LL Resident James Sprague places 3rd CrossFit Worlds
By Nina Culver Splash contributor
When James Sprague was in middle school, there weren’t a lot of other kids his age involved in Crossfit, a high intensity workout that focuses on building strength and endurance. But Sprague did it anyway.
He was inspired by his father, a master’s level Crossfit athlete who qualified for the world competition four times, including in 2016. “When I watched him in 2016, I said ‘I want to do that,’” Sprague said. “I definitely saw what he was doing and how happy and motivated it made him.”
Before that, Sprague said he might have been a little depressed. “I was a kid who lacked a lot of motivation,” he said. “I had trouble making friends. I just felt like I had no purpose.”
Sprague took to Crossfit quickly. He found the motivation he was looking for and pushed himself to improve constantly. He participated in his first world competition in 2017, then qualified again in 2019. In 2023 he qualified for the first time in the adult division.
While there are over 10,000 Crossfit affiliates with hundreds of members each, Sprague said only 30 athletes qualify in the adult category each year. “It’s pretty dang competitive to just make it there,” he said.
In 2023, he placed 25th, which he called a “rude awakening.” He redoubled his efforts and qualified for the 2024 competition, but was considered an underdog. He took first place. “I made an impressive
DOCKSIDE
improvement over the year,” he said. Athletes compete in between 10 and 12 events and need to be perfect in each one in order to have any hope of winning, Sprague said. “If you mess up one event, you’re out of the running,” he said.
Sprague defended his title earlier this summer, but ran into a little trouble in the second event, which was enough to knock him out of the top spot. He took third in the competition. “It just did not go as planned,” he said.
His list of stats on the Crossfit website is impressive. He can lift 550 pounds in a deadlift and 355 pounds in a clean and jerk, an Olympic style method of lifting the barbell to the shoulders before jerking it into an overhead position with locked arms. He has also run a 5K in 18 minutes and completed a 400 meter sprint in 59 seconds.
Crossfit has an event called the Filthy 50 in which athletes are timed in how fast they can finish 50 repetitions of 10 different exercises,
which include box jumps, kettlebell swings, walking lunges and burpees. Sprague’s top time is 17 minutes and 30 seconds. He has completed the Grace event, which is 30 repetitions of a clean and jerk lift of 135 pounds, in one minute, five seconds.
Sprague, who grew up in Snoqualmie and spent two years training in Naples, Florida, has been living in Liberty Lake for the last year. “We love it,” he said. “It’s just so friendly. It’s just nice.”
He keeps some exercise equipment in his dad’s garage and also has local gyms where he works out. When he’s training for a competition, he’s in the gym for hours every day. He also eats several times a day, mostly meals that are high in protein.
It’s a grueling schedule and Sprague said he’s realized that competing in Crossfit is a bit of a “selfish endeavor” simply because training is a full-time job.
“People are supporting you a lot,” he said. “You have sponsors and pit crews.”
Sprague began coaching 10 years ago. He can work it in his schedule around his training and he sees it as a way to pass on what he’s learned and help people improve themselves like he did. “I started coaching to pour back into people,” he said. “It’s exciting to me, to help people put the perfect thing together.”
Though he competes at a professional level, Crossfit can be used by anyone at any fitness level, Sprague said. The movements and weights can be modified to fit a person’s skill and athletic level, making Crossfit accessible to a large number of people. The key is the intensity of the workout.
While some of his clients are local, he does his training remotely. “I coach people worldwide,” he said. “It’s not just for Crossfit.”
Now 23, Sprague said he anticipates participating in Crossfit competitions for years to come. “I would envision doing this until my See SPRAGUE, Page 5
Contributed Photo
Liberty Lake resident James Sprague was the 2024 world CrossFit champion and placed 3rd at this years CrossFit World Championship this summer.
Council rushes library/ community center proposal to November ballot
By John McCallum
Splash contributor
Despite staff reservations and public comments voicing disapproval of such a quick move, four members of the Liberty Lake City Council voted to put an advisory vote on the Nov. 4 General Election ballot asking residents whether or not the city should fund and construct a combination library/community center at the intersection of Signal and Mission roads — also known as Town Square.
Originally slated to be discussed at the council’s July 22 meeting, the measure was postponed because council ran out of time due to discussion of another topic and time limits placed on the meeting per council rules. In order to meet an Aug. 5 deadline with the Spokane County Elections Office to make the November ballot, council rescheduled the discussion for a July 30 special meeting, during which various ballot titles and resolution language were discussed and either rejected or approved.
Based on this discussion and additional council comments emailed to him, City Attorney Sean
Boutz put together a proposed resolution for council consideration at an Aug. 4 special meeting — one day before the county ballot deadline. Council approved the measure adopting the advisory vote language at that meeting, and subsequently approved citizen appointments to the required “For” and “Against” committees.
The measure will appear on the ballot with a simple yes or no answer to the following question: “Should the City pursue the funding and construction of a new community/center and library in the City of Liberty Lake?”
Results of advisory votes are non-binding, so the council can either follow citizen direction determined by the results or disregard it and pursue their own course.
The council’s decision comes after complaints by citizens and some council members that not enough information is known about what a combination library/ community center would look like, cost or how it would be funded.
At the July 15 regular meeting, council received an overview of the “Facility Master Plan” with options for improvements to the library, City Hall and police station — of which city staff and a third-party consultant recommended option 2 that carries an estimated 7.5-year price tag of $28.7 million.
The option would move City Hall/Council Chambers to the Legacy Church building originally purchased by the city in 2022 for use as the new library — a move that could cost an estimated $5 million. Parks Department and community spaces would be moved to the current City Hall at an estimated
cost of $500,000, with public safety going to the current library building at an estimated cost of $8.7 million.
