March 2016 Current

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Shake - Up

The sudden and puzzling dismissal of Spokane Valley City Manager Mike Jackson page 12

U-HI GRAD DEPUTY CRAIG PAGE 2

EVSD EARNS LEVY WIN PAGE 35

MARCH ZAGNESS 101 PAGE 39

2 • MARCH 2016

The Park Bench

NEWS

The Current

Benevolent badge – U-Hi grad recognized as ‘Deputy Craig’

By Craig Howard Current Editor

Craig Chamberlin wants to make it clear that he does have a last name.

The popular face of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department – known by most as “Deputy Craig” – has been a regular on local radio and in public service announcements for years. There have been times when his familiar face and voice have even come in handy when responding to police calls. It seems the recognition of a well-known local personality can help restore order – or at least summon an autograph request.

“I’ll show up in all kinds of situations and someone will say, ‘Hey, it’s Deputy Craig,’” Chamberlin said. “It can put people at ease.”

Born in Spokane, Chamberlin grew up in Spokane Valley and attended University High School where he served as ASB president his senior year and graduated with the class of 1988. A standout linebacker in football and catcher in baseball, Chamberlin earned All-Greater Spokane League honors on the gridiron his final two years. His achievements earned him a football scholarship to the University of Puget Sound.

Chamberlin graduated from UPS in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. He had an interest in working for the Secret Service after college but the federal agency had a hiring freeze on at the time. Instead, he began a career in law enforcement with the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office.

By 1999, Chamberlin was back in his hometown, launching a career with the Spokane County

A 1988 graduate of University High School, Deputy Craig Chamberlin serves as the public information officer for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The Spokane native began his law enforcement career in 1996 with the Okanogan Sheriff’s Office.

Photo by Craig Howard Sheriff’s Office that would include a number of roles, including patrol, SWAT, air unit, motor officer and collision reconstructionist and instructor. He has been involved in some aspect of media relations for the department since 2002 and currently serves as public information officer.

When not updating commuters on the latest traffic snarl, Chamberlin enjoys golf, exercise and volunteering. He has served on the Salvation Army’s Advisory Board for the past two years and was named the agency’s Citizen of the Year in 2015.

The single dad of three teenage kids, Chamberlin also volunteers as a part-time family chauffeur.

He and his family can often be found boating around Lake Coeur d’Alene when the weather turns

warm. In 2012, Deputy Craig was bestowed with the ultimate honor a Titan can receive when he was inducted into University High School Hall of Fame.

Q: When did you first think you might want to pursue law enforcement as a career?

A: I knew this was what I wanted to do back in junior high.

I thought about other options like the Secret Service, but they were on a hiring freeze when I was hired. The day I accepted the job in Okanogan County, they were ready to finish processing me.

I’m thankful I went with local law enforcement.

Q: What were you like as a student at University High School?

A: It depends who you ask.

My life consisted of football,

baseball, school, friends and I was extremely close to my dad, who passed on my 19th birthday.

I was fortunate enough to start my freshman year in football at the University of Puget Sound, so he got to see me play the entire season. I pride myself on being a classy, intelligent smart aleck.

Q: What are some of your primary responsibilities in your role as public information officer with the Spokane County Sheriff's Office?

A: Now it just consists of traffic reports in the afternoon on 920 AM with Mike Fitzsimons. I left the office a year ago to go back to the road due to manpower issues. I am asked to MC events on a regular basis for all kinds

See CRAIG, Page 3

The Current

CRAIG

Continued from page 2 of organizations.

About four years ago, another detective and I started going to local schools, sixth grade and up and doing social media safety/bullying awareness talks to the kids. We have reached out to over 10,000 kids.

Q: When it comes to public safety, what can the average citizen do to make the community a more secure place?

A: That’s pretty simple to be honest – to be aware of your surroundings and when things are out of place or suspicious, report it.

When people take ownership in their community and aren’t afraid to get involved due to embarrassment or thinking someone else will probably call that suspicious vehicle or person in, it makes our jobs easier. The more eyes we have the better.

That suspicious car in your neighborhood may be a car we are looking for that has been linked to multiple residential burglaries, vehicle prowling, maybe even a homicide that we have been looking for.

Q: Do you feel like the public perception of police officers has changed in any way since you began working in this field?

A: Absolutely. The past three years have been unique in many ways that I have never seen in my 19-plus years of service.

With advancement in technology, the public has obviously become a watchdog for officers’ behavior.

I don’t disagree that there have been officers across the country that have done some absolute idiotic things that have been made public via social media and it is embarrassing to the vast majority of us that take pride in our job, respect our authority and understand the authority we possess with the ability to take an individual’s freedom away.

Everyone knows things happen in any type of career but it is highlighted, as it should be, in our profession because of that authority. Our local community, in specific, has reacted much

MARCH 2016 • 3

differently than the trend across the country. Citizens are constantly making it a point to tell us thank you in whatever way they are comfortable with. I do not know one officer that is not appreciative when citizens take a couple seconds out of their day to thank us. I recently had a note left on my front window at Costco on East Sprague, while I was in dealing with an issue, that said, “Thank you for your service, you are appreciated.” It was a simple act of kindness that I personally will never forget.

Q: Along those lines, what do you think are some of the lingering stigmas about law enforcement as a profession and how do you work to bring more reality to that perception?

A: Positive interaction with your community is the most powerful way to gain the trust of the people you serve.

Interacting with people in a positive, nonthreatening environment makes a long lasting impression. Positive involvement with the community is the most powerful tool we have.

Q: What are some of the most significant challenges you face in your current role?

What is most rewarding about your work?

A: I am a patrol deputy and the biggest challenge deals with what we talked about before – interacting with people who have a bad attitude towards law enforcement for whatever reason.

The ability to change a person’s perception of law enforcement in general is a huge success for any officer in any agency. When someone has a bad, unhealthy interaction with an officer, they take that experience and relate it to all law enforcement, not just the officer that may have been rude or short for who knows why.

To be able to make that person understand cops are not like that across the board and maybe, just like he or she, they were having a bad day for whatever reason, not to judge a book by its cover and at least give the officer a chance to earn your trust and respect.

To succeed in this is a huge success for the officer and for the community in general. Maybe that person will share the positive

experience with their buddies and change their perception from a negative to a positive towards us.

Q: How is being the PIO of a police department different from that job in other fields?

A: As the PIO you are involved with every branch of the department. Due to the media exposure, you represent the agency. I have had a blast doing it for so long. Honesty with the public is the most powerful tool you have when dealing with media. If you try to put on a fake face, the public will see it right away and lose respect for you and your information.

People are not ignorant. If you explain why you can or can’t talk about specific issues in a case, they will understand. You have to be yourself. I think that’s why I have such positive interaction with the public because they realize what you see is what you get. And one huge benefit of being in the media for so long is that it has diffused multiple intense calls when I walk in and people involved recognize

me.

The most powerful tool we have in law enforcement is our ability to communicate and the ability to adapt to whatever situation we are presented with in a split second.

Q: What do you enjoy most about living and working in this community?

A: I love raising my daughters in the same town, schools, etc. that I am from. Spokane Valley residents are unique in that we take pride and ownership in our community. Even though there are roughly 93,000 residents in Spokane Valley, it is the rule of about .5, meaning for every half person you meet, you more than likely have about five people in common. I am a homegrown guy, my roots run deep into the veins of the Valley and, other than when I retire in probably 15 years or so, “Deputy Craig” will be here working with the sheriff’s office, assigned to the Spokane Valley Police Department. I am very excited for what the next 15, maybe more, years of my career have in store.

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The Current

4 • MARCH 2016

Freeman senior crowned queen of Spokane Lilac Festival

By Michael Cambron Current Contributor Every year since 1938, the Spokane Lilac Festival has been a celebration of spring in the Spokane region. And, every year since 1940, the Spokane Lilac Festival Association crowns a new Lilac Queen and her Royal Court as an integral part of this celebration. This year’s coronation took place at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane on Jan. 31.

For 2016, 17-year-old Freeman High School senior Megan Paternoster will be donning the queen’s crown and six other local seniors, two of whom attend Spokane Valley high schools, are wearing the princess crown as part of the Royal Court.

Meet the Royal Court Paternoster has a servant’s heart and a passion for music and art. She carries a 3.91 grade point average and serves on the school’s Executive ASB Committee. She is also president of Freeman’s National Honor Society chapter.

to represent their school on the Lilac Royal Court. The Spokane Lilac Festival Association then screens the various representatives and narrows the field to 14 candidates (known as the Fab 14). These final candidates are presented to the Spokane Lilac Festival Association Board for judging and the ultimate selection for a seat on the Royal Court.

Certain criteria must be met for selection to the Fab 14. A candidate must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better for six semesters, have leadership roles in their school, be active in community volunteer activities and finally, and most importantly, have the willingness, interest and commitment to represent Spokane throughout the spring and summer months at various community events, parades and festivals.

The final selection of the queen and the princesses is a more elaborate process of judging that is based on a prepared speech, answers to an impromptu question and interviews with five distinguished judges from the community.

The result of the process culminates with the coronation of the Royal Court.

“We are not a beauty pageant,” said Richard Logerwell, 2016

president of the Lilac Festival.

“We are a scholarship program.”

There are approximately 20 scholarships awarded to selected candidates each year. Each $1,500 scholarship is donated by gracious individual citizens and other charitable organizations in the region. The Lilac queen is awarded an additional $1,500 scholarship.

Duties of the Queen and her Court Cecelia Stephens, past festival president and 2016 co-vice president of hosting said the distinguished young women on the Royal Court are “ambassadors to the community…who visit schools, hospitals, and retirement homes.”

They are also active making personal appearances at civic events, including the All City Civic Military Luncheon and the Royal Tea Party and many charitable fundraising activities, not to mention the Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade.

History of the Festival and Parade Legend has it that the first lilac bush arrived in Spokane packed in a trunk shipped from Minnesota in 1882. It was then planted in the yard

She hopes to attend either Azusa Pacific University or Point Loma Nazarene University majoring in pre-medicine biology upon graduation.

The first Lilac Festival Parade occurred on May 17, 1938, and in 1940, Shannon Mahoney from North Central High School was crowned Spokane’s first Lilac Queen.

In enthusiastic support of the military, The Spokane Lilac Festival decided to modify the original Flower Festival Parade and celebration to include an Armed Forces Day Parade.

Eventually, the two separate parades were merged into a single parade and became the Spokane Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade that continues to blossom 78 years after the original.

This year, the Spokane Lilac Festival Association expects as many as 160,000 people to attend the festival and parade, which will take place on the third weekend in May (weather permitting), when the lilacs are in full bloom.

“The parade is the main event we do,” said Logerwell. “We also have around 200 entries in the parade which makes us the largest Armed Forces torchlight parade in the country”.

Since 1938, the Spokane Lilac Festival has been serving the Spokane community as ambassadors to the northwest and the world. Whether it’s the classic Cruzin’ the Falls Car Show benefiting the SLF Youth Scholarship Program, Toys for Tots drive, the Royal Tea Party, or The Queen’s Luncheon, the Spokane Lilac Festival offers fun and activities for the whole family.

The Royal Court also includes Princess Aili Jones from West Valley High School, Princess Christa Lavoie from The Oaks Christian Academy, Princess Kristiana Kershaw from Gonzaga Prep, Princess CaraLee Howe of Lewis and Clark High School, Princess Mandi Edlin from Mead High School and Princess Larissa Caldeira of Rogers High School.

The Selection Process Each fall, every high school in Spokane County has the opportunity to select one student

of a homesteader in Spokane’s Hillyard neighborhood.

Four years later, the Spokane Parks Department began promoting Spokane as “The Lilac City” and by 1940, nearly 175 lilac bushes and trees had been planted in the Browne’s Addition neighborhood and Manito Park.

Freeman senior Megan Paternoster (center) was named queen of the 2016 Spokane Lilac Festival on Jan. 31.

Contributed photo

For more information about the festival or about volunteer opportunities call (509) 535-4554 or go to www. spokanelilacfestival.org.

The Current

Central Valley school projects move forward

By Treva Lind

Current Correspondent February meant a flurry of construction and student relocation activity within the Central Valley School District.

The multiple steps would fill a spreadsheet, but a quick glance at current activity narrows to Evergreen Middle School, Greenacres Elementary, Chester Elementary and Liberty Lake’s K-2 school construction, known as Liberty Creek.

All are part of CV’s $121.9 million construction bond that voters passed a year ago.

Funding sources also include some state matching dollars.

For temporary school relocations while construction occurs, the district managed moves during weekends to minimize disruptions for students and staff.

Evergreen

MARCH 2016 • 5

complete rebuild while expanding size from 76,000 square feet to more than 102,500 square feet.

Garco Construction began site work in February.

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Greenacres Greenacres Elementary, 17915 E. Fourth Ave., will see an early March start for its $21.4 million upgrade.

The 1978 school building is being renovated and expanded, increasing size from 55,800 square feet to 70,000 square feet, for capacity from 515 to 624 students.

Students will remain on the Greenacres campus during construction but kept safely away from building activity. The expansion area is the first focus this spring. Once done, classes will shuffle into new areas for 2016-17 as construction shifts to the current structure.

The new space will be built to the east side of the current structure.

Parking, bus drop-off and student pick-up will be reconfigured and

See CONSTRUCTION, Page 8

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Evergreen Middle School, 14221 E. 16th Ave., had a recent groundbreaking and sendoff ceremony for temporary relocation of more than 700 students to the old University High campus. They’ll remain at that site during the rest of this school year’s construction activity.

By September, Evergreen’s seventhand eighth-graders will return to a portion of their remodeled school on 16th Avenue, while construction crews finish the remaining project. Sixth-graders will stay at the former U-Hi during the 2016-17 year, but the site then will have enough room for Sunrise Elementary students to be temporarily housed there as well while Sunrise is under construction. By the 2017-18 school year, sixth-graders will rejoin their elder classmates at Evergreen.

For Evergreen’s $31.1 million job, crews will renovate and expand the original 1974 school building that also increases its capacity to 750 students. One of the longest-running projects, the school will undergo an almost

Formerly known as Barker High School, the new Mica Peak High School is located in the former site of a Yoke’s grocery store on Sprague Avenue near Progress Road. The renovation was one of many capital projects recently addressed by the Central Valley School District.

Contributed photo

6 • MARCH 2016

Valley Chamber

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Join a BIG 5 Initiative The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber

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March 18 | Business Connections Breakfast

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April 15 | Business Connections Lunch May 12: The Business Showcase

For more information or to register, visit spokanevalleychamber.org

business, industry, government and the initiatives to move our community forward.

Focused on core values and attributes that draw business and industry to our region, the BIG 5 serves as the beacon and the

McLaughlin appointed as newest county commissioner

From Current News Sources On Feb. 22, the Board of Spokane County Commissioners unanimously appointed former Spokane City Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin to represent County Commission District One. The seat was vacated at the end of January when then-Commissioner Todd Mielke accepted the job of CEO for Greater Spokane Incorporated (GSI).

The appointment process required that the Spokane County Republican Precinct Committee officers (PCOs) meet and vote for three nominees to fill the vacant elected office. The three selected were McLaughlin, former State Senator Jeff Baxter and Josh Kerns, legislative aide to Sixth District Representative Jeff Holy.

In making the nomination, Commissioners Al French and Shelly O’Quinn commented on how all three candidates had thoroughly prepared themselves for the public interviews and were highly qualified. Commissioner

The Current French said he would follow the will of the local PCOs. “All three nominees did an outstanding job today, but I must give weight and deference to the process that the party followed and nominate Nancy McLaughlin,” French said.

McLaughlin came in first when the PCOs voted earlier this month.

She took the commissioner’s oath of office in District Court Judge Dick Leland’s courtroom in the Broadway Center Building.

McLaughlin served on the Spokane City Council from 2006 to 2013. She and her husband Dave own D-Mac Construction, a Spokane business that began in 1980.

Nancy McLaughlin

compass for economic prosperity and community vitality for the Greater Spokane Valley region.

