



By Nina Culver Splash contributor
Ridgeline High School senior class president Cooper Shadd likes to argue so much that his band teacher, Eric Parker, calls him a contrarian. But both student and teacher agree that it’s all in good fun.
“We tease him a little bit,” Parker said. He doesn’t always agree with the group.”
Shadd said he doesn’t always disagree, but doesn’t feel the need to speak up when he agrees. And sometimes he likes to argue just to argue as long as he’s with people who know that it’s all in good fun, Shadd said. “I may be more outspoken about my differing opinions,” he said.
Shadd, who has been in band since middle school, plays the trombone and the euphonium, plus the crash cymbals with the indoor marching percussion band. He was among the first students to attend Ridgeline when it opened, though he could have chosen to attend Central Valley High School because his older brother was a student there.
“I’m pretty sure I had a choice to go to CV, but my parents never gave it to me and I don’t think I would have taken it,” he said.
A lot of the reason Shadd wanted to go to Ridgeline was to follow Parker there from CVHS, where he had taught Shadd’s older brother. Shadd said he watched his introverted brother blossom under Parker’s leadership. “Culture comes from the top,” Shadd said. “Mr. Parker was that guy.”
Shadd also liked the idea of going to an all new school. “There’s a lot of opportunity with a new school,” he said. “You have new turf, new fields, new equipment. There’s also a lot of natural light.”
Parker said he has been
impressed with Shadd’s leadership.
“Cooper is a well-spoken, outgoing leader in the music program and also in our school,” he said.
As an example of his leadership, Parker points to Shadd’s reaction to a student in the marching band who had just been diagnosed with scoliosis, a curved spine. Scoliosis makes vigorous physical activity difficult and marching band requires a lot of dance moves,
including bending and twisting, Parker said. But the student was determined to keep going, he said.
“She didn’t want to miss a performance,” he said. “She was willing to suffer.”
Shadd noticed that she was in pain before she had notified the teachers of her condition, Parker said. Shadd excused her from multiple repetitions of the same songs and encouraged her to sit and take a break whenever she needed. “He protected her,” he said. “The band kids would catch a bullet for him because they know
he’s there for them.”
Shadd has made the most of his high school experience. He played tennis the first two years, then switched to track and field because he wanted to try something new. He competed in the high jump and long jump for two years and the discus for a year.
“I was bad at all three equally,” Shadd said. “I thought it was fun to do. It was unique.”
His high jump record of 4 feet, 10 inches didn’t help him rise to the top. But Shadd said he doesn’t mind and doesn’t expect to be skilled at everything he tries. “It was the second worst, which I’m not ashamed of,” he said.
Competing in track events put the focus on beating himself, doing a little better than he did the day before, rather than competing against someone else, Shadd said.
Shadd, who aspires to become a lawyer, launched a Mock Trial club this year that he hopes will continue after he graduates. In addition to his arguing skills, Shadd also likes reading, writing, and research, which he hopes will assist him in his career. “I find it very interesting,” he said. “It just seems like there’s a lot you can do in the legal field.”
Parker said he looks forward to seeing what Shadd can do in the future. “He’s one of those kids I expect big things from,” he said. “We will miss him a lot.”
Q: What made you decide to get into band?
A: Well, my brother– who’s three years older than me– did band when he was in middle school and high school, so when I got to middle school I decided to join too (I suppose going to concerts for three years does that to you.) I really enjoyed my middle school band experience, even through COVID, so then when I got to high school it just seemed natural to continue. Mr. Parker had also been my brother’s teacher when he
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was in high school, so I knew that he was starting a program that I would want to be a part of.
Q: Tell me about your experience attending Ridgeline when it was a new school, still establishing a culture and traditions.
A: For me, having no culture or traditions was super exciting. I had my band community, which had a more established culture than the school as a whole, but the opportunity to build something alongside the staff and the rest of my school was super exciting. We had two high schools near us that were much older, and they were great to use as references; some of our most “Ridgeline” traditions came out of not having a traditional sports rivalry game like the Stinky Sneaker. For example, our Verde Loco month of class competitions is the most uniquely Ridgeline tradition we have, and that came about because we are so new.
Q: How did you get involved
in ASB?
A: I initially got involved in student government when I was a sophomore and I found out that we didn’t have enough people signing up for junior class council, and I figured I might be good at it, so I decided to sign up on a whim. Throughout the year on class council, through our ups and downs, I realized that I felt a great amount of satisfaction with serving others in my class; getting to see others enjoy an event that I worked hard to put on– even if it meant I couldn’t enjoy them myself– always makes the hard work worth it.
Q: Why did you decide to run for ASB president this year?
A: I ran for president this year because I realized that it was a good way to combine two things I loved doing: I was able to combine my love for public speaking with my newfound love for doing the behind-the-scenes work for school events. ASB President seemed like a way I could help continue to build culture here at Ridgeline.
I always saw the position of President as a way to set the tone for the rest of student government, the ASB President before me had always been a morale booster, and it was from his energy that the whole student government stayed positive -and that was something I wanted to try and do.
Q: What is your fondest memory from attending Ridgeline?
