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• JUNE 2023

The Current

RIVER CROSSING

Graceful Gatekeeper – Rusnak called chamber home for nearly two decades

By Craig Howard

Current Contributing Editor

In the swirling storm created by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic three years ago, many Inland Northwest businesses found themselves tossed by waves of uncertainty.

At the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, Sue Rusnak was part of a crew that helped stabilize the local economic ship.

The chamber office manager since late 2003, Rusnak fielded a steady current of calls from business owners about a myriad of resources, including grant programs and other relief support.

During the same time, Rusnak and her chamber colleagues made major pivots in their respective work schedules, transitioning from the office to home and utilizing virtual technology to facilitate meetings as well as networking avenues recognized as the chamber’s niche.

Rusnak presenting challenges.

in 2014, Katherine Morgan took over. Former Chamber Board Chair John Guarisco says Rusnak “was always the consistent.”

“Sue had a real heart for the chamber and its members,” said Guarisco, a local Realtor who served as board chair in 2013-14.

“She is just real, just a commonsense person who is loving, kind and knows the difference between right and wrong.”

Rusnak gives credit to her parents and her faith for providing a moral compass that has guided her life. She grew up in the rural farming community of Tekoa, south of Spokane. Her mom and dad ran a grocery store in town called Yale’s Food Market. She was the second youngest of six kids.

around 10 times a year, usually related to shopping and/or visiting with relatives.

Rusnak initially had a career goal of becoming a teacher, based on the impact educators had on her life.

Her interests growing up included reading, art, square dancing and sports like basketball and bowling.

After graduating from Tekoa High in 1970, she enrolled at Spokane Falls Community College for a year.

Around that time, Rusnak met her future husband, Terry Young.

The couple moved to Long Beach, California in 1972 after marrying and began their family there as Terry worked in construction and the oil fields.

“We all helped out at the store,” Rusnak said. “We cleaned, stocked shelves, took inventory.”

“I’d practically never been out of Washington before that,” Rusnak said. “I remember our first Christmas there, it was 80 degrees.”

Summers in Tekoa meant swimming, sandlot baseball and bike riding. Trips into Spokane were an event that happened

The couple moved with their growing family to Arizona in 1986 where Sue settled into a stay-athome mom role until finding work

In 2003, Sue and Mike moved from the desert to Spokane. Rusnak quickly realized how much she had missed the Inland Northwest, including her hometown of Tekoa.

“Growing up, I couldn’t wait to get out of Tekoa but as I grew up and went back, I realized what a great little town it is,” she said.

When she started at the chamber, first as a temporary worker and, soon after, full-time, Rusnak found the role meant coming out of her shell.

“I’ve always been a quiet person but with the chamber, you have to be out there talking with people and attending a lot of events,” she said. “I had to adjust to that.”

When Mike passed away in 2015 at the age of 72 from emphysema, Rusnak said the chamber family was there for her.

“It was a hard adjustment but having the support of my coworkers really helped,” she said.

“Plus, just working at the chamber was a good outlet.”

When Rusnak gave the chamber notice in January that she would be retiring in April, several people asked her to reconsider. With three grown children, seven grandkids and one grandchild living outside the area, Rusnak was anxious to reconnect. She has already visited one of her children in Oklahoma.

recalls the time no shortage of

“It was a little bit scary,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if we were going to have to shut our doors but we had such a great team that went above and beyond.”

Rusnak points to Chamber CEO and President Lance Beck for rallying the troops during the turbulence of the pandemic.

“I have not gotten bored at all,” Rusnak says of her early foray into retirement.

Beck said Rusnak will be missed for her “steady presence.”

“Lance was great at helping us stay on task,” she said. “We all stepped up and did what we needed to do.”

Beck was the third chamber CEO Rusnak worked with during her tenure. When she began, Eldonna Shaw-Davis (then Eldonna Shaw) was at the helm. When she retired

as an office manager with a land company in Meadview, Arizona that also ran the local water utility.

In 1994, Sue and Terry went their separate ways. She remarried in December 1995 to Mike Rusnak.

Contributed photo Sue Rusnak worked as office manager for the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce from late 2003 until her retirement this spring. The native of Tekoa, Washington was known for her kind, efficient approach as gatekeeper for the Valley’s business and economic hub.

“Sue was always incredibly reliable and consistent,” he said.

“The knowledge she has is not written down anywhere. She saw the ebbs and flows of the chamber and knew the people. We developed See RUSNAK, Page 4

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Q: I get the feeling that most people have a pretty uninformed perspective of what a chamber of commerce is all about. What image did you have when you began working for the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce and how did that viewpoint change over the years?

A: I thought a chamber of commerce was more like a visitor center where people could go to get more information on the town, things to do and places to go. If a person was going to be relocating to the city, they could call the chamber for information on housing and schools, job information, weather conditions, etc. Once I started working there, I learned the chamber does so much more than that. They advocate for small businesses, bringing good information to the membership from local and state elected officials. There are many excellent networking opportunities for small businesses to connect with each other and good advertising opportunities for members to sponsor chamber events.

Q: You worked for three different CEOs in your nearly two decades with the chamber. What did each of those leaders bring to the role and how did you adjust to the change in management styles with each transition?

A: I was very fortunate to work with three CEOs during my 19 years at the Chamber. Also, during my 19 years, the Valley Chamber moved offices four times. In the beginning, we were located on the top floor of the Waddell & Reed building on Argonne and Mission, a very tiny cramped office space and at the time and I was only working part-time.

Eldonna Shaw was president and Ken Holloway was vice president of Member Services. There were two other people on staff, a fulltime office manager and a parttime administrative assistant. In July 2004, we moved from that location to 9507 E. Sprague, which was previously a dentist or doctor’s

The Current

office, so there were several smaller offices which we rented out to start-up companies who were looking for temporary office space.

We became the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Center. After we moved into that building, Ken Holloway was out on a member call and had a massive heart attack while he was driving.

Thankfully, no one was hurt, but sadly, Ken died that day, so that was very shocking to us and to the membership. In May of 2012, we moved our office again to the lower level of the Greenstone building in Liberty Lake. When Eldonna retired in July of 2014, Katherine Morgan was hired as the new executive director. Katherine brought a new energy to the Valley Chamber and brought new and exciting ideas to the membership. To say the least, it was an incredible time! Our staff, although we were small, we were mighty! Membership grew and our chamber events were very well attended. We did hate to lose her, but in her place, Lance Beck came in and he brought his own style of leadership with him and it wasn’t long before we all grew to love him as well.

Q: People often talk about the “small-town atmosphere” of the Greater Valley area despite a population that is anything but small. Being from a rural community like Tekoa, have you felt some familiarity with the closeknit culture of your hometown and the Spokane Valley of today?

A: It was great growing up in the small town of Tekoa. I am from a family of six. My parents owned a small-town grocery store, Yale’s Food Market, so they were very hard workers all of their lives.

That’s one of the reasons why I do love Spokane and Spokane Valley - it’s just the right size, not too big and not too small and the people, for the most part, are very friendly!

Q: How did growing up in Tekoa impact the person you became?

A: Since I was raised in a small town and since I grew up in the grocery store business, I saw my parents help many people who were struggling to make ends meet.

They would always do what they could to help their loyal customers. They would offer store credit to some families and

The Current

NEWS

my dad would sometimes go into the store on Sunday mornings if someone would call and would need something. They were always delivering groceries to others who were homebound. As the six of us grew older, we could take over with some of these deliveries. My mom was a devout Catholic, so we went to church every Sunday, no matter what and two weeks at the beginning of summer, we went to Summer School which was taught by some very strict nuns! I still have a very strong faith to this day and I give my mom the credit for who I am today.

Q: The COVID-19 virus hit many businesses hard beginning in 2020. What do you recall about the chamber stepping up as a catalyst to support companies and workers dealing with the ongoing impact of the pandemic?

A: March 2020 - what can I say? I will always be thankful that I was able to work from home through that whole hard year. In March, when we all moved to our home offices, we thought it would be for two weeks! But then two weeks turned into two months and two months turned into 12. Even though there were some really hard times, we also had some really good times. Thanks to Lance’s strong leadership, he kept us all going. We had daily team meetings via Zoom, no matter what, even if we didn’t have anything vital to discuss. It was just checking in with each other and seeing each other’s faces every day, just to connect. That was so important for our mental well-being. Lance got us involved in facilitating the grant programs for small businesses so there were many hours spent calling our members, providing valuable information and resources for them. Many hours spent calling our members to check in to see how they were doing and what they needed. We had to think of new ways to offer networking opportunities to everyone since we could not meet in person so we did monthly networking meetings via Zoom. It was a very challenging time! In the middle of all that, we were waiting to move into our new office back on Sprague Avenue in the Valley, which was the old Banner Bank building, owned by Modern Electric Water Company and remodeled for the Valley

Chamber by Baker Construction.

Construction was completed in February 2021 and we were able to move in and go back in the office in March of 2021. In August of 2021, the Valley Chamber celebrated 100 years with an amazing open house and ribbon cutting. It was a great day!

Q: You may hold the record for most chamber ribbon cuttings attended. What did you enjoy about those events that ushered in new ventures while surrounded by support from the chamber, local dignitaries and residents?

A: I was very fortunate to attend many, many ribbon cuttings in my 19 years. What I enjoyed the most was the people and learning about the new businesses. So much appreciation to our great group of Chamber Ambassadors who took the time to come out and welcome our new members!

Q: You were known as the gatekeeper of the chamber for almost 20 years. What were the most rewarding aspects of your job?