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Promoting the Greater Spokane Valley as an emerging leader in high-tech manufacturing.

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Promoting and protecting the vitality of the outdoors.

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Building an enterprising identity for the Greater Spokane Valley region.

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Integrating business and education to create the workforce of the future.

The community is invited to join the conversation and get involved.

To participate, email your name, phone number and the BIG 5 initiative you want to join: info@spokanevalleychamber.org

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The Current

BUSINESS

MARCH 2016 • 7

Consign Furniture opens with extensive, diverse inventory Staci Lehman Current Correspondent Where do you go if you want to buy a taxidermy lion, a pink 1950s stove or a Balinese ornamental bed? Visiting the new Consign Furniture store in Liberty Lake is more than just going to a furniture store, it’s kind of like going to a museum.

In late December, the business opened in the old Ashley Furniture building next to the Home Depot on Country Vista Drive.

It has already been doing brisk business, selling high quality, used furniture. Owner Erik Rock says business is so good, in fact, that he’s had to hire more help than originally anticipated.

“When we opened, we instantly felt the impact and realized we were going to need more people,” said Rock.

Consign Furniture was formerly located in Post Falls, where the store first opened in 2012.

Rock purchased the new space and moved the family-owned business to Liberty Lake because he needed more space.

“We were losing business because the building was so tight,” said Rock of the Post Falls store.

at Consign Furniture.

On a recent visit, in addition to bedroom, dining and living room sets of all kinds, styles and materials, the store had a rock basin sink, a claw-foot bathtub, several grandfather clocks, a telescope and taxidermy animals of all kinds.

“We love the unusual,” said Rock. “I can’t tell you how many people from California buy a taxidermy for their new lake house here.”

Rock says his business is very closely tied to the real estate industry. Many of the people who consign with him do so because they are either combining households and need to get rid of extra furniture or are moving to a new home and acquiring new furniture to fit that house.

Consigners often turn around and buy their new furniture from the store as well. Even when the economy crashed and the housing market was extremely slow, Rock says the consignment furniture business wasn’t.

“We learned that it’s recession proof,” he said. “Think about it, people were losing their homes and having to sell their furniture.”

The search for a new location was an extended one because the Ashley Furniture building initially wasn’t in his price range, although Rock had been interested in the building for a long time.

“When I used to live in Legacy Ridge, I’d drive down the hill every day and see this giant beautiful empty building,” he said.

The move to Liberty Lake is already paying off. Rock says.

With 59,000 square feet to work with, he can bring in and sell a lot more furniture. That much square footage also gives his store a claim to fame – it reportedly makes Consign Furniture the largest consignment furniture store in the U.S. Don’t let the name fool you, you can get a lot more than furniture

Unique clocks, zebra-pattern chairs and other unique items can be found at the Consign Furniture store.

Photo by Staci Lehman

Consign Furniture is now open in Liberty Lake at the site of the former Ashley Furniture location on Country Vista Drive next to Home Depot.

Photo by Staci Lehman Yet some might wonder why pay a fee to have someone sell Coeur d’Alene, Sandpoint and your furniture when you could do Harrison on a regular basis, and it yourself? According to Rock, a they travel far in every other lot of people don’t want to deal direction as well. With over with the hassle or safety risks of 4,000 consigners already selling selling furniture on Craigslist and their furniture through Consign hauling it themselves can be a Furniture, several truckloads of major inconvenience. When you new items are brought in every consign with Consign Furniture, day. That means there is always all you have to do is give them something new.

Items sell a call, send them some pictures quickly too though and are oneand they will come pick up your of-a-kind at the store, so if you items for free – even if you aren’t see something you like, you may in the Liberty Lake area. want to grab it up right away.

Rock says he has trucks in For those who prefer online shopping, you can also browse through Consign Furniture’s treasures on the Internet.

Pictures of new items are posted on the store’s Facebook page every day so you can see what is available. You can also sign up on their “wish list” for items you are interested in and store staff will contact you if that item comes in.

Vintage items like this mid-century modern oven are part of the inventory at Consign Furniture.

Photo by Staci Lehman

Even while people are just starting to discover this new store, its owner is already looking to expand. Rock has another Consign Furniture store in Reno, Nev. and would like to start another, possibly in Western Washington, although he’s not really sure on a location yet. For now, he’s just happy with how things are working out in Liberty Lake.

“This building is generating a ton of business,” he said.

The Current

8 • MARCH 2016 March 4-5-6, 2016 | Spokane Fair & Expo Center | Spokane, WA

CONSTRUCTION

March 4-5-6, 2016

Continued from page 5

39th Annual Spring

structure layout will be updated and modernized. Safety will be a priority, moving away from an open-concept school to having walls added and offices realigned.

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Chester Elementary, 3525 S. Pines Rd., held a Feb. 19 groundbreaking and student send-off event. With a March 1 project start, students are relocated to the former Keystone Elementar during construction.

The $19.1 million renovation and expansion of the 1974-built Chester school increases student capacity from 310 to 502 students. The facility will span 63,500 square feet to include a large portion renovated and a 25,100-square-foot addition to the southeast side. Lydig Construction is the general contractor scheduled to finish by summer 2017.

The project includes a new gym and multi-purpose room and parking and drop-off/pickup will be reconfigured. Current structure layout will be updated and modernized. Safety measures will be a priority as Chester also originally was developed as an open-concept school.

Liberty Creek Elementary February launched construction of Liberty Lake’s new school for students in kindergarten to second grade. Named Liberty Creek Elementary, the facility is expected to open for the 201718 school year just east of city ballfields and a short distance from Liberty Lake Elementary, which will hold third to fifth grades once Liberty Creek is open.

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The $21.1 million school is designed to hold 612 students with 39 standard classrooms, computer lab, music room, and special education classrooms.

T.W. Clark is the contractor building the 74,350-square-foot facility at 23909 E. Country Vista Dr. Other Activity • The district recently bought

property, which falls under approved funding in the 2015 bond, for eventual expansion and relocation of North Pines Middle School. The CVSD board approved the $2.3 million purchase of the Broadway Square Apartments at 11910 E. Broadway, in Spokane Valley. The district plans to demolish the complex to make room for a future school replacement facility to move the school to the west, off Pines Avenue, for student safety. That building project would be under a future bond issue.

• Construction recently wrapped up at a former Yoke’s store, 15111 E. Sprague Ave., providing a 63,169-square-foot facility to two separate programs.

One is the Central Valley Early Learning Center that moved from the old U-Hi to the new site in February. The learning center holds preschool, Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), and special education programs for some 500 young children. The second school is the alternative Mica Peak High School, formerly called Barker High, which also moved in after vacating the former Blake Elementary. Nearly 300 Mica Peak students are enrolled in three program options, a majority attend a core full-day, on-site program with teacher-led instruction. Roughly 120 students are in a blended-learning program that mixes online learning and on-campus teacher support; 40 are in School to Life, a post-high school, special-needs transition program.

• Summit School and separate program Spokane Valley Learning Academy moved in midFebruary from the old Keystone Elementary, 612 S. McDonald Ave., to permanent quarters at the former Blake Elementary, 13313 E. Broadway Ave., which previously held Barker High School. This summer, a $2.3 million project is planned to add four classrooms, new playground equipment and a greenhouse.

• Other eventual projects will update Sunrise, Opportunity, and Ponderosa elementary schools.

The Current

MARCH 2016 • 9

strong Spokane Valley WDFY chapters at University, West Valley and Central Valley. Committed support from Pathology Associations Medical Laboratories (PAML) for all of the drug tests used in the voluntary/random testing for membership, the city of Spokane Valley’s investment in WDFY chapter support and our schools’ provision of advisors and volunteers all come together for WDFY in solid community support for our youth choosing to be drug free.

Taking a stand against the marketing of substance abuse

By Linda Thompson

Rolling my orange cart to the lumber section at one of my favorite do-it-yourself stores I came upon a fun family all sporting Seahawks gear. Two young boys about 10 and 12 along with their parents were all decked out in bright blue and green from sweatshirts to hats.

As I was about to pass by them with a ‘Go Hawks!’ shout-out, one of the boys moved to the side and I saw the message across the front of the man’s hoodie: “All I want to do is smoke bud and watch the Seahawks!” My smile faded and my shout-out turned to a heavy sigh as I refocused on my weekend mission and continued down the aisle to the two by fours.

Monday morning I was back at work with the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council (GSSAC), a 501c(3) designated nonprofit organization, dedicated to our mission to promote the health, safety and well-being of our community with an emphasis on youth. With the two young Hawks’ fans on my mind, I thought about how children and youth are being continually being exposed to promotional messages about marijuana, alcohol and tobacco.

From billboards to social media to industry marketed hats, cups and clothing, they are being bombarded with ‘it’s cool to use’

messages. Every two years, Washington state’s 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders take the Healthy Youth Survey answering questions about use, perception of harm and availability.

According to the 2014 State Healthy Youth Survey (Source: askhys.net), only 36 percent of our Spokane County high school seniors believe the adults in their neighborhood think it is very wrong for them to use marijuana.

That is about the same percentage of Spokane County sophomores who believe adults in their neighborhood think youth drinking is very wrong.

What kind of messages are we sending to our youth? What are our roles as parents, educators, business owners, policy makers, reporters and caring adults when it comes to helping our children and youth make the positive choice to be drug free?

At GSSAC, we know that every adult has an opportunity to be a part of prevention through promotion of positive community norms.

Every GSSAC program and project is built around the Communities That Care model of reducing risk factors that put youth at risk for problem behaviors and increasing protective factors that provide support for healthy choices. Our Washington Drug Free Youth (WDFY) program continues to grow strong with nearly 2,000 middle and high school students in 18 chapters around the region.

East Valley High School continues to have the largest percentage of their students in WDFY which leads the way for

Local merchants support our WDFY youth with a wide variety of incentives such as a free soda with purchase or discount on service — widespread recognition of good choices. Our emphasis on substance abuse prevention focused on youth will help to grow a drug free work force—a benefit to our community that will pay dividends for years to come.

Support from the community is critical to keep GSSAC’s countywide prevention efforts strong.

With the privatization of hard liquor and the legalization of recreational marijuana for those 21 and over through the initiative process came the promise

of investment in prevention.

Although recreational marijuana sales have generated over $80 million in excise taxes this fiscal year prevention funding has not come to fruition.

GSSAC is in need of stronger community investment in prevention to save the human and monetary cost of treatment, law enforcement and justice systems in our future. Won’t you be a part of the prevention movement?

Send a donation, volunteer your time, be a strong adult role model for your family and friends or encourage a child to reach their potential.

Recognize positive messages wherever you see them and speak up for awareness of the negative ones. Our kids deserve that from us – at the very least – no matter what’s on a T-shirt.

Linda Thompson is the longtime executive director of the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council, a Spokane Valley-based nonprofit established in 1982 to promote the health, safety and well-being of our community with an emphasis on youth. To learn more about the agency, call 509922-8383 or visit www.gssac.org.

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The Current

10 • MARCH 2016

Bon voyage Bear – Hittle to retire as CV principal in June

By Craig Howard Current Editor Birthdays are special occasions at Central Valley High School – just ask Principal Mike Hittle.

Hand delivering celebratory cards to staff is one of many personal gestures Hittle has become known for at the campus on Sullivan Road since he arrived in 2002. The Ohio native began his career as an educator in his home state back in 1973.

“He is our leader,” said Brandon Mack, a math instructor who has been at CV for a decade. “He has always demonstrated a great balance of relationship-building with school spirit and academic excellence. He should be very proud of the school that he has been at the helm for these past years.”

When Mack broke the news of his son’s impending heart operation to his colleagues, Hittle was there to offer reassurance and advice.

“He has always been family first,” Mack said. “He was a huge encouragement to my family as he helped us talk through our son’s heart surgery as one of his children had gone through the exact same thing.”

When Hittle’s wife, Karen, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2008, the tables of reinforcement turned as the entire CV community rallied on behalf of a cause that became known as “Team Hittle.”

“I can never thank the students and staff enough for their support during that time,” Hittle said.

“The many well wishes and cards from the students and staff were a huge reason Karen and I kept a positive attitude.”

While the Hittle family dug into research and stories of recovery connected to pancreatic cancer, the campus community joined the worldwide effort to defeat the disease. At a home football game in November 2008, students raised some $1,700 in donations toward research and treatment.

A CV care package with cards, letters and posters made the trip with the Hittles to Houston where Karen was treated for nearly three months at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

“We read one or two items every day,” Mike recalls. “I am also eternally grateful to the staff and administration team for their

donation of sick leave to Karen through the district’s shared leave program and how they all pulled together to keep CV running well in my absence.”

Karen eventually won the battle of her life in heroic fashion, a victory that Bear Nation still celebrates. Now she and her husband are ready for the green fields of retirement. Hittle, who turns 65 in April, will step down as principal on June 10.

“Now it is time to serve my family as a husband, father and grandfather,” Hittle said. “I’ll miss the students and staff the most.

I’m very proud of CV and all of our accomplishments. I feel honored and humble to have been a small part of the process.”

While Hittle talks in modest terms about his impact on the school, those who have worked with him describe a broadreaching influence.

“When Mike started in the fall of 2002, it was obvious he wanted to develop an educational environment that had a sense of family, an expectation of professionalism and dedication to high academic standards – which he has accomplished,” said Robin Barnhart, a marketing and DECA instructor. “He has worked tirelessly to create a school culture that is inclusive and challenging, while providing the necessary support for students and staff to achieve their goals.”

In addition to 33 years in education, Hittle served 20 years in the U.S. Army and retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1994. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his efforts during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

At CV, Hittle is known for his discipline, but has been recognized more as a motivational coach than a drill sergeant.

“Mike has been an amazing leader,” said Leanne Donley, teacher and longtime ASB advisor.

“He leads by example. He trusts his staff to do what we need to do. He trusts his students to do what they need to do. He praises us when we succeed. He supports us when we fail. He understands that to be great here, we need to keep proprieties straight.”

Looking back, Hittle said there are plenty of proud moments during his tenure including various state titles, a wide range of

See HITTLE, Page 11

The Current

MARCH 2016 • 11

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Longtime Central Valley High School Principal Mike Hittle has announced he will retire at the end of the 2015-16 school year. Hittle began his tenure at CV in 2002, the same year the campus on Sullivan Road celebrated an extensive renovation.

Photo by Craig Howard

HITTLE

Continued from page 10

volunteer projects, standardized test scores exceeding state and national averages and specialized programs for students at all learning levels. The outgoing principal also talks in glowing terms about CV’s success in the annual selection of Spokane Scholars, a program that honors high-achieving seniors before they embark on their respective college journeys.

“What stands out to me is the success our senior students have had at the Spokane Scholars Recognition Banquet,” Hittle said. “This event honors students from 25 local high schools and provides scholarships in six different academic areas. During the past several years we have had more award winners than any other high school, including all the private high schools, in the area.”

Hittle has also earned several of his own honors while at CV, including being named Greater Spokane League Principal of the Year twice.

As for Hittle’s replacement, CVSD Executive Director of

Secondary Education Kent Martin has been working with Northwest Leadership Associates to help promote the principal’s job to potential candidates. Applications for the position closed at the end of February. The district is planning to interview this month and present its recommendation to the CV board on March 28. The new principal would start July 1.

While Hittle looks back fondly on his career at CV, there have been some hurdles along the way. He describes a “burnout factor” from dealing with a certain percentage of parents who have added strain to his role.

“I really enjoy working with the students and staff and I could do this forever,” he said. “However, the burnout comes from dealing with overly emotional parents who support our policies and rules until it affects their child, adjusting to the many top down, federal and state, educational requirements that change constantly.”

Hittle emphasizes that most CV parents are “very supportive and helpful” but the stress of dealing with a number of seniors each year scrambling to meet graduation requirements and the corresponding feedback from parents has been taxing.

“I totally understand that the emotional parents are trying to protect their children and their child is their number one priority at the moment,” he said. “However, the parents need to understand that we have over 2,100 number one priorities and we must be very consistent in following our policies and regulations.”

