Kevin Blocker

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

FROM FOR THE RECORD (Wednesday, October 1, 1997): Correction The Riverside School District is 103 students short of its projected enrollment. A figure in the Sept. 25 North Side Voice was incorrect. Also, Kathy Stroyan is the district's business manager. She was incorrectly identified.

The Spokane County Library District board selected a donated piece of land as the home of Deer Park's new library. The one-acre parcel is adjacent to the Deer Park Hospital and Health Center and is owned by the Dominican Network, which also operates Sacred Heart Medical Center. The site is located seven blocks east of the current library, which has been in the basement of Deer Park's city hall since the early '80s.

A police search for a stolen car ended up resulting in a marijuana bust and arrests for a possible stolen car ring. On Sept. 17, police responded to a complaint from a woman who said she believed her stolen car was at the rear of a home at 3824 E. Broad, said police spokesman Dick Cottam. After contacting the resident of the address, the man gave officers permission to search the house.

1. Ed Hegel tells his pals at The Donut Parade about the steering comming loose during his bicycle ride to the shop. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review 2. He meneuvers in heavy traffic. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Figures show that the Deer Park School District enrolled more than 1,800 students this year, nearly 100 more than predicted. "We're looking at increases at almost every grade level," said Wayne Leonard, Deer Park's business manager. Leonard, who attributes the growth to population increases, said school budgets and other programs are based on enrollment counts. "If the growth were just at the (Deer Park) high school, then I'd say it were something else," he said. "But we're seeing growth all the way across the board. I'd imagine we got more kids from Spokane and Mead."

The idea of baseball fields near Meadow Ridge Elementary faded away like a home run over a center-field fence when the Mead school board voted unanimously against the project. Board members admitted their decision was based on the public's overwhelming opposition to the ballfields. Members also acknowledged they did not adequately notify residents that they were considering allowing Pony League baseball officials to build a field on a 10-acre site next to the school.

FROM FOR THE RECORD (Friday, September 19, 1997): Correction Incorrect scores: Fourth-grade test scores for students in the Nine Mile Falls School District were reported incorrectly in Thursday's edition of the North Side Voice. In reading, 58.9 percent of students met or exceeded the state standard, while in listening, 74.1 percent met or exceeded the state standard.

A man accused of burglarizing a block-long row of garages was taken into police custody after a car chase early Sunday. The chase ended after the driver went airborne in a stolen 1981 Ford Bronco, hit a utility pole and rolled, according to police spokesman Dick Cottam. Police arrested the man, who suffered a broken nose and facial cuts in the accident, Cottam said.

Between 150 and 200 students at Riverside High School are undergoing voluntary drug tests this week. Some members of Riverside's athletic teams and National Honor Society participated in the tests, said Terrie Austin, the Riverside School District director of drug abuse prevention programs. Austin said the program is designed to give recognition to students who are not using drugs.

Michael Hayes recently became director of Single Parent Outreach Connection in the North Central Community Center. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Most of the school board election races in north Spokane County feature just one candidate. Among the Mead, Deer Park, Riverside and Nine Mile Falls school board elections, only two races have two or more candidates.

Imagine it's 20 degrees outside and the kids are asking to go for a swim. Snow and ice are spread over the streets like butter on bread. So you go ahead, bundle them up and take them to the nearest swimming hole. Far-fetched? Maybe for now. But the Spokane Park Board is examining a study that calls for enclosing the Liberty pool in the East Central neighborhood. The study also looks at whether Spokane residents would be willing to pay for a $10 million to $14 million aquatic center which would be six times larger than the Shadle pool.

Deer Park's three mayoral candidates want to bring the city into the 21st century. Doug Box, Kathleen Nuffer and Michael Wolfe say the town can no longer afford to be provincial. The election primary is Sept. 16. The top two vote-getters advance to the November election. "We need forward movement, progress and growth," Box said.

Janelle Parsons and her son Cason, 13, drove from Garfield, Wash., to do some back-to-school shopping at NorthTown Mall. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

The countless dots marking the north Spokane County map look like measles on the face of a child. Scattered along Highway 2 and Highway 395, the green dots signify personal injury, blue represents property damage and the deadly red ones are for fatal accidents. The map illustrates how dangerous driving on those single-lane roads can be. However, state and local officials hope to reduce those dots in the future.

The Mead School District will enter the 1997-98 school year fully staffed even though the student population is slightly less than projected. "We're probably within 100 students of what we anticipated," said Al Swanson, the district's superintendent of finance. The difference between the projected number of students and the actual number is so miniscule that filling full-time positions has not been a problem, Swanson said.

Bob Wood stood in a gleaming hallway at Mt. Spokane-Mead High School with his mouth agape Wednesday night. "This place is huge," said Wood, whose grandson, Brandon, will soon be a freshman at the new $23 million school. "I'll tell you, I was originally against this place. I wanted it to stay a wheat field," Wood said. "But being in here has changed that.

Susie Stuivenga looked woefully out of place as she sat in the middle of Kids Play Center and read her book. The Glover Middle School teacher was surrounded by scores of kids who ran through oversized plastic slides and punched their way through mazes of multi-colored punching bags. It's KidsWeek in the Inland Northwest, and Stuivenga set aside more than her share of good books while her children, Ashley, Katie and Jacob, took part in a week's worth of activities for kids.