Washington Voices

On the first day of high school, it’s common for freshmen to get lost on their way to classes. They are in a strange new school with unfamiliar hallways and new locker combinations. When Freeman High School opens its doors on Sept. 7, there will be more students than just the freshmen finding their way to their classes. The school, which has been under construction since June 2009, will be new for everyone, with modern classrooms, a larger gym and bigger, wider hallways.

Last week Spokane Valley Police Department demonstrated yet another reason why the local law enforcement community needs a gigantic enema. While they are citing motorists not wearing their seat belts and gabbing on their cell phones we have gangbangers whizzing through our neighborhoods in hopped-up Hondas modified with stolen parts while they try to keep their pit bulls from sitting on their meth.

Congregation Emanu-El, a reform Jewish congregation, will celebrate its New Year with several services at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W. Fort George Wright Drive. The first service, Erev Rosh Hashanah, will be Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

East Valley High School Class of 1963 – Oct. 15-16. Full details available at www.alumniclass.com/eastvalley. Call Karen at (509) 226-3528 or Marilyn at (509) 838-1572 for more information. Schools

The Old Orchard Theatre at the Green Bluff Grange, 9809 E. Green Bluff Road, will perform “Romeo and Harriet,” on Sept. 16 through Sept. 18; Sept. 23 through Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. and Sept. 19 and Sept. 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets for the musical tragic comedy are $12 for premium seats and $7 for general seats.

For the week of Sept. 6-10 Monday – Labor Day. Sites are closed.

If Liberty Lake loses power in the next ice storm, Liberty Lake police will still be able to function thanks to the recent installation of solar panels on the roof of the police station. The panels furnish power to the station and keep a large bank of batteries fully charged as an emergency power source.

Here it is Labor Day weekend already. Where did the summer go? Hopefully, the 70s temperatures will last through the holiday – or longer, so we could all get some ripe tomatoes. The Riverside School District started Tuesday. But hey, kids, the good news is you had three days back at school then a four-day weekend! Free breakfast is available to all students registered in the district.

Several Spokane Valley City Council members have been making a big deal out of a proposal to lower the 2011 property tax rate by 1 percent. What has been left unsaid is that the cut amounts to only one cent per $1,000 in assessed value, saving the owner of a $200,000 home only $2 a year. Councilman Dean Grafos, who has been vocal in his praise for the decrease, said it doesn’t matter that residents won’t be saving much. “I think it makes a difference,” he said. “Maybe it doesn’t make a difference to you and me, but to someone who is struggling in our city it makes a difference.”

Sometimes there really is a check in the mail, and sometimes it’s a big one. When Spokane Youth for Christ began looking at expanding its mission from West Central to Hillyard, finding funding and a new building was a top priority. That’s when an anonymous private donor gave the center $50,000 – with some strings attached.

For 08-28-2010

The Spokane Valley City Council continued its discussion about the budget Tuesday, getting an update on increases and decreases that have been factored in. The city has cut $1 million by reducing the budget by 3 percent and cut an additional $350,000 by eliminating vacant positions. The 2011 budget also includes an additional $46,000 for broadcasting the council meetings and an additional $100,000 to fund an anticipated increase in retirement costs.

Seventeen-year-old Mead High School student Benjy Migliuri recently returned from a visit to the University of Washington. While it’s not unusual for high school seniors to tour prospective colleges, Migliuri’s 10-day stay was unique and one he’d never dreamed possible. “I’m a quadriplegic from birth,” he said. “I’ve been in a wheelchair all my life.” His visit was made possible by the DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) Scholars Summer Study program. Funded by the state of Washington, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Education, the program offers disabled students a glimpse of college life. DO-IT’s goal is to increase the success of individuals with disabilities in challenging academic programs and careers.

Wednesday Rockford City Council – 7 p.m. at City Hall, 20 W. Emma, Rockford.

I am a folk hero. I’m a folk hero because I hung up on every annoying, pestiferous, political candidate robo-call I received in this summer’s primary season. And, as I deplore out-of-state politicians stumping for locals, I hung up especially hard on Sarah Palin before she could utter a “you betcha.” That was my “mad as hell” moment and I refused to take it anymore.

Early September is the perfect time to renovate a tired and worn lawn in our area. The soil is still warm from summer but the temperatures are cooling and fall rains aren’t far off. The first step is to determine why the lawn went into decline. Was it caused by poor watering practices, landscaping that has grown to shade once sunny areas or heavy use that compacted the soil? Renovating it won’t help if you don’t fix the underlying problems first.

SPOKANE VALLEY – The weather may be cooling a bit, but two Spokane Valley pools are still open for business. Swimmers who want to check out Valley Mission Pool need to hurry, however. The pool at 11123 E. Mission Ave., will be closing on Sunday. Those determined to stay in the water as long as possible can then visit the Terrace View Pool at 13525 E. 24th Ave., until it closes on Labor Day, Sept. 6. Admission is $1 per person and children under 5 are free with a paying adult. On weekends one child under 12 will be admitted free with each paying adult.