Voices

Spokane Valley officials were still stinging Tuesday from last week’s surprise announcement that Spokane County won’t plow city streets next winter.

Student body presidents at North Idaho College are falling faster than gas prices this fall. According to the North Idaho College Sentinel, President Austin Folnagy resigned Oct. 21, and his successor, former VP Jude de Tar, followed suit this week – both citing “personal reasons.” Reportedly, Folnagy, De Tar and ASNIC senators were part of a school-sponsored trip to Portland. Which apparently is at the center of the shake-up. The Sentinel uses an unnamed source to go further than Huckleberries is prepared to do re: a possible reason for Folnagy’s resignation. You can go online to read it for yourself ( www.nicsentinel.com). Otherwise, nobody’s saying nothing about nothing. Meanwhile, Jack Vanderlinden appears to be the beneficiary of the two resignations. Vanderlinden was appointed to the open VP spot when Folnagy resigned and now is in line to appoint a new VP if he decides to become president. Now, let’s start the music again and see who’s left without a chair next time it stops. Spic ’n’ Span

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!”

When the holiday season has come to a close and it’s time to take down your fresh Christmas tree, the students at Lake City and Coeur d’Alene high schools will have the tree recycling resources you’ll need to dispose of it safely. The LCHS football team will pick up trees for a donation, or for a smaller donation trees may be dropped off at the school on Jan. 3 and 10.

A Spokane Valley dog house was destroyed by fire Dec. 4, but the occupant escaped. “No injuries, and I don’t have an estimate of value,” Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Clifford said.

There’s no shortage of Christmas pageants, concerts and other events in Spokane Valley this week, so make your plans to attend a few and boost your Christmas spirit. • The choir at Opportunity Presbyterian Church will perform the cantata “Night of Wonder, Night of Joy” during the 9 and 10:45 a.m. worship services on Sunday. There will be even more singing at 6 p.m. Sunday at the church’s “Singsperation” event featuring Christmas carols. Those attending the evening event are invited to bring Christmas cookies to share, decorate and eat. The church is at 202 N. Pines Road.

The East Valley School District board of directors took two giant steps forward Tuesday, raising the amount they will ask voters to approve for a replacement maintenance and operations levy to offset state budget cuts and taking a third chance at passing a construction bond. Both issues will be on the Feb. 3 ballot. Gov. Chris Gregoire cut the levy-equalization money school districts receive by 3.4 percent in November. East Valley is going on the assumption that more will be cut and redrafted its proposed levy to replace almost all of it. “We’re not going to be asking for that full amount,” said board member June Sine.

It can be hard to shop for little Johnny’s Christmas present when little Johnny is right there. With that in mind, the Future Business Leaders of America students at Freeman High School will host their annual Freeman Cares 4 Kids event on Sunday. Parents are invited to drop off their children for a few hours of fun while they do a little shopping.

SCRAPS follows laws on pet abandonment I am writing to you today to set the record straight.

Today “ANNIE” (MUSICAL) – 7:30 p.m., Lake City Playhouse, 1320 E. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene, 667-1323.

A Musical Holiday by the Lake will be on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Song Bird Theater, 315 N. Fourth St. The event, presented by the Northwest Sacred Music Chorale and the theater, will include music by the NWSM Chorale, The Ensemble and 12 other musicians.

Here in the Inland Northwest one could say that the apples were big, but in the Big Apple, it’s the pizza pies that have all the size queens swooning. New York style pizza is identified by its thin hand-tossed crust, lightness of sauce and use of fresh mozzarella cheese, but most notable are it’s magnificently large dimensions. In fact, even a mere slice of the stuff is so unwieldy that it’s traditionally eaten folded in half. Folding pizza into quarters or eighths is not recommended however, as one will surely end up with a hot plop of sauce and cheese on the front of their purple velour double-breasted jacket, and who can afford the luxury of dry cleaning these days?

Spokane Valley Partners is in desperate need of gifts for its annual Season of Sharing event. Every year the nonprofit gives Christmas gifts to low-income children, and this year more than 1,340 children have signed. Gifts for teens, in particular, are lacking. Suggested gifts include board games, books, dolls, scooters and other toys. Items for teens can include CDs, make-up, video games and gift cards to local stores. Donations of wrapping paper and bows are also needed.