The largest portion of the option would then be the construction of a new 19,000 square foot library and 4,000 square foot community center at Town Square, with an estimated cost of between $12.93 million ––$15.62 million.
Option 1 presented to council at the July 15 meeting involved using the Legacy Church building for the new library as planned for $5.7 million, moving City Hall departments to the former library building, Parks Department to the current City Hall along with council chambers remaining there and construction of new Public Safety addition for $7.4 million — an option that would run an estimated $18.3 million over 7.5 years.
As part of the facilities presentation, staff provided feedback from a four-week-long community survey where 82% of the 772 respondents felt more community indoor gathering space was needed in the city. While supportive of the proposed community center and new library, almost all citizens speaking at the various meetings were opposed to putting the advisory vote on the November ballot and felt more time and information was needed for a responsible choice.
“Our library and our community space are too important to rush to meet a deadline,” resident Lynn Atkins said at the July 22 meeting. “There’s too much unknown information.”
“This vote is rushed,” resident Shelly Smith added. “It is a waste of time and money. This sudden change in direction (regarding the library) really reeks of a hidden agenda.”
All votes at the July 30 and Aug. 4 special meetings regarding the advisory measure — including the ballot resolution — were passed 4-2, with council members Chris Cargill, Jed Spencer, Mike Kennedy and Wendy Van Orman voting to approve while council members Dan Dunne and Annie Kurtz voted against. Councilwoman Linda Ball was not in attendance and had an excused absence.
Council approves in-house IT services
At the Aug. 5 meeting, City Council members unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance amending the 2025 budget to establish two in-house Information Technology (IT) positions in the city’s Administrative Services Department. The ordinance establishes a salary range for a full-time IT manager at $92,065 –$110,027 and a salary range for a full-time IT technician of $64,833 –$77,480.
According to staff summary statement on the budget item, establishing an in-house IT department is needed to help with the “goal of reducing cost and increasing service delivery” with the city’s budget management and development along with cyber security. While increasing the city’s budget, staff believe savings realized by moving away from contracting for third-party IT services will offset the costs to the city.
Pavement project, funding receipt, approved
As part of the Consent Agenda at the Aug. 5 meeting, approved a contract with Inland Asphalt Paving for the East Mission Avenue Overlay project. Inland was the low bidder on the project at $977,117, with an engineering estimate for the work coming in at $1,112594.
Staff requested approval for the project of $1.1 million, which includes the bid, inspections costs and contingencies and recommended the mayor sign a construction services agreement with Inland Asphalt at a not to exceed amount of $1.2 million.
Work should begin soon on the project which will replace the current road surface as well as updating existing curb ramps to bring them into Americans with Disabilities Act compliance on East Mission Avenue from East Country Vista Drive to North Molter Road. Council also unanimously approved a funding agreement with the Spokane Regional Transportation Council to receive over $1.1 million for an overlay of the road surface on North Molter Road between Appleway and Mission. The funding comes from SRTC’s Surface Transportation Block Grant program, and requires local matching funds of 13.5%.
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Continued from page 2
mid-30s, in a best-case scenario.”
Q: How did you get involved in Crossfit?
A: I got involved with Crossfit when I was tired of being lazy and depressed back in middle school. It was a conscious decision I made to change and be better. It was uncomfortable and difficult for many months, trying to undo bad habits and lifestyle choices. The gym always made me feel better and helped me find a sense of purpose again.
Q: What motivates you to stay involved in Crossfit?
A: What motivates me to stay involved in Crossfit is never turning into my past self again. I’m addicted to self-betterment and always becoming the fittest and best version of myself. If I keep training hard and pushing the needle forward, I believe I’ll never stop improving.
Q: What does an average training day look like for you?
A: The average training day for me depends on the competition season that I am in. When I’m training for a big competition like the Crossfit games, I can be in the gym anywhere from five to seven hours a day, ranging from two to three sessions a day with meals and recovery between each. It’s a fulltime job for sure. I’ll usually start with heavy strength work at the beginning of my day, followed by accessory work to strengthen small muscle groups and positions, then follow it up with conditioning. I have a pretty religious warm-up routine and cooldown routine as well.
Q: What led to your work as a coach?
A: I started working as a coach because I knew how much fitness changed my life and I wanted others to experience the same peace and joy that having a good relationship with fitness can bring. I’ve been coaching for 10 years now. It’s not my full-time job because I have to pour a lot of my energy into training and competing, but I sure do love it with all my heart. It’s like figuring out how to solve a puzzle. Every person needs a little different dosing of fitness and exercise based on their goals, needs and limitations.
Q: What is your favorite way
to rest and relax when you are not training?
A: My favorite way to relax outside of training and competing is pretty simple. I love being a couch potato with my wife and watching shows and movies. I love hanging with my brothers on the golf course, I love playing board games and dice games and card games with my friends, I love spending time in nature.
Q: What advice do you have for people considering Crossfit?
A: Some advice I have for people that are considering Crossfit is to start slow. All the advanced movements and heavy weights you see the professionals moving takes years and years to build up. You don’t have to start with all the intimidating stuff. Crossfit can simply be defined as constantly varied movement practiced at a high intensity. There are many ways to scale each movement down depending on your skill level and prior experience with athletics. It’s really not as intimidating as it looks, you just have to take one footstep at a time.
The Lookout
Cops, Cars, and Cruisers event returns to benefit Special Olympics on Sept. 13
Owners and fans of classic and creative vehicles can rev up the start of their fall by joining this year’s annual Cops, Cars and Cruisers, which is being staged again by the Liberty Lake Police Dept. The 2025 edition of this fundraiser for local Special Olympics will happen on Saturday, Sept. 13, on the MODE Campus at 2110 N. Molter Road.
