Jonathan Martin

A preservation group has helped derail plans for dense building in the lush Little Spokane River valley. The county hearing examiner denied developer Jim Markley's request to change zoning on a wooded hillside from 3.5 units per acre to the densest commercial category in the county code.

Gene and Theresa McKay show off some of their vintage cars lined up outside their North Side home. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

1. Bill Jones, right, picks up his daughter, Rachel, 2, from a home daycare run by Shannon Selland, left, at 425 E. St. Thomas More. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review 2. Shannon Selland and Conner Keller, top right, say goodby to a client at Selland's day care on St. Thomas More. Seated is Ryan Selland. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Spokane fire investigators are searching for juveniles suspected of starting a series of brush fires last month near Rifle Club Road. Only the Centennial Trail stopped a fire from threatening homes, investigators say, recalling memories of the destructive Riverside State Park fire of two years ago.

Keith Proctor Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

They were promised a thorough review by "a team of independent and objective individuals." They got a couple of meetings over coffee. Spokane School District 81 has closed the book on a four-year feud at Madison Elementary without a promised outside investigation. "What they are saying is they have investigated themselves and cleared themselves," said Nancy McLaughlin, one of more than 35 parents who complained to the Spokane School Board about Madison Principal Shari Kirihara's conduct.

The Spokane School District endorsed Madison Elementary Principal Shari Kirihara Friday in a formal review of her performance. The three-week review by district administrators investigated complaints of misconduct filed by a large group of disgruntled Madison parents. The review found "no students were mistreated and no professional misconduct was involved," school administrators said in a written statement. The school district would not provide a copy of the review.

Young and adventurous, they just wanted to see the world. Unfortunately, they got only as far as north Spokane. For the second time in two weeks, a yearling moose wandered through the North Side, casually approaching a convenience store, causing confusion and excitement in civilization.

Thousands of tires are stored in trucks at 4230 E. Central

Wholesale changes in the administration of several North Side schools are putting new faces on several campuses next fall. Kathy Williams was transferred last month from her assistant principal post at Sacajawea Middle School to the top job at Ridgeview Elementary. A 1981 Washington State University graduate, Williams has a background in science. She has served on several school district committees and has been an administrator since 1990.

Elementary school kids in Mead next year will get extra instruction in how to blow a horn, bow a cello and kick a soccer ball. But the Mead School District is continuing a long-standing exclusion of art specialists, raising the hackles of parents who think their children are getting an incomplete education. The decision raises the thorny issue of budgeting priorities. Why, some parents ask, is the school district spending $747,000 for high-tech wiring and not spending a penny on specialized art instruction?

For some Spokane residents, fraud is as much a part of summer as honeydew melon and softball. "It must be the warmer weather, because summer brings this out," said police spokesman Dick Cottam. A pair of North Side women were conned last week by door-to-door salesmen. Both offered bogus services, took payment and disappeared.

Efforts to resolve a 4-year-old feud at Madison Elementary broke down Friday as disgruntled parents walked away from negotiations. A group of about 40 parents demanding the ouster of principal Shari Kirihara says the Spokane School District closed the door on resolution when it decided against transferring the 50-year-old education veteran.

The Spokane School Board praised a neighborhood committee's plan to remodel Lewis and Clark High, but stopped short Wednesday of endorsing a recommended $40.8 million overhaul of the stately landmark. In a 40-page report, the committee said the district should modernize the school, buy three adjacent city blocks for athletic fields and build an underground parking garage.

A local soapbox enthusiast is putting north Spokane on the soapbox circuit. The National Derby Rally will hold a race on the Post Street hill September 7-8. Fifty racers are expected to compete for points on the national soapbox circuit, similar to national stock car competitions. "Kids literally do this yearround," said Marchette Momb, who organized the race. No local racers have signed up yet, but with cash prizes of $300, several are expected to. Racers from as far away as Arizona are confirmed entries.

From the NORTH SIDE VOICE, August 1, 1996, page N5: CORRECTION A photo caption accompanying a story in last week's North Side Voice about development in the Little Spokane River valley was incorrect. The photo showed the site of Haynes Estates, a proposed housing development. 1. This lushly vegetated area across the Little Spokane River in north Spokane would become an apartment complex if a zoning change is granted. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review 2. Residents in north Spokane voice their feelings about a proposed rezoning in their neighborhood. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Native Americans clashed Wednesday with the Spokane School Board for failing to rescue an after-school program that strives to keep kids from dropping out. It was the only major controversy raised during a three-hour hearing over the school district's "status quo" $193 million spending plan. Board members wound up adopting the budget - minus the $200,000 sought by supporters of the Native Life Center.

Cameron Craig beat out 37 other racers in the Spokane stock competition. Now, he and his family are heading to the World Soapbox Derby in Akron, Ohio. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Looking into a better career. "I feel like a different person," says Elizabeth Daniels, 19, headed for WSU after participating in the Seafirst Youth Jobs program. Photo by Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review

Grading at the NorthPointe Center softball complex is almost complete. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

Traffic on Indian Trail Road, one of the busiest two-lane roads in the city, will be slowed for about four months next summer while it is widened. City engineers hope to keep two thin, 10-foot-wide lanes open during the $4 million construction job, which is scheduled to begin in spring 1997. But project engineer Dick Raymond says traffic will be slowed. "We will accommodate traffic, but we aren't saying there won't be delays," he said.

Shrinking budgets are forcing far North Side school districts to rethink old ideas of student busing. After a year of review, a Deer Park School District committee is recommending single-shift busing that would put high school students on the same buses as kindergartners. The school board is expected to act on the recommendation at its July 24 meeting.

A homeowners group is organizing to block several proposed zoning changes that they say would spoil stretches of the Little Spokane River. The group, Friends of the Little Spokane River Valley, hopes to protect the unique North Spokane habitat by exempting it from long-term development plans. But the group also has an immediate goal to stop three developers' requests for rezoning.

Mischievous burglars paid two visits to the Shadle Park Pool this weekend, apparently searching for nothing more than a quick dip and a few laughs. They did not damage the building, pool or equipment during two break-ins Friday and Saturday nights. Pool officials believe the burglars had a key. Pool workers are not suspects, said David Early, director of pools for the Spokane Parks Department.