“Roads won’t be maintained. Signs may deteriorate. Fences may fall down. I don’t like that kind of picture.”

Nancy Curry, Turnbull wildlife refuge manager, on upcoming budget cuts.

“If you want ‘Near nature. Near perfect,’ you’re not going to get much nearer than that.”

Chris DeForest, director of the Inland Northwest Land Trust, on the possible purchase by the county of 1,101 acres for a wildlife sanctuary just off Trent Road.

“I could still win, but I doubt it would happen. It’s just the craziest election I’ve ever seen.”

Spokane County Commissioner Phil Harris on his close race with Bonnie Mager.

“The way they did it sent a chill through the public health community.”

Dr. Ed Gray, health officer for the Northeast Tri-County Health District, on the firing of Spokane Regional Health District’s Dr. Kim Thorburn.

“There’s a humanistic aspect of this endeavor. I don’t think you can ignore that.”

Spokane City Councilman Al French on the council’s decision to help preserve the Carlyle Care Center, which provides affordable housing for people with mental illnesses.

“This was an ill-conceived project. We are sorry for any pain that this has caused the families.”

Media baron Rupert Murdoch on pulling the plug on the O.J. Simpson “confession” book and TV show.

“We’re convicts and there’s a code kinda thing, you know it. We’ll usually help people.”

Don “Kickstand” Delesdernier, a Kootenai County inmate who testified Wednesday that it was his idea that William Caldwell try to kill a teenage relative to prevent her from testifying against Caldwell in a rape case.

“It’s time to quit playing games and politics. It’s not just who can throw around the most money and the most lies.”

Former Constitution Party candidate Rose Johnson, who is suing state Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Post Falls, for allegedly lying about her stance on abortion and gay marriage in campaign literature mailed to voters during the 2004 election.

“It’s plumber art. … It’s not like this is Pebble Beach. This is Lakeview.”

Rick Froebe, Soap Lake plumber who made a fence out of old toilets so golfers from Lakeview Golf & Country Club won’t come into his yard.

“A lot of us, whether we’re churchgoers or not, have been in their shoes before and have made some bad choices. But God forgives us.”

Jason Reimer, a pastor at Missoula’s South Hills Evangelical Church, where church members gathered together gift baskets for three young men who vandalized their church.

“This is a madhouse.”

Jose Cervantes at Northpointe Plaza in North Spokane. He was one of the estimated 62.7 million Americans who shopped “Black Friday,” the day after Thanksgiving.