Overall, Hittle said he is proudest of “the positive climate we now have at CV.” “I don’t take the credit for this because we have an amazing student leadership group that sets the tone and supports all of our students,” he said. “Also the staff has developed a level of trust with the administration team and many of the initiatives we introduced to improve our culture have been accepted and supported.”

For teachers like Mack, Hittle leaves a legacy that will live on in Bear Nation.

“I’m going to miss him at CV,” Mack said. “Mike pushed us toward excellence, and was always encouraging in every academic endeavor that we embarked on.

I know we are proud of what he has helped CV become, a school that our community is extremely proud of.”

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12 • MARCH 2016

COVER STORY

The Current

Spokane Valley dismisses longtime city manager

By Lincoln Dowright Current Correspondent With just over 24 hours’ notice, Spokane Valley Mayor Rod Higgins called a special meeting of the Spokane Valley City Council on Feb. 23 to “review the performance of a public employee” noting that action would be taken.

It turns out the procedure would involve the sudden dismissal of longtime City Manager Mike Jackson.

To the surprise of many, including some of the Spokane Valley City Council, a motion was made after a 45-minute executive session by Deputy Mayor Arne Woodard to “request the city manager resign in the best interest of the city” and that he “Immediately be placed into suspension status with full pay and benefits until such time as agreement as the specific terms of his separation from the city can be finalized but not to exceed 4 p.m. on March 30, 2016.”

The motion asking forJackson’s resignation was approved 4-3 by Higgins, Woodard and Council Members Sam Wood and Ed Pace in favor. No comment or rationale

was given at the meeting by those in the majority as to why they put forth the request.

The outcome was met with a chorus of booing from a packed crowd in council chambers. When it came time for public comments, many were left scratching their heads.

“Help us understand, tell us what’s going on to have caused this,” asked Peggy Doering.

Other wondered about the levels of discussion that had led to the decision.

“What happened to transparency promised during your campaigns?” said Jennie Willardson.

Still more cited examples of dealings with Jackson during his 14-year tenure with the city, noting his honesty, integrity and excellent representation of Spokane Valley.

Former Council Member Ben Wick and former Mayors Tom Towey and Diana Wilhite all spoke about their impeccable interactions with Jackson and shared how he always exceeded their expectations on any goals provided.

The Spokane Valley City Council voted 4-3 to dismiss City Manager Mike Jackson on Feb. 23. Jackson had served as the city’s lead administrator since January 2010.

Contributed Photo “For example, remember the Solid Waste program,” Wick said. “The City Council gave Mr. Jackson the direction to move out on our own and he was able to get it accomplished. On cutover day, it went so smoothly I don’t think we got any complaints from citizens.”

Rick Scott, director of SCOPE, added how helpful Jackson was and thanked him for his service in helping establish Edgecliff Park while he was the Parks and Recreation director.

Others questioned the City Council on the Open Public

Meetings Act, suggesting that council had violated the groundrules with a lack of discussion on the dais recently.

Council Member Bill Gothmann stated that “[Mike] is clean and honest, absolutely no malfeasance has occurred” and after reading a large list of accomplishments that have occurred under the leadership of Jackson, added, “No way on God’s green earth am I supporting this motion.”

Council Member Chuck Hafner said that he didn’t know “why Mike is being dismissed.”

“Mike Jackson has done an outstanding job,” he said. “Three of us didn’t know what was going on until this evening.”

Hafner went on to say he couldn’t believe that “Mike was given a resign or else,” edict.

Council Member Dean Grafos expressed bewilderment with the decision, saying, “We have been a council with differences at times, but it has always been a council with the best interests of our city and its citizens in mind. However, tonight’s meeting is now one of a quick series of moves that characterizes this governing body as one that is moving in a terrible direction.”

Spokane Valley City Manager Mike Jackson began his career with the city in 2003 as the Parks and Recreation director. He transitioned to deputy city manager in October 2007 and was named interim city manager in January 2010. Jackson had served as city manager since August 2010.

Contributed Photo

Grafos went on to suggest that the dismissal of Jackson had nothing to do with any cause but because “he (Jackson) is a major obstacle to the plan for the eventual formation of a city of Spokane Valley Police

The Current

Department.”

Spokane Valley Police Rick VanLeuven and Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich spoke up in defense of Jackson stating that without his collaboration and commitment to public safety, Spokane Valley’s public safety program wouldn’t be where it is today.

Jackson started serving as Interim city manager on Jan. 5, 2010 when then-City Manager Dave Mercier was asked to resign immediately after a newly elected City Council – under the banner of “Positive Change” – was sworn into office. His appointment was made official in August 2010.

Jackson began with Spokane Valley as the Parks and Recreation director in 2003, shortly after incorporation and moved up to serve as deputy city manager in October 2007.

COVER STORY Mayor Higgins responded “(it’s) not personal, there is simply a difference of opinion in the direction for the city.”

After all that transpired on Feb. 24, Jackson is keeping his head held high.

“It has been a pleasure to work for the city of Spokane Valley and all of the great people in the Valley,” Jackson said. “We have a wonderful staff and we have always been here to serve the public.”

Early estimates show Jackson’s termination will cost Spokane Valley residents over $100,000 in taxpayer dollars.

After the meeting, Mayor Higgins said he wanted to clear the air by stating, “We do not intend to start our own police department.”

However, Higgins went on to say that they will be exploring changes in the Public Safety contract but they will be more directed to the judicial side of the agreement. When asked what prompted the council’s decision to request Jackson’s resignation,

Mike Jackson

Strides with a city – Jackson made impact in several roles

By Lincoln Dowright Current Correspondent A quick look back at Mike Jackson’s key accomplishments as an employee with the city of Spokane Valley covering a 13-year tenure that included time as Parks and Recreation director, deputy city manager and city manager. Jackson had worked for the city from 2003 until was asked to resign by a majority of the City Council on Feb. 23.

• Successful negotiation of a new Solid Waste plan including the establishment of a transport and transfer station with Sunshine Disposal and upon adoption from the City Council, successful implementation with very few to no citizen complaints. Most people didn’t notice a difference.

• Given the challenge of dedicating an amount equal to 6 percent of the general fund reoccurring expenses to Street Preservation, proposed a plan that was adopted by council and is solvent through the year 2020.

While serving as Spokane Valley’s director of Parks and Recreation, Mike Jackson secured funding which proved critical for the development of Greenacres Park, Discovery Playground and the Appleway Trail.

Contributed Photo

• Given the direction from City Council that they wanted to increase the number of police officers, asked for time and returned with a plan that included the creation of what is now

MARCH 2016 • 13

called the “Power Shift” which maximized the benefit to Spokane Valley citizens by reorganizing current staffing in conjunction with two new officers.

• In charge of union contract negotiation including one that replaced all Cost of Living (COLA) increases with a performance-based system.

• Recruited and selected all current city senior leadership personnel (including, deputy city manager, finance director, Public Works director, Community and Economic Development director, HR manager, Parks and Recreation director, and city attorney) • At the direction of the City Council, championed the streamlining of the permitting system within the Community and Economic Development department, establishing a model that others look to statewide.

• Led the negotiation team for the Public Safety contract between Spokane County and the city of Spokane Valley • Established Spokane Valley’s first Parks and Recreation Master Plan • Responsible for securing state funding which provided for the land acquisition of what became Greenacres Park, the development of Discovery Playground, and the future Appleway Trail.

The Current

14 • MARCH 2016

Calendar of Events COMMUNITY EVENTS March 1 | Kindergarten registration begins for Central Valley (www.cvsd.org), East Valley (evsd.org), and West Valley (wvsd.org) school districts.

March 1, 5 | March for Meals 8 to 10 a.m. (Tues.) at the Valley Mall, 14700 E. Indiana Ave., Spokane Valley; 10 a.m. to noon at Riverpark Square, 808 W. Main Ave., Spokane; 8 a.m. to noon at Northtown Mall , 4750 N. Division St., Spokane. Help end senior hunger in Spokane County by participating in Meals on Wheels’ mall walks. $15 per person. Register at www. gscmealsonwheels.org or call 924-6976.

March 2 | Grange potluck and meeting 6 p.m., Tri Community Grange, 25025 Heather St., Newman Lake. A potluck will be followed by a 7 p.m. meeting for this community-based service organization. More at 481-7447 or geje2@yahoo.com.

March 5 | Father Daughter Dance 7 to 9 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.), CenterPlace Regional Events Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place. Presented by the Liberty Lake Kiwanis and the City of Spokane Valley. The theme for the night is “Enchanted Evening in Oz.” Tickets are $45 per father/ daughter couple and $20 for each additional daughter. For tickets and more: 688-0300 or www. spokanevalley.org/recreation.

March 12 | Hope for Savi 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. AR Tools and Machinery, 12009 E. Empire Ave., Bldg. C. Food, auction, and raffle to support the family of two-yearold Cevanah to help cover the medical costs of brain surgeries to remove an aggressive tumor. For more information, or to donate, call Tammy at (208) 771-5328 or Stacy at 701-6574.

March 13 | Daylight saving time begins March 17 | St. Patrick’s Day March 18 | CVHS Parent Dinner Auction| 6 p.m. to

9 p.m., Spokane Valley Event Center, 10514 E Sprague Ave. This dinner and auction to raise funds for the Central Valley High School senior all-nighter. More at 228-5100.

March 22 | Prospective Kindergarteners Day 9 to 11 a.m., Pioneer School, 618 N. Sullivan Road. Pioneer School, a school for highly capable students, is now accepting applications for 2016-2017 kindergarten and first grade students. Space is limited for Kindergarteners Day. RSVP and more at 922-7818 or www. pioneerschool.com.

March 26 | Community Easter Egg Hunt noon to 3 p.m. (daylight hunt) and 8 p.m. (flashlight hunt), Valley Real Life, 1831 S. Barker Road. A “daylight” egg hunt for kids up to fifth grade and a “flashlight” hunt for children kindergarten through fifth grade along with carnival games, inflatables, and food available for purchase from Greater Spokane Food Truck Association vendors.

Free. More information at www. vrl.church.

March 25, 27 | Good Friday, Great Sunday at Lakeside 7 p.m. (Fri.); 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Sun.), Lakeside Church, 23129 E. Mission Ave. Good Friday and Easter services. More at www.lakesidechurch.com.

March 31 | Kiwanis scholarship deadline The Liberty Lake Kiwanis Foundation is seeking candidates for its 2016 scholarships. Scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors or a former recipient who is continuing his/her education.

Graduating seniors from Liberty Lake, students related to a Liberty Lake Kiwanis member, seniors from East Valley, Central Valley, or West Valley school districts, or other community members deemed eligible are encouraged to apply. More at 710-7466.

Recurring ACT 2 senior classes Affordable classes offered by Community Colleges of Spokane to those

who are retired or planning to retire. A wide range of courses from geology and history to exercise and art are offered at CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place, as well as other locations throughout the area. More at www.sccel.spokane.edu/ACT2.

Baha’i Fireside Conversation 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., third Friday of the month. Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Discussion of Baha’i teachings, history, and perspectives on resolving the challenges facing humanity. All are welcome. More at 599-2411 or www.bahai.us.

Café Card Club 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays. On Sacred Grounds, 12212 E. Palouse Hwy., Valleyford. Play pinochle, cribbage, or hearts. More at www. onsacredgrounds.com.

Catholic Singles Mingle meeting times and locations vary.

This group, with no dues, is for single adults of all ages. More at www.meetup.com/CatholicSingles-Mingle.

Divorce Care Recovery Support Group Tuesdays 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastpoint Church, 15303 E. Sprague Ave. Learn how to heal from the deep hurt of divorce and discover hope for your future. DivorceCare for Kids (ages 5-12) meets at the same time and location. Cost is $25 for workbook. More at 8925255 or eastpointchurch.com.

Inland NW Freethought Society 2 p.m., second Sunday of the month. Shari's, 240 N. Sullivan Road. A secular social group. More at 216-4788.

Liberty Lake Library 23123 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake.

Various clubs and weekly meetings including book clubs, children’s story times, LEGO club, computer drop-in class, knitting club, and more. More at www. libertylakewa.gov/library.

Men’s Weekly Bible Study 7 a.m.

Tuesdays.

Millwood Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite Road, Millwood. The

men’s weekly Bible Study meets in the Reception Hall with different members sharing in the leading of the study. All men are invited to join. More at www.milwoodpc. org.

Pancreatic Cancer Action Network 6:30 p.m., the first Monday of each month. Liberty Lake Municipal Library, 23123 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake. More at www.pancan.org or 534-2564.

Rockford Crochet Class 10 a.m. to noon, Saturdays. The Harvest Moon, 20 S. First St., Rockford.

Activities include hairpin lace, knit, embroidery, needlepoint, and arm knitting of infinity. More at 892-4412 or 291-3722.

Rockford Historical Society 11:30 a.m. second Friday of the month (Feb. to Nov.). Harvest Moon restaurant, 20 S. First St., Rockford. More at 291-3193.

Spokane County Library District locations include Argonne, Fairfield, Otis Orchards, and Spokane Valley. Special events and weekly activities for all ages including book clubs, children’s story times, classes, Lego club, teen anime club and writing clubs. More at www.scld. org Spokane Valley Eagles 16801 E. Sprague Ave. Breakfast served Sundays 9 to 11:30 a.m. Lunch served Thursdays 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. followed by bingo from 1 to 3:30 p.m. More at www.foe3433. com.

Spokane Valley Kiwanis 6:45 a.m. Tuesdays. Valley Hospital Education Center, 12606 E. Mission Ave. More at www. spokanevalleykiwanis.net.

Spokane Valley Rotary noon to 1 p.m., Tuesdays. Darcy’s, 10502 E. Sprague Ave. March topics include: “Secret Service” (March 8); Parent’s Advancing ( March 15); Character Education (March 15); Terry Fossum (March 22); Mayor Rod Riggins (March 29).

More at www.svrotary.org.

MUSIC & THE ARTS

The Current

Through March 6 | “How the Other Half Loves” 7:30 p.m.

(Fri., Sat.) and 2 p.m. (Sun.), Ignite!

Community Theatre, 10814 E. Broadway Ave. A comedy about the intertwining lives of three couples. Tickets $13-15.

More at www.igniteonbroadway. org.

March 3-12 | “On Having Good Fortune & Other Worthwhile Things” Liberty Lake Community Theatre, 22910 E. Appleway Ave. Tickets cost $12. For times, tickets, and more: www. libertylaketheatre.com.

March 5, 7 | Auditions for “Jack and the Beanstalk” 10 a.m. (Sat.) and 6 p.m. (Mon.), Liberty Lake Community Theatre, 22910 E. Appleway Ave. Auditions seeking men and women for performances March 18-19 and 25-26. More at www.facebook. com/libertylaketheatre.

March 12-13 | CVHS Spring Arts and Crafts Fair 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Sat.), 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Sun.), Central Valley High School gym, 821 S Sullivan Road. Craft Show benefiting the Central Valley High School Band programs. Admission is $2. More information at cvmbPublicity@ hotmail.com.

March 14 | CVHS Orchestra Concert 7 p.m., Valley Nazarene Church, 15515 E 20th Ave. For more information call the CVHS activities hotline at 228-5233.

March 17-19, 20, 23-26 | “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” 7:30 p.m. (March 17-19, 23-26) and 2 p.m. (March 20), Central Valley Performing Arts Center, 821 S Sullivan Rd. Tickets start at $8.

Tickets and information at www. cvtheatre.com.

March 18-19, 25-26 | “Jack and the Beanstalk” 7 p.m.

(Fri.) and 2 p.m. (Sat.), Liberty Lake Community Theatre, 22910 E. Appleway Ave. An entertaining and cleverly imaginative popular version of the favorite British folk tale. Tickets cost $12. Tickets and more at www.libertylaketheatre. com.

March 25 | Teen Video Challenge submission deadline Teens ages 13 to 18 are invited

MARCH 2016 • 15

to create a 30 to 90 second video interpreting the 2016 summer reading slogan: “Get in the Game—READ.” $150 prize.

