The February 2012 Current

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There are more of us than you might think Population of homeless students skyrocketing in Spokane Valley school districts

PAGE 4

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Citizen of the Year: Chuck Stocker shares his perspective on giving back Page 12

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Cruisin’ for Coffee: Five Valley coffee stands, two hours, one mighty big caffeine rush Page 18

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Kids Zone!

Check out The Wave, a special spread just for kids Pages 14-15

NEWS

2 • february 2012

The Current

Jeff Baxter is not fading to black A Cup of Joe Senator-for-a-year remains engaged in the process

By Josh Johnson Current Staff Writer

Jeff Baxter had quite a 2011.

Appointed in February to replace the late Bob McCaslin to represent Washington’s Fourth District in the state Senate, he joined the regular session in progress.

When that ended, he launched into campaign mode, knocking on 30,000 doors in attempt to retain his seat over challenger Mike Padden, an effort that came up 3,637 votes short.

Make that 3,638 votes short, a count that was adjusted slightly after Baxter paid more than $1,700 for a hand recount of 10 precincts, an effort he said at the time he would not explain until completed (some alleged political motivations since a tight city of Spokane race scheduled for hand recount was instead relegated to the machine).

Meanwhile, Baxter spent a final day as senator when a special session was called

by Gov. Chris Gregoire in November, a session that began the day before election results were to be certified and the baton figuratively passed to Sen. Padden.

The Current caught up with Baxter in January, who like old times was about to zip off to Olympia — leaving behind the three Spokane Valley credit card processing/ATM businesses he operates. This time, it was to testify against Gov. Gregoire’s same-sex marriage bill.

It was just one piece of evidence that the senator-for-a-year has no plans to slow down in 2012.

Q. A.

It’s been a couple months since the election was certified. What have you been up to?

I’ve been very busy with lots of speaking engagements to clubs and organizations, not only on the east side but in Yakima as well. I’ve also been catching up on our businesses.

Business has been stable — hasn’t grown,

Current file photo

Sen. Jeff Baxter speaks at a forum while campaigning to retain his seat last fall. Baxter lost his seat to Mike Padden in November. hasn’t shrunk. Actually, it’s been stable or increased, so that’s good that it’s not shrinking like some businesses.

Q: When you are on your speaking circuit, is there an issue in particular you continue to be passionate about?

A: I want the people to know there is $256 million in the budget added for K-12 education. In my humble opinion, it was misdirected. Teachers took a pay cut. People don’t know about the $256 million over the next biennium that the state added through the education department. … And it didn’t go where it needed to go, and that’s why the state’s in trouble. It didn’t get down to local school boards, but went to education service districts throughout state. I’m one of the few senators who went through the budget quite a bit on education. None of it went to schools like it should have; it didn’t get through to local districts.

That’s why they are raising the taxes and levy lids in a lot of places. The money didn’t go where it needed to go, so they are taxing at a local level now. My house, for example, will increase $3,000 a year in taxes. That’s all related to levies. That shouldn’t have to be because people are losing their houses. … That’s I guess one of my hot buttons.

I love education. I want my kids to get a good education, but the state is misdirecting the funds.

Q: So it sounds like you are staying involved and engaged in the process …

A: On Monday, I’ll be testifying on same-sex marriage bill (before) the Senate and the House.

Q: Any other issue you are particularly vocal about?

See BAXTER, page 27

The Current

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The Current

4 • february 2012

news identified as homeless in Valley districts has soared in the past five years, as have the corresponding stories of hunger, heroism or heartbreak.

Schools mandated to educate are finding themselves grappling simultaneously with often unfunded orders to provide social services at levels unthought of a decade ago. For East Valley, West Valley and Central Valley school districts, a decadeold partnership to meet these needs is represented by a program called HEART (Homeless Education and Resource Team). It’s a HEART that has needed to grow each year to keep pace with the need.

Having a HEART for homeless students

The economy is only half the story

Current photo illustration by Kelly Moore

Valley school districts join forces to assist rapidly growing population

By Josh Johnson Current Staff Writer

Mike isn’t his real name. He attends Barker High School on Broadway, and the teachers can tell when he hasn’t eaten for a day or two. He’s irritable. Can’t focus. A problem in class. Once fed, all he wants to do is sleep — seems the hunger was keeping him up. The teachers here worry during breaks from school about students like Mike. They know he can get breakfast and lunch at Barker, but they’re not sure where he’s going to find a meal over winter vacation.

Trevor isn’t his real name. After moving with his mom to a shelter, he commutes from Spokane each day to East Valley Middle School. He wanted to play basket-

ball, so school staff members bought him shoes, a uniform and paid his fees out of their own pockets. An assistant principal taking Trevor home after a basketball game stopped by a store along the route to stock Trevor and his mother up on groceries.

Jane isn’t her real name. At 14, she’s been homeless most of her life because of her mother’s mental illness. This fall, with Mom making strides, she was living in a Valley shelter and singing in the choir of a local school. Then Mom made a turn for the worse, and Jane started sneaking out late at night. Over the winter, the pair disappeared. “They didn't take anything with them,” the shelter director says. “The daughter lost everything — clothes, makeup, everything. I have it all boxed up. It’s still boxed up, and I’m trying to find them.”

These aren’t real names, but they are real stories that advocates say represent increasingly real problems in Spokane Valley communities. The number of students

Leslie Camden Goold came on board in the beginning, when the HEART partnership was first being formed between the three districts. That was the 2001-2002 school year, and she has served as not only CVSD’s HEART liaison since, but as the point person and only full-time dedicated employee to the HEART collaboration (East Valley and West Valley each have liaisons whose time is split among other job responsibilities). As she sits down to meet with The Current, she reports a call just received from the Central Valley Kindergarten Center, another student whose family is homeless and in need of support.

She explains this is typical — cases of homelessness identified throughout the school year. The number of homeless students grows each month as they come to the attention of staff or fall into hardship, resulting by June in a final number that is reported to the state. As of Jan. 19, there were 355 students identified as homeless across CVSD schools — about 2.85 percent of the entire district population.

At the close of January a year ago, there were 269, meaning the district is on pace to grow its population by one-third this year. By the end of 2010-2011, more than 3 percent of CVSD’s student population had been identified as homeless.

While Valley districts began really seeing spikes in these figures around the 2007-2008 school year, the economy is only part of the reason for this increase.

“We are also doing a much better job at identification, of knowing what questions to ask,” said Theresa Kendall, who is

See HOMELESS, page 5

Who is considered homeless?

Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence are considered homeless. This includes children and youth who are: • “Doubled up” with relatives or friends due to loss of housing, economic hardship or similar reason.

• Living in motels or campgrounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations.

• Living in emergency or transitional shelters.

• Abandoned in hospitals.

• Awaiting foster care placement.

• Living in place that are not regular sleeping accommodations for people such as cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations or similar settings.

• Youth not residing with their legal parent or guardian.

• Runaway youth.

Source: McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act

Percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch Central Valley School District 2011: 41.6% 2006: 28.4% 2001: 26.1% East Valley School District 2011: 49.5% 2006: 43.2% 2001: 40.1% West Valley School District 2011: 52.2% 2006: 45.6% 2001: 39.1% Washington state average 2011: 43.7% 2006: 36.7% 2001: 33.1% Source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Number of Enrolled Homeless Students 2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Increase over past 5 years

Increase over past 10 years

West Valley

48

94

60

49

65

60

186

163

213

140

233.3%

291.7%

East Valley

55

87

90

93

133

84

112

141

115

133

158.3%

241.8%

Central Valley

118

155

208

240

237

205

330

390

356

384

187.3%

325.4%

* These are end-of-school-year figures. The number grows as more students are identified through the course of the year. For 2011-12, East Valley and Central Valley school districts are well ahead of the previous year’s numbers, while West Valley reports being about the same. Source: Spokane Valley HEART

Splash table by Sarah Burk

The Current

february 2012 • 5

news

HOMELESS

to ask,” Buckingham said. “And it's OK to give, even if I don't know what to give.”

Continued from page 4

Schools on the front lines

East Valley’s HEART liaison as part of her larger role as the district’s coordinator of special programs. “It is definitely a combination of those two factors. We are doing a better job of identifying (as a district) because our teachers and staff are doing a better job of identifying the signs of homelessness.”

Kendall and Goold both singled out classified staff — people like bus drivers, secretaries and janitors — as playing a role along with teachers and administrators in identifying and reaching out to homeless students. All attend related training to help pick up on signs that can be very difficult to perceive.

“The other piece that's really hard, though, is families don't always let us know when they need things because there is a lot of shame and guilt involved in homelessness,” Goold said. “They don't tell their favorite teacher; they don't even tell their best friend that this stuff is going on with them.”

This can be further complicated in the Valley, where “there’s also kind of a new homelessness” that is prevalent, said Mary Jo Buckingham, CVSD’s director of special programs.

“It's really complicated,” Buckingham said. “Families who have been working really hard are finding themselves without the resources they need and needing to double up or go to shelters. In our region, it's not a chronic condition. People have been working or had a house or apartment, and then something catastrophic happened.”

Buckingham said one example is a family Goold recently located moving from campground to campground while their children attended CV schools. Living in Nebraska, they moved to the Inland Northwest for jobs that disappeared when they arrived, finding themselves stuck and in crisis.

Further complicating matters is that unlike Spokane, where students classified as homeless might be more likely to live in one of that city’s network of shelters, the vast majority of Valley homeless students (currently 93 percent of CVSD’s total) are classified as doubled up, meaning they are living in the home of another person due to some type of economic hardship.

“Most people think of homeless as living in a car,” Buckingham said. “It’s important that people understand that if I move in with Leslie in a doubled-up situation, it’s that I have nowhere to go if she says, ‘I don’t want you here anymore.’”

The shame and muddled definitions around what it means to be homeless can sometimes get in the way of the system working as it is intended.

“It's OK to receive, even if it's not easy

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act was reauthorized in its present form as part of the federal 2002 No Child Left Behind Act. It requires school districts to ensure educational stability and full and immediate educational access for homeless students, as well as an appointed liaison. In practice, this can mean everything from educational assessments to providing school supplies to connecting students with community resources.

And often times, this means coordinating transportation to a student’s “school of origin.”

Last school year, CVSD coordinated with the Deer Park School District when a special needs middle school student was put into a foster home in Deer Park. Every day, Deer Park arranged to drop the student off, and Central Valley arranged to return her home. Situations like this are handled with everything from school district collaboration to private cars, cabs or city buses.

The Valley districts have been recognized for putting together such McKinney-Vento transportation plans, Buckingham said, even as it comes at a price.

“Transportation is considered part of the student's day, so it comes out of our levy funding, our basic education dollars,” she said. “There are no federal grant dollars for the transportation of homeless.”

Goold added that the transportation program is where it’s at today in part because of transportation officials’ early participation in the program.

“When I was hired … we had weekly meetings, and transportation supervisors were part of those meetings,” Goold said of the early days of the HEART program.

“They were a part of helping build where this program is today.”

Kendall emphasized the work of heroes throughout the schools who go above and beyond the mandates of the law, such as the many staff members who buy boots, clothing or food to meet needs as they arise.

“And when you get down to it, some of our teachers are in situations where they can use the help as well,” she said.

‘Faith in the community’ Like the school employees who go beyond their job descriptions, Karen Fournier believes the problems of homelessness are best addressed by the community, not the government. The executive director of Hearth Homes, a Spokane Valley nonprofit that provides safe housing and life skills to homeless women and children, is disappointed by what she sees as local government overlooking the problems in its own boundaries.

Giving back A brief snapshot of how some community members are reaching out to homeless students.

Put a hand to the HEART The school districts’ HEART program is limited in its ability to meet non-educational needs. Central Valley’s PTA Council stepped in to help bridge this gap with HEART in Hand, which raises money to funds items like meals, gifts, heat and housing. Be a part of its 5K HEART Run in April.