The day-long show will feature bands, a tribute to first
Protect your trees from sunscald
By Dan Maus City of Liberty Lake Horticulture Division Supervisor
Have you noticed many of the trees around town with peeling or cracked trunks?
It’s not a disease or insect — it’s something called sunscald. This is a type of winter damage that causes bark to crack or peel, especially on the south-facing side of the trunk.
Sunscald happens when sunlight warms the bark during cold months and is followed by a rapid temperature drop at night. Young, thin bark trees are most susceptible, particularly newly planted trees.
In most cases, sunscald alone does not mean a tree needs to be removed — especially if it’s otherwise healthy.
How to help protect your trees:
• You can carefully prune off loose damaged bark to allow airflow. Avoid any living tissue and the tree will compartmentalize the wound naturally.
responders and the military, and special awards for some of the participating vehicle owners. Registration to be in the show is a minimum $10 tax-deductible donation to the Liberty Lake Police Foundation, with all proceeds benefiting local Special Olympics athletes. Admission for visitors is free.
Shortly after the show’s closing ceremonies, participants will make their usual post-event drive to the Stateline Speedway at 1349 N. Beck Road in Post Falls to be a part of the racetrack’s tribute that day to first responders.
Organizers are expecting a potential lineup of about 200 vehicles for this year’s car show. Last year’s Cops, Cars and Cruisers generated more than $4,000
• Do not use wound paint or sealants on sunscald. These have been proven ineffective and can trap moisture, encouraging rot.
• Wrap trunks of thin-barked trees (such as maples, lindens, and fruit trees) in the fall. Even if your tree has been affected by sunscald in the past, this can prevent recurring damage. Use breathable tree wrap during months of freezing temperatures and remove it in the spring. If left on, tree wrap can trap moisture and attract insects and disease.
• Provide winter shade by shrubs, fencing, or strategic placement when planting.
in donations for local Special Olympics.
Here’s the schedule of events for the 2025 edition of Cops, Cars and Cruisers:
• 8 to 10:30 a.m. – Car registration open
• 9 a.m. – Opening ceremonies with presentation of colors by the Dirty Bombs car club, official kickoff with Special Olympian Joseph Warner, and arrival of Spokane County Sheriff’s Office helicopter
• 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. –Participant voting open
• 10:30 a.m. – Rock School Northwest Band: No Exit
• 11:50 a.m. – Tribute to first responders and military
This lessens the day to night temperature swings in winter.
• Keep trees healthy with proper watering, mulching, fertilizing, and pest management throughout the growing season.
In the long term, selecting species less prone to sunscald and planting them with winter conditions in mind can help build a more resilient home landscape and urban forest.
If you have questions about a specific tree or would like help choosing wrap materials, feel free to reach out to me in city’s Public Works Building at 509-613-3765 or e-mail dmaus@libertylakewa.gov.
• 12:30 p.m. – Rock School Northwest Band: Quicksilver
• 1 p.m. – Participant, first responder, and military group photos
• 2 p.m. – Presentation of awards
• 3 p.m. – Closing ceremonies with the Dirty Bombs car club
• 4 p.m. – Departure for Stateline Speedway
To register your car early or to learn more about this year’s event, go to: www.evooa.org/ LLPD25ccc.htm.
For further information about Cops, Cars and Cruisers, contact John Bujosa at jbujosa@ libertylakewapd.gov or 509-4969539.
Glow Golf Tournament tees off again at Trailhead on Sept. 5
The last scheduled Glow Golf Tournament night of 2025 at Trailhead Golf Course will happen on Friday, Sept. 5. The evening outing is open to scramble teams of two to six players and will have shotgun start at 7:30 p.m.
Throughout the eight-hole course that night, golfers will find fun games such as light-up cornhole, badminton, football, and frisbees. Plus, a cart will be on the course with music and complementary refreshments and snacks.
Scores that night won’t matter as much as the level of fun you’ll have during this very different outing on the course!
Entry for the City Glow Golf Tournament is $50 per player, and check-in will be from 6:45 to 7 p.m. that evening at the Trailhead Pro Shop.
To sign up for the Sept. 5 City Glow Golf Tournament, contact golf shop supervisor Ty Burns at 509-999-3850 or tyburnsPGA@ outlook.com.
Introducing the Safety Awareness Channel
Splash news sources
2025-88007156:
THEFT
On 7/1/2025, two male suspects stole an EGO power bank from Ace Hardware. They were driving a silver Ford F-150. Both suspects were identified.
2025-88007610: SUSPICIOUS
PERSONS
On 7/14/2025, a suspicious male approached the complainant in the Home Depot parking lot stating he had lost his credit card, lived in Florida, and would exchange jewelry for money to get home. He was described as a dark-skinned male in his 40s with a black beard and a Middle Eastern accent. He was driving a white Lincoln SUV with a license plate that returned to a Toyota Sienna out of Georgia. Similar scams were recently reported in Coeur d’Alene as well.
2025-88007730: MALICIOUS MISCHIEF
On 7/17/2025, unknown suspects driving an early 2000s silver Subaru, did several donuts in the parking lot of the Hub Sports Complex. They damaged the parking
lot, flower beds, and sprinkler heads. They also lit fireworks in the parking lot.
2025-88007980: THEFT
On 7/24/2025, an Electric Company e-bike was stolen from the bike rack at McDonald’s. Currently no suspects
2025-88007516: MALICIOUS MISCHIEF
On 7/12/2025 and 7/25/2025, several vehicles and trailers belonging to Mangia were vandalized with paint. Investigation ongoing.
Officers are continuing to see a higher volume of electric scooters and Sirron Motorcycles. We have received several complaints about them and are proactively taking enforcement actions on those, we can catch. Continue to lock up your items inside your house to avoid being a victim of vehicle prowling or theft. Stay safe and continue to contact the Liberty Lake Police Department when you see anything suspicious.