Details at http://sos.wa.gov/q/ teenvideo or call Nono Burling at the Washington State Library at nono.burling@sos.wa.gov.

and Water District building, 22510 E. Mission Ave., Liberty Lake. All levels of ability—students through experienced photographers—are invited to learn. Social events include field trips and workshops.

More at 951-1446 or www.sv-cc. org

March 31 | CVHS Choral Concert 7 p.m., Central Valley Performing Arts Center, 821 S. Sullivan Rd. More at the CVHS activities hotline, 228-5233.

Spokane Valley Writer’s Group 6:45 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month. Lakeside Church, 23129 E. Mission Ave. This supportive critique group welcomes adult writers. More at 570-4440.

Recurring Country Jammers Dance 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., first and third Sunday of the month. Newman Lake Grange, 25025 E. Heather Lane, Newman Lake.

More information at jandg2@comcast. net.

Drop-in Square Dance Lessons 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (through May 18). Western Dance Center, 1901 N. Sullivan Road. Square dance lessons for $3 per person; no partner needed. More at 2709264.

Pages of Harmony 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Wednesdays.

Thornhill Valley Chapel, 1400 S. Pines Road.

If you enjoy singing, you will love the four-part, a cappella harmony of this men’s barbershop chorus.

More at www.pagesofharmony. org.

Spirit of Spokane Chorus 6:45 p.m., Tuesdays.

Opportunity Presbyterian Church, 202 N. Pines Road. Make new friends by joining this women’s chorus, specializing in four-part, a cappella harmony in the barbershop style. More at 218-4799.

Spokane Novelists Group noon to 4 p.m., second and fourth Saturday of the month. Otis Orchards Community Church, 23304 E. Wellesley Ave., Otis Orchards.

A support/critique group for writers. Open to anyone with an interest in writing fiction (no memoirs, nonfiction, poetry, etc., please). Participants should bring 5-10 pages to read aloud and 6-8 copies for others to read along and critique. More at 5907316.

Spokane Valley Camera Club 7:15 p.m., third and fourth Monday of the month (September through April). Liberty Lake Sewer

Teen Writers of the Inland Empire 4 p.m., first Thursday of the month (except holidays).

Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Teen writers (grade six and older) meet to write and share their work. More at 8938400.

CIVIC & BUSINESS March 3 | STCU Workshop: “Prevent Fraud & Identity Theft” 6 to 7 p.m., Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main Ave. Learn what attracts criminals, how to spot fraud warning signs, and what current trending scams are out there. Light meal provided. Details and registration at ww.stcu.org/workshops.

March 6 | Model Railroad Train Show 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. Over 100 vendors with railroad art, artifacts, photos, videos, and all scales of model trains for sale.

Admission is $6 for adults and free for children 12 and under.

More at www.rivercitymodelers. org.

March 11-13 | Inland Northwest Motorcycle Show 3 to 8 p.m. (Fri); 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Sat.); and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Sun.). Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. Special show prices, financing and deals on motorcycles and accessores will be available at the 13th annual show. Cash-only admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 12, and free for ages 5 and under. More at www. spokanemotorcycleshow.com.

March 17-20 | Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show noon

to 8 p.m. (Thurs. and Fri.); 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Sat.); and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Sun.). County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. Shop for great values on hunting and fishing gear, clothing, boats, wildlife art and ATVs. Admission is $10 adults, $8 for military, seniors and students. Kids 6 and under are free. More at www. bighornshow.com.

March 23-24 | Spokane River Forum Conference Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S 2nd St, Coeur d'Alene. Focus on ways to enjoy and restore the river or join technical and policy discussions at this annual conference featuring national, regional and local presenters. Register and more at www.spokaneriver.net March 25-27 | Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Fri. and Sat.); 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Sun.). Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. Enjoy free demonstrations, 40 dealers, children’s activities, hourly door prizes, and more.

Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and military tickets, and free for children. More at www. rockrollers.org.

HEALTH & RECREATION March 4 | Warrior Camp Mixed Martial Arts Event 7 p.m., HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave., Liberty Lake. The cost of admission for these live MMA cage fights is $20-30. Tickets are available at Warrior Camp, 5027 E. Trent Ave., Spokane. More at www.warriorcampfitness.com March 5-6 | APEX Awareness Volleyball Tournament 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave., Liberty Lake. More at www. hubsportscenter.org.

March 12 | Freeman Freeze 5k Fun Run |9 a.m., Freeman High School track, 14626 S. Jackson Road, Rockford. Cost, which include t-shirt and breakfast, is $15 for adults and $13 for children under 13. Proceeds benefit Freeman track and field team. More at www.freemansd. org.

See CALENDAR, Page 33

The Current

16 • MARCH 2016

Safety Scroll Every day a smoke alarm saves someone’s life

By Chief Bryan Collins Spokane Valley Fire Department I recently reviewed some of the smoke alarms with new technology that have just hit the market. One of these alarms is the Atom Smoke and Fire Alarm from First Alert. It features a new, thinner micro-design which adds an element of style to safety.

This alarm is about the size of your thumb and provides all the necessary protection to help keep your family and home safe.

Recent news reports about another new smoke alarm technology by a company called Nest. The person who designed it had a hand in creating Apple’s original iPod. Nest alarms are being touted as an important component in today’s high-tech home. There is a “cool” factor in many of the reports about these products that I’d never seen associated with smoke alarms in the past.

All this buzz made me think about how far the smoke alarm industry has come. Today, consumers can

SVFD “pit crew” achieves record-setting cardiac survival rate From Current News Sources

Spokane Valley Fire Department achieved a record-setting 66.7 percent cardiac survival rate in 2015, among the highest rates in Washington state. The measure is based on the “Utstein Bystander” measurement, an industry standard with the following criteria: the collapse is witnessed, the collapse has a cardiac origin, a bystander intervenes with CPR and/or AED and the patient is in

find devices that combine smoke and carbon monoxide detection in a single unit and others that contain both ionization and photoelectric sensors, providing the best protection from both flaming and smoldering fires.

Smoke alarms can be batterypowered or hardwired and can be interconnected. Many have features for easily silencing nuisance alarms, while others can send a message to your smart phone if the alarm goes off or if the batteries need replacing.

However, despite all this new technology, we still struggle to address one of the biggest challenges in fire safety today – reducing home fire deaths.

Fire prevention advocates across the country point to the widespread use of smoke alarms, which began in the 1970s, as a major factor in reducing home fire deaths. Since then, the number of fire deaths in homes has gone from roughly 6,000 annually to its current level of just under 3,500. That’s the good news.

Less encouraging is the number of fire deaths we continue to see in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. a shockable rhythm.

The department credits “Pit Crew CPR,” an innovative approach to cardiac arrest intervention adopted by SVFD in 2012, for this high survival rate.

Over the past five years, the agency has averaged just over 50 percent cardiac survival rate, compared with national survival rates ranging from 7.7 to 39.9 percent, according to the National Academies of Sciences.

Loosely modeled after NASCAR, “Pit Crew” CPR is an approach to a cardiac arrest incident that emphasizes defined roles, responsibilities and the efficient and planned use of personnel on scene to provide the highest ratio

If fire breaks out in your home during the day, you will usually smell it and respond. But at night when your family is sleeping, fire can steal the oxygen needed to breathe or produce toxic carbon monoxide gas that be sleepinducing and even deadly. In the U.S., more people die from house fires than from all natural disasters combined. Approximately twothirds of home fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms.

Since most fatal fires occur at night, it’s essential that every home have working smoke alarms to provide an early warning.

Working smoke alarms increase the chance of surviving a home fire by 50 percent. Install smoke alarms in all sleeping rooms, hallways that lead to sleeping areas, basements and each additional level of your home.

Smoke alarms should be mounted on the ceiling 4 inches from the wall; wall mounts should be 4 to 12 inches from the ceiling. Do not install near draft areas such as windows or vents.

Working smoke alarms routinely need a battery change. The recommendation is to check your smoke alarm and change the battery when you change your clocks twice a year as daylight savings time begins and ends.

Smoke alarms with long-life batteries are designed to remain effective for up to 10 years and do not need a battery change. If the alarm chirps, warning that of compressions throughout the arrest, in conjunction with other advanced life support procedures.

“In Pit Crew CPR, everyone has a role and they know exactly what to do,” explained Emergency Medical Services Chief Brian Foster-Dow. “The approach provides structure to ensure a compression rate of 100 per minute is maintained.

This ensures blood continues to reach the brain which gives the victim of a cardiac arrest the best possible chance of surviving.

In 2015, our crews achieved a compression ratio of 96 percent, one of the highest in the state.”

CPR classes are taught by SVFD personnel one Saturday a month at the Spokane Valley Fire Department Training Center at

the battery is low, replace the entire smoke alarm right away.

For smoke alarms with any other type of battery, replace batteries at least once a year. If the alarm chirps, replace only the battery.

One of the services Spokane Valley Fire Department provides to our community is a free home safety evaluation. This includes a review of current alarms and discussion about a home escape plan with you and your family.

We encourage you to prepare and practice an escape plan. Be sure to crawl low under smoke, plan an outside meeting location and once you’re out, stay out. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Spokane Valley Fire Department at (509) 928-1700 or visit www. spokanevalleyfire.com.

(The Spokane Valley Fire Department does not endorse any particular smoke alarm or manufacturer. Our focus is to ensure that all homes within our service area have working smoke alarms to help reduce home fire deaths.)

Bryan Collins has served as the Spokane Valley Fire Department’s fire chief since March 2013. He has worked in the field of fire safety for the past 30 years.

SVFD serves the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Millwood and unincorporated areas of Spokane County with a combined population of 125,000 across approximately 75 square miles.

2411 N. Pioneer Lane. Please call (509) 928-1700 for reservations.

This class is provided to the public at no cost and is a participatory course only. (Certification is not provided).

To be certified in CPR, contact Inland Northwest Health Services at (509) 242-4264 or visit www. healthtraining.inhs.org. For more information about CPR training through AMR as well as a local support group for cardiac arrest survivors, call (509) 323-8829.

In 2014, SVFD helped introduce a free app called PulsePoint that alerts local CPR/AED-trained residents to nearby incidents of cardiac arrest. The PulsePoint app can be downloaded at the Apple App store or Google Play.

The Current

Marching forward on the path of financial stability

By Gwendolyn Haley Spokane County Library District March brings with it not only the hope of spring, but also tax season. While we’re spring cleaning at our house, we’re also reviewing our financial records, deciding what to shred and what to keep. There are great programs available at the library this spring to help you declutter, organize your finances and even shred

Millwood’s travel through time

Bobbie Beese, longtime resident and one of the founding members of the Millwood History Enthusiasts, leads a two-part journey exploring Millwood’s early days, community milestones, and interesting residents. Part one will take place Saturday, March 12 at 3 p.m. at the Spokane County Library District’s Argonne branch, 4322 N. Argonne Road, just north of Millwood. Part two begins at the same time on Saturday, March 26.

Millwood History Enthusiasts Help keep Millwood’s history alive for generations to come with the Millwood History Enthusiasts.

The group will meet on March 16 and 30, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Argonne branch.

Hutton Settlement: Making a Difference

Discover more about Hutton Settlement’s nearly 100-year history nurturing and educating local youth.

Following the presentation, tour the historic campus. The presentation (with optional tour to follow) will take place Saturday, April 9 at 2 p.m. at the Argonne branch.

LIBRARY boxes of sensitive documents.

One thing we always think about during tax season is our retirement and the need to make some good investment decisions.

Spokane County Library District offers free, online access to Morningstar Investment Research Center to all county library card holders. Morningstar provides up-to-date reports for mutual funds, stocks and exchange traded funds. In addition to the current market information, Morningstar also provides a wealth of educational materials for everyone from the beginning investor to the more experienced with a large portfolio.

Most of these educational resources can be found in the “Help and Education Center” on Morningstar. There are free

SCLD seed program sprouts from Otis Orchards roots

The Spokane County Library District is expanding the seed library program to the Deer Park and Medical Lake locations this spring. In 2015, the District opened its first seed library at the Otis Orchards location.

“Over 1,000 seed packets were checked out at the Otis Orchards Library during its first year of operation,” says Kathy Allen, library supervisor at Otis Orchards. “We also saw an increase in library cards issued so that new members could use the seed library.”

At the district’s three seed library locations, community members can borrow from a selection of vegetable and flower seeds at any time during the year.

To help replenish the seed library, members are asked to collect

webinars on how to use this resource on a monthly basis, and guides that can be accessed anytime.

The investment classroom has short courses on over 100 topics in investing including curriculums on stocks, bonds, funds and portfolios.

If you’re new to goal-based investing, Morningstar provides goal primers on long term investing, ETFs, closed-end funds and options.

Periodically, we also partner with local experts in Spokane to help you learn about investing, retirement, and overall financial literacy. Take a look at our website, www.scld.org to find upcoming workshops on financial topics. Morningstar can be found by selecting the Digital Library link on our homepage.

MARCH 2016 • 17

RENEW TRANSFORM YOUR EVERYDAY LIVING wITh OUR SpRING RENEw SERIES.

seeds at harvest time and bring them back to the library for the next round of gardeners to enjoy.

To celebrate the two new seed libraries and get ready for spring, the district is offering a series of gardening classes featuring local Master Gardeners. Free classes will be held at all three seed library locations. Topics covered include container vegetable gardening, best strategies for dealing with deer and growing tomatoes from seed to harvest.

A special fruit tree pruning seminar will be held at the Otis Orchards Library on Saturday, March 12 from 1–4 p.m.

Registration is required for this class only. The instructor, Michael Chase, is also offering an optional in-orchard demonstration on March 18 or 19 for $25 per person.

For detailed class information, please visit www.scld.org The Spokane County Library District provides resources and opportunities for a community to learn, work, create and thrive together. The district operates 10 libraries outside the city of Spokane, including Airway Heights, Argonne, Cheney, Deer Park, Fairfield, Medical Lake, Moran Prairie, North Spokane, Otis Orchards and Spokane Valley.

Through a reciprocal agreement with Spokane Public Library and Liberty Lake Municipal Library, library services are provided at no charge to residents of each these service areas.

TRANSFORM YOUR EVERYDAY FindLIVING new ways to refresh your lifestyle, form healthy habits, and revitalize your spaces.

Visit www.scld.org for class dates and times.

The Current

18 • MARCH 2016

We’ve birthed a new OB Unit—for you!

When your big day arrives, you can count on the dedicated team at Valley Hospital for family-oriented care that’s responsive to your needs and preferences. We’ll make your special moment even more memorable with our recently renovated birthing suites and experienced labor and delivery staff who provide everything from prenatal to postpartum care.

What to expect at Valley Hospital:

Newly remodeled waiting area and birthing rooms.

• Private birthing suites, each with sleeping accommodations for your birth partner, tubs and spa-like showers with pulsating shower heads, built-in bathing sinks for bonding with your little one, new TV’s and wi-fi • Family-friendly cesarean section experience and window drape to allow viewing of the birth • Caring and experienced labor and delivery staff To learn more about our recently renovated OB unit, visit SpokaneValleyHospital.com or to schedule a tour, please call (509) 309-6038.

Brought to you by

The Little Red Hen The little red hen found a seed. It was a little seed. The little red hen found a seed. It was a wheat seed.

The little red hen said, “Who will help me plant the seed?”

The pig said, “Not I.” The cat said, “Not I.” The dog said, “Not I.” The little red hen said, “I will.”

The little red hen said, “Who will cut the wheat?”

The pig said, “Not I.” The cat said, “Not I.” The dog said, “Not I.” The little red hen said, “I will then.”

And she did.

The little red hen said, “Who will thresh the wheat?”

The pig said, “Not I.” The cat said, “Not I.” The dog said, “Not I.” The little red hen said, “I will then.”

And she did.

The little red hen said, “Who will grind the wheat?”

The pig said, “Not I.” The cat said, “Not I.” The dog said, “Not I.” The little red hen said, “I will then.”

And she did.

