Washington Voices

News of Note Zion Lutheran Church recently collected more than 600 pairs of underwear as part of their year-long “God’s work. Our hands.” project. The underwear will be donated to the Mission Community Outreach Center.

Badminton – Monday-Thursday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Spokane Valley HUB, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. $2 per person, per session. Equipment provided. Call (509) 570-2875 or (509) 570-3354 for more information. Billiards – Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Spokane Valley Senior Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place. Call (509) 926-1937 for more information.

For the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 2. Monday – Option 1: Swedish meatballs with rice, steamed vegetables, roll, fruit.

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 someone you know needs help, contact a local social service agency provider.

The Spokane Valley City Council approved allocations for outside agencies Tuesday. Four economic development organizations and 13 social services agencies requested $341,620 – but there was only $107,000 available for distribution, as $43,000 had already been award to Greater Spokane Incorporated.

Camp Fire USA Inland Northwest Council - Opportunities are available to be a club co-leader in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area. Contact Marcia Asmussen, program coordinator, at (509) 747-6191. Camp Dart-Lo - Volunteers are needed to help with minor repairs and finish work. The camp is in need of lumber, siding, trim, screws and nails. Contact Executive Director Steve Jurich at (509) 747-6191 or sjurich@campfireinc.org.

Citizenship Course – Offered by World Relief Spokane, 1522 N. Washington St., Suite 204. For more information, call (509) 484-9829. Employment, Education and Training – For Spokane County residents who have been laid off from work or have low income; provided through WorkSource Spokane. Call (509) 532-3120 or visit www.wa.gov/esd/spokane and click on “job seekers.”

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. Donors who can deliver items are especially appreciated. If someone you know needs help, contact a local social service agency provider.

Today Books are Fun Fundraiser - Items for all ages at discounted prices. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank. Open to the public. Rock Pointe East, 1313 N. Atlantic Ave. (509) 953-3246.

SPOKANE VALLEY – CenterPlace Regional Event Center is turning 10 years old this month. There will be a celebration from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place, featuring a short program about the center, as well as refreshments, tours and live music.

SPOKANE – The city is changing the way it’s sending out utility bills this fall. Bills will be addressed to the owner or manager of a property, instead of to tenants or “current occupant.” The city is asking customers to provide basic information – the name of the property owner, the address of the property, a mailing address if it’s different from the property address, a phone number and a valid email address.

Wetlands that are home to a variety of waterfowl along the Little Spokane River will get a bevy of new foliage this fall. The Feryn Ranch conservation area east of Mt. Spokane High School will host a number of volunteer groups over the next couple months, who will plant a variety of saplings and shrubs aimed at restoring the streambed of Peone Creek. The groups will work under the coordination of the Lands Council, which is using state grant money to support the project.

A bicyclist reported being hit by a car and threatened with a gun while riding down the street in Liberty Lake recently, but police were unable to locate the suspect because the man waited more than an hour to report the incident. The incident reportedly happened in the 23000 block of East Appleway Boulevard at 9 a.m. Sept. 10. The bicyclist reported that a black Audi with Oregon license plates approached him from behind and swerved toward him, striking his left arm with the side mirror, said Liberty Lake police Chief Brian Asmus.

Lottery winners in Spokane County for Aug. 31-Sept. 13. $20,000

There is a special reason to make compost this fall. This is the International Year of the Soil, a yearlong international celebration and awareness campaign to highlight the importance of soil in our everyday lives. The Spokane County Master Gardener Foundation is celebrating its importance with two free showings of the film “Symphony of the Soil” on Sept. 23 at Gonzaga University and Sept. 26 at CenterPlace as part of Valleyfest. The Gonzaga showing will be followed by a presentation by WSU professor Lynn Carpenter-Boggs; the CenterPlace presentation will include some hands-on compost activities for all ages. Come see why your seemingly worthless dead plants are really black gold. Check out Susan Mulvihill’s column in this Sunday’s Spokesman-Review, in the Today section, about other events that are part of the showings.