Elementary Schools launch robotics program
By Nina Culver Splash contributor
Students at Liberty Creek Elementary and Liberty Lake Elementary flocked to sign up for a newly created First Lego League robotics program that launches this fall, filling nine teams with more than 60 students.
Liberty Creek Elementary, a K-2 school, will host four teams of six students each in the Explore Division, which focuses on engineering fundamentals. Liberty Lake Elementary, a grade 3-5 school, has five teams of around eight students each in the Challenge Division. Those students will design, build and code a Lego robot capable of performing various tasks.
When people hear the term Lego League, they often think of kids building Lego sets, said League coordinator Jacey Harder. “It’s not just Lego we’re talking about,” she said. “It’s robotics in Liberty Lake.”
“They have to code,” said Liberty Creek Elementary principal Alisha Alsaker. “They have to create and problem solve.”
Liberty Lake Elementary principal Jen Tesky said via email that she’s excited for students to have the chance to explore STEM concepts while developing critical thinking, teamwork and program solving skills.
The founding of the new League has been under discussion for several years. Alsaker said she began thinking of it when an informational package from First Robotics ended up on her desk. At the time, however, students were just returning to school after COVID and she needed to focus on that, Alsaker said. Still, the idea remained.
Alsaker recalls growing up with her brother and his best friend. “Looking back at it, he was very gifted,” she said of her brother’s friend. “We didn’t have programs or a robotics team for him to tap into.”
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That friend studied aerospace engineering in college and is now a rocket scientist, but Alsaker said she wonders how his path might have changed if he had more opportunities in school. “It always made me wonder, if we had these programs, how would his path have been different?” she said. “We have those same students now. What programs are we providing for them?”
Alsaker also met with people involved in the robotics program at Ridgeline High School, who expressed an interest in getting kids involved in robotics early. She knew she would need a team to help run a robotics program so she turned to Harder, who is heavily involved in the school, for advice. She sent Harder an email at 6 p.m. one night with some information about First Robotics. “By 1 a.m. I had a slide deck on how to implement it,” she said.
Harder has a military background and has organizational
management skills that Alsaker knew would be key. “We had to make sure we had someone who was really organized,” she said. “I feel like I’m playing a really small part in this. She’s the brains behind the program. Whatever we need, we can always reach out to her.”
Harder said she likes that robotics teaches social and teamwork skills and that the idea of being involved in the program from the start was attractive. “It was getting it started from scratch, a chance to build it from the ground up,” she said. “I like managing things.”
Tesky said she’s grateful for the work of Harder and volunteer Kyla Scott in launching the league. “Their efforts have laid the groundwork for a strong and sustainable program that aligns with the robotics pathway at Ridgeline High School, helping to establish a continuum of excellence and opportunity for our students well into their academic careers.”
Alsaker and Harder, along with Tesky, started recruiting sponsors
and volunteer coaches early this year. “We just sat and had lots of conversations,” Alsaker said.
“We started in mid-January and hit the ground at 100 miles per hour,” Harder said.
While it’s usually mothers who fill volunteer roles in elementary school, Alsaker was pleased to see that many of the parents signing up for coaching positions are dads. “It’s awesome to have those role models,” she said.
Harder said they recruited two coaches per team. “At this age, coaches are so important, almost harder to get than money,” she said.
Students at the two schools were asked to apply to be a part of a team. Alsaker said she was worried about how it would go. “You never know,” she said. “You don’t know if you’re going to get 150 or 20.”
“We were looking for kids who had an interest in this,” Alsaker said. “We had the perfect amount of kids sign up. We didn’t have to turn
Photo by Nina Culver Liberty Creek Elementary School Principal Alisha Alsaker sports Liberty Lakes First Lego League T-Shirts as she prepares four teams of six students from her school to enter in the explore division for the first time this school year.
anyone away.”
When they told First Washington, the statewide robotics league, that their goal was to start with eight teams, they were met with skepticism. “They said that’s never been done before,” Alsaker said. “And of course Jacey and I said ‘Challenge accepted.’”
Harder said it wasn’t any harder to launch multiple teams at once. “If you go big, there’s more buzz,” she said.
She didn’t blink when the decision was made to launch with nine teams instead of eight. Harder just told everyone they would figure it out and they did.
In addition to coaches, sponsors needed to be lined up. There is a registration fee for participating in the First Lego League, but Alsaker said she didn’t want students to have to pay it. “We wanted to be sure to pay for that registration fee,” she said. “We didn’t want that to be a barrier.”
Sponsors also pay for all the materials students need. Several local companies and organizations have stepped up to be a sponsor so far, including Bill’s Heating and Air Conditioning, T.W. Clark Construction, Alliant Insurance Services, James Zahand Consulting, Allwest, Itron, Liberty Lake Kiwanis, Avalon24 Real Estate, Idaho Central Credit Union and Hello Handpressed.
Local businesses have a vested interest in tech savvy students, Harder said. “It benefits them to have kids with a technological background,” she said.
The teams will meet once a week after school, with Liberty Lake students traveling to Ridgeline High School for their sessions. Members of the high school’s robotics team, which has earned numerous awards, will help as they are able, Alsaker said.
“They’ve come to coaches meetings to build that partnership,” Alsaker said of the high school robotics team. “We want to build a mentorship program. Our goal is to build this pipeline from first (grade) up to high school.”
Each year the Lego League has a theme, and this year it is “Unearthed” (archeology). Harder has incorporated the theme into the
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t-shirts and banners prepared for their rookie season.
Another person excited to see the development of a new robotics program in Liberty Lake is Mason Fouty, a recent Ridgeline graduate and former robotics team member. He started his sophomore year, which was just after Ridgeline opened. He ended as team captain and lead programmer.
