May 2021 Current

MAY

2021

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Celebrating 80 years and a new permanent home in Spokane Valley, page 10

SHERRODD LEGACY OF ART PAGE 2

MARKET SET TO OPEN PAGE 19

HELPING MEET DEMAND PAGE 23

2

• MAY 2021

The Current

RIVER CROSSING

Calming Canvas –

Valley painter leaves legacy of inspired art

By Craig Howard Current Contributing Editor

It doesn’t take long for Anne Sherrodd to respond to a question about how Spokane Valley has changed in the 65 years she has lived here.

“It’s a different place,” she says.

Orchards and fruit stands still dotted the terrain when Sherrodd and her husband Allen relocated to the Valley from Colville in 1956 after five years of marriage. The couple and their three kids acclimated well to their new surroundings. Two more kids would follow. The family began attending a Methodist church on Barker Road and Sherrodd signed up to volunteer in a Kindergarten class as a “noon aide” while Allen found work with a construction crew building a freeway called Interstate-90 through the heart of the community.

d’Alene among other venues. After a local physician saw a watercolor of Sherrodd’s at a local doctor’s office, she was commissioned to paint a mural at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

From sweeping seascapes to fields of flowers to rustic barns, Sherrodd’s art depicted scenes from throughout the Northwest.

“It’s the places I’ve been, the things I’ve seen,” Sherrodd said. “I paint from what I see.”

When Allen – an active volunteer who served on the board of Spokane Valley Partners and contributed to other nonprofit causes – retired from the highway department, he became his wife’s designated framer, cutting glass and mats. Anne and Allen were married for nearly 57 years before he passed away in 2008.

“He was just a great guy,” Sherrodd said.

Over the years, Sherrodd has been a mainstay of the local arts scene, becoming involved in the early days of the Valley Arts Council,

coordinating exhibits at CenterPlace and teaching watercolor when Spokane Art Supply occupied a storefront in the Valley.

Sherrodd grew up in Winlock, Washington, a small town on the west side of the state best known for its annual Egg Day Parade each summer. The school Sherrodd attended housed K-12 students in one two-story building. When kids reached ninth grade, they moved from the first floor to the second.

Sherrodd had two younger siblings, a sister and brother. Her dad worked in auto sales, a challenging profession in the years after the Depression and through World War II when gas and materials for car parts were rationed.

Early on, Sherrodd gravitated to art and excelled. She would occasionally get scolded for sketching in class. After graduating from high school in 1949, she enrolled at Washington State College (now Washington State University) and, as a freshman, was admitted into an art class normally reserved

Later, Sherrodd decided to take a night class in oil painting at Central Valley High School. She followed that up with a watercolor course at Spokane Falls Community College and latched on to the genre. A few sessions into the class, the instructor mentioned she was good enough to be part of a demonstration at the downtown Bon Marche. She would go on to teach watercolor for 20 years, beginning at the Corbin Senior Center. One of Sherrodd’s students – Betty Jo Cook – went on to become an accomplished painter.

These days, Sherrodd lives a quiet but fulfilling life in Spokane Valley.

Four of her five children live in the area and she now has 16 grandkids and 24 great-grandkids. Along with her prowess as a painter, Sherrodd made it a point to give back to her community as a den mother for Cub Scouts, Sunday School teacher and member of her church’s choir.

Q: What were your first impressions of the Valley when you moved here with your husband in 1956?

A: My parents, sister and brother had moved to the Spokane Valley from the Colville Valley in 1951, so we were quite familiar with this beautiful area. We lived in Greenacres for several years and loved the small-town feel and friendly people. Greenacres had a convenient strip mall with a bank, post office, grocery store, dime store, clothing store, restaurant and my father’s gas station. Doctors, pharmacy and dentist were nearby which were handy for our young, growing family. The Methodist Church, which our family attended, was on Barker Road just on north side of Greenacres, near the former Greenacres Elementary School.

Q: Over the decades, you’ve witnessed no shortage of transformations to this area. In what ways do you think the Valley has changed for the good? And what changes have concerned you?

“I loved sharing what I could with people and see them so delighted at what they could do,” said Sherrodd.

Largely self-taught, Sherrodd first displayed and sold her watercolor creations at the old SeaFirst Building in downtown Spokane during the early 1980s. Her work would later adorn the walls of the Chase Gallery, Museum of Native American Cultures, Spokane Civic Theater and The Gallery in Coeur

for juniors.

Photo by Craig Howard Anne Sherrodd has called Spokane Valley home since 1956 when she moved from Colville with her husband Allen. She established herself as a well-respected painter whose work has been displayed at the Chase Gallery, Museum of Native American Cultures, Spokane Civic Theatre and other venues. Along with selling hundreds of paintings, Sherrodd taught art for many years through Community Colleges of Spokane.

A: Wow! There have certainly been huge changes in the 65 years since we moved here. Some, like the Valley Hospital, Providence Medical, Northwest Orthopedic and other medical facilities are wonderful. Shopping for groceries and everything else has greatly improved. University City Mall came and went, but the Spokane Valley Mall provides excellent shopping. Of course, with all of these improvements, including our freeway, we have a lot more traffic, everywhere in our Valley!

Many older people, such as myself, try to plan our appointments and shopping to quieter traffic times.

See SHERRODD, Page 5

MAY 2021 • 3

The Current

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4

NEWS

• MAY 2021

SVFD Report – April 2021 Current News sources

SVFD Report for The Valley Current – April 2021 Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) crews responded to a total of 1596 emergency calls from March 15 – April 15, 2021.

Emergency Medical Services 1299 Fires 79 Motor Vehicle Collisions 71 Dispatched and cancelled en route 57 Building Alarms 49 Service Calls 11 Hazardous Materials 11 Vehicle Fires 9 Technical Rescue 5 Auto vs Pedestrian 3 Rescue Task Force 2 Highlights and the news include: Total calls for service decreased from 1532 the month prior to 1445 this month.

• Calls for EMS increased from 1176 to 1299.

• Motor Vehicle decreased from 82 to 71.

Accidents

• Vehicle Fires saw a decrease from 14 to 9.

• Fires saw an increase from 67 last month to 79 this month.

Media Release Fire protection agencies and the local air quality agency are asking our community to review and follow outdoor burning rules due to an increase in calls for possible illegal burning. Now that spring and warmer weather conditions are here, many community members are resuming outdoor yard work and spring cleaning. To keep air

quality clean and reduce area fire risk, area agencies throughout all of Spokane County want to remind community members that burning of garbage, including construction material, and the use of burn barrels is prohibited statewide. Burning outdoors, including yard debris, is not allowed in most areas of Spokane County.

Recreational fires are allowed at this time if requirements are met.

Outdoor burning regulations and requirements can be viewed at SpokaneCleanAir.org/burning.

Recreational fires that get outof-control are a common cause of wildfires caused by people. A person can be held financially responsible for the cost of fire department response and any property damage caused.

“Be Fire Smart” and follow the burning requirements: • Only burn clean, dry firewood or manufactured logs, • Recreational fires cannot be used for disposal of anything, including natural yard/garden vegetation, • Burn 25’ away from any structure, like a house, garage, or fence, • Have an extinguisher charged water hose nearby,

or

• Stay near the fire, • Fires can be no larger than 3’ wide and 2’ tall, and • Put out the fire completely!

Typically, during July through September outdoor burning is restricted by fire officials due to fire danger. Always check current burn conditions before starting any fire. For information on current burn conditions, visit https://

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www.spokanecleanair.org/currentburning-conditions or call the Burn Status hotline at (509) 477-4710.

