Pia Hallenberg

Pia Hallenberg reports on neighborhood news in North and South Spokane for The Voice section of the paper.

Contact Pia

Email: piah@spokesman.com
Phone: 509-459-5427
Fax: 509-459-5482

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Recent stories by Pia

East Sprague gets benefactor

March 5, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page V6 There’s something about East Sprague. It’s just a bit outside of downtown, but not quite suburban. It is home to some thriving homegrown businesses such as Northwest Seed and Pet. …
COPS West holding fundraiser Saturday

March 5, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N3 Diners who stop by the Maxwell House for spaghetti on Saturday will get treated to more than just the secret recipe spaghetti sauce. COPS West is having a fundraiser at …
Veteran lunch lady retires apron

February 26, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 It’s not really surprising that Cheryl Steward went to clown school, mostly because her personality is just that bubbly and bright, but also because she makes people smile. On Friday, …
Government funds, donations help fund program for seniors

February 19, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 Jeanne Koerner is a regular for lunch at East Central Community Center. She retired years ago and lives in a basement apartment in Browne’s Addition with two of her grandkids. …
For sweepstakes winner, free truck fits just fine

February 19, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N12 When Michael Lewis tried on a pair of boots at the Big R on Newport Highway last year, he wasn’t really thinking about getting a new truck. That changed when …
Presentation Tuesday on Little League plans

February 19, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 Glenrose residents, Little League baseball members and anyone else who’s interested can take another look Tuesday at the proposed Morning Star Sports Complex, which Spokane South Little League would like …
Deer Park band, drill instructor remembered by many

February 19, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 Mention Ken Fisher around Deer Park High School graduates from the ’70s and ’80s and you can be absolutely certain they remember who he was. He took the Marching Stags …
3 Northeast neighborhoods form coalition for planning

February 19, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N4 There’s a new planning coalition in Northeast Spokane: Bemiss, Hillyard and Whitman neighborhoods are joining forces to plan ahead for the next 30 years. The neighborhoods have created the Greater …
Owners hope to open tavern on Perry Street by St. Patrick’s Day

February 12, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S4 The Lantern – a bar that’s going in on South Perry Street in the location where first The Scoop and then the Pop Shoppe used to be – is moving … 2
Shaw Middle School’s principal grew up in neighborhood

February 12, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 Growing up on the other side of the tracks in Hillyard, Christine Lynch was the 10th of 11 children. Like everyone else she went to Shaw Middle School and then …
Work progressing on Rosauers at Five Mile

February 12, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S10 When the roof collapsed on Rosauers’ Five Mile location under a heavy load of snow, nobody was seriously hurt. The store was so damaged it had to close, but rather …
Avista rate hikes draw protesters

February 8, 2009 in City on Page B1 The last protest Alan Blum was part of was when President Richard Nixon visited Spokane for the opening of Expo ’74. Saturday, he was sufficiently riled up to join more … 3
Hospice of North Idaho buys acreage for new facility

February 8, 2009 in City on Page B1 At Hospice of North Idaho’s annual wine tasting Saturday night, the nonprofit group announced it has purchased six acres of land on which to build Idaho’s first residential hospice facility. …
Glenrose discusses sports complex

February 5, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S1 They didn’t even get three strikes before they were out. At a special Glenrose Community Association meeting Jan.28, Brian Gosline and Bret Bonham, who are both with Spokane Southside Little …
Newbie skaters hit the ice

February 5, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 Take Disney’s “Bambi on Ice.” Put Bambi in a snowsuit, give Thumper longer legs and more grace, and you get a good idea of what it’s like watching instructors tutor …
Pool work begins at Shadle Park

February 5, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page S4 The Spokane Parks and Recreation Department took another big step toward finishing the renovation and construction of the city’s six pools, when 375 cubic yards of concrete were poured at …
Spirit games gain dose of charity

January 29, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 When teams from Shadle Park and North Central high schools clash in the Groovy Shoes spirit basketball games Tuesday, it won’t just be about scoring hoops – the game is …
Mount McKinley will make it 50

January 29, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 When Dan Coslic was 8 he discovered the encyclopedia. What most captivated him among alphabetized foreign cities, inventions from near and far, and countries he’d never heard of were maps. …
Instruments up for adoption

January 22, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 The tuba is a little tired. The cello is past its prime, and the French horns are just exhausted. Many of the band instruments at Lewis and Clark High School …
Ducks step out downtown

January 22, 2009 in Washington Voices on Page N1 There have been numerous sightings of orange feet and an increase in waddling downtown this winter. No, we’re not talking about Spokanites trying to walk off the extra holiday pounds. …