Washington Voices

After a lengthy executive session on Monday to evaluate the qualifications and skills of deputy city manager Mike Jackson, the Spokane Valley City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Jackson acting city manager until someone can be hired to fill the position permanently. Council member Bob McCaslin was absent. The resolution allows Mayor Tom Towey to negotiate a letter of agreement with Jackson that will outline his salary and other benefits. The letter is expected to be brought to the council for its approval at Tuesday’s meeting.

On a recent evening, the lobby of the Eagles Ice Arena burgeoned with eager skaters waiting for their lessons to begin. Chattering children squirmed as parents laced up their skates, while others pressed their noses against the plastic, watching skaters skim across the ice. But children weren’t the only ones preparing for ice skating lessons. Patty Mathias, 51, laced up for her third Learn to Skate class. Eagles offers group instruction for adult novice skaters as well as private lessons.

In the garage of his home on Spokane’s South Side, Michael Larsen chips away at a large chunk of bird’s eye maple. The shape that is emerging is twisting and curving organic tubes, an intricate, almost living, entity. “I am an artist through no choice of my own. It’s a driving force guiding my hands,” he said, “I get lost while I’m sculpting and after many hours of work, I stand back and look at what has transpired. Bit by bit, piece by piece, something has taken shape.”

Since 1972, one organization has been adding the melody to mature, the swing to senior and the rhythm to retired. Funded in part by the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, Project Joy offers a wealth of musical talent. Composed of 40 acts, featuring 220 entertainers age 50 and older, Project Joy provides music and entertainment for area retirement centers, assisted living facilities and community centers.

Sandi McKinley isn’t a fairy godmother, but when formal gowns will be needed for special occasions, be it prom, Sweet 16 parties, homecoming, father/daughter dances or musical recitals, many Spokane and North Idaho residents will believe McKinley and her 13-year-old daughter, Kendall, are the next best thing. With prom season gearing up, McKinley will be working hard to answer the prayers of cash-strapped parents who want their daughters to have a memorable evening.

Honey bees aren’t the only bees out there that can pollinate our plants. There are native bees that work just as hard and with a little encouragement will set up shop in your garden. The orchard mason bee is a little smaller than a honey bee with a shiny dark blue color. It has two sets of wings held folded on its back. Unlike the honey bee, it lives a solitary life looking for small holes and narrow spaces in wooden buildings, fences and old logs and lumber to lay its eggs. Because it doesn’t have a colony to protect, the mason bee rarely becomes aggressive enough to sting. This makes it a perfect resident for the backyard.

In his quest to determine all the factors that contributed to a serious accident near the intersection of Trent and Wellesley avenues last month near Otis Orchards, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Det. Dave Thornburg shut down a section of Wellesley on Friday to conduct hours of tests. At issue was how much the application of liquid de-icer an hour before the crash contributed to the accident that seriously injured East Valley High School students Leah A. Skeen, 16, and Katie McLaughlin, 17. Skeen, the driver, had exited Trent and was heading east on Wellesley on an overpass when she lost control and slid broadside into a large metal power pole.

Even dormant bees need food and warmth to survive the chill of winter. Beekeepers dutifully tend to their hives through the winter with these priorities in mind. There are mixed approaches to addressing concerns about bee warmth in unpredictable cold weather. However, all seem to agree that keeping them fed through the winter is critical for survival.