A: My favorite memory from attending Ridgeline has to be the dessert break after we got second place in NWAPA Championships for Marching Band last fall. While second place is impressive, we had won the preliminary round, so losing finals when first place was right in our grasp stung. However, during our dessert everyone in the band was in good spirits. Tears were shed, but they were for years of memories and the hard work we had put in, they were shed because the senior class was leaving - not because we had lost. That memory reminds me that sometimes, it’s not the destination, it’s the journey.
Q: What advice do you have for students looking to get the
most out of their high school experience?
A: My advice for students looking to get the most out of their high school experience is to just get out there and try things. You can always quit things later down the line if the workload gets too much. So, spend the first two years or so finding what you like, finding your people. For me it was band and the sports I played, but for others it may be podcast club or DECA. No matter what it is, find a place where you feel comfortable, and your four years of high school will be much more rewarding.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: _After graduation I’m going to attend Marquette University in Milwaukee to study political science. My goal (as of now), is to ultimately attend law school and practice law, although I’m not sure which kind of law. At Marquette I’m going to continue band, playing in the pep band and concert band. I also plan to join numerous clubs, including filmmaking club and club tennis.
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By John McCallum Splash contributor
Liberty Lake’s City Council has begun a process to create an economic development strategy for the city — a strategy they hope to use to help local businesses reap the potential positive impacts of growth that could add up to 50% or more residents by 2042.
It’s a strategy that could function like a chamber of commerce — without becoming a chamber of commerce.
“The chamber is the chamber,” City Administrator Mark McAvoy told the council at a June 6 workshop to discuss the strategy and in reference to Greater Spokane Incorporated. GSI has functioned as a regional chamber of commerce for years, working in collaboration with other area chambers and providing economic information to cities.
“How do we position ourselves to be the most effective partners for businesses inside the city, that’s really what we’re searching for,” McAvoy said.
The city’s population has experienced steady growth since 2010, rising from 7,618 to the current 2024 estimate by the state’s Office of Financial Management of 13,870. Liberty Lake’s planning staff estimates final build-out of the city — the point where the city’s land uses have reached full capacity — by 2042, at which point the city’s population could reach 21,934.
That’s an increase of 3,226 residents since the city’s Updated Population Build-out Analysis of September 2018, which pegged final build-out in 2042 of 18,708 residents. McAvoy said the current estimates for final build-out could change, but the increase still represents a sizeable gain.
The desire to create an economic development strategy came out of council and staff discussions on the
2025 budget. Council directed staff to do research and bring a presentation forward on the best ways to handle economic development activities once covered by the city’s economic development strategy package in its agreement with GSI.
McAvoy said the plan is to develop strategy aligned with the city’s Comprehensive and Strategic plans. It’s hoped the plan generates more revenue from the city’s sales and use taxes as well as its tourism tax.
Like its population, Liberty Lakes sales and use tax revenue has grown since 2013, with slight decreases in 2015 and 2019. According to the presentation to council, in 2013 that amount was just over $2 million while in 2024 it was approaching $8 million, with roughly 90% of that coming from an expanding local retail base.
The tourism tax revenue is a bit more of a rollercoaster, with growth offset by decline. In 2013, the tax provided about $170,000 in revenue, growing through several up and down years to over $420,000 in 2022.
It has dipped the past two years to just over $350,000 in 2023 and 2024.
“This is an area where we have some opportunity,” McAvoy said of the tourism tax.
Part of the strategy is to implement new policy in the city’s plans. One of those is a data-driven strategy called “Economic Development Policy 20,” which states to “Utilize accurate, timely, and relevant data to inform and evaluate economic development strategies, policy
decisions, and resource allocation, ensuring transparent, measurable, and effective outcomes.”
Part of that could lead the city to hire an economic development consultant utilizing the latest in artificial intelligence (AI) information gathering methods. One of those is Placer.ai, which gave a short presentation at the June 6 workshop.
Placer.ai representative Gannon Lavins told council the company works with a number of businesses and public organizations. It develops information from a sample size utilizing latitude, longitude and time stamps from nearly 30 million mobile devices; downloading the information into an algorithm that turns it into specific customeractivity data.
Lavins said the accuracy of their information is between 92-98%, and has been crosschecked with data collected by businesses such as Target, who already track customers coming through their doors.
As an example of the information available, Lavins showed the council data Placer.ai had collected for Liberty Lake’s HUB Sports Center north of Interstate 90. The information showed the number of visitors to the HUB over the past 12 months, but also where visitors went prior to coming to the HUB, where they went after and a “heat map” showing where they traveled from in the region.
McAvoy said the Placer.ai data presented was really just “scratching the surface” of what could be available. He said he can foresee city staff working with businesses
to help develop their own economic development strategies.
Council questions and comments revolved around a number of points ranging from data accuracy to utilizing the information. Councilman Jed Spencer said city staff could use the data as well in event planning, a comment echoed by Mayor Cris Kaminskas, who added it could help with larger events “to get people to come from further away.”
“I think that type of data for a potential business is critical,” Mayor Pro Tem Chris Cargill said, noting he learned more from Placer.ai’s 10 slides then he had in four years of GSI annual presentations.
