She’s The Nicest Neighbor Patty Sarner Is A Mother Of Three Who Finds Time To Help Her Liberty Lake Neighbors In Any Way She Can

Mr. Rogers would love Spokane.

“I’ve always wanted to have a neighbor, just like you,” he sings on his morning children’s show.

Well, Fred ought to pack his bags and move to the Lilac City. There are plenty of good neighbors here.

This year’s Good Neighbor contest netted 80 entries, more than any year since the contest started in 1990.

These neighbors do amazing things. There’s the Valley couple who organize neighborhood celebrations. And the South Side guy who snowblows the driveways of everyone on the block. Other folks rake leaves, babysit kids, and care for stray dogs.

They’re downright neighborly.

The numerous entries show how people turn random acts of kindness into reality in our lives.

Our winners - Patty Sarner of the Spokane Valley, Dale Barbour of the North Side and Richard Paul of the South Side - epitomize what it means to be good neighbors.

They’ll be given a plaque and a catered block party for everyone in their neighborhood. We’re picking up the tab.

Because they’ve touched so many lives, we also honor them by retelling their stories of generosity.

Today, we salute the three Good Neighbor winners, and all those people who make Spokane a neighborly place to live.

VALLEY WINNER: PATTY SARNER

Patty Sarner is a self-described “at-home mom.”

But that doesn’t mean she stays at home.

To the contrary, Sarner spends her time taking kids from her Liberty Lake neighborhood everywhere - from the ice cream shop to the movies to swimming lessons at the lake.

The 31-year-old mom of three is the Valley’s Good Neighbor for 1997.

“I guess I don’t think of myself first,” says Sarner, who lives in the MeadowWood Cottages subdivision at Liberty Lake. “I think of my family or friends first.”

She says her dad taught her how to be generous, and she learned the joy of giving by watching his life.

While many other mothers in her neighborhood work outside the home, Sarner offers to watch their kids for free.

When her busy neighbors had an anniversary, she organized a collection and raised money so they could celebrate with a fancy dinner at a Valley restaurant.

“We were thrilled,” says Linda Dewey, who has known Sarner for two years. “She knew that my husband and I don’t get out for dinner very often.”

Sarner has won the hearts of her neighbors through all her good works. She watches homes, organizes baby showers, creates “welcome home” posters, puts on yard sales and bakes goodies.

She and her husband, Matthew, were married in 1990.

NORTH SIDE WINNER: DALE BARBOUR

Giving is “part of life” for Dale Barbour.

“It’s just something that needs doing,” says the 66-year-old retired railroad worker and farmer, who is the North Side’s Good Neighbor for 1997. “I’m just kind of passing it on.”

For the past 30 years, Barbour has put his philosophy of giving into action in his “country” neighborhood in the Mount Spokane area.

Barbour’s neighbors laud him for all sorts of good deeds. He’s rescued kids from car crashes, dug trenches, pulled cars out of ditches, and captured escaped horses.

During the firestorm in 1991, Barbour led the neighborhood rescue effort.

“He was right there in the middle, helping save all the homes around here,” says Geraldine Sprague, 47.

Sprague recalls first meeting Barbour and his wife, Jean, after her home had been robbed. They comforted her, offered her a place to stay, and called the police.

“I was scared out of my wits,” says Sprague. “They just made me feel so protected and so safe.”

Barbour learned the meaning of hard work without rewards as a kid, growing up on a dairy farm in Minnesota. He also worked for the Great Northern Railway for 38 years.

These days, he spends his time on a 120-acre farm raising hay and cattle. To keep in shape, he goes swimming twice a week.

He doesn’t really “get anything” out of helping other people, he says, it’s just the way things are done.

“I never really have any great feeling. It just seems like the thing to do.”

SOUTH SIDE WINNER: RICHARD PAUL

Lorraine Paul calls her husband “Johnny-On-the-Spot.”

For the past eight years, Richard Paul has been the right-hand handyman for the residents of Rockwood Plaza, a 15-unit condominium complex on the South Hill.