A: The most rewarding aspect of my time at the chamber was meeting so many nice people! I enjoyed the annual chamber events, like the August Golf Tournament at Meadowwood Golf Course in Liberty Lake and the Business Fair. When we started the “After 5” networking events, I always enjoyed all of those, because we were at different member businesses every month so it was fun going to these businesses and learning what they did and seeing so many of our chamber members.

It was just like a party with all of our friends!

Q: Finally, as you embark upon retirement, do you have any morsels of advice to offer your former chamber colleagues as they continue to promote the economic well-being of Greater Spokane Valley?

A: The Valley Chamber team is amazing! The Board of Directors are strong and supportive and engaged in all that the chamber does. Lance is an outstanding leader and the rest of the team, Shelby Wilkins, Gina Ferraiuolo, Tim Arndt and Josh Fletcher are incredible. Keep up the good work, guys!

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• JUNE 2023

The Current

Introducing the

Safety Awareness Channel 2023 April Malicious Mischief Hotspots

Published Date: 5/17/2023 Prepared by Spokane County Sheriff's RIG 9 Unit

SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH

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June is National Safety Awareness Month

With the hope of nicer weather comes an increase of activities that raise a variety of safety concerns.

As you go enjoy the warm weather please use the following safety tips 1. Stay Hydrated: Dehydration is another safety concern during the summer months. Be sure to drink enough liquids throughout the day, as our bodies can lose a lot of water through perspiration when it gets hot out, or activity increases.

2. Protect your skin: Use sunscreen 30 minutes before going out. Reapply sunscreen every two hours or after swimming or sweating.

Limit sun exposure, when possible, during peak intensity hours. Stay in the shade whenever possible.

3. Swim Smart: Remember to always have adult supervision for children. Whether they’re in the pool or playing in the sand at the seashore, having someone who can help, should an emergency arise, is essential. Wear life jackets when applicable.

4. Sports Safety: Not only can injuries happen, but heat exhaustion and dehydration can happen more often in the summer months. It helps to be conditioned to the activities in which we’re preparing to engage.

Warm up, stretch, gear up, go with a buddy, and remember to cool down and stretch afterwards.

5. Prepare and emergency weather kit: Summer is known for its long days, but it’s also a prime time for severe weather like thunderstorms or hurricanes. Heavy area storms can easily knock out power and scatter debris, making it difficult to travel outside the home for necessities. Ensure you have a full

JUNE 2023 • 7

The Current

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12. Pay attention to poisonous plants: poison ivy, poison sumac or poison oak, causes issues for about 85% of the population. Of those, up to 15% are extremely allergic. When out working in the yard or spending time in nature, be aware of the plants you’re exposing yourself to, especially if you’re not wearing long sleeves and pants.

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11. Be on Fire watch: Remember that burning in Spokane Valley Fire Department service area for disposal purposes is never allowed. For more information go to https://www. spokanevalleyfire.com/fire-lifesafety/burning-dos-and-donts/#

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10. Remember bikes are vehicles: Biking is great exercise and summer months give ample opportunity to be out. Ensure you know the rules of the road before heading out for a ride, and stay in designated areas.

Wear a helmet and reflective gear so motorists see you.

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9. Watch your grill: As the summer months encourage outdoor time, firing up the grill becomes part of life. Only grill outdoors, keep kids and pets away, keep grill clean of excess grease and fat. Never leave a grill unattended.

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8. Picnic with care: Make sure to cook food the same day to limit the amount of time bacteria has to grow in it. Viruses and bacteria are the most common culprits of food poisoning, which can at times lead to a hospital visit. To practice the safety steps clean, separate, cook, and chill.

Spokane Valley Districts

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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7. Use insect repellent: Protect yourself from diseases spread by mosquitos and ticks. In addition to bug spray you can also minimize bug bites by discarding standing water in your yard, wearing long sleeve clothing, and use mosquito netting.

Published Date: 5/17/2023 Prepared by Spokane County Sheriff's RIG 9 Unit

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6. Be a Defensive Driver: Every summer, more drivers hit the road for vacations. When driving, put your cell phone away and keep your eyes on the road. If you’re tired, pull over for a nap since drowsy driving can be as dangerous as drunk driving. And don’t drink with under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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8

• JUNE 2023

NEWS

The Current

as defined by Revised Code just seems like going down to Spokane Valley to toughen of Washington (RCW) 7.60. one criminal activity event at a Receivership, as proposed for property, then opening them up to inclusion in city municipal code being able to take their property, I chronic nuisance laws — 17.100.325 (Abatement) would think that’s a little bit bigger step Superior Court of Spokane than I’m willing to take right now.” including potential taking of allow County to determine the property “Taken as a single instance, yes, The proposed ordinance would is a chronic nuisance, close it, board property this would seem a little harsh,” amend this by adding a shorter it and sell it via a court-appointed Councilman and Deputy Mayor

By John McCallum

Current correspondent

Spokane Valley’s City Council approved amendments to a pair of municipal code chapters making it easier to deal with properties where continual violations of the city’s chronic nuisance codes take place — including one step that would lead to property owners giving up ownership of their property to the city.

Current city codes under chapter 7.05 limit chronic nuisances to criminal activity at a property that creates a public nuisance in the neighborhood. The code identifies chronic nuisances as five instances of criminal activity within 12 months or four instances of criminal activity and one “regular nuisance” within 12 months.

time period of three nuisances within 60 days, at least one being criminal, and change the 12-month requirements to five nuisances, one criminal. It would also broaden nuisance instances to include abandoned properties where nuisance activities — as defined in the chapter — exist and property identified through executed search warrants that “has been the subject of a determination by a court two or more times within a twelve-month period” has being the location for possession, manufacture or distribution of controlled substances.

It also adds a broader definition of nuisances to include criminal, regular and other civil violations.

Finally, the amendments would add the option of putting the property into receivership,

third party, ensuring it does not return to a chronic nuisance condition and put it to beneficial use.

At the May 16 regular meeting, Deputy City Manager Erik Lamb said the city already has properties in litigation under current chronic nuisance codes, including one in the 13000 block of East Heroy that several Spokane Valley residents complained to council about earlier in the meeting. Lamb said they hoped to make the code changes, if adopted, retroactive as much as possible to help with current property litigation efforts.

“The biggest component of this is receivership,” he added.

Councilman Ben Wick expressed reservations about the reduction in number of criminal activities at alleged nuisance properties and the inclusion of abandoned properties.

Current regulations put the focus more on criminal activities, whereas the proposed amendments seem to open it up to any nuisance.

City building official Jenny Nickerson said abandoned properties as defined in the ordinance exist throughout the city of Spokane Valley and under their current conditions present themselves as opportunities for individuals to break into and use for illegal or nuisance purposes.

“Especially with that criminal aspect of it, we’re seeing the impacts of those properties spread about into the neighborhoods,” Lamb said, adding there is consideration for owners of abandoned properties as to whether or not they are willfully neglecting to maintain the premise, or have some valid reason for being unable to do so.

“We’re not going to take the property,” Lamb said. “We’re going to try to address the conditions of the property.”

Wick also expressed reservations about the inclusion of receivership.

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“We’re literally going to be taking people’s property if they go down this path,” he said. “It

Rod Higgins said. “On the other hand, this is not a single instance.

I’m sure there are a number of complaints that have gone into this before we ever arrive at this.”

Chapter 7.05 details 15 areas considered as prohibited nuisances. These range from issues around vegetation such as noxious weeds, to debris blocking public sidewalks, dangerous or unfit buildings, structures and fences, accumulations of materials and machinery to noise and even holding or permitting yard sales for more than seven consecutive days or two consecutive weekends.

Other council members said the amendments to the chronic nuisance codes were much needed and long overdue. Councilman Arne Woodard said the changes were the “right next step,” and that allowing these nuisances to continue was really a form of theft from law-abiding property owners through reduced value of the premises.

“I think we make the mistake sometimes of trying to be everything for everybody and then the poor law-abiding citizen is the one who takes in in the end,” Mayor Pam Haley said. “I think we need to stop that.”

Council approved the first reading of Ordinance 23-010 at its May 16 meeting and adopted the amendments at its May 23 meeting.

At that meeting, Lamb said the proposed amendments were similar to chronic nuisance codes in other cities such as Spokane and Yakima.

Lamb also said there was an extensive process involved in dealing with chronic nuisance properties, and that seizure wasn’t the first approach for the city or the courts. City staff and law enforcement try to work with property owners to hammer out voluntary agreements to solve the issues before resorting to a more legal process.

Both readings passed by a 6-1 vote, with Wick being the only nay vote.

JUNE 2023 • 9

The Current

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• JUNE 2023

The Current

and requirements of Spokane Valley regulations specific licenses.

“So, it is much more narrow,” council rushes Beattie said.

For Councilman Ben Wick, business that seventh reason was cause for Number seven not only license changes concern. lists any business or licenses in violation but also any “employee, into law director, manager, partner or agent

By John McCallum Current contributor

Spokane Valley’s City Council waived its rules at the May 9 meeting and fast-tracked passage of two ordinances dealing with what it refers to as “unlawful massage businesses.”

The first ordinance, 23-080, amends the Business Licenses and Regulations’ (Chapter 5) requirements for a license (5.05) regarding application procedure, violation and penalties and appeals for all businesses in the city of Spokane Valley. The second, 23-090, adopts Chapters 18.108 “Massage Therapists” and 18.130 “Regulation of Health Professions – Uniform Disciplinary Act” of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) “related to the unlicensed practice of professional services by reference” as part of the city’s code.