No decision on a strategy was made at the meeting as more discussion and planning is needed as well as coordinating with local businesses, regional economic development organizations along with Liberty Lake property owners and residents.
McAvoy added staff would like to bring back an agreement to utilize Placer.ai in the process, something that would likely cost about the same as the city’s economic development strategy portion of their GSI agreement cost, roughly $15,000 – $17,000. While impressed with Placer.ai, Cargill said council should look at a couple of different companies before making that decision.
“It would confirm Placer is the one to go with or find someone else more cost advantageous,” he added.
McAvoy said staff would put that request together for a future meeting.
Circle your calendar for a couple of the big events connected with the Liberty Lake Municipal Library that are happening in June.
The annual Friends of the Liberty Lake Library Book Sale will be held at the library during FridaySaturday, June 13-14, featuring
For a second year, residents of Liberty Lake have provided some insights into what they think about some of the city’s services and operations, including their overall views about living in the community.
Liberty Lake’s 2025 Community Satisfaction Survey report was released in May. This report summarizes the results of an online survey that was conducted during January through March of this year among 3,234 randomly-selected city households. Of those invited, 226 households (about 4.6% of all city households) completed the entire survey, with at least one question being answered by 242 households (nearly 5% of all city households).
The survey is designed to measure how well the city is achieving the goals that are outlined in the Liberty Lake’s Strategic Plan for 2024-2028.
The complete report for 2025 can be found through a link currently on the city’ s homepage at www. libertylakewa.gov. Another report that summarizes the first survey
hundreds of used books, DVDs, audio books and puzzles for sale at fractions of their original prices. All proceeds will benefit the programs of the city’s library. The opening day of the sale will run from noon to 6 p.m., while the Saturday hours will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Then on Thursday, June 26, at 5 p.m., the library will stage its annual Summer Reading Show at Ridgeline High School, this year featuring a presentation from Reptile Man! Several reptilian animals will be joining him for this 45-minute family show that’s designed for all ages.
from 2024 is available in the City Council section’s Strategic Plan page.
Here are some of the highlights from the 2025 report:
• About 98.8% of residents feel at least somewhat satisfied about their quality of life in Liberty Lake. Among the most frequently cited reasons that residents gave as being an “extremely important” reason in determining their answer on this were: the sense of the city being a place where they feel safe, the quality of drinking water, the quality of fire and emergency medical services, and the cleanliness of city parks and open spaces.
• Parks maintenance was the top-rated of the city’s core services, with almost 83.8% citing this as good or excellent. The next highestranked core city services were community events (81.5% good or excellent), law enforcement (73.1% good or excellent), and mowing (71.3% good or excellent).
• 43% of respondents indicated that they trust the Liberty Lake city government’s ability to lead the city in the right direction, with 25.1% indicating they do not and another 31.8% responding “don’t know.”
• In a related question, 72% responded that they were at least somewhat confident in the city government to act in the best interest of the people of Liberty Lake, with about 22.6% saying they were “less confident” or “not confident,” and the other 5.3%
Thursday, July 3:
6th Annual Liberty Lake Boat Parade – 6 p.m.
Decorated boats line up at Dreamwood Bay at 5:15 p.m.
Sponsored by Bretz RV & Marine. Prizes for top entries. 2025 Kiwanis Summer Movies in the Park series begins: “Moana 2” at Pavillion Park at dusk. Free showing.
Friday, July 4:
35th Annual July 4 Liberty Lake Community Parade
11 a.m. at Alpine Shores. Decorated golf carts and bikes may line up at 10 a.m. at Shoreline & Liberty Drive. Games at Alpine Shores Park. Food and music at Pavillion Park
Concessions open at 5 p.m. Nu Jack City performs 7-10 p.m.
Fireworks shows
City ballfields and over-the-water lake shows start at 10 p.m.
responding “don’t know.”
• Services that residents most frequently included among the three they feel deserve the highest attention from city leaders during the next 12 months are law enforcement (41.7%), planning and zoning (36.3%), and street maintenance (31.8%).
• About 97.3% responded that they feel at least somewhat safe in Liberty Lake. One-third of the households pointed to safety as being the greatest positive impact
on their quality of life in Liberty Lake.
• 74.3% of residents responded they feel at least somewhat satisfied with their economic opportunities in Liberty Lake.
• Growth, increasing crime, and traffic were the top three items mentioned as having the greatest single negative impact on people’s quality of life in Liberty Lake. Each of these were selected by 11% to 12% of those surveyed.
2025-88004966: SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE
On 4/30/2025, a U-Haul box truck that was involved in a residential burglary in Spokane County alerted on ALPR in Liberty Lake. The vehicle was contacted and 2 occupants were arrested.
2025-88004975: COMMERCIAL BURGLARY
On 4/30/2025, an unidentified male entered Wake-Up Call after hours and stole multiple food and drink items. The pictures were posted to the LLPD Facebook page and the male was identified shortly after. He was contacted and arrested on 5/5/2025.
2025-88004910: RECKLESS DRIVING
On 4/27/2025, a video was posted to the Liberty Lake Community Facebook page of a black vehicle peeling out in the Pavillion Park parking lot. The poster was concerned because there were children present in the park at the time. ALPR at Pavillion Park captured the vehicle entering the parking lot and the suspect was identified. He was contacted and arrested on 4/29/2025.
2025-88004845: ACCIDENT –INJURY
On 4/25/2025, three juvenile females were involved in a golf cart accident. The driver, aged 14, was driving recklessly with 2 friends, also aged 14, when one of them fell out and was drug several yards. The victim was transported to the hospital and was determined to have serious injuries. The Liberty Lake Police Department would like to remind everyone to drive slowly and safely in all marked school zones. The Liberty Lake Police Department has had an increase in speeding violators and are proactively enforcing those marked areas. Remember to secure your belongings inside your residence and out of your vehicles to prevent vehicle prowlers. Stay well and be safe!
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By Nina Culver Splash contributor
The city of Liberty Lake will have three new faces on the city council this fall after three incumbents –Chris Cargill, Jed Spencer and Mike Kennedy – chose not to file for reelection during the week-long filing period in early May. The Central Valley School Board will also have at least one new face as incumbent Teresa Landa did not file to be on the ballot.
The seats vacated by Kennedy and Spencer drew two challengers each, while Summer Darrow was the only person to file for the position 2 seat being vacated by Cargill. Darrow sits on the city’s Community Engagement Commission. According to her campaign website, Darrow is advocating for transparent leadership and sustainable growth.
Voters will notice some familiar names on the ballot, including former councilman Phil Folyer, who served one term on the council before losing his re-election bid in 2023. He filed to run for Position 4, which is currently held by Spencer. Folyer is the owner for Morse Western Homes and previously served in the Army National Guard for 21 years before retiring as a first sergeant. He currently sits on the city’s planning commission.
Folyer said he understands that decisions made by council members impact the quality of life
of city residents. He has also come to realize how many state and county regulations limit what the city does, Folyer said, including funding sources.
“When I first got on, there was a lot of talk about not relying too much on sales tax revenue,” he said.
Folyer said he applied for a planning commission seat after he lost his city council seat because he still wanted to be involved. “Not for a second did I think I wasn’t going to run again,” he said.
That decision was only solidified when he saw that three incumbents planned to step down. “I really felt like we needed to get some experience back on the council,” he said.
Folyer is running against Rick Klingler for Position 4. Klingler, a former nurse and current senior account executive at MCG Health, did not respond to a request for comment.
Longtime residents of Liberty Lake will recognize one of the candidates for the Position 6 council seat, former city manager Arlene Fisher. Fisher was the city’s first paid employee and helped get the city up and running after it incorporated as a volunteer. During her time at the city, Fisher served as city clerk, finance director, human resources manager and city administrator.
She left the city in early 2008 to become the city administrator in Cheney, where she stayed until 2014. She then took similar jobs in Mountlake Terrace and Union Gap. She retired in 2023 and returned to Liberty Lake.
Fisher said someone suggested she run for council. “It’s a completely different area that I’ve never been in,” she said. “I’ve always been on the other side of the table as a city manager for 23 years. It just seemed like that would fit me.”
Her intimate knowledge of the city’s early years could be a benefit, she said. “I think I can offer a lot,” she said. “I’m a problem solver. That’s been my whole career.”
Fisher’s opponent is political newcomer Judie Schumacher, who has lived in Liberty Lake for the last three years. She worked in project management and process improvement at Wells Fargo for 16 years before retiring. She and her husband settled in Liberty Lake after living in their RV full-time touring the country for several years.
Schumacher said she has always been interested in political service. “My parents were always involved in politics, being involved in campaigns,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons my husband and I quit RVing. We really wanted to be a part of a community and be involved.”
She also wanted to run because she believed some council members seemed unwilling to change their stance on issues even after being presented with information that contradicted them. “It seemed like they weren’t listening to things when they received information,” she said. “I can bring my experience, my skills, my perspective.”
She said she’s already setting up meet and greets so she can get input from community members about what’s important to them. “I’m really looking forward to having conversations with folks,” she said.
Two people with medical backgrounds filed to fill the Central Valley school board seat being vacated by Landa, pharmacist Brandon Arthur and family practice physician Allen Skidmore.
Skidmore, who has lived in Spokane Valley for the last 19 years, previously served in the Air Force for
seven years. He said his goal, if elected, would be to speak up for teachers and listen to parents and students in order to make the best decisions and that he doesn’t have a political agenda.
“I thought it was a good opportunity to be of service,” he said. “I don’t really feel like I have a political agenda to push.”
Skidmore’s four adult children graduated from Central Valley schools. He previously served on the district’s University High School football coach hiring committee and has volunteered with several levy campaigns.
Arthur, in addition to being a pharmacist, owns a real estate business that buys and sells homes and does home remodels. He has a daughter in kindergarten in the district and wants to be involved like his parents were when he was young.
“The biggest driver is my daughter,” he said. “I just want her to have the same experiences I had in public school. I want the school district to continue to have parent involvement.”
His goal is to appropriately evaluate issues and bring common sense back into how schools are managed, Arthur said.
In District 5, school board incumbent Pam Orebaugh is being challenged by former Spokane Valley Tech teacher Mark Bitz and Spokane GOP chairman Rob Linebarger, who supported Orebaugh the first time she ran for office in 2021.
Orebaugh said she wants to continue the work she’s been doing on the school board. “We have just been doing so many great things,” she said.
The district has been focusing on increasing academic achievement in
schools, she said. “They’re seeing a big jump in academic testing,” she said. “The teachers are super excited. We’ve also done a lot of work to make sure we’re communicating with our public. We’re seeing the fruits of our labor.”
Parental rights is a key issue for Orebaugh. “It’s really important that we keep parental rights at the forefront,” she said. “The last thing we want to do in Central Valley is separate kids from their parents.”
Orebaugh said her experience makes her a good candidate. “The role takes a while to learn,” she said. “I just don’t want to lose ground or go backwards.”
Bitz, a former engineer who worked as a teacher at Spokane Valley Tech for 10 years before retiring in 2023, said his experience as a teacher would be valuable on the board. “I’m running to ensure the Central Valley School District board stays focused on what matters, strong schools, skilled graduates and a community that works together,” he said.
He said the district should focus on its areas of responsibility rather than focusing on ideological issues, such as when the school board recently voted to file a federal Title IX complaint against the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction regarding the participation of transgender students in school sports.
Orebaugh voted to approve the complaint.
Bitz said the school board spent hours of board member and staff time on the complaint rather than just accepting state law on the issue. “All of that took time and resources,” he said. “It took taxpayer money. The school board is required to follow state law. The state policy on transgender athletes is very clear.”
Taking such an ideological stand makes students feel disenfranchised, Bitz said. “I know how important it is for students to feel like they belong,” he said.
Linebarger retired from the U.S. Navy as a pilot after 23 years of service and currently works at Cisco. He did not respond for a scheduled interview.
In 2021 Linebarger headed up the effort to recall three school board members – Cynthia McMullen, Debra Long and Keith Clark – over how they responded to statewide masking and vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Spokane County judge ruled that the recall attempt was improper and ordered Linebarger to pay a $22,500 fine.
He has also been involved in political groups such Washington Citizens for Liberty and the Central Valley School District Concerned Parents Coalition.
From: Winter Glow Spectacular Foundation (WGSF)
Subject: Clarifications to the May Splash article regarding Winter Glow Spectacular Foundation
Winter Glow Spectacular Foundation (WGSF) Board Members would like to provide some clarification as to the information that was printed in the May subscription of The Liberty Lake Splash.
The first correction would be that there were NOT key members of the WGSF Board that have stepped away. Just ONE person has resigned to pursue the opportunity to volunteer with another Non Profit business. The WGSF Board will still stay intact and will continue to place WGSF displays in Cowley Park, below the Children’s Hospital in Spokane along with securing smaller locations to place holiday displays in and around the City and County of Spokane. Some of the original Board Members from WGSF will be available to work in Orchard Park, if the City would like their help.
The second correction would be to post the correct amount of cash donations from the City of Liberty Lake to WGSF.
Since 2019 when Liberty Lake became a title sponsor in Orchard Park, the City of Liberty Lake has donated $72,000, with $10,000 coming from the Covid Relief Fund . In addition to the City of Liberty Lake’s donation, WGSF was granted $35,000 from the City’s lodging tax.
The third correction is, if the City was to take over the Orchard Park lighted displays, the cost to provide materials and services
could amount to as little as $10,000 per year if the City only had to buy a few supplies. If the City decided to add to the amount of Orchard Park displays, the cost would go up by approximately $6,500 per lighted display. The City of Liberty Lake could continue to operate with a volunteer base or secure a paid employee to manage it. If the City elects to hire an employee, then the City’s cost would increase.
Over the past 6 years while WGSF was on display in Orchard Park, the WGSF Board estimated over 100,000 visitors visited the park during this 40+ day period in 2024.
Winter Glow Spectacular Foundation has made an o^er to the City of Liberty Lake to purchase displays, supplies and storage containers for $25,000. If by chance the City of Liberty Lake should choose to not move forward with this purchase, WGSF will make all displays, supplies and storage containers available to the public to purchase. The City of Liberty Lake has a deadline to decide on this purchase by June 16, 2025.
By John McCallum Splash contributor
Financial matters were a large part of Liberty Lake City Council meetings in May, including the loss of a grant for its library project.
City loses library renovation grant recommendation
Due to City Council action, the state Department of Commerce has canceled its recommendation that Liberty Lake receive a $937,000 grant for renovation of the city’s municipal library.
The state originally endorsed the city’s application for the funding to help pay for its project moving the library to the former Legacy Church building a block further east on East Mission Avenue. The city purchased the 14,400-square-foot building in 2022 for $2.175 million.
In a May 22 interview, City Administrator Mark McAvoy said the council voted in 2024 not to move forward with the Legacy project, and has since begun discussions on a library/community center concept at Town Square. Because the DOC grant is location specific to Legacy, the state canceled the funding.
“We effectively cut ourselves out of the process,” McAvoy said.
At the June 6 meeting, Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Chris Cargill said the state’s decision proves the council’s wisdom in not including the funding in the 2025 budget or proceeding with construction. If the city had, he said council would be looking at filling a “million-dollar hole” in the budget.
