In brief: Agency restates burn guidelines

SPOKANE COUNTY – The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency encourages residents to make sure they can see the twinkle in Santa’s eye.

State regulations limit smoke from fireplaces and wood stoves to 20 percent opacity – mostly invisible.

“After a 20-minute startup period, go outside and take a look at your chimney,” agency spokeswoman Lisa Woodard said. “You should only see heat waves or, at the most, just a wisp of smoke.”

Photographs of what that looks like are available on the agency’s Web site, www.spokanecleanair.org.

The Web site also has advice on how to reduce smoke – open the damper more, don’t overload the firebox – and notices of burn bans.

Bans come in two stages: yellow, which prohibits use of fireplaces and uncertified stoves; and red, which applies to all wood-burning devices except where there is no other adequate source of heat.

Information on burn ban advisories also is available by calling (509) 477-4710 or by signing up on the agency’s Web site for e-mail notices.

For a free DVD, “How to Operate your Wood Stove More Efficiently,” call (509) 477-4727 or send an e-mail to publicinfo@spokane cleanair.org.

Empyrean hosting musical benefit

RIVERSIDE – Members of the community can help feed the hungry in the spirit of Thanksgiving on Tuesday and enjoy local music, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Empyrean Coffee House, 154 S. Madison St.

Acoustic guitar singer/songwriters Eric Hofmann, Adam Kogler and Tommy G from the 509 will start the show. Groove Patrol will take the stage at 9:30 p.m. and play until midnight.

Cover is $7 per person; every can of food donated is a $1 discount, up to $5.

All proceeds and donated food will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Spokane.

People of all ages are invited to attend. Minors are not allowed past 11 p.m.

SpokAnimal fundraiser planned

PEACEFUL VALLEY – Beginning at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving, the SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. staff will host a dog walk at High Bridge Park.

The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted for the dog park fence for Spokane’s first off-leash city dog park.

Participants should meet in Peaceful Valley at the junction of Riverside and Clarke Avenue near the Sandifur Bridge. All dogs must be leashed. Owners are responsible for bringing and using cleanup bags.

For more information, call SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. at (509) 534-8133.

Salvation Army giving out turkeys

LOGAN – The Salvation Army, 222 E. Indiana Ave., will hand out more than 8,200 turkeys to families in need for Thanksgiving on Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The turkeys, along with fixings for a traditional Thanksgiving meal, have been donated by the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Inland Northwest.

Identification for all family members and proof of address are requested.

For more information, call (509) 329-2732.