In a May 8 news release, the city said advancing the ordinances was “not proposing any new licensing requirements, and is supportive of legitimate massage therapists and business operators who obtain professional certifications and conduct lawful practices.”

The amendments to chapter 5.05 specify the City Manager or their designee as the individual responsible for reviewing these applications or denying, suspending or revoking the licenses if conditions exist to do so. The amendments listed eight reasons for these latter actions, including licenses procured by fraud, applications inconsistent with current land use regulations and a license “used, or intended to be used, for a business materially different from that applied for.”

Senior Deputy City Attorney Tony Beattie told the council one of those eight reasons, No. 8, was considered overly broad by city staff as it pertains to a business or licensee that “fails to comply with any other applicable local, state, or federal law or regulation.” The removal was in favor of retaining reason No. 7, which was focused more at

of the business or licensee is cited by law enforcement or any other regulatory authority for violation of any regulation or law authorizing or regulating the license, or regulating the business, activity, or purpose for which the license was issued, regardless of whether such citation results in a conviction by a court” as a reason for denial, suspension or revocation of the businesses operating license.

As an example, Wick cited a pizza delivery driver who gets a speeding ticket while making deliveries for the business.

“How would that look in number 7?” Wick asked Beattie.

“I mean, they’re still part of the business. Would that be grounds (for revoking, denying, suspending) in number 7?”

Beattie said he didn’t believe it would as that was not the intent of the provision. Later in the discussion, attorney Kelly Konkright told Wick he believed the ordinance language wouldn’t apply under those circumstances since it was more focused to requirements of the specific business license and regulations governing operation of a specific industry.

Councilman Arne Woodard said he didn’t believe citations are considered violations of law with regards to the ordinance language.

“It’s a civil, social agreement we have to abide by speed limits or whatever as opposed to being an unlicensed person or making a conscious decision to violate what the law says you’re supposed to be able to do,” he added.

He likened the difference to one between getting a pizza from point A to point B as fast as possible to someone making the pizza under deliberately unsanitary or healthy conditions.

“If it applies to the specific license, then I’m all in,” Wick replied. “But to me, it starts off with any violation, and it doesn’t have to be a conviction, but any citation that could happen.”

JUNE 2023 • 11

The Current

Beattie also told the council that Ordinance 23-090, pertaining to massage therapy licenses, provided local law enforcement with authority to enter any such business to check on compliance with state licensing requirements. That authority “is limited to time, manor and scope, the purpose being the verification of credentials of massage therapist and reflexologists.”

The state provisions declare any person with knowledge or through criminal negligence who allows an unlicensed practice to occur in their business is guilty of a misdemeanor for the first violation and a gross misdemeanor for subsequent violations. A misdemeanor is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a maximum of $1,000 in fines or both.

A gross misdemeanor is punishable by up to 364 days in jail, a maximum of $5,000 in fines or both.

According to the city’s press release, both ordinances are in response to citizen complaints about unlawful massage operations in the city, along with other suspected criminal activity taking place on their premises “such as prostitution and human trafficking.”

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“If we don’t address illegal activity, we’ll see more of it and it will negatively affect neighboring businesses,” Spokane Valley Police Chief David Ellis said in the release. “We have received multiple complaints from the community, as well as legitimate licensed massage therapy providers.”

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Councilwoman Brandi Peetz said the measures were not about going after law-abiding people or businesses, but those who are operating illegally.

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“This is not a money grab,” she added. “We’re not going to be raking in millions of dollars off of this, contrary to popular belief.”

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Wick agreed the new massage business regulations “makes a lot of sense,” but didn’t see the need to waive the rules for passage and adopt the two ordinances under emergency conditions.

Councilwoman and Mayor Pam Haley said the reasons for waiving had been discussed at length, and the police department has wanted the new codes for a “very long time.”

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Both ordinances passed on a 6-1 council vote, with Wick voting nay.

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• JUNE 2023

The Current

Congratulations Graduating Class of 2023

Ashlyn Abramson • Zachary Abshire • Taylor Adame • Autumn Agnew • Samuel AliceaCopeland • Abbygail Allen • Cambrien Allen • Aaron Anderson • Darbie Anderson • Miles Anderson • Tanner Andrews • Emmanuel Angel-Gamero • Justin Anglin • Daniel Añorve • Robert Appel • Georgia Arlt • Taylor Arredondo • Brooklyn Atwood • Zakhour Azar • Zackary Babington • Mikah Baggot • Angel Bailey • Gracie Ballesteros • Holly Bambock • Alina Barabash • Dominic Barham • Emma Barker • Jerrisa Barnes • Renner Barnes • Eliot Beal • Jana Behrendt • Andrew Berg • Julianna Bevacqua • Campbell Beykirch • Nicole Bissell • Trevor Blackmon • Jacob Bokmej • Matthew Book • Daniel Boyko • Mary Boyle • Mia Bradford • Lilith Branscum • Justin Branum • Andrew Braskett • Kyelan Breesnee • Landon Brewer • McKay Bringhurst • Trenton BrittainSteagall • Brennen Brulotte • Jamison Brunner • Lily Buckholdt • Emily Buechler • Khang Bui • Mitchell Burch • Blake Busch • Michael Bushyeager • Kaira Campbell • Samuel Cann • Josiah Carpenter • Trace Chalich • Macie Chappell • Jacob Chisum • Madison Chitwood • Joselyn Clark • Lilian Clark-Lojek • Vaughn Cooley • Cheyenne Coombs • Jackson Cover • Daniel Crowley • Mary Davidow • Macgregor Dawkins • Hudson Dayton • Ryleigh DeJulia • George Ditto • Jersey Donoghue • Jordon Doyle • Erica Duer • Ava Duggan • Ella Dunn • Juliette Elhayek • Jeremy Elledge • Dakodah Ellis • Giovanni Ferraro • Achilles Fierro • Sierra Fischer • Sydney Fisher • Shayna FitzGerald • Taylor Flores • Leah Florianovich • Damian Fontana • Cassandra France • Emma Frederick • Kaleb Frye • Trevor Gaipo • Madison Gannon • Brandon Garber • Tristan Geffrey-Bowler • Kelsie Geissinger • Thomas Gilbert • Lekseea Givens-Amaral • Jonathan Gmeiner • Savanna Goodman • Dylan Gravelle • Kody Green • Aliyah Griffin • Machaela Griffith • Michael Groff • Alexander Guillermo • Peyton Guinn • Ashley Hampton • Dakota Hancock • Ciara Hardison • Kaiden Harmon • Paige Harmon • Caroline Harney • Ryan Harris • Gunnar Harty • Braden Haskell • Donavin Hasting • Reagan Hawley • Noah Hays • Mason Heberlein • George Hedebeck • Gabriel Hendrickson • Olivia Henry • Michael Hess • Sara Hess • Madison Hilbrich • Cameron Hill • Charlotte Hill • Hailey Hilsabeck • Gina Hoeck • Gavin Holcomb • Jaden Hollingsworth • Hannah Holman • Andrew

Central Valley High School June 10, 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM McCarthey Stadium at Gonzaga University 801 N. Cincinnati St Horton • Nicholas Hoskins • Gavin Houchin • Zachary Howrey • Tyler Huettl • Mason Hughbanks • AbdelRahman Ibrahim • Ava Jackman • Abigail Jackson • Madelyn Jackson • Paige Jackson • Roman Jackson • Makayla Jacobs • Olivia Jaeger • Bailey Jenkins • Donte Jennings • Justin Jennings • Brendan Jerdon • Arturo Jeronimo • Tienan Jiang • Brock Johnson • Andrew Jones • Deven Jones • Layden Jorden • Brooke Jorgensen • Alexander Judd • Ava Kalous • Leah Karns • Merel Karreman • Solara Kelley • Quintin Kennedy • Nathan Kenney • Emily King • Neha Kommareddy • Kristina Konishchuk • Aidan LaBrosse • Gianna LaFontaine • Ella Lamoreaux • Sophie Lang • Madison Langsett • Carson LaPlante • Brittney Larsen • Madison Layden • Zachary LeBaron • Trey Legg • Kathryn Lewis • Skylar Linde • Idelle Lippincott • Austin Jay Lizama • Samuel Lodge • Catherine Loeak • Carly Long • Randy Lopez • Montanna Lovins • Kira Loweree • Marina Madden • Chloe Manos • Katie Marquez • Martin Massie • Margaret Matthes • Charlotte Maughan • Amanda May • Hailey McComas

Spokane Valley Tech June 9, 6 PM Ridgeline High School Theatre 20150 E Country Vista Dr

Tyler Agnew • Greyson Aikins • Christian Baldwin • Jacob Ballard • Zakariah Beyrouti • James Bird • Mason Bray • Chloe Brooks • Cameron Carson • Lincoln Carter • Matthew Claypool • Austin Crews • Isaac Darling • Cooper Driskell • Peyton Fischer • Alexander Gordeyev • Nessa Greenup • Braeden Hynes • Katherine Kautzman • Cason Lam

