. She’s finished the Boston, London and San Francisco Marathons, just to name a few, and has completed runs in countries all over the world. With that experience, Kennelly has come up with amenities for runners that she says are “top notch” this year. They include microsmooth, genderspecific long sleeve shirts, long stem roses for all of the finishers, free victory stand photos, as well as double spinning medals. "I mean, these are wonderful amenities that runners in big marathons would love to get for running and we're giving them out right here in our area," Kennelly said. The number of runners has increased as well, although there have been setbacks. “Last year the heat was so bad that a lot of our last-minute runners didn’t show up,” Kennelly said. “But this year we’re expecting about 2,000 people to show up.” Marathon & Beyond magazine featured Windermere Marathon in its January/February issue. And the verdict? "Based on the feedback of a dozen runners at the race who were randomly chosen to score the race, the total score for Windermere Marathon was 908 points out of a possible 1,000,” Kennelly said. “This is a very favorable and impressive score.” Registration cost for the marathon is $110, and the half-marathon is $100. Tickets are available at http://windermeremarathon.com.
The eighth annual Windermere Marathon and Half Marathon will take place on June 5 with most of the course staged along the Centennial Trail. The marathon starts in Liberty Lake while the half-marathon begins in Spokane Valley. Both races finish in Spokane’ Riverfront Park. Photo by Jill Klinke
The Current
SVFD fire marshal focuses on prevention in first year By Treva Lind
Current Correspondent Spokane Valley Fire Marshal Greg Rogers knows door-to-door safety campaigns save lives. Among priorities since joining the department from Port Orchard, WA., Rogers has a goal to launch a home safety program, with neighborhood visits from firefighters offering smoke detector installations and educational tips. “The city of Philadelphia went from 30-plus fire deaths a year to zero after implementing a program like this within the last year,” said Rogers, 46. “It was a community risk reduction program.” For the Valley department, Rogers is responsible for fire and arson investigations, code enforcement, new construction development and public education. With 22 years of industry experience, Rogers previously worked 17 years as fire prevention manager for South Kitsap Fire and Rescue in Port Orchard before starting with SVFD last July. Rogers, who lives with his family in Liberty Lake, was hired to replace retiring Fire Marshal Kevin Miller. Since 2008, Rogers has worked with a nationwide initiative called “Vision 20/20” for adding community risk reduction (CRR) programs. He hopes the Valley’s CRR home safety program will launch by July, to be called Project “RISK” (Residential Inspection Smoke-alarm Knowledge). “It’s our goal to apply for some grant money for that program through the Washington State Association of Fire Marshals,” he said. “Even though it would start in July, it would be early 2017 before people would actually see any blitz.” Early on, community risks will be analyzed to target messages and areas. Certain neighborhoods may have higher incidents of kitchenbased or fireplace fires, while others see more cigarette smokingrelated incidents. Reviewing risks applies to both fire and EMS needs. “We identify our top five fire
JUNE 2016 • 21
hazards, our top five EMS calls,” Rogers said. “We start doing educational programs targeted for those particular problems, perhaps starting with the top three. It would be our hope to see those drop within a five-year period.”
about the department, so I had a conversation with my family whether they wanted to move across the state,” he said. He once job-shadowed with the state fire marshal, considering that post, but his job here has proven a better fit for him and his family, he said.
Home safety programs are supported by FEMA federal fire reduction grants. Grants for the local program would pay for educational materials and smoke alarms, including ones for the hearing impaired. They cost $130 to $160 a piece compared with $8 to $10 typically, Rogers said. The hearing impaired equipment offers a system to interconnect a smoke alarm, alarm clock and a bed shaker. It could go to people who are deaf as well as to the elderly and others who rely on hearing aids. The department plans to work with other agencies, such as SNAP, to reach different demographics. Fire department personnel typically work in teams of four covering 150 to 200 homes at a time for doorto-door campaigns, making sure smoke alarms are properly installed or doing actual installations. The firefighters also talk about safety. They might observe hazards they’d point out to residents, perhaps with electrical cords, portable heaters or fireplaces. “You’re providing them with education and materials as well as installing smoke alarms,” Rogers said. The Valley program will offer a phone number or website link, so people can request a home safety check. “One reason we like to do home safety visits is you might think you only need one smoke alarm, but we may come and see you really need two or maybe up to six,” Rogers said. “We’d also talk to people about escape plans, and what to do if a fire occurs,” he added. “We’re talking about cooking safety, especially with seniors, suggesting they use a cooking timer. They may walk away when they get a phone call, get distracted, take a nap.” Rogers said the department already has components of community risk reduction. That includes its emergency responders’ training and methods for applying CPR, and offering CPR classes and community awareness on heart attack-stroke response. More than 37 percent of home fire deaths result from incidents where no smoke alarm was present, according to the National
“It was such a smooth transition for me, for my family,” Rogers said. “This has completely changed my whole career path. There’s a very special uniqueness with this department. Everyone here is very embracing and welcoming.”
Spokane Valley Fire Marshall Greg Rogers Fire Protection Association. Valley Fire offers free smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Rogers says residents should be aware of the need to change out batteries and replace detectors that are older. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends testing alarms monthly and replacing alkaline batteries at least once a year. If a detector was installed more than 10 years ago it should be replaced. The department also recently launched use of the PulsePoint app, signaling trained responders within blocks of a heart attack victim. Separately, Rogers said the department has a new approach for evaluating property dollar loss more effectively after fires. The measurement considers if a fire is contained to only a portion of a home and also overall home value. It’s a barometer – what was the value of the property compared to the fire loss. Rogers’ transition went smoothly from the start. Prior to his arrival, he heard kudos about the department. “I saw a lot of good information
HigH ScHool / Adult clASS 9 A.m. WorSHip Service 10 A.m.
An Oklahoma native, Rogers has family who have served in fire protection. An uncle was a firefighter in the Kansas City area. Rogers holds a degree in engineering technology-fire protection and safety and has numerous industry certifications. He’s currently pursuing a master’s degree in fire emergency management administration. Rogers also has served as president of the Washington State Association of Fire Marshals and on state and national committees. He’s developed and taught several industry classes. Enjoying many Spokane-area activities together, he and wife Sue Lynn have a daughter, Grace, 14, and son, Travis, 11. Grace plays soccer and travels for tournaments. Travis loves baseball and is now a big fan of the Spokane Chiefs. Rogers also enjoys being a Liberty Lake Rotary Club member. “For my wife and I, all of our family is in Oklahoma and Kansas,” he said. “Rotary is like family.” To learn more about SVFD safety programs like Pulse Point, CPR training or the distribution of free smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, call the department at 928-1700 or visit www.spokanevalleyfire.com.
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The Current
22 • JUNE 2016
Danny Meyer
Bowdish Middle School
Shannon Frucci
East Valley High School
Jonathan Harold
Hunter Skoien
Greenacres Middle School
Spokane Valley Tech
Emily McCoury
Autymn Wilde
Darian Kippenhan
Samantha Williams
R
2016
Rachel Ellingwood
Centennial Middle School
Jake Hillyard
East Valley Middle School
Horizon Middle School
Summit School
PACE AWARD HONOREES!
Congratulations! Olivia Fielding
On May 24, the following students were recognized with a 2016 PACE Award for consistently demonstrating excep onal character and bringing character to light for themselves, their classmates, their schools and community. The PACE inita ve launched in 2009 and has since grown to include nearly 200 partners and two chapters – Spokane Valley and West Plains. PACE promotes good character through partnerships with schools, families, businesses, organiza ons and faith-based groups. Visit our website or facebook page to learn more and see how you can join us in “Bringing Character to Light”!
pacecommunity.org PACE would like thank Leo's Photography for providing each award recipient with a portrait from the 2016 ceremony.
Central Valley High School
Anna Syverson
Continuous Curriculum School
Noah Wiese
Dishman Hills High School
Marie Ford
Evergreen Middle School
Peyton Smetana
Freeman High School
Caleb Forschler
Freeman Middle School
Mica Peak High School
Ken Do
North Pines Middle School
Jessica Trotskiy
Spokane Valley High School
Tekoa High School
Mitchell Carbon
University High School
Michael Campbell
Valley Christian School
The Current
Caden Gilbert
JUNE 2016 • 23
Jet Helm
Washington Academy of Arts & Technology
Broadway Elementary
Abigail Ward
Malcolm Gass
West Valley City School
Central Valley Kindergarten Center
Darby Howat
Hannah Anderson
Nathan Kenney
Layna Robinson
West Valley High School
Adams Elementary
Naomi Huseby
Arthur B. Ness Elementary
Chester Elementary
East Farms STEAM Magnet School
Aiden Fitzgerald
Freeman Elementary
Jacob Sachtjen
Greenacres Elementary
Otis Orchards Elementary
Seth Woodard Elementary
Jose Hernandez
Shayla Rustad
Nicholas Rouse
Jaylin Brown
Liberty Lake Elementary
Pasadena Park Elementary
Croft Christensen
Braidyn Helene Teague
Larry Trefry
Brooklyn Side
Max Gillingham
Ella Schelley
Brooke Jorgensen
Libby Awbery
McDonald Elementary
Taylor Arredondo
Opportunity Elementary
Jaida Richter
Orchard Center Elementary
Pioneer School
Ponderosa Elementary
Lincoln Carter
Progress Elementary
South Pines Elementary
Spokane Valley Learning Academy
Trent School
Trentwood School
Wendy McMulkin
University Elementary
Karina Chernioglo
Sunrise Elementary
Valley Christian School
Jesus Sanchez
www.facebook.com/ PartnersAdvancing CharacterEduca on
Tekoa Elementary School
The Current
24 • JUNE 2016
SCRAPS – Saving pets, helping people, building community
By Nancy Hill SCRAPS Director Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS) was first conceived as the Spokane County Dog Control back in 1922. We have come a long way since those early days of “dog catchers” and a dark “pound.” Today we have Animal Protection officers, who bring stray, homeless and abused companion animals to our regional shelter. These officers regularly investigate complaints ranging from extreme animal cruelty to simple animal nuisance concerns – protecting people and pets. Through the SCRAPS Hope Foundation, we actively seek out new homes for the homeless pets. To help place dogs in more appropriate homes, we temperament test them. We participate in cutting edge behavioral programs, a transport program, provide school-aged children with humane education and the community with resources and classes on caring and training their pets. Pet licensing is an important part of the SCRAPS commitment to returning animals to their owners. Animal Protection officers can look up a pet license 24/7, often returning lost animals directly to their home without coming to the shelter. Licensed animals brought into the facility are a top priority and owners are quickly notified that we have found their lost pets. Fees from licensing also support important programs which help to save the lives of homeless, abused and abandoned animals. Pet licensing is the law and all dogs and cats over six months of age are to be licensed. Owners of
unlicensed pets may receive a $200 fine. Pet licenses may be purchased online at www.spokanecounty.org/ scraps, by mail or at the regional shelter located at 6815 E. Trent Ave. in the Spokane Valley. SCRAPS and the SCRAPS Hope Foundation do not offer veterinary services. Instead we work with veterinary clinics across our area to provide quality care at affordable prices. SCRAPS administers a spay/neuter voucher program helping owners offset the cost of sterilization while reducing the areas pet overpopulation problem. We serve the entire unincorporated areas of Spokane County as well as the cities of Spokane, Spokane Valley, Cheney, Deer Park, Fairfield, Liberty Lake, Medical Lake, Millwood and Rockford. Our service area has expanded as a regional facility and we’ve taken on a greater role in providing resources to the community. One of the things that hasn’t changed is our mission and the commitment we have to providing humane care and protection to the animals in Spokane County. We’ve always relied on the public to help us identify animals in abusive or neglectful situations whether it’s a case of extreme animal hoarding or a pet left in a car in the stifling heat. That bond between us and the community is even more important as our focus expands to include a vibrant trap, neuter and return program for feral cats, an expanded foster program and a future memorial garden. Our mission also includes the education and protection of people. This can be the impounding of a potentially dangerous dog, providing information on evacuating your family and your pets during a wildfire or working with school children on how to avoid being bitten by an unfamiliar pet. Each of these is an important part of the work we do in savings pets, helping people and building community. SCRAPS is this region’s only animal protection agency and it’s our job to work to help save the homeless, abused and abandoned animals here in our area. This is done not only through the hard work of our Animal Protection officers but also through our Animal Medical Fund, outreach events, humane education classes for kids, transport program and adoptions. Our volunteer program is growing daily thanks to the caring generous people in our community. We have 22 different volunteer jobs – including duties such as dog walking, cat socializing, adoption counseling, manning our information kiosk, joining us in an outreach booth or assisting with
See SCRAPS, Page 52
The Current
JUNE 2016 • 25
HISTORY
School is out forever
A look back at Spokane Valley-area schools that have permanently closed their doors. All photos are courtesty of the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum photo archives. Original Greenacres School Barker & Mission
Orchard Avenue School built in 1924 torn down in the 1960s
Chester School was located on Dishman Mica Hwy
Vera School 1905-1970
This Trent School was located where Trent School is now on North Pines Rd
The original West Valley High School 1925. Alberton’s on Trent & Argonne is there now
The Current
26 • JUNE 2016
For Income-Eligible Children 3 or 4 Years Old by August 31
Call us to enroll today! FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO ENROLL YOUR CHILD: ● Central Valley School District .............. 228-5810 ● East Valley School District .............. 924-1830 ● Spokane Child Development Center .... 924-2850 ● West Valley School District .............. 922-5478
Learn more!
www.del.wa.gov/care/find-hs-eceap/
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The Current
JUNE 2016 • 27
Brought to you by
National Dairy Month National Dairy Facts There are seven major dairy cow breeds in America; Jerseys, Guernseys, Ayrshires, Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorn, Dutch Belted and the most common Holstein. A dairy cow eats about 50 pounds of food daily to produce about 6.5 gallons of milk. They are milked twice daily. Cows milk is 87% water. A gallon of milk weighs 8.6 pounds. Each cow produces about 350,000 glasses of milk during their lifetime. It takes 30 cups of milk to make one pound of butter. The United States ranks second behind the European Union for milk production. 21 billion gallons of milk is produced in the U.S. annually. Only 9% is exported.
