Crouse And Sterk Will Field Questions At Town Hall Meetings
State Reps. Larry Crouse and Mark Sterk, both Spokane Valley Republicans, will hold two town hall meetings next Saturday to discuss citizen concerns and answer questions about state government.
The lawmakers plan to outline key issues emerging from the current legislative session, and bills of interest to the Valley community. Those issues include property tax reform, education, welfare reform, juvenile justice reform, transportation funding and Mirabeau Point.
The meetings will be held at the Tri-Community Grange near the corner of Trent Avenue and Starr Road, and at the Valley Library, 12004 E. Main. The Tri-Community Grange meeting starts at 10 a.m. The meeting at the Valley Library beings at 1:30 p.m.
Crouse is chairman of the House energy and utility committee. Sterk serves as vice chairman on the House law and justice committee, and as a member of the transportation, policy and budget committee.
Millwood looking for firefighters
Millwood is accepting applications to fill at least 10 volunteer firefighter positions, Chief Bill Clifford said.
The department will provide training to successful applicants, who must live within a three-mile radius of the town’s fire station.
Training includes basic firefighting techniques, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and medical instruction. Drills are held on Tuesdays between 7 and 9 p.m., and occasionally on Saturdays.
Last year, the department responded to 210 calls.
“What we’re looking for is people who have always wanted to be firefighters and want to join us,” Clifford said.
Applications are available in the Millwood Town Hall, 9103 E. Frederick.
The department used to receive five applications every month, but that slowed to only about five all of last year, Clifford said.
Tougher state laws require Millwood to add at least 10 firefighters to its existing list of 15 to be in compliance with the new regulations, Clifford said.
Storm-damaged trees
The state Department of Natural Resources and Spokane County Conservation District will host a free workshop Wednesday to present area land owners with with options for dealing with evergreen trees damaged by the November ice storm.
The workshop will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Spokane County Agricultural Center, 222 N. Havana.
Topics will include fire hazard reduction, timber harvest and minimizing damage from pests such as bark beetles.
Free storm damage kits will be available at the meeting. The packets include information about proper pruning and care of forest stands or ornamental evergreens, wildfire safety and outdoor burning tips.
Irrigation annexation proposed
A landowner who wants to subdivide his Otis Orchards property has notified the state Boundary Review Board he intends to annex the 50-acre property to Consolidated Irrigation District.
Interested residents have until April 10 to request the BRB invoke its jurisdiction in the annexation effort and call for a public hearing.
Gene Cohen filed notice with the BRB last month that he intended to annex to the irrigation district. Cohen plans to divide the undeveloped land into 10 five-acre lots.
The land is designated semi-rural in the county’s comprehensive plan and is outside of the recently drawn urban growth area, said Susan Winchell of the BRB.
SCOPE University to meet
The Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Effort University will hold its monthly community meeting on Thursday.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the library at University High School, 10212 E. Ninth.
Kent Gonzalez, a community corrections officer, will be the featured speaker. Gonzalez is scheduled to talk about attitudes of adult criminals.
Anyone interested in volunteering at SCOPE University may also sign up at the meeting or call the office at 458-2582. The SCOPE University station is at the corner of 15th Avenue and University Road.
Volunteer opportunities include working at the SCOPE station, citizens on patrol, dusting for fingerprints and photographing graffiti.
, DataTimes