“I think we received a very big lesson in not counting our chickens before they hatch on the issue of the library grant,” Cargill said. “As we found out tonight, it was not a sure thing.”
Councilman Dan Dunne disagreed.
“The legislators and committees of the state of Washington heard loud and clear from this dais, ‘we don’t want your grant,’” he said. “To be
very clear, it was the choice of this dais to decline and the state answered handily, ‘OK.’”
Financial Management policy adopted
At its May 20 meeting, council approved an update to the city’s Financial Management policies. Those included updates to various department titles and terms, policy for travel authorization and reimbursement on a per diem bases, a revised vehicle allowance policy, procurement policies to match new state requirements and removal of the petty cash fund and policy, which has not been used in more than three years.
An update to the employee appreciation program included allowing up to $5,000 annually to be expended on employee events, along with providing a protective footwear allowance of $200 a year for eligible employees.
The update drawing the most council discussion was the Vehicle Allowance Policy. The update added the city administrator to the monthly vehicle allowance, which already included the mayor, and allowed for department directors to be included if approved by the mayor.
The policy also increased the monthly vehicle allowance from $140 to $300 and added a $200 monthly allowance for approved department directors. Employees receiving this allowance would not be provided a city vehicle for use or mileage reimbursements.
Cargill said he wasn’t sure he could justify “more than doubling” the allowance, and suggested tabling the resolution for further discussion.
“That part for me, at least, is a poison pill,” Cargill said. “I don’t know what the right number should be. I believe what we are asking here is too high.”
Councilman Mike Kennedy said in the past the city had always asked employees to document their travel. The vehicle allowance seemed to be an effort to eliminate that.
Others defended the allowance. Mayor Cris Kaminskas said “whoever is in this seat (mayor)” could easily do 250 miles or more a month in conducting city business.
Councilwoman Annie Kurtz added not only are there mileage and gas costs but also administrative costs to the process. Dunne said he favors the numbers, noting it’s cheaper than providing a city-owned vehicle.
Councilwoman Wendy Van Orman suggested adjusting the mayor/city administrator allowance to $250 a month and tracking how that worked. Council eventually agreed to this amendment, and the resolution passed 6-1.
Capital Investment Advisory Board ordinance fails
An ordinance creating a Capital Investment Advisory Board failed to pass at the May 20 meeting.
Originally discussed at the March 25 workshop, with a first reading held at the April 15 meeting, the ordinance would have created a five-member board would have partnered “with city staff to form a steering committee for developing the City's Capital Facilities Plan and recommending an annual capital budget to the City Council.”
The proposed board would have consisted of a staff member from the planning, parks and arts and community engagement commissions, the library board and an “at-large” member from the community appointed by the mayor. The intention would have been to explore options on producing a “more deliberate capital investment strategy to plan, fund and deliver capital improvements” between 2026-2040.
“We already have that process, it’s called a staff,” Kennedy said. He added the board would be a duplication of an existing process and could slow budget work as the board would only meet three times a year.
“I’m against this,” Councilman Jed Spencer added. “This is a function of council and should be at council level.”
Kurtz said the intention of the board was to also provide further public engagement in the city’s budgeting process, and didn’t feel such a move would slow it down. Dunne agreed with Kurtz, adding he liked the representation from the other commissions as well.
McAvoy said the three meetings would be held during the capital budget creation cycle, which generally starts later in the year.
While agreeing with the board creation initially, Cargill said the more he thought about it, the less enthusiastic he became. While supporting community engagement, he agreed with others that it formed another bureaucratic layer in the process.
“The vibe I think I’m hearing
tonight is more about control of council than engaging council,” Kurtz said in suggesting tabling the discussion.
Several community members spoke in support of the ordinance.
“Nobody is taking anything away from you,” Liberty Lake resident Lynn Atkins said. “You are being provided another tool to make a datadriven decision.
The ordinance failed 4-3, with Dunne, Kurtz and Councilwoman Linda Ball voting in favor.
Vehicle purchases, consultant, grant approved
City Council approved several purchase contracts along with a grant application as part of the May 6 consent agenda.
Council agreed to a $90,745 contract with BERK Consulting, Inc. to assist the Planning Department in updating the city’s sign codes. The update is scheduled for completion by the middle of 2025, with public comment included as part of the process.
Council also approved a contract to receive the second part of a $500,000 Department of Commerce grant to assist the Planning Department with its work including “climate resiliency and greenhouse gas reduction strategies” in the city’s Comprehensive Plan update. The strategies are required by changes to the state’s Growth Management Act.
The city received $255,000 in funding during the 2023-2025 biennium, but because its two-year planning period straddled that biennium and the recently completed 2025-2027 budgeting cycle, the city is applying for its grant in two parts. The current application requests $245,000 to complete the work.
Council also approved two vehicle purchases. The first was a Dodge RAM 1500 pickup truck from Dishman Dodge to be used by the Public Works Department’s recently hired engineering technician. Three bids were received, and the approved purchase was not to exceed $50,000.
The second was payment for a previous purchase. The Public Works Department ordered a Freightliner water truck in 2024, and the vehicle was received and invoiced in April 2025.
The original $372,000 purchase was not budgeted in 2025, so the department requested re-approval for the carryover to this year.