Washington Dairy Facts The first cows came to Washington in 1838. There are about 480 dairy farms in the State of Washington, about 34 of which are organic. 97% of dairies in our state are family owned. All Washington milk is antibiotic and BST free. Milk is second only to apples for agricultural sales. Milk produced in Washington is also sold in Alaska and Asia.
28 • JUNE 2016
Recipe Box
Yogurt Parfait INGREDIENTS: vanilla yogurt your choice fruit favorite granola DIRECTIONS: 1. Choose a clear glass bowl or cup. 2. Layer vanilla yogurt with fuit and sprinkle granola on top. 3. You can get creative by making several layers of the yogurt, berries and granola, smoothing the surface after each addition.
The Current
BOOKS WE RECOMMEND
Going to Sleep on the Farm, Lewiston (1992) Ages 3 and up This is a beautiful book with watercolor illustrations of the perfect idyllic barn at bedtime. It teaches animals and the sounds they make. The artwork is the gem of this book. One Cow Moo Moo, Bennett (1990) Ages 4 and up An amusing book that counts and identifies most farm animals plus the sounds they make. The cartoon artwork and repetetive rhyme are guaranteed to make you giggle. Moo, LaRochelle (2014) Ages 4-8 A great first reader. It only has a few words so the punctuation and size become important. Funny pictures bring the story to life.
The Current
PACE Trait INTEGRITY Living a set of values which includes honesty, respect for others, and a sense of personal responsibility
Cheese day June 4
JUNE 2016 • 29
Congratulations to Logan! He’s the latest
KiDDS Dental No Cavity Club winner! Logan won a $25 gift card to Build a Bear and a photo session with
Call our office to schedule an appointment to see if your child is cavity-free!
891-7070
Grow Up Smiling! 1327 N. Stanford Lane, Suite B, Liberty Lake 509.891.7070 www.GrowUpSmiling.com
Find out about all of our events and contests on Facebook!
Animal Facts
People who love cheese are called Every month we will feature an information on a different animal. Cut them out and collect turophiles. them all! It takes 10 pounds of milk to make 1 COW pound of cheese. - Worldwide There are over 2000 varieties. Mozzarella - 600-2500 lbs., 20 years is the worldwide favorite. - Bull, Cow, Calf, Herd, Moo Milk from cows, sheep, horse, goats, - Stomach has four buffalo, donkeys, camels, and even moose compartments is used to make cheese. - They chew their cud eight hours a day Mice don’t like cheese. They actively - They drink a 30 gallon avoid it. bathtub of water and eat 40 lbs. of food daily - One dairy cow can produce 200,000 gallons of milk in her lifetime or 25 glasses a day - Can see color and detect odors 5 miles away - In 1611 the first cow arived in Jamestown, Virginia
The Current
30 • JUNE 2016
Author Spotlight
Sandra
n o t n y o B
She was born in New Jersey in 1953. After being raised as a Quaker in Pennsylvania she graduated from Yale before continuing her graduate studies at UC Berkley. She began her career designing greeting cards, one of which sold over ten million copies. In 1977, she had Hippos Go Berserk published. Since then she has written over 50 books, six making it on the all- time best selling children’s book list. With more than 60 million copies of her books having been sold she is one of the best selling children’s authors of all time. Her whimsical illustrations and hilarious text make them the perfect baby shower gift.
OUR FAVORITES Moo Baa La La La (1982) An easy to memorize rhyme about animal sounds that keeps your kids of all ages engaged. Barnyard Dance (1993) Enjoy catchy, clever rhymes that you won’t mind rereading about all your favorite farm animals. Going to Bed Book (1993) A silly book with simple rhymes and funny animals that makes bedtime fun.
The Current
JUNE 2016 • 31
PACE Character Trait of the Month – Integrity
By George Nethercutt Famous 1970s pop singer Jackson Brown once advised others to “live so that when your children think of caring, fairness and integrity, they think of you.” The definition of integrity is the “quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.” The origin of the word integrity is integrate. People with integrity usually are able to integrate their lives successfully – they don’t sacrifice family for work, nor work for family; they have hearts big enough for work, family, friends and other outside activities so that
Student of the Month Viktoriya Onikiychuk has been dedicated to excellence at Valley Christian School. Originally from the Ukraine, she has been a student at VCS for three years, compiling a 4.0 grade point average. A member of the National Honor Society, Viktoriya was named valedictorian for the senior class. She has been enrolled in the biomedical program at Spokane Valley Tech and has a goal of being a doctor. After graduation, she will enter the U.S. Army. She plans to study at Grand Canyon University after her service. “I just love how this school gave me the opportunity to pursue academics,” she said.
George Nethercutt their lives are full, rich and whole (undivided). Integrity is a trait that all should seek. The famous quote, “Integrity is how you act when no one’s looking” applies throughout our lives. The Gonzaga University basketball team and their coach,
Michael Campbell has achieved in a variety of fields at Valley Christian School. A four-year letter winner in soccer and track, the senior decided to play basketball this season. He was part of the Panthers’ state championship 4 x 400 relay team last year. He placed third in the 800 at state, fourth in the 110-meter high hurdles and third in the 300-meter hurdles. His personal record in the 800 is a swift 2:02. Campbell maintains a 3.96 grade point average and is a member of the National Honor Society. He contributed to a Knowledge Bowl team that qualified for the state competition twice. The salutatorian for VCS will attend Eastern Washington University where he plans to study mechanical engineering.
Mark Few, showed integrity as they lost a heartbreaker in the NCAA round of 16 of our nation’s best basketball teams. There was no whining by GU players or their coach, though surely they were disappointed. As athletes of integrity, they were thankful to play hard and to play with each other, all seeking a common goal. Athletics and other contests often test our integrity. Are we good winners (good sports) or poor losers (poor sports)? Competition is part of life’s challenges – it often makes us better, helping us strive to improve and hone our skills, whatever the area of competition. The person of integrity soon realizes that victory or defeat doesn’t define us; it helps sharpen our competitive skills so that “next time” may have a different outcome. North Central High School’s
Citizen of the Month Since 1993, Linda Thompson has led the mission at the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council (GSSAC). The Spokane native is recognized as one of the region’s most respected authorities in the field of substance abuse prevention and community awareness. Her tenure as executive
Principal Steve Fisk often encourages his students to have “grit,” the determination to strive and try hard. Those who don’t try are certain to fail at the task at hand. Those who try may not win presently, but with grit and determination, their chances of success increase. And, they’ll acquire integrity for trying – win or lose. Former Seattle Seahawk Steve Largent is a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. As a former member of the U.S. Congress from Oklahoma, he once revealed that his secret to success was following the “Five P Rule” – Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. Undersized and unremarkable as a high school football player, Steve followed his “Five P Rule” and became a superstar professional football player. He later became
See INTEGRITY, Page 45 director has included the nonprofit being honored by the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission, Department of the Governor and Washington State Department of Corrections. In 2010, GSSAC was recognized with the Exemplary Youth Project Award at the Washington State Substance Abuse Prevention Summit. Over the years, the Washington Drug Free Youth (WDFY) program has grown to include over 2,500 students in 25 schools throughout greater Spokane. Thompson is a graduate of Central Valley High School and Eastern Washington University. She has her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University and is the mother of three children. She is a certified prevention professional and a full-time advocate for a safe and healthy community.
This Portion of Proudly Sponsored By
Athlete of the Month
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32 • JUNE 2016 Brought to you by
About and for Valley seniors Seasoned fan – Longtime Valley resident roots for local teams with flourish
By Craig Howard Current Editor It is the day after a Seattle Mariners’ loss and Thea Forsyth is concerned about Taijuan Walker. Now 97, Forsyth started watching the Northwest’s favorite team with her sister, Alice, in the late 1990s. They followed the team through magical seasons like 2001 when the club set a franchise record with 116 wins and kept cheering through the lean years. Although her sister has passed away, Thea makes it a point to catch every Mariners’ game from the living room of her Spokane Valley home. With Seattle off to an encouraging start this year, Thea has been enthused. When Walker, one of the team’s best young pitchers, was pulled after two innings against Houston on May 6, she could tell that something wasn’t right. “It looked like Walker was hurt,” Forsyth said. “I hope he’s going to be OK.” Even though it’s been 15 years since her favorite team qualified for the post-season, Thea refuses to be a fair weather fan. “You don’t just stop following a team because they struggle,” she said. “You stick with them.” Forsyth’s friend and fellow Valley resident JoAnn Howard brought Thea a Mariners’ official game program and a “No. 1 Fan” license plate after attending a game at Safeco Field in Seattle several years ago. She says Thea is “one of the most loyal fans” she knows. “Thea really supports the Mariners no matter how they are doing,” JoAnn said. “It’s fun to talk about the games with her because she’s really dedicated to the team. She’s just a very sweet lady and a good friend.” Forsyth’s allegiance to local teams includes following the Gonzaga University men’s basketball team during the cold weather months. References to the Zags can be found throughout her residence, including a pillow stitched by a friend and a special hand-drawn birthday card from a great-grandchild festooned with a Bulldog design and school colors.
Thea Forsyth (right) has lived in the Spokane Valley area since 1948 when she and her husband, Charles, moved from Alberta, Canada. A longtime fan of the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Seattle Mariners, Thea stays connected to the local sports scene with friends like Valley resident JoAnn Howard (left). Photo by Craig Howard “Sports is a great outlet for her,” said Chad Galloway who is married to Thea’s daughter, Sandy. “I’m glad we have the Mariners in the summer and Gonzaga in the winter.” Earlier this year, Chad and Sandy took Thea to a Zags’ home game at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The trio sat in a special section near the GU band and student section better known as “The Kennel Club.” “It was noisy but it was great to be there,” said Thea. “That tuba was something else.” Gonzaga defeated Santa Clara 84-67 on Jan. 28 with Forsyth part of another sold-out crowd of 6,000. Afterward, Zags’ standout senior Kyle Wiltjer, who scored 35 points in the game, sent Chad a text thanking him, Sandy and Thea for their support. Wiltjer was given Chad’s number by a Gonzaga teacher who knows the Forsyth family. When the Zags fell out of the top 25 national rankings this season, Thea maintained faith. She rooted the team on through monumental conference wins against BYU and St. Mary’s late in the season and watched as Gonzaga upset Seton Hall and Utah in the NCAA tournament. Despite a three-point loss to Syracuse in the Sweet 16, Forsyth said the team
proved many doubters wrong. “It was too bad, too sad when the lost, but it was a great year,” she said. Thea arrived in Spokane Valley with her husband, Charles, in 1948. The couple moved to Greenacres in 1948 from their home outside Cardston, Alberta. Thea remembers the move being more difficult for Charles, who had been raised on a 200-acre homestead and had to adjust to life in rural suburbia. “It was a bigger change for him,” Thea said. Born in 1919, Thea was a youngster when the effects of the Great Depression in the U.S. spilled over into Canada. “My dad was a carpenter, there wasn’t much work,” Thea recalls. “Most of the food we had came from our garden.” When Thea first moved stateside the biggest luxury was a modern stove. “We’d had a wood stove back home, so it was a nice change,” she said. The Valley has gone through no shortage of changes in the nearly 70 years Thea has called it home. From the construction of an interstate highway to bustling retail sites where fruit stands once stood, the change
has been steady. “It was nothing like it is now,” she said. “There used to be quite a few orchards and they’re mostly gone now. It’s a busy, busy place but I don’t know where else I’d like to live.” Thea and Charles built a home in Otis Orchard in 1954. Sandy remembers her mom on the construction site, pitching in on the project. “Mom is a hard worker,” Sandy said. “She’s just very ambitious, whether it’s yard work, gardening or baking. She’s been a wonderful mom, just always very supportive.” Charles, who was employed 30 years in the Iron Workers Union, very rarely had store-bought bread. Thea’s homemade bread remains the topic of glittering reviews from relatives and neighbors. Charles passed away last December at the age of 100. He and Thea celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary in September. The couple’s family tree includes two children, four grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. These days, Thea watches Mariner games on a TV a few generations advanced from the black-and-white cabinet version she and Charles had in the 1950s. With her favorite team holding onto the division lead for now, Forsyth knows there is reason to believe Seattle might finally qualify for baseball’s post-season pinnacle. “They’re playing good,” she said. “If they’re going to get to a World Series, they better do it this year. I might not be around next year.”
Thea and her daughter and son-inlaw, Sandy and Chad Galloway of Spokane Valley, attended the Jan. 28 contest between Gonzaga and Santa Clara at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Thea and Chad received a visit from “Spike,” the Gonzaga mascot before the game. Contributed Photo
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JUNE 2016 • 33
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U-Hi’s Martin sets lofty standard for local high jumpers By Mike Vlahovich Current Sports Editor For whatever reason, an inordinate number of Spokane Valley gravity-defying high jumpers have (pardon the pun) set the bar high. From Central Valley’s Bob Keppel in the 1960s, up to leapers in the present, a total of 20 locals have cleared heights of 6-foot-8 or higher. The latest and unarguably greatest, University’s Noah Martin, is leaps and bounds ahead of his peers. This year he cleared 7-feet, 3-inches, nearly two inches higher than the nearest Valley height, and
SPORTS
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shares the second best mark in Washington state history.
Valley high jumpers soar
Unfortunately, Martin’s high school year ended prematurely when he broke his clavicle in early May prior to district, regional and state competitions denying him a shot at Rick Noji’s state record of 7-4 ½.
Noah Martin, U-Hi, 7-3, 2016 Brent Harken, CV, 7-1, 1980 Ed Mann, WV, 7-0 ¼, 1975 Jeff Barrett, U-Hi, 7-0 ¼, 1977 Craig Allen, U-Hi, 6-11, 1996 Eddie Gonzales, U-Hi, 6-10, 2013 Darrin Wold, WV, 6-9, 1988 Mark Munns, WV, 6-9, 1992 Dave Pendergrass, CV 6-9, 2001 Others at 6-8: Paul Mittmann, CV; Steve Uht, U-Hi; Steve Krackenburg, CV; Nathan Curtis, EV; Pat Ferguson, EV; Brian Lindley, WV; Andrew Burgess, EV; Ryan Shroeder, WV; Eric Deno, WV; Kevin Hatch, Freeman.
“It’s not the end of the world,” Martin philosophically said. “I have years of high jumping left in my body.” Martin is one of four Valley leapers to have cleared 7 feet and higher and rank among Washington’s top 14 high jumpers all-time. Historically, the gold standard is CV’s Brent Harken. After setting the Bears’ school record 7-1, he went on to international status, soaring 7-7 to set Washington State University’s school mark. The genesis was Keppel who, so legend goes, had been directed to the track team after running
University senior Noah Martin captured the state title in the high jump last year. Bound for Montana State, Martin will not compete at the state meet in Tacoma this year due to an injury. He holds the Valley record in the event at 7-feet, 3 inches. Contributed Photo into an outdoor basketball post in elementary school and splitting his head that required stitches. “What do you do?” the coach asked. Keppel looked at the high jump pit and said, “this looks fun.” “The first time I ever jumped I made something that was over my head,” said Keppel. Before his career ended, Bob would win a high school state title in what today would be a pedestrian 6-3, finish second and third in the NCAA meet for WSU and ultimately become the Valley’s first to clear 7 feet. Keppel’s breakthrough, he said, came when his family drove him to a meet in Seattle. “It was one of my best days of high jumping,” he recalled. “I had never (jumped higher than) 6-6 ½. In West Seattle Stadium, I jumped 6-10 ¾. The only problem was they had a straw pit to land in and the pit was actually lower than the ground. I darned near turned over all the way before I hit the ground.”
Martin stands at 6-5 and is one of only four Valley high jumpers to clear the landmark height of 7 feet. Only CV grad Brent Harken has a better mark than Martin's p.r. of 7-3, clearing 7-7 at Washington State. Contributed Photo
His dad told him enough was enough and he didn’t continue. Keppel’s horizontal straddle roll went the
leg-first way of
the dinosaur evolving into the “Fosbury Flop” – named for Oregon native Dick Fosbury who shook the 1968 Olympics with his head first, backward arc used by today’s jumpers whose landing is considerably softer. The Valley’s first 7-footer was Ed Mann for West Valley in 1975. Two years later Steve Chamberlin equaled Mann’s 7-0 1/4 leap to set a U-Hi record that stood until Martin shattered it. “Since I can remember I was always seeking how high I could jump,” the basketball-playing Martin said. “My goal was to see if I could dunk.” When he started track and field, he figured he’d be a long jumper (he has a horizontal best of 21-5 and also a vertical pole vault height of 15-0.) “I knew I could jump pretty well,” said the youngster who cleared 6-feet in the high jump as a sophomore on sheer talent if not impeccable form. Last year the Titan, who stands 6-5, had his breakthrough clearing a personal best 6-11 and winning state at 6-8. He added four inches since. Once healed, Martin’s lofty goal is to clear 7-6 this summer. His future at Montana State is likely the multi-events a la University of Idaho Olympic decathlon champion Dan O’Brien. “I’m really satisfied with my career,” Martin said. “I’m a little bit disappointed the way it (ended) but I’ll recover. It could have been worse.” As the Valley’s best-ever high jumper, it can’t have gone much better.
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Valley Sports Notebook
SPORTS
JUNE 2016 • 35
assisted by RJ Stretch, had the winner against Pasco. Mark McClain was another major scoring threat during the year. CV’s defense and keeper Kendall Findley were rocks, just twice allowing the opposition more than one goal in a match this season. Titans to state again Like the postman, neither rain nor CV kept University from its appointed trip to the state fastpitch softball tournament. The regional champion Titans are making their 16th appearance, beginning in 1996. The Bears, who shared fifth place in the Greater Spokane League with seven losses, yet turned the tables on their school district rival 6-3 for the Greater Spokane League 4A district championship, joined them, after the Valley pair swept teams from the Mid-Columbia Conference. It marked CV’s return after a twoyear absence. U-Hi coach John Schuh said after the district loss, “Fortunately for us that wasn’t a season ender.” With a week to regroup, the young Titans defeated MidColumbia Conference number one seed Walla Walla and Richland on a rainy weekend to ensure the state berth. The Bears ousted Wa-Hi. Gracee Dwyer hit .460 during the year and had a pair of home runs in
the regional win. She led the league with nine. Kirsten Anstrom led the team in hitting during the season with a .478 average and league with five triples and runs scored. The battery of pitcher Kelsey Gumm and catcher Macie Reynolds led CV’s win over the Titans “Our kids are resilient, that speaks volumes,” coach Joe Stanton said. “They don’t get rattled and want to make the plays.” Scotties in baseball semis Freeman, a final four team state A placer year ago, returned plenty of firepower in the Northeast A League, recording a 21-3 record. It was no surprise, therefore, that the Scotties were back in the semifinals in 2016 hoping to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish. McKabe Cottrell, JT Neely and Simon Rooney were among the top players on a team that expected to go deep in the playoffs. East Valley surprise The Knights have had better baseball teams, but likely not one as resilient as this year’s. They were seeded fifth for the playoffs in the five-team Great Northern League with a 7-9 Great Northern League record and 7-13 overall. They wound up one of 16 teams
in state left standing in the State 2A tournament playoffs. The Knights season ended with a 2-0 loss to Liberty of Issaquah, but getting there was accomplishment in itself. “One of the things we talked about as coaches was to let everyone into the (league) playoffs,” coach John Phelan said. Typically, the last place team wouldn’t have even have been in district nor had a chance to be where they were. A three-run seventh inning rallied EV to a 5-4 victory over East Valley of Yakima and onto state with Josh Sager driving in four of the team’s five runs, including the game winner. Early Injuries put the Knights behind the eight-ball, then baseball karma began bouncing their way. Junior pitcher Colin Spendlove is considered one of the area’s better players. Alex Witt hit nearly .400, Jacob Townley was another key and Sager had a strong post-season. CV track girls soar Considering track and field is an individual sport, qualifying for state is a special accomplishment. Central Valley’s girls team took it to stratospheric heights.
The Final Point - Making sense of the state prep playoffs
to like the eight-team tournament now.
The 16-team tournaments hand out trophies to eight teams.
But the arguments are nothing new. Since 1964 when the WIAA went to the four-region concept, the tournaments have had several iterations. They’ve gone from four teams to 12 teams in 1974, to eight a few years later, back to 16 and back to eight for the last half dozen years.
Putting on a double-elimination 16-team tournament from Wednesday through Saturday was easier when there were considerably fewer classifications than today’s six and Title IX resulted in double the number of teams and tourneys.
By Mike Vlahovich Current Sports Editor It wasn’t easy, but Central Valley’s soccer team, that reached the state 4A finals last year, found a way to return to the state semifinals. From a disappointing early league loss to Mead, to harrowing wins over Ferris (2-1 because of a Saxon own goal) and Lewis and Clark (4-3 in overtime), followed by a 1-0 district loss to the Tigers as time ran out and a 1-0 overtime win over Ferris in regional loserout match, the Bears kept fans and parents on the edges of their seats. In single-elimination state competition, with 2-1 and 1-0 triumphs over physical Davis, a team it was playing for the second straight year, and Pasco, the latter sandwiched in between lightning storm delays, the Bears found a way. The Hauenstein brothers, led by senior JD, and helped by sophomore Devin, combined for 20 goals this year, none bigger than JD’s overtime goal against Ferris that sent the team to state. He also scored a goal and had an assist against Davis. Jake Levine,
By Mike Vlahovich
Current Sports Editor You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. High school basketball coaches have long advocated for a return to the atmosphere of a 16-team state tournament instead of the current eight-team tourneys that replaced it after the 2010 season. The movement gained traction this year when administrators concurred and the idea was put before the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. In a Spokesman-Review story in early May, one proposal trotted out by the WIAA would simply gussy up the critter. The idea would be to have quasi16-team tournaments in an NCAA March Madness format. Rank the teams by strength of schedule and create single-elimination regionals
with an ensuing Final Four that would determine the state champs. My first thought was, “Whoa! Isn’t that what state coaches were hoping to avoid?” Later, after talking briefly with an administrator who is on the exploratory committee, I was told that the story was more speculation than factual. It was, he said, not going to happen, but refused to elaborate. Were it true, essentially it would take us back to the 1960s when the 16-team tournament was moth-balled in favor of a quartet of four-team regionals with the four winners advancing to play for the title in Seattle. Then, the Eastern Washington region pitted the top two Greater Spokane League teams against the Big Nine duo for two nights, at that time in the old Spokane Coliseum, winner-take-all to state. Few liked it then just as few seem
Theoretically you’d need six venues instead of the current three to host the additional boys’ and girls’ teams and begin a day earlier to accommodate double the games. The alternative would be to continue to play in Spokane, Yakima and Tacoma, but have boys’ and girls’ tournaments on separate weeks which would likely be cost prohibitive. An idea offered by a coach I chatted with during the State B tournament in Spokane last March would be to play some of the early State 2B and 1B round games in area high school or college gyms, as well as in the Spokane Arena.
See SPORTS NOTEBOOK, Page 41
Unlike today, the events weren’t entirely revenue driven, arena space rental was modest, crowds were bigger and WIAA staff was considerably smaller. The tournaments, I am told, are sixfigure money losers. There’d be eight trophies awarded in a 16-team tournament as envisioned by the coaches. Currently, for the eight-team tourneys there are six. If the WIAA drags its heels and adopts the single elimination proposition that was floated in The Spokesman, there’d likely be fewer trophies still. If so, coaches and administrators would be better off letting sleeping pigs lay.