• Mairin McDonald • Alycia McGee • Gavin McHenry • Jamieson McHenry • Emma McKinley • Zachary McMurtrey • Richard McSwain • Holly Meadows • Joshua Mega • Grace Melcher • Mia Mendoza • Meagan Mercer • Peyton Mercer • Joseph Meyers • Abigail Michaelis • Gabryel Milender • Madison Miller • Rodney Minette • Landon Minnick • Josephine Mitchell • Makenna Monks • Madison Moore • Tristan Moore • Marty Moses • Kristian Mulligan • Christian Mullin • Faith Murphy • Hnin Myint • Alexis Navarro • Skyler Neumann • Makenna Neumiller • Rebekah Nielsen • Angel Njagi • Nekoda Norczyk • Isobelle O’Reilly • Teagan O’Reilly • Robert Ochoa Sandoval • Carla Ortiz Vidaca • Malia Ota • Gilbert Palmer • Camryn Paske • Madelynne Passmore • Landen Patterson • Brooke Pederson • Julia Perez • Alexis Persicke • Annie Peterson • Cheyanne Peterson • Emily Peterson • Nils Peterson • Haylee Petree • Jordan Pittenger • Joseph Pitts • Jolie Plumb • Caden Priebe • Isaac Purcell • Farah Rabia Alayouf • Sylvia Ramey • Angelina Ramirez • Kylie Ramsey • Teven Rash • Emily Rasmussen • Elijah Reeves • Sara Reimer • Aidan Renzi • Itzel Resendiz • Brian Riddle • Anna Righetti • Adreana Rihani • Landen Robinson • Austin Rohm • Ella Roseburrough • Leah Rosenbaum • Conner Ross • Athuman Safari • Sofian Salih • Anthony Salle • Calvin Samuelson • Tyler Santos • Madison Saty • PhoebeJean Schliep • Kyley Schneckloth • Crystal Schneider • Amelia Scott • Grace Shar • Sarthak Shrestha • Amelia Shriver • Arykh Shutts • Balkaran Singh • Collin Smid • Austin Smith • Yleana Smith • Carson Snider • Brice Sphuler • Thomas Stacey • May Stevens • Camden Stordahl • Breanna Sullivan • Cesar Suncin • Malaya Supnet • Alyssa Sutton • Agnes Tabu • Jackson Talbot • Colleen Talkington • Alla Tarasiuk • Dao-Ming Thavone • Brandon Thomas • Jenna Thomason • Ava Thompson • Rheilan Tipton • Herson Tonki • Gavin Tracy • Dimitry Truesdale • David Ulyanchuk • Marko Uzelac • Elona Vasyukhnevich • Joshua Vinson • Alina Vo • Housten Wahrer • Matthew Walker • Lane Wall • Halley Walter • Victoria Weingarz • Layla West • Kaden Williams • Lauryn Williams-Miller • Baden Woodward • Camryn Wooldridge • Claire Worthington • Paige Yanke • Aiden Yeager • Asher Zachman • Georgie Zamora • Gianna Zangar • Fatima Zavala • Brian Zhang

• Donovan Lorenzen • Phillip Major • Elijah Middleton • Zaid Munawar • Daniel Nelson • Suzanna Osborn • Keegan Phillips • Bryson Roos • Julia Root • Gunner Schmerer • Saxton Schultz • Kennedie Scott • Joshua Sellberg • William Shoffner • Christian Smilden • Joshua Stauffer • Asher Stewart • Jason Todd • Sydney Windhorst

JUNE 2023 • 13

The Current

East Valley Online

East Valley Parent Partnership Jaeden Akins • Asher Atencio • Emily Bergman • Charles Christall • Austin Drysdale • Makynzy Loomis • Angel Major • Jackson Medaris • Remy Miller • Drake Rollins • Anna Seiler • Ella Sushchik • Anastasia Wagner • Wyatt Warner Felix Achenbaugh • Dylan Akre • Evan Allen • Tiffany Altermatt • Aja Archer • Curtis Ary • Tyrus Atkinson • Joshua Bailey • Raymond Bailey • Braxdon Bales • Emma Bartholomew • Brandon Beeler • Lance Bennett • Emily Birkeland • Mason Brooling • Jordan Bross • Jaylin Brown • Jenna Browning • Darien Bryant • Dorian Bryant • Lourdes Buffin • Tayla Butler • Alexis Calderon • Maddox Callihan • Kendahl Cameau • Cayla Campbell • Melissa Carmona • Izabella Carvalho • Madelyn Champagne • Angelina Charbonneau • Nadia Clemente • Aspen Coleman • Tyler Conrath • Emanuel Coronel • Madison Corwin • Abbygail Crossley • Josephine Cunningham • Alaina Dalton • Faith Davis • William Deharo • Dianna Demko • Victoria Devleming • Isabeau Dituri • Tucker Duke • Emery Eirls • Averi Ellis • Gage Embree • Mariah Erickson • Mckenzie Ervin • Noah Esvelt • Angelina Fairbanks • Tracy Farmer III • Elizabeth Flahavin • Jenna Flerchinger • Kristina Florianovich • Nolan Fracz • Gaige Froehlich • Dylan Gamble • Brianna Garcia • Makenzey Gillespie • Declan Gilman • Aspen Gollaher • Anastasiya Gorbenko • Isabell Grant • Lillian Gray • Jade Gregerson • Koy Gregerson • Madelyn Gross • Jasmine Grytdal • Jacob Guilliam • Colby Gustin • Rachel Hagood • Coleton Hansen • Joshua Hansen •

Dishman Hills High School June 8, 6 PM – 7:30 PM Fox Theater

East Valley High School

Zachary Arquitt • Chloe Avery • Bailey Bearden • Emilie Beeler • Mikalai Belavus • Ethan Bloom • Alexis Darrow • Amirra Durham • Makenna Goodman • Brycen Harvey • Hannah McDaniel • Diego Mercado • Paladin Nelson • Zhander Ohmann • Jacob Peterson • Landin Poe • Sierra Ringsbye • Bryce Sabie • Zachary Schmeets • Rysa Seaman • Eric Simon • Jorja Slate • Makenna Stacy • Hailey Wheeler • Taylor Whittington

Mourin • Shawnee Munns • Louis Nelson • Jesse Nesbitt • Tina Ngo • Brady O’Donnell • Jennaveve Olson • Sydney Petersen • Payton Pickard • Canon Pratt • Ian Pratt • Eric Caitlin Hautala • Treven Haynes • Emma Prichard • Dylan Purvis • Gina Quinlan • Moira Quintana • Christian Reese • Jeremy Renskers Hays • Warren Helfenstein • Kathrine • Lauren Renskers • Ryan Richardson • Colton Heller • Zack Henning • Madison Hildahl Roberge • Layna Robinson • Brantley Robison • Nicole Hildahl • Jordan Hill • Sahara • Cody Rosenberg • Zoe Rumsey • Kolton Hinckley • Ryan Ho • Luke Holecek • Russell • Trever Sandness • Belle Schauman Keeli Holestine • Hunter Holten • Nicole • Dominick Schneider • Hayden Schneider • Hornbuckle • Boe Huguenin • Teagan Hailey Shepherd • Tessanna Siers • Nathan Irvin • Timothy Isbell • Sierra Jackson Simpson • Rachel Smiley • Shayla Smith • • Jayshawn Johnson • Larissa Katsel • Karen Smyly • Victoria Snider • Antonio Solis Meghan King • Alyson Kinlin • Willow • Owen Spendlove • Brenda Staggs • Alex Knight • Julia Levitski • Audrey Lilya • Stave • Tyler Stephens • Jesse Stevens • Hayley Link • Yalena Lopez • Hoochee David Svityashchuk • Alivia Swaney • Logan Lor • Nikolay Lungu • Alissa Manuel • Swanson • Cecilia Syron • Emma Thornock Isabella Martinez • Karson Mccarthy • Stephanie Thornton • Kaitlyn Tracht • • Kylor Mccormick • Jaiden Mcgraw • Minh Tran • Grace Utecht • Alonzo Vargas • Cadence Meier Grolman • Jillian Merrill Alexander Vickery • Madison Waits • Noah • Ruth Metge • Asher Miacolo • Owen Miller • Shelbie Mitchell • Andrew Molchak Walker • Kellin Weberg • Ava Weidman • Kylee Weskamp • Chase Whallon • Abigail Williams • • Grant Moody • Mercedes Moralez Devin Wilson • Mack Wilson • Mykenzie Wilson • Orlando Morales • Evelani Moran • • Corbin Worley • Daniel Yeromenko • Sadie Kaidence Morgan • Izabelle Morris • Yost • Alexander Zaleski • Isabella Zhuk Rebecca Morris • Hayden Mourin • Nevaeh

June 12

Taya Aikman • Patricia Anej • Eric Baron • Layla Barriner • Desiree Bingle • Trinity Blake • Serena Brown • Caden Bruns • Tristan Burris • Steven Carson • John Cathcart • Elliot Clemons • Avondre Clinton Brown • Sky Dalrymple • Hannah Davis • Dylan Dobbels • Chad Dumaw • Jamie Ellison • Zachary Ewing • Elaina Gesellchen • Peter Gonzales • Gregory Green • Joey Groshong • Jorden Hanna • Tyler Henry • Gerson Hernandez • Ryanne Hiebert • Jayddun Hiett • Larae Horn • Serena Hutchinson • Jolynn Jacob • Joshua Jamison • Preston Jensen • Bimon Jerbal • Nathaniel Johnson • Tenayah Jones • Dale Kawcak • Jadon Kuhns • Lily Lacombe • Joseph Leighty • Kaleb Leighty • Nico Lenhart • Alexander Lopachuk • Justice Marques Da Silva • Romane Martinez • Gavin McEwen • Kurtis McMichael • Jason Meadors • Logan Milhouse • Hailey Morel • Kadence Morgan • Enoch Murphy-Carver • Alexis

