Grants recommended for seven agencies
Spokane’s Human Services Advisory Board is recommending supplemental city grants for seven agencies earlier denied funding.
The agencies operate a dozen programs serving mostly low-income residents, including youth and seniors. They lost out on an earlier round of funding in part because of budget cuts at City Hall, and because applications were not filled out properly.
On Monday, the City Council is expected to consider the $223,000 in funding recommendations, which would be budgeted from a relatively small pool of leftover cash from 2005.
Agencies in line for grants include the Community Health Association of Spokane, YWCA, Shalom Ministries, the East Central Community Center’s board, Spokane Guilds’ School and nursing programs that operate the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile.
– Mike Prager
Fire at park stables arson or carelessness
Arson or carelessness led to the blaze that destroyed 31 of 47 stalls at Valley Mission Park, officials said Friday.
No electricity or utility services are connected to the stalls, said Kevin Miller, fire marshal for the Spokane Valley Fire Department. Accidental causes have also been ruled out.
“With the breeze blowing last night, at times up to 25 mph, the cause could have been a carelessly discarded cigarette,” Miller said. “The area is also prone to a lot of teen activity.”
The building where the blaze started contained 3 tons of straw, Miller said.
Spokane Valley holds insurance on the structures, although it is uncertain whether they will be rebuilt, said Spokane Valley spokeswoman Carolbelle Branch. “We don’t know what our plan will be.”
The city is in the process of approving a long-range parks plan, and the City Council will have to decide whether the plan will include replacement stables.
– Jody Lawrence-Turner
Olympia
Repeal of parking fee for parks gets new life
Relenting to complaints from fellow Democrats, a Senate committee chairman on Friday revived a free-parking plan for state parks.
The bill would repeal a $5 day use parking fee that critics blame for driving millions of visitors away from the state’s 120 public parks.
Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, had stalled the bill Thursday in a meeting of his Natural Resources, Ocean and Recreation Committee, saying he felt the parking fee has helped offset state costs and lowered vandalism at parks.
He changed course Friday after other Senate Democrats said they wanted a chance to vote on the measure.
“Everybody swore on a stack of Bibles that they’re going to find the funding. I’ll be surprised if it’s consistent for the long term,” Jacobsen said.
Scrapping the parking fee will leave a budget hole of about $3 million this year.
– Associated Press