The little red hen said, “Who will make the

bread?”

The pig said, “Not I.” The cat said, “Not I.” The dog said, “Not I.” The little red hen said, “I will then.”

And she did.

The little red hen said, “Who will eat the bread?”

The pig said, “I will.”

The cat said, “I will.”

The dog said, “I will.”

The little red hen said, “You shall not eat the bread. I will eat it.”

And she did.

The little red hen found a seed. It was a wheat seed.

She said, “Who will plant the wheat?”

“Who will cut the wheat?”

“Who will thresh the wheat?”

“Who will make the bread?”

The pig said, “I will not.”

The cat said, “I will not.”

The dog said, “I will not.”

The little red hen said, “Then you shall not eat the bread.”

20 • MARCH 2016

Recipe Box

Easter Chick Cookies INGREDIENTS: Your favorite round cookie 1 C Coconut Frosting 2-3 drops food coloring plastic bag Chocolate chips and orange slice candy DIRECTIONS: 1. Take coconut and place it in plastic bag with 2-3 drops of yellow food coloring. Shake until evenly colored.

2. Apply a layer of frosting to round cookie.

3. Gently pat the colored coconut onto the frosting.

4. Apply chocolate chips as eyes and cut a small piece of orange slice for the beak.

5. Serve and enjoy!

r Easter Thumb e n r ft Co

Cra

Print Art

MATERIALS: 1. Paper or card 2. Ink Pad, paint, or markers 3. Pen, crayons something to draw on your fingerprints 4. Extra decorations (optional) INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Choose your medium for creating fingerprints and place as many fingerprints in colors of your choosing on the paper or card. Allow to dry.

2. Choose which prints you would like to be bunnies and which you would like to be chicks.

Use your pen, crayon or writing tool to add eyes, wings, a beak, and feet to the prints you would like to be chicks. Add ears, whiskers, eyes, nose, feet, and fluffy tail to the prints you would liike to be bunnies.

4. Add any other decorations you would like.

The Current

Books We Recommend

The story of the Easter Bunny, Author Katherine Tegen (2007) Ages 4-8 This story reveals that originally a kind couple made and filled baskets for children. Their rabbit watched and when they grew too old he took over. Finally, to preserve secrecy he moved and recruited his friends to help him.

Humbug Rabbit, Author Lorna Balian (1974)

Above ground Granny looks for eggs to decorate and hide to plan the perfect Easter for her grandchildren. Below ground the mouse is convincing the rabbit children that their father is the Easter Bunny. Barnaby the devilish cat intrudes in both stories to create the perfect unexpected ending.

Night Before Easter, Author Natasha Wing (1999) Ages 4-8 The Easter Bunny takes the starring role in a different spin of the classic Clement C. Moore poem. It is full of happy illustrations and might be the perfect read aloud.

The Current

MARCH 2016 • 21

PACE Trait DILIGENCE Persistence, dedication and hard work

Congratulations to Karsen!

She’s the latest

KiDDS Dental No Cavity Club winner!

Karsen won a $25 gift card to Build a Bear and a photo session with

Call our office to schedule an appointment to see if your child is cavity-free!

891-7070

Grow Up Smiling!

1327 N. Stanford Lane, Suite B, Liberty Lake 509.891.7070 www.GrowUpSmiling.com

Find out about all of our events and contests on Facebook!

Animal Facts Every month we will feature an information on a different animal. Cut them out and collect them all!

DUCK Worldwide -3-9 lbs. 7-15 years -Drake-hen-duckling -Webbed feet to help swim and also cause them to waddle when they walk -No nerves or blood vessels in feet -Always found near water, fresh or salt -Feathers are waterproofed with oil secreted from glands near the tail -Mouth is a bill -Domesticated for 500 years -Airplanes in America collide on average with 500 ducks per year

OR, you can go back and change your puzzle settings to change the grid size, font size, or reposition the word list to the right or bottom of the puzzle.

The Current

22 • MARCH 2016

“You can find magic wherever you look.

Sit back and relax, all s s u e S you need is a book.” - Dr. Seuss . r D Author Spotlight

Create a new word search

MAKE YOUR OWN WORKSHEETS ONLINE @ WWW.ATOZTEACHERSTUFF.COM

NAME:_______________________________ DATE:_____________

The man the world knows affectionately as Dr. Seuss was born March 2, 1904. After college he worked in advertising.

His first book “And Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street” was rejected more than 20 times before being published in 1937.

Geisel wrote and/or illustrated over 60 books, most of them under the pen name of Dr. Seuss, which was his mother’s maiden name. He won many awards including an Emmy, a Peabody, a Pulitzer, and Oscar, 3 Caldecots and more. Since his death in 1991 he remains the best selling children’s author of all time.

C I O N K N U L G O O B B I J

S B L O H E O S A L L Y S X X

K G M A O O R E K O O Y A A W

N H C N I R G W D Z C R S C M

A A C Y E N O O M C O D D I D

B R I N Y E N A V L U M R B F

B P Q L B R E L D U N D D U F

Oobleck Science Stop Experiment Oobleck (1949)

Bartholomew

and

R M U L L I G A T A W N Y M S

O V Y J O I I O O F O O F B G

W H G H P M U W W Q D F E R N

N B H C N U H Q F U T O W O I

W E M O L O H T R A B X L S R

G N A T C H F L U M M O X O R

V O K M U A M E L K C I B D E

S L Y P P U M G L I K K E R H

BANKS BARTHOLOMEW BICKLEMAUM BROWN DIDD FLUMMOX FOOFOO FOX FUDDNUDLER GLIKKER GLUNK GRINCH HERRINGS HUNCH JIBBOO

LORAX MOONEY MULLIGATAWNY MULVANEY MUPP NATCH QUILLIAN SALLY SAM UMBROSO WUMP YOOKEROO

Check out these books!

Bartholomew and the Oobleck (1949) Bartholomew must save his kingdom from

the “oobleck.” The king orders his magicians to make

A popular Seuss book that opens worlds of fun when you make your own oobleck to play with.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 1/2 C Cornstarch 1 C Water 2 Drops Food Coloring (optional) INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Mix the ingredients together.

2. Play with it! Pour it in your hands or make a ball.

3. Put it on an old cookie sheet and set on top of a speaker to watch it “dance” to the music. * Remember to keep it in a sealed container or it will harden.

oobleck so he can see something new in the sky. is page, Bartholomew tries to warn him about the oobleck and that it could be dangerous, but the king doesn’t want to hear it. He tries to warn the kingdom but isn’t successful. Finally, he reasons with the king to solve the problem.

If I Ran the Zoo (1950) Gerald McGrew goes to a pretty good zoo but he imagines how it could be if he ran McGrew Zoo. He would travel the world to acquire collection of beasts like no other using inventive methods. It’s nice at the end to find out it was all imaginary and celebrate such wonderful creativity.

Mc Elligots Pool (1947) Dr. Seuss won his first Caldecott Honor. A boy named Marco fishes in a pond full of garbage. A farmer laughs at him and tells him he will never catch anything. Marco is resolved to catch a fish.

He imagines a colorful variety of ways that he might catch a fish.

The Current

MARCH 2016 • 23

PACE Character Trait of the Month – Diligence

and establish a plan to reach their goals. Then they stick to it!

By Jeff Simmelink

Baseball is a game of failure. Hall of Fame hitters fail 70 percent of the time. However, players don’t see it that way. They see baseball success as the great mountain that needs to be conquered.

They revel in the little battles and the opportunity to overcome adversity. Each pitch presents an opportunity to do something great.

With all that failure, you may ask how the great ones succeed. The answer, in a word, is diligence.

The dictionary defines diligence as “a constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind.” Baseball is a game of preparation and execution. Great players are diligent in their preparation so that when the opportunity presents itself they are able to execute. They develop the repeatable actions, or habits, that allow their bat to arrive at

Jeff Simmelink the correct moment on the correct plane, the fastball that paints the black on the outside corner on a 3-2 count or the ability to pick off the runner at first.

Habits are formed by performing a correct action thousands of times over an extended period of time. We like to call this the “daily grind.” Players take pride in the daily grind. Great players develop daily routines to hone their game. They put in a constant and earnest effort to perfect these actions every day - regardless of their mental or physical state. The diligent player doesn’t require a coach or teammate to encourage them. They visualize the future

Great players aren’t great by accident. There are thousands of good players around the world, however, there are only a few players that perform at the level of an Albert Pujols, Edgar Martinez or Randy Johnson. Aspiring young players tend to only see the results. They don’t see the preparation and the relentless pursuit of perfection that these elite players put in behind the scenes.

Nobody sees Albert Pujols putting in an hour on a batting tee before every game. Nobody saw Edgar Martinez spending time in the video room prior to each at bat studying his previous at-bat and the opposing pitcher.

Nobody saw the sweat expended

by Randy Johnson as he worked with a medicine ball to improve his core strength. They establish their routines and never stray from it. Come rain or shine, great players put their work in. It’s not an option. It’s what they do – diligently.

Regardless of your goals, the key

to success is what you put into it and the consistency of which you do it. Worthwhile achievements are not found by accident. They begin with a goal and usually include a long journey, a journey ripe with opportunity to deviate off the path. Diligence, the constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken is the key.

Take each step one at a time.

Have the faith to trust your vision, put your work in, and success is right around the corner.

Now let’s play some ball!

Jeff Simmelink has been the head coach of the Club Spokane Dodgers since 2001. He was a catcher at Lower Columbia Community College for two years before signing a professional contract with the Cleveland Indians. Following his playing career, Jeff graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in computer science and mathematics. He is currently a Principal Solutions engineer at Itron, Inc. (a PACE Partner). He enjoys spending time with his wife of 31 years, two children and his pet bulldog.

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The Current

24 • MARCH 2016 Brought to you by

About and for Valley seniors

Rural postman puts stamp on 37 years of hauling mail

By Steve Christilaw

Current Correspondent Charles Lamphiear is in that gray area of his career – the one where the retirement he’s been working toward for 37 years is finally about to happen.

Charles Lamphiear has worked as the postman in the Valleyford/Mica area for the past 37 years, delivering mail along a 70-mile rural loop. The resident of Valleyford will retire from his route this month.

Contributed photos

“I’ve set the date, March 1,” the longtime rural mailman said. “It’s the kind of thing where you look forward to it for years and years and when it finally comes it’s a strange feeling.”

you’re seeing people who are just buying acreages for their home. It’s different.”

Lamphiear has spent his entire career on a 70-mile loop through the greater Valleyford/Mica area.

It’s a daily thread that ties the people of the area to the world and Lamphiear is much, much more than a mailman. He’s a friend who just happens to drop off a daily supply of letters and packages and, yes, bills. Rain or shine, every week and every season.

“That’s probably the biggest thing that I’ll miss,” he said. “You build relationships with people. They treat you almost like family. They’re genuinely interested in what’s going on in your life. These are country people. A lot of them are farmers.

They’re salt-of-the-earth people.”

Driving a rural mail route is different than being an in-town postal carrier. People will smile and wave at their mail carrier as they go door-to-door, but it’s different when the mail seeks you out in the country, where you most likely can’t see your neighbor.

It’s a service that has always deserved more of a personal thank you – especially when you have a habit, as Lamphiear does, of going the extra mile.

“It’s old-fashioned, I know, but

As the days of his unique career grow short, Lamphiear says he takes care to make actual contact so that he can say good-bye. Since he lives in Valleyford, it’s not like he’s leaving and will never see his friends and neighbors again.

But after almost four decades, his retirement is the end of an era.

these are the kind of people who want to know how you’re doing and they like to invite you in for a cup of coffee or a slice of pie – if they’ve just baked a pie,” he said.

This winter, on a particularly snowy day, he noticed an older woman beckoning him to drive farther down a private road.

“I was at the mail boxes when I saw her,” he said. “She was waving at me and I don’t like to ignore people when they look like they need help.”

This woman agitated.

was

particularly

“Her dog had been missing for a couple days,” Lamphiear said.

“It was in need of medication. We

found it down a bank and she was in no shape to go down the bank after the dog. She pleaded with me to help her. Of course I did. I got the dog up for her, put her in the car and took them both home.

“She was just as happy as can be,” he said. “She thanked me and thanked me and thanked me. The next day she wrote me a very nice note and left me cookies and candy.”

Lamphiear said the route has changed over the years. For starters, it’s doubled in size.

“I’m not saying it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but a percentage of these people are farm people, country people,” he explained.

“It’s a tight community. But now

On rural routes, carriers provide their own vehicles. Lamphiear says he’s hoping to nurse his final ride to the end. It needs a little work, but maybe it can make it. After all, it only has about 250,000 miles on it.

And he’s excited about what’s ahead.

“I have two grandsons,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to teaching them how to fish.”

But he admits that he will miss perhaps the greatest perk of the job.

“I love watching the seasons change, watching the crops pop up in the spring on the farm,” he said.

“I love seeing all the wildlife you see: deer, herds of elk, bobcats, coyotes. I even saw a cougar.”

“Not the Pullman kind,” he laughs.

The Current

MARCH 2016 • 25

Where Wellness Is A Way Of Life

Come join us for a

SUDOKU

Senior Irish Festival

SATURDAY, MARCH 12th 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Live Music • Food • Community Tours!

• Independent Living • Light Assisted Living • Walking Trail • Wellness & Fitness Center • Gourmet Chef • Cottage Homes • Swimming Pool & Spa • Assisted Living • Bistro

Locally Owned and Operated by the Arger Family

26 • MARCH 2016

Sports Notebook

By Mike Vlahovich Current Sports Editor A quartet of Spokane Valley basketball teams have advanced far into the post-season, all four reaching the round of regional round of 16, a win away from the state tournaments March 3-5.

Central Valley’s boys and unbeaten girls, East Valley’s girls and Freeman boys were all subregional champions. Technically, in the schools’ eyes, they could be considered state berths based on tournament history.

Central Valley’s boys (19-5) climbed three steps to their title.

After finishing third during the Greater Spokane League season, the Bears placed moved up to second in district and reached the top rung with victory in the sub-region that included teams from the Mid-Columbia Basin Conference.

The team lost 54-46 at GSL champion Gonzaga Prep, but bounced back to outscore

The Final Point – Where have you gone three-sport athlete?

By Mike Vlahovich Current Sports Editor Unlike today, being a three-sport athlete back in the day wasn’t even a topic of conversation. In the fall you played football. In the winter, you were off to basketball or wrestling. In the spring, it was another sport and in the summer, even if you hadn’t during school, you could or did play baseball. All with breaks in between each before fall rolled around again.

Now every minute of an athlete’s life is programmed and you are cajoled into making a choice. My wife’s boss’s daughter no sooner finished volleyball at Gonzaga Prep last fall than she donned a club volleyball uniform and hit the road – right up until high school volleyball resumes in late August.

Basketball, baseball and softball players traverse the country and play in high school leagues summer-long. If you’re lucky

SPORTS

The Current

Richland 82-75 in overtime and Lewis and Clark 67-57 for the sub-regional title. LC had upset the Bullpups in its semifinal.

Over the course of the three victories, Cameron Tucker scored 47 points, including 22 against LC; Ryan Rehkow totaled 40, leading five players in double figures with 20 against Richland; Justis Simmons had 36, 19 of those against Gonzaga and Josh Thomas finished with 35.

The original 16-team state tournament format has been tinkered with by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association over the years, this regional-eight team state format being the current iteration.

Bears girls roll on After compiling a perfect regular season record, the Bears scrambled past University and Lewis and Clark twice and pounded Richland for district and regional titles.

The Bears (24-0) won the subregional over LC 51-46 after beating Richland 74-34.

Season scoring leader Lexie Hull averaged 15 points per game (down from her regular season 19.1, while her twin sister Lacie and Hailey Christopher upped theirs. Lacie (8.7 in the regular season) averaged 12.3 in the four playoff games. Christopher (9.1) averaged 11.3 in the playoffs.

EV girls back again The Knights (20-3) were chasing their third state trip.

They avenged a loss to Clarkston and pounded Ephrata to reach the round of 16 with their fourpronged attack.