Incidents Power Line Problem, March 15, – Spokane Valley Fire responded for report of a garbage truck that met overhead 200-volt service. The garbage truck with a removable dumpster had dropped the dumpster but the boom on the truck met an overhead power line. The driver remained in the truck. Ladder 8 crews contacted the driver’s supervisor who was on site and requested Avista be dispatched.

Crews secured and isolated the area for safety and awaited Avista’s arrival to de-energize the lines.

Brush Fire, March 15 – Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) responded to a call for a brush fire.

Crews arrived to find a neighbor with a garden hose keeping a grass clipping fire in check. Valley Engine 1 crews extended a 300-foot line to the back yard and applied 500 gallons of foam solution to extinguish the fire.

The homeowner arrived as crews were leaving. Crews spent time with the homeowner explaining what had occurred. He stated that he had dumped some ash on the pile a few days ago. Crews educated on the flammability of ash in contact with grass clippings and advised not to do it again in the future.

Structure Fire, March 17, – Spokane Valley Fire responded to the call for a fire at the American Recycling Facility. Valley Engine 6 arrived with the objective of protecting the facility employees and extinguishing the fire. Four bales of scrap metal had caught on fire in the yard producing heavy black smoke.

The area around the bales was clear.

Valley Engine 6 crews stretched a line and extinguished the fire with a foam solution. The primary bulk of the fire

was extinguished quickly. Valley Engine 2 crews provided additional water and inspected the baler for fire or damage. After the primary fire was extinguished, the bales were broken open using a hydraulic grapple and the remaining fire was also extinguished.

Motor Vehicle Collision, March 28 - Spokane Valley Fire was dispatched to a call for a vehicle collision with one vehicle observed in the median.

Crews investigated the incident and determined that the vehicle had hit the barrier cables in the median and that only one vehicle was involved.

The vehicle airbags deployed and the driver and only occupant was still in the vehicle. Crews helped the patient remove herself from the vehicle where she was then transported to AMR for care and to safety away from the freeway.

Service Call Single Engine, April 7 - Spokane Valley Fire Department’s Rescue Task Force (RTF) responded to a request from Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) to assist the SCSO SWAT with a high-risk warranty entry. RTF Crews stood by while entry to the premises were made. No casualties resulted.

Working Fire, 1:30 p.m., April 10, for a report of a fire 10500 block of E. 14th Avenue. Fire personnel arrived first reporting visible smoke and flames on the exterior of the back side of the home and upgraded the fire to working house fire. A fire attack line was extended to the back exterior of the structure and performed a rapid application of water to the active fire to slow down and control with the potential to stop additional fire spread in structure. It was confirmed all occupants were out of the structure.

The initial aggressive quick attack successfully controlled the fire See SVFD REPORT, Page 6

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The Current

SHERRODD

NEWS

Continued from page 2 Q: When you showed an aptitude for drawing as a youngster, did you ever imagine that you would grow up to be a successful professional artist and instructor?

A: Thank you! I don’t think so.

We had no art classes in our small town’s school. Some of my teachers let me do special blackboard drawings, like Santa Claus or encouraged me. I got in trouble a few times for drawing while we had to listen to everyone in the class of 35 or 40 taking turns in fifth grade reading class. In high school a few of us were allowed to skip study hall many times to make posters for school activities. When I took art in college, it was disappointing to me that abstract art was being taught.

I grew up a long way from art galleries and during my early teens, gasoline was rationed and we didn’t drive the 100 or so miles to Seattle or Portland to go to art galleries. I might have thought a little about being an elementary teacher but mostly I wanted to be a wife and mother. I was lucky, I got to do it all. With five kids at home with their dad I painted for the first time in evening oil painting classes at Central Valley High School. Later I worked in the CV library in the 1970s. Then I left that job to concentrate on art. I took one watercolor class at SFCC and was hooked! I’m mostly self-taught, with the help of watercolor instruction books, borrowed from the Valley Library. I spent many days, weeks, months practicing everything.

Watercolors are a pain to frame. I learned to use the correct acid-free backings, mat boards, etc. when Allen retired from the Washington State Highway Department, he took over the framing.

Q: Some people seem naturally gifted in art while others may not be as inclined. Do you think artistic skill is something that can be learned?

A: I don’t really know. Maybe it’s possible with lots of instruction and perseverance, if a person is extremely motivated.

Practice, practice, practice! I told my students to practice, pray and persevere!

Q: How did it feel to have people purchase your artwork? Did it change the way you saw your craft?

A: When I put my favorite artwork out in public for sale it was rewarding that others liked it

enough to purchase it!

Q: I’m thinking of a watercolor of yours that depicts a vintage red barn in a farm field so typical of the rural days of the Valley. How much did the terrain of this area inspire your work?

A: I imagine the terrain of this area inspires many people more than they realize! I painted many vintage barns over the years because of the ones I have seen in Eastern Washington. My husband would take us for lovely drives in the area.

I took scenic photos of places that were inspirational, many of which I later painted.

Q: How do you think growing up in a small town like Winlock influenced your values and priorities as well as your perspective of the world?

A: I lived in Winlock in the 1930s and 1940s until I was 18, when I graduated from high school. There was no crime. No drugs. We had no police, just a night watchman making sure businesses were safe. It was a rare teenager who smoked. Many of our friends attended Sunday School.

We enjoyed movies, especially Westerns, with Dale Evans and Roy Rogers and others. Also, musicals and Shirley Temple stories. So, there you are! We learned our values and priorities in our everyday life. I don’t think we had much perspective of the world. Of course, as adults, we were mostly living elsewhere when TVs invaded our homes!

Q: Faith seems to have played an important part in your life. In what ways has it been a benefit to you?

A: My faith in God has been with me all my life. My husband and I benefitted from our reliance on God in our daily lives to give us support and direction. Looking back on friendships over many years, I realize most of our closest friendships were formed with friends from church.

Q: Finally, is there one favorite painting that stands out from the many you’ve produced over the years and why?

A: I don’t really have a favorite painting that I produced. The ones that are the most fun for me to paint are seascapes and lake scenes. Also, those are the places I’ve always loved to visit. I have given paintings to all my grandchildren as they are married and some of those are among my favorites!

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• MAY 2021

The Current

SVFD REPORT

2021 March Burglary Hotspots

Continued from page 4

Spokane Valley Districts

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Published Date: 4/6/2021 Prepared by Spokane County Sheriff's RIG 9 Unit

Spokane Valley Districts

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Firefighter/Paramedics responded to more than 18,700 emergency calls.

Connect with SVFD at: spokanevalleyfire.com. For department news, safety information, and timely updates, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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The chicken coop was a small 10x10 structure and was fully consumed by the fire and was quickly knocked down within a few moments of crews arriving to the location. The source of ignition is under investigation. Thankfully, all chickens were accounted for and no loss of chicken life occurred

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The cause of the fire is under ( 57th investigation at the time of this press release.

Working Fire, 12 p.m., April 15, to a shed, hay, and chicken coop on fire in the 5900 block of N Starr Road.

An off-duty Firefighter was near the location and was able to relay information to Spokane Regional Emergency Communications regarding the fire. En route, SVFD Engine 4 (VE4) crews from the Otis Orchards Station could see a noticeable smoke column in the air. Upon arrival crews found the coop was fully involved and was approximately 200 feet away from the house on the property. The resident was trying to put the fire out with the garden hose.

