Broadway upgrade work begins Monday

SPOKANE VALLEY – A three-phase project will begin Monday to improve Broadway Avenue west of the Interstate 90 overpass.

City officials say the $600,000 project involves replacing rutted asphalt, improving storm drains, installing a new concrete-plank railroad crossing and adding conduit for future signals.

Next week, during the first of three phases, Broadway traffic will be rerouted onto Desmet, Lake, Dean and Eastern. Traffic on Lake, at Broadway, will be routed to Desmet and Alki.

During the second and third phases, Broadway traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Those lanes will be on the south side of Broadway on Aug. 8-25, and along the north side from Aug. 26 through Sept. 11.

Businesses in the project area will remain accessible, but city officials urged motorists with other destinations to use alternate routes.

John Craig

Chamber golf tourney to be held Aug. 18

LIBERTY LAKE – The 13th annual Spokane Valley Chamber Golf Tournament will be held at Liberty Lake’s MeadowWood Golf Course on Aug. 18. The tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 1 p.m.

The tournament includes a chance to win a new car from Gus Johnson Ford with a hole-in-one, raffles, and golf goodie bags. Dinner will be provided from Outback Steak House.

The cost is $100 per person. To register and for more information call (509) 924-4994 or visit www.spokanevalley chamber.org.

Rainey Coffin

Register now for school supplies

SPOKANE VALLEY – Spokane Valley Partners, 10814 E Broadway Ave. is registering families for its annual Smart Start school supply program.

With support from the Spokane Teachers Credit Union, this project provides new school supplies, including a backpack, to low-income children in its service boundaries. To participate, families must be low-income, Valley residents and have physical custody of the children receiving help.

Families must also attend a Life Skills class, offered at Spokane Valley Partners. Classes are available Aug. 13 and 14 during morning, afternoon and evening hours. This year’s offerings include wellness and diet classes, smoking cessation, money management, shopping tips and strategies and parent literacy skills to help children learn.

Classes are open to the public even if you don’t need school supplies. Call 927-1153 to reserve seating for class preference or register at Spokane Valley Partners, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Donations are being accepted. Biggest needs include backpacks, calculators with algebraic functions, compasses, protractors, markers (both wide and fine tip) and adult-size scissors. Donations may be dropped off at Spokane Valley Partners.

Jeff Jordan

Students will pay transportation fees

WEST VALLEY – The West Valley School Board recently approved a proposal to have high school students pay transportation fees for sports and extracurricular activities. The fees were first proposed to help the district deal with steep cuts in State education money.

Students will pay the $20 fee for every sport they play, said Deputy Superintendent Doug Matson. Students participating in cheerleading, dance and band will pay the fee once per year.

The move is expected to raise about $10,000, Matson said. Scholarships will be available.

Nina Culver