Utility work closes lanes on Monroe

Monroe Street near its intersection with Sprague Avenue will have lane closures from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Friday. Avista crews will be working on utilities.

Spokane

Splash pad bid lower than expected

A construction bid for five new splash pad water play features was $167,000 under an engineer estimate, and city officials said they anticipate the work on them could be completed by the end of the summer season.

The low bid of $833,000 would be for work on pads at Audubon, Chief Garry, Coeur d’Alene, Friendship and Thornton Murphy parks under designs by the David Evans & Associates office in Spokane. Five additional splash pads are to be built later under a $42.9 million bond issue approved by voters last year.

South Perry

Pedals2People offers free bike tuneups

Pedals2People will be providing free bike tuneups to residents at South Perry on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The tuneups will be held at The Shop, 924 S. Perry St. Children’s bikes will be a priority.

In addition, P2P will accept adult bike donations in repairable condition for summer programs. Children’s bikes are not currently being accepted.

Donated bikes will be given to various programs: the Village Bike Project in Ghana, Africa; commuter bikes, refurbished and sold at reduced or subsidized rates to those who cannot otherwise afford them; fundraisers, such as free neighborhood tuneups and other outreach events.

For information and directions to the P2P garage call 842-6597 or e-mail pedals2people@gmail.com or visit www.pedals2people.org.

Spokane County

Homelessness survey results available

The city of Spokane conducted the 2008 One Day Count on Jan. 24 to verify the number of homeless people in Spokane County.

The results were recently released, totaling 1,765 people. The number included 1,370 people living on the streets, in emergency shelters or in transitional housing, and another 395 staying with family and friends because they didn’t have homes of their own.

The study showed that 48 percent (662) were adult men, 34 percent (470) were adult women and 16 percent (224) were children. The number is 14 percent lower than in 2006, but the discrepancy is likely due to under-reporting rather than a significant reduction in homelessness.

The count helps determine steps to reduce homelessness in our community, and the information obtained through the count also is used to apply for Homeless Assistance Grants through the federal Department of Housing & Urban Development .

The city of Spokane and Spokane County adopted the Washington State Homelessness Housing and Assistance Act in 2005, providing an estimated $12 million a year for homelessness assistance. The act requires the count and a 10-year plan to end homelessness with a goal to reduce homelessness by at least 50 percent in 10 years.

For more information call the city of Spokane Human Services Department at (509) 625-6130.