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allowing additional Valley Fire crews to enter the structure on the first floor through the living room and perform a rapid search of the home and check for additional fire spread. The fire was confirmed to have spread interior to the attic space which was actively burning. The interior fire was quickly contained, and search completed but there was still fire damage to the back of the home extending to the back-porch deck, and into the attic for the length of the structure. Ladder crews did make access to the roof and using chainsaws cut ventilation holes in the structure to aid in fire control for the interior fire crews with fire hoses. Red Cross was called to aid the 10 occupants of the home in finding residential options as the home is currently unoccupiable. The rapid response and quick actions by Spokane Valley Fire Department saved the home from being a total loss and burning up completely.

Published Date: 4/6/2021 Prepared by Spokane County Sheriff's RIG 9 Unit

Incident counts summarizes the events within 1/4 of a mile of each other. The heat map shows the density of events within the area.

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MAY 2021 • 7

The Current

Introducing the

Safety Awareness Channel

The maps provided below depict where citizens have reported Vehicle Thefts, Thefts from a Vehicle (also known as vehicle prowling), Burglaries and Malicious Mischief.

As you view the map each circle will contain a number indicating how many instances of a particular crime were reported at that location.

Thefts from a vehicle is often under reported as people often feel nothing can be done or they only lost a small quantity of loose change.

However, the Spokane Valley Police Department and the Spokane County Sheriff’s office analyze this data to determine high crime areas and where to allocate resources. I encourage citizens who have been a victim of crime to call 911, if the crime is in progress, or Crime Check at 456-2233, if not in progress, to report a crime.

2021 March Malicious Mischief Hotspots

Published Date: 4/6/2021 Prepared by Spokane County Sheriff's RIG 9 Unit

SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH

Spokane Valley Districts

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Spokane Valley Districts

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With it being National Bike Month we thought we would remind you of some tips for taking care of yourself and your bicycle.

1. Obey the traffic laws.

Bicyclists must travel in the same direction as traffic and ride as far to the right as possible.

2. Make yourself visible.

Wear bright clothing. At night, your clothing should be reflective, and you should have front lights, rear lights, and reflectors.

3. Don’t ride while distracted.

You should also avoid riding your bicycle with headphones on or while looking at your phone because it will decrease your ability to hear traffic around you.

4. Don’t ride while impaired.

People who are impaired by any substance may have balance problems and slowed reaction times.

5. Maintain your bicycle in good condition.

Make sure all features are properly functioning. Make sure that your tires have enough air and that the treads are not worn. Make any repairs that your bicycle.

6. Do not ride your bicycle on sidewalks.

You are much more likely to collide with a pedestrian on a sidewalk or lose control of your bicycle when trying to avoid obstacles.

7. Use bicycle lanes whenever possible.

If you have a protected bicycle lane available to you, make sure to ride in it.

8. Keep both hands on the handle.

Keeping your hands on the handle can improve your balance and control.

9. Always wear a helmet.

If you are involved in a bicycle accident, a helmet can greatly reduce your risk of serious injury.

10. Follow safe riding practices.

Follow all of the traffic laws and yield when needed. Remain alert and aware of your surroundings and be prepared to react if a danger exists.

8

• MAY 2021

NEWS

Public safety dominates city council discussions

Between April and October of 2021, the Center offered 25 different law enforcement courses. In 2020, the Center processed 287 applicants, and conducted numerous safety classes for the public.

Council Approves Body Cameras for Police

However, firearms and vehicle training has had to be done at different, rented sites. Although the rental contract with EVSD is quite reasonable, the SCSO is responsible for the maintenance of the school.

Recently, the HVAC system has had to be repaired, costing them $100,000, the investment of which becomes the property of EVSD and not the SCSO. As a result, the SCSO has been looking for a more permanent facility.

By Bill Gothmann Current Contributor

The County has a Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) that retains such information as logs, photos, video, and other evidence. Such evidence becomes public information and is subject to Washington’s public records laws.

However, the DEMS company they used is now going out of business.

The County found a bundled system that includes DEMS, body cameras, and tasers at less cost than the individual components. The bundled system will expedite transferring body camera data to the DEMS. The Board of County Commissioners approved the purchase and is asking Spokane Valley to fund up front 40% of the purchase of body cameras for their officers. DEMS and other costs are already part of the contract the City has with the County. The cost above the current contract with the County would be $410,000 for the first year and $318,000 for subsequent years. The cost estimate includes public record and legal personnel associated with fulfilling requests for bodycam footage. The City’s Finance Director will come up with a budget amendment to support the costs.

Council unanimously approved the purchase.

justice system including Governance, Prosecution, Law Enforcement, Detention Services, and others. As part of their report, the Commission recommended forming a Law and Justice Coordinating Committee in addition to the CJC, with an administrator and staff.

The State Code, RCW 72.09.300, requires that each county have a Law and Justice Council. However, this is in a section of the law that identifies the relationship between local jails and state corrections. Because of perceived flexibility of the law, the County added a number of members to the state-mandated council, now called the Spokane Regional Law and Justice Council (LJC). In its 2020 report, the CJC recommended that the LJC be reduced in size because it is becoming a committee with more talk than direction. County Prosecutor Larry Haskell has submitted a proposal in accordance with the objectives of the State Law which would decrease the number of members from 25 to the State mandated minimum of 13.

However, many want to include a broad spectrum of advocacy groups and discussions of alternatives to incarceration.

After considerable discussion, Council asked staff to generate a letter that indicates that Spokane Valley wants to be included in the general discussion of where to go from here.

Law and Justice Council Under Scrutiny

State Mandates Increased Energy Costs to New Homes

Staff reported on the proposals to change the Spokane Regional Law and Justice Council. In 2013, under a Memorandum of Understanding between Spokane County and the City of Spokane, a three-member Spokane Regional Criminal Justice Commission (CJC) presented their “Blueprint for Reform” to the City and the County. The Commission members were The Honorable James Murphy (Retired Spokane County Superior Court), former U.S. Attorney James McDevitt, and Criminal Defense Attorney Phillip Wetzel. The goal of the commission was to “explore current operations and efficiencies, identify duplication of services, and develop a blueprint for successful reform that better meets the needs of those processed through our criminal justice system.” Their Blueprint examined all phases of the

Staff is considering how to include mandated increased energy costs into the City code. The State now requires 6.0 credit energy points instead of the previous 3.5, adding $20,000 to the average price of a new home.

Current heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment will no longer meet the code. In addition, it is difficult to meet the tightening air leakage requirements.

Fairchild AFB and County Sheriff Team up on Training Since 2015, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) has used the East Valley School District’s (EVSD) former Mountain View Middle School as its training center. The Training Center annually trains over 2000 domestic and law enforcement personnel, saving the SCSO about $350,000 in travel and tuition costs.

The Current

SCSO and Fairchild AFB reached an agreement whereby the parties have agreed to develop a training center near Highway 902 and Craig Road on the West Plains. The facility will have a 21-lane indoor firearms range, eight classrooms, a defensive tactics training room, offices for training and civil service staff, an emergency vehicle driving course, a hoist/rappelling/rescue tower, a tactical training house, emergency reserve fuel tanks, and a virtual reality, scenario-based training simulator.

The capital cost for the Fire Arms/ Training Center is estimated to be $36 million. Of this, $19.6 million will be for the small arms range with the Air Force paying 80% of the cost. The Training Center portion will be built by the County and its operational costs will be borne by the participants.

Spokane Valley’s portion is estimated to be $185,000, maximum, annually, although a reduction of up to $40,000 may be realized by estimated cost savings from not having to rent fire arms and driving facilities and other costs. Note that $185,000 is less than 1% of the current law enforcement

budget.