Fouty said he is currently studying astrophysics and is building his own telescope using skills he learned in robotics. “I wouldn’t have been able to get into either of the colleges I got into without robotics,” he said.
Fouty joined the Ridgeline robotics team mid-way through his sophomore year after one of the coaches recruited him. As a student in a new school, he welcomed the chance to get involved in something. “It was enticing to get involved in a group,” he said.
The team taught him how to communicate and work well with others, Fouty said. The team members became a tightly knit group. “It’s such a social thing,” he said. “You didn’t have the option to be anti-social.”
He also considered what robotics could do for him. “There was just possibility,” he said. “It opened
gateways for me.”
Robotics is a good way to bring together kids of a like mind and help coax them out of their shell, Harder said.
Fouty said he thinks the Lego League will help get elementary students on the path to joining the Ridgeline robotics team when they get old enough. “It’s a big bridge,”
he said of the elementary program. “It’s easy to cross between the two.” Harder said she’s excited about the program. “It’s hard not to pick up on this enthusiasm,” she said. “It’s addictive.”
There have been discussions about the elementary teams presenting their robots and what they can do to other classrooms in the schools once the robots are complete, but that hasn’t been decided yet. Alsaker said she hopes doing that would inspire even more students to join the Lego League next year. “Hopefully as we get more interest we can add more teams,” she said. “Our hope is we continue to gain sponsorships. This is our rookie year. It’s really going to allow us to build a foundation and grow it for the future.”
Students, parents and sponsors were invited to a kick-off event on August 28. Weeks ahead of time Hardy started gathering supplies in her garage, having large banners printed and ordering nine jumbo Lego figurines to be adorned with team stickers. Hello Handpress created t-shirts for each team with the team name and team color.
The Lego League will meet weekly through mid-November and then there will be a culminating event in December where teams can demonstrate their robots and win awards based on how well the robots complete the assigned tasks.
Photo by Nina Culver
Lego League coordinator Jacey Harder holds up one of the team t-shirts that were designed and made special for each team by Hello Handpressed, one of the sponsors that has stepped up to help sponsor the teams this year. Each time will have a different color and logo on their t-shirts. This year the shirts are coordinated with the Lego League theme of 'Unearthed' (archeology).
Student of the Month
Ridgeline junior Libby Shuster has a passion for music and enjoys sharing it with the community and world. Libby plays the viola at Ridgeline as well as for the Spokane Youth Symphony where she received the Conductors award in 2024 and played in numerous string quartets around the community including for the seniors at Rockwood Retirement Center. This past summer Libby spent 7 weeks at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan attending a music camp and playing the viola for the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. At school Libby maintains a 4.0 GPA and is active in volunteering for the community with the Ridgeline Key Club.
Ridgeline senior Quincy Coder brings heart to both the field and to life. Quincy has been playing softball since she was 5 years old joining a club team when she was 10. Playing 1st base and right field, Quincy plays with heart and has been called the glue that holds the team together and lights up when she gets the opportunity to work with other athletes especially on days she gets to help special needs athletes when they come to Ridgeline to play a game of softball. Off the field Quincy enjoys volunteering at Champions Retreat, her aunt’s horse sanctuary in Hayden and works at Play it Again Sports. Quincy was recently invited to play for Team USA with the coach from Eastern Washington University next summer. Quincy has a 3.9 GPA and is a member of the National
Citizen of the Month
In his words, Ridgeline Principal Jesse Hardt bright Heart to the job! Mr Hardt is not only a visible presence at Ridgeline he also brings energy and a smile with him. As Ridgeline high school welcomes their students back we wanted to give a shout out to an amazing leader that helps orchestrate and coordinate the activities that make our students fell welcome and belong at Ridgeline High School. Thank you for all you do Mr Hardt!
Athlete of the Month
Jimmy McGoldrick continued family’s motorboat legacy
By Ross Schneidmiller LIBERTY LAKE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
“Little Jimmy McGoldrick, 12-year old son of Milt McGoldrick, thrilled a crowd of nearly 2,000 spectators as he flashed to victory in the Runabout Four and One-Half Mile Motorboat Race at Conkling Park on Lake Coeur d’Alene yesterday. The youth, driving Ma’s Worry in his first race, easily outclassed his more experienced rivals.”
— The Spokane Daily Chronicle, Aug. 5, 1929
The boat was a gift from his grandmother. He had received it about three weeks before the race. Since that time, he had been skimming the water of Liberty Lake where his family had a lake home. He also practiced at Coeur d’Alene Lake preparing for the event.
In a 2001 interview, Jim McGoldrick remembers his uncle advocating for him: “Uncle Ed went to Grandma and said, ‘This boy is old enough to have a boat, he needs a boat, he deserves to have a boat.’”
His grandma agreed, but when they got to the lake with the Yandt 16-foot runabout with its Evinrude Speedy Twin outboard motor, his mother wasn’t so sure. She did not want him getting hurt, but she okayed it after making him promise to wear his kapok life preserver and to be careful. Fittingly, he named the boat “Ma’s Worry.”
With his family’s history in boats, it wasn’t surprising young Jimmy would become a boat enthusiast. It all started in 1910, when his Uncle Ed hitched a team of horses to his launch to bring the “Mary Lucille” to Liberty Lake for the McGoldrick family’s first summer on Wicomico Beach. Sporting a two-cylinder, two-cycle Gray Marine engine, Ed entered the “Mary Lucille” in that August launch race. Enthusiasm built as A.E. Gallagher’s boat (the multiple silver cup winner, “Killarney”) now had competition. Unfortunately, when race day came, weather conditions were not good; the wa-
DID YOU KNOW?
• The McGoldrick Family owned the McGoldrick Lumber Mill, one of Spokane’s largest employers in the early to mid-1900s.