Hannah Burland averaged 12.2 points per game during regular season and scored 40 in the two post-season games.

Elle Burland, Jordan Phelan and freshman Genesis Wilkinson averaged within a point of each other, combining to score 22 per game during regular season. Elle scored 34 and Phelan 27 in the playoffs.

Freeman moves on The Scotties (19-3) wrapped

up the Northeast A League championship with a victory over Deer Park, then defeated Newport – Ryan Maine scoring 29 points – and Lakeside to advance.

Maine averaged 19.6 per game, Michael Coumont 12.2 with Jack Pauckert and Nate Jacobus both over 9 per contest.

Wrestlers medal around Local wrestlers brought home plenty of hardware following the season-ending Mat Classic XXVIII state tournaments. Four were champions.

Central Valley senior Bryson Beard won his second straight title with a pin, two major decisions and 10-6 decision in the 126-pound 4A tourney final.

East Valley’s Trey Meyer, who lost but once in more than 40 bouts, capped his career at 170 with two pins, a technical fall and 4-0 over West Valley runnerup Hunter Ferguson at 170. Ferguson had allowed one point in his first

you squeeze in school camps, conditioning and weight training.

It’s enough to make the head spin. Your choice is made for you or you collapse in exhaustion. The result is a smaller pool of threesport athletes.

While interviewing for my story on West Valley three-sport star Johnny Sage, Eagles’ football coach Craig Whitney and I got into a philosophical – and for me enlightening – discussion on how kids like Sage manage time and what concessions coaching staffs must make to accommodate them.

I witnessed it first-hand with my son Jared who’d attend football camp. We’d lug him to summer basketball and baseball, often on the same day. We jetted out immediately after high school graduation ceremonies because he refused to miss an American Legion baseball game.

Same for Whitney who, as coach, carries the additional burden of conducting summer camps as well as schlepping his sophomore son, Connor, to all those summer commitments.

“We’ve probably got more three-sport athletes, maybe, than some of the bigger schools just out of necessity,” Whitney said of coaching at smaller Class 2A WV. “We probably don’t have

as many as we would like.”

Miss out on a kid who devotes his time to fewer sports, Whitney noted, and it hinders the school’s capability to excel in all. In order to satisfy everybody, compromise is essential.

“Obviously,” the football coach says, “when they’re out of town with a basketball camp, out of town with a baseball tournament, we’re going to miss them in the weight room. But what we don’t want is kids at home sleeping or watching TV.” His charges speed and weight train early morning Monday through Thursday so they’re free for basketball and baseball on summer afternoons and evenings. The rest of the week frees them to travel out of town for tournaments, or take time off to be with family.

“Kids deserve some family down time,” Whitney explains.

Coaches as well. “We’ve gotten a little smarter.”

Last summer dad/coach and son’s schedule went something like this: Connor would speed train from 7 to 8 a.m. and lift after that. Craig would drop him off at driver’s education, bring him home for lunch and rest before they were off to a baseball or basketball game, sometimes both.

“We’d drive to get him there, go get coffee and go back to watch the game,” Whitney said.

Throw in football camp and seven-on-seven league; four or five weekends for baseball tournaments and his daughter’s sports as well and it makes for a busy Whitney summer.

“Obviously our lifestyle is built around being busy,” said the patriarch of the sports specific clan. “(Connor) has little time to get into trouble. And if he did, I don’t know when.”

It’s a grinder for the athletes who not only play sports but, like Sage, keep their grades at the highest level possible. Whitney says. “My hat’s off to them. It isn’t easy.”

I admit that keeping busy taking our kids to their summer activities and tournaments are some of our family’s fondest memories. Still, I argue, it’s wrong to force them to specialize.

Whitney said that when Montana was recruiting Eagles’ football player Tyler Hobbs, what sold the coaches was his basketball play.

“All club teams are pretty demanding,” Whitney says.

“Sometimes a family has to tell people ‘no’ once in a while. As coaches we’re kind of our own worst enemy. You’ve got to be flexible or you lose kids.”

See NOTEBOOK, Page 34

The Current

SPORTS

West Valley’s Sage proves skilled, versatile in three sports

By Mike Vlahovich

Current Sports Editor Years in the life of Johnny Sage have gone something like this: Don football gear in the fall; exchange those duds for a basketball jersey and shorts in the winter; turn them in for baseball uniforms in the spring and summer.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

And academics? The senior at West Valley has managed to attain near-perfect grades as well as be a multi-sport athlete.

“The hard balance sports Sage says of studying. “We sleep.”

MARCH 2016 • 27

part is trying to and school work,” his hours spent all have to get

Sage’s passion is baseball, a sport that takes up about a third of a major league schedule’s worth of time during the combined spring and summer.

But the Eagles standout is a testimony that in a world where the three-sport athlete is becoming ever rarer, you can excel in all.

He burst upon the scene in varsity baseball while a freshman, worked his way into the lineup in football the next fall and joined his basketball classmates and close friends on the court in the winter.

“It’s good to stay active, that’s one of the reasons I do it,” Sage shrugs. “I do them to stay active and stay in shape.”

The stocky, black-haired 190-pounder’s contributions over the course of his career have been staggering.

His versatility was personified

in football.

The three-year starting linebacker was All-Great Northern League on defense.

Offensively he did it all. Likely unprecedented, Sage was either first or second team all-league offensively at both wide receiver and center.

“As a center, obviously he was a very intelligent player,” WV football coach Craig Whitney says. “We expect a lot (from centers) for making calls for other linemen. That was a perfect fit.”

Whitney, however, needed his athleticism in other ways this season. Last fall on offense he played three different skilled possessions.

“We moved him more into a tight end, slot receiver style position and a little Wildcat quarterback that really helped our run game,” Whitney says. “Johnny kind of fit that role of whatever we needed he stepped up and did it.”

This winter he was the Eagles leading basketball scorer more by guile than gift, the guy who seemed to be in the right place at the right time and be at his best in the biggest games.

“Baseball is his love and that’s fine,” WV basketball coach Jay Humphrey says. “He’s a leader for us, works hard and has a good attitude. We’re going to miss him that’s for sure.”

Sage admits though consumed by baseball.

he’s

“My dad was a baseball player and my uncle Andy,” he said.

“Both played college ball. Ever since I remember I had a ball in my hand.”

Joe Sage coached his son in youth baseball and Johnny says his parents did “a good job of preaching that hard work and school comes first,” and to keep sports in perspective.

He approaches his final baseball

See SAGE, Page 38

The Current

28 • MARCH 2016

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The Current

Native Americans and missionaries: The challenge of bridging cultures in early Spokane Valley

By Jayne Singleton Spokane Valley Heritage Museum Historically, all of the Spokane Valley was the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s ancestral homeland. With the influx of fur traders, settlers, miners and the Army, holding on to this home became more and more difficult.

The great Chief Circling Raven’s prophecy regarding the coming of great spiritual leaders wearing long black robes materialized with the arrival of Jesuit missionaries.

Father DeSmet was the first to meet the Coeur d’Alenes when Polatkin and Stellam were traveling through the Spokane Valley. Twisted Earth rejoiced that his father’s vision had come true. Chief Andrew Seltice, whose home was at Saltese Lake, pleaded for a “black robe” teacher for his tribe.

Father DeSmet sent Father Nicholas Point, who arrived in November of 1842. Father Point sketched many drawings of the Mission of the Sacred Heart.

Several of his sketches from 1846 are kept at the Washington State University Library.

During the 1850s and 1860s, the Jesuit priests concentrated on educating the tribal members and converting them to Christianity.

The missionary priests and, in particular, Father DeSmet, became cultural bridges between the Native Americans and the Army. Father DeSmet and Father Joset were successful in keeping the tribe mostly out of the Indian Wars.

In 1858, after the Battle of Spokane Plain, Col. George Wright was on the march to subdue the land’s original inhabitants. The route he took nearly parallels modern-day Mission Avenue. On Sept. 9, after observing great clouds of dust from horses on the move, he gave the order to capture and later shoot the horses. A few good ones were saved for the Army in what is remembered as one of the white man’s most shameful episodes in local history.

Stores of grain and hay put up by

HISTORY Seltice, Wildshoe and Quin-mosee were burned as well as barns and buildings. The horses were a sign of wealth and mobility and Col. Wright’s actions devastated the tribe.

The Indians could understand men fighting against each, other but the slaughter of the horses was a grievous wound that still saddens the tribe today.

Peace talks took place at the Cataldo Mission. Peter Wildshoe spoke to Col. Wright saying, “Our promise to our black robe, before God, was that we will remain neutral.” The bleached bones of the horses could be seen for many years after and, in fact, some tribal members referred to the spot as “White Lake” that could be seen from the hills above Liberty Lake.

In 1864, at a place about a mile west of the state line, Joe Herrin and Tim Lee built a bridge. They advertised it as “Pioneer Bridge.”

The venture set them up as the only way to cross the river for the miners headed north to the Kootenai mines, the missionaries, the Army and others on their way to Lake Pend Oreille.

Coeur D’Alene tribal members were often present at the store at Spokane Bridge. One of the subchiefs, Quin-mo-see, would trade with travelers who were crossing the bridge. It has been said that he also would cross the miners and freighters on a raft or ferry for gold pieces. Quin-mo-see had many horses and raced others for money. He also raised crops and had cattle and lived in a log cabin along the river near what became the town of Spokane Bridge.

Later a school named for him was built in the Saltese Hills in 1894.

The Quinnemossa School burned down in the 1940s. Today there is a road going over the hills from Saltese to Liberty Lake called Quinnemossa Road.

Chief Seltice built a long house and a barn at Liberty Lake and also lived on Saltese Lake for a time. Peter Wildshoe and Tecomtee lived at Liberty Lake as well. They all had horses and wellestablished stores of grain and hay. Fur traders had introduced wheat into the Spokane Valley years before. When Gov. Isaac Stevens, the first governor to preside over the Washington Territory, came into the Spokane Valley in 1853, he found extensive fields of wheat and oats.

With more miners and travelers through the Spokane Valley, the decision was made to seek

the protection of the Mission at DeSmet for their families. Peter Wildshoe had rebuilt his log home after Col. Wright’s men had burned his first home and was not ready to leave it behind.

So Wildshoe told Chief Andrew Seltice that he was going to move his home the 50 miles to DeSmet and he made good on his word.

By 1870, the Mission at DeSmet was built. Native American boys and girls were sent to the boarding school. Their hair was cut and their cultural ways were punitively discouraged.

In November 1877, three nuns arrived from the Vancouver area in the Washington Territory to teach at the request of the tribe and the tribe, for the most part, accepted the white man’s God. The 1870 census reveals that there were 28 people living in the Spokane Valley at the time. Some of these were Coeur d’Alenes and the others were of various nationalities.

With no church to have service in the Spokane Valley, the missionary priests traveled from the missions to meet the religious needs of the pioneers and tribal members. By the 1880s, baptisms, marriages and burials of Native Americans and whites were conducted at Spokane Bridge by Fathers Joset, Jacquet, Ruellen, Diomedi and Folchi.

Looking back, the Jesuit missionaries played a vital role in bridging relations between the Coeur d’Alenes and the Army and white settlers. Fr. DeSmet made several trips to Washington, D.C., to secure the reservation

MARCH 2016 • 29

and enforce treaties made with the tribe. He was instrumental in keeping the tribe from making war and convinced them to remove to the reservation, the only place they would be safe from the changes taking place in the Spokane Valley, a Valley they had long called home.

The tribe’s ancestors are buried in the Spokane Valley in places only time remembers.

Chief Seltice is buried at the Mission Cemetery in DeSmet. He is remembered as an honorable man who led his tribe through a significant and tumultuous period of change.

A monument now stands to honor the first bridge built across the Spokane River in 1864 by Joe Herrin and Tim Lee. The span was only way to cross the river for miners, missionaries, the Army and others on their way to Lake Pend Oreille.

Contributed photo

Jesuit priests like Father Joset emerged as cultural bridges for Native Americans in the middle part of the 18th century.

Contributed photo

The Current

30 • MARCH 2016

Father Daughter Dance 2016

March for Meals delivers important support for senior nutrition

By Pam Almeida

GSC Meals on Wheels Executive Director With hints of spring approaching, most people are looking forward to baseball or work in their garden. However, March is a very significant time for Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels for another reason entirely.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2016 7 TO 9 P.M.

Doors open at 6:30pm

The entire month is dedicated to the annual “March for Meals” campaign designed to support public awareness of the program and its impact on the community.

For those unfamiliar with GSC Meals on Wheels, their service and dedication to elderly homebound and frail residents in Spokane County is significant.

Last year alone, GSC Meals on Wheels delivered 275,000 meals while making 94,900 visits and safety checks by volunteers who donated 20,600 hours of their time.

GSC Meals on Wheels features fixed lunch sites known as Silver Cafes in Spokane Valley, Appleway Court, Opportunity, and the Spokane Valley Senior Center. The programs serves approximately 500 seniors each year through these programs.

There is a Silver Cafe in Liberty Lake at Talon Hills, that serves approximately 100 seniors each year. There are 25 home delivered meal routes in the greater Spokane Valley including Liberty Lake that delivers almost 60,000 meals each year in this area.

Since 2002, Meals on Wheels America has led the annual awareness campaign in an effort to fill the gap between the seniors served and those in need that is widening due to increased demand with a rapidly aging population combined with declining public and private resources as well as rising food, transportation and

Pam Almeida operational costs.

During March, GSC Meals on Wheels will reach out across Spokane County to cultivate the continued support that will make it possible to deliver nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks to the county’s seniors all year long. Some of the events during the March for Meals celebration include: Walk-a-Thon (March 1 - Spokane Valley Mall, March 5 - River Park Square and North Town Mall); Donation Day at Ron’s Drive In, Spokane Valley (March 5) and Champions Week (March 21 – 25) when local celebrities and dignitaries volunteer to help deliver meals.

GSC Meals on Wheels regularly receives calls and letters from recipients describing how important the home-delivered meals are and how much they appreciate the check-in from the volunteer. A daughter of one of their consumers in Mead recently wrote, “Thank you for Meals on Wheels. My dad has nothing but positive things to say about the delicious food and the pleasant volunteers. My siblings and I feel so much better knowing he is eating better and receiving a safety check as well.”

If you are interested in becoming part of the GSC Meals on Wheels volunteer team or would like to make a donation to the GSC Meals on Wheels program, call (509) 924-6976 or visit www. gscmealsonwheels.org to learn more.

The Current

SVFD Report for The Current – March 2016

Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to a total of 1,212 emergency calls from Jan. 20 through Feb. 17, 2016. Highlights include: Service call/lock-out– Jan. 21 – SVFD crews were called to the Healthcare Resource Group building at 12610 E. Mirabeau Parkway at 3 p.m. They found and quickly freed a small child who was locked inside a running car. The child was unharmed.

Extrication – Jan. 27 – An early afternoon two-car crash in the 15100 block of East Indiana Avenue flipped one car on its side in the intersection, trapping the driver. Firefighters responded at 1:47 p.m. to the accident scene and worked to extricate the trapped driver through the back of the car. Both drivers were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Motor vehicle accident – Jan. 27 – A high-speed two car collision near the intersection of East Trent Avenue and Progress Road sent one driver to the hospital at about 2:30 p.m. The accident partially blocked Trent Avenue. There were no other injuries reported.

Arson fires – Jan. 29 – SVFD units responded to a series of four suspicious fires between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. in the area of Broadway to Sprague and McDonald to Vercler. The first fire was reported at 3:32 a.m. in the 12700 block of East Broadway Avenue. A passerby alerted the residents that their garbage can was on fire and called 9-1-1. SVFD crews at the scene were completing fire extinguishment when another passerby stopped to report a fire at the Spokane Baptist Church, 12817 E. Broadway, just after 4 a.m. Crews arrived to find two portable toilets located next to the church building on fire. They quickly got water on the fire and prevented it from spreading to the structure. A third call came in at 4:31 a.m. to report a garbage

MARCH 2016 • 31

can on fire in the 12900 block of East Valleyway Avenue. As crews arrived at the scene, they were alerted by a neighbor to a fourth fire on the same block at the corner of Valleyway and McDonald. There they found a caretaker with a garden hose on a smoldering fire in the plastic lattice of the attached front deck.