Camping Regulations Revised Council approved a revision to the City’s camping regulations which includes a number of added areas in which camping is prohibited. The new regulations prohibit camping in any city-owned or city-maintained right-of-way, trail, park, park facility, parking lot, stormwater drainage facility, or any other city-owned or city-maintained property. The regulations also prohibit storage of personal property in these same areas. It does not apply to unoccupied recreational vehicles parked in pubic rights-of way unless prohibited by law.

The new regulations also prohibit encampments and provide for removal of personal property with 48-hour advance notice unless it provides a significant risk of harm to the public, in which case it may be removed immediately. There is also an appeal procedure.

Enforcement of these regulations is suspended in all except the following areas if no beds are available in regional shelters: City Hall, Balfour Park, Centerplace/ Mirabeau Meadows, park facilities such as buildings and fixtures, public rights of way, City-owned property within 30 ft. of such rights of way, and publicly owned stormwater drainage facilities.

New Library Improvements Coming

Frontage

Council approved a $617,770 bid for improvement to the property adjacent to Balfour Park. In 2012, the City entered into an agreement to sell 2.82 acres of property adjacent to Balfour Park to the Spokane County Library District with the provision that, if no library were to be built, the property would be sold back to

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the City. As part of that agreement, the City was to provide frontage improvements adjacent to the library for Main, Herald, and Balfour streets. In the ensuing years, voters twice defeated bond issues to build a new library, resulting in the City extending the termination date of the agreement. Recently, the Library District was able to secure funding without a bond issue and they expect to construct a new building starting in 2022. Selland Construction was the low bidder, $64 thousand below the engineers estimate for the frontage improvements. Funds for these $1 million improvements will come from the street wear fund, stormwater fund, capital reserve fund, and Real Estate Excise Tax fund.

Sullivan Park Water Line In a report to Council, staff noted that Sullivan Park receives water from an under-performing well. Initially, plans were to install a pipeline north from the Consolidated Irrigation District, south of the river, under the bridge, and to the park. However, the Park is in Trentwood Water District, so that plan was scrapped.

After considerable discussions, a water line is being proposed from the Trentwood Water District just north of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, south on Sullivan to the Park. The Washington Department of Commerce has provided $130,000 to the project. Currently, the City’s potential and pending capital project list identifies $152,858 as committed towards this project. This leaves a shortfall of about $255 thousand which might be obtained from American Rescue Plan funds, the recent, $1.9 trillion COVID-19 package passed by Congress. This will be considered at a future Council Meeting.

Abandoned Shopping Given Attention

Carts

NEWS

The City is receiving a number of complaints about abandoned shopping carts, many in the area of Walmart on East Sprague. These carts are, many times, blocking the rightof-way and contain considerable trash. The City is exploring the possibility of collecting and disposing of the carts if the retailer does not pick them up. The retailer would then pay a per-cart fee for the City’s efforts.

Other cities charge $25 to $115 per cart for impounding the cart and/ or $25-$70 per cart for disposal. The City could exclude charging a retailer for processing a certain number of carts each month or discount firms that have adopted preventive measures such as electronic locking wheels on the carts, poles added to the carts, implementation of a “cart patrol” by the firm, or other security measures.

Councilmember Rod Higgins suggested there could be a “subscription fee.” The city would likely contract out cart collection.

Council asked staff to continue their investigation of the problem and come forth with a proposal for their consideration.

“Visit Spokane” Markets the Area In a report to Council, Visit Spokane, the marketing agency for the Spokane Area funded from a hotel room tax, noted they had to lay off 19 members this year due to COVID-19. However, because of a $2.5 million CARES Act grant, they were able to effectively market Spokane with a “Spokane, Room to Roam” theme. Using 98% local talent, they developed four videos and other media that appeared in Seattle and Portland encouraging overnight stays in the Spokane area. Their advertising campaign resulted in over one-quarter billion impressions and 20,000 room nights booked, producing revenue

exceeding five million dollars. The campaign won a record seven awards from the Spokane Chapter of the National Marketing Association.

Food Banks Report One Year Post-COVID Second Harvest President & CEO Jason Clark and Spokane Valley Partners CEO Cal Coblentz updated Council on supplying food to those who need it. Second Harvest procures food and distributes it to a number of distributors, including Spokane Valley Partners.

Clark reported they collect tens of millions of pounds of food and serve 280 agencies in 26 counties of Washington and Northern Idaho. This year, there was a 58% increase in demand overnight coupled with a reduction of volunteers from 8000 last year to 2500 this year. 150 National Guard troops helped fill the volunteer gap while the County supplied $9 million in CARE funds. The typical family needing food earns $18,000 per year.

Over 7000 families were served this year at the Fairgrounds during Tom’s Turkey Drive.

Coblentz stated they had an 821% increase in new homes served.

Their first priority is Spokane Valley, and next, outlying areas. He does not believe the worst is behind us, indicating they moved 1-2 million pounds of food this past year but may have to move 3-4 million pounds in the future. They have begun taking food to low-income people who live in apartments and trailer parks. In addition, Spokane Valley Partners could become a redistribution point for food. He also noted that there is an increase in pantries where food, clothing and other necessities can be made available. One of their challenges is the need for more freezers as more and more foods are in frozen form.

MAY 2021 • 9

Public Safety Contracts Reviewed Staff reviewed each of the nine public safety contracts the City has with the County as follows, listed in order of their 2021 budgeted expense and the percent of the Public Safety budget: Law Enforcement, $23,072,000, 84.6%; Detention Services, $1,500,000, 5.5%; District Court, $925,000, 3.4%; Public Defender, $750,000, 2.8%; Prosecutor, $450,000, 1.7%; Animal Control, $350,000, 1.3%, ; Pretrial, $120,000, 0.44%; Emergency Services, $100,000, 0.37%; and Probation (all probation fees are retained by the County). Staff noted the provisions and challenges for each of these contracts, and the past modifications that have provided more exact accounting. Staff further noted that Public Safety constitutes 62% of the General Fund’s recurring expenses.

Council Briefs: • Council awarded a bid of $350,667 to Wm. Winkler Co. for constructing a sidewalk on Park Rd. from Mission to Sharp. This was about $174,000 under the engineer’s estimate.

• Deputy City Attorney Erik Lamb received a 2021 Outstanding Service Award from the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys (WSAMA), having made presentations more than 15 times to groups throughout the State. Erik is also on the WSAMA Board.

• Now in its third year, the Farmer’s Market will be at Centerplace for 16 consecutive Fridays from 4-8pm starting June 4 and ending September 17. Council requested the City have a booth there.

• Councilmember Pam Haley noted that the library will be issuing free bus passes in the future.

10

• MAY 2021

COVER STORY

The Current

Contributed photo Photo of the training room wall at the Conservation District that depicts the hostpry of the work they have done for the past 80 years.

Conservation District celebrates 80th anniversary

By Nina Culver Current contributor

The Spokane Conservation District has been around in one form or another for 80 years and is making long-term plans to teach about sustainable land use and conservation in the future.

The roots of the Conservation District go deep, as do the roots of director Vicki Carter and her staff.

Carter, who has been the district’s director since 2011, began working there 30 years ago. Many of her staff members have been there for 20 years or more.

Though the district is best known for its annual tree seedling sale at the Spokane County Fairgrounds, the organization provides many other services. It has programs for conservation tillage, family forest fish passage, watershed planning, green zones, forestry and smart scaping, which is the use of native vegetation to reduce water usage instead of grass.

“We try to find whatever resources are available and connect those resources with the land,” Carter said.

The district also runs the Firewise program, which helps landowners reduce their wildfire risk. A forester visits local properties and recommends changes that can be made to

increase defensible space around a home and reduce fuels. The property assessments are free for anyone who requests them.

