Ramon Alvarado Estrada and Frank Quates of Pointwest Landscape in Coeur d’Alene plant Ponderosa pines at the Spokane River access next to the Barker Bridge on May 12. The city of Spokane Valley regraded the site, and the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club provided $3,500 for improvements that included planting native trees, plants and shrubs. SR photo/J. Bart Rayniak

It was a good thing we had a few days of nice weather last week before the rain moved back in. It gave the City of Spokane Valley and the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club just enough time to make improvements to the Spokane River access next to the Barker Bridge. They had been waiting for good weather so soil didn't get washed into the river during the project. The city graded the slope and moved some bollards down closer to the water, while the group of river users planted grass, trees and other native vegetation.

That was just one of the stories in Saturday's Valley Voice that you may have missed. Reporter Lisa Leinberger also listened in on one of the meetings between parents and East Valley school board members about upcoming changes and how to make it easier for students. Lisa also has background information on Joanne Comer, who has been selected as the new principal of Liberty Lake Elementary School.

Meanwhile, the Spokane Valley Fire Department took advantage of the good weather to hold trench rescue training for firefighters. Of course, the training probably would have continued no matter what the weather, but doing it in the rain would have been miserable.

We've got some great stories (and photos) coming your way for Saturday. The Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club teamed up with the City of Spokane Valley this week to make improvements to the river access by the Barker Bridge. Reporter Lisa Leinberger attend one of the East Valley School District special meetings to discuss the closure of Mountain View Middle School and she'll have a report on that. She'll also have information on who was selected to be the new Liberty Lake Elementary School principal. Finally, I'll have a look at some training the Spokane Valley Fire Department did last week on trench rescues. Just stay out of deep holes in the ground and we'll be good.

Construction on the Barker Bridge has been completed for almost a year, but the contractor, Morgen and Oswood of Great Falls, has yet to clean up the storage site owned by the Spokane Valley Fire Department at the corner of Barker and Euclid. SR photo/J. Bart Rayniak.

Before I do the highlights from the most recent Valley Voice on Saturday, I thought it might be helpful to post some quick hits on a few stories published in the Voice while I was driving for endless hours through Montana. (Lots of mountains. And cows.)

April 2: I had an update on changes to the planned Indiana Avenue extension project and details on the construction plans for Greenacres Park. There was also a story on efforts by the Spokane Valley Fire Department to get land they own at Barker and Euclid cleaned up after the Barker Bridge contractor has been using it for storage for years. Reporter Lisa Leinberger had a look at the first ever drama put on by students at Contract Based Education, a West Valley alternative high school.

April 7: In my absence Lisa Leinberger attended the Spokane Valley City Council and wrote about the votes to approve the improved Indiana Avenue extension project and the construction bid for Greenacres Park. The council also voted to add planning commissioner Arne Woodard to their ranks. Lisa also had another story on the East Valley bond (many people have probably already received their ballots).

We'll have plenty of pictures and maps to spice up the Valley Voice on Saturday. The design of the planned extension of Indiana Avenue east to the Flora and Mission intersection has been changed to accommodate neighborhood concerns. There will be a map of the new configuration as well as a story on the changes and how they came about.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department has been a bit frustrated with the Barker Bridge contractor that is still storing heavy equipment and debris on land the department owns at Barker and Euclid. The department agreed to let the contractor use it, but everything was supposed to be cleaned up by now.

Reporter Lisa Leinberger will have a story on the first ever drama performed by students at Contract Based Education, an alternative high school in the West Valley School District.

Over the years Spokane Valley has become more and more urban. Sometimes we forget that there really is a lot of wildlife out there if we just look. Spokesman-Review photographer Jesse Tinsley spotted this beaver swimming in the Spokane River near the Barker Road bridge yestersday. Has anyone seen any signs of beaver activity in that area?

The Barker Road Bridge the day it opened back up to traffic in June 2010 after being closed for two years. SR photo/Bart Rayniak.

Outdoors writer Rich Landers has a story today about problems with river access after the construction of the Barker Bridge. Kayakers and fishermen could access the river there before the bridge was built and the City of Spokane Valley changed the design of the bridge to maintain the access. But now river users say the access point is worse than it was before and there are now new problems with erosion at the site. Read the story to find the response of city officials.

Rich also has a blog post with before and after photos of the launch area.