Investigators have determined the cause of these fires to be arson. The cases are still open and they would like anyone with information to call 928-1700.

Motor vehicle accident – Jan. 29 – SVFD crews responded to the 4000 block of South Schafer Road shortly before 4 a.m. to find a car on its side in the front yard of a home. The driver was still in the car but unharmed. Firefighters assisted the driver out of the car, checked for injuries and released her to her parents.

Commercial fire – Jan. 29 – Shortly after 6:30 a.m., SVFD crews responded to a reported fire in an office building at 1410 N. Mullan Road. Crews arrived to find light smoke inside the building and traced the source to the second floor employee kitchen where a toaster was on fire. Crews quickly extinguished the fire and set up fans to clear the building of smoke. There were no reported injuries.

Vehicle fire – Jan. 29 – SVFD crews responded to a report of a vehicle fire in the Qdoba parking lot at 1527 N. Pines Road shortly after 11 p.m. Upon arrival, crews found a vehicle with a mostlyextinguished brake fire. The car’s owner had grabbed a cup of water from Jack-in-the-Box and dumped it on the fire.

Service call/boat – Feb. 7 – SVFD crews were called to the Argonne Road Bridge shortly after 11:30 a.m. to intercept an unoccupied boat floating in the Spokane River. Firefighters and law enforcement officers worked to try and snag the boat and eventually caught it. Officers were working to identify the owner and return the boat.

House fire – Feb. 10 – Just before 5 p.m., SVFD crews responded to a reported structure

fire in the 17700 block of East Wellesley Avenue. The caller reported flames and smoke coming from a house. Crews arriving on the scene found no smoke or fire. The home was not on fire. The caller had seen the reflection of a vividly-colored sunset in the home’s windows.

Dumpster fires – Feb. 10 -11 - A fire in the dumpster behind Broadway Elementary at 11016 E. Broadway Avenue was reported just before midnight on Feb. 10.

SVFD crews quickly contained and extinguished the fire. A second dumpster fire was reported at 7505 E. Sprague Avenue at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 11. SVFD crews again quickly extinguished the fire. Investigators believe the cause of both fires to be arson and are seeking information from the public. Call 928-1700.

Remember to Change Your Smoke Alarm Batteries – March 13 – Keep your family safe by changing the batteries in all your smoke alarms at the same time clocks spring ahead for Daylight Savings Time. Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas and on every floor in your home.

Spokane Valley Fire Department also recommends that all homes with natural gas appliances and/ or fireplaces have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector on every floor. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors save lives.

By the numbers: • Fires*=65 • Emergency Medical Services = 990 • Hazardous materials = 10 • Motor vehicle accidents = 79 • Extrication = 4 • Water rescue = 3 • Building alarms = 48 • Service calls = 13 *Brush, Commercial, Residential, Rubbish, Vehicle and Unauthorized Burning Spokane Valley Fire Department serves the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Millwood and unincorporated areas of Spokane County including the communities of Otis Orchards, Pasadena Park and the area surrounding Liberty Lake, with a combined population of 125,000 across approximately 75 square miles. SVFD firefighters and paramedics responded to more than 15,800 emergency calls in 2015. Established in 1940, the department operates 10 stations providing fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials response, swift water rescue, fire investigation, fire prevention, commercial property inspection, CPR and fire safety training. For more information call 928-1700 or visit www.spokanevalleyfire. com.

The Current

32 • MARCH 2016

East Valley grad named Miss Spokane Interstate Rodeo

From Current News Sources Madi Casto of Otis Orchards was selected as the 2016 Miss Spokane Interstate Rodeo on Feb. 13 at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center.

Casto competed against four others vying for the title in the following categories: horsemanship, personal interview, prepared speech, written test and impromptu response. Madi graduated from East Valley High School in 2012 and is currently a senior at Eastern Washington University. There she serves as the concert coordinator for Eagle Entertainment and is a member of Associated Students of EWU where she serves on the Finance Committee.

Casto is a lifetime member of the international organization Alpha Omicron Pi and a 4-H Volunteer with the Spanish Spurs 4-H Club. She held the title of Miss Cheney Rodeo in 2014 and judged the Eastern Washington Junior Rodeo Association pageant in 2015. She is also a member of Washington State Horsemen.

Next spring, following

graduation from EWU, Madi plans to go onto graduate school to become an urban and regional planner.

She also hopes to compete for the title of Miss Rodeo Washington in the future.

When asked why she would like to wear the crown of Miss Spokane Interstate Rodeo, Casto emphasized her appreciation for the community she has called home.

"Like so many other women, I'm proud of my hometown and our fair and rodeo,” she said. “It would be a privilege to represent the city of Spokane and the competitors who embody the values of the western way of life - integrity, dedication, tradition and hard work. Being able to serve as Miss Spokane Interstate Rodeo would give me the chance to share my appreciation of professional rodeo, the beautiful Lilac City, and most importantly the Spokane Interstate Fair and Rodeo.”

Casto will be traveling across the Pacific Northwest promoting the Spokane Interstate Rodeo by attending the Calgary Stampede, Cheney PRCA Rodeo, Moses Lake Roundup, Ellensburg PRCA Rodeo, Armed Forces Lilac Torchlight Parade and many more events.

The Spokane Interstate Rodeo is scheduled for September 9-10 Casto’s official coronation is scheduled for the evening of March 26 at the fairgrounds. The special event will include a dinner and silent auction.

Miss Spokane Interstate Rodeo Madi Casto

This Portion of Proudly Sponsored By

If you would like to sponsor this section of The Current, please contact advertising@libertylakesplash.com Teacher of the Month from East Valley’s Continuous Curriculum School is Andy Porter.

Mr. Porter was nominated by parents. Some of their comments: “Mr. Porter goes above and beyond what is expected of a teacher and it shows in the way his students respond to him and excel in his class”; “He is educating our future and he takes pride in that task.”

Student of the Month is Kara Minette. Her teacher says she is a great help in the classroom and is welldeserving of this recognition.

Liberty Lake resident Tanner Gummersall is a three-sport senior standout at Central Valley High School in football, wrestling and track. In his first varsity football start last fall against Coeur d’Alene, Tanner intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown.

He would go on to earn firstteam All Greater Spokane League honors as a strong safety as well as first-team All GSL Academic recognition.

Tanner is a four-year letter winner in wrestling and advanced to regionals this year after finishing second at districts. In track, Tanner has participated in the 400, 800, mile and 2-mile. He had a personal best in the mile last year of 4:35. Tanner maintains a 3.87 grade point average and is a member of the National Honor Society.

He is also a part of the CV Leadership Team. He plans on attending Brigham Young University after graduation.

Way to go Tanner!

The Current

MARCH 2016 • 33

CALENDAR

Recurring

Continued from page 19

March 11-13 | Middle School Basketball State Championships 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave., Liberty Lake. The top boys and girls teams in the state battle for the title. Tournament passes are $20 to $25. More at www.hubsportscenter.org.

March 15 | Riverview Little League Baseball registration closes Tryouts will take place 6 to 9 p.m. March 9 at the HUB, 19619 E Cataldo Ave, Liberty Lake, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 12 at Continuous Curriculum School, 16924 E Wellesley Ave, Spokane. More at www.riverviewlittleleague.com.

March 18-20, 25-27| Pacific Northwest Qualifier Volleyball 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. USA Volleyball’s national qualifying tournament. Admission $15 (13 and over). More at www. hubsportscenter.org.

March 20 | Rapid Rabbit Run 10 a.m., East Valley High School, 15711 E. Wellesley Ave. Proceeds from this five-mile or three-mile run benefit the East Valley High School Senior All-Nighter. Cost is $25 with shirt by March 1; $20 after March 1 (when shirts are no longer available. More at www.eastvalleyhs.wix.com/ rapidrabbitrun.

March 31 | Trailhead Ladies Nine Hole Golf Club registration 9 a.m., Trailhead Clubhouse, 1102 N. Liberty Lake Road. Enjoy casual golf, tournaments, socials, and PGA clinics with women golfers of all ages and abilities.

For more call Bette at 928-6854.

HUB Sports Center 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. Various activities and events occur throughout the week including: • Badminton open gym: 7 to 9 p.m. Tues., $5/person • Basketball open gym: Noon to 1 p.m. Tues. and Thurs., $4/person • Pickleball drop-in: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Mon. through Thurs.; 7 to 9 p.m. Sun. $2/seniors ($4/ non-seniors) • Table Tennis: 7 to 9:30 p.m., Mon. and Wed.; $3/player • Classes including Keno Karate, Modern Farang-Mu Sul, Wing Chun Kung Fun and Zumba Aerobics. See website for cost and times.

KidFIT Spokane HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. This children’s movement and fitness program offers classes in dance (ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop), gymnastics and cheerleading for girls and boys ages three and older. More at 953-7501 or www. kidfitspokane.com.

Windermere Marathon registration open Registration for the June 5 marathon or half marathon from the Valley area to Spokane is open.

Registration and more at www. windermeremarathon.com.

Yoga in Rockford 5:30 p.m.

Wednesdays. Rockford Park, 20 W. Emma St., Rockford. In case of inclement weather, classes will be held at Dave’s Autobody, 8 W. Emma St. Calendar listings were provided to or gathered

by Current staff. If you would like your event considered for the community calendar please submit information by the 15th of the month to calendar@valleycurrent.com.

ADMISSION $6 12 AND UNDER FREE

The Current

34 • MARCH 2016

House supports McCaslin’s bill to recoup abatement costs From Current News Sources In a 76-21 vote on Feb. 17, the Washington House of Representatives approved Rep. Bob McCaslin’s bill that would allow cities to recover costs incurred while removing nuisances that threaten public health or safety.

The bill was requested by the city of Spokane Valley.

Along with Rep. Matt Shea and Sen. Mike Padden, Rep. McCaslin represents the state’s 4th legislative district which represents cities like Liberty Lake, Spokane Valley and Millwood and borders Idaho on the east, the 6th legislative district on the south, Spokane on the west, and the 7th legislative district on the north.

When people move out of homes and leave debris behind, a property may sit empty for years.

Cities then spend taxpayer funds cleaning up private properties with piles of trash, abandoned furniture, rodents or other nuisances.

McCaslin’s House Bill 2519 would ensure cities could recover at least $2,000 of taxpayer dollars spent during this process, although many properties need cleanup well in excess of $2,000.

“Tens of thousands of dollars are being spent on nuisance abatement every year, so it is important we allow cities to recover some of those funds,” said McCaslin, who represents

Rep. Bob McCaslin Jr. the 4th legislative district. “This reform would help our cities and also restore property values in neighborhoods where a nuisance property has been a problem.”

Due process is followed by cities when going to court to address abatement. Currently, cities must prove that a nuisance exists, obtain a court order for the abatement, conduct abatement and then go back to court. They must then show the costs of abatement and get approval to recover the costs. Advance notice is provided to property owners and tenants throughout the process.

House Bill 2519 now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

NOTEBOOK

Continued from page 26 three matches while scoring 34.

Logan Sundheim was also a Knight state champion, at 138 pounds.

Junior Drake Ferguson, Hunter’s younger brother, captured the 152-pound title, that included one- and two-point decisions along the way.

Freeman’s Sebastian Hyta won by pin twice and 13-5 on his way to the 195 state championship.

CV finished eighth with 65 points and University 16th with 61 in the 4A tournament. The Bears Bridger Beard was a finalist, finishing second at 132 pounds. Braeden Orrino placed fourth. Gage Connole (138), Kyle Neil (145) and freshman Zack Stratton (160) were CV’s other competitors.

Titans Levi Meinzinger (182) finished second, Cam Sorensen (132) earned his fourth state medal, placing third and Tyler Rickel (195) was seventh. Junior Clayton Fincher (220) went unplaced.

EV finished seventh and WV 14th in state team scoring in the 2A event.

The other Knights state placer was junior Randy McDonald, third at 126 pounds, after losing in the semifinals. Brenten Goodwater (145) and Court Kessinger (220) were the other EV 2A qualifiers.

Four Northeast A League schools placed in the top nine of the 1A tournament. Deer Park edged

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Central Valley Women’s Basketball Team.

Colville for the title, Lakeside was sixth and the defending champion Scotties took ninth.

Sophomore Logan Holt was second at 106, sophomore Hunter Nees was third at 113, Joey Sims (285) took seventh; Christian Goldbach (152) and sophomore Brandon Iris (170) were eighth.

Other state quaifiers were Jason Iltz (126) and Zach Hyta (182).

Both are juniors.

Gehrett places in gymnastics Central Valley gymnast Bethany Gehrett was among the top six competitors during the State 4A meet in Tacoma.

She reached the finals on balance beam with a fifth place finish during team competition and was sixth overall after the second day during individual events.

Central Valley’s McKinzie Carter ended her illustrious career with participation in all four events, beam where she tied for 11th, bars, floor exercise and vault.

She was joined by teammates Chloe Roberts, Anna Lamoreaux, Savannah Folsom and Kendall Watson at state.

They meet also rang down the curtain of their longtime coach Kim Brunelle who completed a 41-year career, the last 30 at CV. During that time, the Bears had five top four finishes, five district, two GSL titles and a regional championship. Brunelle was honored as GSL and state 4A Coach of the Year.

Titan state qualifiers were Kendall Watson and Dimri Oglesbee, the latter in two events.

The Current

EVSD earns resounding victory on levy ballot

By Craig Howard Current Editor A decade after the East Valley School District earned 62 percent of the ballot to secure levy funding for maintenance and operations costs, the magic number has emerged again.

EVSD garnered 61.8 percent of the vote for a $12.4 million replacement levy on Feb. 9 as 3,226 registered voters turned out to support a funding initiative that will account for approximately one quarter of the district’s budget over the next four years.

“To get 60-plus percent is a real bonus for us,” said EVSD Superintendent Kelly Shea. “It’s great to know we have that support from our voters.”

Shea noted that the last time East Valley achieved the 60 percent mark was in 2006 for a similar replacement levy. A transportation levy to support bus purchases won last year with 53.11 percent of the vote.

The same margin of victory took

Spokane Valley needs public’s help to repair potholes

By Michael Cambron Current Correspondent As usual, the transition from winter to spring creates a new and unwanted time of year for area drivers – pothole season.

Resulting from the region’s winter freeze and thaw cycles, these pesky potholes are a real problem due to the potential damage to vehicle tires, wheels and suspension systems.

In an effort to minimize the impact of these traffic obstacles, the city of Spokane Valley’s repair

MARCH 2016 • 35

place in 2012 when the last levy passed.

“We tried to provide information and leave it up to the voters,” said Shea who added that EVSD sent out “a well-designed mailer” before the election and featured levy facts in a quarterly newsletter as well as on the district website.

EVSD Board Member Justin Voelker said the encouraging returns from the vote last month “speak to the new leadership we have in the district.”

“There’s a real air of positivity in East Valley right now,” Voelker said.

While levies only require a simple majority, or any percentage above 50, for approval capital bonds require a super majority, or at least 60 percent for passage.

East Valley has experienced a disappointing trail of failed capital bond votes going back well over a decade. Shea said it was too early to say what path the district would take as far as another bond election went.

Voelker said putting a bond on the ballot “is probably several years down the road.”

“We need to get a lot of community input before we go there,” he added.

crews are well underway fixing potholes around the city, but they need the public’s help to locate problem potholes. To facilitate the reporting process, the city has initiated a “Citizen Action Request online System” (CARES).

If a person would like to report a pothole in need of repair in the city, they are asked to call 9211000 or they can go online to www.spokanevalley.org/CARES and click the “Report a Pothole” link.