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36 • JUNE 2016
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JUNE 2016 • 37
Congratulations Graduating Class of 2016
Cody Abel • Ashley Abosida • Cole Ackerman • Tyson Adams • Joseline Aguilera • Johnathan Albright • Daniel Alder • Elizabeth Allen • Adam Alvarez • Hannah Anderson • Samuel Anderson • Brandon Anderton • Paul Angermann • Bobbi Archer • Joshua Archer • Hayden Arnold • Ethan Arpin • Amanda Autrey • Ryan Baddeley • Koryn Baker • Alyssa Ballensky • Alisha Balogh • Trevor Barnes • Ronald Baumgarden • Peter Bautista II • Sarah Baxter • Pedro Bazaldua • Tayvor Beck • Trevor Beeching • Elijah Beeman • Briegan Bester • Stephanie Betancourt • Zachary Beymer • Reagan Biotti • Kristen Birdsill • Brent Bixby • Ashley Blew • Bron Bly • James Bobrov • Conor Bottorff • Marcus Boudy • Abigail Bowman • Makenzie Bowman • Elizabeth Boyd • Amy Boyer • Michaela Boyer • Kasey Boyle • Hayden Bozarth • Natalie Braun • Alexis Brazelton • Jordyn Bridgens • Kenneth Briggs • Hayley Brinkley • Kyle Brockbank • Jessie Brown • Sydney Bruce • Erin Buck • Trevor Burgess • Dennis Burgess III • Triston Burke • Victoria Burnett • Emily Burns • Nathaniel Burrington • Christopher Campbell • Emily Carnine • Stehl Carriere • McKinzie Carter • Erica Casey • Taylor Caudill • Kylee Chadwell • Zoe Chambers • Kailee Church • Aleasha Clark • Morgan Clark • Shayden Clark • Tyler Clark • Garrett Claussen • Kaleb Clinger • Kayla Collins • Nickolas Condos • Todd Conley • Gage Connole • Colton Cook • Lela Cooper • Adon Cough • Eric Cowell • Jared Cowley • Grant Cox • Benjamin Craig • Derek Crapo • Anya Craven • Camden Crosby • Kylee Crossette • Jaedon Crouch • Brielle Crump • Jordan Cunningham • Micah Cunningham • Eric Dahlin • Landon Daines • William Darby • Brittney Davis • Deanna Davydenko • Lizeth De La O • Stephen Dederick • Antonio DeHamer • Zachary Demchuk • Henry Dien • Joshua Donahue • Alec Doyle • Ethan Dreves • Jake Dringle • Brandon Driscoll • Robert Dunaway • Deidra Dunbar • Caleigh Dunlap-McCollum • Collin Dunn • Alexandria Egland • Brandon Eilers • Ty Eklund • Halla Eliason • Zackary Ellenburg • Selena Elliott • William Elliott • Matthew Ellis • Eli Emerson • Cory Endicott • Savannah Engel • Coleman Entringer • Haylee Ernst • Christopher Eubanks • Zachary Evans • Leah Evanson • Kristin Everhart • Quinn Feider • Olivia Fielding • Whitley Finch • Kendall Findley • Victoria Finley • Katelyn Finney • Davy Flambouras • Madison Flint • Erik Floden • Irena Florianovich • Savannah Folsom • Cajia Ford • Mark Ford • Shelby Frank • Cassidy Freeman • Jessica Freeman • Nancy Fu • Ian Fullmer • Seiji Furukawa • Kaitlin Gallagher • Alyssa Garcia • Chauncye Garigan • Matthew Garrison • Meagan Garrison • Collin Geffrey • Bethany Gehrett • Benjamin Giachetti • Cobi Gibson • Caroline Giegel • Misha Gnatenko • Krysten Golly • Maria Gonzales • Yvette Gonzalez • Taylor Goode • Amy Gordon • Jared Grebe • Lexi Green • Michael Grimmett • Nathan Grinalds • Kelsey Groff • Connor Grytdal • Amy Guarisco • Shalyn Guegel • Kailee Guerdette • Landon Guinn • Tanner Gumm • Tanner Gummersall • Maegan
Class celebration page 19
Central Valley High School J U N E 4 AT 9 : 0 0 A . M . G.U. MCCAR THEY CENTER 8 0 1 N C I N C I N N AT I S T, 9 9 2 0 2 Gunderson • Melanie Gurr • Jessica Gutierrez • Michael Gutierrez • Evelina Gutulenco • Marrissa Hagan • Brooke Hagerty • Gayle Hammersley • Chad Hansen • Lucas Hansen • Carter Hanson • Kyra Harames • Amanda Harmon • Alina Haroldsen • Marrisa Harter • Noah Haskins • J D Hauenstein • Wynter Haulet • Bodey Hawks • Dylann Henry • Kelsy Henry • Jacob Heskett • Ethan Hildebrand • Amber Hill • Christian Hill • Josie Hill • Nicolas Hinman • Daylan Hoekstra • Quinn Holmdahl • Krystal Homminga • Kelsey Hormel • Abby Horton • Stephanie Howard • Nya Hubert • Jacob Huettl • Sapphire Hume • Tran Huynh • Joshua Ilenstine • Jesica Jacobson • Joshua Jenkins • Abraham Jensen • Madison Jesse • Henry Jiao • Brittany Johnson • Brooks Johnson • Caleb Johnson • Samantha Johnson • Zachary Johnson • Bailey Joy • Jillian Jutila • Naji Kaddoura • Rachel Kaiser • Samuel Kamp • Kyle Kaplan • Alona Karasyov • Diana Karptsov • Ryan Kelstrom • Sabrina Kelstrom • Taylor Kempf • Tyson Keys • Mary Kienbaum • Colton King • Mercedes Kissinger-Smith • Brennen Kitterman • Paul Korotish • Theresa Kosednar • Lyndsey Kovacich • Jared Krafft • David Kravtsov • Grant Kuntz • Madison LaCross • Kayla Lambert • Taylor Landstrom • Thomas Lang III • Mark Laptev • Lexi Larsen • Tyler Laughman • Hailey Laws • Lydia Lemon • Qian Lenington • Alyssa Leone • Dontae Levins • Tabitha Liljenberg • Gabrielle Long • Justin Long • Riley Longwill • Samantha Luck • RJ Lund • Jason Lybbert • Samuel Lynn • Jordan Machovsky • Jamie Machtmes • Brendon Manning • Colton Marcantel • Alyssa Martin • Lydia Martinez • Tyra Martinez • Leanne Masingale • Christian Mason • Rachel Matheison • Alexander Matthews • Cassandra
McAlpine • Ashley McAndrew • Hannah McCabe • Mark McClain • Haylee McCoy • Marcus McDermott • Logan McDonald • Riley McDonald • Jess McGinnis • Jefferey McKinney • Christopher McLaughlin • Jesse McLean • Christopher Mendez • Kathryn Merrick • Mitchell Meuser • Emily Michels • Cori Michielli • Ethan Miller • Brenden Millikan • Arin Mitchell • Kaylea Moffeit • Sara Montgomery • Skyler Montgomery • Michael Moore • Makayla Moorhead • Jack Morrison • Melissa Mullin • Marty Munyon • Matthew Naccarato • Michael Nall • Kieran Natarajan • Jackson Neal • Kyle Neil • Jacob Ness • Morgan Ness • Kordell Newberg • Alysha Newton • Alvin Nguyen • Huntter Niles • Anita Oleynik • Avery Orth • Taylor Owens • Braden Page • Kellan Page • Andrew Parks • Megan Patterson • Emilee Paulus • Amanda Pease • Robert Peck • Nathan Pegram • Naomi Dale • Andrew Peterson • Jacklyn Petretee • Brooklyn Petrini • Piper Petrinovich • Jenna Place • Kira Plagman • Sarah Plumb • John Prince • Taylor Putnam • Toria Raab • Mason Radmaker • Katelyn Ramberg • Kevin Rathmanner • Connor Reding • Chase Reidt • Hannah Reiman • Nicholas Reis • Mariah Reneau • Matthew Reynolds • Erin Rice • Gabriel Ries • Blake Riley • Jade Rockwood • Meghan Rockwood • Joran Rodgers • Abigail Rogers • Jacob Ross • Jesse Ross • Jaydon Russ • Dylan Rutter • Jody Ryan • Brady Sanders • Devon Sandford • Cameron Sannes • Jesse Santiago • Oscar Santos • Mallory Sarner • Emily Sauther • Ellin Schafer • David Schappals • Samantha Scheurer • Cameron Schneider • Julia Semeniuk • Arber Sejfiu • Kelsey Shaber • Wendy Shaw • Harrison Sherwood • Liana Shevchenko • Raymond Shiner • Ellise Shoemaker • Claire Sholtz • Natalie Sidles • Zocia Sieveke-Fowler • Justis Simmons • Andrew Simpson • Riley Sine • Hunter Skoien • Tanner Sloan • Emma Smith • Cody Smits • Kristen Sowers • Silvan Squires • Nathan Staheli • Spencer Stephens • Andrew Stewart • Logan Stocker • Christopher Stone • Brandon Stuehmeyer • Jaiden Svelmoe • Delaney Sweeney • Daniel Taylor • Logan Taylor • Raelene Taylor • Isaac Tecca • Joselynn Tensley • Tamikia Tensley • Allison Termath • Marissa Terry • Elizabeth Thielen • Elliot Thomas • Joshua Thomas • Kolby Thomas • Morgan Thompson • Alexander Thornton • Kallen Thorson • Jessica Todd • Clarissa Tracy • Monica Troxel • Cameron Tucker • Ryan Tucker • Taryn Ungaro • Benjamin Urbanec • Katie Van Etten • Ryan Van Liew • Alexandria Vargas • Nexor Velez • Daniel Vickrey • Christin Volz • Desirae Waco • Kailee Wade • Kyle Walton • Kyle Wang • Courtney Warnock • Jenna Weaver • Elizabeth Webb • Colton Weber • Lauren Wells • Aubrey West • Keann White • Shane Whitecotton • Breona Whitman • Emma Whybrew • William Wigen • Aubrey Williams • Makayla Williams • Austin Willis-Roberts • Joseph Wilson • Joshua Wold • Rachel Womach • Jaimie Woodland • Madelynn Woodland • Alyssa Woodlief • Nathan Wyckoff • Arika Young • Krystian Young • Maggie Young
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38 • JUNE 2016
Class celebration page 43
Dishman Hills High School J U N E 3 A T 7 P. M . NEW LIFE CHURCH 10920 E . S P R AG U E AV E ., S P O K A N E VA L L E Y
Chelsea Afana • Samuel Bethmann • Brandon Block • Michaela Braucht • Ashley Bunkelman • Rebekah Carpenter • Dylan Cesal • Cole Churchill • Griffin Clements • Jared Conger • Thomas Cook • Joy Davis • MaryAnna Deethardt • Cody Dunne • Jordyn Dunne • Madisen Ellis • Jonathan Fletcher • John Forsman • Martina Garza • Seth Gillihan • Anthony Gobats • Kailie Gullett • Jameson Haats • Emily Heck • Rique Heyer • Raeven Holsworth • Clark Hottinger • Spencer House • Dezmond House • Jimmy Howell • Kendall
Michael Alnassim • Joshua Andersen • Krista Anspach • Brittany Aquino • Haley Baggarley • Summer Bailey • William Bailey • Estefany Barragan • Madison Bastin • Skylar Bastin • Samantha Battin • Rhonda Baxter • Dallis Beckett • Kapone Beitz • Jade Berberick • Jacob-Tyler Bercot • Chase Binder • Michael Binder • Austin Bliesner • Tyler Bliesner • David Bordeaux • Katie Bowman • Wyatt Bowman • Austin Bradford • Nichole Bradford • Derek Braymen • Brycen Bremer • Colton Brown • Dustin Browne • Kendall Brown • Kila Browning • Mikayla Brown • Baylee Buchanan • Audry Burgess • Taylor Burke • Hannah Burland • Tiana Burnham • Rylee Carolus • Jaimee Clark • Dante Clayton • Bradley Colglazier • Maranda Colombo • Kylie Cook • David Cope • Zachary Courchaine • Alexis Cramer • Tiarra Crockrom • Dylan Cross (Baker) • Sonya Curtis • Russell Darcy • Drew Deboodt • Sofia Desimone • Devin Devore • Chad Delzell III • Emily Dillon • Adam Divens • Linh Doan • Chantelle Doucette • Megan Duff • William Duncan • William Dunlap • Nicholas Durand • Aaron Durazo • Rose Faraca • Ashley Farnsworth • Madalynn Fischer • Jamie Fleck • Jacob Forsythe • Julia Fox • Payton Fredericksen • Jonanthan Freese • Tanner Fyre • Gabrielle Gankema • Chevy Gilliam • Alyssa Glore • Jenise Golden • Jonathan Gonzalez • Brenten Goodwater • Ryan Graham • Joseph Grassl • Maddux Greer • Whitney Gulliford • Justice Guyer • Isaiah Hainline • Cory Hall • Jordan Hammond • Zachary Hanson • Hosanna Harrington • Lauren Heinlen • Zachary Helfenstein • Erika Herambourg • Alexia Hess • David Hicks • Madison HigginbothamWilson • Tyler Holt • Kaitlyn Hopkins • Chantel Iakopo • Semir Ibrahimovic • Tanner Jacobs • Trevor Jacobs • Ryan Jakober • Michael Jensen • Micah Jensen-McNeill • Jaycee Jones • Brooklynn Juris • Daniel Kalpakchi • Kasey Kanenwischer • Samantha Kelley • Devin Kempe • Courtland Kessinger • Veoletta Kopets • Peter Korab • Isaac Lamb • Corissa Larsen • Khadijah Lassey • Samantha LawsonNovikoff • Kearrah Lima • Helyna Limberhand
