Kevin Blocker

Shadle Park High School alum Stephen Ross subscribes to the belief that it's only right to put a few cookies back into the jar you once ate from. Ross, 38, rewarded four members from the Highlanders' class of 1997 with $11,000 in scholarship money for college in the fall. Shadle valedictorian Lindsey Plaster, and Nicole Mauldin, Jeff Meyers and Vanessa Larkin are the first-ever recipients of the Stephen Ross Achievement Scholarship Award. Ross said he plans to donate more scholarship money in the future.

A Spokane teenager was arrested and booked into jail for allegedly attempting burglary. Spokane police arrested the teen for trying to enter a residence on East Rockwell early Saturday morning, said police spokesman Dick Cottam. Police received a call from a resident who said a man was pounding on her door and had ripped the screen from the screen door, Cottam said.

Growth in Northeast Spokane forced the assignment of a new zip code in Hillyard. The zip code, 99217, went into effect on July 1. The neighborhood's old zip code was 99207. "The hope is to expedite the delivery of people's mail," said Don Payton, manager of the Hillyard Postal Station just off Market and Olympic. "This area is growing, and we had to keep up with the pace."

A 20-year-old man was arrested by sheriff's deputies for attempted burglary early on the morning of July 30. Graham Gombosky is accused of peering through an open window of a home in the 400 block of West Bellwood with his pants unzipped, sheriff's spokesman Dave Reagan said. A female resident in the home told deputies she was sleeping nude when she was awakened by a man who was peering into her bedroom window, Reagan said.

Neighborhood Observation Patrol members Dave Morse and Nan Lindsey talk with Damien and Brenden Loucks during a patrol of the River Ridge neighborhood. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

CORRECTION: 8-21-97; N11 A story in the Aug. 14 issue of the North Side Voice incorrectly reported the status of emergency pull cords in the Heritage Heights Apartments. The cords are not operable and are being removed.

Spokane School District 81 officials have put together a $70 million plan to improve public schools. If administrators and school board members agree on a wish list, taxpayers could see a bond issue on the ballot next February or March. The school board is expected to approve the wish list in October, board members said.

If you're tired of hearing, "Mom," or, "Dad," followed by "I'm bored," then next week is definitely the time to get the young ones out of the house. KidsWeek, sponsored by the Chase Youth Commission, runs Aug. 16-23. It's the commission's 15th annual salute and celebration of kids in the area.

Rogers graduate Tiffany Bruns and her friend, Clint Horwath, pose for the camera of Tiffany's mom, Kristy McAdams, while little brother takes charge of the smiles. Photo by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review

1. Clockwise from left, Herman Sleizer and Violet Garbarino dance a rhumba together at the Corbin Senior Center dance. Photography by Torsten Kjellstrand/The Spokesman-Review 2. Women, who usually far outnumber the men, wait in line for a dance. 3. Mary Martinez cools herself off. She spends many summer evenings dancing at the center with her husband Joe.

Residents of the Reflection Lake water association are working with an attorney to figure out how to get back more than $35,000 they say was embezzled from them by a sheriff's deputy and his estranged wife.

1. Ingenious pursuits. Kat Murray, left, and Maria Montague from Sandpoint High School crack up when their science project misfires. These two and teammates Amy and Christi Urann were assigned to build a model trebuchet, a medieval device used to catapult projectiles. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review 2. Charlotte Boutz uses everday items to build her trebuchet.

A Spokane man and a juvenile got a scare when they tried to break into a car early Saturday, police said. Police allege that an 18-year-old man and a 16-year-old juvenile tried to break into a white Volkswagen Golf, which was parked at the intersection of Carlisle and Wall at 1:30 a.m. The owner of the car and a passenger were still in the car. The driver was returning the passenger home when they noticed a black GMC Jimmy pull up behind them while they were parked, police said. The driver told police that the suspects peered into the car and tried to break in with a small crowbar. The tinted windows prevented the suspects from seeing the people inside.