The Conservation District model dates back to the Dust Bowl, when farming created huge dust storms across large areas, Carter said. ‘We were really changing the face of our landscapes,” she said.

The Federal government passed the Soil Conservation Act in 1935, which led to the creation of the Soil Conservation Service, which is now the Natural Resources Conservation Service. But it was quickly recognized that states and even counties needed more direct control because not all areas are the same, Carter said. “We have micro climates,” she said. “We have different needs.”

Washington State created conservation districts in Washington in 1939. The Spokane area got its first conservation district in 1941. The Spokane Conservation District in its current form, which includes all of Spokane County except for Deer Park, was created in 1973 when the Southwest Spokane, North Spokane, Central Spokane and Latah-Rock Creek conservation districts combined.

There are now more than 3,000 conservation districts across the country, Carter said. “Most of

those just happen to follow county boundaries,” she said.

Though most of its programs are limited to Spokane County only, the district is involved in some programs that cross county lines.

The Direct Seed Loan Program is designed for farmers interested in switching to direct seed and no-tillage farming. It provides low interest loans for equipment purchases and is available in 20 Washington conservation district and five districts in Idaho.

The Spokane Conservation District isn’t really a government entity and has no taxing power, Carter said. It gets some funding from the state government and partners with the Spokane County Commissioners to tax property parcels. For 21 years, the rate was $5 per parcel each year or five cents per acre for undeveloped land and 10 cents per acre for agriculture and developed land.

In 2019 the district requested an increase to $10 per parcel per year and it was approved by the Commissioners.

But that funding isn’t enough to fulfill the mission of the Conservation District.

“The majority of our funding has always come from grants and awards,” she said. “We’re allowed to do public and private grants.”

The district is involved in just about everything having to do with the environment. It does ground well monitoring, wave attenuation studies, urban forestry work and helps fund repairs for

existing septic systems. They’ve done work on Hangman Creek, the Spokane River and local lakes.

“We’ve got a really robust water resources department,” Carter said. “It covers the whole gamut of water resources.”

For many years, district employees did their work in a small building at the Spokane County Fairgrounds. But the organization ran out of both internal and external space and did not have room to expand, Carter said.

In 2016 she happened to drive by a property for sale at Havana Street and Eighth Avenue. The 50acre site, then owned by Central Pre-Mix, had a 7,000 square foot building on it. The property, which was previously use as a sand, gravel and rock quarry, was listed at $3.4 million, a price tag out of their reach, Carter said. But the owners liked their plans to replant and restore the property and sold it for $1.2 million.

“We felt very fortunate to get that,” she said. “They really liked who we were as a Conservation District and what we did. They have helped out monetarily and with equipment. I consider them a partner in this project.”

The district held public meetings to discuss their planned purchase of the property at the time and Carter said neighbors seemed thrilled about having a conservation minded neighbor who wanted to restore the property

The Current

to its natural state. “We feel like we’ve been very welcomed,” he said.

The district’s original plans to expand the existing building to accommodate them were dashed when floodplain issues meant they couldn’t get a building permit, Carter said. So they began building a new 12,500 square foot building and leased out the smaller building to Intrinium, a locally owned cyber security company.

The Conservation District’s new building was completed in February and the move-in process is nearly complete, Carter said.

But plans for the site are just beginning. Carter said there will

COVER STORY

be areas with plants attractive to pollinators, plus green zones with natural vegetation that will provide shade and otherwise enhance the property. Some work will have to be done to control noxious weeds first, she said.

Carter said there’s a 10-year master plan broken down into five two-year phases. “We want to feature all the geology and hydrology on this property,” she said.

She calls the property a hidden gem that isn’t really visible from the road. “It’s like a secret garden,” she said. “There’s a long driveway and then it just opens up. It’s spectacular.”

The second phase of the master plan includes a new building for Intrinium, which has outgrown its space. Funding for the new building is coming from a lowinterest $3 million loan from the Committed Private Partnership program. Then they’ll search for a new tenant for the building Intrinium currently occupies.

“That’s a revenue generating building for us,” she said. “Long term, we’ll make that money back.”

Also as part of Phase 2 is a planned interpretive trail system that would be open to the public.

In later phases, Carter envisions field stations where groups of students can check out field kids,

MAY 2021 • 11

including microscopes and test kits to help study the environment on site. There’s also a discussion about putting in greenhouses to provide additional educational opportunities. Recreational uses on the property could be explored in a future phase as well.

The further out the phases are, the less they are set in stone.

Carter said she wants to play it by ear and see how things go before committing to a concrete plan, which could look quite different than what is in the plan now.

“We’ve built out a master plan, but this is a very big elephant,” she said. “In the end, we’re taking this one day at a time.”

Contributed images Above: The almost complete new home of the Conservation District.

Below: Rendering and photo of the newly constructed permanent home for the Spokane Conservation District which was built on a former Gravel Pit on 8th Ave just east of Havanna. This is their new home and the first location which is owned outright by the district in its tenure.

12

• MAY 2021

The Current

brought to you by

Student of the Month

Athlete of the Month

Citizen of the Month

Briella Bell has soared like an Eagle in her time at West Valley High School.

The senior maintains a 4.0 grade point average and is president of the school’s National Honor Society chapter. She has participated in WV’s award-winning robotics program for three years and was part of a team that advanced to the world robotics competition. Bell has competed in Knowledge Bowl team for four years and served as varsity team captain this year. She was recently honored as the runner-up Spokane Scholar in science.

Bell volunteers as a tutor in biology and chemistry and been part of the Link Crew program, mentoring incoming freshmen. She is a letter-winner in cross country and track and contributed to WV’s state championship cross country team as a sophomore. She has been named co-valedictorian and will attend Princeton University in the fall.

Going into his senior year of football, Malachi Clark had goals of gaining over 1,000 yards, winning a league championship and earning offensive MVP. By the time the West Valley running back concluded the 2021 campaign, he was three for three. Clark compiled 1,061 yards on 135 carries and 14 touchdowns for an Eagles’ squad that finished undefeated and shared the Greater Spokane League title with Shadle Park. For his efforts, Clark was named GSL Offensive MVP. In a win against rival East Valley on Senior Night, Clark rumbled for 320 yards and five touchdowns. While the senior piled up individual accolades, he said the team’s success took precedence. “That’s what I’m most proud of,” Clark said. Clark also competes in track for WV in the 100, 200 and 4 x 100 meters. He maintains a 3.7 grade point average.

When Lance Beck took over as president and CEO of the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2018, he had no idea that one of his future responsibilities would be helping area businesses navigate the unchartered waters of a worldwide pandemic. Beck has been a positive catalyst since COVID-19 set down last year, leading chamber efforts to spur business recovery, point the way to grant resources and assist businesses in promoting health precautions. Under Beck’s leadership, GSVCC has adeptly pivoted, providing virtual networking opportunities and keeping membership engaged. He has also guided the chamber through a rebranding process and a move of its headquarters in the past year. The Spokane native is a graduate of Whitworth University and previously worked in the front office for the Spokane Shock and as director of marketing for the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

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MAY 2021 • 13

In Loving Memory of Betty Spooner Wick Meyer

Betty Lenore (Spooner) Wick Meyer passed away on April 24, 2021 at the age of 98. Betty Lenore Spooner was born on February 24, 1923, in Spokane, Washington, to John ‘Bill’ Spooner, father, and Effie McNeil, her mother. She married Charles Wick in October of 1948 in Valleyford, WA and they had three children together (Ty, Terry, and Tim). She then married Richard ‘Dick’ Meyer in February 1967, in Spokane, Washington.