• Jim McGoldrick’s grandfather, J.P., the family patriarch whom Jim was named after, was one of the original 50 investors in the Northwest-based General Insurance Company of America, which formed Safeco Insurance. Today, Safeco Insurance, along with its parent company Liberty Mutual, is one of Liberty Lake’s largest employers.
Jimmy McGoldrick was age 12 when he captained his boat, “Ma’s Worry,” to a victory on Coeur d’Alene Lake in the summer of 1929. He had put the boat through its paces practicing at his family’s home on Liberty Lake.
ter was unusually rough on the west side of the course. Not favorable for fast time, the “Mary Lucille” and “Killarney” were withdrawn from the race. Though disappointed, Jim’s Uncle Ed was now turned on to the sport of boat racing.
The McGoldrick family, supporting Ed with his new passion, traveled to Portland, Ore. The Willamette and Columbia rivers near the city were fast becoming a hot spot for motorboat racing on the West Coast. There, they saw boats sporting the latest in hulls designed to displace less water, moving the boat faster. They came home with a three-cylinder launch, the “Comet,” which had been successful in the river races. Ed entered the boat in Liberty Lake’s 1912 Regatta and brought home top honors and a silver cup.
If having a family legacy wasn’t enough to create a fascination in motor boating, the McGoldrick’s neighbor at Liberty Lake was. Joe Pedicord, a gold cup hydroplane racer, had a summer home next door. Many years
his senior, Pedicord enjoyed the young McGoldrick’s help with everything boats and motors. He was a pioneer in the home building of speedboats, naming them the “Peddy Boy,” “Peddy Boy II” and the “Peddy Boy Junior.”
Like Joe Pedicord, whose boat names started the same and ended with which edition it was, Jimmy’s first boat was followed by Ma’s Worry II, III and IV. Jimmy was skipping over the waves of Liberty Lake more than his mother was paying attention to his boating abilities. This author had an opportunity to visit with Jim and his wife of 72 years, Milaine, in the summer of 2012. She explained that her parents, Scott and Edith Jones, also had a summer home along Wicomico Beach when she was growing up. Jim was a few years her senior, but she knew who he was and observed from a distance his love of boating. They became high school sweethearts at Lewis & Clark in Spokane and married about six years later in 1940.
Both very active in various pursuits, they shared the passions of boating as well as flying, with each being a licensed pilot. Together, they acquired a vintage boat collection equaled by few but envied by many. Both Jim and Milaine are gone, Jim in 2012 and Milaine last year. What began at Liberty Lake, then Coeur d’Alene Lake and the Pend Oreille River continues today with their family – a love and appreciation of boats and those who taught them how.
Ross Schneidmiller is president of the Liberty Lake Historical Society.
• Milaine McGoldrick’s grandfather, Arthur D. Jones, at one time owned nearly all the land between Liberty Lake’s north shore and the current location of the Liberty Lake Fire Station. The north side was commonly called Jones’ Beach.
• Conkling Park was a well-known resort at the head of Coeur d’Alene Lake near the mouth of the St Joe River.
• For more than 50 years, the lakefront where the Coeur d’Alene Resort now stands was home to the Yandt Boat Works. Starting in 1915, they built over 75 boats specializing in fast runabouts and the water taxi trade.
• Before 1900, life jackets were made from cork and balsa. After that, a material called kapok became popular as the fill material for life vests. Kapok is a vegetable fiber found in tropical tree pods. The kapok fiber was sealed in plastic packets to prevent exposure to water.
• The Liberty Lake Motor Boat Club held the first races of its kind in 1907 at the lake. The course went around the lake, covering four to five miles. These boats, commonly called launches, were capable of speeds up to 10 miles per hour. The race entries were made up of the resort tour-
ing boats and resident-owned launches. The race was handicapped as to allow a fair but competitive race. The handicap allowed race officials to compensate for fast or slow boats in final results and to award the race to the boat with the highest achievement rather than the quickest time. The motorboat club awarded silver cups to the top three finishers. On an unusually rough day, as was experienced in August of 1910, the scratch boats, those with no handicap, would have a hard time winning even though they crossed the finish line first.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LL HISTORICAL SOCIETY
3. Consider our climate:
• Spring is a rainy season (March-June)
• Water between 7p and 9a to avoid evaporative losses
• Turn o system during high winds • Established lawns only need 1.5” per week — www.epa.gov/watersense
By Nina Culver Splash contributor
Play it Again Sports Store opens on Sullivan
Spokane Valley sports enthusiasts have a new option when it comes to the sometimes expensive equipment needed to pursue their passion. A new Play It Again Sports franchise has opened at Sprague and Sullivan, offering new and gently used sporting equipment of all types.
Co-owners Jessie and Heather Willmon spent several weeks of the summer with their doors only open to those wanting to sell equipment before they opened their doors fully on August 21. Jessie Willmon quit his day job to run the store and signed up two of his three children to help staff the front desk. “I jumped into this completely,” he said.
Willmon was heavily into sports when he was in school and his children continued that tradition. “I had three kids who played every school sport,” he said. “We were constantly on the move, constantly buying things.”
He and his family lived on the west side of the state for years and Willmon often turned to a local Play It Again Sports store to purchase the equipment his children needed. He worked in outside sales and took a job in the Spokane area, bringing his family with him.
Willmon, who has been involved in baseball and/or football for 40 of his 47 years, saw opening a local franchise as a way to turn his passion into a job and “see how it goes.” “We’ve always talked about it,” he said. “It’s important to get kids out playing without worrying about the cost of it. Spokane Valley is good for that.”
The timing was right to do it now because his youngest just graduated from high school. “We are no longer going from field to field, practice to
practice,” he said.
