Briefly

Valley group plans disincorporation drive

A group of Spokane Valley citizens led by community activist Sally Jackson vowed Wednesday to dissolve the young city next year.

Up to 120 people plan to organize in January to start a disincorporation campaign, Jackson said. They must collect about 21,000 signatures to put it on a ballot.

“This city was built on a lie and people are starting to realize that,” she said.

Separately, Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton wrote in an e-mail Wednesday that voters likely won’t get to decide whether the council deserves a raise until next year. Her department needs to verify 6,174 of the 8,000 signatures handed in, and it won’t have time to complete that by Friday, the deadline for putting items on the November ballot.

The disincorporation attempt is the second since Spokane Valley became a city in March 2003. A group called Citizens for Disincorporation tried last summer, but couldn’t gather enough signatures to put the issue to voters. Jackson expects better luck this time.

“When we did it last time people kept saying, ‘Let’s give them a chance,’ ” she said. “That was way before any of the unpopular mistakes started showing up.”

Spokane Valley is receiving $4 million less in sales tax revenues than had been predicted before citizens voted for incorporation in 2002. Incorporation backers told voters a new city would mean better services at a lower price.

But some of the financial studies were done during healthier economic times. The council has touted greater police presence and more control over local decisions as two of many reasons to support the city.

Mayor West on goodwill mission in Ireland

Spokane Mayor Jim West is in Ireland this week on a 10-day trade and goodwill mission.

He is being accompanied by members of the International Trade Alliance and Limerick Sister City Society. The delegation left Spokane on Saturday. They are meeting with business leaders, particularly in the software industry, as well as Irish counterparts in the Sister Cities program. Limerick is a Sister City to Spokane

Spokane is hosting the 2005 Sister Cities International Conference from July 27 through July 31 with more than 1,200 delegates expected.

Effort to bounce Nader from state ballot fails

Olympia Ralph Nader remains on the November presidential ballot in Washington state despite an effort to block him.

A Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday that the secretary of state’s office correctly followed state law when officials put Nader on the ballot two weeks ago.

The state Democratic party and an Olympia court attorney had sued in Thurston County Superior Court to block Nader from the general election ballot.

Many people believe Nader cost Al Gore the presidential election in 2000 by siphoning off progressive votes in swing states, and some Democrats are worried it will happen again this year to Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

State Democratic parties have been fighting aggressively to keep Nader off the November ballot. Nader has accused Democrats of bringing frivolous lawsuits to stifle his candidacy.

“We are glad to be on the ballot and we hope Democrats will engage us on the issues and stop denying voters the choice of Ralph Nader,” said Nader campaign spokesman Kevin Zeese.

Zeese said Nader has won a ballot spot in 35 states, though 12 of those have been challenged in court.

Lake drawdowns to start in North Idaho

Another sign of summer’s demise: Lake drawdowns are scheduled to begin across North Idaho in coming days.

The region’s large lakes are lowered in winter to prepare for the surge of spring runoff and to optimize power production during dry months.

Lake Coeur d’Alene and the Spokane River behind the Post Falls dam will begin the slow lowering process on Friday, according to a statement from Steve Esch, senior operations engineer for Avista Utilities, which manages the lake level. The lake will drop by 6 feet until it reaches its winter depth of 2,122 feet above sea level by the end of December.

The drawdown for Lake Pend Oreille will begin Monday when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opens the gates on Albeni Falls Dam, according to a statement from the agency. The water body will drop by about 7 feet by the end of November.

In an attempt to improve habitat conditions for resident kokanee, Lake Pend Oreille’s winter level will be 3 feet higher than last year. Kokanee are a major food source for the lake’s threatened bull trout. Federal agencies that manage the lake agreed to the higher levels last year.

For Priest Lake, the drawdown will begin Monday, Oct. 4, according to a statement from Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Karl Dreher. The lake is expected to drop 3 feet to reach its winter level by early November.

Shoreline property owners and boaters are encouraged to prepare for the drawdowns by removing boats from the water and securing docks.

Coin dealer found guilty of selling drugs

A Coeur d’Alene coin dealer was convicted Friday of dealing drugs from his Appleway Avenue business, the Sagle Flea Market, homes and other locations, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

A Coeur d’Alene jury found Robert J. “BJ” Mertens, 47, guilty of selling more than 6,000 grams – or 13 pounds – of crack, and about 190 pounds of marijuana over an eight-year period, according to a press release.

Mertens also was found guilty of being a felon in possession of firearms, brandishing a firearm during a drug crime and 23 counts of money laundering.

Since 1989, Mertens has owned and operated Northwest Coin and Jewelry at 501 Appleway, the release said. The jury found that Mertens had sold drugs from the business, the flea market and his homes in Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, from 1995 until being arrested in 2003, according to the release.

He was found guilty of illegal possession of at least 26 firearms and of laundering proceeds from drug sales through his coin business, the release said.

A sentencing date has not been set. The U.S. Department of Justice said Mertens could face life imprisonment for his crimes.