Class celebration page 44
East Valley High School J U N E 8 AT 8 P. M . INB PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 3 3 4 W . S P O K A N E FA L L S B L V D . , SPOKANE • Brian Lind • Gage Lookebill • Chelsea Love • Kayann Luce • Samantha Ludwig • Corey Lyghts • Melynda Maki • Michael Manos • Emilio Marroquin • Jared Martin • Taylor Martin • Janina McBride • Gannon McDermott • Evan McDonald • Andrew McKee • Elizabeth McLean • Trey Meyer • Marissa Millhouse • Kimberly Millmaker • Zachary Mills • Michaiah Mitchell • Annaleesa Montoya • Matthew Montoya • Jordan Moore • Isabel Morales • Noah Morales • Chase Naccarato • Rebekah Nalder • Derek Nelson • Mitchell Nelson • Anne Ngo • Kayla Nixon • Carolina Noriega • Zoe Novakovich • Malik Ore • Caleb Palmen • Dalton Parrish • Justin Patterson • Elena Payne • Katelynne Perry • Natalie Peters • Vanessa Pettersen • Jordan Phelan • Dylan Plunkett • Bryce
Jeppesen • Kylee Johnson-Harper • Karina Karhanin • Aleksey Kozubenko • Nicholas Kuiper • Ryan Laws • Shayden Macri • Kaylyn Martin • David Martin • Charli McAuliff • Jordan McCabe • Jessica McKean • Haley McSpadden • Erik Mendez • Mandara Morgan • Christina Moss • Austin Newsom • Khoa (Andy) Nguyen • Kual Nyiang • Ashley Oberg • Amber Osgood • Tyler Pardue • Janae Parker • Dylan Patterson • Brandon Pierce, Jr. • Porter Pleger • Mary Quaschnik • Cameron Raamot • Mikayla Rekofke • Darby Richardson • Corey Ridenbaugh • Leah Rios • Christian Robbins • Blayze Rogers • Hailee Rudd • Jordan Rutkowski • Paisliee Sarff • Rilee Short • Kiah Smith • Casey Smith-Schierholz • Nathanial Storch • Natalie Stordock • Steven Sullins • Brittany Swecker • Faith Thornton • Brandon Townsend • Celia Vangrimbergen • Kalaya Volmar • Robert Waite • Zachary Ward • Amanda Warren • Rose West • Shelby Williams • Forest Zon
Pointer • Josiah Poler • Gaelyn Prior • Kelsie Rantzow • Gabrielle Reavis • Taylor Rebman • Katherine Rice • Jordan Richardson • Connor Riedlinger • Alexandrea Robinson • Diana Rodriguez • Talon Rogers • Joshua Sager • Joseph Sailand • Brandon Scalf • Anastasia Schofield • Dalton Schutz • Taeona Seiler • Charlotte Severns • Makayla Shay • Bailey Shea • Mickiela Sherman • Miyana Shively • Austin Sijer • Asallah Simon • Manpreet Singh • Tyler Skogen • Diana Smitherman • Jacob Smith • Stacie Smith • Matthew Spitze • Scott Stark • Mellanie Stephenson • Jordan Steward • Kody Summers • Logan Sundheim • Derek Sumpter • Igor Svirgun • Johnathan Szep • Jordan Szep • Jerehmey Tadlock • James Terry • Hayley Thistle • Kristen Thompson • Dustin Thon • Jaicee Toles • Jacob Townley • Garrett Tredway • Julianna Trepanier • Elvira Tsuber • Tristan Twin • Asa Vallone • Juan Vasquez • Justin Vigesaa • Devin Volquardsen • Caitlynn Wallace • Kyle Walther • Sarah Wartinger • Rebecca Watkins • Anthony Weaver • Patrick Welker • Bryan Westwood • Connor Weyant • Annissa Wimer • Kevin Winder • Richard Woodbury • Steve Wright • Chilaxeng Xiong • Jaia-April Xiong • Nong Zong Xiong • Kevin Yount • Kylie Yount-Kaufman • Paul Yount
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JUNE 2016 • 39
Freeman High School J U N E 1 1 A T 1 P. M . FREEMAN HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM 14626 S. J AC K S O N R OA D, R O C K F O R D
Class celebration page 45
Tristan Albrecht • Alyssa Axtell • Hanson Berg • Blair Brock • Collin Cogley • Sage Condrey • Dalton Conely • Ethan Crosby • Waylon Dashiell • Adam D’Auria • Timofey Dederer • Hayden Diesburg • William Doloughan • Darren Fagan • Lauren Faulkner • Kayla Figler • Daniel Foss • Tatiane Foster • James Foutch • Nicholas Franz • Megan Freer • Kelsie Fricke
• Megan Frye • Kaylee Fuchs • Connor Gilbert • Christian Goldbach • Jazmyne Gossett • Olivia Griffith • Heidi Hohmann • Sebastian Hyta • Aleyna Iltz • Nathan Jacobus • Ian Johnston • Alma Longhurst • Kegan Luhr • Aidan Macdonald • Carlee Magers • Hannah Manning • Harrison Mcgill • Steven Mcneilly • Alisa Miller • Sera Miller • James Morgan • Hannah Nees • Avery Oja • Maria Panzeri • Mitchel Panzeri • Megan Paternoster • Jack Paukert • Tristan Peery • Hannah Peters • Christian Phillips • Michael Pierce • Kyle Roche • Laura Ruby • Sydney Sather • Noah Schmick • Joey Sims • Ashley Sinden • Peyton Smetana • Nicolas Smith-cave • Braydon Sousa • Kelsi Spring • Braden Stejer • Tyler Stewart • Emily Strahan • Alisha Straw • Alexandria Tesch • Dakoda Thiede • Jesse Unfred • Amelia Vanvoorhis • Noah Vetter • Cashlynn Volk • Nicholas Wright
Class celebration page 50
Valley Christian School J U N E 4 A T 1 P. M . VA L L E Y R E A L L I F E C H U R C H 1831 S. B A R K E R R OA D, G R E E N AC R E S
Jacob Bird • Michael Campbell • Hannah Fields • David Gilmartin • Hyungseo Han • Kailee Hayek • Jasmine Hernandez • Kwangmin Kim • Viktoriya Onikiychuk • Minwoo Park • Lucas Pitotti • Gabriel Santone • James Segalla • Braydon StockSimonds • Chase Strunk • Adrienne Valenti
Class celebration page 48
The Oaks Classical Christian Academy VA L L E Y F O U R T H MEMORIAL CHURCH 2303 S. BOWDISH, S P O K A N E VA L L E Y
Spokane Valley High School J U N E 4 AT 6 : 4 5 P. M . SPOKANE COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE AUDITORIUM 1 8 1 0 N . G R E E N E S T R E E T, S P O K A N E
Class celebration page 47 Abigail Barnes • Allison Bickham • Samantha Bradley • Sierra Bradley • Anaya Brannock • Angelina Chebotareva • Johannah Cole • Destinee Davis • Evan Davis • Dakota DeFilippis • LeAnna Farley • Melody Fyre • Haley Gress • Kailyn Hengen • Alexus Kelley • Sean Killackey • Devon Kilmer • Angela Mace • Emily McLain • Danielle McMillan • Spencer Mors • Emma Nelson • Hannah Nickerson Scully • Blake O’Bleness • William Pellow IV • Victor Pruteanu • Delia Rodriguez • Leticia Rodriguez • Madison Roestel • Khylee Williams • Logan Wilson
Spokane Valley Transition Program J U N E 2 AT 6 : 4 5 P. M . SPOKANE COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE AUDITORIUM 1 8 1 0 N . G R E E N E S T R E E T, S P O K A N E
Ian Burgess • Catherine Cable • Katherine Cvancara • Jared Davis • Erika Demmert • Aryanna Ganji • Elli Hafferkamp • Miriam Indgjerd • Samuel Jenkins • Naomi Kim • Edward Lambert • Christa LaVoie • Stefanie Modderman • Luke Netjes • Josiah Nixon • Kialynn Palpant • Lillian Ragudo • Jonathan Tate • Anna Tibbetts
Rebecca Acosta • Eduard Anishchenko • Mara Backstrom • Cory Beres • Makayla Bozeman • Sivanna Braden • Dennen Branum • Olga Brutskaya • James Cano • Aleah Canoy • Benjiman Charbonneau • Lauren Currier • Jenna Dale • Aleksandr Dyuryagin • Crescent Ebel • Veola Gerasimchuk • Staley Gering • Larissa Gotishan • Vlademer Gotishan • Artem Grishko • Jordan Hamilton • Iris Harris • Kemoni Hewett • Cierra Hill • Kobee Hogan • Alexis Holbert • Edward Jeffers • Ashleigh Johnson • Katherine Jonas • Meggan Kathman • Ruvim Kozak • Svetlana Kravtsov • Sarah Kreiger • Anna Larkin • Jasmine Lavoie • Svyatoslav Liashedko • Cloe Lucero • Milik Mackin • Amanda Matlock • Brittany Moshan • Armani Mounadir • Shaleena Murfin • Talor Myers • Levi Parsley • Tristin Payne • Samantha Pfeifer-Brown • Madelyn Rennaker • Seairra Rice • Kendra Richardson • Samantha Riley • Corbin Sexton • Tabytha Slayton • Brandon Smitherman • Caitlin Smith • Dennis Tsiribko • Vitaliy Ustimenko • Stephen Velardi • Sarrah Violett • Filipp Vishnevskiy • Cameron Wallace • Keisha Webster • Drake Welshons • Eric Yakshin • Victor Zubkov
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40 • JUNE 2016
Jade Adair • Brittany Adams • Kelsie Jayne Adcock • Troy A. Allen • Tristen Marie Amundsen • Tacy Elissa Anderson • Ella Anderson • Gage Anderson • Kielee Dawn Anderson • Taylor H. Anderson • Gunnar John Arlt • Annabelle Joanne Arteaga • Nathaniel Roy Awbery • Brooke Bailey • Caitlyn Nicole Baker • Daniel Harry Leonardo Barajas ª • Megan Barbieri • Anna Marie-Lynn Bareno • MacKinzie Barker • Zachary Barker « • Alec Jaymes Barnett • Clark Barrington • Isaac Barville • Emily Michele Bays • Grace E. Beach • Cole Chanse Beaman v • Mason Bean v • Brett Wayne Benson ª w R • Sonja Marie Bertrand ª • Meghan Bewley • Prabjot Bhatia • Arianna Marie Birch • Josiah Bird « • Ebony Noel Bjaaland • Preston N. Bolt • Daryous Elazha Bonner • Isaiah Thomas Bradstreet • Parker James Bradstreet • Madison Brittney Brake • Bradley T. Branson • Kathrin E. Bratchikova • Jordan Michael Brewer • Nicole Marie Bridge • Hannah Brown ª • Jordan Thomas Brown ª w • Lacey Elizabeth Brown v • Darion O. Buck • Kaitlyn Anne Buckley • Benjamin Ryan Byers • Sierra Rachelle Byers • Sophie G. Byus • Jonathan Kenneth Caldera • Amanda Annette Calhoun • Mitchell Robert Carbon ª • Kelsey Carson • Brandon Scott Carver • Tayler Renea Carveth • Connor K. Chandler • Tanner Raymond Chase • Sugar Magnolia Childress • Corey Jerald Chrisman Jr. • Hannah G. Christensen • Amanda Christine Clark • Tianna Elyse Clemenson • Connor Nicholas Codd • Kendall Marie Collins ª w • Ciara Conley • Cameron R. Cordle • Tristan Cox • Andy Cozub • Calvin Richard Cramer • Ellen Disa Crawford ª • Loren Tyler Creighton Deharo • Morgan Riley Crosby ª • Alyssa K. Cross • Travis Lee Cummings • Bryce Bemis Dale • Haley Jean Davis • Jacob Arend Dawson • Jordan Dehal • Mariah Stacy Delay « • Cullen William Demakis ¯ w • Nathalia Mercedes Diaz • Kylee Reid Dickinson ª • Matthew B. Dickman • Austin Daniel Dill ª • Kacey Dilworth « • Kira Dionne • Jake Andrew Dobson • Madison Dobson v • Daniel Donson • Taylor Rae Wade Dougherty • Dane Alexander Driskell • Dominic Drury • Anna Marie Dumaw • David Freeman Duncan Jr. « • Victoria Duncan • Tyler W. Durall • Cameron Allen Dwyer ª • Maxwell S. Dwyer ª • Trayton Gregory Dwyer • Kyle R. Edmonds • Nicolas Edmonds • Kenyatta David Edwards III « • Riki N. Ellis • Lexi Englehart • Christen Renee Epperly • Blaine E. Erickson • Taylor James Eskridge • Taylor Estes • Shae Christine Estinson • Jarrom Farnsworth « • Garrett A. Farrage • Nathanial Fennen • Ryan Alexander Ficklin • Rilee Nicole Fish • Daniel Vladimir Floryanovich • Matthew Fode ª • Paxton Mallory Foote v • Cassandra M. Ford • Zachary Daniel Gail Foster • Veronica Lee Franzese • Gianni Michael Galietti ª • Ayanna Danice Galindo • Braden James Gamble w • Gage Daniel Garrett • Jimmy T. Garrison • Mykalah Noelle Geer • Joseph A. George • Joshua Michael Gibson • Caroline J. Gile • Raffaella Giuliani • William R. Golden • Erica Paige Goodwin • James T. Goodwin • Alyssa Danell Gottberg • Jeremiah Paul Graham • Rhyan Graham • Willie Lawrence GreenTrevino • Tristen Michael Greene • Alec Hunter Grewe • McKensie Griep • Danielle Griffith • Daryn Adele Griffith • Nickolas Logan Grooms • Hannah Rose Gropp ª • Adeline M. Gruber • Donovin Marquis Grundhauser « • Jose Ignacio Gutierrez • Natasha Gutierrez • Joshua William Hager • Gabriel Richard C. Hamblin • Taylor Aaron Hanson • Neely Lynn Harding ª • Nicole Cecilia Harris ª • Garrett Greenaugh Harty v • Kaylee Jo Haven • Jeff Hawkins III • Emily Grace Hawley • Rachel Nicole Hawley • Jonathan Paul Hein • Victoria Krystine Herner • Sean Eric Hicks
