Voices

CHENEY – The sleepy, summer days in Cheney have passed, giving way to a bustling city with people walking through downtown and on campus after classes resumed at Eastern Washington University Sept. 24. EWU recently welcomed its second-largest freshman class in history. As of Sept. 30 there were 1,509 freshmen enrolled which is 173 more than last year, according to Dave Meany, a university spokesman. In 2005, there were 1,631 freshmen.

Today After-School Specials (Moran Prairie) - Celebrate children’s book author Doreen Cronin through stories, crafts, and games. A different author will be celebrated each month. 4 p.m., Moran Prairie Library, 6004 S. Regal St. Free. 893-8340.

The Cheney High School varsity football players were ripping up the field doing drills the day before their big homecoming game. People had pompoms thrown in the back seats of their cars. The marching band was loudly pounding out their game music. The beat echoed across the school fields and into the school classrooms.

Girls ages 5 to 12 will have an opportunity to learn basketball skills from Gonzaga University women’s basketball team members on Tuesday, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the new Girl Scout Program Center, 1404 N. Ash St. Girls will hear from the women athletes what it takes to excel in sports and in life, as well as gain personal instruction in basic basketball skills.

The Inland Northwest Council of the Boy Scouts of America hosted the Race to Cub Scouting Rally Friday at the Spokane Arena parking lot. A pinewood derby was held along with other events. Hot dogs and drinks were available for all.

On the wall above one of the doors inside Inland Grange in Elk is a sign that reads “Our Grange is the Center of the Community.” Those are the words that inspired Irl Sowle to not only join the Grange, but become one of its most ambitious volunteers who this summer led an effort to put new siding on the historic building’s exterior. Sowle, who is about to turn 79, says he gets a vision of something and knows he can accomplish the job. He has always loved working with wood. When he was 14, he was instructed on how to build a small parking attendant building in a lot in downtown Spokane. That structure still stands today.

Column biased, full of inaccuracies This is in response to the Bayview News article in the Prairie Voice of Thursday, Sept. 25, 2008, by your correspondent, Herb Huseland.

Today DJ JASON (HIP-HOP/TOP-40) – 9 p.m., Mik-n-Mac’s Lounge, 406 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, 667-4858.

Another new building will soon be popping up along Rathdrum’s Highway 53 corridor, according to Kevin Randles, owner of Dashco – one of the busiest corners in town. “Liquor sales reached the point either we expand the store at the current location or build a separate building,” said Randles, who will lease the new 3,000-square-foot building to the state.

Frum Helen Back (aka D.J. Nall), the blogmistress of Hauser Thoughts, is convinced that the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department discriminates. Last week, she made a pilgrimage to renew her license after almost eight years with the current one. She gave herself time to get the job done, after being warned by fellow sufferers about long delays at the vehicle licensing office. She made it through the maze only to suffer her first indignity when the county worker bee asked if she still weighed the same. She was saddened to learn that she weighs much more now than she did in Y2K. “Too bad she didn’t ask me if I still smoke cigarettes,” FHB noted in her blog. Then, the next indignity. The county employee wanted to know if she was as tall now as then. She wasn’t. By an inch. “I’m beginning to feel like I’m a star in ‘The Incredible Shrinking Woman,’ ” FHB mused. At that point FHB figured she’d pay her $24.50 and pick up her eight-year license before things got worse. She figured wrong. She was told by a “nice deputy” that she was too old for an eight-year license. She’d have to settle for a four-year one. “Of course,” FHB posted, “that made me wonder what he knows about the next eight years that I don’t know.” She felt like telling the deputy that KCSD should be ashamed of itself for age discrimination. But she let it go. Quoth FHB: “This guy had a real badge on his real uniform and I didn’t want to go to jail since I hadn’t had my lunch yet.” ‘Idaho’?

CHENEY – The Cheney Parks and Recreation Department is offering the following fall classes: Youth basketball league

Come as you are, or come as your favorite ghoul, ghost or goblin to Monster Mash Oktoberfest Bash, the annual fundraiser for Eastern Washington University libraries, from 5-10:30 p.m., Oct. 25, in the JFK Library on the Cheney campus. Enjoy a “killer” feast by Black Tie Catering, with wine and beer tasting courtesy of Latah Creek Winery, Preston Premium Wines, Coeur d’Alene Brewing Co. and Northern Lights Brewing Co. Nonalcoholic beverages will also be served.

Pathways to Progress recently reorganized its program structure into bunches of committees that it hopes can make faster, more effective decisions on enhancing Cheney’s downtown. “Instead of a big ship needing five miles to stop, it’s a more streamlined effort now,” said Fred Pollard, the new president of Pathways and also the co-owner of Cheney Delights, a downtown ice cream store. Pathways is funded by Eastern Washington University and Cheney and works to beautify downtown Cheney.