Washington Voices

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.

For 05-24-2014

Sometimes, when you least expect it, a piece of Spokane’s history appears in, of all places, a garage. In 1987 we were newbies to Spokane and bought a home in the Kokomo subdivision in Spokane Valley. It was a different house, some would even say a tad unusual. At the time, the prior owner regaled us with a tale about the builder/architect who built several homes in the area including the home we were buying. “This is the home he built for his family,” he proudly said.

Now that apple trees are finishing blooming, it’s time to consider how to handle codling moth and apple maggot so you don’t end up with wormy apples. Codling moth adults are about 3/4 inch long with mottled gray wings tipped with coppery brown. They start appearing two to three weeks after the tree reaches full bloom. When the moths emerge, they will lay about 50 to 60 eggs on apple tree leaves, branches and fruit. The larvae, which are pinkish white with brown heads, will feed on the tree as they move to the tiny new fruit. They burrow into its core leaving a frass-filled hole on the fruit skin. The larvae feed on the protein rich seeds for three weeks and then leave the fruit to pupate on the tree or ground for two weeks before beginning the cycle again. Here in the Northwest we can get two to three generations a year which makes control necessary throughout the fruit season.

A representative from Inland Empire Paper Co. told the Millwood City Council the business wants to be excluded from the Spokane County agreement for a regional solid waste program if the city decides to sign on. Environmental manager Doug Krapas voiced his company’s opposition to the current county deal during a special council meeting Tuesday.

Philip Howard, a senior at Central Valley High School, has been awarded the Children of Warriors National President’s Scholarship from the American Legion Auxiliary. Winners of this scholarship must be a daughter, son, grandson, granddaughter, great-grandson or great-granddaughter of a veteran of the Armed Forces. Applicants must all complete 50 hours of community service during high school.

During a routine traffic stop on May 13, a Liberty Lake officer noticed that the female passenger seemed scared. The driver of the car said that the two had just come from a local casino. The passenger told the officer that the man takes her to the casino and buys her drinks and pays for her gambling if she has sex with him, said Police Chief Brian Asmus. She told the officer that the driver was “forceful” and she didn’t want to stay with him.

The Millwood Farmers Market will open for its eighth season Wednesday in the Millwood Community Presbyterian Church parking lot, 3223 N. Marguerite Road, from 3 to 7 p.m. The market will be open every Wednesday through the end of September. Items for sale include fresh produce, local meats, artisan breads and other goods.

New listings Medical Lake High School Class of 1964 - June 20. Information on classmates is requested. Contact Ilse Box Long at omalong1900@gmail.com.

For the week of May 26-30. Monday – Closed in honor of Memorial Day.

Score one for neighborhood activism. Widespread opposition to a proposed land-use change that would have allowed large apartment buildings in a mostly rural Spokane Valley neighborhood helped spotlight enough concerns that the Spokane Valley City Council on Tuesday blocked the request from advancing to formal consideration. The 6-1 vote marked a rare developer rejection for a council that prides itself on being “business friendly.”

For 05-24-2014