She had two brothers and one sister (Bill, Don, and Pat) and is recognized as a WA State Pioneer, as her family was here before the state was formed.

One of the few people ever born on the then Spokane fairgrounds (Corbin Park), she was raised on a Dairy Farm (the East End Dairy) which was lost during the Great Depression, and moved to the Freeman community before joining the war in 1943. She served as a stenographer at the rank of Chief Petty Officer in the United States Coast Guard Women’s Reserve, #140 unit of the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) before the program was renamed to the SPARS. Upon leaving her service she worked for the Social Security Administration until her retirement.

She loved to travel and often times spent the winters traveling in her motorhome to Apache Junction, AZ and with her friends and family traveling around the United States and world.

Betty loved to tap dance in her youth and often reminisced about performing shows at all the Spokane Theatres as well as her time on the farm, always preferring to have black and white dairy cows around in every decoration. For a period of time even

started an antique business called the Treasure Chest Antiques with her favorite collectible being glass milk bottles, especially the ones identifying the city and states they were from. It became a passion she shared with her grandchildren and together they cataloged her collection to continue this tradition throughout her life.

She was very active in the Rockford Historical Society serving for many years as President and helped them establish their Rockford Military Museum, where her uniform currently resides. She was also a proud member of the Westerners Association, Spokane Valley Chapter #1821 of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE), the Spokane Regional Council of Beta Sigma Phi, and the Spokane Valley Women of the Moose.

Betty is survived by her brother Don Spooner, daughter Terry Wick, son Tim Wick (Laura), grandchildren Gail Wick (Ryan Orth), Greg Wick (Jen), Ben Wick (Danica), Adam Wick (Amanda), great grandchildren Garnet, Edgar, Lucy, Harriet, Sabriel, Hermione, Celaena, Lincoln, Brooklyn, and Emma, stepdaughters Carolyn Loy and Beverly Mickelson, step-son Mark Meyer (Berta), as well as extended family April O’Hair (Mitchell) and Kassidee. She is preceded in death by her brother Bill, sister Pat, husbands Chuck Wick and Dick Meyer, and son Ty Wick (Diane).

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in honor of Betty Meyer to the Spokane Valley Heritage Museum, PO Box 141341, Spokane Valley, WA 99214-1341

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MAY 2021 • 15

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16

• MAY 2021

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Check and Connect Battles Isolation

By Tie Lemerond Current contributor

In late March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington (ALTCEW) began the Check and Connect program as a response to the need to assist current and potential clients with feelings of isolation and loneliness. This program initially became possible as a result of the Older Americans Act funding that was received through the CARES Act. Funding for this type of program is set aside for aging programs that are distributed to Area Agencies on Aging across the nation, like Aging & Long Term Care. The agency receives a regular annual allocation of Older Americans Act funding, so CARES Act funding was able to be used to grow existing programs to meet the needs of the pandemic such as senior home delivered meals, and to start new programs to assist older adults. Aging & Long Term Care will continue to receive funding through the Americans Act funding, so the Check and Connect program will continue once the funding from the CARES Act has diminished.

Although the Older Americans Act funding has some limitations on what it can be used for, reassurance programs such as Check and Connect are a common way funding

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has been used across the United States during the pandemic.

The Check and Connect program is a telephonic program that allows Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington to work with volunteers who check in on clients to ensure their basic needs are being met, such as food and water supplies, healthcare, and other needs. The program hopes to not only reduce victimization and health concerns, but also isolation during quarantine mandates.

Program Coordinator Jessica Lehman, and a student intern work with volunteers who receive a brief training and orientation in addition to a full background check. After completing the training, volunteers are assigned a comfortable number of clients to contact once or twice per week. During these calls, volunteers make a connection with their clients.

Volunteers talk to clients as if they were old friends: asking clients to share some of their fondest memories, laughing, listening to their concerns, and having a genuine conversation with them. “A lot of our clients are eager to receive their call,” states Stevens. “They report not feeling alone and “forgotten” because someone is checking in with them,” added Stevens.

If volunteers have any indication client’s needs are not being met or have other concerns pertaining to the client, they then report that information back to the program coordinator. If needed, the next steps are determined by the coordinator and the client may speak to an Options Counselor or Information and Referral Staff to

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A VALLEY-WIDE COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE

begin the process of further support or additional services.

Kari Stevens, Community Living Connections Director for Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington, has been with the organization since October 2020.

Stevens states, “Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington offers services to anyone 60 years and older, or individuals who are disabled. Other than that, there are no restrictions on participation.”

Any person fitting these criteria who would like to receive weekly calls, can reach out to the Community Living Connections department and they will then be connected to the Check and Connect program manager for assistance.

Aging and Long Term Care has found Check and Connect to be extremely valuable to clients.

Stevens states, “We are looking to sustain the program ongoing as we have found it valuable to clients, providing human connection, reducing loneliness and helping older adults connect to resources and remain safely in their homes for as long as possible.”

The program is all telephonic, so this service can be offered to any person living within the Aging

& Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington’s 5-county coverage area: Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Spokane, and Whitman Counties.

Check and Connect is currently serving approximately 70 clients per week and that number is increasing by roughly 5 new clients per week.

With the consistently growing client list, volunteers are a crucial part of this program and are needed to help keep the community connected during this unprecedented time.

Stevens encourages any person interested in assisting the aging population and adults with disabilities with regular phone calls to reduce isolation and stress, contact the program coordinator.

Volunteers work remotely and can determine their own hours. All volunteers must have a cell phone and a computer.

If you are interested in learning more about support services or have needs that are not being met, Check and Connect is there to help you reduce stress and isolation during the current quarantine mandates.

Family members are encouraged and welcome to call and refer a loved one to the program as well.

For more information on volunteering or becoming a client, please call 509-960-7281.

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MAY 2021 • 17

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• MAY 2021

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CV sisters add NCAA title to championship resume

By Craig Howard

Current Contributing Editor

Lexie and Lacie Hull were not accustomed to losing during their four-year tenure at Central Valley High School.

Going into the 2017 state tournament, the Hulls and their fellow Bears had won 52 straight games, including the 4A crown the year before. In a quarterfinal matchup against Bellarmine Prep, the streak came to an abrupt halt in a stunning 56-55 loss. While the defeat stung, the sisters remember learning from the experience.

“It definitely showed us that if we don’t focus, we can lose,” Lacie said.

“I think that loss made us better.”

Lexie and Lacie would not lose another game in their high school career. Their senior season included another state title along with the GEICO High School Basketball National Championship in which CV prevailed over the best prep teams in the U.S.

Stanford clinched the national crown after a shot by Arizona fell short at the buzzer.

“To win that way – we were just so happy,” Lacie said.

VanDerveer said the Hull sisters were critical factors in Stanford’s third-ever national championship.

“They’re absolute competitors and both great teammates,” VanDerveer said. “We love having them on our team. They’re winners.”

As was the case their junior year at CV, a brief stumble this season translated into a change of course that produced historic results.

Stanford had won 11 consecutive games to start the season before falling in overtime at Colorado on Jan. 17. Less than a week later, UCLA handed the Cardinal their second loss by four points.

Stanford would go on to win its next 20 games, culminating in the title victory at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

“We learned from it,” said

VanDerveer. “We’re not head and shoulders above teams if we don’t play hard. We got on a roll after that.”

Stanford faced a stern test from Louisville in the Elite Eight on March 30. The Cardinal trailed 3826 at halftime but went on a 52-25 run to win by 15 and advance to the Final Four. Lexie finished with 21 points and nine rebounds.

