Washington Voices

Better city leaders are the answer Just got through reading the front page article (Valley Voice, May 9) by John Craig about Mayor Rich Munson’s possible violation of our constitutional rights, and I flashed back to my feelings of relief when I read the article about his behavior last week. My feelings were those of relief that at the last minute I changed my mind about attending the Sprague-Appleway Revitalization Plan meeting.

It’s the ruling that made a typically domestic operation take on tones of a back-ally smuggler’s ring. Since the ban on selling high-phosphate dishwater detergent in Spokane County went into effect last July, unknown numbers of otherwise-honest Washingtonians became state-hopping smugglers in pursuit of spot-free dishes. But at least it’s made a difference in one important place – the area water supply.

With the spring rains, fairy rings are making their annual return to our lawns. Fairy ring mushrooms are the fruiting body created by any one of dozens of fungi that live on rotting woody material in the soil. They are one of the oldest life forms and their simple biology has enabled them to survive millions of years of change. As a result, getting them out of your lawn isn’t going to be easy. Sorry, folks, there is no quick fix here.

Fear was evident at the April 28 hearing of the Sprague-Appleway Revitalization Project. It’s time for some good, honest conversation. A number of people feared that the city would raise taxes because the estimated cost of the Sprague and Appleway improvements was $41 million. That’s simply not true. Let’s look at the facts.

The Inland Northwest has been dealing with a potpourri of interesting weather over the last couple of weeks. On May 6, a rare tornado was confirmed in Lincoln County, just northeast of Davenport, Wash. The tornado produced intermittent damage in a four-mile path from near Davenport toward Lake Roosevelt. The tornado was rated a 0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which assigns a rating based on estimated wind speeds and related damage. The scale ranges from EF0 to EF5, with associated three-second wind gust speeds ranging from 65 to 85 mph on the low end to over 200 mph on the high end. On average, both Washington and Idaho see only one to two weak tornadoes each year. In addition to producing a tornado, that same storm evolved into what’s called a “bow echo” as it moved into Stevens County. The name bow echo comes from the fact that the storm takes on a bowed shape on the radar image (whereas a tornado is associated with what’s called a “hook echo” on radar). Storms that evolve into this bowed shape have the potential to produce damaging straight-line winds with speeds of 100 mph or more. In northern Spokane County, just south of Deer Park, a narrow six-mile swath of roof damage and uprooted trees was reported.

The full information on what budget cuts the West Valley School District will make to cover its $1.2 million shortfall aren’t known yet, but the district did announce at this week’s board meeting that 26 teachers have been told they won’t have a job next year. They account for 18 full-time equivalent positions and all were on one-year contracts that won’t be renewed. The budget numbers are still fuzzy as districts await word on how much federal stimulus money they will receive and what restrictions will be on the money. All the districts in the area that have announced staff cuts and layoffs have said they hope to actually lay off fewer teachers in the end once the true budget numbers are known.

Three ambulance companies have expressed interest in bidding for a contract with most of the fire departments in Spokane County, but one has dropped out. Spokane Valley Fire Department Chief Mike Thompson said Paramedics Plus of Tyler, Texas, said in a letter May 4 that company officials didn’t think they would have enough time to prepare a bid.

Five Spokane County businesses got into trouble recently for selling alcohol to minors during compliance checks run by the Washington State Liquor Control Board, the Spokane Police Department and the Spokane Fire Department. One business also was cited for an employee drinking on duty, which is a violation of state liquor laws. The businesses are Double Dribble, 8108 N. Division St.; Studio K Bar and Grill, 2810 E. 29th Ave., Big Super Store, 18616 E. Appleway Blvd., Casa De Oro, 2820 E. 29th Ave.; and the Blvd. House of Music, 230 W. Riverside Ave. The business cited for having an employee drinking on duty was the Casa De Oro restaurant, 4111 N. Division St.

The Cheney City Council in its regular meeting Tuesday agreed to hire Kevin Wesley of the Wesley Group to help negotiate contracts for the police and fire departments as well as dispatch employees. City administrator Arlene Fisher said the city has $20,000 budgeted for this, but doesn’t expect the city to spend more than $5,000.

Leave your hulky mobile home on a Spokane Valley street and it may be towed right out of town under legislation presented to the City Council on Tuesday. You can expect better treatment if your stylish SUV breaks down.

It was standing room only at the Central Valley School District’s board meeting Monday as district staff and teachers crowded in to hear what would happen to their jobs and programs. The district will avoid laying off teachers by not replacing 14 teachers who have resigned or retired. Twenty-nine teachers who are on one-year contracts will not have their contracts renewed. They account for 15.6 full-time equivalent positions. The one-year contracts are typically given to teachers hired to fill in for someone on leave.

Today “Project Hope” - Written, directed and performed by drama students in the Ferris High School Theatre Arts department. Show will shed light on the topic of family and intimate partner abuse and will benefit the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. 7 p.m., Joel E. Ferris High School, Paul G. Brueggemeier Hall, 3020 E. 37th Ave. $4 presale; $6 at the door. (509) 354-6006.

I understand my mother much better now. She’s been gone a long time, and I thought I pretty much knew all about her – or at least all I was ever going to learn. After all, she is tucked away in that place in my heart and mind where our shared lives reside, only revisited from time to time when an experience or get-together triggers a memory.