Curb the hunger Pat Dockrey is the advisor to the Barker High School Key Club, which is sponsored by the Liberty Lake Kiwanis Club. Dockrey and the clubs began a Backpack Food Project to provide weekend meals for kids who might go without after a week of free school meals. For a while, the project was funded by the club, but this fall it began a partnership with the food bank at Spokane Valley Partners. The project expanded recently to Progress Elementary, and Dockrey hopes to grow it to other schools in need while involving other clubs. To play a role or for more information, call Dockrey at 926-3198.

Supper and singing For going on 18 years, Joe and Clara Reedy have opened their Spokane home to troubled youth every Friday night. Joe Reedy said many of the young people come from the Valley, some ar“They want to feel like they don't have an issue,” said Fournier, who said she believes the real issue is community awareness. “The government isn't going to be an answer, the community and churches are supposed to be, but if we can't get an article in the paper, how are they going to be aware?”

Hearth Homes is expanding its services, planning to open a second home soon to house Valley women and children.

Fournier said the program’s growth and outreach is made possible by private donors responding to a need.

Buckingham agrees, listing a litany of clubs, organizations and individuals who have lined up to meet needs.

“It really is one person, one small group at a time moving out,” she said. “Yes, the resources are tighter. I think in the last year as we have talked about the needs, people have stepped to the plate even though they might be experiencing their own tragedy around the economy or their own jobs. I don't feel Pollyannaish at all. There really is this sense around, ‘These are our kids.’”

riving on STA buses. The couple feeds between 100 and 150 students each Friday, a meal that is typically followed by karaoke. “A lot of them are homeless, and when they come here we give them a warm place to get out of the cold,” Reedy said. “We just love tem and try to reach out to them. It’s a big reward; God really blesses us.”

Expanding the home Evie Crossman began taking in homeless people nine years ago, even though her cozy Valley home is less than 800 square feet. She calls it SONshine Sanctuary, and she is currently looking at renovating a basement and fallout shelter to add another 1,000 square feet of space, in part as she senses a greater need to reach a youth population. She said there are no warming centers in Spokane Valley, so she tries to do her part to get people out of the cold.

Put up a tree Several schools and clubs put up a Giving Tree during the holidays to help support families in need. Even businesses get involved. Jani Davis, owner of Jema Lane Boutique in Spokane Valley, put up a tree this year to help provide a pleasant Christmas for a CVSD family. Customers participated by choosing an ornament off the tree with a specified gift, and then receiving a Jema Lane coupon upon return.

But the tree, as it turns out, is optional.

The Liberty Lake Lions Club supported a CVSD family through Thanksgiving and Christmas this season, providing everything from meals to gifts.

Each time the HEART program encounters needs that go beyond the scope of what it can handle — needs that don’t tie into the basic education of a student — the community seems to come through, she said.

“It is scary that our numbers are increasing, and we do have these conversations: ‘Will we have enough resources?’” Buckingham said. “It might sound corny, but it is having faith in the community.”

Can you help?

Each school district has a contact familiar with the current needs of its homeless student population. To help — whether equipped with an idea of how you want to help or not — contact one of the following HEART district representatives.

West Valley: Jody Shapiro, 922-5480 East Valley: Theresa Kendall, 241-5068 Central Valley: Leslie Camden Goold, 228-4114

The Current

6 • february 2012

news

Valley school districts ready to levy can raise funds more easily than a district like Central Valley. The state recognizes All four Valley districts are ramping up that we couldn’t raise local levy dollars the efforts to pass levy initiatives on the ballot same way some of the other property-rich Feb. 14, and in each district, voters will de- districts can.”

However, LEA’s future is uncertain. Many cide on the fate of about a fourth of the cureducation leaders have expressed concern rent budget. over whether it will make The initiatives are intendit off the state legislature’s ed to replace the levies cur“We have picked budgetary chopping block. rently in place in the West This sentiment is reflected, up more and more Valley, East Valley, Central in most cases, on the ballot.

Valley and Freeman school of what people As a safeguard, Central districts, as each is collecting dollars on levies set to expire would consider basic Valley and East Valley are voters to support levy in 2012. education with levy asking amounts that include what Levy funds are intended to dollars.” typically comes in through supplement basic operations LEA. Should LEA survive, not fully funded by increasCentral Valley School ingly tight state funding, dis- District Superintendent these districts have vowed to “roll back” the tax rate so as trict leaders and levy literaBen Small not to include those funds in ture explained. the amount collected from “Just in the last three years local taxpayers. A similar we’ve seen more than $10 million cut from scenario in West Valley includes half the our budget at the state level,” Superintendent typical LEA in the levy amount.

Ben Small said of the budget in his Central Valley School District. “We have picked up Estimating the tax rate more and more of what people would conIn every case, the school district is aiming sider basic education with levy dollars.” to replace an expiring levy while maintainThis includes programs like special edu- ing a relatively stable tax rate. The actual cation and classroom teachers hired to keep rate will show up as an estimate on ballots, classroom sizes down. Curriculum updates, but may vary depending on property values textbooks and technology fall under this and LEA. umbrella, too.

Should the state’s LEA program continue, Information provided by the East Valley rates in East Valley, Central Valley and West School District says levy dollars support 25 Valley would be lower. teaching positions as well as numerous proIn most cases, the Feb. 14 vote will degrams. cide the fate of levy funding for three years Extracurricular activities like athletics, beginning January 2013. The only variance music, drama and debate are funded solely is in East Valley, where the levy would last by levy dollars. Day-to-day operations fund- four years. ed in part or in entirety by levies include all security staff, insurance, utilities and busing. If voters reject it If a levy fails in any district, leaders may In addition to a maintenance and operations levy, the West Valley School District decide on a second attempt for a special attaches a separate technology levy to the election in April before budgets for the following year are finalized. In most cases, ballot. even a single failure would warrant planWhat a levy won’t cover is any kind of re- ning for major budget cuts. modeling or construction projects. For that, “If the levy were to fail, we would have district voters must pass a bond. to make a decision as a school board as to Understanding levy equalization how we’re going to cut $27 million out of For decades, the districts have relied on a our budget,” Small said. “With 85 percent of levy equalization program known as Local our budget being people, that would have a Effort Assistance (LEA). It’s similar to a state huge impact on jobs and the personnel in match and used to supplement levy funding. the Central Valley School District.”

Although levy funds are clearly tracked, Levy equalization was established afSmall said cutting that amount from the ter the state allowed local school districts budget is not as straightforward. Some levythe option to rely on the local taxpayers to support school programs. It came about as funded expenses — utilities and insurance, a way to level the playing field for districts for example — can’t be cut out of the budget. In addition, certain programs like spewith lower overall property value. cial education are state-mandated.

“School districts in western Washington For more information on levies in your such as Bellevue or Seattle can absolutely area, contact district offices. raise funds because they have a lot of asWest Valley School District: 924-2150 sessed valuation,” Small explained. “They

By Kelly Moore

Current Staff Writer

At a glance: West Valley School District Maintenance and operations levy: $7.8 million Technology levy: $500,000 Duration: Three years Estimated tax rate, M&O levy: $4.69 per $1,000 of assessed property value ($4.28 if state equalization funding remains intact) Estimated tax rate, technology levy: $0.30 per $1,000 of assessed property value Current rate: $4.28 per $1,000 (M&O levy), $0.30 per $1,000 (technology levy) 25 percent of total budget

Central Valley School District Levy amount: $27.1 million Duration: Three years Estimated tax rate: $4.19 per $1,000 of assessed property value ($3.54 if state equalization funding remains intact) Current rate: $3.54 per $1,000 24 percent of total budget

East Valley School District Levy amount: $10.9 million, increasing annually up to $11.9 Duration: Four years Estimated tax rate: $4.44 per $1,000 of assessed property value ($3.68 if state equalization funding remains intact) Current rate: $3.68 per $1,000 28 percent of total budget

Freeman School District Levy amount: $1.47 million, increasing annually up to $1.49 million Duration: Three years Estimated tax rate: $2.93 per $1,000 of assessed value Current rate: $2.93 per $1,000 of assessed property value 17 percent of total budget Source: Literature and representatives of the respective districts Central Valley School District: 228-5400 East Valley School District: 924-1830 Freeman School District: 291-3829

The Current

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3UP

3DOWN

The Current

A 2% utility tax on natural gas, passed by the Millwood City Council in December, takes effect Feb. 3. It will show up on Avista bills for Millwood residents and businesses as “city tax.”

The Spokane County Library District proposed purchasing 8 acres of land adjacent to Balfour Park to split with the city of Spokane Valley. Half of the land would house a new library; the other half would expand the park.

New school board members were welcomed in Central Valley (MJ Bolt) and Freeman (Annie Keebler), while the boards at East Valley and West Valley stayed the same.

The Current

february 2012 • 9

Three Up, Three Down features at-a-glance news of what’s coming UP in February or went DOWN in January. Check out all six on this rendering of the Valley by homegrown artist Casey Lynch, and then turn the page for a breakdown of items by jurisdiction. (The placement of news items on this artistic map do not necessarily denote the actual location of the item described.)

All four Valley school districts — West Valley, East Valley, Central Valley and Freeman — will ask voters Feb. 14 to approve new maintenance and operations levies to replace ones that will expire in 2012.

After six years of life without one, the city of Liberty Lake plans to formalize the process at its Feb. 7 Council meeting for hiring a city administrator.

Todd Mielke and Mark Richard were named chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Board of Spokane County Commissioners. The current terms of both Republicans expire in 2012. Former Commissioner John Roskelley, a Democrat who served from 1995 to 2004, announced he will challenge Mielke’s seat.

The Current

10 • february 2012

news

3UP 3DOWN

Local Lens

Share your snapshots for The Current’s photo page.

E-mail editor@ valleycurrent. com with scenes from around town, community events and group photos.

Three Up, Three Down features at-aglance news of what’s coming UP in February or went DOWN in January. The items highlighted with colored arrows below are represented on the artistic rendering of the Valley by local artist Casey Lynch on the previous spread.

CITIES OF SPOKANE VALLEY AND MILLWOOD The southbound Sullivan Road bridge over the Spokane River is slated to reopen without weight restrictions by the end of the month following temporary repairs. Planning is in process to replace the aging bridge entirely.

A 2% utility tax on natural gas, passed by the Millwood City Council in December, takes effect Feb. 3. It will show up on Avista bills for Millwood residents and businesses as “city tax.”

Spokane Valley Partners’ annual Have-A-Heart distribution of Valentine’s Day cards will take place Feb. 6-10. The program allows Valley families and school teachers to pick up free Valentines cards for children who may not otherwise be able to participate in Valentine’s Day parties. Donate or pick up cards through Feb. 10 at 10814 E. Broadway.

The Spokane Valley City Council, which in the Council-Manager form of government elects a mayor among its members, retained Tom Towey for another two years leading the meetings and attending to duties as the city’s “figurehead.”

The 2012 portion of a seven-year street maintenance contract with Poe Asphalt was renewed despite interest from Council Member Dean Grafos to reopen it for bidding. Grafos was the lone dissenting vote. The Council passes one-year renewable options each year.

The city of Spokane Valley joined a traffic school program that allows most drivers issued traffic infractions by Spokane Valley deputies to choose an educational class instead of paying a fine.

Completing the 6-hour class removes the infraction from the driver’s record.

CITY OF LIBERTY LAKE After six years of life without one, the city of Liberty Lake plans to formalize the process at its Feb. 7 Council meeting for hiring a city administrator.

The city is planning a vote to amend its Council rules and procedures, including what qualifies as an “excused absence” after attendance by some City Council members was spotty over the past couple of years.

Standout Gonzaga University starters Kayla Standish, left, and Kelly Bowen chat with students at Progress Elementary School after a Jan. 13 assembly. The women joined Coach Kelly Graves to talk to students about good character, working hard in school and being a good sport.

Submitted photo

A new City Council member is targeted to join the body at its Feb. 7 meeting. After Council Member Ryan Romney resigned, effective, Dec. 31, the city took applications, and a special meeting Jan. 31 was set to decide Romney’s replacement.

Former Mayor Steve Peterson returned to the helm after four years off.

New Council Members Shane Brickner and Dan Dunne were also sworn in at a Jan. 3 meeting.