Nason • Jadon Newby • Morgan Oberg • Aiden Ofalla • Trace Ohler • Payton Olsen • Andrew Otis • Branden Padilla • Parker Pedersen • Nesa Pender • Dominic Peterson • Katherine Phelps • Whitney Pike • Andrew Pinotti • Dominic Pool • Kevin Radasa • Samuel Ramos-Carrero • Clayton Rayburn • Caleb Rea • Isaiah Romero • Tristen Sanz • Destanie Satterlee • Aaron Schmidt • Christopher Schnakenberg • Caleb Schultz • Emagine Smith • Hailie Sperle • Alexis Strayer • David Strayer • Tristian Swan • Jonathan Tallman • Hayden Terry • Myka Tilson • Ruslan Turko • Gary Turnidge • Ashley Verner-Tooke • October Vickers • Jared Volsicka • Audrey Walker • William Warren • Julius Washburn • Ashley Webb • Lauren Wentz • Exavier Williams • Tyrese Williams • Andrey Yarovoy • Imunique Yates

14

• JUNE 2023

Freeman High School June 10th at 1pm at Freeman High School

West Valley High School 6:30 PM (Ridgeline High School Theater, 20150 E. Country Vista Drive, Liberty Natalie Abbott • Aisha Abdurhuman • Gaberiel Aberra • Braiden Adams • Hasan Al-Hakeem • Ari Albert • John Aley • Avery Anglesey • Jackson Bale • Jake Barker • Jayden Barta • William Bartlett • Aryanna Beal • Alden Bell • Bryson Bishop • Zachary Bjurstrom • Jessie Blair • Lily Boyer • Josiah Bossio • Savannah Brooks • Christian Brown • Stephanie Bryant • Hailey Bui • Ashleigh Burger • Cannon Burke • Wesley Caro • Kyle Carothers • Kalvin Carver • Tatyana Catchings • Victor Celli • Croft Christensen • Judah Clark • Christiana Cooper • Kaeli Cooper • Gavyn Couture • Collin Covington • Bailey Crane • Don Criner Jr • Brittnee Crosby • Logan Crosby • Kyler Cummins • Katarina Davis • Cara Dawes • America De La O • Kristy De La O Enriquez • Danielle Demick • Ellie Dobney • Cailin Donaghy • Jenna Dubois • Jesse Dykes • Raesean Eaton • Landen Ervin • Kyla Eshner • Molly Fisher • Roxanne Fredericksen • Grady Friberg • Conner Furulie • Jessica Garcia • Brayden Gentry • Abbee Glisson Caudill • Nathan

The Current

Garrett Baumgartner • Lauren Belstad • Drew Bergstrom • Tyler Berryman • Isaiah Bessire • Sophia Boleck • Camryn Brown • Emily Bykerk • Olivia Campbell • Ashton Capello • Stephanie Chadduck • Caleb Cochran • Nathan Cochran • Gracie Conley • Evelyn Coyner • Drew Crowley • Sophie Curnow • Myrie Dederer • Ryan Delcour • Taylor Denenny • Dorian Dexter • Caleb Engh • Hayden Fatherree • Carter Forschler • Madeline Gibson • Lucas Giusti • Jaycee Goldsmith • Corinne Gregory • Jackson Grover • Hunter Hawk • Zachary Hayek • Reed Hicks • Trenton Hlookoff • Jorja Jensen • Bennett Goff • Cheyenne Gramlow • Braedon Grant • Cameron Haight • Emma Halbig • Aurora Hall • Tanner Hancock • Lincoln Hansen • Reese Hansen • Hali Hanson • Dylan Heid • Dominique Hernandez • Jose Hernandez • Hector Hernandez Almengor • Dylan Heuett • Graham Hill • Ian Hodson • Eli Holden • Hannah Holdway • Lucas Hone • John Hudson • Kailee Hurst • Naomi Huseby • Karley Ingram • Amisa Joe • Randi Johnson • Drake Kappen • James Kien • Matthew Kilma • Carlie Knapp • Kaden Koellen • Kamdyn Krieger • Toulin Kusaibati • Janeva Kusler • Lindsey Leard • Shirley Lin • Gaven Lindholm • Aylen Littleworth • Kicea Lopes • Luis Lopez Escobar • Tely Lor • Isaiah Lyden-Nelson • Camron Marsh • Hunter McQuitty • Rubi Melendrez • L V Mewes • Shawn Monroe • Bailey Moore • Taylor Moreau • Isaac Morris • Kimani Mugo • Hunter Napier • Carl Nash • Asher Nieffenegger • Isabel Niles • Troy O’Leary • Clayson Osborn • Addisen Palmer • Brody Palmer • Malea Palpalatok • Caden Patterson • Cameron Patterson • Brayden Pendleton • Lucas Peterson • Adelaide Pierce • Carson Pilalas • Kiera Price • Thomas Price III • Hattie Pryor • Isaiah Race • Parker Ragland • Grace Randall • Seth Reglin • Kennedy Reid • Ethan Reynolds • Hailee Rhoads • Canyon Rise • Kyle Roberts • Kellyn Royston • Ava-Grace Ruppert • Kaleb Rydell • Cydney Sabori • Vinda Samuel • Avery Sanders • Jonathan Sandoval • Rosko Schroder • Trace Scott • Abigail Sicilia • Makena Silver • Jenna Simmet • Gavin Simmons • Rilee Smith • Trevor Smith • Kate Spinden • Jayke Spinks-Vazquez • Michael Stoneham • Alyssa Tarbert • Rusty Taylor • Sarah Taylor • Nathan Theisen • Sophia Tibbetts • Marley Tillery • Sydney Tomalo • Avery Tuccio • Alic Tuller • Hunter Van Vliet • Macy Vanderburgh • Riley Vandiver • Hallie Vermurlen • Robert Walters • Logan Waste • Olivia Way • Kyle White • Da’Marre Williams • Lilly Williams • Caehlin Williamson • Kyle Witt • Meena Yeager • Ashton Zettle

Johnson • Lily Jones • Tanner Juhnke • Jack Kemble • Jaden Kennedy • Cameron Lamotte • Sophia Lampers • Bethany Leach • Jayden Lentz • Helen Locke • William Mccormick • Keegan Nelson • Boen Phelps • Madeline Phillips • Nikolay Ponomarenko • Dailyn Poston • Adam Rae • Gunnar Reed • Josh Robins • Emily Ruchert • Jack Schneider • Gabriel Schulhauser • Noah Scott • Grace Showers • Jacob Smith • Olivia Smith • Ethan Stewart • Braidyn Teague • Zachary Thompson • Naomi Turk • Dane Van Orden • Madison Vanhoff • Matthew Vanhoff • Nolan Vernon • Makayla Werner

Mica Peak High School June 8, 6:30 PM – 8 PM Ridgeline High School Theatre 20150 E Country Vista Dr Payton Aarnes • Faith Albers • Isaac Barnum • Erik Bedolla-Larson • Ian Bird • Amalie Bradford • Hunter Cagle • Waylon Durbin • Angelina Garces • Jordan Grant • Jamie Green • KayCie Hall • Lauryn Hall • Leslie Hernandez • Osten Hose • Noah Howard • Kylie Johnson • Gabriel Klontz • Becca Meade • Nathan Nordgaarden • Ian Ohmann • Hana Ostman • Thalia Pelayo • Alivia Ramos-Godoy • Jinx Rudy • Kafziel Scrogham • Laci Sells • Colby Stanaway • Gabriel Terpko • Nathaniel Terpko • Paxton Tews • Samuel Thornton • Ben Trejo • Tyren Vogel • Brandon Wagner • Emylee Ward • Hannah Weinstock

Valley Christian School Emma Adams • Melanie Alexeyenko • EricLouis Bertrand • Olivia Brownson • Henry Clemens • Katelyne Clermont • Kaylee Cox • Ben Eichelsbacher • Joanna Elliott • Elizabeth Floch • Joshua Helt • Abigail Hisel • Kaden Kenlein • Julia Kravtsov • Emily Marquis • Celestine Mugho • Hayden Nabers • Karina Nadyuk • Charesa Steinbach

