Voices

The Karen refugees from Burma will host a holiday celebration on Dec. 27, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will be held at the East Central Community Center, 500 S. Stone St. The festivities include Karen youth singing and dancing, speeches and food.

Bayview’s Chamber of Commerce experienced a rebirth last week, as old board of directors and officers chose not to run for re-election. A whole new slate was installed, starting with Bob Prince as president. Prince moved to Bayview about two years ago from Hayden Lake, where he served as mayor. Vice-president is Cindy Grandy, a longtime contributor to the community.

On a cold, blustery day last weekend, residents of Medical Lake packed into the warmth of Picnic Pines Restaurant, 9212 S. Silver Lake Road, Medical Lake, to win raffle items, bid on auction items and have fun for a good cause. The Friends for Children in Medical Lake have been collecting funds to help local children – ones who might not be able to afford a pair of shoes to play sports, a tennis racket to join the tennis team or be able to have presents under the tree at Christmas. They have also given away Thanksgiving baskets and are getting ready to distribute 16 or 17 Christmas dinner baskets.

Joy to the world! The Lord is come … like it or not!! “Oh, yeah? You religious people have been stinkin’ up the joint for centuries, and we’re gonna poop on your manger straw!”

North Spokane 328 W. Park Place: Enjoy the lights that are synchronized to music. Sit in your car and tune your radio to 101.5 FM and enjoy the show. The show lasts about 20 minutes and keeps playing throughout the night.

Spokane Valley officials were still stinging Tuesday from last week’s surprise announcement that Spokane County won’t plow city streets next winter. An indignant City Council braced for a future in which the county may quit providing other contractual services to the 5-year-old city.

The road to passing the 2009 budget got a little bumpy Tuesday when two Liberty Lake City Council members verbally sparred over a proposed amendment to the budget. Much of thee evening’s discussion centered on the proposed cost-of-living increase to non-union city employees, which was cut from 5.9 percent to 3.9 percent. Employees can also get an additional 2 percent step increase each year based on merit. Council member Brian Sayrs proposed a budget amendment that would give employees a 5.9 percent raise, but eliminate all merit step increases.

Larry Craig has had a better year than someone? Bruce Reed, the ex-Clinton adviser from CDA, thinks so. Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois governor, for one. Eliot Spitzer, who threw away a possible presidential run to become Client No. 9, for another. In his latest “Has Been” column for Slate online, Scott and Mary Lou Reed’s son said the foot-tapping scandal that has dogged Idaho’s senior senator for more than a year is small potatoes compared to other ones that have cropped up since. Quoth Reed: “Try as he might, Larry Craig simply can’t compete on that stage. As schools for scandal go, an Idaho sleazeball just doesn’t have the strength of schedule to top the BCS rankings while the Big Ten and Big East champs get automatic berths.” And: “Besides, Craig may be the most colorless figure to stumble into modern political scandal. The man’s harshest expletive is Jiminy God! Blagojevich and his wife curse more in one criminal complaint than Craig has cursed in his entire life.” Craig was so second rate as a scandalmeister, Reed added, that he didn’t even rate a wire-tap. Craig and Blagojevich couldn’t have been more different. In his criminal complaint, Reed notes, Blagojevich said of his Senate seat: “I’m just not giving it up for (bleeping) nothing.” In the end, Reed said, that may be the best description ever given of just what Larry Craig did. Battle of the bulge

Today Christmas Trees for a Cause – Christmas tree lot with sales to benefit Freedom House Women’s Recovery Home which is a four-month, faith-based recovery program. hot chocolate available by the fire. Open weekdays from 3-7 p.m. and weekends from noon-8 p.m. through Sunday at Prairie Avenue Christian Center, 3639 W. Prairie Ave., Hayden. 704-1110.

Today After School Specials (North) - Celebrate children’s book author Jan Brett through stories, crafts, and games. A different author will be celebrated each month. 4 p.m., North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Road. 893-8350. Free.

Spokane Valley Fire Department commissioners have curtailed their regular tax levy next year, but hope voters will renew a special levy. The special levy for maintenance and operation supplements the base levy, and has long been a major component of the autonomous district’s budget.