Class celebration page 49
University High School J U N E 6 A T 3 P. M . MCCARTHEY CENTER AT G O N Z A G A U N I V E R S I T Y 8 0 1 N . C I N C I N N AT I , S P O K A N E
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Mica Peak High School J U N E 4 A T 6 P. M . ONE* CHURCH 1 5 6 0 1 E . 2 4 T H AV E . , S P O K A N E VA L L E Y
Class celebration page 46
• Austin Michael Hiebert • Ryan D. Higginbotham • Emma K. Higgins • Calie May Hill • Travis Robert Hoctor • Michael James Hoekema • Dwight William Hoffman ª • Amanda J. Holford • Kaylee Desirae Holloway • Zachary Peter Holschen • Derek Michael Honnold • Rachel L. Horn ª • Ryley James Horton • Meghan Dawn House • Ebony M. Howard • Erika Ashley Hughes • Maev Rose Hughes • Tyler D. Humbles • Autumn Sunshine Marie Hyatt • Morgen Marcus Hyde • Alexis M. Ivankovich • Emily Jacobs ª • Sarah Jacobs ª • Donavan James • Steven A. Jensen • Aaron N. Johnson • Jewel Johnson • Kiara D. Johnson v • Kaitlin Jones • Nickolas Jordan « • Tomoko D. Kaneko • Jasmine Karstedt • Tyler W. Kemp • Delaci M. Kendrick • Brianna R. Kennedy • Kaylee C. Kiebach • Aidan David Killackey w • Alex Reid Kindsvogel • Madelynne Brooke King • Lexis Danielle Kittilstved • Max David Klein • Michala Jolyn Knapp • Desmond Joseph Koth • Travis Lee Kridler • Breandan J. LaFontaine « • Esther Marie LaPlante • Dylan M. Laughlin-Kalamarski • Zachary David LaVelle • Jack R. Lawson • Gabriella Karena Lewis • Braeden Little • Jonathan M. Lollar • Hailley Shae Long ª • Elizabeth Lopez de Victoria • Monica Lopez de Victoria • Ashley N. Lopez • Hailey Love • Morgan A. Lowe • David G. Lummus • Chandler T. Lymbery • Benjamin Riley Magruder ¯ ª w • Austin D. Mahana • Preston Scott Maher • Garret Peter Maki • Caleb Malek • Samantha Joanne Mansfield • Audre M. Manzi • Angeline Marshall • Jacob Thomas Martelle III • Caitlyn Elizabeth
Martin • Noah Jared Martin • Qwanasq’it Matheson • Russell T Matheson ª • Garrett James Matott • Spencer Allan Matt w • Mathias Daniel Maughan ¯ ª w • Madeline Chase McCarthy • Griffin Nickolas McDonald • Caitlin Gwyneth McLennan • Evan M. McMahon • Levi Daniel Meinzinger • Sydney Mellinger • Sara Rose Meyers • Adriana Mickelsen v • Wyatt Miles • Bailey Allen Miller • Ian Robert Miller ª • Payton Jeffrey Miller ª • Sydney Lorraine Miller • Brocton G. Million • Andrew Matthew Miranne • Dustin Patrick Morris • Genevieve M. Mosbauer • Chase Arnold Munson • Marissa Rose Murinko • Laura AnnDee Myers • Bradley Matthew-Otto Nance • Rylee C. Nerren • Emily Nimri • Kyron Nixon • Logan Andrew Norman • Sabrina Mae Nunnallee w • Sierra Christine O’Brien • Ethan W. O’Connor • Breauna O’Neal • Logan Thomas O’Neill • Liam Matthew Odle • Trentan Lee Offt • Gage River Oglesbee • Gabrielle A. Orndorff • Austin Lee Osmonson • Kayla H. Owens • Joseph Palozzolo III • Kaitlin Elizabeth Pannell • Landon C. Parrish • Alex Steven Patterson • Sean Payton • Macauley Quinn Pearman-Gillman • Joseff Cool Pentico • Jeremy Percival • Learyc A. Peterson • Joyce Marie Phillips • Peyton Elizabeth Pitner • Jesse Plowman « • Colton Poplawski • Nathon L. Portch • Brock R. Powell • Rebekah Francise Price • Marla Ann Prothero • Nathan Pruczinski • Kelsie Putnam • Nathan Charles Quinn ª • Rachel Ranf v • Krystal A. Ray • Rita Michelle Raynor • Travis Kevin Reeder • Parker J. Reincke • Kyle Rhoades • Tyler Alan Rickel ª • Sierra Mackenzie Rickman • Emma Rose Amber Ritchie • Emali Roberts • Cora Roberts-Naccarato ª • Nicholas Walker Robertson • Cheyanne Ross • Chloe Emerald Rowe • Ryann Marie Rydeen • MacKenzie Marie Saladin • Jamison C. Sampson • Josefina Genavie Santos San Nicolas • Austin Shane Sather • Matthew Dean Schmidt ª • Ashley M. Schoonover v • Joseph Shanholtzer • Patrick Shelley • Sydney Blaire Shepherd • Alexis Cheyann Sherrill • Miranda L. Shillam • Kayela C. Shipley • Cody R. Shuford • Angelo J. Silva ª • Hunter K. Simpson ª w • Phoebe Sinclair • Diana M. Sipko w • Elexus Cheyanne Smith • Emily Rose Smith • Jenson R. Smith • Kimberlee Rose Smith • Kyle J. Smithgall ª • Cameron Michael Sorensen • Kendra Dakota Spanjer • Christian A. Staker • Paityn Alicia Stallard • Kaileigh Nicole Stanford • Jaedyn R. Starkey • Sammy Stauffer v • Nina Stefonowicz • Angelique Danyele Storey • Jasmine Storey • Jessica Ann Streng • Brayden Steven Tacke • Alec Paul Taylor • Nicholas Grant Terhaar • Marissa Anne Thompson ª • Morgan V Thornley • Griffin Riley Thorson • Justin Tiffany • Allison R. Towey-McCarren ª • Cassandra Trower • Stephen Mark Tunick • Chenoa Fern Turner • Chris Tveit • Breaunna Nicole Upmeyer • Ryan Van Steenkist • Mary A. Vasyukhnevich • Hunter James Vensland • Alexander L. Verhaag • Fatu Ville • Devan Alexis Gillian Visco • Abby Sue Wagemann ª w • Ashley Lily Ann Wagner • Brandon Wahoski • Emily Wardsworth • Madison Weiler • Tyler Wermann • Zachary White • Alexandra Claire Whitehouse • Jimani Ahkiem Whitsett • Josephine Wicklund • Cathryn Elizabeth Williams • Jordan Williams • Jordan Danielle Willson • Dylan Michael Wilson • Hailey Elise Wilson • Nathan Zane Wilson • Shaun Michael Witthauer • Gabriella Elysabeth Wiykovics • Logan Wolkey • Seth Wolkey • Blake Harris Womble • Leighlue Marae Woods • Kasay York • Abigail Marie Young Foreign Exchange Students: Hannah Berkemeier (Germany) • Monica Castillo (Mexico) • Raffaella Giuliani (Italy) • Sveva Romano (Italy) • Aina Real Ramon (Spain) • Ingrid Stroemsheim (Norway)
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West Valley High School J U N E 7 AT 4 P. M . INB PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 3 3 4 W . S P O K A N E FA L L S B L V D . , S P O K A N E Jesse Abbs • Obaid Abdul Salam • Margaux Albright • Kelsie Alexander • Vladislav Amandin • Kristina Angerer-Shpilenya • Braden Arnold • Nathaniel Arnold • Nehemie Arnold • Zackary Babinski • Rebeka Baker • Alexandra Barnhart • Davon Beach • Montana Belcher • Jake Boles • Collin Boucher • Kirsten Bray • Kristen Bressler • Bradley Brittain • Andrew Brodhead • Hunter Brooks • Ashley Brown • Katelyn Brown • Domanic
JUNE 2016 • 41
Brumfield • Aaron Brunson • William Bryant • Kobe Budano • Alisha Buffkin • Austin Burris • Tommies Butler-Saige • Cody Carlson • Samuel Carrigan • Tierney Cathcart • Gunnar Cebriak • Xena Chhoeun • Shawen Christensen • Troy Cleaver • Aaron Clements • David Collman • Draven Costello • Teresa Cruz • Lucas Dallas • Deliece Davis • Dexter Davis • Landon Day • Jonni Deakins • Hunter Deane • Eric DeBolt • Paul Denny • Elise DeVleming • Brookelin Dickey • Meseret Dokken • Hannah Downey • Tevin Duke • Doreen Duncan • Caitlin Eberle • Allen Edens • Elizabeth Ellis • Meagan Ellis • Thomas Emerson • Calvin Ervin • Logan Ervin • Hunter Ferguson • Casey Fitzpatrick • Alana Fleming • Victoria Fleury • Brennen Folkins • Hunter Folyer • Kendall Gary • Vanessa Gerard • Jordan Gertje • Spencer Glass • Dakota Gramlow • Mark Grigoryan • Alina Grishko • Ashlee Gronnebek • Kaylee Groom • Alexander Hall • Tessa Harvey • Caleb Healey • Zechariah Herford • Andres Hernandez • Hanna Highberg • Kiana Hilderbrand-Nagata • Joseph Hoffer • Blake Horlacher • Darby Howat • Selina Hudson • Ryan Hunter • Aschton Hyndman • Mikayla Ibach • Cory Jeffries • Jaydon Johnson • Shantell Johnson • Shelby Johnson • Aili Jones • Emily Kelly • Jaryd Kenney • Jaydlyn Kinlow • Kelce Knaeble • Jennifer Konshuk • Ellisa Laboy • Christopher Laird • Garrett LaRue • Daphne Layman • Arden Leas • Jaclyn LeCount • Aubrey Leggett • Riley Lewis • Mackenzie Long • Cheyenne Longie • Christopher Lucas • Daniil Lukin •
SPORTS NOTEBOOK Continued from page 35
The Washington Academy of Arts and Technology J U N E 8 AT 8 P. M . SPOKANE OPERA HOUSE 3 3 4 W . S P O K A N E FA L L S B L V D . , SPOKANE Michael M. Alnassim • Nichole Marie Bradford • Tiana Jinae Burnham • Bradley B.R. Colglazier • Maranda Lea Colombo • Russell J. Darcy • Chad Emerson Delzell III • Lauren Heinlen • Marissa Millhouse • Natalie Marie Peters • Dylan Montgomery Plunkett • Alexandrea Michelle Robinson • Derek Robert Sumpter • Julianna Trepanier • Kyle Walther • Rebecca Marie Watkins
The Bears claimed 20 state berths, some athletes advancing in multiple events, and joined by other athletes on two winning relays to the 4A meet over the Memorial Day weekend. Coach Geoff Arte attributed it to a convergence of gifted athletes both track focused and those from other sports, coupled with the addition of a gifted freshman class. “We’ve just had good experience over the years,” said Arte of a group of seniors who were four-time district and three-time regional champions. “They’ve put together a pretty good resume.” The Bears had two qualifiers each in the 200, 400, 1,600, pole vault and shot put and swept all three 800 berths.
