In brief: Vases stolen from veterans’ memorial

Nine bronze vases were reported stolen Tuesday from a veterans’ memorial wall at a Coeur d’Alene cemetery.

“This is dark and evil,” said Ginger Brandenburg, office manager for Coeur d’Alene Memorial Gardens, 7315 N. Government Way.

“This is something that’s going to come back at somebody. I’m sure of it.”

The vases are attached to nameplates on a wall that contains cremated remains. The vases are intended as a place to put flowers to honor the deceased.

The vases have a total value of about $2,200, according to a Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department report.

Brandenburg said local recyclers have been notified in case the thief tries to sell the vases as scrap metal.

The vases were noticed missing during an afternoon maintenance check, the sheriff’s report said. Groundskeeper Rickie Powe told the Sheriff’s Department that he did not know when the vases were taken but believed it was within the past two weeks.

Alison Boggs

Court won’t hear restaurant appeal

The Washington Supreme Court refused this week to hear an appeal of a decision overturning a zone change for a now-defunct Colbert restaurant.

Neighbors objected in 2006 when Shawn and Theresa Gabel opened McGlade’s Bistro and WineBar in a much- remodeled structure that started out as a fruit stand at the corner of Yale and Day-Mount Spokane roads.

County planners agreed that the site’s “urban reserve” zoning didn’t allow restaurants.

However, the county paid $750,000 to settle the Gabels’ complaint that a series of building-permit approvals constituted permission for their business.

County Commissioners Todd Mielke and Mark Richard voted in December 2007 to rezone the 4.2-acre site to allow the restaurant, but the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board said the action violated the state Growth Management Act.

Spokane County Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque overturned the growth board, and the state Court of Appeals overturned Leveque’s decision.

The county and the Gabels’ corporation, McGlade’s LLC, asked the Supreme Court to review the Court of Appeals ruling.

John Craig