SCOPE volunteers awarded for their service

Bob Grinnell has been a SCOPE volunteer since 2002, and he prides himself on keeping a pretty good eye on things at the Edgecliff SCOPE station on Thierman Road.

Yet somehow the volunteers there were able to surprise him: Last week, Grinnell received a 2014 SCOPE Lifetime Achievement Award at a dinner hosted by SCOPE.

“I don’t know how they got around nominating me and all that,” Grinnell said. “They sure surprised me.”

He said he began volunteering at the Edgecliff SCOPE because he’s retired and he was looking for something to do.

“My favorite part is how I stay busy with my friends here,” Grinnell said. “I do a lot of vacation checks and I’ve gotten to know a lot of people in my neighborhood.”

Grinnell said Edgecliff has a lot less crime today than it did when he first began volunteering, but the station is always looking for more volunteers.

“Why should people get involved?” Grinnell said. “To get to know their neighborhood and to help out.”

Grinnell has no plans to retire any time soon, he said: “I just have too much fun.”

Evelyn Hancock, who volunteers at SCOPE North on Newport Highway, was also awarded a lifetime achievement award. Jim Davis, who died Sept. 15, received the lifetime achievement award posthumously.

Hal Halvorson, who volunteers at Central Valley SCOPE, received the 2014 Spirit of SCOPE Award. Halvorson has logged almost 20,000 volunteer hours since he began at SCOPE in 1998 – including volunteering at the Sheriff’s Office front desk at the Public Safety Building.

Volunteer of the year awards were given to:

Hal Halvorson, Central Valley SCOPE.

Marc Emery, Deer Park SCOPE.

Jeanette Fletcher, East SCOPE.

Marge Hallenius, Edgecliff SCOPE.

Terry Erickson, Elk SCOPE.

Claudia and Rex Lowman, EWU/Cheney SCOPE.

Tom Prior, Liberty Lake SCOPE.

Carla Davis, Medical Lake SCOPE.

Judy Clark and Vicki Gish, for their work with the mounted patrol.

Jim Ball, Newman Lake SCOPE.

Carol Plzak and Myron “Sonny” Blixt, North SCOPE.

Barbara Davis, Southeast Spokane County SCOPE.

John Kirsten, Springhill SCOPE.

Jim Snider, University SCOPE.

Harley Gordon, West Valley SCOPE.