“I call his work, ‘honey-do jobs,”’ Lorraine jokes. “He always likes to help people. Always.”

“Oh, don’t listen to her,” chimes in Richard, 79, who is the South Side’s Good Neighbor for 1997.

His humility marks everything he does, according to the 23 residents in the complex. And he does a lot.

He spends his days repairing locks, working on the sprinkler systems, helping out with odd jobs, and taking folks to the airport.

Paul spent 71 years in Reardan as a wheat and barley farmer before moving to Spokane eight years ago.

His neighbors are glad he did.

“My first impression of him was kind of like a composite of action and goodness that seemed to flow naturally out of him,” recalls Jean Keil, 77, who nominated Paul for the Good Neighbor award.

Keil remembers coming home from a vacation in San Diego a few years ago. Not only did Paul pick her up at the airport, he stocked her refrigerator with milk, eggs and bread.

He also rescued a woman who had accidentally sealed herself into her apartment with tape.

Paul says he learned to be selfless growing up in a family of six, where sharing and teamwork were priorities.

“You just think more of each other when you’re in a larger family than when you’re a single person,” he says.

Like other good neighbors, Paul finds it hard to describe exactly why he enjoys helping others.

But Lorraine supplies the words that her husband lacks.

“God gave us this land to work with but not actually own,” she says. “The joy and love that you can help somebody else is most rewarding.”

, DataTimesILLUSTRATION: 5 Photos (3 color)

MEMO: This story also ran in the North Side Voice and the South Side Voice sections, with the story segments in a different order.

The North Side Voice story ran under the headline: “He’s the Nicest Neighbor \ Dale Barbour has his hands full raising cattle, but he always seems to have time to help out others.” The story segments ran in the following order: introduction, North Side, Valley and South Side.

The South Side Voice story ran under the headline: “He’s the Nicest Neighbor \ Retired farmer Richard Paul is an all-around handyman for neighbors at Rockwood Plaza condominiums.” The story segments ran in the following order: introduction, South Side, North Side and Valley.

This sidebar appeared with the story: LOTS OF GOOD NEIGHBORS The following folks were nominated in this year’s contest: Rondy Alexander Trixie Arms Don Avery Karen Baker Dale Barbour Roy Basler Linda Bass Brian and Roberta Bayne Dewey and Linda Bray Keith Burgess Dick Burton Dick Cartier Ramiro Castillo Jo and Shorty Cheever John Coenett Kathy Curryer Jeri Curts Hal Davidson Lynn Davis Tom and Mar Duncan Clinton O. Drummone Mr. and Mrs. Sedden Englund Hal French James Gerdner Guy, Norine, Nyla and Ben Gregory Gary and Andrea Gunning Susan Havey Gary and Darrin and Nina Hill Frank and Kay Howard Denise Jalovi Ken Janson Barbara Jarvis Rick Jones Dan and Ingrid Kiddoo Dan Kline Al Lacombe Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lee Wallace Loe Raymond Maine Roger Malmquist John and Winnie Manix Gail Marlow Bob and Sandy McKenzie Ora McKnight Stanley McLain Ken Melaas Ray and Margaret Miller Mary Mobley Tom Morin, Sr. Brenda and Eric Nelson Pasadena Park Church of the Nazarene Richard Paul Peter and Ruth Paulovic Tim Pebles Dave Palmer Loyd Peterson Greg Pinukkula Steve and Sue Rainer Barb and Dick Rogers Jack and Julie Rojan Bob Rose Carol Richle Patty Sarner Diane Savitch Mike Schimmels Jane Skindlov Bob and Pearl Singer Sharyn Smith Dick Snyder Bill Spear Dan Stines Neil and Nyla Stoughton Kevin Twohig Dan and Jeannie Tremblay Betty Turner Lillian White Rick and Becky Wilcox Graham Willis Jim and Maggi Vandervert Julie and Chuck (no last name)

Note: The same list ran in both the North Side Voice and the South Side Voice under the headline: “Nominees.” In both voices, the opening paragraph is as follows: The following folks were nominated for honors in this year’s Good Neighbor Contest: