In brief: Social, health agency acquires new leader

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire is tapping a veteran of her administration to lead the state Department of Social and Health Services.

Gregoire said Monday that she has appointed Robin Arnold-Williams as the agency’s director. She led the department for several years during Gregoire’s first term and left the administration in 2010. She has most recently been working as a consultant and teaching at the University of Washington’s School of Social Work.

Arnold-Williams will replace Susan Dreyfus, who is departing in January for a new job. Gregoire says she has confidence in Arnold-Williams to lead the agency during the state’s budget troubles.

Spread the word on holiday homes

Residents of the Inland Northwest have been busily decking their halls, and we want to know all about it.

If you or your neighbors have a noteworthy holiday display this year, feel free to share the details with Spokesman-Review readers. Go to spokesman.com/ holidaylights/ and click on the “Tell us about it” link. There, you’ll be asked to provide as specific an address as possible of the festive home, as well as a brief description of the display. We’ll need your contact information, too, but don’t worry – we’ll keep that information to ourselves.

The list will be posted at spokesman.com/holiday lights, where you can see all of the addresses, sort them by neighborhood or even create maps for your own personal tour. We’ll publish a roundup of the decorated homes Friday in the Today section.

Meeting set for proposed trail

A trail proposed for the John C. Pointner Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary at Lake Coeur d’Alene’s Cougar Bay is the topic of a 5 p.m. meeting Thursday at the U.S. Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management Office, 3815 Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene.

The 0.7-mile shoreline trail would connect to an existing trail system on 88 adjacent acres managed by The Nature Conservancy. Several benches would be installed along the trail, and it would pass through private land through an easement.

BLM acquired the 155 acres of wetlands and timberland from Pointner upon his death in 2005. It was his mission to protect the area from development and the now-public preserve has become a popular site for bird-watchers and hikers.  

Public comments may also be submitted in writing to Kurt Pindel, 3815 Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815, or by email to  kpindel@blm.gov.  Comments are most useful if received before Dec. 31.