Mayor Peterson wasted no time in announcing plans to develop 6.4 acres of land the city owns at Appleway and Signal.

The vacant land would be developed phase by phase, the first of which would provide room for growth and better infrastructure for the adjacent Liberty Lake Farmers Market.

The Council thawed a freeze on merit-based pay increases for city employees at its Jan. 17 meeting, allowing a 2 percent increase to go in effect in 2012.

SPOKANE COUNTY AND ROCKFORD Representatives of southeast Spokane County jurisdictions will consider a pilot single-stream recycling program.

After Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richard received calls proposing it, representatives met to bring the idea back to their governing bodies. The towns of Spangle, Liberty, Latah Fairfield and Rockford and the Freeman and Liberty school districts are among those considering it.

The first meeting to plan this September’s 2012 Southeast Spokane County Fair will be held 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at Rockford City Hall. The initial meeting, which is open to the public, will cover the initial organization for the fair, including the election of officers and lining up committee assignments, Rockford Mayor Micki Harnois said.

The Rockford City Council will consider a request for proposal to hire a consultant to lead the city through updating its shoreline regulations. The Washington State Department of Ecology has given Rockford, Waverly and Latah a $120,000 grant to update these regulations.

The Spokane County Library District proposed purchasing 8 acres of land adjacent to Balfour Park to split with the city of Spokane Valley. Half of the land would house a new library; the other half would expand the park.

An open house was held Jan. 25 to discuss the Harvard Road widening project, which proposes widening Harvard from Euclid to north of Wellesley to a two-lane section with shoulders and a separated shared-use path on one side. A signal would be installed at the Wellesley intersection.

Todd Mielke and Mark Richard were named chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Board of Spokane County Commissioners. The current terms of both Republicans expire in 2012. Former Commissioner John Roskelley, a Democrat who served from 1995 to 2004, announced he will challenge Mielke’s seat.

VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICTS All four Valley school districts – West Valley, East Valley, Central Valley and Freeman – will ask voters Feb. 14 to approve new maintenance and operations levies to replace ones that will expire in 2012.

Valley districts will emphasize a new PACE character trait of the month. The Valley character education program defines “honesty” as “sincerity and reverence or love for the truth.”

Several local basketball teams will look to go deep into postseason play, among them the top-ranked Central Valley High School girls and the Freeman High School girls, who recently notched their 40th consecutive victory, dating back to last season.

Former Central Valley School Board Member Cynthia McMullen began her first term as a member of the Washington State Board of Education. Her term with the CV school board ended in 2011. She served on that board for 24 years.

Schools across all districts returned to school after wrapping up Tree of Sharing or other holiday programs, one of many ways students throughout the Valley give back. “We could talk for two days about what schools do to give back,” Central Valley School District Public Information Officer Melanie Rose said. “It’s pretty amazing.”

New school board members were welcomed in Central Valley (MJ Bolt) and Freeman (Annie Keebler), while the boards at East Valley and West Valley stayed the same.

The Current

february 2012 • 11

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12 • february 2012

Citizen of the year

Retired superintendent, community advocate earns Chamber’s top honor

By Kelly Moore Current Staff Writer

His business card says he’s retired, but Chuck Stocker keeps a full calendar with service projects and meetings. After almost 35 years in Valley school districts, he continues his work with a laundry list of organizations and clubs.

For a lifetime of community advocacy, the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce recognized Stocker in January as its “Harry E. stocker Nelson Citizen of the Year.”

“I was completely surprised when it happened,” Stocker said. “I always worked with the Chamber and that type of stuff. Part of that is I think we need to give something back to our community.”

In addition to volunteering, Stocker raised four kids with his wife, Lu. Now in Newman Lake, the couple enjoys traveling to visit grandkids. Wherever Stocker goes, his sense of humor precedes him.

Whether he’s teasing a new friend or advocating for school programs, Stocker works to bring people together for the sake of the greater Valley community.

The Current caught up with Stocker in between meetings for a chance to learn more about what motivates him and what he’s learned after a lifetime in the trenches of the Valley community.

Q.

It seems like community involvement is so much a part of who you are. Have you always been that way or was there something in particular that drew you in?

A.

Well, I started teaching in Central Valley High School in 1964.

I went into administration in 1970. One of my mentors was Bill Ames Sr., who was the principal at CVHS at that time. One day I was working for him, and the next day I was his supervisor.

He helped me get the job. After about three years of teaching, he said, “Chuck, you need to look at administration.” So I started working on my credentials, and he eventually helped my get the job,

See STOCKER, page 13

community Speaking of Chuck Stocker…

A few people who know him share their thoughts about the recently named Citizen of the Year.

You cannot consider our dear friend Chuck and all he has accomplished without considering carefully the word “force.” If it’s holding the door to the church open and greeting an elderly person, smacking his pastor on the rump and asking, “What did you do this week to earn your paycheck?” or influencing the constituents of the Valley to step up to the plate, do something significant and pass an education bond — the man truly is a force.

Now force can be coercive or referential. Coercive force is grabbed, demanded and heavyhanded. Referential force is earned, based in trust and given. I thank God for the people of our Valley, the constituents of our church, the members of all the various boards, committees and teams that have wisely bestowed on our dear friend Chuck Stocker the gift and mantel of referential force, which he has used to be a blessing to all of us.

Dave Noll Pastor, Redeemer Lutheran Church

Chuck Stocker is a man who enjoys life. He passionately cares for his community. You need to be on your toes around him, as he isn't afraid to send a zinger your way and crack a smile. We are blessed to have him on the board of directors at the HUB Sports Center.”

Phil Champlin

Executive Director, HUB Sports Center

Chuck is an amazing individual! I’ve heard a rumor he’s retired, but I question the validity of that. Chuck serves as the board chair for the Inland Northwest Blood Center. His dedication and enthusiasm to our organization is invaluable, so much so that we’ve contemplated opening an office for him here at the center. It seems like he’s here every day anyway. Seriously, Chuck has served INBC for 10 years now, and it has been our privilege to have been associated with him. He is never short of jokes and continually

challenges us on our thinking, but we know he has the best of intentions even when he’s using his gruff, tough-guy approach.

We’re very lucky to have Chuck involved in our organization and we look forward to working with him for years to come.

Jeff Bryant

President and CEO, Inland Northwest Blood Center Compared to many in our community, I have known Chuck Stocker for only a short time. As a school district superintendent new to the region, I know I can call on him for perspective and honest advice.

Chuck deeply cares about his community. He displays unwavering support for children in our community and the issues that impact them. Chuck’s service to our community through Rotary and the many boards on which he serves demonstrates his commitment to the overall health of our community. Chuck’s business card indicates that he is retired. He certainly doesn’t act it.

I believe Mr. Stocker exemplifies the true meaning of citizenship.

Ben Small

Superintendent, Central Valley School District

I can’t think of anyone more deserving that Chuck Stocker to be honored as the Harry E. Nelson Citizen of the Year. He has been so much a part of our community and has helped many with advice and suggestions.

He has truly earned the distinction of “Community Educator” because no matter what he does either in the official role of educator or administrator, or public information officer, Rotarian or Chamber member, he creates awareness. He listens and helps people look at situations in new ways to find solutions to problems. When I first came to the Valley Chamber more than 10 years ago, I quickly identified Chuck as a person who could give wise counsel. He is a valued friend for that reason and more. We need more people in our community like him. Congratulations Chuck! Keep up the good work!

Eldonna Shaw

President and CEO, Greater Spokane Valley Chamber To know Chuck Stocker is to know a man with a strong work ethic, abounding energy and

The Current

the infectious ability to bring people together to accomplish projects that at first seemed impossible to achieve. His career as teacher and administrator in the Central Valley School District and as superintendent in the Freeman and East Valley school districts provided many examples of these skills. When not concerned with teaching or worried parents, he found time to coach little league baseball, extracurricular basketball, judged at livestock shows and raised a family with four children. His involvement in community projects is legendary. As an advocate for our community at the State Legislature, he has served us well. In all, he exemplifies the true meaning of the word “citizen.” Thank you, Mr. Stocker, for your previous and continuing endeavors for our community. We applaud your well-deserved award.

George W. Schneider, M.D. Retired pathologist

Chuck Stocker is the best man you could ever meet. He is what a Grandpa should be — he is the guy who will buy gallons of oil for your car and put it in without you even knowing.

Sure, he will give you a hard time and tease you, but he’ll always be there for you when no one else is. I tease him right back for putting the garbage can in his trunk and driving it up the driveway. And for partially chopping his fingers off when trying to fetch a stick jammed in the snow blower while it was still running! And for standing on a ladder in the middle of a staircase to change a light bulb for me and falling off — but I know he did it all because he loves me!

Natashia Stocker (granddaughter) Student, Green River Community College

I know my dad is being honored for Citizen of the Year, and there is no one I know who deserves it more. Over the years, your selfless kindness to the community — and especially to kids — is really amazing. The number of kids you’ve helped and inspired through teaching and coaching is immeasurable.

Still, I know that his kids and grandkids are the lucky ones.

We get the privilege of being inspired by him every day. Per-

sonally, I am so lucky to be able to call my dad my hero.

Michael Stocker (son) Director of Animation, Pixar Studios

My dad has many accomplishments, and we’re all proud of an amazing personality that everyone likes, but what I most adore is the way he loves and plays with his grandchildren.

My kids love their grandpa.

He plays games with them and makes them laugh. He’s an amazing dad and person, but is an even greater grandpa.

Steve Stocker (son) Commander, Auburn Police Department

I have to say that Chuck is one of the most sincere and caring people I have ever met. No one is a stranger to Chuck — if he doesn't know you, he soon will. And he has a knack for making you feel that you and your story are of utmost importance to him at any given moment. From the first night I met him, he has made me feel like an integral part of the Stocker family. He is always there with a kind word or a helping hand, and if you ever need advice, he’s happy to oblige! Chuck truly embodies the title of “Citizen of the Year,” and I would like to nominate him for “Father-inLaw of the Year” as well!

Brooke Stocker (daughter-in-law)

Co-owner, Emerald City Smoothie I think a lot of children in the world think of their dad as their hero at one point or another, and I am no exception. I grew up with a father who believed in hard work. … He is one of those guys you want to know because if he tells you he’s going to do something, he always follows through. He believes in relationships, and not by text or phone, but rather face-toface with a handshake or a hug.

Above all else, my father has always believed that honesty must never be sacrificed. He has always been a straight shooter.

He knows how to be fair but is never afraid to make the tough decision.

Kevin Stocker (son)

Co-owner, Emerald City Smoothie, former Major League Baseball player

The Current

february 2012 • 13

community Chuck Stocker

Age 73

Family Wife Lu, four kids, 11 grandkids

Hobbies Golf, traveling to see family, reading

First job Milking cows on the family farm in Snohomish, Wash.

Constantly teased for Being a WSU Cougar; his grandkids are UW fans

Ultimate sporting experience Watching his son start for the Phillies in the 1993 World Series

STOCKER Continued from page 12

which was supervisor of secondary education for CVSD. It was a curriculum position. I was very fortunate. In two years, I was in charge of all curriculum, and then I was assistant superintendent of the district for 13 years after that.

My point in all of that is, when I first jumped into the administration side of things, our superintendent at the time said you need to get involved with community activities. It was kind of a requirement. The first thing we did was go to a regular weekly Chamber meeting, which was kind of the government affairs committee we have today. So, it became part of me, and from that I branched out to be on the YMCA board and the Valley Hospital board and things along that line.

That was really the start. Since then I’ve just gotten to know the Valley so well.

Q: What are some of your favorite things about the Valley?

A: I was thinking about that as I was plowing snow this morning. To me, it’s a great place to raise a family. First of all, we have communities that get together, so kids play back and forth. More im-

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portantly, just look at what we have here in Liberty Lake: golf courses, a lake, skiing close by, movies and plays. You also have the city of Spokane close by so there are cultural and sporting events, a great healthcare system and colleges. When you look at the other activities for youth — baseball and basketball and YMCA activities — it all stacks up to make a great place for families.

Q: Do you think there’s anything that sets the Valley apart from other places?