“It felt like we were down way more,” Lexie said. “Coach could tell we weren’t happy at half. She just said, ‘The next time we’re in this locker room, we don’t want to feel this way.’ It was definitely a motivating factor.”

VanDerveer said Lexie’s defense on Kelly Van Lith, Louisville’s outstanding freshman guard from Wenatchee, served as a key to the win.

“I told Lexie it was about bragging rights for Eastern Washington,” VanDerveer said.

In the national semifinal, Stanford edged South Carolina, 66-65. Lexie

“It was definitely just different,” Lacie said. “When you’re uncertain that games are even going to happen, it makes them more meaningful.”

While the lack of fans and the overall experience of the Final Four may have been impacted by the pandemic, Lexie said the unusual conditions put this national title into a category of its own.

“Looking back on this season, I think it was more difficult to attain based on what we had to go through and what all the teams had to go through,” she said.

Lexie was named to the All Pac12 team for the second year in a row while Lacie earned recognition from coaches throughout the league as Sixth Player of the Year, the top honor for a reserve. In the classroom, the sisters both maintain a sparkling 3.9 grade point average.

“To say that they’ve won both the high school national championship and a collegiate national championship is pretty exciting,” Rehkow said. “I’m just extremely proud of them and everything they’ve accomplished to this point.

I’m excited to see them get back out there and have a great senior year and hopefully repeat.”

Last month, the Hulls – now juniors – were part of a remarkable run that put Stanford back on top.

“It still feels so surreal,” said Lacie.

The Hulls said the COVID-19 protocols added another challenging layer to the season with testing each day and unique adjustments to life in a bubble.

Freddie Rehkow, who coached the Hulls at CV, said “you couldn’t ask for two better people to win a national championship.”

The Hulls moved on to Stanford University after graduation, joining an elite program led by Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer. While the Cardinal traditionally ranked among the top teams in the country, the National Championship trophy had not made a return to Palo Alto since 1992.

The Cardinal defeated Arizona 54-53 on April 2 in the NCAA title game, wrapping up a 31-2 campaign.

Lexie scored 10 points and collected 10 rebounds in the victory while Lacie contributed five valuable minutes off the bench.

had a career-high 13 rebounds to go with 18 points while going eight-foreight from the free throw line.

Photos courtesy of Stanford University Athletics Central Valley graduates Lacie and Lexie Hull (dark jersey) were part of Stanford University’s NCAA tournament run last month that culminated with a 54-53 win over Arizona in the National Championship game. Natives of Liberty Lake, the Hulls led the Bears to two state 4A titles as well as GEICO High School Basketball National Championship in 2018.

The day after lifting the title trophy, the Hulls and their Stanford teammates were honored with a parade on the Palo Alto campus.

Rings recognizing both the regional and national championships are on their way.

“It’s been a time we’ll remember the rest of our lives,” Lexie said. “We will always be able to reflect back on this and smile.”

MAY 2021 • 19

The Current

Millwood Farmer’s Market set to open

By Nina Culver Current contributor

Millwood Farmers Market vendors and shoppers alike appear to be excited for the new season that begins May 26 and marks something like a return to normalcy after last season’s restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year was difficult all around, said Millwood Community Association board member Shirene Young. The Association operates the market each year. Last summer markets were not allowed to have music and could only have “essential” vendors, which included those selling food but not those selling crafts, clothing or other items.

This created a big problem for the vendors who were left out, and craft fairs and festivals that vendors would usually go to were also cancelled. The fallout from that could include the loss of vendors who couldn’t afford to go a full season without selling anything, Young said. “Last year was a challenge,” she said. “I know it was a challenge across the board.”

With fewer vendors and fewer shoppers willing to venture out during a pandemic, everyone’s bottom line suffered last year, Young said. “Everybody’s sales were down,” she said. “It was a tough year.”

Last year was also the first time the Millwood Farmers Market was held in Millwood Park, which is located at Frederick Avenue and Willow Road. “It was definitely a transition in so many ways,” she said.

Young knows that some vendors won’t be back this year, but new vendors have also been signing up. Vendor applications were still coming in toward the end of April.

“It’s evolving, but that’s okay,” she said. “That’s kind of what happens with farmers markets. This year there’s a lot more emphasis on getting all vendors back.”

One of the new vendors is Neilson Family Farm, which will sell eggs and fresh produce from a local

farm on Thierman Road. Young said she loves to be able to include local growers in the market. “That’s kind of one of the cool things,” she said.

“We’re very excited.”

The vendors signed up this year will offer a selection of goods, including produce, baked goods, jewelry, bath bombs, honey, soap, candles and leather goods. “It’s a variety of things,” she said.

New this year is a program called Market Match that is funded by the Washington Department of Health and the Federal government.

If a shopper pays for produce with an EBT card, the market provides matching money dollar for dollar, Young said. Market Match will match up to $40 a day.

“That doubles their ability to buy produce,” she said.

Musical performers will be back this year, though regulations stipulate that they must be kept separate from shoppers. And while the pandemic has improved, it’s still here, Young said. That means the market will be encouraging social distancing and shoppers will need to wear masks, she said. “That

hasn’t gone away,” she said.

Young said she likes the new market location in the park because there is a playground and room to grow. “We can keep growing it,” she said of the market. “We can just keep pushing it out on the lawn.”

As of mid-April, 24 vendors were signed up. Young said she’s hoping to have even more signed up by opening day. “I think this might be a real year of change and growth,” she said.

The market will be open every Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. beginning May 26.

This year the market will be partnering with the Pumpkin Patch Community Garden on Argonne Road just north of the Spokane River. The garden, now in its 12th year, is also run by the Millwood Community Association. Plant starts will be for sale at the market for those interested in starting their own garden.

The garden has always included several rows of produce planted specifically to be donated to the food bank at Spokane Valley Partners.

This year the garden will be selling some excess produce at the market, Young said. “We’re hoping to grow a lot of pumpkins this year,” she said.

The Pumpkin Patch also has 10 x 4 raised garden beds available for the public to use. The cost is $20 per bed and water is available on site.

People can grow whatever they want, whether it’s flowers, tomatoes or potatoes.

Gardeners are expected to do their own weeding and help keep the garden tidy. More information is available online at www. pumpkinpatchgarden.net or by calling (509) 928-7181.

The Millwood Community Association is also in charge of Millwood Daze, an annual community festival typically held each August. This year’s event is scheduled for Aug. 28, but that still has a question mark by it, Young said. The status of the COVID pandemic at the time will determine if the event can move forward.

“If we can do events, we’ll do Millwood Daze this year,” she said.

“We don’t know yet.”

20

• MAY 2021

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LIBRARY

Add historical sites to the Spokane Area History Walk Collection

By Molly Moore, librarian Spokane County Library District

Our libraries are celebrating diversity in April and May with a history walk focused on the contribution of minority groups and women to the development of the Spokane region. The walking tour, Called Spokane Area History Walk Tour meanders through downtown Spokane due to the high concentration of historical buildings and commemorative monuments and offers the opportunity to examine the community and its sights in a new way.

We might have seen these places many times before, yet with more information about the history of each, we can view them through a new lens.

Udemy: So many things to learn, do

By Dana Mannino and Crystal Miller, Librarians Spokane County Library District

Attention lifelong learners! The library has a whole slew of new online video classes available for you.

Along with all of the books, libraries are places for lifelong learning. Want to learn how to repair your lawn mower or classic car?

Or maybe you want to learn a new language or try out yoga for the first time? The library can help you with all of these with books, CDs, DVDs, and resources in our Digital Library (www.scld.org/digital-library).

