Washington Voices

The Central Valley school board will have a public hearing Nov. 13 to discuss whether the district should sell 23.85 acres of surplus property. The land sits just east of Liberty Lake Elementary School. The district could sell the land to the city of Liberty Lake for $10 for use as play fields for local kids. If the district finds it needs the land in the future, it has the option of buying it back at the same price.

Witches and goblins, ghosts and ghouls will have a frightfully good time at the Mead High School orchestra’s Halloween Spooktacular Carnival and Concert at 6 p.m. Monday in the school’s theater, 302 W. Hastings Road. Visitors are welcome to join in the costume contest and play carnival games. The carnival is at 6 p.m., and the concert begins at 6:45.

A recent report stated that Antarctic sea ice covered its largest area recorded since satellite mapping began in 1979. The new record is 19.44 million square kilometers as of Oct. 6. The September 2012 monthly average of Antarctic sea ice was likewise a record at 19.39 million square kilometers. The record sea icepack in Antarctica was a big contrast from this year’s record summer melt of sea ice in the Arctic.

Today Waste-to-Energy Facility Tours - Walk-in tours of the Waste to Energy facility will not be offered from November through February. Tours for groups of 10 or more will still be scheduled according to staff availability. Call to schedule a group tour. Walk-in tours will resume March 6. Spokane Regional Solid Waste System, 2900 S. Geiger Blvd. (across from the Washington State Patrol). Free. (509) 625-6521.

Did you grow Blue Lake pole beans this summer? Did you end up with stringy, flat beans instead of nice tender, plump ones? You aren’t alone. And no one really knows why. The Blue Lake bean has been a mainstay of both commercial canning production and home vegetable gardens for decades. It was originally cultivated in the Blue Lake District outside Ukiah, Calif., in the early part of the 1900s. By 1923 the bean had found its way to Oregon where researchers refined the hybrid.

MANITO – Though 29th Avenue is now open to traffic after an extensive rehabilitation project, it’s going to be a while before the proposed crosswalk at 29th Avenue and Manito Boulevard will be put in. City spokeswoman Ann Deasy said in an email that the city is awaiting the results of a traffic analysis before a time frame for the crosswalk can be determined.

SPOKANE VALLEY – Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will have a Medicare education event and catered Italian dinner on Sunday at the Good Samaritan Community Center, 17028 E. Eighth Ave. Dinner will be at 6 p.m. and a speaker from Thrivent will begin sharing information about Medicare at 6:30. All members of the community are invited.

The week of Oct. 15 to 22 was fairly calm for Liberty Lake police officers, with the only arrests during the week being four for driving with a suspended license. Police were called to the 25000 block of Hawkstone Loop for a domestic violence call at 5 p.m. on Oct. 17. A woman reported that a man with whom she had a “dating relationship” hit her in the face after the two were out drinking. She told police she didn’t know the man’s last name and wasn’t sure which apartment he lived in, said Police Chief Brian Asmus. She said he lived in a ground-floor apartment in a certain building in the apartment complex.

Lottery winners in Spokane County for the week of Oct. 15-19. $5,000

With Halloween just around the corner, churches around the area are offering harvest festivals or trick-or-treat alternatives for children and families.

For 10-25-2012

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 Oct. 29-Nov. 2. Monday – Option 1: Marinated beef and vegetables, rice pilaf, steamed baby carrots with basil, whole grain roll, cinnamon apple slices. Option 2: Creamy dill tuna salad, steamed baby carrots with basil, cinnamon apple slices.