JUNE 2023 • 15

The Current

Ahmed Adam • Logahn Adame • Anya Adjiasmanov • Nicholas Alexander • Phoenix Alexander • Arianna Anderson • Hannah Anderson • Logan E Anderson • Felicity Andrews • Robert Anselmo • Jessy Archer • Victorie Arnold • Cameron Arralde • Max Aune-Wright • Triston Aurand • Kelly Austin • Zephyr Bahr • Les Baker • Leslie Baker • Abigail Ball • Cheyenne Balmes • Benjamin Barnett • Andrew Bastine • Cole Beaumont-Hernandez • Cameron Becker • Nathan Beers • Carter Beetham • Callie Beggs • Tia Bellefeuille • Kiana Bennett • Kyle Berry • Carly Bippes • Brieann Black • Isabella Blackwood • Tyler Boden • Georgia Bohm • Ashley Borowczyk • Cody Boyd • Flor Bran Diaz • Teanna Bretthauer • Elliana Broach • Karissa Broderson • Jessie Brown • Jillian Brown • Tre Buchanan • Emily Burbank • Riley Burd • Brooke Call • Grace Campbell • Allen Carlile • Cloe Carlson • Anna Grace Carpenter • Emerson Carper • Luis Castillo • Samantha Chauvaud • Gage Churchill • Shyianne Clark • Taylor Clement • Jordon Clements • Rebecca Coe • Cole Coleman • Jack Collins • Isabella Comer • Cooley Conrad • Constance Contreras • Alicia Cooper • Gracie Cooper • Kenneth Cooper • Dillon Cordano • Bryson Corkery • Ethan Cox • Kallie Cravens • Austin Croach • Carolyn Currin • Noah Dalton • Justin Davis • Kaylee Davis • Garrett Dehn • Naomi Dellwo • Nickalous Denton • Jaedyn Dhaenens • Micah Dill • Ammon Dillabough • Max Dillon • Amelie Dixon • Daniel Dmitriev • Kate Dobbin • Devin Dolan • Trevor Douglas • Parker Dreher • Tisha Dunn • Cooper Duricic • Austin Ebel • Leenah Ebrahimi • Logan Edmiston • Baili Elber • Xzavier Elgee-Sanders • Tayla Eliason • Veronica English • Seriahna Erickson • Natalie Esparza-Nickel • Drew Ewing • Kobe Ferrell • Saige Fisher • Grace Flerchinger • Demetris Fletcher Jr. • Peyton Fletcher • Kendyll Foote • Ravyn Forkner • Jaiden Fortune • Brock Franklin • Jessica Freier • Jayden Froehle • Paige Froelich • Bailee Gall • Shalie Gallagher • Abby Gamble • Katalina Garcia • Camden Gardner • Lucia Garofalo • Sophia Gessner • Gabriel Gianniny • Mason Gillingham • Kahlana Gilson • Taya Glander • Donovan Glasser Navarrete • Nadiya Gnatenko • Kenden Godfrey • David Godun • Kai Gonzalez • Sheila Goode • Aleyna Goodwin • Bradley Grabb • Haley Green • Hannah Green • Kylieonna Greger • Nathan Hackney • Aidan Hagedorn • Hailey Harrison • Colson Harter • Sarah Hawkins • Marcus Hayes • Cara Hegsted • Cody Helbling • Marlen Hernandez Rodriguez • Robert Hernandez • Jennifer Herski • Autumn Hibbs • Christopher Hicks • Alexia Hilsen • Asacia Hollis • Sienna Holthaus • Tanner Hoopes • Andrew Howard • Corinne Howard • Shelby Hubble • Maddison Huisking • Tristyn Hunter • Averie Hurley • Greta Hutmacher • Austin Jamison • Lael Jaramillo Andrew • Gavyn Jeffries • Dani Jetton • Logan

University High School Saturday June 10, 12 PM McCarthey Athletic Center, Gonzaga University, 801 N. Cincinnati Street Johnson • Makayla Johnston • Isabella Jones • Jarom Jorgensen • Daniel Karptsov • Malcolm Kasner • Taya Kekahuna • Blaze Keller • Eugene King • Jalen King • Logan Kinghorn • Elijen Kios • Allison Knight • Cole Kopczynski • Benjamin Korneychuk • Joanne Kramlich • Melissa Kysar • Mackenzie Lakey • Samantha Lamoreaux • Austyn Lane • Jessica Langston • Daxton Larson • Dallas Lawrence • Claire Lawson • Abigale Lazar • Anothony Leavitt • Aunika Lee • Kaylin Leppert • Vanessa Lester • Jonathan Lew • Mason Lieseke • Marina Lilly • Zyon Lindeblad • Tim Liu • McKenzie Loe • Dominic Longo • Jimmy Lopez • Selena Luna • Heather Madera • Saydee Marsh • Tyson Martens • Ely Matt • Brigitta Maughan • Cameron Mayfield • Logan McAllister • Jaydon McCullough • Robert McDaniel • Keegan McGinnity • Alexander McGrath • Ethan McKergow • Koen McKinley • Angellica McLeod • Jaidyn McLuskie • Julie McMulkin • Wendy McMulkin • Maya Meeks • Madeline Meier • Chaegnon Michels • Elizabeth Michlig • Malaki Miller • Krishtiana Minter • Kendall Monteressi • Alex Moore • Cassandra Morris • Ashley Morrison • Jason Morton • Isaiah Mosby • Dylan Moyer • Emmerson Murphy • Bridger Murray • Melissa Mwangi • Anna Navarro • Thomas Neel • Kevin Nekouei • Tyler Nelson • Karena Nguyen • Michael Nordin • Janaya Nolan • Sydnee O’Kelly • Tommy Ocampo • Kirill Ochkur • Kailee Oens • Giselle Orozco • Alyssa Osborne • Jacob Ottersen • Trinity Owens • Devin Patterson • Cody Paulson • Trinity Pearson • Ramy Pease • Makayla Pederson • Christian Peters • Gabe Peterson • Elisha Phelps • Marcus Plascencia • Kyle Porter • Phenton Powell • Jordan Preder • Benjamin Profit • Davonte Pryor • Trinity Puryear

• Q’veli Quintanilla • Logan Rabe • Payton Radnor-Huckaby • Gabryele Radnor-Huckaby • Scout Raeber • Jin Rahman • Eliannah Ramirez • David Reeder • Jade Reese • Logan Rell • Tejana Reyes • Lucas Reynolds • Jaden Kai Richman • Faith Richter • Aryanna Rico • Garrett Rodriguez • Micheal Rodriguez • Travis Rogers • Alexandra Rule • Sydney Ryan • Victoria San Nicolas • Kiersten Sanders • Emma Sautter • Quinlin Schell • Ella Schelley • Isaac Schultz • Jerod Schwartzenberger • Adrion Self • Austin Seward • Reagan Seward • Karena Shevchuk • Tynan Silva • Braxton Simpson • Catalina Slack • Austin Smith • Breanna Smith • Dakota Smith • Ethan Smith • Lane Smith • Adalyn Soderquist • Breyden Souder • Sami Stachofsky • Triston Stengrund • Drew Stevens • Alita Stewart • Thomas Sweeney • Daphney Sy • Landon Tarala • Lane Taylor • Ruby Terpko • Vally Thomas • Makyla Thompson • Natalie Thurber • Skyler Tibbett • Aidan Tidwell • Larry Trefry • Carter Trombly • McKinley Ullman • Montichello Uzeta • Jayce VanBlaracom • Isata Ville • Reagan Vinic • Daniela Viscencio • Landon Vonberk • Paige Wagoner • Coleone Walker • Josiah Walker • Quinn Ward • Jaci Washburn • Sarah Weaver • Avery Weiss • Allison Wheeler • Simon Wherity • Jasmin White • Maria White • Addison Wilks • Isaiah Williams • Joseph Williamson • Brayden Wilson • Trysta Wilson • Anton Winther • Emma Withers • Samirah Witherspoon • Alexandria Woolley • Jenna Wright • Emery Yates • Kiyah Young-Wilson • Jared Zapalac • Rosa Zavala • Morgan Zeiler • Nessali Zuniga

The Oaks Classical Christian Academy Saturday June 10, 1 PM Cooper Christensen • Malia Clancy • Daniel Dierdorff • Kaden Harken • Alexis Merane Hart • Seth Jarvis • Gabe Krentel • Amelia Lambert • Konner Lassey • Emersen O’Donnell • Bree Pollack • Samuel Shubin • Samuel Strickler • Daniel Wendt

16

• JUNE 2023

Violet Abernathy • Emily Abraham • Ataviah Adams • Lorna Adams-Smith • Mikyla Adams-Smith • Alexis Aitken • Zachary Allen • Emily Allison • Catarina Alonso Munoz • Travis Alvarez • Patrick Alvaro • Colin Ambrose • Evan Andersen • Craig Anglesey • Marco Arreguin • Abigail Baddeley • Tyler Baker • Eliska Balcerova • Jacob Bartholomew • Brooke Basnaw • Trevin Beck • Makayla Beckett • Alayna Bell • Hayden Bennett • Lexi Bierman • Erin Birdsill • Zachary Bosak • Rebecca Branom • Emree Brantner • Brock Brito • Hailey Bronec • Alivia Bruno • Mercer Brunt • Chesney Bushman • Isaac Carpenter • Anna Cartee • Delia Chase • Dakohta Chavez • Alexis Chavez Rios • Dallin Christensen • Matthew Christensen • Meghan Christensen • Landon Coddington • Shelby CooperRetzloff • Katlyn Crain • Alexa Crane • Colton Croff • Tyler Crum • Teagan Cummings • William Cummings • Miles Daines • Dominic Daly • Sean Davis • Gabriel Daymude • Zachary Deane • Ariana Delgado • Reghina Dirtu • Kelsie Dryden • Jace Dunham • Sam Duran Navarro • Anthony Dutcherson • Wyatt Dyer • William Ehlers • Emmy Elvidge • Talia Emmerson • Madison Faulkner • Katelynn Fay • Landon Fitting • Carl Ford • Trinity Frazier-Gese • Emma Fredekind • Zachary Genovese • Kylee German • Noah German • Nathan Goode • Sarah Granneman • Andrew Grgurich-Martinez • Molly Griffiths • Brian Grimes • Jordan Gundlach • Connor Gurley • Owen Haines • Hailey Hale • Katelynn Hale • Avery Hamblin • Samantha Hamry • Gunner Hansen • Danae Harris • Kaitlyn Headrick • Ryan Heskett • Andre Hesler • Isaiah Hill • Madisen Hively • Erik Holtan • Aiden Howard • Lincoln Hughes • Kate Hunter • Faith Jackson • Sophia Jensen • Isaac Jeppson • Luke Jeppson •

The Current

Ridgeline High School June 10, 2023 at 8:30 am McCarthey Athletic Center, 801 N Cincinnati St, Spokane, WA 99258 Kaitlyn Jimenez • Dallan Johns • Callen Johnson • Landon Johnson • Shaydon Johnson • Luke Johnston • Gloria Joran • Isabelle Kangas • Ryan Keeling • Isabella Kelp • Paul Kieslich • Brandon King • Angela Kirichenko • Kya Knudsen • Avery Koesel • Cameron Kreider • Zoe Krogh • Cassidy Kuhlmann • Bailey Larson • Corey Larson • Jack Lavelle • Landon Lee • Michael Lemm • Michaela Leno • Avery Lewis • Eryn Lewis • Kameron Lewis • Hannah Lind • Louise Lode • Cambrea Lombardo • Jaden Long • Christopher Mahn • Titus Main • Cameron Malloy • Holden Masterson • Sophia Mazzoletti