Our latest addition to your lifelong learning toolbox is Udemy, a collection of video classes you view online. This digital resource is packed with so many different things to learn.

Udemy includes courses for business owners on marketing, web design, accounting, sales, tax preparation, grant writing and so on.

Udemy also has courses for the curious individual, including world languages, guitar, and drawing. Some classes focus on specific computer programs, such as Adobe Photoshop for editing digital photography, QuickBooks for accounting, Blender for creating

This project has been captured using HistoryPin.org, a website that combines a map with pins that include historical information that has been contributed by people like you and me.

In Spokane Valley and throughout Spokane County, we are also gathering historical and significant locations using a second HistoryPin. org map: “Spokane Area History Walk Collection.”

You are invited to contribute to this collection with any local knowledge you might have about their significance. We are looking for locations that people can visit that relate in some way to historical social and/or racial justice in the area. Items of interest might include monuments, graves, houses, public and private buildings, parks, and so on.

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Walk Collection” or go straight to https://www.historypin.org/en/ spokane-area-history-walk-collection.

Within the collection, you can click the pink “Add a pin” button just under the search bar. Next, type in some information about the location, including a title, a description letting folks know why it is important, and the year. Adding a picture is optional.

To finish creating the pin, you mark the spot on the map and click the “Save” button to share it for others to see.

You can also see both the walking tour and the collection maps on the library’s website at www.scld.org/ spokane-area-history-walk.

The library is moderating the pins that are added, so this means that any inappropriate content will be removed at our discretion.

Contributing a pin is easy! You can sign up for free at historypin.org, using your email or social media account.

Once you have an account, search for the collection “Spokane Area History

We are looking forward to seeing all of the historically significant places throughout Spokane County that you share with your fellow neighbors, friends, and us at the library!

3D animation, and Marvelous Designer for fashion design. Other classes focus on broader topics, like leadership, color theory for interior designers, and music theory.

a class whenever you want and take as long as you need to finish it. If the content in a video is particularly challenging, there’s no rush to move on to the next one. You can pause and rewind as often as you want.

Udemy can also help you at work.

New to remote working? Learn about collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack. If your dining room table is also your office, check out “Working Remotely: How to Succeed in the New Workplace.”

If you are having trouble getting a response to your e-mails, try the course: “Communicate for Business: Write, Email, Close the Loop.” If your problem is too many emails in your inbox, take the “Email Ninja” course to make it manageable.

If you haven’t tried online classes before, you may be wondering what they are like. Udemy lets you start

Classes vary in length. Udemy’s sewing class has only 1.5 hours of videos. In contrast, the class on American Sign Language includes 49 hours of content. You can assess the length of each course and choose what fits your lifestyle.

Many classes include a hands-on component. Software classes usually include exercise files, so students can follow along with the instructor and practice as they learn.

See what you can learn and do with Udemy today at www.scld. org/udemy.

MAY 2021 • 21

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A VALLEY-WIDE COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE

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The Valley Current P.O. Box 363 Liberty Lake, WA 99019 Phone: 242-7752; Fax: 927-2190 www.valleycurrent.com The Current is published monthly by or before the first of each month. It is distributed free of charge to every business and home in the greater Spokane Valley area. Copies are located at drop-off locations in Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and the surrounding area.

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Announcements, obituaries, letters to the editor and story ideas are encouraged. Submit them in writing to publisher@valleycurrent.com. Submissions should be received by the 15th of the month for best chance of publication in the following month’s Current.

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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.

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• MAY 2021

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The Current

North Bridge Food Bank Climbs to the Third Largest Distribution Center

By Tie Lemerond Current contributor

In March 2013, David Sampson, his wife Trina, and their pastor, started the Intersection Food Bank at the Intersection Church off Euclid Ave. in Otis Orchards. The food bank initially began as a way of bringing the community together. In the beginning, Sampson received food donations from two grocery stores and one warehouse. The trio, along with 6-8 volunteers, one refrigerator, and one freezer, fed thirteen families the first day of opening. In their tenure, the Sampson’s grew the small food bank to become the 3rd largest distribution center, serving families in Newman Lake, Otis Orchards, Liberty Lake, Spokane Valley, Post Falls, Coeur d’Alene, Spirit Lake, Meade, and other nearby communities. After running the food bank for 7 years, Mr. Sampson decided to retire, which left the opening for Jason Long.

Prior to accepting the position of North Bank Food Bank Director, Jason Long was employed by Jubilent Hollister Stier, a leader in contract pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Prior to this, he managed a car wash in Spokane Valley for three years and

ON THAT NOTE

worked in the funeral industry as an Embalmer intern and crematory operator. “About a year ago, I was asked to be on the Recovery Team at North Bridge Church who is pastored by Ben and Angie Sharkey and lead by Matthew and Sarah Cottam,” said Long. “During this time, one thing led to another and I met David and Trina Sampson who had been running the food bank for 7 years.”

Long knew that full time ministry was his calling and when he heard of Sampson’s upcoming retirement, he put in a two week notice at Jubilent Hollister Stier and began learning everything he could about how the food bank ran.

Long took over as Director of North Bridge Food Bank on January 01, 2021.

North Bridge Food Bank and Second Harvest partner in The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). This program is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. Through TEFAP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases high-quality Americangrown foods and then supplies distribution sites such as North Bridge with this food, so they can distribute the food to families in need. Foods available through this program are things such as eggs, potatoes, canned proteins, cheese, and milk. In addition to TEFAP, the North Bridge Food Bank works with a number of local stores in a grocery rescue program. Stores such as Albertsons, Yokes, Safeway, and

Fred Meyer, set aside food for the food bank to “rescue.”

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, North Bank Food Bank has seen an increasingly rising number of new guests visiting their facility in Otis Orchards.

The food bank is staffed with approximately 30 volunteers who donated 350 hours of their time in March while assisting nearly 1200 people. Long leads by example, “I absolutely take pride in being available any time someone is hungry,” said Long. “One other thing I take pride in is bringing sandwiches, donuts, and water to the homeless downtown once a week.”

Apart from having in-person food pick-up at 22421 E. Euclid Ave., Otis Orchards, the food bank also runs a Mobile food bank when they have extra groceries. Long has also been known to deliver groceries to homes of those individuals who are homebound if necessary. “North Bridge gladly serves any family, from any town that can make it into our location, and there are no income requirements. We never ever turn anybody away,” states Long.

Northwest Harvest recently published Hunger Facts, The Truth About Hunger. In this publication they wrote that 1 in 10 Washingtonians consistently struggle with hunger and that 1 in 6 Washington kids live in a household that faces challenges in putting enough food on the table. Did you know that Washington State ranks 10th in the country in overall wealth but 34th in food insecurity? The North Bridge Food Bank is doing

MAY 2021 • 23

everything possible to make sure that all local families and individuals do not go to bed hungry or worry about how they are going to put the next meal on the table.

Jason Long and his predecessor’s, David and Trina Sampson, and their pastor, have worked endlessly and effortlessly to expand the food bank, growing it from a 1 freezer and 1 refrigerator facility to one that houses 2 walkin refrigerators, 9 freezers, and a 3-door stainless freezer that was recently received through a Second Harvest grant. “We are a church, so our vision is to make sure people that visit know Jesus loves them.

We want to grow the food bank and serve more and more people that need help with food or are looking for a great church. We have fun here,” states Long.

The food bank is open Monday through Saturday from 9am – 3pm or by appointment by calling 509726-0402.

24

• MAY 2021

The Current

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