Washington Voices

Tuesday Fairfield City Council – 7 p.m. at City Hall, 218 E. Main St., Fairfield.

Are the leaves of some of your favorite plants covered with a strange powder that makes them look like they were dusted with flour? You have powdery mildew. A number of plants are susceptible to powdery mildew, such as phlox, lupine, hazel, birch, maple, roses, lilacs, monarda, grapes, gooseberries, squash and cucumbers. Over the past couple of years here, maples have been particularly affected. Squash and cucumber plants almost always have it in the early fall when the temperatures cool and the humidity rises.

Potluck and comedy Opportunity Christian Church will continue its series of special events leading up to its 100th anniversary in 2013 on Aug. 12.

For 08-04-2012

Ballroom Dancing – Enjoy dancing and music of the ‘30’s through ‘60’s. Monday, 2-4 p.m., Spokane Valley Senior Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place. Cost is $3.50, refreshments served. Call (509) 926-1937. Line Dancing – Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Thursdays, 9-10 a.m. Spokane Valley Senior Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place. Cost is $4. For more information, call (509) 926-1937 or (509) 926-5876.

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. Cribbage – Sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., 212 S. David St. For more information, call (509) 325-3061.

For the week of Aug. 6-10. Monday – Option 1: Beef goulash with Mexicali corn, mixed vegetables, dinner roll, peaches. Option 2: Chef salad, mixed vegetables, dinner roll, peaches.

The number of calls the Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to the week of July 26 to Wednesdaywas closer to average, but there were more abnormal calls in the bunch. The department was contacted by a resident on Wednesday who said an electronic cigarette they bought a month ago had exploded, said assistant fire marshal Bill Clifford. Flaming sparks landed on furniture, but were quickly put out, he said. “They had several burn marks on their carpet and their couch,” he said. “Nobody was hurt or injured, but they could have been.”

Families are probably starting to think about back-to-school shopping – most schools have their school supply lists already available. There are folders and notebooks, No. 2 pencils, pens, crayons and erasers on the lists, among other items.

The Spokane Valley City Council took another run at a familiar topic Tuesday – animal control. Spokane County is trying to put together a new regional animal shelter under the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service with a new shelter to replace the aging facility on Flora Road. Meanwhile, the city recently put out a request for proposals for animal control services and received them from SCRAPS and SpokAnimal.

Area libraries offer storytimes for different ages. Here’s a look at some of the options: Baby lapsit

For 08-04-2012

For 08-02-2012

A request to rezone property on Conklin Road south of Broadway Avenue received final approval from the Spokane Valley City Council on Tuesday after some last-minute tweaking. The developer agreed to increase the setback from 5 feet to 10 feet around the perimeter of the project, said senior planner Mike Basinger. There was an apparent misunderstanding last week over the development agreement that includes a 40-foot perimeter in which building heights are restricted to 35 feet. Neighbors said they thought no buildings could be built in that zone and were dismayed to learn that the developer, Greg Arger, could put a two-story townhouse 5 feet from the property line.