Public Periscope

A bump in the road

Relations are decidedly chilly between the Spokane City Council and local reps of the state Transportation Department and not just because of the aborted Lincoln Street Bridge project. The latest frost stems from a May 22 council meeting when DOT staff members talked about Highway 195 and a land use decision in the Latah Valley … The DOT presentation turned into a council interrogation about the high speeds and likelihood of accidents on the highway. Leading the attack was Councilwoman Roberta Greene, who just happens to live in the neighborhood.

Highway engineer Keith Metcalf defended the need for a high-speed route through Spokane, saying “195 is a state highway and part of the national highway system. We don’t want to degrade that facility from a high-speed route” … Replied Greene: “Your plan penalizes the people who are living there.”

Metcalf and the DOT were asked to return at a later date for a council study session about their plans for Highway 195. Last week, Greene told the council that the DOT would not appear … “They feel that they have explained to the City Council all of the ins and outs of SR 195,” she said.

Making the streets safe

Last week’s polka concert at Audubon Park attracted a large crowd - and the painstaking attentions of one Spokane police officer … A handful of the mostly white-haired audience parked their cars on the grass along the western edge of the park. Sgt. Dan Torok arrived, pulling his cruiser onto the grass as well, and began writing a fistful of tickets for improper parking … When asked why it was OK for him to park on the grass but not the crowd, Torok said police officers often have to violate the law to penalize offenders, such as when they speed to catch a speeder.

True enough. But that doesn’t explain why Torok didn’t just use the parking space directly across from his police car.

You be the judge

The best place to get free legal advice may have been outside the door of the Spokane County Elections office on Friday around 5 p.m. That’s where most members of the Spokane County Superior Court bench were gathered to count down the final seconds to their re-election … Although most candidates face a primary in September and a general in November, state law says that Superior Court judges aren’t even on the ballot if they draw no opposition. When County Auditor Vicky Dalton closed the door to any new candidates, none of the 12 judges had drawn a challenger … In other words, four more years.