A: I would say, in a broad sense, it’s the people. Periodically things are hard to do, but when the chips are down, the people here usually pull together and do the right thing. I say that because if you look at the record for school levies, they’ve been very well supported. If you look at other things that are needed, when the need is evident and the feeling is right, it gets passed.

I’m sure a lot of communities feel the same way. It’s the people and how they

See STOCKER, page 22

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The Current

14 • february 2012

Freeman robotics club triumphs using teamwork

or kids u st f j d ea

A speci

Programmed for success

al s pr

KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE K

By Tammy Kimberley Wave Editor

ROCKFORD — On a Wednesday in the middle of January, students from Freeman elementary and middle schools piled into a multi-purpose room to learn about robots and food safety.

But the ones doing the teaching were not the Freeman teachers, but kids — friends and classmates who are part of the Freeman robotics team.

This is the first year many of the Freeman students have been part of a robotics team. The afterschool club is about more than just building and programming.

“It’s not just robotics,” Nikki Hindman, 9, said. “It’s learning about the theme and working together.”

Hindman, who said she wants to be an inventor or scientist when she grows up, explained that kids also research a topic for the robotics competition and present their findings to the judges. She said working with others on the presentation helped her learn how to respond to different people and be part of a team.

Dylan Passey, 11, said he joined the team because he enjoys spending time building with friends,

Brought to you by

Wave photo by Tammy Kimberley

Jaden Kennedy, left, and Ryan Hicks, members of the Freeman Phoenix robotics team, get the robot ready to perform a task during a demonstration for Freeman students. but he soon discovered there were other benefits as well.

“I’ve learned more about engineering and how to work as a team,” Passey said. “It teaches you how to use teamwork to your advantage, and going to competitions is fun, too.”

The Freeman robotics team organized during the fall to participate in the First Lego League (FLL), which is a competitive

league designed for elementary and middle school students. There are three different components teams must do: 1. Build and program a robot 2. Research a topic around a theme to make a presentation 3. Learn how to be a team based on the FLL core values.

Rob Bryant, one of the parent organizers of the Freeman team, was asked by a few parents last

spring to investigate starting a robotics team at Freeman. After a couple meetings, more than 30 kids and several parent leaders started practicing in September one day a week after school.

The students were divided into four sub-teams with mixed genders, ages and skills levels, Bryant said. The four sub-teams — named Freeman Phoenix, Freeman Raider Robots, Fridge Raiders and Spicy Burritos —consist of kids ages 7 to 14. About 70 percent of the team is made up of elementary students.

The idea of FLL is to get kids interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, Bryant said.

Ryan Hicks, 10, said being a part of the team has helped her learn how to problem solve. She explained that the FLL has a different theme each year where students can research and learn more about a specific topic.

“This year’s theme was ‘Food Factors,’ so we talked a lot about food safety,” said Hicks, who hopes to be a surgeon someday.

Her team, the Freeman Phoenix, developed the idea of a hot/cold bag that plugs into a car to keep food the appropriate temperature.

Team members presented their research to judges in the form of a skit.

The Freeman Phoenix was one of two Freeman teams that received trophies at the state tournament held at Eastern Washington University on Jan. 15.

“Our team won an award for how our robot was designed, and the judges complimented us on good research for our presentation,“ said Freeman Phoenix team member Owen Bryant, 10. “The highlight of the year has been learning about programming, building Legos and just having fun.”

Contest: Show us how you spread the love!

With red hearts and cupids popping up in stores and on TV, there are many reminders that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

If you are a kid who likes to create your own valentines instead of buying ones from the store, then this contest is for you!

The Wave is asking kids to use crayons, craft supplies or whatever items they have on hand to make valentines that stand apart from the crowd. Entries will be judged on their uniqueness and use of supplies as well as how the message in the valentine ties in with its look.

The top winner will receive a card good for a large pizza, four drinks and 30 tokens at Chuck E. Cheese in

Spokane Valley. Plus his or her valentine will be featured in the March issue of The Wave.

Two runners-up will be awarded a $5 gift certificate from Just Chillin’ Frozen Yogurt in Liberty Lake. Their names will also be announced in the March Wave.

Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade who live or attend school in the Valley area are eligible to enter

this contest. Only submit one valentine per person, please. Be sure to include your name, age, parent’s name, phone number and city of residence with your entry.

Either email a photo of your valentine or drop off a sample to The Current office, 2310 N. Molter Ave., Suite 305 in Liberty Lake by Feb. 10.

Contact 242-7752 or tammy@valleycurrent.com with questions.

KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE K

The Current

february 2012 • 15

KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE

Remembering a President

By Tammy Kimberley Wave Editor

While honesty is an important trait for everyone, certain jobs require a strong desire to find and tell the truth in order to help our communities function well. Policemen, scientists, judges, journalists and teachers are just a few of these professions.

Abraham Lincoln is one man in history who embodied honesty in his life and political career. This U.S. President led the country through the Civil War and worked to bring an end of slavery. But before he aspired to work in politics, Lincoln worked hard to be fair as a store owner and, later on, a lawyer. Historians have recounted the story that when Lincoln worked as a store owner, he once walked six miles to return six cents to a woman who had paid too much at his store.

In honor of his birthday on Feb. 12, The Wave is offering this quiz on Abraham Lincoln’s life. Simply write in the answers to each of the questions in the blanks to the right. Then transfer the letters with circles around them to the blanks below the questions to find out what nickname Lincoln had. If you can’t figure out an answer, ask your parents for help or look at the bottom of this page.

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month

1. Lincoln was this number in the line of U.S. presidents 2. Place where Lincoln was assassinated 3. State where Lincoln was born 4. Executive order issued by Lincoln that freed the slaves

5. This state’s slogan is “Land of Lincoln” 6. The name of Lincoln’s wife 7. One of Lincoln’s most famous speeches 8. First name of Lincoln’s only child that lived to adulthood 9. Lincoln’s face is on this coin

What was Abraham Lincoln’s nickname?

Kids Tell it Like it Is Compiled by Tammy Kimberley at Pasadena Park Elementary School

See page 27 to read what some Valley kids had to say about honesty.

How do you know someone is in love?

“They give each other nice cards, poems and presents.”

Taya Aikman, 7, first grade

“When they stumble over their words and say silly stuff.”

Kaylan Meyer, 11, fifth grade

“People in love give each other flowers and chocolate.”

Sydney Shaw, 9, third grade

“Girls blush. Their cheeks get red, and they get embarrassed around you.”

Jakeob LaVoie, 8, third grade

“Instead of a valentine, someone gives you a love note ‘cuz they can’t always say it to your face.”

Macy McPhee, 8, third grade

“When they say, ‘I like you.’”

Sabian Gray, 9, third grade

“If someone is willing to give up the other people they like just for you.”

Alyssa Reynolds, 8, third grade

“If you’re a guy, you’ll know a girl is into you if she starts picking on you, but not physically.”

Aidan Clark, 11, fifth grade

“Girls twirl their hair sometimes.”

Ivy Stevens, 11, fifth grade

We urge parents to bring their children in for a visit by their first birthday or when their first tooth erupts. However, if you've missed this deadline, it's never too late to start protecting your child's smile.

Visit KiDDS Dental in February for your chance to win a NOOK color. "Like" us on Facebook for more contests and events.

Children deserve to experience a gentle, caring approach to their dental care. A positive, enjoyable dental experience will help them build confidence and knowledge, setting a great precedent for their future dental health.

1327 N. Stanford Lane, Suite B Liberty Lake, WA Answers for Abraham Lincoln puzzle: 1- Sixteenth, 2- Ford’s Theatre, 3- Kentucky, 4- Emancipation Proclamation, 5- Illinois, 6- Mary Todd Lincoln, 7- Gettysburg Address, 8- Robert, 9- Penny

KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE KID ZONE

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The Current

16 • february 2012

community

Entertainment, thriving business block, marked early Dishman

By Jayne Singleton Spokane Valley Heritage Museum

One of the earliest communities to develop in the Spokane Valley was Dishman.

The community was named for Addison T. Dishman, who in 1889 sold property he owned in Spokane and bought a large amount of land in what is now known as Dishman and Dishman Hills as well as parts of the surrounding area.

Mr. Dishman was a savvy businessman.

After the fire of 1889, a good portion of Spokane was rebuilt with granite and stone from Dishman’s rock quarry, the Empire Granite Co. As many as 35 teams a day hauled stone to Spokane. Gonzaga University and Lewis and Clark High School were built with stone from the quarry.

As Dishman developed, the Misner Store also opened to serve the growing community. A blacksmith shop, saloon and warehouse for feed and farm implements eventually lined the dirt road. C.F. Schimmels operated a blacksmith shop around 1915 and also repaired automobiles.

The Oregon Washington Railroad and Navigation Company and the Chicago Milwaukee & St Paul Railroad already had tracks going through what became Dishman by 1908. The train depot is still standing on Dishman-Mica Road and is currently the home of a seasonal produce business. In its heyday, truck farmers and dairies brought their products to be loaded on to cars headed for the Palouse, Seattle

Photos courtesy of the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum

The Empire Granite Co. rock quarry can be seen in the foreground of this circa 1920s photo.

Around 1895, A.T.’s Brother, W.B. Dishman, joined him in business. Opening a store in the area that became Dishman, W.B. called it the 6 Mile Store because of its distance from Spokane. It was located near present day Argonne, on the Appleway, named so for the Apple Orchards that lined the road. Today we know it as Sprague Avenue. Trips into Spokane from all points east by horse or teams and wagon always included a stop at Dishman to water the animals in the trough in front of the 6 Mile Store.

or Portland. Railway Postal Express also had an office in the Dishman Depot. Mail was put in a canvas mail bag and left on a hook. When the train wasn't scheduled to stop, the postal worker would hook a mailbag on the fly. Union Pacific Railroad eventually bought out the OWRN. Today, the tracks are seldom used.

As Dishman grew, a school was needed to educate the young people. R.A. Hutchinson donated land, and the Dishman School was built in 1910 for $6,300. In 1940, the gym was added to the back of the building, and in 1945, a swimming pool was opened on the south side of the school building. It was open in the summer, and neighborhood kids enjoyed cooling off in the pool. Today, the building houses the City School, a West Valley School District non-traditional school.

At left: The 6 Mile Store, circa 1906.

There was no lack of entertainment opportunities in Dishman. In the early 1920s, A.T. built a boxing ring called the Valley Athletic Club with seating for 5,000.

It was open-air style. A 1927 ticket to the “Boxing Main Event” lists W.L. Stribling vs. Angus Snyder. Tickets cost $4 plus 40 cents tax!

Also constructed was an indoor roller skating rink called the Dishman Rollerdrome. It was the largest skating rink west of the Mississippi River and boasted a floating floor for dances. Often times, there was an Easter Parade at intermission with a top prize of $15 for the best Easter hat or outfit. On Feb. 6, 1948, the Valley’s first annual Masquerade and Costume Ball was held, and a crowd of several hundred attended.

In 1939, Mr. Dishman opened a movie theater and called it the Dishman Theater.

It was located in the heart of the growing business district and is still there today.

The first movie shown was “King of the Turf ” starring Dolores Costello and Adolphe Menjou. The theater was modern, with large vertical signage and the name of the theater on both sides of the sign. Admission was 10 cents. Popcorn and other snacks were available in the lobby.

By the 1940s, business and industry was flourishing in Dishman. The business block was well established on the Appleway between Vista Road and Farr Road.

Washington Brick Lime & Sewer Co. was producing bricks and sewer pipe, Appleway Mercantile had the best meat market, and for medical needs, the Dishman Drug Store was the place to go. Harold Dockendorf had opened a filling station in the business block called Doc’s Snappy Ser-

Valley of the sun A monthly series of historical chronicles providing a window into the past — and a connection to the heritage — of the communities that make up the Spokane Valley.

February Dishman

March Chester Hills April Opportunity May Vera June Greenacres July Liberty Lake August Spokane Bridge September East Farms/Otis Orchards October Trentwood November Orchard Avenue December Millwood vice. Tony’s was the local tavern where you could get a beer and catch up on the neighborhood news. Owned by Tony Pasquale, the whole family ran the tavern and the grocery store beside the tavern. Frank’s Food Lockers provided refrigerated lockers for storage of meat, as most folks didn’t have a refrigerator large enough for half a beef in the home.

Today, most of the early businesses of Dishman are gone. Appleway Motors, the Dishman Theater (now a gentlemen’s club) and Behm’s Creamery remain as reminders of the early days of Dishman.

A.T. Dishman died in California in the late 1940s. He left quite a legacy!

Jayne Singleton is director of the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum, 12114 E. Sprague Ave. Additional items about the history and culture of the Dishman area — or any of the communities in the Valley of the Sun series — are available in the museum archives.

For more information, call 922-4570 or visit www.valleyheritagecenter.org.

A fifth grade class from Dishman school, circa 1934.

The Current

february 2012 • 17

community

Community Calendar Confused about what to do? Here are a few upcoming dates to note.

FEBRUARY 6 7 p.m. Southeast Spokane County Fair planning meeting, Rockford City Hall, 20 W. Emma St., Rockford FEBRUARY 10 7 p.m. Spokane Valley Partners benefit concert, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 4521 N. Arden, Otis Orchards Benefiting the Spokane Valley Partners Food Bank, the theme is “Journeys,” so the program will include songs about the road and about life’s journey. A variety of music styles will be represented. George Maupin of KHQ will emcee. Dessert reception to follow. Tickets are $10, $5 for children under 12 and $30 for families. Donations to the food bank will be welcome.

FEBRUARY 10 AND 11 7 p.m. (plus 3 p.m. matinee Feb. 11): “The Chalk Garden,” The Kave, 4904 N. Harvard Road, Otis Orchards Drama presented by the Liberty Lake Community Theatre. Tickets $10 at the door, $8 for members. Rated PG-13.

For more: www.libertylaketheatre.com.

FEBRUARY 24 6:30 p.m. to midnight: 28th annual Chocolate Champagne Gala, Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan Road, Spokane Valley Billed as “a sweet treat for a serious cause,” event benefits the sexual assault and family trauma response center, a program of Lutheran Community Services NW. Event features chocolate and dessert samplings, champagne, chocolate martinis, appetizers, an auction and dancing with the Eight Tracks.

Tickets are $65, a martini with souvenir glass is $18. RSVP by Feb. 3. For more: lcsnw.org/ccgala or 343-5053.

MARCH 3 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: 7th annual FatherDaughter Dance, “The Princess and the Frog,” CenterPlace at Mirabeau Point, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley Though it’s organized by the Liberty Lake Kiwanis and K-Kids, this popular event is open to all communities. Photo packages available, with music by Party Starters. Cost is $40 per father/ daughter, $15 per additional daughter.

Price includes long-stem rose, favors and refreshments. For more: www. libertylakekiwanis.org or call 951-3573 or 979-6652.

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18 • february 2012

business

The Current

2 hours, 4 people, 21 cups of coffee

By Josh Johnson Current Staff Writer

8:17 a.m.: “So it’s OK that I don’t consider myself a connoisseur?”

The question comes from Kelli, our office manager. We’re neck-deep in an impromptu, pre-mission briefing.

I gaze around the oval table.

“Anyone here know much of anything about coffee?”

We shake our heads, four novices who just know we like the taste of our favorite drinks.

“Well, this isn’t going to be some elitist wine magazine piece,” I promise. “Just represent your own taste buds, and we’ll shoot for the everyman angle.”

I promise disclaimers: we’re not professional critics ... take grains of salt ... tastes vary ... yada yada.

Check.

8:23 a.m.: We pull out of the parking lot in my 2004 Honda Odyssey, the kids’ carseats stacked in back after a last-minute removal. Our mission is to order the drinks we might pick up at Starbucks or Wake Up Call, but at a coffee shack that doesn’t have multiple Valley locations. The hypothesis here is that we can spotlight stops that may have more of a neighborhood or niche following.

“We’ll go as the wind blows us,” I share from the captain’s seat. “Five stops, order the same drink five times. We’ll try to spread it out geographically.”

The mood is jovial, if a bit decaffeinated.

8:32 a.m.: We find ourselves pointed northward on Barker and decide to make Cup of Joy our first stop. I fumble all over the order. Kelli’s going for the coconut blended mocha. Sarah, our graphics editor, is a nonfat chai tea latte type. Kelly with a “y,” our staff writer, likes her coffee black. I never order that stuff, so I’m confused about drip coffee vs. Americano. The only thing I get right is my order. A raspberry mocha.

Not the manliest drink, but I’m addicted.

I get everything corrected. Sarah kindly suggests we write the orders down for the next stop.

8:48 a.m.: I steer west at Trent, and I tell the ladies that I’ve always wanted to try Dagny’s Coffee Company — that soccer mom destination outside Plantes Ferry Park — but I always pass by too close to kick off time.

Meanwhile, the Cup of Joy reports start

coming in. Blended mocha seems to be the winner, as Kelli is having a hard time pacing herself. Hmmm … sounds like foreshadowing.

8:58 a.m.: I read from the script at Dagny’s, and I ask for a drink carrier. Minivans have a gazillion cupholders, but we’re somehow already running low. The service is smooth, but my pull out toward Trent is apparently not. Kelly with a “Y” dribbles a drink along the floor. I grab a hunk of napkins from the glovebox and toss them back because, hey, I have plenty.

9:09 a.m.: I explain that I’ve decided to find the westernmost coffee spot on Sprague in the Valley, so I circle down Havana and start heading back east. The reviews on Dagny’s are pretty good. The smallest available size of the blended coconut mocha is 16 ounces. Kelli is saying things like, “I really should pace my-(slurping noise). I’m going to have to slow (odd vacuuming whir), but these have both been really (sound of straw sucking air at bottom of cup).”

9:16 a.m.: Still heading east. Other than a Starbucks, the western edge of the Valley seems to be in dire need of a shack.

We are gazing across a couplet now.

9:17 a.m.: Finally! We spot Higher Ground Espresso and head over. I’m beginning to feel awfully warm, but feel bad cooling the car when the lady in the passenger seat is gargling caffeinated slushies.

9:27 a.m.: We’re through the line at Higher Ground, and I steer us toward Valleyford and a place I have only heard about: On Sacred Grounds. As we settle in for the drive, I notice a little of the luster has been lost from Kelli’s enthusiasm. She’s staring at drink No. 3. “I really should have had more than a banana for breakfast,” I hear her say.

9:40 a.m.: Look at us suburban folk: Them “smart phones” don’t respond as quickly the further south we drive. I think I remember where I’m headed, but honestly my forehead is starting to sweat and it’s been so long since I’ve used a paper map, its best use is for spilled coffee. I pull over and wait for the cell phone company to “hear me now?”

9:47 a.m.: Good! We’re back on track and pull into what we think is the drive thru of On Sacred Grounds. As it turns out, a couple of guys were working on extending the window further out into the lane.

They shuffle out of the way, and that’s when Elaine greets us as the final customers of the old-look drive thru.

“Wow, what do we win?” I ask her.

Current photo by Kelly Moore

The intrepid group of coffee tasters met this isign off of Highway 27 on the way to On Sacred Grounds in Valleyford.

Elaine frowns, turns and walks away.

9:48 a.m.: Still no Elaine.

9:49 a.m. Nope. This is getting awk … no, wait! Here she comes! She hands us a copy of the Valleyford Clarion, a publication she prints and circulates around the community. Elaine, as we soon learned, does a little bit of everything. I’m pretty sure she could have extended the drive-thru window herself if she didn’t already have her hands full. We have a lengthy but wonderfully entertaining and pleasant visit, and all of us chuckle happily as we pull away. In fact, we were there so long someone pulled up behind us, further delaying construction progress. I wonder what they won?

9:50 a.m.: Honestly, things start to get a little blurry from this point forward. As I go to work on mocha No. 4, the commotion in the back sounds like another spill. In the ultimate of ironies, Kelli is served two 16-ounce blended mochas for the price of one. It seems Elaine’s blender was a little overzealous. Between moans, Kelli says it’s actually quite good, but “I feel like crayola!”

9:51 a.m.: Strike that, I just realized she used a “p,” not a “y.” As for me, I’m feeling woozy warm. Noises from the back

seat sound like they’re coming from the other end of a long, humid tunnel. I think they’re saying they need more napkins. Oh, that’s where that letter goes. Kelly with a “y” spilled again.

10:17 a.m.: Somehow, we arrive at the Forza drive-thru, looking like four people who just drove in nonstop from Chicago.

We’re almost to the window, when Sarah suddenly alerts us all to the fact we have coffee cups visible all over the car. For some reason, we treat the situation like the barista is a cop and we’ve got a van full of open containers. I lurch the van to a halt feet short of the window as we scramble to look like Forza is our first sip of the day. Honestly, it was probably amazing coffee. No one finished.

Epilogue: For those who thought the rest of the day might be the most productive our office had ever witnessed, think again.

I was walking around in a sweaty haze, but I’m pretty sure Sarah followed Kelly around all afternoon cleaning up after spills. And Kelli? Well, her Facebook status told the story later of a dangerous drive home, canceled evening plans and a night of feeling like, well, crayola.

Just-for-fun rankings of the coffee stops can be found on the adjoining page.

The Current

february 2012 • 19

business

20 • february 2012

business

Time is on his side Larry’s Watch Repair enjoying record sales in its 35th year in business

Larry Verhaag poses with various notes and watches collected over 35 years operating a watch repair stand inside Spokane Valley Halpin’s.

By Josh Johnson Current Staff Writer

Larry Verhaag was 12 when he suffered his first broken watch.

He nursed it from his home in Kettle Falls to the watch repairman in Colville. He recalls being fascinated watching the “guy through the glass” as he worked on one intricate gadget after another.

And then he got the quote that changed his life. The repair estimate was too substantial. Larry Verhaag took that broken watch home. And he fixed it himself.

Verhaag has been fixing watches ever since. He joined the Navy to be a watchmaker. After four years in the service, which included a stint providing fuel for aircraft carriers in Vietnam, he entered a program at Spokane Community College, where he became certified as a watch maker.

About that time, the watch shop inside Halpin’s opened up, and he took ownership of it. That was nearly 35 years ago, enough time to build a loyal following.

“I just got one from Pasco called this morning and wanted to send his Tag Heuer up because the bezel isn’t rotating,” Verhaag said. “The furthest I’ve had so far is Japan.

A woman is going to school there, and she sent four watches back from Japan. Her mother brought them down here to me to fix.”

Verhaag attributes that loyalty to the fact he is currently enjoying a run of business unlike anything he’s ever experienced. That factor combined with the economy plays into this success, he said.

“The economy has changed an awful lot,” he said. “People come in a little more depressed. During the hard times, people get things fixed. During the good times, people get things new. I just hit the biggest numbers I’ve ever hit in my 35 years.”

Verhaag said he doesn’t tire from his work, in part because there are so many different varieties of watches, and in his work area near the Halpin’s entrance he keeps watches that date back as far as the 1800s.

As exciting as the trade is to him — and as good as business has been — he said the craft of working with watches appears to be endangered.

“This trade is dying,” Verhaag said.

“There’s nobody interested in watch repair.

The whitehairs at Seattle Community College — 90 percent of their class over there

The Current

Below: Handscrawled notes line the glass, some of which have been posted for decades.

larry’s watch repair Opened May 4, 1977

Owner Larry Verhaag, 67

Favorite saying “Take time and live.”

(Larry’s explanation: “Take time off. You’re all going too dag gam fast. This life is too short.”)

are just doing it as a hobby. I’ve had nobody interested in learning the trade.”

Verhaag turns 68 in June.

“I don’t know what people are going to do when he retires,” said Halpin’s Sales Associate Lisa Keon, who has worked with Verhaag for 15 years. “It’s going to be pandemonium.”

While Verhaag doesn’t express any nearterm interest in hanging up his shop, Keon warns that the lack of quality, certified watch repairmen will leave an awfully large void when he does choose to call it quits.

