Voices

The urge to turn a weekend chore into a competitive sport continues to grow in North Idaho as dozens of lawn mower racers put the finishing touches on their mowers in anticipation of the biggest race of the year – Spirit Lake's Big Back-In. Attending the event, held on Father's Day each year, has become tradition for many families who have caught the spirit of what has also become one of the town's biggest events of the year. Crowds arrive early, eager to view the mowers and contraptions of every sort that line up, or rather, back in, along Maine Street for the Mower Show and Shine at 11 a.m. First-timers are critiqued, rivalries are ignited, and old favorites are spotted as racing enthusiasts stroll up and down Maine Street scoping out the year's competition.

Dads aren't perfect. Duh … is anybody? No, but in the case of our parents, this devastating realization comes about very slowly and very painfully, sometimes taking years. After all, these two were the king and queen of our own little kingdom. The fact they were flawed in any way just never occurred to us. But in the case of my dad, it was different. Dad wore his flaws like a badge. Some of us are keen on hiding our flaws, and we get quite good at it, but not Dad, no siree, he just let "it all hang out." Recognizing my dad's flaws was a no-brainer, even for a 6-year-old.

A development company has been told to stick with its original, scaled-down plan – or something similar – for a subdivision at the northeast corner of Flora Road and Boone Avenue. Spokane Valley Hearing Examiner Michael Dempsey last week denied LewRad Development's request to rezone the five-acre Summerset Estates site and approve a preliminary plat for 30 single-family homes.

For 06-12-2008

Ongoing "Catch the Reading Bug at the Coeur d'Alene Library" - Summer reading program begins Tuesday and runs through July 25. Children can pick up a Summer Reading Log at the Seagraves Children Library, on the lower level of the Coeur d'Alene Library. Participants can collect a prize for each three hours of reading tracked on their reading log. Coeur d'Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave., Coeur d'Alene. Free. 769-2315 Ext. 438.

In 1976, Elk residents celebrated with the Elk Bicentennial Days June 12 through 14 at Dishmaker Park behind the Elk VFW Post. The grand marshal for the parade was Fred Lenhart, a one-time Elk resident who won the light-heavyweight boxing championship in 1927. The event was a family gathering and reunion of past residents. The tradition carried on the following year on Father's Day weekend as Elk Pioneer Days and continues to this day. This year's event begins Friday, when the park will open for vendor set-up at 2 p.m. On Friday night, there will be an open jam featuring Schmoe on the Magic Creek Stage from 7 to 10 p.m. to welcome the vendors and festival staff. Food will be available at the park and at the Elk VFW.

Fire District 8 commissioners have decided to spend up to $290,000 to put a pitched roof on their flagship station in Valleyford, where the original flat roof collapsed Feb. 6 under a snow load. After a May 13 public hearing, commissioners authorized use of money from a bond measure voters approved in 2000. However, Fire Chief Bill Walkup said no final decision has been made to tap the bond fund.

Shoppers, start your engines. The annual Liberty Lake Yard Sale will be held Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hugely popular event boasts hundreds of yard sales in the small city. A map of participating locations will be posted online at www.libertylakeyardsale.org at 4 p.m. on Friday. Due to extreme traffic congestion, the city is restricting parking to only one side of the street on Settler, Homestead and Maxwell. Signs will be posted and the restriction will be strictly enforced. Liberty Lake police will use their bicycle patrol during the event. Spokane Valley Fire will have medics stationed in Pavillion Park with a "gator" type of ATV to allow faster response for medical emergencies in the heavy traffic.

OLYMPIA – My colleague Jim Camden wrote last week about Spokane GOP chairman Curt Fackler's decision to list no party in his run for state insurance commissioner. Fackler says it should be a nonpartisan job, and that being a Republican is not necessarily a big asset among Puget Sound voters. Here's another example of a Republican candidate apparently seeking a little distance from the brand: Mercer Island public-releations entrepreneur Valerie Chan. She filed last week to challenge Republican-turned- Democrat Fred Jarrett for a state Senate seat. The swing district includes Mercer Island and parts of Renton and Bellevue.

Spokane's five outdoor public swimming pools will open to the public on Monday and will continue on a six-day-a-week schedule through Aug. 22. Open public swimming sessions at all of the pools are from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 1 to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Family swims are held in the evenings. The morning hours are reserved for lessons, lap swims and team practices depending on the pools.

The Lands Council in Spokane is kicking off a giveaway of 17,500 compact fluorescent light bulbs starting today in northeast Spokane. The swirled tube bulbs will be available beginning tonight at 6:30 at Fire Station No. 15, 2120 E. Wellesley Ave., and at other locations throughout the city during the next several months, said Laurie Jackson of the Lands Council.

The Downtown Spokane Heritage Walk, a project of the City-County Historic Preservation Program and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, the Spokane Preservation Advocates, the Downtown Spokane Partnership, and the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, is now available as an interactive Web site including maps, pictures and historic information. The site features more than 50 downtown buildings as well as information on the historic districts and an overview of Spokane history.