About $4,000 worth of equipment on his shelves came from his own garage as he cleaned out equipment his children will no longer use. “My daughter’s last bat was $500,” he said.
Willmon has been working to open his franchise location for months. He found a spot in the strip mall on the southwest corner of Sprague and Sullivan that offers 5,200 square feet of space, including 4,000 square feet for the sales floor.
Willmon said one reason he liked the location is because it is near several high schools, including one just a few blocks down the road. “We went with it because it’s centrally located in the Valley,” he said. “We’re in a high traffic area. There’s lots of parking.”
He spent only six weeks buying equipment, defying the expectations
www.hubsportscenter.org
of his parent company. “We have to do nothing but buy until we hit a certain amount,” he said. “They say 8-12 weeks. It went way faster than anyone thought.”
Interest in the new store has been high. The business’s Facebook page has gotten 1.2 million views since it launched in April. “It’s absolutely insane,” he said.
People can find just about anything they need inside his store. There’s equipment for camping, hiking and biking. Several kayaks line one wall. There are cleats of all sizes, balls, bats, gloves, motocross equipment, hockey equipment, tennis racquets, skateboards, disc golf equipment, boxing gloves and much, much more.
There’s also a very large selection of golf clubs. There’s even exactly one unicycle. Willmon said about 60 percent of his stock is used while the
rest is new.
Willmon has a swing cage tucked in one corner so people can use it to try out bats and golf clubs before they buy them. He’s not sure if it will help sales or not, but he’s giving it a try. “If we find out people don’t want it, we’ll pull it out,” he said.
His collection of cleats is fairly large. Willmon said he knows they are expensive. “I’ve got brand new cleats for $20 that we got from a guy who bought them at auction,” he said.
A section of one wall has several shelves of ice skates. “We have an ice skate sharpener, which is apparently a big deal,” he said.
Willmon said his store is always looking for more equipment. He pays either in cash or with store credit. “Any time we’re open, we’re buying,” he said.
There are also times when people donate old equipment. That’s kept in bins in the back to be given away to young players who can’t afford to buy even used equipment, Willmon said. “We have free equipment,” he said. “That’s supplied by people coming in.”
Giving back and making sports accessible to everyone regardless of their ability to pay is important to Willmon, whose own family didn’t have a lot of money to spare for his sports equipment when he was a child. To that end, he’s also looking for sports teams that his business can sponsor.
His store employs 13 people, including himself and his family. Many are part-time employees who are still in high school, but Willmon said he’s willing to work around their sports schedules. Their backgrounds make them knowledgeable about the equipment Willmon sells. “They’re all athletes of some sort,” he said. “We have several 15-year-olds working for us. It’s hard for them to find jobs.”
Play It Again Sports, located at 15412 E. Sprague Suite 12, is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Photo by Nina Culver Play it Again co-owner Jessie Willmon with a variety of used sports equipment that is available in their new location at Sprague and Sullivan. Play it Again
Phone and Internet Discounts Available to CenturyLink Customers
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission designated CenturyLink as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier within its service area for universal service purposes. CenturyLink’s basic local service rates for residential voice lines are $32.00 per month and business services are $48.50 per month. Specific rates will be provided upon request.
CenturyLink participates in the Lifeline program, which makes residential telephone or qualifying broadband service more affordable to eligible lowincome individuals and families. Eligible customers may qualify for Lifeline discounts of $5.25/month for voice or bundled voice service or $9.25/ month for qualifying broadband or broadband bundles. Residents who live on federally recognized Tribal Lands may qualify for additional Tribal benefits if they participate in certain additional federal eligibility programs. The Lifeline discount is available for only one telephone or qualifying broadband service per household, which can be either a wireline or wireless service. Broadband speeds must be at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload to qualify.
A household is defined as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Services are not transferable, and only eligible consumers may enroll in these programs. Consumers who willfully make false statements to obtain these discounts can be punished by fine or imprisonment and can be barred from these programs.
If you live in a CenturyLink service area, visit https://www.centurylink.com/ aboutus/community/community-development/lifeline.html for additional information about applying for these programs or call 1-800-201-4099 with questions.
THIS FEATURE BROUGHT TO YOU BY
The Cornerstone of Our Community: Respect
By Mayor Cris Kaminskas
In a smaller city like ours, the foundation of our strength is not only in our infrastructure, businesses, and institutions—it’s in how we treat one another. Respect is the thread that binds together our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and families. It is what makes our community resilient, welcoming, and proud of who we are.
When people think of respect, they often imagine politeness or good manners. While those things matter, respect is far deeper. It is the recognition of another person’s humanity, experiences, and worth. Respect is listening when someone speaks, offering a hand when someone struggles, and choosing to see the dignity in others, even when we disagree.
Respect in Everyday Life
In a city our size, our daily lives are full of encounters with neighbors, coworkers, teachers, shopkeepers, and strangers passing on the street. These interactions are opportunities to practice respect in simple but meaningful ways. Greeting someone with a smile, holding the door open, or checking in on a neighbor who may be going through a hard time—all of these small acts create ripples of kindness across our city.
Respect also shows itself in how we handle differences. No city is free from disagreement. Whether it’s about public projects, school policies, or city services, our conversations can sometimes become heated. Respect doesn’t require us to always agree, but it does require us to listen, to consider others’ perspectives, and to debate with civility rather than hostility.
Respect for Service and Commitment
I also want to highlight the respect we owe to those who dedicate themselves to service. Our teachers, police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, and city staff give tirelessly to keep our community safe, educated, and cared for. Respect means more than just thanking them; it means supporting them, standing beside them, and recognizing the challenges they face.
The same applies to our local businesses. Each shop, restaurant, and service provider contributes not just to our economy but to the character of our city. Showing respect means shopping local when we can, offering encouragement during tough times, and recognizing the courage it takes to run a business in today’s world.
