Voices

Developers would have to pay as much as $3,044 in growth impact fees for each new home they build in southeast Spokane to help pay for the new roads needed to carry traffic in that part of the city. Spokane officials on Tuesday evening unveiled a proposal to offset the cost of keeping up with growth and development by charging state-authorized impact fees to pay for roads, schools, parks and fire stations.

Groups of Post Falls School District parents unhappy with how the district has redrawn elementary school attendance boundaries have crafted their own proposals for reallocating students when a new elementary school opens this fall. District officials are listening, but making no commitments about changing their plan.

Spokane parks officials are asking citizens for help in planning new pool and park facilities under a $42.9 million bond issue approved last fall. A series of neighborhood meetings got under way this week, and more will be scheduled for next week.

POST FALLS – Calls for police service have grown by more than 50 percent over the past five years, but budget constraints have left the Post Falls Police Department unable to hire enough officers to keep pace with the city's population growth. The low-staffing situation became harshly apparent during a Jan. 18 officer-involved shooting outside Real Life Ministries church. That incident, in which a man had earlier fired shots outside the Spokane Valley Hooters restaurant, did not end with any serious injuries but it tied up all of the Post Falls officers who were on duty at the time, said police Lt. Greg McLean.

Spokane Valley officials have some hard questions about a plan to ask voters again for an emergency communications sales tax. Even with a new 10-year sunset clause on the proposed 0.1 percent countywide sales tax, some City Council members and City Manager David Mercier are skeptical.

Post Falls Church of the Nazarene – Sunday worship, 10 a.m. Wednesday family night, 7 p.m. opportunities for all ages, at the church, 308 W. 12th Ave., Post Falls. 773-4621.

Post Falls and Lakeland School Districts lunch menus for the week of Feb. 18-22. Post Falls School District

For 02-14-2008

For the week of Feb. 18-22 Monday – Barbecue beef on a bun, baked beans, coleslaw, fruit cocktail, majestic square.

The Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club will conduct U-11 and U-12 tryouts under new director Sean Bushey. All tryouts will be at Dwight Merkel Complex (North Complex), 5034 N. Assembly St. Visit www.spokaneshadow.org for the most current tryout information as location, dates and times are subject to change due to weather.

The Spokane Shadow Youth Soccer Club will conduct U-11 and U-12 tryouts under new director Sean Bushey. All tryouts will be held at Dwight Merkel Complex (North Complex), 5034 N. Assembly St. Visit www.spokaneshadow.org for the most current tryout information as location, dates and times are subject to change due to weather.

The goal of Somebody Needs You is to match donors with the specific requests of needy Spokane residents. The list of requests is coordinated by the Volunteers of America in cooperation with recognized social service agencies in Spokane. If you have an item to donate, please contact the social service agency directly.

Banner Bank and the Spokane Indians baseball team are accepting applications for five high school seniors in Spokane County to receive a $500 scholarship. The scholarship winners will be honored during a pre-game ceremony during the 2008 Spokane Indians baseball season.

Yeah, telling your kids about the birds and the bees is tough duty. Fortunately, neither of my kids asked me about strippers. At A Butterfly Moment, blogger Jen wasn't as lucky. Recently, she and her 6-year-old son were listening to morning DJs yak about pole dancing when one radio magpie observed pole dancing wasn't stripping. The femme DJ added she was fascinated by strippers. Faster than you could peel your shirt off, Jen's 6-year-old asked: "Mom, what's a stripper?" Jen responded it was something he didn't need to know right now. That, of course, triggered a whiny "but, mo-ah-om." Take it away, Jen: "I thought for a second about telling him, but how do you describe a stripper to a 6-year-old? It probably would have been OK because he would have thought it was extremely gross." Jen changed the subject to something easier, "like why the sky's blue or how to perform brain surgery." Tellingly, she titled her blog post, "One more reason to avoid morning radio." Me? I quit tuning into morning radio when KVNI dumped popular Dick Haugen during the 2006 Christmas holidays. California dreamin'

Some Spokane County residents soon will be asked to participate in a survey intended to help public officials reduce the risk of wildfires. The survey, conducted by Northwest Management Inc., of Moscow, Idaho, will ask homeowners about construction materials in their homes, proximity to water sources and other fire-safety factors.