Voices

For 07-31-2008

AIRWAY HEIGHTS – The city wants feedback and ideas from residents about development possibilities for 400 acres of county land near Hayford Road and Highway 2 at a city workshop Aug. 6. The Planning Department is updating the city’s comprehensive plan and may change the zoning requirements for the parcel, also known as the Spokane County West Plains Urban Growth Area/Joint Planning Area.

Athol Daze are here again with a bigger, better lineup of entertainment. Saturday, Aug. 9, marks the 99th year that Athol has been a city. Born in 1909, Athol is one year younger than her neighbor Spirit Lake, which is holding its centennial this year. Big things are in store for the Athol celebration. Featured as the No. 1 accomplishment in Athol is the enhancement of City Park from a vacant lot to a major league playground. Built mostly with donations and grants, this park features a skateboard park that cost over $20,000 and, the newest attraction, a play station built with a $26,000 grant from Trans-Canada Pipeline. The first of many children were seen cavorting on, in and about the newest attraction on July 23, the day it was finished. Washed gravel a foot thick covers the area of the slides and ladders to cushion any falls.

University and Central Valley players have all State American Legion baseball tournaments covered this weekend. A remarkable seventh-inning comeback sent the Bandits, including five players from U-Hi, back to the Senior (AAA) State Tournament beginning Saturday in Tacoma.

At From A Simple Mind, blogmistress Cis from the small town of Kootenai isn’t impressed with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. Seems she and many others in her ’hood called the sheriff’s department after spotting a badly injured moose in a nearby field Sunday morning. The animal had a broken shoulder – and was mercifully killed by a Bonner County Deputy Dawg. Who refused to give two resident hunters permission to gut the animal and save the meat for the Food Bank, jail or animal shelter, stating that the F&G is touchy about such things. That was 8:10 a.m. The dead moose was still lying in the field when the blogmistress returned from church at 12:10 p.m. Another neighbor got a recording from the F&G when she called for permission to butcher the animal. The F&G didn’t respond by 6 Sunday evening. Or by 9:11 a.m. Monday. Not only were Cis and her neighbors furious at the waste of meat, reports From A Simple Mind, but they were concerned about the smell they’d have to endure from the rotting carcass. Worse yet, Simple Mind reports that this was the second time this year that something similar has happened. A few months ago, a moose rotted for a week after it’d been hit on Highway 95 – and the F&G contacted. From A Simple Mind concludes sarcastically: “Nice going, Fish and Game.”

Building permits Kootenai County

CHENEY– At least two people who lost their mobile home park site in a legal struggle between the city and the owner of the Myers’ Mobile Home Park will be receiving money from the city to move their homes. The two homeowners are among the park’s 44 residents who were given until Sept. 26 to move after the city last month won its lawsuit against park owner Thomas Myers.

Once again on Tuesday, Spokane Valley residents told city officials there’s much about the proposed Sprague-Appleway Revitalization Plan they don’t like. More than 100 people attended the City Council’s first formal public hearing on the wide-ranging plan, a two-hour session at the CenterPlace Great Hall.

The Central Valley school trustees are beginning to take a look at running a replacement maintenance and operations levy on the ballot next spring. Board members spent an hour Monday night discussing how much to ask voters to approve, and for how many years. An M&O levy traditionally pays for programs and items not paid for by the state and is a core part of any school district’s budget. Districts are authorized to ask voters for an amount that equals up to 24 percent of all the state and federal money received by a district annually. Levies can run from one to four years.

A recently divorced, childless family values advocate is one of four Republicans who want to replace retiring 4th District state Rep. Lynn Schindler. Matt T. Shea’s wife, Lisa, was granted a divorce in January after complaining that he treated her “as a possession,” and was physically and emotionally abusive.

Voters in the 9th Legislative District will choose among three new names on their Aug. 19 primary ballots, including one candidate affiliated with the Green Party who wants to guarantee all workers in the state a 30-day annual vacation. The election will decide who takes over the seat vacated last year by Rep. David Buri, R-Colfax.

The first Eastern Washington University Community Food Drive will be Monday through Aug. 15. Nearly two dozen teams have been formed at EWU and will be competing for prizes such a barbecue at University House and gift cards to the University Bookstore, depending on how much food they collect.

Today Browne’s Addition Summer Concert Series - 12th annual concert series held on Thursdays, presented by Browne’s Addition Neighborhood Council. Today, Dru Heller Trio; Aug. 7, Joliene Felice and Siamese Kats; Aug. 14, Community Band; Aug. 21, Simply Strings; Aug. 28, Chutzpah. No alcohol is allowed in park, picnicking is encouraged. 6-8 p.m., Coeur d’Alene Park in Spokane’s Browne’s Addition, Second Avenue and Chestnut Street. Free. 496-9155.

Five candidates would like to replace retiring state Rep. Lynn Schindler in the legislative district that straddles Spokane Valley. The best known is Spokane Valley City Councilwoman and former mayor Diana Wilhite. The most financially well-heeled is Matt Shea, a novice attorney and recently divorced family-values advocate.