Respect Across Generations
One of the greatest strengths of our city is the closeness across generations. Our elders hold decades of wisdom, stories, and traditions. They deserve our respect, not only in words but in how we listen and learn from them. At the same time, our young people deserve respect as well— encouragement, opportunities, and the belief that their voices matter. When we bridge the generations with respect, we ensure a stronger future for everyone.
Respect for Ourselves and Our City
Respect also begins within. When we respect ourselves, we take care of our health, pursue our goals, and live with integrity. When we respect our city, we care for our environment, preserve our public spaces, and invest in the future. Picking up litter, supporting city
initiatives, and volunteering for community events are all ways we demonstrate respect for the place we call home.
A Call to Action
As your Mayor, I see firsthand the power of respect in action. It has the ability to turn strangers into friends, challenges into opportunities, and differences into common ground. I encourage each of us to recommit ourselves to this simple but powerful value. Let’s teach it to our children not just by words, but by example. Let’s show it to one another in our daily interactions. And let’s remember that respect costs nothing, but it can mean everything.
Together, let us make respect not just an ideal, but a way of life in our city. By doing so, we honor our past, strengthen our present, and secure a brighter future for generations to come.
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Chamber Hosts third annual Youth Market
By Nina Culver Splash contributor
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The number of booths at this year’s Youth Business Market hosted by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce nearly tripled from last year, as kids as young as 6 gathered to sell everything from art to baked goods.
“We’ve hit our growth mark,” said Chamber CEO Lance Beck. “We went from 15 booths to over 50 booths.”
The third annual event, held on August 23, was modeled after one started in Vancouver, Washington, Beck said. He said the number of vendors at that event in Vancouver has since shot up to over 100, making him hopeful about the future of the Spokane Valley event. “I’m holding my breath about what it looks like next year,” he said.
The event, held at the CenterPlace Regional Event Center, gives young entrepreneurs a place to spread their wings, Beck said. “It’s the next generation of business people, a chance to let them shine,” he said.
The first year the event was held at the Spokane Valley Farmer’s Market. Last year, it was held in the Wal-Mart parking lot, said Thomas Gill, Director of Community Engagement at the Chamber. Holding it at CenterPlace this year made everything easier and more comfortable for vendors and shoppers. “Being in an enclosed space solves a lot of logistics problems,” he said. “A/C doesn’t hurt.”
Vendors had the choice between setting up inside or outside on the patio. A few chose to be outdoors, including a young blacksmith who had business cards made up with the name of his business, Flaming Anvil. Next to him was a snow cone booth offering a reprieve from the hot weather.
The Chamber collaborated with AmpUpSkill to provide support and resources for the young entrepreneurs. Kids got to learn
She donates 25 percent of her profits to Speed the Light, an organization that provides cars, scooters or other modes of transportation to missionaries serving overseas. Thomas, who said she wants to be a missionary herself one day, wanted to be able to support missionaries somehow and decided donating some of her profits was the best way to do that.
Thomas said she might use the skills she’s learning now to expand her business in the future. “I could totally see it being something in the future,” she said.
A few tables away, 15-year-old Macie Mead was trying her hand at selling her crocheted animals for the first time. She made everything from bees to chickens to cats, all of various sizes. She only learned how to crochet recently after she saw someone on YouTube do it and thought it looked interesting. She watched videos to learn how to create the soft creatures.
“I’m a visual learner,” she said.
She also made frogs, turtles and mushrooms, providing a selection that would appeal to a wide range of people. One woman selected her largest animal, a cow, and paid for it as Mead beamed.
Mead said she heard about the Youth Business Market from her friend who is taking a business marketing class. “She knows I’ve been wanting to sell my things for a while,” she said.
She spent most of her summer making various creatures in anticipation of the sale. While a small bumblebee might take only an hour to create, the large cow that stood about eight inches tall took her an entire day.
While she wanted to sell what she made, she had never previously thought about going into business. “I didn’t foresee that happening,” she said.
But midway through the event, she was ready to sign up for the Youth Market again next year. “I would love to,” she said.
about developing a marketing plan and running a business. While some had previously sold their handmade creations before, others were having their very first experience selling things that they made.
Children had to apply to be included in the Youth Market, but the only application that was rejected was clearly some sort of spam, Gill said. The kids get to learn about running a business and it’s fun to work with them, he said. “For us, it’s amazing,” he said.
During the market, shoppers browsed the tables full of everything from pillows to bracelets. Other items for sale included keychains, walking sticks, wooden chess sets, crocheted animals, earrings, keyboard fidgets and dragons.
This year’s Youth Business Market was the second for 13-year-
old Paitynn Thomas. She was selling cookies, rice crispy treats and brownies. Thomas said her grandmother taught her the art of baking.
“I’ve always loved baking,” she said. “I’m really specific about using family recipes.”
Thomas calls her business Sweet P’s. While she doesn’t have a website, she does sell things throughout the year, mostly through word of mouth. She makes birthday cakes and other items on request.
Thomas chatted easily with customers, talking about her baked goods. She said she enjoys participating in the Youth Business Market. “I just love the community of young entrepreneurs,” she said. “I think it’s really amazing that they do this for young entrepreneurs. It’s a great learning experience.”
Photo by Nina Culver
Paitynn Thomas who owns Sweet P's is in her second year coming to the Spokane Valley Chamber Youth Market and donates 25% of her profits to Speed the Light an organization that provides transportation to missionaries serving overseas.
Photo by Nina Culver Macie Mead is in her first year at the market and is selling crocheted animals. Mead learned how to make the crocheted animals by watching YouTube videos and created everything from bees to cows so that she would have a selection that might appeal to a wide range of people.