Emmy Van Lith was recently received one of Ridgeline’s Purple Heart Awards which is an award for students who have gone through a lot of hardships and struggles but have persevered through it all to make it to graduation. The Ridgeline senior maintained a 3.642 GPA earning her spot on the Ridgeline honors list at graduation. Emmy was on the Ridgeline Soccer team playing either Left forward or left outside back, making it to the second round in the state tournament this year. Previously Van Lith also played as a point guard on the Ridgeline basketball team and track team. Van Lith is a member of the National Honor Society and volunteers at the school’s kids soccer and basketball camps. She was also a senior assassin in the class water gun fight. After High School Emmy is heading to Boise State University to study psychology to become a mental health therapist. “Junior year was rough, I want to become the person I needed” said Emmy “I can help others.”
Lewis excels on and off the field. Daden has achieved academic accolades by completing 10 Advanced Placement classes while at Ridgeline and maintaining a 4.0 GPA and elected by his peers to serve on this years Student Council. In addition to high academic performance, he has also excelled in playing the trombone for the Ridgeline Wind Ensemble Band and lead trombone / soloist in the jazz band. Awarded best trombone section at the University of Montana Jazz Festival in both 2023 and 2024. If that wasn’t enough, Daden is no stranger in the athletic competitions as well. He has been a part of the Ridgeline Track and Field team (shotput and discus) and a starter for the Ridgeline Football team playing left tackle. Daden qualified as an all-league player last season in both sports. Daden’s dream college is Stanford University and hopes to pursue engineering while continuing to throw and participate in the college pep band.
Alyssa Rasmussen has established herself as an innovative teacher, the dynamic head coach of a competitive fastpitch program and catalyst for events that continue to cement the culture at Ridgeline. Rasmussen has also helped introduce a yoga/mindfulness class that helps students develop constructive ways to counteract stress.
“Alyssa doesn’t know anything less than 110 percent,” said Kara Twining, a counselor at Ridgeline. “She is always looking for ways to do more and make everything better. Her energy is limitless and contagious.”
Alyssa met her husband Chase while working with the California Angles Major League Baseball team and is a mom to three sons – Cade, Luke, and Tripp which are central to Rasmussen’s life. Rasmussen is also active with Liberty Lake Causes like Light Up Liberty Lake and campaigns to generate nutrition and personal hygiene resources for less fortunate students.
By John McCallum
Splash contributor Baseball
While they didn’t repeat as Greater Spokane League champions, the 2025 Falcons did manage to achieve what last year’s club didn’t — reach the 3A state tournament. Ridgeline went 4-2 down the stretch to end the league season, notching a four-game winning streak with doubleheader wins over Cheney and Ferris but ending in a doubleheader loss to GSL champion Gonzaga Prep.
In the 3A District 6 playoffs, the
seventh-seeded Falcons beat No. 2 Central Valley 8-5, followed by a 1-0 win over No. 6 University. In the district title game, they lost to topseeded Kennewick, 6-1. Seeded No. 20 in the 20-team field, Ridgeline ended its season with a 5-3 loss at No. 13 Shorewood.
Ridgeline finished 9-9 in the GSL, fifth, and 11-14 overall.
Falcons head coach Alyssa Rasmussen said the 2025 season was a season of firsts for her team — first wins over University and Mead and a first playoff victory.
“And all-around some awesome stats produced by our athletes,” she added.
The Falcons placed fourth in the GSL with an 11-7 record, 12-10 overall. They posted a 9-4 win over U-Hi on March 31 and a 13-11 win over 4A Mead on May 1.
Seeded sixth in the district playoffs, Ridgeline fell 9-4 to No. 3
Kennewick, but rebounded for their first playoff win with an 8-6 victory over GSL rival Cheney. Needing two more wins to reach state, the Falcons season ended with an 11-1 loss to top-seeded Southridge.
The Falcon girls set their sights on defending their 3A district championship and improving on last year’s seventh-place finish at state. While their first objective was successful, the second was literally blown away.
Ridgeline was tied for second in the GSL heading into the final match on May 6 at Wandermere. Head coach Danny White said they played well, but Lewis and Clark played better to jump over Ridgeline and Gonzaga Prep into the second slot.
Ridgeline also traveled to Kalispel, Montana for the Kalispel Championship on May 8, finishing second behind G-Prep by only four shots.
At districts at Horn Rapids in Richland, the Falcons wasted little time in their repeat quest. Ridgeline opened a 21-stroke lead after day one and finished 70 strokes ahead of runner-up Southridge for a second title.
Senior Carolyn Rose shot a two-day 157 (75, 82) for second while senior Reagan Rothley shot a career-best-tying 84 on day one and bettered it with a career best 81 on day two for fourth. Sophomore Chloe Hamilton placed sixth, senior Kate Mulligan was seventh and sophomore Morgan Quesnell finished in eighth.
The finish gave the Falcons confidence heading into state on home turf at Indian Canyon.
“Unfortunately, we had a tough day in really tough conditions, with Indian Canyon playing almost 6,000 yards with 20-25 mph winds,” White said in an email. “As a total team we didn't put up the scores necessary to place in the final eight and play the second day.”
