On Saturday, approximately 190 soccer teams converged on the fields at Plantes Ferry Sports Complex for the Les Schwab Northwest Cup. Most of the players had competed in tournaments like this before, but for members of TOPSoccer, the event was a new and exciting experience. TOPSoccer, The Outreach Program for Soccer, is a national program for individuals 4 and older who have physical or intellectual disabilities. The program debuted in the Spokane area in 2006 under the leadership of Sharlene “Gus” Schmauch.
The memory of the lab school on the Eastern Washington University campus in Cheney will live on in a new garden. The Robert Reid Elementary Lab School didn’t only teach its students from kindergarten through the sixth grade – it also taught college students who hoped to become teachers. It boasted two towers in which education students from EWU and parents could observe the children in the classroom without interrupting their learning. Construction of the school began in 1958 and the school was open until June 2009.
Liberty Park United Methodist Church, 1526 E. 11th Ave., will present a free community concert Friday at 7 p.m. Musician and composer John Nilsen from Portland will perform a piano concert, “Places I Go,” which will feature his own music, some traditional hymn arrangements and stories from his life and faith.
Lewis and Clark High School Class of 1960 – Friday-Sunday. Scheduled events include a Lake Coeur d’Alene cruise on Friday; a tour of Lewis and Clark High School, grade school lunches and dinner at the Davenport Hotel on Saturday; and a brunch on Sunday. Contact Carol Ealy Capra at carolcapra@windermere.com; Janna Harris Harvey at mdharvey05@aol.com; or Carol Rigsby Wendle at (509) 535-2211 or cawendle@aol.com. Marycliff High School Class of 1960 – Saturday-Sunday. Contact Sharon Stillwell at (509) 483-1459 or Julie Pratke at juliep2104@comcast.net.
Coming up on the South Perry Blog: Soon two neighbors will hold the keys to the blog and begin posting about what’s really going on. Stay tuned for introductions. Also, proceeds from this year’s fair and parade will be donated to local charities within the next week – the blog will be there when the big checks are handed over.
The merits of forming a regional Transportation Benefit District to raise revenue for road construction received nearly an hour of discussion at Tuesday’s Spokane Valley City Council meeting, but the end of the meeting didn’t appear to bring the council any closer to a decision. Deputy city attorney Cary Driskell said his investigation showed that there are 60,000 qualifying vehicles in the city. If the city were to do its own TBD it could collect $1.2 million a year with a $20 tab fee. Other revenue options include a gas tax, property tax or sales tax. “You can use a combination of the options outlined here,” Driskell said.
There has been a lot of discussion lately about the Sprague/Appleway couplet, and it’s apparently not only the business community that has issues with it. Last week Spokane Valley Fire Department commissioners expressed concern about the one-way couplet and how it is impacting their response times. The topic came up during a lengthy meeting that covered everything from next year’s budget to the department’s plans for the next several years.
If there’s one problem with Sandpoint, it’s that there is too much to do. Between Schweitzer Mountain and City Beach, the Festival at Sandpoint and the Panida Theater, there is always something going on somewhere. In other words, if you are just spending one day, plan ahead and choose something for everyone in your family.
Project Beauty Share will have a toilet paper drive on Sept. 10 and 11, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., to benefit Anna Ogden Hall, Our Place Community Ministries, Our Sister’s Closet, Hope House, Transitions and Catholic Charities of Spokane’s St. Margaret’s Shelter and Childbirth and Parenting Assistance program. While the household item is a necessity, it is not covered by food stamps and is one of the most requested, yet least donated items to local shelters.
RIVERSIDE – Project Beauty Share will have a toilet paper drive on Sept. 10 and 11, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., to benefit Anna Ogden Hall, Our Place Community Ministries, Our Sister’s Closet, Hope House, Transitions and Catholic Charities of Spokane’s St. Margaret’s Shelter and Childbirth and Parenting Assistance program.
SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. – Volunteers who are at least 15 years old are needed to help maintain a healthy and sanitary environment for SpokAnimal’s cats. Includes assisting in cleaning litter pans, thoroughly disinfecting cages, feeding and taking time to hold, brush and play with the cats. Call Kandace Watkins, outreach and volunteer coordinator, at (509) 534-8133. Spokane C.O.P.S. – Community volunteers are needed for assistance with crime-prevention. Volunteers will receive professional training by crime-prevention agencies, police officers and officers with the Department of Corrections. For more information, visit any Spokane C.O.P.S. or visit www.spokanecops.org.
Truly beautiful gardens are a blend of plants, their setting and the heart and talent of the gardeners. All this comes together in John and Maralee Karwoski’s garden in Spokane’s Eagle Ridge neighborhood. As co-chair of the Manito plant sale and a WSU Master Gardener, Maralee knows her plants, and that means that many unique trees, shrubs, perennials and grasses find their way into their landscape. John adds his talents for building garden benches and other whimsical garden art out of old barn wood. Together their efforts won them the July Garden of the Month award from The Inland Empire Garden Club.
Howard Hickman never had a problem with his health insurance coverage. The retired Union Pacific employee and Navy veteran said he has 100 percent coverage rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs and health insurance through Union Pacific. And he has Medicare. So he was quite surprised when American Medical Response, an ambulance company based in Modesto, Calif., threatened to send him to collection over his last ambulance ride.
When Ron Franklin turned 70 years old, he got an idea. He would climb on his mountain bike and go for a ride. A mile for every year he’d been alive sounded like a good distance. And so he did.
The Central Valley School District has selected Feb. 8, 2011, as the date voters will decide on whether to approve a $70 million bond. Superintendent Ben Small told the school board at its meeting Monday that the date keeps the district on track with its capital facilities plan and could save the district money by sharing the costs of the election with the Mead School District, which will also float a bond to its voters.