Blake Marsh • Lezly Martinez Gonzalez • Aris Mason • Brendan May • Rylee McConnell • Jordan McGee • Rachel McGlothlen • Jacob McNorton • Javon McThirsty • Michael Meagley • Katelyn Mercer • Ashley Meyer • Daniel Moore • Jonathan Nap • Kathleen Nasset • Caitlin Netro • Kassidy Newsom • Nhut (minh) Nguyen • Matteo Nunziati • Mark Oestreich • Kristian Olesen • Matthew Olson • Hannah Ortiz • Conley Ovnicek • Allissa Pederson • Ty Pendleton • Morgan Peterson • Timothy Pikulik • Emma Porter • Dallas Ramos • Kylie Rapp • Jordyn Rauer • Sara Rick • Garrett Rickman • Nicolai Ripplinger • Sterling Roberson • Briana Rock • Aaliyah Romes • CaitLynn Rooney • Joshua Rowley • Misha Russ • John Sage • Luis Salazar • Caleb Sale • Justen Sather • Sierra Schafer • Kayley Schaffer • Andrew Schott • Brenna Scott • Phillip Scott • Nadden Shaw • Kevin Shokoofi • Kasandra Shores • Mike Silva • Camryn Simpson • Kiernan Sowl • Connor Stavnes • Dylan Steen • Alexa Stephens • Austin Stevens • Emma Stevenson • Jeffrey Styborski • Jennavieve Sullens • Michael Sutton • Jordyn Tiffany • Skyla Tisdale • Alisha Treece • Zarali Turnipseed • Morgan Ulbright • Brian Unterseher • Alan Vaughn • Ross Vermillion • Dylan Walling • Heather Walters • Star Ward • Daniel Wee • Helen White • Skyleigh Wilks • Taija Williams • Jordan Wirth • Sarah Wright • Austin Yoakum • Christopher Zorrozua
Briegan Bester returns in the 800 – joined by sophomore winner Anna and twin sister Erica Pecha – and 1,600 where she placed at state last year. State placing junior Anna Fomin returns in the 400 and 200. Other state qualifiers are high jumper Hailey Christopher and pole vault state placer Sydney Johnson; Kearan Nelson, Katie Hawkins, Brielle Crump in both the 100 and 300 hurdles, Olivia Stockman joining Johnson in the pole vault, Tamara Nelson and Joselynn Tensley in the throws. Among the numbers in all classifications competing in state, distance running state champion EV’s Brittany Aquino (1,600-3,200) and University standout Isaac Barville (800-1,600) hope to finish with a flourish. WV’s Zech Herford in the 100, two relay teams, Jordyn Rauer, long jump, Madeline Liberg, 400 and Dylan Farnham in the javelin were 2A regional champions. CV golfers dominate While it may not be unprecedented in GSL golf history, it certainly is in the running after the Bears
garnered five of the league’s eight allotted berths to the State 4A tournament that was held May 2425 (after presstime). Fellow senior and state veteran Cole Howard was joined by freshman district medalist Riley Hadley, sophomore Zach Stocker, senior Brady Sanders and sophomore Isaac Emerson. Senior GSL MVP Jake Dringle unfortunately missed a state return. Freeman’s Ryan Maine, likely the area’s top prep golfer is trying to win it all after sharing the state A lead, but losing in a playoff last year. Harames returns Kyra Harames was seeking to improve on last year’s sixth place finish in the state 4A tennis singles tournament Memorial Day weekend, May 27-28, in Richland. Harames was a semifinalist last year before losing her final two matches. (Spring sport state results were unavailable before the June issue of the Current went to press. Complete coverage will appear in the July issue.)
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Central Valley High School
Class of 2016 “Believe”
Cameron Schneider, Jamie Machtmes, Cameron Sannes: DECA International Career Development Conference Top 10
Clarissa Tracy, Joshua Jenkins, Elijah Beeman, Cassidy Freeman, Jess McGinnis, Mariah Reneau: Marching Band and Color Guard “Once Upon a Dream”
To say the least, the class of 2016 has accomplished so much this past year, from winning almost all the GSL titles, to having some of the top ranked art students in the country. In the past 12 years, the seniors have been through snow storms, wind storms, blackouts and bomb threats. They survived more standardized tests in their school careers than any other. These events and experiences have brought laughter, excitment and memories for the students that will last a lifetime. They will be leaving a legacy for all CV students: even when you lose, it’s not time to call it quits; it’s time to rethink and come back to win and accomplish. Now they’re stepping out into the world; spreading far and wide to colleges and universities, the military and the work-force. We wish you the best of luck, Class of 2016, may you accomplish all your goals and always remember to Believe!
Mark Ford, Aubrey Williams, David Schappals, Erin Buck, Clarissa Tracy, Jared Cowley, Monica Troxel, Michael Gutierrez: Prom
Mercedes Kissinger-Smith, Hailey Laws, Katelyn Ramberg, Ashley Blew, Erica Casey, Hannah Reiman, Sara Montgomery, Jordyn Bridgens, Abby Rogers: Battle of the Bone
Bodey Hawks, Scott Peck, Josh Donahue, Tanner Gummersall, Tanner Sloan, Ben Craig, Nathan Whycoff, Jayden Russ, Adam Alvarez, Jacob Ness: Greasy Pig
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CONGRATS FREEMAN CLASS OF 2016!
You've tackled two state championships - one in wrestling and one in football. Many state placings, including: boys basketball - second place; baseball - fourth place; boys golf - ninth place; four volleyball appearances third, two seventh, and eighth place; soccer - two appearances; countless academic state championships; along with many other appearances throughout the years, not to mention all of your individual achievements. Now it is time to tackle the real world. We are so proud of who you have become and we are all rooting for you. We can't wait1 to see what the future holds for you. It has been a great four years to be a Scottie. We will miss you all. GO DAWGS!
MICA PEAK HIGH SCHOOL
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CORE * ITRACC
HOME OF THE WOLVERINES
CONGRATULATIONS
The Current
Larry Bush, Principal
Spoken From the Heart Being ASB president my junior year gave me an outlook on what’s going on through our school inside and out. I can proudly say that this school is my home, these students are my family and I enjoy being a part of this admirable community. - 2016 Senior, Khylee Being a senior can be stressful, but this school has done everything in its power to take some stress away. I've blossomed more here in one year than I did in three years in a traditional high school. Bullying was a big issue for me at my old high school and here it's unheard of. - 2016 Senior, Destinee ************************************ The memories I have had at this school are genuine and precious to me, If given the opportunity to go back and change my high school years, I would still choose this school, hands down. – 2016 Senior Anaya SVHS 2016 Seniors
Senior Plans after Graduation Attending Spokane Community CollegeKailyn, Alexus, Danielle, Spencer, Khylee, Hannah, Victor, Logan, Delia, Xander Attending Spokane Falls Community College-Allison, Samantha, Anaya, Evan, Emma, Emily; WSU –Allison; EWUAngelina; Evergreen State College –Melody; George Fox University-Angela; Northwest Nazarene University – Haley; Cincinnati’s College of Mortuary – Destinee; Carrington College –Leanna; Americorp –Johannah; Mr. Steiner Roofing-Dakota; INW Industrial Training; Devon; Mobile Electronics Certification-Blake; Notary Public-Sean; U.S. Navy-Leticia; bookkeeper-Madison
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SPOKANE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL Project Based, Award Winning, Choice School In West Valley School District Spokane Valley High School Awards
Washington Achievement Award Winner – Overall Excellence -2015 This award is for schools meeting all seven categories. SVHS ranks in the top 5% of schools in the state. Washington Achievement Award, 2009 and 2011: This award was created by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education to celebrate topperforming schools. SVHS is the only high school in the Spokane region to be given the award Top 10 Washington State Choice Schools: The Seattle BERC Research Foundation placed SVHS in the Top 10 after comparing data from other Washington State high schools and interviewing students through focus groups. Recipient 2011 Innovative Schools Award: This award acknowledges the Washington State's most inventive and exciting school models and encourages bold, creative and innovative thinking. Recipient US News and World Reports Best High Schools, Bronze Award, 2014, 2015, and 2016: A three-step process determines the Best High Schools. The first two steps factored performance on math and reading state proficiency tests as the benchmark. The third step assessed the degree the school prepares students for college-level work. First Six Days -is one of the most memorable times of the year. The days are filled with games, getting to know each other, teambuilding activities and a lot more. Our purpose is to help the students get comfortable with each other and build relationships before classes start. Scholarships: Haley – Wesley, Renewable Scholarship: Melody-WA Opportunity Scholarship, WV Found Scholarship; Spokane Valley Art Council, College Bound
Phone: 509.922.5475
Project-Based Curriculum: Is a cooperative learning, workshop model of instructional strategies, and implementation of Common Core State Standards. These concepts challenge our students through active inquiry, in-depth learning, and performance assessment. Students struggle with complex problems and explore core concepts to develop deep understanding; and apply knowledge in real world context. Think It, Make It, Sell It- students experienced roles as consumers, investors, savers, and borrowers; repurposed furniture then sold their product. Another course was on immigration and citizenship with a focus on refugees. Students worked with World Relief to provide much needed supplies. Mission Statement: “Spokane Valley High School is an enterprising small school, founded on relationships and driven to actively challenge students.”
