Washington Voices

Students in the Spokane Public Schools District need to turn in their free or reduced-price meal applications by Monday. Beginning Tuesday, students who were on the meal program during the 2010-’11 school year, but have not turned in their applications will be changed to a paid meal status. Families in the district that have not reapplied for the meal program have been notified of the deadline.

As the fall continues to advance, the beauty of the Inland Northwest is enhanced by the tremendous fall foliage. The next several weeks should provide the greatest display of color in the region. Sugar maples and birch trees often show the most color at this time of year.

Spokane’s First Church of the Nazarene, 9004 N. Country Homes Blvd., will present Christian speaker Susie Shellenberger Sunday at 9 and 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Shellenberger is an ordained minister and author of more than 50 books. She created and edited Focus on the Family’s Brio Magazine for teenage girls and has appeared on Fox News.

For 10-13-2011

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.

The city of Spokane Valley is not interested in subsidizing the city of Spokane in a regional animal shelter, the City Council said Tuesday. The council agreed to send a letter to Spokane County announcing its reluctance. Discussions have been under way for months about making the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service the animal control authority for the entire county and moving the shelter near the Spokane County Fairgrounds. The city of Spokane has said it is interested in joining, but only if its annual animal control cost of $561,000 does not change. Current estimates put Spokane’s share of the regional effort at $667,000, which would require the other cities in the agreement to make up the difference.

What she can do: Compete in the Wonder Woman Triathlon in Medical Lake, keep her class of fourth-graders at McDonald Elementary engaged and on task, supervise the busy schedules of her two teenagers. What she can’t do: Read a paperback, drive a car, see the top line on a standard eye exam chart.

Washington’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction recently dismissed charges against University High School teacher Michael Cronin after conducting an investigation into allegations that he touched a female student and a female staff member while drunk at school in 2009. The Central Valley School District issued a letter of reprimand as the result of its own investigation into the same allegations.

University High School teacher Michael Cronin was placed on paid administrative leave in August and has been sentenced to serve nearly a year in jail after being found guilty of two criminal charges in September. Additional charges from a separate incident in Pend Oreille County – resisting arrest and obstructing a law enforcement officer – are still pending.

Spokane Valley Meals on Wheels – Volunteers are needed to deliver hot meals to elderly and disabled people in Spokane Valley. Volunteers will also need to check on the well-being of each person on their route. Volunteers may choose to drive a route any day, Monday through Friday, or drive as a substitute on flexible days.

For 10-08-2011

For 10-08-2011

Attendant Care Registry – Free service matching disabled adults and children with personal-care providers; sponsored by Coalition of Responsible Disabled; (509) 326-6355. Change Point/Displaced Homemaker Center – Ideal for women and men who are making the transition from the home to the workforce because of a separation, divorce, loss of a spouse or partner, or because a spouse or partner is unable to work. Free training is provided in computers, resume preparation, job and communication skills, and conflict resolution techniques. The Change Point/Displaced Homemaker Center program is sponsored by the Institute for Extended Learning. Call Denise McKinnon at (509) 279-6065 for more information or visit www.iel.spokane.edu, click on ‘Improve Your Life’ and ‘Change Point.’

The Millwood City Council chose to move forward with two out of three pending road construction projects at its regular meeting Monday night. The projects awarded include widening Grace Avenue and Laura Road, along with the alternate project of constructing a raised intersection at Empire Avenue and Fowler Road. An additional alternate project in the bid, constructing speed humps on Bridgeport Avenue and South Riverway, was not included in the award.

Three words can pull screen doors off hinges, scratch leather furniture and cause unimaginable mayhem. Three words. Where’s. The. Squirrel.