Spokane Valley High School June 6 & 7, Core and Academy - Sign up Genius June 8, 6 pm Endeavor Spokane Community College Lair 1810 N. Greene St. Blg 6

Rexella Albright • Violet Anderson • Madeline Arndt • Leviathan August • Owen Batchelor • Ayden Bennett • Christine Bradshaw • Halia Bruce • Tanaya Burkhart • Connor Carson • Kendall Christensen • Lilly Compton • Sasha Damschen • Brayden Davis • Chance Dierks • James Fitzsimmons • Jasmyn Forrester • Koryn Friesen • Collin Gerlach • Isabella Glushko • Wyatt Greiner • Jamey Hancock • Thomas Harding • Kevin Hernandez • Madelyn Hitt • Andrew John • Eric Jump • Akashia King • Eva Kuznetsov • June Lindau • Piper Loch • Jasper Marsh • Valeria Martinez • Calvin Mathis • Hayden

• Kelsey McDevitt • Dakota Means • Jersey Measel • Andrew Miller • Kaylee Mitchell • Samuel Moore • Skyler Morgan • Hannah Mostek • Samantha Mowery • Madeline Murphy • Jackson Nichols • Tyler Nixon • Shawn Noon • Clayton Olson • Gavyn Olson • Heather Ostrander • Charley Palm • Anna Palmelund • Aiden Parker • Adelaide Parsons • Ludovica Paternostro • Melanie Perez • Jillian Persicke • Lily Pesnell • Brayden Phillips • Gunnar Pietz • Angel Pina • Logan Plumb • Tabitha Plumley • Juliette Poignand du Fontenioux Di Cicco • Brevin Potack • Matthew Presley • Kallon Quimby • Cohen Rachoy • Jack Rau • Kaydin Renken • Owen Rich • Isaac Richardson • Kaitlyn Richardson • Cayla Rickard • Anna Riley • Brooke Robertson • Ramona Robinson • Rubi Rodriguez • Nathan Rosas • Kaitlyn Rose • Ariana Rowley • Ryan Rowley • Jacob Rubino • Gramoz Sadiku • Joseph Santiago • Jeremy Schreiber • Anna Sessions • Ellie Sheffield • Kennedy Simonowski • Justin Simpson • Savannah Smith • Triniti Smith • Luke Snel • Aliyah Spence • Daniel Stepp • Alexander Stewart • Julia Stewart • Preston Stroh • Brianna Suarez • Srikar Surapaneni • Ryan Sutter • Wyatt Sutton • Sasha Takasaki • Alexandra Tate • Giulia Taufer • Sloan Taylor • John Terebessy • Trey Thomas • Addison Thompson • Brady Thompson • Kylie Thompson • Angela Topov • Parker Troye • William Van Amburg • Nicholas Vigliotta • Matthew Villano • Taylor Waltermire • Gabriel Webb • Isaac Webster • Corinne Westby • Jacob Wharton • Jacob White • Joshua Wick • Christian Wicklund • Emily Wickstrom • Daelyn Wiese • Ashlyn Wilding • Samantha Willmon • Kara Wills • Elise Wirthlin • Faith Wisenor • Gracie Wohl • Kinnalee Zent • Noah Zimmerman

Mayer • William McConnell • Alice Miles • Noah Morgan • Jenessa Neevel • Haylee Nims • Casey Norton-McCauley • Cinishia Olaitiman • Dolan Owens • Imani Patrick • Carissa Pence-Whipkey • Lucy Pipkin • Jesus Ramirez • Andrew Ratz • Lillian Rick • Rochelle Rogers-Svoboda • Pamela Rowley • Tamia Ryder • Jay Savitz • Maksim Scherbachuk • Vanessa Schreck • Austin Schutz • Shalynn Shepherd • Shyenne Sherlock • Jacsen Shook • Kaleb Studer • Michael Trotskiy • Tori Vanderpool • Logan Velez • Raymond Weaver • Veronica Zaremba

JUNE 2023 • 17

The Current

brought to you by

Student of the Month

Athlete of the Month

Citizen of the Month

East Valley senior Declan Gilman maintains a 4.0 grade point average and is part of National Honor Society where he contributes as a volunteer to school-sponsored events. He participated in Concert Band and Pep Band for four years and plays the piano and trombone. At MusicFest held recently at Gonzaga University, he earned second in the Contemporary Piano Category in the 16-18 age group.

He is also part of the Tri M (Modern Music Masters) program. Gilman has competed in Knowledge Bowl and History Bowl at EV and was a member of a Knowledge Bowl team that qualified twice for regionals. He was a Spokane Scholar nominee in Social Studies. Gilman will attend Carroll College in the fall where he plans to major in molecular biochemistry and minor in history. He has a career goal of being an ER doctor.

East Valley senior Abby Crossley is one of the top distance runners in Washington, recently qualifying for state in the 2-mile with a secondplace finish at regionals. At the Junior Olympics last summer, Crossley earned All-American status in the 1,500 meters (eighth), 3,000 meters (third) and 2,000-meter steeplechase (second). She owns a personal record in the 2-mile of 11 minutes, 30 seconds and the mile of 5 minutes, 26 seconds.

She placed ninth at the 2A state cross country meet this season and 11th as a junior. Crossley competes for the Spokane Speed Academy and also participates in sprint triathlons.

The valedictorian for the Class of 2023, Crossley maintains a 4.0 grade point average and is part of National Honor Society. She is also a Running Start student. She will continue her athletic and academic pursuits at the University of Hawaii.

Many people remember Bill Clifford as the fire chief in Millwood for 10 years beginning in 1994. He started as a volunteer for the agency five years earlier. Since 2004, Clifford has been part of the Spokane Valley Fire Department, first as a fire inspector, then as deputy fire marshal and currently as assistant fire marshal. Each year, he conducts fire safety inspections of around 1,300 commercial buildings and multi-family living units. He also speaks to a variety of groups about fire safety and the importance of smoke detectors. “I just want to help our community be better through public education,” Clifford says. He has also trained volunteers with the C.E.R.T (Community Emergency Response Team). Bill and his wife Kris have been married for nearly 32 years.

They are proud parents of a grown son and have one grandchild.

Come visit your Spokane Valley Neighborhood Financial Center located at

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• JUNE 2023

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The Current

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Gift certificates available Now accepting cash, check and credit/debit cards

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Brought to you by

SPOKANE COUNTY LIBRARY DISTRICT

A Summer of Kindness, Friendship & Unity Track your summer reading & earn entries for a prize drawing.

Sign up for Camp Read-a-Rama & enjoy stories, activities, crafts, music & games!

Plus, sing, dance & laugh along with streaming adventures & live performers.

Read. Explore. Have fun. www.scld.org

www.scld.org

20

• JUNE 2023

The Current

JUNE 2023 • 21

The Current

SPOK ANE COUNT Y LIBR ARY DIS TR IC T

A Summer of Kindness, Friendship & Unity Summer Performers & Programs Let’s dance, sing & laugh while we explore kindness, friendship & unity.

FEATURING • Jenks: Music & Juggling • Eric Herman & the Puppy Dogs • The Harmonica Pocket • Page Turner Adventures • Red Yarn Music & Puppet Show

TRY OUT • After-Hours Miniature Golf • Late Night Nerf • Escape Rooms • Painting Kindness Rocks • Camp Read-a-Rama

Visit www.scld.org/summer-reading

Online Summer Reading Challenge Track your reading & summer activities to earn badges.

Every badge earns you a ticket in the summer prize drawing.

Visit www.scld.org/reading-challenge

Visit us at the new Spokane Valley Library this summer!

Read. Explore. Have fun.

www.scld.org

22

• JUNE 2023

The Current

Brooklyne Stobie Adams Elementary

Samaya Lamont

Bowdish Middle School

Ella Felker

Chester Elementary

Jacob White

Evergreen Middle School

Cade Rasmussen

Liberty Lake Elementary

Kazlinn Dickerson

McDonald Elementary

2023

PACE AW ARD HONOREES!

Congratulations!

Join us in celebra ng these students in our community who were selected by their schools for showing outstanding character throughout the year. Congratula ons to this year’s honorees and their families and thank you for “Bringing Character to Light.”