“He gets quite a few watches that no one else will do anything about it,” Keon said.

“And if he’s not here, I swear to you everything that is holy, the (customer’s) day is ruined.”

Verhaag posts a number of hand-scrib-

Current photos by Josh Johnson

bled signs with humorous return policies and listing limited store hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursdays.

“I haven’t ever obeyed those hours,” Verhaag confessed. “I put them up there to slow the morning and afternoon traffic down so I can go home. … I come in on Fridays.”

Like the watches he keeps in tune, Verhaag’s life is pretty reliable, however. He’s lived in the same Spokane home for 45 years with his wife, MaryAnne. The couple have six children and 10 grandchildren.

“I’m one of those old, stable guys, never moves, never changes things, wears things out before replacing them,” Verhaag said. “… I don’t even want to own the watches.

I just like to fix them. It’s fun to see what is

in there.”

If Verhaag never moves from his watch repair stand, that will suit Keon just fine — not that she’s letting on.

“He has a limited joke collection, so I have to hear the same jokes every day,” she says loudly, making sure Verhaag’s in hearing range. Then she lowers her voice. “I give him a hard time about it, but truth be told the customers love it.”

Her sentence is interrupted by Verhaag, shouting from his watch stand 20 feet away: “Hey, you want to hear the one about the merry go round?”

“No!” Keon hollers back.

And then she laughs.

The Current

february 2012 • 21

business

There are many reasons to take pride in our Valley

By Eldonna Shaw Current guest column

Sometimes, we take for granted what is right within our community. We have many reasons to be proud of the Valley.

Last fall, Dr. Patrick Jones from the Eastern Washington University Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis gave a presentation about the Spokane Indicators Initiative at our Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Connections Breakfast. Dr. Jones and others have been collecting data about how the Spokane area compares to the rest of the state, and the data he shared about Spokane Valley is relatively new — from the past 5 years.

Our members were very impressed by the information Dr. Jones provided, and many made comments to the effect of, “This is important information that should be used in promoting the Valley as a fine place to live or locate a business.” This is true, and I would encourage everyone to do that and to go to the website, www. communityindicators.ewu.edu for more information.

Dr. Jones recently sent me an email with an update on additional categories of data for Spokane Valley. Even though it is for the city of Spokane Valley (Liberty Lake is included in the Spokane County statistics), I believe it gives a good reflection of the Valley in general. You can now learn more

about population and age demographics, median household income, employment shares by industry, homeownership rates and population with a bachelor’s degree or higher. From his presentation last fall, we learned how our schools compare, comparative percentages of high school graduates, as well as comparative cost data about commercial and residential property. Now we can even look at comparisons of average commute times, and that is very important if you are from a high-density metro area like Seattle. All of these things are important pieces of information when people outside our community are gathering information to make a potential move.

I recently directed a couple of prospective business investors to the site, and they were impressed and most appreciative.

In short, we compare very favorably to the state, county and the city of Spokane.

In some instances, we are out front of the rest. One area in particular is our increasing percentage of high school graduates and the number who go on to higher education. Our schools are important to our quality of life and the continued growth of a quality workforce.

Although statistics provide good reinforcing data, I would also suggest we each look around at the assets in our community besides our schools: the variety of churches, the fine stores and businesses and the attractive neighborhoods. We can always continue to improve, but let’s take pride in our Valley.

Eldonna Shaw is president and CEO of the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce. Write to her at eldonna@spokanevalleychamber.org.

In Biz Representative of Valley company rings exchange bell Jerry Cummings, a team leader at the Troy Mine Flotation Mill for Spokane Valley-based Revett Minerals Inc., rang the closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange Jan. 11.

Cummings was chosen to ring the closing bell after entering a raffle at the mine to raise funds for local charities. As the winner of the raffle, he designated all funds raised to a local charity of his choice.

The company was listed on the NYSE Amex in May 2010. Revett is a silver and

copper producer that owns and operates the Troy Mine in northwest Montana.

Schools chief to speak at Valley Chamber function The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce will feature state Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn at its Feb. 17 Business Connections Breakfast.

The event opens at 6:30 a.m., with a program beginning at 7 a.m. For more information, visit www.spokanevalleychamber. org or call 924-4994.

Highlights from your Chamber Chamber honors annual winners The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that the 2011 Citizen of the Year is Chuck Stocker.

Stocker spent 34 1/2 years as a community educator in Valley school districts, the last 11 as a superintendent. He is also a full-time volunteer serving on numerous boards and committees throughout the community.

Stocker is being honored at the Chamber’s annual Gem of the Valley Gala Jan. 28 along with other recipients. Other finalists being recognized for the annual Awards of Excellence include:

Small Business of the Year • Fashion Carpets • Independent Wealth Connections • Tracy Jewelers

Medium Business of the Year

• Baker Construction & Development Inc • Liberty Lake Physical Therapy • BrickHouse Massage & Coffee Bar

Large Business of the Year • KXLY TV • Rosauers Supermarkets, Inc • Valley Hospital

Non-Profit of the Year • Hutton Settlement • NAWBO • Valleyfest

Chamber Member Volunteer of the Year

• Cindra Shields, Graphic Business Systems • Josh Johnson, Liberty Lake Splash • Rick & Diana Wilhite, Safeguard Northwest Business Printing & Promotional Products

Community Caring Award

• Holiday Inn Express Spokane Valley • Hutton Settlement • KREM TV

Ambassador of the Year

Sonya Hutnik Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center Thanks to the following sponsors for making this annual celebration possible: • Diamond Sponsor — Numerica Credit Union • Sapphire Sponsors — Avista, Banner Bank, Modern Electric Water Co. • Emerald Sponsors — Greenstone Corp., Graham Construction and Management, Inc., Valley Hospital

Nancy Holmes named new Chair The Valley Chamber is honored to have Nancy Holmes with Avista serving as our 2012 Chairman of the Board. Nancy Holmes joined Washington Water Power (now Avista) in December 1977. Over her 34-year career, Nancy has worked in leadership capacities in the Engineering, Customer Service, Supply Chain, and Public Affairs departments.

In her current role as Regional Business Manager, Nancy represents Avista on various company-related issues and opportunities with the Cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and Millwood, as well as several rural towns west of Spokane.

Dr. Nathan Dikes of Sunshine Health Facilities received a certificate from Valley Chamber President and CEO Eldonna Shaw on Jan. 17 marking Sunshine’s Golden Membership of more than 50 years.

Dorn headlines February breakfast The Chamber’s monthly breakfast program will feature Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn on Friday, Feb. 17.

Dorn will speak on “The State of Education in Washington.” The event will be held at the Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan Road. Doors open at 6:30 a.m., and the program begins at 7 a.m.

The cost of the breakfast is $25 for members, $35 for non-members. For more information or to register, call 924-4994 or visit www.spokanevalleychamber.com.

New members Please join us in welcoming the following members who have recently joined the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce: Ace Landscaping and Maintenance John Baldwin Cleanworks Spokane LLC John Jennings Infinetix Corp Leon Schmidt HUB Sports Center Phil Champlin CHAN Bistro Katia Chan Northwest Advertising and Publications Steve Clark Me2 Solutions Frank Hutchinson Mortz Research and Data Analysis Margaret Mortz Miche—iHopeNW Jennifer Nemes Ron’s Drive Inn Dennis Rittegewald Love @ FirstBite Desserts Monica Sanders Pacific Flyway Gallery and Framing Charles and Holly Swanson Oregon Tile and Marble Chris Swiss Education Retirement Solutions LLC John Urich Ferguson Bath and Kitchen Gallery Shannon Wertman

9507 East Sprague Avenue • Spokane Valley, WA 99206 • Phone: 509 924 4994

22 • february 2012

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community/news

STOCKER Continued from page 13

bond together.

Q: What has been most rewarding about investing so much time (and so many years) in the Valley?

A: I was involved in the educational system for 34 and a half years in three different districts (Central Valley, East Valley and Freeman). In each district, with the help of other people, I was able to implement pretty good programs for the kids. When I first started in administration at Central Valley, we started a program called “3 to 6.” It’s a vocational program where you go to a skills center for three hours a day, and by the time you graduate you’ve completed your first year of community college in a skilled area.

When I moved to the Freeman School District, they hadn’t passed a bond in 30 years. We finally passed one and were able to add on and get a middle school concept built. We got a counseling program started.

When I went to East Valley, I was the superintendent and we got to pass a bond there. We did various things and started an alternative program. One of the things you might be familiar with is the continuous curriculum program. I started that while I was there.

I was hopefully able to start a few things that I thought really helped kids.

Q: In your mind, what does it mean to be “Citizen of the Year?”

A: First of all, it’s a gratifying award because I’ve looked at the people who’ve received it prior to me. There are a few people in there that were very much involved in the community as business people and leaders. I watched those people give back to the community. …

I feel quite honored to be a part of that esteemed group. To me, what I guess it means is that someone recognized what I’ve been trying to do over the years to help this community. It’s a nice pat on the back.

Q: Your involvement seems to be so far reaching. I understand your passion for kids because of you background in education, but how did you get involved in some of the other things like the Inland Northwest Blood Center?

A: Very early on, in some discussion with my wife, I decided that if something fell into one of three categories, I’d put my effort and time into it. If it’s to benefit kids, if it’s regarding health care (because we’re all going to need it at some point), or if it’s for my church it would be worth my time. Otherwise, the answer is going to be no, because I only have so much time.

Q: Speaking of time, what is a typical Saturday like for you in the Valley?

A: That’s easy. I have three grandkids that live in Liberty Lake. Usually a typical Saturday revolves around going to watch them at a basketball, baseball or soccer game. If it’s during the wintertime, we try to maybe pick up a game at Gonzaga or WSU. Lastly, my wife and I might get together with a couple friends of ours to play bridge. The grandkids come first. In the summertime, we play a lot of golf.

Q: How does that compare to your weekdays. Is that when you’re busiest?

A: During the week, that’s when I normally try to schedule the various meetings. Usually, 7 a.m. Mondays is Rotary. I’ve been a Rotarian since 1979.

From then on it could be meetings. The last Tuesday of the month is the Valley Hospital. The HUB meets the second Tuesday of the month. One of my Chamber committees meets on the second Tuesday and another meets on the second Thursday. I just space things out and because I’m out and about, I run errands.

Q: I’m impressed you can remember when all those meetings are without having to consult a calendar.

A: One of the things I’ve always had — and it probably got me through school — was a good memory. I could memorize things, particularly figures, really well. I haven’t quite lost it yet, but who knows. One of these days I’m going to start getting old.

Q: Say there was a Valley Hall of Fame you were going to be enshrined in. What Valley school district colors would you wear?

A: (laughing) That’s a tough one. I think if that was the case, it’d have to be a third, third and a third. I had great experiences in all three districts. Central Valley gave me my start and allowed me to have such great opportunities.

I was with them for 24 years, so when you look at that, you might say, it’d have to be CV because of the length of time.

But Freeman was four years and when I was out there we did great things. East Valley was my final stop and it was a lot of fun. We had a lot of growth and the people were great. I’d have to have something for all three because they all helped me with my career.

Q: You’ve had a hand in influencing so many kids over the years; do you feel kind of like you’re the grandfather of everyone?

A: (laughing) No. I’ve just been blessed to have a wife and good family and all the support of people in the area.

Part of my operation is to give back.

Sometimes you think you get stretched too far, but in the end it takes off and works out.

The Current

In case you missed it Random Valley news items and tidbits from the past month.

Check fraud lands man return trip to jail ROCKFORD — Spokane County Sheriff ’s deputies arrested a 44-year-old man on felony counts of forgery and theft after he allegedly cashed a check he was issued from the Spokane County Jail — for more than $3,000 more than it was written for.

The man received the check Jan. 8 when he was released from custody. The $15 check covered the remaining funds in his inmate account. Jail financial staff noticed Jan. 11 the check had been changed and cashed for $3,042.21. After leaving most of the money in his bank account, he was tracked down and eventually arrested Jan. 12 when trying to withdraw more funds from the Rockford Banner Bank.