The annual Hillyard Festival kicks off tonight with a dinner and live country music at Harmon Park. Event coordinators are hoping Saturday's parade at 11 a.m. will draw a crowd even larger than the 7,000 people who watched last year. Festival coordinator Bill Crippen said there will be even more games and booths for kids this year. Most Hillyard-area businesses are getting involved in the four-day event, which starts today and runs through Sunday.

1. Kat Murray, 15, left, and Maria Montague, 18, from Sandpoint High School, crack up whne their science project misfires. They and partners Amy and Christi Urann, foreground, were assigned to build a model trebuchet, a type of siege machine used in the Middle Ages, as part of math and science camp at Gonzaga University. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review 2. Charlene Boutz uses everyday items to craft a trebuchet. 3. Charlotte Boutz reacts to a test of her siege machine loaded with M&M;'s, while Eric Malm makes repairs with some tape. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

1. Chris Benn, 6, and his classmates from Grant Elementary stay a safe distance from the cat pens at Cat Tales. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review 2. Jambo the lion looks unexcited by the attention. Photo by Jeremiah Degenhardt 3. Jeremiah Degenhardt carries food trays into the tiger pen while Brandy Martin keeps the big cats out of the area until the keepers can leave safely. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review 4. Cat Tales owners Mike and Debbie Wyche say the park is more popular and financially stronger than it's been in seven years. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Mechanic Jeff Longhoper, left, talks to Glenn Tweedy who has worked at the Exxon on Whitworth and Wall for 18 years, knows most of his customers by name and has been to 10 customers' kid's weddings. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

A group of people living along North Division and Hawthorne says their community has gotten lost in the shuffle, hustle and bustle of north Spokane. The Morningside Partnership was formed in March to put residents at the forefront of the community. Organizers hope to give kids more things to do while getting more adults involved in activities. "The neighborhood is real unique because it's in the Y," said Jack Scott, one of the founders of Morningside. "It's not a giant area, but it's densely packed. There's a lot of traffic and congestion, and recreationally, there's not a lot for kids to do."

Residents of a north Spokane home for people with mental illnesses will move next year to a new residential care facility in the Spokane Valley. The 30 residents of Linwood Residential Rehabilitation Center will move in February from an old building at Summit Boulevard and A Street to a new facility now under construction at 11th Avenue and Raymond Street in the Valley. The Dikes family, owners of Sunshine Health Facilities Inc. in the Valley, is building the new facility and will work in conjunction with Spokane Mental Health to provide service to current Linwood residents.

The Spokane Police Department will demonstrate aspects of its diverse job Saturday during a day-long open house. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the police training center in east Spokane. The public is asked to park at the Spokane Community College lot on East Mission and ride free shuttle buses to the event. The SWAT team will perform live-fire demonstrations, police dogs will "take down" a volunteer posing as a felony suspect, and explosives experts will show off "Elvis," a remote-controlled robot used to defuse bombs.

Residents of a north Spokane home for people with mental illnesses will move next year to a new residential care facility in the Spokane Valley. The 30 residents of Linwood Residential Rehabilitation Center will move in February from an old building at Summit Boulevard and A Street to a new facility now under construction at 11th Avenue and Raymond Street in the Valley. The Dikes family, owners of Sunshine Health Facilities Inc. in the Valley, is building the new facility and will work in conjunction with Spokane Mental Health to provide service to current Linwood residents.

The Deer Park City Council has voted to raise the mayor's salary from $400 to $1,000 a month. The council approved the change by a 3-1 vote, with one council member not in attendance at last week's meeting.

Deer Park teachers and administrators overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract which will take effect this school year. The Deer Park school board were expected to ratify the contract on Wednesday. Unlike the case in previous years, the majority of the contract provisions were approved before the school year ended, according to a district official.

How about the name Community Center West? Or, does Fort George Wright Community Center sound more appropriate? Then again, does the Riverbend Community Center tickle your fancy? Maybe West Central Community Center is good enough.