Rose and Mulligan advanced to day two as individuals. Rose tied Gig Harbor’s SofÃa Skogen for 25th overall (88, 86, 174) while Mulligan was in a three-way tie for 47th (91, 95, 186)
White praised his team for their focus and work, noting the 2025 Falcons golf season was “an amazing ride.”
“To the seniors who have played since the school opened in 2021, thank you for the legacy of hard work and dedication that you have instilled in the program,” White said. “The future looks bright thanks to the program you built.”
The Falcon boys also enjoyed a good postseason run, placing second behind title-winner Cheney at district competition in Richland. Ridgeline had four players — freshman Liam Severs, seniors Owen Packebush and Russell Neal and sophomore Jaxon Folkins — place in the top 11 and along with senior Brock Duer, advanced to 3A state at Qualchan in Spokane.
At state, Packebush shot a two-
Continued from page 22
EDITOR/PUBLISHER Ben Wick
ben@libertylakesplash.com
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day 154 (81,73) to finish in a fourway tie for 22nd while Neal shot a two-day 161 (78, 83) to finish in a four-way tie for 50th. Severs, Folkins and Duer missed the second-day cut, shooting rounds of 84, 82 and 82 respectively.
Soccer
The Falcon boys didn’t repeat as GSL champions but advanced to state competition nonetheless. Ridgeline placed fourth overall in the league at 6-2. Seeded fourth in district play, the Falcons blanked fifth-seeded Southridge to open the postseason, and edged top-seeded Kennewick 2-1 to advance to the title game, where they lost 4-1 to No. 2 seed and rival Central Valley.
Seeded No. 18 in the 3A state field of 20, the Falcons quest for a deep postseason run ended early with a 3-1 loss to Auburn Mountainview. Ridgeline finished the year at 10-8-1 overall.
Track and Field
in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Post Falls & Coeur d’Alene.
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Falcon seniors Daiden Lewis and Tanner Hamblin qualified for boys 3A state out of district competition May 22-23 at Kennison Field in Hermiston, Oregon. Lewis placed second in the shot put with a new personal record of 53 feet, 4 inches and was third in the discus at 155-05 while Hamblin placed second in the 110-meter hurdles in 15.46 seconds.
Lewis won the shot put (51-05) title at the GSL championships May 14 and 16 at Central Valley. He was second in the discus (153-10) while Hamblin was second in the 110 hurdles with a PR of 15.38.
Junior Millie Bruck brought home a GSL championship for the Falcon girls in the high jump, clearing the bar at 5-feet. Junior Kali Rothrock was second in the long and triple jumps, setting a PR in the latter of 34 feet, junior Hailee Argaw was sixth in the discus while Gretchen Carter was fourth in the 3,200-meter run with senior Paige Huntsinger in 10th.
At districts, Carter was fourth and Huntsinger sixth in the 3,200 while Argaw was sixth with a PR of 112-04 in the discus and Bruck was eighth in the high jump.
State competition runs May 2931 at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.
CO OWNER Danica Wick danica@libertylakesplash.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Nina Culver, John McCullum
Ross Schneidmiller
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How YOU can impact the Spokane Valley region by making a commitment to invest in the completion of the new permanent home for Spokane Valley Summer Theatre
It is no longer viable for the award winning Spokane Valley Summer Theatre to rent theatre space in the Central Valley School District. SVST needs its own home - which is why we are building the performing arts center. The arts are an important part of any healthy, thriving community, and SVST has a 10 year track record of having an economic impact on the Valley. The quality of SVST productions speak for themselves, offering audiences professional theatre, while at the same time being a place for seasoned artists to thrive and a new generation of artists to be trained.
Imagine the Idaho Central Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center (pictured above) changing not only the landscape of its location near Mirabeau Park, but also being the heartbeat of Spokane Valley - a place to enjoy year-round professional theater by Spokane Valley Summer Theatre (with free parking), a training center - offering classes for area youth, and a space outdoors and indoors for all to gather and be inspired: A Beacon of Light and an Iconic Landmark.
Many of you have asked about the new performing arts center and have wondered about its status. Building it has been like running a marathon - but the finish line is in sight with a viable path to get there. We have approximately $12M in the ground already (20% complete) with zero debteverything has been paid for in cash. And here’s how you can help: by investing and getting ALL of your investment back plus up to 5% interest.
• We have a goal to raise $15 million through the investment platform, SEMBLE.
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• It’s a win-win for our community. You get to be a part of this legacy project and have a hand in completing it, knowing that you’re making a difference, while at the same time getting your money back.
• Never heard of SEMBLE? They made it possible to build Northwest Christian Schools and a new building for The Oaks Classical Christian Academy. Founder/CEO Todd Tarbert is originally from Davenport, WA and he has chosen us to benefit from this platform. Please see our listing on the SEMBLE site for details (loan.semble.com/listing/svst/).
Will you join us in creating something that will impact the future of our community?
Contact Founder/CEO of Semble, Todd Tarbert, for more information on how to INVEST in your community.
Todd Tarbert 206-412-3092
todd@semble.com
Visit our SEMBLE investment site: loan.semble.com/listing/svst Scan
Phase I at 70% completion