Washington Voices

Court records show Spokane Valley City Council candidate Dean Grafos admitted in 1983 that his mobile home business “knowingly and willfully” committed four federal felonies. Newspaper clippings about the court case, in which Grafos wasn’t personally charged with any wrongdoing, were delivered to The Spokesman-Review by a supporter of incumbent Councilman Ian Robertson.

The 11th annual Hope House luncheon on Oct. 30 will include local celebrities. The event at the DoubleTree Hotel, 322 N. Spokane Falls Court, will begin with wine tasting and a silent auction at 11 a.m.

RIVERSIDE – Six Spokane women are expected to be honored for service and leadership on Wednesday at the annual YWCA Women of Achievement benefit luncheon at the Spokane Convention Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The 2009 award winners include: Joan Menzies, director of student affairs at Washington State University Spokane, winner of the Carl Maxey Racial Justice Award; Kristina Ploeger, artistic director of the Spokane Area Children’s Chorus, winner of the Arts and Culture Award; Judy Cole, Avista’s director of business and public affairs, winner of the Professional Award; Dr. Katherine Tuttle, medical and scientific director at Providence Medical Research Center/Sacred Heart Medical Center, winner of the Science Award; Mima Scarpelli, Volunteer Community Service-leadership gifts division chairwoman, YWCA/YMCA Capital Campaign Committee; active community volunteer and nonprofit board member; and Nhung Tran, senior at Rogers High School, winner of the Young Woman of Achievement Award.

CHENEY – The Cheney High School Equestrian Team Spaghetti Feed and Kiddie Carnival will be at the Cheney Rodeo Grounds Clubhouse on Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. Carnival activities include a cake walk, a petting zoo, pumpkin and face painting and prizes. Adults can enjoy a silent auction.

SPOKANE VALLEY – The Spitfire Pub and Eatery, 6520 E. Trent Ave., is showing its support for Breast Cancer Awareness month with Pink Night on Friday, from 4 to 8 p.m. Hug Love Save, known for its BOOBIES – Hug Them, Love Them, Save Them T-shirts, has teamed up with the Spitfire Pub to offer all BOOBIES merchandise, pink drink specials, tattoos by DJ at Skin Candy Tattoo and live music by Dean Smith, to raise money for breast cancer research.

SPOKANE COUNTY – On Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Friends of the North Spokane County Library will have a semiannual used book sale at the library, 44 E. Hawthorne Road. The sale will include paperback books for 50 cents and hardback books for $1. Books on tape, DVDs, CDs, and VHS tapes will also be for sale.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Bethany Presbyterian Church and Emmanuel Metropolitan Community Church will present a Festival of the Reformation Joint Worship Service and Oktoberfest Celebration Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Bethany Presbyterian Church, 2715 S. Ray St. The event will feature live music, the Lincoln Heights Community Choir, Oktoberfest sausages and beverages. Although the service will be held indoors, the festivities will take place outside on the lawn, so dress warm.

One can only hold one’s curmudgeon hormones in check for so long, so be forewarned, they’re surging today and I’m taking no prisoners. Proceed at your own risk. I so dearly wish that Kate and Jon Gosselin will fall quickly into that deep pit of ignominity and obscurity that they so richly deserve. And while we’re at it, may so-called reality shows die a quick and brutal death and may the magic wand that Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones use in the “Men in Black” films erase the memories of people who have had experiences with aliens and may it be employed to mercifully and forever remove the memory of reality television from our minds.

Oct. 12-18 $50,000

The fourth annual Think SWING! Jazz and Blues Festival will be Saturday at the Lincoln Center, 1316 N. Lincoln St., in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The three-session event is appropriate for all ages. Dinner will be catered by the Glover Mansion and will include gumbo, jambalaya and étouffée.

The Airway Heights City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday night to name the park in the Sunset Crossing development Cleveland Park, in honor of the late Sunset Elementary School teacher Terry C. Cleveland. Cleveland’s family, including his wife Renee and son Chuck, as well as former students, were on hand for the city council meeting.

Like an orchestra after a discordant warm-up, Spokane Valley’s police contract players began hitting the same notes at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “Go figure,” Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said afterward, smiling.

The River District Specific Area Plan passed the Liberty Lake City Council Tuesday night after council member Neal Olander waged a futile, last-ditch campaign to increase park sizes in the district. The council was in the midst of discussing parks, the 12th of 14 disputed issues in the SAP, during the previous city council meeting and abruptly ended the meeting near 11 p.m. with two motions still on the table. One, proposed by Patrick Jenkins, was to accept that compromise between city staff and Greenstone Corp. to increase the size of Orchard Park from eight acres to 10 and change West River Park from seven acres to five.

Three area residents and Rogers High School alumni were recently inducted into the Rogers Walk of Fame. The following are biographies of the 2009 inductees, Wayne D. Anderson, Wayne G. Fleming and Larry F. Nielsen.

For 10-22-2009

For 10-22-2009

For the week of Oct. 26-30: Monday – Option 1: Polynesian pork, steamed rice, green beans, carrots, dinner roll, cookie. Option 2: Chicken sandwich, tomato basil soup, cookie.