Short response for police LIBERTY LAKE — A 28-year-old Spokane man was arrested within three minutes of stealing narcotics from Guardian Angel Homes at 2 a.m. Jan. 18. The assisted living facility is across the street from the Liberty Lake Police Department, and a LLPD officer and two Spokane County Sheriff ’s Deputies responded to the scene within one minute. They found the man, who was armed with an Airsoft Rifle modified to look more realistic, walking in a field. The man threw the rifle and a bag of narcotics under a parked car when he saw officers approaching.

Valley team honored by Senate Resolution OLYMPIA — The Spokane Valley Bengals Mighty-Mites Pop Warner football team was honored on the floor of the Washington state Senate Jan. 20 when Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, highlighted the achievements of the 2011 team with Senate Resolution 8668.

After going undefeated in the regular season, the group of 18 boys, ages 7 to 9, became one of eight elite "Mighty-Mite" teams chosen by Pop Warner scouts to play for the national championship at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. In December, the Bengals beat the Irondequoit (N.Y.) Eagles by a score of 28-6.

Padden and Shea oppose same-sex marriage proposal OLYMPIA – Before it was even formally introduced as legislation, a pair of Fourth District elected officials sent out press releases noting their opposition to Gov. Christine Gregoire’s same-sex marriage proposal.

Sen. Mike Padden and Rep. Matt Shea, both Republicans from Spokane Valley, announced their opposition to the measure.

The Current

The wonderful world of sports

By Chad Kimberley Current staff column

I love the sports page.

Not just because my mug is currently sitting near the top of this page but more importantly for what the sports page represents: exciting victories, personal successes and athletes who overcome adversity.

In fact, I believe former United States Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren said it best about why the sports page is so great: “I always turn to the sports page first, which records people’s accomplishments. The front page has nothing but man’s failures.”

It is a sad but true reality that many times the news of the day is of a more depressing nature — politicians slinging mud at one another, jobless rates and crime.

Yet when you turn to the sports page, you get a different picture of the landscape of society.

On the sports page are great stories of individuals overcoming adversity to excel or sometimes even compete in sports.

As a teenager, I was inspired by an athlete like Jim Abbot who made it to the major leagues with only one hand, and now I see my oldest daughter be inspired by Bethany Hamilton, who survived a shark attack and the loss of her arm to continue surfing professionally.

The surveyor of the sports page also reads all about the exciting victories, where teams make the miracle run like the 1999 Gonzaga Bulldogs who came within one win of the Final Four, where the upset of all upsets strikes a chord with a nation — “Do you believe in miracles, yes!” — and when a team sustains greatness for a whole season (or at least the regular season) like the 2001 Seattle Mariners.

And, of course, the sports page is where we celebrate the great individual accomplishments of

sports

february 2012 • 23

athletes and coaches. We collectively cheer when Cal Ripken Jr. breaks the unbreakable record, when John Stockton becomes the NBA all-time assists leader and when our local prep star records his 1,000th career point.

I still remember as a kid waking up each Sunday morning to pour through the sports page of the Des Moines Register. I would read all about my beloved Iowa Hawkeyes while pouring through all the baseball statistics and paying special attention to all the Chicago Cubs who at one time played down the street from my house for the Triple A Iowa Cubs.

That sports page was a lifeline to all the possibilities and dreams that I could imagine. I dreamt Current file photo by Bob Johnson/Spokane Sports Shots about playing second base for the Chicago Cubs like my hero University and Central Valley high schools’ annual battle for the Stinky Sneaker will be played Feb. 7 in the — and Spokane native, — Ryne Spokane Arena.

Sandberg. I fantasized about cutting down the nets at the end of a state-bound high school basbegins begins ketball season (that was until I February means postseason — was cut my sophomore year and and a popular rivalry game — for Feb. 13 Feb. 10-11 imagined coaching might be the winter high school sports. Several • 4A/2A district basketball • 2A regional wrestling meet at West only way to make it) and reading Valley teams and individuals will be tournament begins Valley High School advancing into district, regional and all about it the next morning. state competitions. Stay current by Feb. 17-18 Now, as The Current aims to Feb. 11 keeping tabs on the following events: • State gymnastics and wrestling • 4A/3A regional gymnastics meet at make our mark in the Valley, we are excited about what this Feb. 7 meets at the Tacoma Dome Central Valley High School sports page can offer you the • Stinky Sneaker at the Spokane Arena • 4A regional wrestling meet at March 1-3 reader. We look forward to fol- Central Valley vs. University Moses Lake High School • 3A/4A basketball state tournament lowing a potential three-peat for 5 and 7:15 p.m.

• 3A regional wrestling meet at at Tacoma Dome the Freeman High School girls • 1B district basketball tournament University High School • 1A/2A basketball state tournament basketball team or see if the Cen• 1A regional wrestling meet at tral Valley girls basketball team begins at Yakima Sundome can maintain their No. 1 stand- Feb. 8 Colville High School • 1B/2B basketball state tournament ing all the way through the state • 1A district basketball tournament • 3A district basketball tournament at Spokane Arena tournament. We will watch for individual grapplers to earn state titles or to see if University High able to feature many on this page. month, let me give you some ply lean on the wisdom of one of School can take the next step and Whether it is the photo of the predictions as winter will slowly the more quotable players in the Little League team who excels on turn into spring. March Madness history of sports, who might have win a team title this month. been a bit less articulate than the In future issues we hope to in- the field, the AAU team who won will feature a traditionalist Final the big tournament or a great Four with Kentucky, Duke, Ohio former Supreme Court Justice I troduce you to an athlete from shot of the area sports celebrity State and Kansas, while Gonzaga started this column with. each of our local schools (Central who visits the local elementary makes a surprising run into the “It’s tough to make predictions, Valley, University, West Valley, school, we want to showcase our Elite Eight. Major League Base- especially about the future.”

East Valley, Freeman and Valball gets under way with the Texley Christian) who is excelling local sports community.

Well said, Mr. Yogi Berra, well as Rangers and Philadelphia Phil- said.

Oh yeah, one other thing I love while also making you aware of upcoming games that you might about the sports pages I grew up lies favored to meet in the World Chad Kimberley is a local want to take note about, like the reading and still read to this day Series, and the NFL draft will see teacher and basketball coach who annual Stinky Sneaker battle in are the columns. I always read the Seattle Seahawks move up in will keep tabs on local sports hapthe Spokane Arena between Cen- with interest the opinions and the draft to grab Robert Griffin penings for The Current. With tral Valley and University that is predictions and took pride in III to quarterback them for the story ideas, photos or to tell him thinking I am much smarter than next decade. happening Feb. 7. “how much smarter you are than And, of course, if I am wrong the guy with the byline,” write to And we can’t forget about the guy with the byline.

So before I sign off for the on all these predictions I will sim- him at chad@valleycurrent.com. sports photos, and we hope to be

On Deck

opinion

24 • february 2012

The Current

A few words of thanks

Valley communities have always been distinct, but connected. A history rich in agriculture led to a patchwork quilt of irrigation districts and uniquely crafted identities. But like the shared Spokane River many were built beside, these communities have long been intertwined. The regular path of life for a Valley resident — from recreation, to shopping, to work, to schools — often means regular appearances in places we may call Millwood or Liberty Lake or Opportunity or Veradale, but all of these have historically been a part of the greater Valley.

The Current is a publication that serves this Valley — one not tied to a municipal boundary, but tied to a long-recognized larger community of neighbors. We share news and issues as commonly as we share Sprague, Trent or Highway 27. As a monthly, The Current will dial in on topics and information that connect us all, from economic development, to school funding, to ideas for where to stop to grab that bite to eat.

This Valley is a community I love. When Mom and Dad brought me home from Sacred Heart quite a few years ago, my first address was on Trent near Argonne.

I graduated from Central Valley High School. While Liberty Lake is the corner we’ve focused our professional publishing efforts on for the past eight years, we have continued to live and operate within this interconnected Valley.

And that caused an issue for us at The Splash. One thing we’ve always grappled with is how to deal with information that may be relevant to our readership, but is not specifically about Liberty Lake. After all, I know my life — dining, shopping, working, taking my daughter to school — is a whole-Valley experience. In this greater Valley, municipal boundaries are largely modern inventions. We also have an identity as part of a greater Valley community.

I share all of this because when we set

About the Opinion Page The Current wants to hear what’s on your mind. Interact with the opinion page with a le er to the editor (350 words or fewer), guest column (700 words or fewer; please send a mug) or via Facebook or Twi er: editor@valleycurrent.com facebook.com/valleycurrent @valleycurrent As with all content, opinion page submissions may be edited for space, style or clarity. This is a community newspaper, so be relevant to the Valley for the best chance at publica on.

“In all debates, let truth be thy aim, not victory or an unjust interest. And endeavor to gain, rather than to expose, thy antagonist.”

— William Penn

By Josh Johnson

Current staff column

out to start a monthly publication for this greater community, we wanted it to reflect this whole-Valley sentiment. Our 3 up, 3 down feature reflects this. Its at-a-glance nature allows residents to quickly connect with what is happening in the neighborhood down the street.

Dishman and Millwood have historically had an interconnection and a mutual interest in one another. This feature is an example of one quick and easy way to stay connected with these neighbors.

I was particularly excited when Casey Lynch agreed to do the accompanying artwork. For one thing, Casey is a lifetime Valley resident whose family I’ve known about as long as I can remember.

For another, he’s a busy guy. Thanks again, Casey, for making time for our project. I knew your roots would serve you well in capturing an artistic impression of our home community. (Check him out at caseylynch.net.)

Thanks also to Jayne Singleton with the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum.

I’m excited that you chose to help spotlight the roots of some of these interconnected communities through a Valley of the Sun series that debuts in this issue. I can’t wait to read the next article.

Thanks also to Eldonna Shaw, president and CEO of the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, who is not only an incredible support but is also lending her business expertise to a column in The Current.

I would be remiss to not mention the generous support of our business partners, who invest in our publications and make them possible. Readers who wish to support this publication can subscribe for sure, but thanking these advertisers with your patronage is our first request.

Finally, to the staff at Peridot Publishing. You are simply the best: Talented, easygoing and extremely fun to be around. How did I get so lucky?

Please let any of us know if you have suggestions or story ideas that can help make The Current a newspaper that connects you to our shared Valley community. Thanks for reading!

Josh Johnson is editor and publisher of The Current. Write to him at josh@ valleycurrent.com.

Q&A with a cynic A mock conversation debating why anyone would ever want to read this publication, anyway Q: The Current? Sounds like a celebrity gossip show. What’s in the name?

A: First and foremost, the idea behind this publication is to keep Valley residents connected and up-to-speed on a monthly basis. We don’t mean “current” as in breaking television newscasts about the latest snow storm or an isolated property crime.

Rather, we intend to keep readers “current” on broader topics and trends that are significant and unique to life in the Valley. Other benefits of the name: We serve a community bisected by a striking river.

That, and we put out a weekly newspaper in Liberty Lake called The Splash so, you know, it kind of goes with the theme.

Q: Who will want to read this rag, anyway?

A: Well, you, so far. Really, though, anyone who lives in and/or loves on the Valley, and by that we mean the greater community historically referred to as Spokane’s Valley, not just its incorporated middle.

With each issue, we plan to have everything from in-depth journalism to The Wave kids spread (see pages 14-15). And, of course, the publication is made possible by providing a local platform to connect Valley consumers with local businesses.

Q: Good luck getting anyone to read it in this day and age. How are you going to stand out from the million real estate fly-

ers and websites and newsletters fighting for our attention.

A: Not only are we be fanning 8,000 copies out at locations from Newman Lake to Rockford and from stateline to Havana ... not only are we available by subscription ... but we will have something even more important: Award-winning community journalism about the Valley and about the Valley only. The same team producing The Current has consistently been honored among statewide community newspapers for its brand of visual storytelling and eyecatching ads. Summary: We plan to stand out by being highly accessible, unapologetically local and committed to excellence.

Q: Yeah, but aren’t you just an invading evil empire looking to pillage the Valley to feed your egregious and nomadic lifestyle?

