Voices

North Idaho College’s Outdoor Pursuits is offering a two-day biking trip to Rossland, B.C., on Friday and Saturday. The trip will include Seven Summits Trail atop British Columbia’s alpine oasis, which was named 2007 Trail of the Year by Bike magazine, attracting mountain bikers from across the world.

POST FALLS – Post Falls officials have been scrambling in recent weeks to cut $92,000 from the city’s 2009 budget after the state recently reduced revenue projections for the city. Department heads had requested about $3 million in additional personnel, operating expenses and equipment above and beyond their 2008 budgets.

POST FALLS – A tumultuous summer for the Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency has culminated with the resignation of the group’s executive director. Luke Malek is leaving to attend law school at Gonzaga University. His resignation is effective Sept. 7.

CHENEY – Ball fields, a dog park and an aquatics center with both indoor and outdoor facilities have been included in a draft plan for Betz Park after a survey showed many residents favor an aquatics facility that may include a lap pool. Cheney park commissioners got their first look at the plan at their regular meeting last week, but, without a quorum, couldn’t make any decisions. Kerry Pease, Craig Witt and Vern Brock were the only commissioners in attendance.

Call it the summer of Post Falls. First it was the community’s first fireworks show. Next, city officials moved into a brand-new City Hall. Now it’s an outdoor food festival.

“Any country that is worth defending is worth preserving.” That’s the credo of the Veterans Conservation Corps and in continuing our mission to protect and restore Washington’s rivers, streams, lakes, marine waters and open lands, we have been expanded to train a highly skilled work force of veterans to fill high demand “green collar” positions.

AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Most residents probably wouldn’t want a factory built in their neighborhood. Nor would they likely want giant shopping centers with increased traffic using what should otherwise be sleepy residential streets where children play. But in Airway Heights, where single-family homes, apartments and big-box stores can sometimes be neighbors, city planners are trying to plan for future growth, including zoning for 376 acres just east of the city.

The Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District is in the midst of annexing 402 acres encompassing what is known as the River District on the western edge of the city of Liberty Lake. The district is currently serving the area through an extension agreement. Annexing the area will remove a nominal monthly surcharge for customers and eliminate the risk that the area would be the first cut off if the district ever ran out of capacity. Since the district’s recently built sewage treatment plan has a 2 million gallon capacity, that option was unlikely.

New listings Minnehaha Pioneers-Coopers School Reunion – Sept. 7, at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 302 E. Boone Ave. Call Sandi Bentz at (509) 487-0445 or Etter Milla at (509) 924-0169 for more information.

For 08-14-2008