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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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News >  Washington Voices

Week in review

Fire District 2 (Fairfield) – Commissioners met with a representative from Advanced Communications to discuss different radio options available when the district uses grant money to purchase new radios. No decision was made. (Source: Chief Jason Laulainen) Fire District 8 – Commissioners recognized Capt. Michael Lightfoot, who has 25 years of service, with the 2008 Commissioners Award. Work is ongoing at Station 82 and includes mold remediation. A rescue pumper ordered is nearly complete. The district plans to hire two new paramedics this month. (Source: Administrative Assistant Carol Trescott)
News >  Washington Voices

ALS group to honor Valley woman

The local ALS Association will honor Jenny Hoff, a Spokane Valley woman who has lived with the disease for three years. Hoff has made public speaking engagements to area schools and on local radio and television stations, educating students and the community about the neurodegenerative muscular disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
News >  Washington Voices

Artful bra exhibit aims to lift cancer awareness

It’s loved and hated by women around the world. It lifts and divides, controls and contains, enhances and shapes. A good one fits without creeping up or sliding down, without leaving bulges and marks. A bad one feels like barbed wire. Of course, the subject is the bra. A handful of creative designs will make their debut in support of breast cancer awareness at this weekend’s Women’s Show at the Spokane Convention Center.
News >  Washington Voices

Artist takes viewer across threshold of the mundane

A door is just a door and a window is just a window. Or are they? Darlene Pucillo’s series of oil paintings called “Portals” are linear yet flowing depictions of windows, doors, archways and steps. Simple in composition, the series illustrates Pucillo’s ability to take a subject that seems uncomplicated and turn it into a catalyst through which a viewer could question his/her own path in life. “To me the portals symbolize change,” Pucillo said, “a spiritual search upwards.”
News >  Washington Voices

Businessman teaches consumers to give back to the grid

Watching an electric meter spin backward is more thrilling than it may at first sound. Just ask Eduard Ribic, who’s been doing it for nearly 30 years now. In that time Ribic has built up Ribic’s Wind and Solar, a small operation specializing in wind, solar and small hydro power systems located off Highway 2 just east of Airway Heights. “This is a great area for alternative energies,” said Ribic. “It’s very open on the plains and you’ve got both sunlight and a lot of wind.”
News >  Washington Voices

Business tops for teens in Hillyard

When picking out fabric for summer T-shirts, bamboo is not an obvious choice – cotton is more like it. But at Blue Button Apparel in Hillyard, a small nonprofit that employs and mentors neighborhood teens, bamboo is top of the line.
News >  Washington Voices

Community services

Free GED Preparation and Testing – For low-income dropout youth age 17-21 in Spokane County; call Next Generation Zone, 532-3040. GED Preparation – Ages 19 and up at many sites in Spokane; call the Community Colleges Institute for Extended Learning Adult Basic Education, 533-4600.
News >  Washington Voices

Consignment event features kids items

Just Between Friends Franchise Systems will have a consignment event at the Spokane Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St., on Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundayfrom 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The sale will include clothing for infants through juniors, layette items, baby equipment, children’s furniture, toys, hats and shoes.
News >  Washington Voices

Council OKs business licenses for Cheney

After lengthy discussion and a last-minute amendment the city of Cheney’s new business license ordinance was passed 6 to 1 following a third reading during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Under the ordinance, business licenses will be free in 2009. Businesses registering this year will pay $15 in 2010 and $30 in 2011. Certain businesses will be exempt, such as temporary craft booths, and accredited public or private schools and universities, and a reduced fee will apply to businesses making less than $12,000 a year.
News >  Washington Voices

Council relaxes airport zoning

A divided Spokane Valley City Council agreed Tuesday to relax tough airport zoning restrictions they adopted in 2006 to protect Felts Field. The regulations, based on state guidelines, were the most restrictive in Spokane County and essentially prohibited fill-in construction in residential areas close to the airport. Some property owners complained that they had paid for sewer and water stubs for houses they could no longer build.
News >  Washington Voices

CV gets community input on district budget

The budget deficit clouds were looming Monday night as the Central Valley School District board of directors examined information about coming budget cuts. New estimates put the cut somewhere between $1.2 million and $3.4 million for the 2009-’10 school year. The district held four community meetings and two staff meetings in March to ask the public to rank what’s most important to them. With input from a total of 369 people, the clear winner was classroom instruction .
News >  Washington Voices

Despite the need, it still feels like betrayal

Maybe you have been one of the unfortunate adult children who have had to consider moving your parent to a care facility against their will. Or, maybe you will be in that boat someday. You can read up on doing the dirty deed, get advice from others who have done it or even watch it being done by others. Nothing will prepare you sufficiently for the task. Parents are all different. Moods are different. Relationships are different.
News >  Washington Voices

Education notebook: ‘Seussical’ chronicles who’s who of Whos

The advanced musical theatre class at Lewis and Clark will entertain one and all when they perform “Seussical the Musical,” April 30 through May 1 at 7 p.m. The entertaining show includes storylines from more than 20 of Dr. Seuss’s works with music and songs by his most memorable characters, such as the Cat in the Hat, Horton, Thing 1, Thing 2, and more, while visiting the houses in Who-Ville and the Jungle of Nool.
News >  Washington Voices

Family calendar

Today Breakfast of Champions - Third annual event presented by the Chase Youth Foundation in cooperation with Our Kids, Our Business. Celebrating the accomplishments of the Commission, honor champions of youth and raise funds to support programs that empower the youth of our community. Featuring speaker Marguerite W. Kondracke, president and CEO of America’s Promise Alliance. Contact chaseyouthfoundation@gmail.com for more information. 7-8:30 a.m., The Lincoln Center, 1316 N. Lincoln St. $35. (509) 473-4827.
News >  Washington Voices

Feature Creature: Kyla

Sweet, outgoing girl – this cat has it all. She came in with her sister, who is a dilute tortie. If you are interested in adopting this cat or any animal from SCRAPS, come to 2521 N. Flora Road in Spokane Valley. Cat adoptions are $62.70 and include microchip, first set of vaccinations, health check, spay or neuter and license.
News >  Washington Voices

Fig Tree sticks close to its roots

The stories are of a holocaust survivor looking back at her childhood years spent hiding in Nazi Germany, about a woman who finds inspiration for environmental activism in her faith, and about how a campus ministry reaches out to students through family style dinners. Long and short, personal or general, to editor Mary Stamp the stories in The Fig Tree newspaper all have one thing in common: they are sacred.
Opinion >  Column

Front Porch: Muskrat fire could be hard on the diagram

Having carped here long and loudly about the misuse of words, I thought I would try to stretch myself and see if I could find something good to say about language and its usage today. Sure, there are politicians and teachers and a few others who are wonderful orators and who use language well, but my self-inflicted challenge is to say something nice about modern-day speech in general.
News >  Washington Voices

His illnesses bring couple closer

For Rick and Jaime Wallace, the words “in sickness and in health” have taken profound meaning. When they spoke those words on their wedding day 12 years ago, the 19-year-old bride and 20-year-old groom couldn’t have imagined the devastating series of illnesses Rick would endure. They met through music. “We were in band together at North Pines Middle School,” recalled Jaime. Later, at University High School, band reunited them. “I played the flute, and Rick was in the drum line.”