A: Actually, we plan to just keep being ourselves: the only newspaper company owned and operated out of the greater Valley. The Peridot Publishing office is in Liberty Lake, and all but one member of the staff lives in a Valley community (but we’re working on her). In short, we care a whole lot about the Valley — just like you do.

Q: OK, OK, but as a stereotypical Valley resident, I’m conservative in my approach and a discretionary consumer.

A: Which is to say you are fiercely loyal to that which you find to be tested and approved. Test out this issue. Interact with it. Send us feedback, story ideas and constructive criticism. Not only are we up to the scrutiny, but we believe that’s the way we become the publication we want to be.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Write to us at editor@valleycurrent.com.

The Current

february 2012 • 25

opinion

Levy support plays vital role in our local economy

By Shelly O’Quinn Current Guest column

During the Great Recession, it has become commonplace to discuss whether our community or our country is in decline. We hear regularly about our loss of competitiveness and the loss of good manufacturing jobs to other states or other countries. Often, it is assumed this is a problem of state or national leadership, and there is little that we can do to directly affect the situation ourselves. This assumption is wrong. Our ability to vote directly on education

levies plays a more important role in our economic well-being than many realize.

To those who are not working in the effort to bring jobs to our region, it may be a surprise how crucial the local education system is to an organization’s willingness to commit to our community. Whether we are working to recruit Caterpillar or a new dean for the medical school, inevitably, the question is asked: “How are your public schools?” The question goes beyond wanting to know if there is an educated and skilled workforce available to hire. It is about our culture and what we value as a community. They want to know what kind of school their children will attend and if they will receive a quality,

well-rounded education. It is a fact that each levy placed on the ballot is a demonstration of a community’s interest and commitment in its own education system. This is a decision that we the people make directly.

As school districts have seen state funding dry up in the past several years, our local levies have become increasingly important for core services and account for approximately 25 percent of each district’s budget.

Local levies are used for items such as routine maintenance, all-day kindergarten, technology staff and equipment, transportation, sports, arts, music and more —programs vital for a good, well-rounded education.

Our schools are not perfect. It

will continue to be the case that poor decisions made somewhere in our schools can be found and used to tar the whole system.

We need improvements and we need reform, but those who peddle the notion that denying our schools resources will make them stronger are mistaken. To eliminate levy dollars will have devastating consequences for our schools and is not thoughtful and strategic reform.

The students in today’s education system are our future leaders, business owners and policy makers. They will comprise our workforce and help define our economy. Our economic and social well-being will increasingly be defined by the skills and knowledge of our citizens.

Investing in high-quality educa-

tion for our children will enable our region to achieve economic success in a knowledge-based economy by increasing our competitiveness, productivity and the economic health of our community.

Good public schools are important to maintain a vibrant community. Please join me in voting “yes” by Feb. 14 to ensure that the children in our community receive a quality, wellrounded education and to keep the Spokane region a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Shelly O'Quinn is director of workforce and education for Greater Spokane Inc. She grew up in Spokane Valley and graduated from Central Valley High School.

Honesty provides infrastructure to our mutually dependant society

By Ken Briggs

Current Guest column

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”

— Thomas Jefferson It is most appropriate that the PACE February character trait is honesty, as our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, was born on Feb. 12, 1809. Much has been written of Lincoln, his presidency and the way he lived his life.

He has been called “Honest Abe” for generations, based on countless stories like this: One morning at the store where he was working, the young Lincoln discovered on the scales a weight that he had used to weigh out a package of tea for a woman the previous evening. He saw that he had given her too little for her money. He then weighed out what was due, and delivered it to her, much to the surprise of the woman, who had not known that she had been shorted in the amount of her purchase.

Clearly, this was a small matter with respect to the woman and

her tea, but it was an important matter to Lincoln. The lesson here is that honesty, telling the truth, is not simply the right way to relate information, opinions or views to others; it is also the right way to make our decisions and choose our actions. This internal honesty is often called integrity, the June PACE character trait.

To quote Spencer Johnson: “Integrity is telling myself the truth.

And honesty is telling the truth to other people.”

Here at Spokane Valley Partners, honesty is critical in our work, for without honesty there cannot be trust. Our donors, partner organizations and service recipients place great trust in our honesty and integrity. SVP serves as the agent for the distribution of thousands of dollars of energy assistance for our local utility companies. We distribute more than 25,000 pounds of donated food each week as well as clothing, personal care items and other household goods. We also serve as the representative for many individuals and families through our payee services with DSHS and Social Security. These donors and organizations trust us to be honest, to use their resources as we promised we would and to be good stewards of financial donations. Our service recipients trust us to be fair and respectful in the way we provide our services, and honesty is at the core of

our interactions with them. The organizations here at the SVP campus are mutually dependent on each other’s reputation for honesty, fairness and integrity.

Brigham Young once said, “Honest hearts produce honest actions.” These are wise words for us to remember in our associations with each other. Honesty comes from within each of us; it cannot be legislated, controlled or influenced. Honesty cannot be measured on a “gray scale”;

it either is or is not. Socrates illustrated this well when he said, “The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.”

When I was asked to write this article on honesty, I had no idea where to begin. The quotes I’ve chosen have helped me frame my thoughts, and I hope they are useful to all reading this. Those who know me have been continually subjected to my sense of humor, so to close this discussion

of honesty, here’s one last quote, from Arthur C. Clarke: “The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale.”

Ken Briggs is CEO of Spokane Valley Partners. He wrote this column as part of a special monthly series highlighting the PACE (Partners Advancing Character Education) character trait of the month.

Haley Ray drew this picture to illustrate honesty.

She said, “If there was no such thing as honesty, everybody would be taking stuff and lying.”

To read more on what Valley kids had to say about honesty, see page 27.

Submitted illustration

The Current

26 • february 2012

Volume 1, Issue 1 Editor/publisher

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About The Current 2310 N. Molter Road, Suite 305 Liberty Lake, WA 99019 Phone: 242-7752; Fax: 927-2190 www.libertylakesplash.com The Current is published monthly. It is distributed by or before the first of each month to more than 150 drop-off locations in Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Millwood, Rockford, Otis Orchards, Newman Lake — just about anywhere that has historically been referred to as part of Spokane’s Valley.

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To be safe rather than sorry, consider the 15th of each month the cutoff point to be considered for inclusion in the following month’s Current.

Subscriptions Subscriptions for U.S. postal addresses cost $12 for 12 issues, or $24 for 12 issues to addresses outside of Spokane or Kootenai counties. Send a check and subscription address to P.O. Box 363, Liberty Lake, WA 99019 or call 242-7752 for more information.

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The Current

The truth about honesty

february 2012 • 27

community/news

Students from Chester Elementary weigh in on the PACE trait of the month From staff reports

If you live, work or attend school in one of the districts in the Valley, you may have

heard teachers or co-workers talk about Partners Advancing Character Education (PACE). The aim of this program is to help both students and adults understand the importance of building good character qualities.

February’s trait is honesty, which is defined as “sincerity and reverence or love for the truth.” Thank you to Toni Skeman’s “My sister and I got chocolate coins for Christmas. I lost mine, and I took one of my sister’s. I gave it back and said, ‘I’m sorry.’”

- Austin Alteneder “Honesty means telling the truth, even when you don’t want to.”

- Jesse Ayers “Honesty means telling the truth. If you do something wrong, you should admit that you did it.”

- Olivia Beyrouti “If you are honest, it will help you stay out of trouble. It feels good to be honest.”

- Eve Chapman

Submitted illustration

Olivia Tolley shared this drawing about honesty. She said, “Honesty is like taking a cookie out of the cookie jar, but then saying that you did it.”

BAXTER Continued from page 2

A: I’ve been on different talk shows sharing my opinion on 8009. That one supports an internet tax. Basically, it’s a letter to President Obama requesting him to sign federal legislation in place so that the internet can be taxed. So what this would do is create a minimum of eight big bureaucracies under the federal bill to increase the federal debt load greater. It would create a sizable tax. … It’s going to hurt business. I’m not for taxes; I’m not for creating new agencies.

Q: What was your takeaway from criss-crossing the Fourth District on the campaign trail last year?

A. One of the things I took away was the appreciation of people. People have different needs, different circumstances in life. My heart is softened toward people in general. I remember times walking away from homes with almost tear balls in my eyes. People would tell me about losing a job or losing a son … I’m glad I’m done campaigning; it was exhausting.

Q: How did you recover from the rigors of the campaign?

A: I took three or four days off, went up

to North Idaho, and then from there it’s just a matter of trying to work half days as much as possible, sleep in, go work out, get started a little later. I feel good, I feel strong. I’m fully recovered.

Q: What’s the future look like for Jeff Baxter?

A: I just want to work with the House and with the Senate on different bills, being a sounding board on some issues for the senators I have a relationship with.

One of my strongest suits is I really read and studied the bills.

Q: It sounds like you are still quite engaged in the political process. Are you still interested in public office?

A: Yeah, if the opportunity presents itself, yes. I’m leaving my options open, as any good politician would say.

Q: So you paid for a partial recount.

What was the reasoning behind that?

At the time, there were those who alleged some political maneuvering was involved.

A: (Laughing) You’ve been reading the newspapers too much there. There’s no political maneuvering whatsoever.

I simply did a recount because most of the precincts we did it in, they were selected precincts we felt really strongly we related well with the people. These par-

“One time when my cousin and I were sneaking candy, I said, ‘That’s wrong.’ Then we told my grandma and she was happy that we told her.”

- Jessica Froehle

ticular precincts we felt very strong in.

In the precincts we audited, I thought we could do better in the precincts we won and the ones we lost. And I wanted to get a sense of where our marketing strategy was off — where we didn’t quite make it.

We raised over $100,000 in five months.

We were on seven radio stations and knocked on 30,000 doors. We were doing something right. The response was good.

So that was the purpose of the recount.

We did a lot of things. Where did we miss the mark?

Q: So where did you miss the mark?

A: What we came up with is Sen. McCaslin was really well known, well respected, and before he passed away, he endorsed Mike Padden. And we underplayed the importance of that. And here I came out of the blue, even though I had some phenomenal endorsements. I had the endorsements, but again, people don’t look at the endorsements, but who endorsed, sometimes.

Q: Have you spoken with Sen. Padden in the past couple months?

A: I haven’t talked to him for over a month. We did sit down one time — “What are you working on? What should I be aware of?”

Q: So what did I forget to ask about?

third grade class at Chester Elementary for sharing some of their thoughts on honesty with The Current below.

The Current hopes to feature work by a variety of people interacting with PACE character traits during the coming months.

If you would like to learn more about PACE, visit pacecommunity.org.

“I sneaked out with some swiss rolls.

I gave it back and said, ‘I’m sorry,’ to my mom.”

- Taylor Gropp “I am a Cub Scout. When we go somewhere and we get in trouble, we don’t lie.

We tell our parents that we did it.”

- Spencer Jackson “Once I found a headband in the class, and I found the person it belonged to. It felt pretty good.”

- Kyler Knutson “Honesty is buying something at the store and getting too much money for change, so you give it back.”

- Clara Orndorff “I was playing football. Someone said that I wasn’t out of bounds, but I was honest and said that I was out of bounds.”

- Austin Simpson

Any other passions to share?

A: I’m passionate about getting our state’s spending under control and in the right direction, and creating less of a debt for our state, because there are some states that are debt free, and we’re not one of them. We need to live within our means, just like you and me and our family budget, the state needs to be doing that — living within the scope of our Washington state Constitution.

Q: Sounds like you are doing your part to stay engaged.

A: Whether I’m a sitting senator or not, I was out there before and I’m going to continue to be out there. It’s not just going back there and voting the right way.

That’s where a lot of public servants miss the mark. They go back there, and then they go home and do nothing. … I guess you can call me a working, non-sitting senator. Just because I don’t get to vote, doesn’t mean I’m not active.

I liken it as a title for every one of us.

Let your voice be known. This country is only run by a few percentage of the people. We need people to get off their rusty dusty, so to speak, and wire a letter, call a senator, take a trip to Olympia — let your voice be heard.

The Current

28 • february 2012

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