Kevin Blocker

Deer Park City Councilman Doug Box has resigned from his position and withdrawn from the mayor's race in the North Spokane County town. Box said he based his decision on personal and health reasons. "It's not a life-threatening illness I'm facing," Box said on Wednesday. "It concerns the emotional health of my family."

There's nothing wrong with being a "chicken," according to one police officer. Not when chicken stands for: Cool. Honest.

V. Ted Hutchinson stood before 100 kindergartners sitting in rows on the gym floor at Deer Park Elementary and asked them to lean back on the person behind them. "Is that fun?" Hutchinson asked. "Yeah," the students screamed.

Jim Haynes shows Brent Perdue's second graders from Shiloh Hills Elementary, the recyclables he found in the school Dumpster. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Lakeside High School senior Sean Wheeler has been selected to attend The National Young Leaders Conference from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2 in Washington, D.C. The conference is a leadership development program for high school students who have demonstrated leadership potential and scholastic merit. Wheeler will be among 350 students attending the conference.

Americore workers, Jerry Kincaid, left, and Nick Crammer, work to finish the overdue COPS shop at Neveda-Lidgerwood. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Remember what school was like years ago? Walking to school everyday. Uphill. Both ways. Eating the same gruel the school served for lunch, day after day.

Karen and Don Bryant, who have children in third, sixth and eighth grades at Garry Middle School, go over the state's new assessment test for sixth and seventh graders. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

A project that collects gently used and new coats for needy families began the collection phase of its annual campaign last week. Coats 4 Kids is hoping to help hundreds of children in Spokane who can use a coat another child has outgrown, said Alice Ehrmantrout, a member of the campaign planning committee for Coats 4 Kids. Used coats in good condition can be dropped off at any Westco Martinizing dry cleaning store. The coats will be cleaned prior to distribution. The nearest Westco Martinizing store to the Hillyard area is at 7704 N. Division. Distribution of the coats will begin Oct. 20 at the Northeast Community Center for residents living in the 99207 zip code and outlying areas. Identification will be required, and parents are encouraged to bring their children with them to make their own selection. Coat distribution is being coordinated by the Hillyard Senior Center. Coats 4 Kids is hoping to collect 10,000 coats in the next 12 months.

Brian Lemons, a 29-year-old paraplegic, uses a model spine to describe his injuries suffered in an automobile accident to students at Brentwood Elementary School. Lemons talked about making positive life choices. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Although it's hard to think about, October is a good time to prepare your home for winter. The Spokane Neighborhood Action Program has several suggestions for winterizing homes. Janet Anderson of SNAP said a few simple procedures can help families be more comfortable during the winter months and save money. A well-maintained furnace burns fuel efficiently and costs less, Anderson said.

The thumping bass sounds of the latest rap jams and the small group of jive-time wanna-be gangsters that used to hang out at Swackhammer's nightclub are long gone. They've been replaced by pool tables. At least one neighbor said he's glad the dance club is a memory.

An Idaho infant is clinging to her life at a Spokane hospital, an apparent victim of repeated child abuse, police said. Doctors do not expect the girl to recover from her injuries, police spokesman Dick Cottam said. Spokane police arrested David Craig Pettit on a charge of first-degree assault. His 3-1/2-month-old daughter remained on a life-support system late Saturday.

Neatly dressed men took off their shoes and spread out on church floors throughout Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, asking God for forgiveness and strength to be better men. "This has been great," said Dave Smith, a member of Manito Presbyterian on Spokane's South Hill. "We're a small group in humble surroundings, but this is huge. The spirit is here today."

Gov. Gary Locke didn't press any panic buttons when the results of statewide fourth-grade assessment tests were released last month. "Our students are no less brighter, we've just raised the standards," Locke said. Locke made his comments to a group of education officials from Whitworth College at the Spokane Ag Trade Center on Sept. 17.

Whitworth graduate Michelle Sanders, left, reads with Taryn Gibson, 6, this year's very first "Homework Helpers" visitor. Taryn's mother, Tina (right), accompanied her. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Tarzan stayed home, but Lizzy got away. Desiree Cassano made the mistake of leaving her back door ajar last Thursday. When her dog, Tarzan, pushed it wide open, Cassano's pet iguana Lizzy made his great escape. It took the Spokane Fire Department and Curtis Rew, Cassano's husband, more than an hour to bring Lizzy down from a 65-foot fir tree.

Mead High School senior Kelley Mattingly prepared for the elements. Donned in a thick sweatshirt and hood, she and her twin sister, Theresa, shuffled off to class last week. While the temperature outside crept into the low '80s, Kelley Mattingly shivered in the hallway.

Rogers and Ferris High School students will soon be flying planes and toying with artificial intelligence, thanks to new computers that will be installed this year. At its Sept. 24 meeting, the district school board approved curriculum for technology labs that will give students hands-on experience in a variety of job fields. Money for the two $125,000 labs was earmarked in last year's budget, but final curriculum approval was necessary before the labs could be installed.

October is a good time to prepare your home for winter. The Spokane Neighborhood Action Program has a number of suggestions for winterizing homes. Janet Anderson of SNAP said a few simple procedures can help families be more comfortable during the winter and save money.

Riverside School District officials are reviewing concerns raised by some parents about the district's new bus system. During a school board meeting last week at Riverside High School, parents said they were frustrated by overcrowding, older students riding buses with younger ones, and early morning pickups. Their sentiments stood in stark contrast to the praise most administrators heaped on the new system. Assistant Superintendent Terry Weinmann said changes have already been made to alleviate overcrowding on some routes.

The evenings at NorthTown Child Care Center slow down, leaving chairs empty and time for a leisurely feeding. Teacher Shawna Lundy feeds J'Zon, 1, while Willie, 2, vies for a little of her attention. Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review

The Spokane County Public Works Department is hearing comment from citizens regarding a proposed zoning change by Wal-Mart officials who want to build a store just north of Spokane. The department began listening to comments from the public on Sept. 17. Comments will be heard until Oct. 1, according to John Pederson, a senior planner with the county's division of building and planning. Wal-Mart has applied to change the zoning for a 40-acre parcel from urban residential (allowing 3.5 houses per acre) to regional business.

FROM FOR THE RECORD (September 26, 1997): Correction Caption wrong: A 5-year-old boy was incorrectly identified in a photo caption in the Sept. 25 edition of the North Side Voice. His name is Jacob Ziegler. Julie Ziegler kisses Jason, 5, goodbye after driving him to Indian Trail Elementary instead of putting him on the bus. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review