AdvanceED Accreditation Commission to follow the link: External_Review_Evaluation~1.pdf (89 KB)[Open as Web Page] Accreditation Recommendation – Index of Education Quality (Overall and domain scores can range from 100 – 400) External AdvancED Review Network IEQ Score Average Overall Score 361.54 278.34 Teaching/learning 348.41 368.94 Impact Leadership 372.73 292.64 Capacity Resource 383.33 283.33 Utilization
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u-high
Ben Magruder
THIS is what we’re MADE OF
Story by: Henry Rienhardt Design by: Naiviv Fisk
Mathias Maughan
Cullen Demakis Maev Hughes
Mykalah Geer Logan O’Neill
Greats aren’t born without dedication. Talents don’t flourish without motivation. Victory isn’t achieved without hard work. Any day, and every day no one can beat the one who never stops trying their ultimate best. Here, at University, nothing could be truer. Sure, we’ve got some crazy talented people, but they pale in comparison to those who take it to the next level, giving anything and everything to make themselves better. Whether it is in the classroom, with an instrument in hand, with a mind that lives to create, or just raw dedication our Titans can’t be stopped. Everything in school starts in the classroom. Ideas are born and spread here. In here, the limits are merely just what you give yourself. For some, the bar is set incredibly high and they never fail to go above it. Ben Magruder, one of our three valedictorians personifies those traits. He says, “My motivation is always the challenge of being able to push myself. I love the idea of learning.” Mathais Maughan walked hand in hand with Ben, both in regards to their incredible academic achievements and with other U-High activities. Mathais said he wanted to get good grades for his future. He also participated in Cross Country, Track and Knowledge-Bowl. With Ben at his side, Mathais went on to win the University Talent show, playing a duet with Ben on the guitar. Our third and final valedictorian comes from a love for science. Cullen Demakis has pretty much loved the world of science since he was a kid. Here at University, the science rooms have been like a second home for him but he has an eye on the future with being a world class scientist an ultimate goal. Math and science have been some of the main pools from which amazing people come from. However, academics aren’t everything here at University High School. This years yearbook was an amazing combination of hard work and dedication. Both inside the class and outside of school, perseverance has been an incredible driving force behind our success. Luckily, we had an incredible artist in Maev Hughes to lighten our load. With a talent and determination Maev created much of the art inside of our yearbook including the backbone on the cover. Art however hasn’t been limited to just the pen and paper. Depending on the person you ask, art could also be defined as music, and Mykalah Geer has brought her talent to a completely new level here at University. Orchestra has been a love for her here. With her desire to pursue music in life, Mykalah continues forward with the thought of “just keep practicing-don’t give up.” The third area of the school life is something that is something that is well known to everyone. Sports. There are always students playing or practicing, or even just prepping for their favorite sport. While we have an incredible number of people who compete and strive to be the greatest here, some of our athletes this year have gone above and beyond. Noah Martin, who is both an incredible athlete and person in general, recently cleared 7’3’’ in the high jump, setting a new record for University by 2 inches. He is also on a national record board both with his high jump and his pole vaulting. Logan O’Neil, our varsity quarterback, is a prime example of what it means to be a great athlete. However, he didn’t just pick it up. Logan has been playing football since he was just five years old, racking up 12 years of experience to date. With a heart of gold and a goal in his mind, Logan has been a key asset to our football team this year. All in all, our school is a complete pile of talents. In the classroom, we’ve got people like Ben. People like Maev flash their talent with art by spreading it through the school, even getting to work on massive projects like the yearbook. Last but not least, our athletes never fail to amaze, with people like Noah breaking records and giving it their all no matter the circumstances. But at University High School we know that talent is not just born. We know that success is earned through hard work, perseverance, and a mental mindset that uses failures as learning experiences. At University High School that’s what we’re made of.
Noah Martin
The Current
50 • JUNE 2016
Valley Christian School ~Class Verse~ Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. - 1 Tim 4:12
2 to 0 infinity 1 & 6 beyond Heavenly Father, As we think of these 2016 VCS Grads, we thank You, Father for getting them this far. Please help them to fully enjoy this moment in time. Graduation carries with it an unknown future. May they not get lost in the shuffle. We ask that Your presence will always be felt and appreciated in their life. May they always know You are there to offer them Your guidance, strength, and discernment as they navigate a world that is not always black and white. Let them be a light before others and an example of the believer to those who might be living in the darkness. Lord, we ask that You will watch over and protect them in the days ahead. May they not lean to their own understanding but in all things acknowledge You so that You can direct their paths. Give them a heart for Christ and a love for other, as well as, a mind full of wisdom to guide their choices. May they sense our love and prayers for them as they now face the world of adulthood. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
The Current
JUNE 2016 • 51
The Current
52 • JUNE 2016
OPINION
Dear Editor,
On April 4, I was able to attend Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ town hall meeting in Spokane Valley. It was an informative meeting and I’m very glad I took the time to go. Although there were not as many people as I expected, each one came with an issue or two on their minds which caused my raised hand to get lost in the crowd. I’ve become an advocate for Alzheimer's since my mother passed away with this horrible disease and I would have loved to thank the Congresswoman personally for voting to increase NIH appropriations for dementia research. Being in the business of caring for our senior community I see on a daily basis that Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America, with costs set to skyrocket in the years ahead. Alzheimer’s is the third leading cause of death in Washington, with over 100,000 having been diagnosed. Although the research increase was wonderful I fear more funds must be directed to find a treatment. I was hoping to ask if she intended to work with the leadership to again increase funding for Alzheimer's research. She wanted to hear the voice of the people so I’m hoping this letter will find its way to her and that she will know how important finding a cure is to us all. Thank you, Jenny Gower Spokane Valley
Dear Editor:
It has been a privilege to work for the city of Spokane Valley for the past 13 years. Serving as city manager has been one of the highlights of my career. I value the time spent working alongside elected officials, citizens, department heads and fellow employees. Today, we have one of the most economical, efficient and responsive city governments in the state of Washington – and a community we can all be proud to call home. Since the council entrusted me with the leadership of this great organization in 2010, I have worked with and for some of the finest people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Now it is time for myself and my family to seek new challenges. I am, at heart, a public servant and hope I have served the citizens well and contributed, in some way, to the success of the city of Spokane Valley. I wish Spokane Valley the best. Mike Jackson
Rotary Club of Spokane Valley announces scholarship winners
From Current New Sources The Rotary Club of Spokane Valley has long held dear the importance of literacy for the young people of the Valley. To achieve that goal, we have two programs: Books for Kids, which presented a free book to every student in six elementary schools in the Valley, a total of nearly 2,600 books. Our second program provides scholarships to local students to attend a community college, university, college or trade school. We are pleased to announce that after an intensive application and interview process, the Rotary Club of Spokane Valley has awarded scholarships in the amount of
SCRAPS
Continued from page 24
office work. The sky is the limit, so bring your skills and enthusiasm to our next volunteer orientation – typically the second Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. in our community room.
SCRAPS is rolling out a new The Rotary Club of Spokane Valleywebsite Charitable Trust, a 501 (c) 3 is seeking that will make it easier access all government the resourcesorthat requeststo for from youth to non-profits, schools $1,000 eachgrants of eight deserving we have to offer. The website will young people. simplify Greater the licensing process andyouth Requests of $1000.00 or less, that benefit Spokane Valley Those students are: Abigail features a calendar of upcoming 18 years (Spokane or younger.Valley Requests needevents. to be received by May 16th. us So, be sure to check Barnes High School, Washington State), Jacob Ross, Central (Central Valley High School, BYU), Payton Miller (University High School, University of Washington), Morgan Clark (Central Valley, BYU), Shawen Christensen (West Valley High School, BYU), Christa LaVoie, (The Oaks, Hillsdale College) and Ben Magruder (University High School, University of Washington).
out online, in person or out in the community!
Please send allI’drequests to: like to thank the community for their support Trust of everything Rotary Club of Spokane, Charitable we’ve been able to accomplish so PO Box far. 14192 I hope you will join SCRAPS as continue to work on creating a Spokane Valley,we WA 99214-0192 safer and more caring environment
A special Al Stevens Memorial Music Scholarship of $1,000 was awarded to Clarissa Tracy (Central Valley, BYU). The Rotary Club of Spokane would like to congratulate all these young people.
for all the animals – those with homes and the homeless – here in Spokane County. Nancy Hill is the regional director of Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service (SCRAPS) a municipal animal protection agency serving the unincorporated areas and cities of Spokane County. Nancy has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the field of animal care, protection and control.
The Current
JUNE 2016 • 53
INTEGRITY
Continued from page 27 EDITOR/PUBLISHER
Ben Wick
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Craig Howard
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GRAPHICS EDITOR
Danica Wick
sarah@libertylakesplash.com ADVERTISING COORDINATOR
Joy Katt
joy@libertylakesplash.com CIRCULATION Dean Byrns Mike Wiykovics
circulation@libertylakesplash.com CONTRIBUTORS
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The Current
54 • JUNE 2016
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The Current
Swanson strides on after historic Western States finish
ON THAT NOTE
Swanson trained diligently for six weeks before she could cover the distance. The rest is history. “Running has made me confident and capable,” Swanson said. “It has taught me to persevere in the face of adversity, to believe in myself. I know from experience that setbacks are temporary, only blips in the grand scheme of life. There is always joy ahead. Running is my time for reflection on how blessed I am and what really matters in life.”
By Craig Howard Currrent Editor
An icy rain is falling as Gunhild Swanson heads out on a 20-mile jaunt through the rugged slopes of Antoine Peak in eastern Spokane Valley.
After the frenzy surrounding Western States subsided, Swanson took a well-deserved break. She returned with a flourish last September, winning the 70-andover age bracket in both the Kauai Marathon and Priest River 50K.
Spring may be right around the corner on this February morning, but there are still patches of snow clinging to shaded parts of the long, crooked path. Layers of mud, a rash of puddles and dozens of toppled trees make navigation on this morning a turbulent task. Still, the 71-year-old dips and climbs along the non-technical trails, relying on a sublime system forged over years of training that sends steady messages from mind to feet, propelling her strides almost flawlessly over tenuous terrain. As early afternoon arrives, Swanson has covered 20.2 miles in 4:30. “I had no idea what trail conditions would be like as there's a bit of elevation involved,” Swanson says after the run. “All in all, it was great fun.” There is no cheering crowd to greet Swanson as she exits the rural hill. Some might say she met the quota of applause last year when emerging as the most celebrated finisher at the Western States Endurance Run, a revered 100mile test in central California. While many more applied to compete, a total of 371 runners toed the line at Squaw Valley on June 27, 2015. Only 254 completed the course within the established cutoff time of 30 hours. Swanson felt good going into her third Western States start, feeling that 28 hours would be within reach. Yet when she and her pacer took a wrong turn at mile 88, that goal seemed like it may slip away. Covering an extra three miles suddenly put Swanson in jeopardy of missing the threshold for official finishers. “I did the math figuring the pace I needed to run after that, including several long and steep climbs, to make it under 30 hours and didn’t think I could do it,” she said At Robie Point, the final aid station, Swanson’s support crew of family and friends made it clear
JUNE 2016 • 55
In her Spokane Valley home, Gunhild Swanson is surrounded by a sea of ribbons, trophies and medals from nearly four decades of running. Photo by Craig Howard that she would need to dig deep over the final mile to pull off the feat. Around that time, Rob Krar, the overall winner who had finished in under 15 hours, joined Swanson as the surging crowd became her second wind. “My entire focus was on moving as fast as I possibly could,” said Swanson. “I never asked how much time left, how far to go, or tried to calculate my chances, I simply ran as hard as I could. Once I was on the track and coming around the turn and saw the clock, I knew I could make it.” With the infield roaring each stirring step toward the finish, Swanson eclipsed the line with six seconds to spare. “THAT. WAS. AMAZING.,” tweeted top ultrarunner Stephanie Howe after Swanson became the oldest female runner ever to conquer Western States in under 30 hours. Suddenly, Swanson had turned into the Cinderella story that captivated followers both in and out of the running world. “Gunhild has always been a runner who stood out to me both in her kindness and friendliness but also in her competitiveness,” said James Varner, owner and race director of Rainshadow Running. “I don't think many people outside of the Northwest knew much about Gunhild prior to her Western States finish last year, but what she did
last year put her on the map both nationally and internationally.”
Swanson is currently gearing up for her return to Western States this month. “Easy times are over,” she says. While the media and fans will most likely be swirling, the record-setting runner is looking forward to the peace and solitude that await on 100 miles of obscure but welcoming trails. “I just love running,” she said. “I run for the humanity and joy of it – that’s what motivates me.”
Swanson was caught off guard by the attention but appreciated the feedback from those who found her effort inspiring. “People said they looked at their own lives and re-set goals they had felt they could no longer achieve,” she said. The ripple effect of Swanson’s achievement is still being felt throughout the Northwest and beyond, according to those in the know. “It just shows that age is not a barrier to achieving greatness,” said Gonzaga University Cross Country and Track Head Coach Pat Tyson. “Gunhild is a role model for all of us in the running community.” Swanson has completed over 250 marathons and ultra-marathons in her extraordinary career. It all began in the fall of 1977 when she signed up for a ski conditioning class at a Spokane-area YMCA in hopes that it would help her shed a few pounds. “At age 33, I was worried about gaining weight and being too sedentary,” Swanson recalls. “The ski class got done and I signed up for a winter session but there was no advanced class available.” Instead, Swanson joined a group that walked and jogged around the gym. It took 24 laps around the court to constitute a mile.
Swanson trains on the paved and unpaved trails throughout the greater Spokane area. Above, Swanson traverses a path near Mirabeau Point Park in Spokane Valley. Photo by Craig Howard
The Current
56 • JUNE 2016
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Relay For Life of Liberty Lake At Liberty Lake Elementary June 4th, 2016 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. RelayForLife.org/LibertyLakeWA 509.242.8303 The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is the world’s largest fundraising event to save lives from cancer. Uniting communities across the globe, we celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action for lifesaving change. ©2016, American Cancer Society, Inc.