Please make sure to include the following information: • The location of the pothole including a street address nearest the pothole, or if possible, a

The most recent levy will replace a four-year funding mechanism that runs out at the end of 2016. Beginning in 2017 and running through 2020, East Valley residents will pay $4.40 per assessed $1,000 of property value to fund local schools. Voelker said the revenue will account for between 25 to 27 percent of the district’s budget.

“If something like this fails, we would have had across the board cuts,” Shea said. “When you reduce expenditures by that amount it’s going to have significant impact on your programs, the students and the people we employ.”

Funds from maintenance and operations levies go toward a wide range of costs, including transportation, special education,

food services, sports, band and other afterschool activities.

“It affects the quality of the education,” Shea said “You fail a levy and you face the risk of families moving out of your district, then you’re looking at decreased enrollment and losing even more funding.”

The good news, Shea said, is that enrollment district wide has increased over the past two years, reversing a trend that East Valley has seen of late. The district is home to approximately 4,200 students across eight schools.

“We want to continue to improve and move forward but there are some wonderful things happening right now in the East Valley School District,” Shea said. “We want East Valley to be the very best district it can be.”

description that includes the name of the street, nearest cross streets and the side of the street (east, west, south, north). Include the lane in which the pothole is located (eastbound, westbound, southbound, northbound, turn lane, curbside, etc.) as well.

this time of year and some days of snow, freezing rain and ice may still occur in the near future. The city is urging the public to report potholes now so that they can be repaired before the next frost and thaw cycle makes them even worse.

• A description of the pothole

Although the Public Works Department has made this a priority project, the work is weather dependent and the public’s patience is appreciated during this process. Feel free to check on the status of a report at any time by visiting www. spokanevalley.org/CARES and entering the unique tracking number provided at the time of the report or calling 921-1000.

• Any additional information or details that may help in the repair process • Your contact information if you wish to be contacted about your report. Be sure to include your name and email address or a daytime phone number where you can be reached The weather is unpredictable

36 • MARCH 2016

A sad episode in Spokane Valley history

By Ben Wick

I had the honor and privilege to work with Mike Jackson while serving on the Spokane Valley City Council for the last four years and I have to tell you that there is no better man or CEO that I would rather have running the day-to-day operations of City Hall.

OPINION setup goals for the city and Mike and each year it was amazing what we would get accomplished when we looked back.

There is no legitimate reason why someone with his qualifications, professionalism and integrity should be removed.

Mike is the kind of person who knows his stuff, knows the importance of teamwork and recognizes the value in surrounding himself with good people. He is the most sophisticated person of anyone I know and yet stays true to himself, being someone you cannot recognize when you run into him on the weekend when his suit gets traded in for a pair of Levis and an old baseball hat or a pair of muck boots.

While I believe that this new majority on the Spokane Valley City Council is considering their own police department, I think that City Manager Mike Jackson would have created the best department he could, if that was the direction the City Council wanted to go. I don’t believe the story of wanting to go in a different direction or the thought that Mike was a blockade for the sheriff’s contract. I believe that it has to do with the power and control of this single group of individuals and personalities behind the scenes. No matter what was said at the meeting that night, nothing was going to change the minds of those on the dais, their minds were made up beforehand.

Professionally, Mike was always one that provided insight and shared his experience. He ended each conversation we had with the fact that he will go in whichever direction the council (as a group) wanted to go. He never once stood in the way or opposed any direction that the council wanted to pursue. And each year, we

The last election was decided by a difference of only 99 votes which changed one City Council position, giving a single group of likeminded people an unquestioned voting majority. The problem with giving any single group a majority of anything is that they will focus solely on themselves, won’t be open to outside thought

The Current

and will exclude anyone else in the group (specifically in this case the City Council).

These traits and behaviors are counterproductive for any representative board and especially disruptive for a City Council. We need diversity of thought, diversity of background and people who are willing to come in open minded and listen to people’s comments and have dialogue to stimulate thought.

Unfortunately, this group is just getting going. We need people to be active, get involved and especially remember to vote. If there was ever a time in which you questioned whether a small group of individuals can bring about change, let this be an example.

Aboutthe Opinion Page

The Current wants to hear what’s on your mind. Interact with the opinion page with a le er to the editor (350 words or fewer), guest column (700 words or fewer; please send a mug) or via Facebook or Twi er: editor@valleycurrent.com facebook.com/valleycurrent @valleycurrent

As with all content, opinion page submissions may be edited for space, style or clarity. This is a community newspaper, so be relevant to the Valley for the best chance at publica on.

“In all debates, let truth be thy aim, not victory or an unjust interest. And endeavor to gain, rather than to expose, thy antagonist.”

— William Penn

Volume 18, Issue x EDITOR/PUBLISHER

Ben Wick

ben@libertylakesplash.com EDITOR

Craig Howard

craig@libertylakesplash.com

GRAPHICS EDITOR

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CIRCULATION Dean Byrns Mike Wiykovics

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The Current

St. Luke’s expands therapy services in Spokane Valley From Current News Sources Community members now have additional access to occupational rehabilitation and outpatient therapy services.

St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, in collaboration with Providence Occupational Medicine, has opened a new outpatient therapy and occupational rehabilitation clinic in Spokane Valley at the Providence Medical Park located at 16528 East Desmet Ct., Suite 1600.

In addition to physical therapy, St. Luke’s therapists are now providing occupational, speech, pelvic floor and soft-tissue therapies for all community members as well as work conditioning and functional capacity exams for injured workers.

“We are proud to offer expanded services to people who live and work in Spokane Valley with a collaborative approach to health and wellness,” said Heidi Jibby, director of Rehabilitation Services at St. Luke’s. “Our goal is to provide all community members and injured workers the care they need for reduced recovery times and a safe return to work and their lives.”

With the move of one of its outpatient locations to the new Providence Medical Park location, St. Luke’s now offers outpatient services at

MARCH 2016 • 37

nine locations throughout the greater Spokane area.

St. Luke’s and Providence Health Care now have three occupational medicine and rehabilitation services locations.

“Working with Providence Occupational Medicine expedites access to care and improves injured worker outcomes,” Jibby said. “Our care teams are able to respond to the needs of our patients and ensure appropriate therapy and rehabilitation services are available.”

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Our sincere appreciation to the following businesses for their foundational partnerships with The Current and its partner publications:

St. Luke’s therapy services are available Monday through Friday. To learn more about St. Luke’s outpatient services and locations, visit: www.st-lukes. org/Outpatient-Services/.

About St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute The region’s largest, freestanding Level I Trauma Rehabilitation hospital, St. Luke’s provides comprehensive medical rehabilitation services for people of all ages who have experienced a stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, amputation or other injury or illness requiring rehabilitative care. St. Luke’s is accredited

by Joint Commission and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International. Thousands of patients choose St. Luke’s for inpatient rehabilitation services at the main campus and outpatient therapy services at nine locations throughout Spokane. For more information on St. Luke’s visit www.st-lukes.org. or call 509473-6000.

Clark’s Tire and Automotive • Family Medicine/Healthy Living Liberty Lake Greenstone • Liberty Lake Family Dentistry • Liberty Lake Orthodontics Thrivent Financial • Spokane County Library District

Index of advertisers

Following are the local advertisers in this issue of The Current.

Amaculate Housekeeping Clark’s Tire & Automotive Central Valley Theatre Cornerstone Penecostal Church Evergreen Fountain

28 3 33 8 25

Face Your Beauty by Toby

8

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5

Greenstone 23

Simonds Dental Group

Holistic Festival

Spokane County Library District 14

Jim Custer Enterprises

6 8

Spokane Model Train Show

28, 40 33

KiDDS Dental

21

Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce 6

Kiwanis of Liberty Lake

30

Valley Hospital

28

5

Valley Real Life

10

Windermere Marathon

27

Liberty Lake Family Dentistry Liberty Lake Orthodontics

20

Otis Orchards Community Church 6

Rockwood 18

Service Directory

38

Of note: This thank you message was produced by The Current’s advertising team, which works its tail off on behalf of partner businesses, helping them share their messages through advertisements. This is an independent function from The Current’s editorial team, which has its own evaluation process to determine the community news stories and features it pursues. For more information about a win-win partnership that expertly markets your business to thousands of readers (while making this home-grown community newspaper possible), email advertise@valleycurrent.com. With story ideas, contact editor@valleycurrent.com.

The Current

38 • MARCH 2016

SAGE

Service Directory

Continued from page 27 season with an eye on playing past high school.

Herewith is a smattering of his accomplishments with the sport: Sage was member of a Bronco youth regional championship team. His Pony League team won a state title. Last summer, after hitting .625 and earning AllGreat Northern League outfield and designated hitter honors, he helped his Bandits American Legion team to the state tournament.

Sage made varsity at WV as a freshman leftfielder and provided a clutch hit in the playoffs helping the team qualify for state. His versatility was evident in that

sport as well. He also can play catcher and pitched when needed last year.

“He’s been put in so many positions playing so many sports that nothing really fazes him,” WV baseball coach Cory Aiken says.

“The situation is never too big for him. He’s kind of the backbone of our program.”

Baseball, Sage said, came naturally to him and has the most potential for a college career.

“I couldn’t see myself doing anything else,” he says.

And yet, in high school he did do everything else.

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MARCH 12 ~ 4:00 - 7:00 PM This evenT will be hosTed aT aR Tools & MachineRy 12009 e eMpiRe avenue, bldg c ~ spokane valley West Valley senior Johnny Sage was the leading scorer for the Eagles’ basketball team this season. In the fall, Sage was an All-Great Northern League linebacker while in the spring he is recognized as one of the area’s best baseball players.

Photo by Bob Johnson

For more inFormation or to make donations, please contact: tammy (208) 771-5328 or stacy (509) 701-6574

The Current

March Zagness – A look back at the Gonzaga team that started it all

By Craig Howard Current Editor As the Gonzaga Bulldogs glided through the layup line before a home game against Pacific last month, the theme song from “Rocky” echoed through the stands at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

While the quixotic tale of the unheralded boxer may have been lost on many of those warming up for the showdown with the Tigers, one former Zag sitting nearby could relate.

When Matt Santangelo came to Spokane in 1994, the program was coming off its first WCC regular season championship but had still yet to participate in the NCAA Tournament. Santangelo arrived as a highly recruited point guard from Portland’s Central Catholic High School, glad to be at Gonzaga but not thinking about March Madness.

“When I came to GU, I was not really considering post-season play,” Santangelo said. “I knew Gonzaga was competing for the conference championship and I was going to get a chance to play.

After that, I didn’t know what to think of March – it seemed unattainable. It was something for the big schools.”

Santangelo redshirted his freshman year, a season that started with his teammates going 0-6. Despite the dismal beginning, the Zags pulled it together, winning the WCC tournament and earning an automatic bid to the bracket that had eluded the school for decades.

With Santangelo watching in street clothes, the 15thseeded Zags found themselves overmatched against the University of Maryland and AllAmerican Joe Smith. The school’s debut at the Big Dance ends with a disappointing 87-63 loss.

By the time Santangelo was a sophomore, the Zags had begun scheduling elite non-conference opponents, a shift that signaled a change in the perspective of the program, according to current head coach Mark Few who served

ON THAT NOTE

Former Gonzaga point guard Matt Santangelo (right) now serves as the color commentator for radio broadcasts of his former team with play-byplay announcer Tom Hudson.

Photo by Craig Howard as an assistant on the 1997-98 team.

“We just decided we were going to go in and play the big schools,” Few said. “Then you start recruiting to that, the fact that you’ve scheduled teams like Kansas and Michigan State.

The team won the “Top of the World Classic” in Alaska in the early part of the 1997-98 season, defeating Tulsa, Mississippi State and Clemson. A two-point loss to Michigan State a week later served notice that the obscure school from Spokane could compete with anyone.

“They scheduled big and we had a group that could compete,” Santangelo said. “We had Casey Calvary, Bakari Hendrix, Quentin Hall. Mike Nilson, Colin Floyd, Richie Frahm. All of the sudden, we have some guys.”

The Zags had won 23 games by the time they reached the WCC Tournament final against San Francisco in early March of 1998.

After a surprising loss in the championship game, Santangelo and his teammates thought they still had a chance at getting back to the Round of 64. They were wrong.

Spurned by the NCAA Selection Committee, the Zags settled for the National Invitational Tournament, upsetting Wyoming on the road before losing at Hawaii. Before the following season started, the team understood it would need to win the conference tournament and earn the automatic bid in order to guarantee a spot at the highest post-season level.

“The one thing that was so different back then is that we practiced in the summer and fall specifically for the WCC Tournament,” Santangelo said.

“We knew those three days could make or break your season. We saw it as the only way to get into

the NCAA tournament. That’s the way we trained.”

A legendary ex-Zag was often part of that practice regimen.

Spokane native, Gonzaga alum and NBA All-Pro John Stockton worked out with the team during his off-seasons a member of the Utah Jazz. Santangelo remembers Stockton’s ultra-competitive approach having an impact on the entire GU roster.

“Knowing what I know now, I should have asked a lot more questions, but just though osmosis, there was a lot of learning there,” Santangelo said.

“He had a lot of influence on us.”

The Zags beat both Washington Pac-10 schools in the 1998-99 regular season, rolled to the WCC regular season title and crushed Santa Clara in the WCC Tournament final. Santangelo had 34 in the title game, including eight three-pointers. They were headed back to the bracket, this time determined to not merely make an appearance.

“We’d been having success against those big schools, so just getting to the dance was not enough,” Santangelo recalls.

“Quentin Hall would always say, ‘Let’s make some noise.’ That was the phrase he coined at the time.

It wasn’t boastful, it was just kind of this thought that we’re not supposed to be done here.”

The 10th-seeded Zags soon found out they would play Minnesota in a first-round game at Seattle’s Key Arena.

“We were excited,” Santangelo said. “We didn’t know what to expect. Our group had a pretty big chip on our shoulder. We were upset because the Pac-10 hadn’t recruited us or we were at a small school. We used that as fuel.”

Many national observers fumbled over the pronunciation of Gonzaga’s name and were unsure where campus was located.

Motivation out of obscurity carried the team to a 75-63 win over the Gophers. A stunning 8274 victory against third-seeded Stanford followed, a team that had been to the Final Four a year earlier.

“Against Stanford, we knew we had to play really, really well just to compete,” Santangelo said.

“We outrebounded them and shot the ball well and got out of there with a win.”

Suddenly “Zagmania” was sweeping the Inland Northwest and much of the country.

MARCH 2016 • 39

“I just remember every window having the ‘Go Zags’ signs,” Santangelo said. “I remember the front page of the Spokesman. The hype and media around practices was magnified. It seemed surreal for sure.”

The Zags landed in Phoenix for a third-round matchup with Florida, again as underdogs. A last-second tip-in by Casey Calvary propelled the nation’s favorite storyline to a 73-72 win and a slot in the regional final against Connecticut.

While Gonzaga fell to the eventual national champions, 6762, the program was officially on the map. The following season, Santangelo’s senior year, the team again reached March Madness, upsetting Louisville and St. John’s before losing to Purdue.

“They’re the ones who got it all started,” Few said. “None of this would have ever happened if those guys hadn’t stepped up and achieved like they did.”

Current players like Silas Melson, a guard from Portland like Santangelo, said he is aware of the opportunity for greatness in March and the legacy left by the team that proved Cinderella can indeed dance.

“The only thing I know about that team is that they were in the position that we are in now,” Melson said. “Coach Few talks about that a lot. Out of March, I’m hoping that the team is peaking so we can make a tournament run.

We need to make some noise.”

Now the executive director of Spokane Hoopfest and color commentator on Gonzaga radio broadcasts, Santangelo doesn’t push the history, but understands he and his teammates helped forge the foundation for what Zag Nation has become.

“I don’t want to be the old guy in the corner,” he said. “If they want to talk about it, I’m certainly there. Maybe having the old dogs around lets them know that we’ve been through this before. It’s a reminder to the guys that they are part of something bigger.”

Reminders of Gonzaga’s dramatic NCAA Tournament success in 1999 and 2000 are draped high above the court at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Photo by Craig Howard

The Current

40 • MARCH 2016

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