In brief: Breakfast will aid Chase program
The Chase Youth Commission will present its Breakfast of Champions Friday from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the Doubletree Hotel, 322 N. Spokane Falls Court.
The funds raised through this breakfast will benefit the Chase Youth Awards, BOBfest, the Spokane’s Promise Initiative and the Chase Youth Enrichment Fund, which provides scholarships for after-school and summer activities for students who receive reduced or free lunches.
The cost of the breakfast is $25.
For more information or to register, call 625-6440 or visit www.chaseyouth.org.
– Lisa Leinberger
Nevada-Lidgerwood
Spaghetti feed to aid Chris Skirko
A Spaghetti Feed and Music benefit for the Chris Skirko family to help pay bills for his multiple brain surgeries is 6 p.m. Saturday at the Moose Lodge, 6363 N. Lidgerwood St. Music is by Phat Chantz. Cost is $10.
Colin Green and co-workers at Peninsula Truck Lines have organized the benefit through the sponsorship of Peninsula Truck Lines and West Coast Truck Lines. Skirko, a West Valley graduate, is recovering from his third brain surgery in April.
– From staff reports
Peaceful Valley
Suit filed over plan for condos
Residents of Peaceful Valley on Monday filed a lawsuit appealing a recent City Council decision to allow a 17-story condominium project fronting on Riverside Avenue. It is being sought for the steep hillside above the southern edge of the valley.
Neighbors for Accountable Government in Spokane and residents George and Judith Orr, Lori Aluna, Patricia Norton and Mathew Phillipy are the petitioners. Defendants are developers Michael and Shelly McDowell, two limited liability corporations, architect Steven Meek and the city.
The City Council unanimously approved the project on April 9 after being sued by the developer over the council’s 2006 decision upholding a city hearing examiner ruling, which had rejected the project because it did not conform with the more recent 35-foot height restrictions imposed by the City Council in the area.
As part of the council action on April 9, the council approved a settlement agreement with the McDowells, allowing them to build their Riverview on Riverside project.
The lawsuit seeks to invalidate that agreement.
– Mike Prager
Downtown
Royalty Luncheon will be May 18
The Spokane Lilac Festival Association will hold its annual Royalty Luncheon May 18 at 11:30 a.m. in the Marie Antoinette Room of the Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St.
This year’s luncheon will feature community royalty from around the region and the Lilac Queen, Wylie Patton and her court.
Tickets are $30 each and should be purchased by May 10.
The association will also offer its annual President’s Dinner at 6:30 p.m. May 18 in the Grand Pennington Ballroom of the Davenport.
Tickets are $60 a person and must be purchased by May 10.
The Lilac Festival Association will also honor Military Persons of the Year May 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. during its annual All-City Civic Military Luncheon, also at the Davenport.
The honored guests were selected by the Regional Chamber of Commerce and will be featured in the Torchlight Parade May 19.
Tickets are $28 each.
For more information about any of these events or to buy tickets, call the Lilac office at 535-4554.
– Lisa Leinberger
West Central
Breakfast to honor law officers
The Spokane Sheriff’s Office chaplains will offer their 10th annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Breakfast May 18 at Faith Bible Church, 600 W. Cora Ave.
Individuals and businesses are being asked to sponsor a table at the breakfast for $150. The funds will be used to provide breakfast and gifts for eight officers.
The agencies honored at the breakfast include Spokane County and Valley deputies, the Spokane City Police, Washington State Patrol, Idaho State Police, Corrections officers, Spokane Airport Police, the Secret Service, the FBI, Tribal Police and other law enforcement agencies.
The $150 fee is tax-deductible and must be received by the chaplaincy by Tuesday.
For more information, call Chaplain John Thompson at 477-6625 or e-mail jdthompson@ spokanesheriff.org.
– Lisa Leinberger
Country Homes
Red Cross to offer water safety classes
The American Red Cross will present its aquatics safety workshop May 11 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. and May 12 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Lifeguards, lifeguard instructors, and water safety instructors are invited to attend this workshop to learn updates and revisions for CPR/Automated External Defibrillators and first aid as well as changes to lifeguarding pre-requisites and pool chemistry.
The Friday workshop will be held at the Red Cross Training Center, and the $25 fee includes a text and a pocket mask.
The Saturday workshop will be held at the Whitworth College Aquatics Center and the $45 fee includes a lifeguard textbook and a sack lunch.
Those attending both classes can do so at a discounted rate of $55. For more information, call the American Red Cross, 326-3330.
– Lisa Leinberger
Spokane County
Clothing bank seeks volunteers
Our Sister’s Closet clothing bank at the YWCA is looking for volunteers.
The clothing bank helps women looking for clothes to wear during interviews as well as work clothes.
Volunteers would be expected to sort donations, make appointments, answer the phones and help clients find the clothing they need.
For more information, call Julie Ernest at 326-1190 ext. 150.
– Lisa Leinberger
Spokane
Panel names trees of the year
The Spokane Urban Forest Council has named three trees of the year for 2007 as a way to encourage residents to plant trees that increase the diversity of the urban forest.
They are the Amur maackia for small-sized category. It grows to 20 feet or more. The medium-sized tree is the American yellowwood at 30 feet or more; and the Japanese zelkova was chosen as the large tree with a potential of 60 to 70 feet.
Carrie Anderson of the council said property owners should select a tree that is sized to its confines. Also, planting different trees increases diversity in the forest, reducing the risk of large-scale losses if a new disease or insect breaks out.
– Mike Prager