Learn more at:

Samantha Carpinteyro Broadway Elementary

Zachary LeBaron Central Valley High School

Ethan Salazar

CVVL Elementary

Alexa Joyner

Jamie Green

Greenacres Elementary

Mica Peak High School

Torren Northcutt

Melecio Bernal

Greenacres Middle School

Bailey Dickson

Horizon Middle School

North Pines Middle School

Brayan Valdez

Opportunity Elementary

pacecommunity.org

#paceawards2023

Lacey Halloway

CVVL Middle School

Ezra Stirtz

Liberty Creek Elementary

Layla Stroh

Ponderosa Elementary

JUNE 2023 • 23

The Current

Landon Gibson

Tyler Agnew

Progress Elementary

STEM Academy at Spokane Valley Tech

Landon Johnson

Camryn Anderson

Hailey McCullough

Hadley Sheridan

Ridgeline High School

Riverbend Elementary

Jameson Murphy

Selkirk Middle School

Barrett Downard

South Pines Elementary

Izzi Danley

Spokane Valley Learning Academy

Summit School

Kayda Lee

East Farms STEAM Magnet

Brady Flahavin

East Valley High School

Marin Harless

Sunrise Elementary

East Valley Middle School

Zoe Lederle

Kalissa Eller

Olivia Berg

Trentwood Elementary

Kesslyn Lally

Al Nordin

Tekoa High School

Esmund Weber

Centennial Middle School

Seth Woodard Elementary

Helen Locke

Aaron Schmidt

Sammy Nielsen

Freeman High School

Jaycee Primmer

Dishman Hills High School

Ferryn Pacheco

East Valley Parent Partnership

Freeman Middle School

Millwood Kindergarten Center

Jenna Wright

Halleanah Treannie

Emma Vernon

William Heinz

Benjamin Henry

Continuous Curriculum School

Otis Orchards School

Julia Cox

Trent Elementary

Porter McQuitty

Freeman Elementary

University Elementary

University High School

Mila Markezic

Pasadena Park Elementary

Pioneer School

Zeke Sanchez

Tekoa Elementary

Spokane Valley High School

Hazel Schlazer

West Valley City School

James Kien

Ness Elementary

West Valley High School

Karlee Stein

Malachy Kirby

Orchard Center Elementary

WV Virtual Learning Center

24

• JUNE 2023

The Crest

Discover the History of Felts Field

By Ashley Humbird Current contributor

The early 20th century was a time of remarkable technological advancements and daring feats of human ingenuity. As the world underwent a rapid transformation fueled by industrialization and innovation, the skies above became a new frontier beckoning humanity to conquer the boundless possibilities of flight. In the midst of this era, Felts Field airport emerged as a testament to the indomitable spirit of aviation pioneers.

Nestled amidst picturesque landscapes and rolling fields, Felts Field airport can trace its history back over 100 years with its first conception being a simple landing field in a park area next to the Spokane River in the Spokane Valley.

The airport’s rich history includes being the original home site of the Washington Air National Guard.

The airport is named Felts Field after a Washington Air National Guard pilot, James Buell Felts, who was killed in a crash in 1927. In 1924, a few years of the end of World War One, the military began organizing

Photo by Ashley Humbird

state National Guard air units and the city of Spokane worked hard to raise funds to build a facility that would house a newly formed National Guard Squadron.

The 116th Observation Squadron, Washington National Guard, received federal recognition on August 6th, 1924, and was ordered into active service for the first time on September 16th, 1940. In July 1946 the 116th Fighter Squadron was federally recognized at Felts Field.

During Felts Field’s life as a Washington Air National Guard headquarters in WWII, it was equipped with F-51D Mustang fighter and bomber planes and its mission was the air defense of the state. When you visit the current Felts Field today, you can see one of the planes at the Historic Flight Foundation and pictures of it’s time as a National Guard location in the lobby of the main terminal.

Running concurrently to it’s military use in the 1930s’ and 1940’s, Felts Field served as Spokane's municipal airport with scheduled airline service from the airport terminal. Built in 1932, the passenger terminal reflects the classic Art Deco period with a flat roof, pillars, and arches on the outside and retains much of the original façade. The interior of the terminal is a large open lobby with a high ceiling that although remodeled in 1982, with roughhewn cedar siding on the lower part of the walls, retains its

original plan, original plaster on the upper walls, and some of the original millwork trim. The airport terminal today is still in use and houses a pilot’s lounge, bathrooms, and the famous Skyway Café.

The Skyway Café has been in operation almost as long as the airport has been serving guests.

From the early days of travelers grabbing a quick bite before they boarded their plane to today’s laid back and delicious breakfast enjoyed while watching small planes and helicopters land and take off, the Skyway Café has served a plethora of customers hot coffee and hashbrowns.

After the onset of WWII, it was realized that a larger facility able to handle the growing demands of aviation transportation was needed in the Spokane region. After the new Geiger Field was constructed, all passenger service was relocated to the newly built airport (now Spokane International Airport).

Today, many of the buildings and features of Felts Field are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While traveling along Rutter Avenue, you’ll notice buildings that were built in the 1920’s style with arches and Art Deco masonry. The site includes three historic aircraft hangars, a passenger terminal, a National Guard headquarters, a small storage building, a clock tower, and a free-standing metal and neon sign. The historic site sits on roughly

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400 acres.

Feet from the terminal building stands the Nick Mamer Memorial Clock and the large neon and metal sign taking the form of a saluting gasoline service station attendant outfitted in a uniform with a cap and tie. The clock tower was first constructed in 1939 in the Art Deco style with a clock face on all four sides of the square tower. The clock, unlike the neon sign, is still in good and working condition. Both can easily be viewed after touring the Felts Field terminal and the Skyway café.

Just down the road to the west lies the Historic Flight Foundation. Inside you will find vintage planes from the bygone eras of the 1920’s throughout the 1950’s. All of the planes can be viewed up close from every angle to maximize the experience. When viewing the planes, one can easily imagine the roar of the piston engines as they prepare for takeoff.

All planes currently on display are fully restored and are airworthy.

The Historic Flight Foundation is open Tuesday-Sunday 10am to 4pm.

Prices vary, but a family of four is admitted for $25.

Moving further to the West is the National Guard headquarters building. This two-story brick building was constructed between 1927 and 1932. During its military service, it housed offices for the officers, a map room, a squad room, and restrooms. Before the final completion of the building, additional rooms were added to the design including surgeon’s office, exam room, locker rooms, supply rooms, and a radio room on the second floor. Most of the second floor has remained intact, with the original hardwood floors, plaster walls, and the large five-sided bay window.

With a long history of aviation in the Spokane Valley and surrounding area, the Felts Field district makes a wonderful historical site to visit.

Felts Field hosts a yearly Neighbor Day, where community members are encouraged to come and participate in viewing the historical planes and enjoy an aviation themed event.

This year Neighbor Day is on June 10th from 9am to 1pm. Find more information about Neighbor Day on the Felts Field website at www. feltsfield.spokaneairports.net

JUNE 2023 • 25

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• JUNE 2023

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Spokane Stealth sets elite standard for regional lacrosse

By Craig Howard

Current Contributing Editor

Before she joined the lacrosse roster at Montana State University, Avery Auth was an ambassador of the sport at Central Valley High School.

In 2020, Auth was one of eight players from CV to dot the roster for the Stealth, a team that draws from schools like Ridgeline, University, Freeman, Lewis and Clark, Ferris, Pullman and Medical Lake. Before lacrosse, Auth participated in soccer, basketball and cross country. With the Stealth, she became part of a sport gaining serious momentum across the Inland Northwest.

“I enjoyed the community,” said Auth, who graduated from CV in 2021. “It was really cool to have a whole group of friends who played lacrosse.”

Auth’s brother Spencer was part of the first boys’ lacrosse team at CV while her dad Jim coached her youth club. Auth was a freshman at CV when she joined the Stealth for the 2018 season, a campaign highlighted by a double overtime road win over Gonzaga Prep under the lights.

Auth gives credit to Stealth head coach Holly Whitman for not only building the team into the region’s top program but also generating awareness and respect for girls’ lacrosse. This season, the Stealth rolled to an undefeated conference record and a second straight state playoff appearance.

“She’s the reason we still have a program,” Auth said. “If we hadn’t had a coach who knew what she is doing and cares about the sport like Holly does, I don’t think we’d have a team. I couldn’t have asked for a better coach.”

Whitman came to Spokane in 2002 and quickly discovered a lacrosse desert. She grew up in Albany, New York, surrounded by the sport that

has its American cradle on the East Coast. Even though her high school team struggled, Whitman stood out and was good enough to latch on with Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York where she became a two-time NCAA Division 3 All American and was part of a squad that reached the Final Four her senior year.

“When I moved to Spokane, lacrosse was really absent,” Whitman said. “When I’d bring my lacrosse stick to the park and throw the ball to my dog, people didn’t know what it was.”

With a layered background as a player, official and coach, Whitman quickly established herself as a catalyst for girls’ lacrosse in Spokane. She took over the first team at Gonzaga Prep when the original coach left during the middle of the season in 2005.

“I got discouraged at times but we always had fun,” said Whitman.

“There’s an element of cool factor to lacrosse.”

After Ferris and Lewis and Clark combined to form a boys’ club team called Stealth in 2016, Whitman was approached about launching a girls’ program. She handed over the Gonzaga Prep reins to another coach and embarked on a new challenge.

Her first Stealth squad was small but

mighty.

“We’re family-oriented,” Whitman says of the Stealth team culture.

“We’re all about sportsmanship and no team drama. Plus, girls’ lacrosse is very different from boys’ lacrosse.

Its more of a finesse game. The flow of the game is very different.”

The Stealth play the oldest team sport in North America that has its roots in Native American communities who competed in a game originally known as “stickball.”

Lacrosse was first documented in the early 17th century and made its debut as an Olympic sport in 1904.

The Spokane Youth Lacrosse League now features around 300 players, starting at first grade.

Whitman is part of the league’s board of directors and points out that a full set of gear is provided for each player who needs one. Scholarships are also available. The league will host a U-14 tournament June 3-4 at Dwight Merkel Sports Complex.

“I never want cost to be a reason that a kid is not playing lacrosse,” Whitman said.

In Washington state, the Puget Sound area is recognized as the hub of youth lacrosse with teams like Mercer Island and Seattle Academy establishing themselves as the

Contributed photo The Spokane Stealth lacrosse squad featured four players from Ridgeline High School in Liberty Lake this season, including Violet Abernathy (No. 18 above) as well as Gracie Conley from Freeman. In 2020, eight representatives from Central Valley were part of the roster. The Stealth finished undefeated in conference play this season before being eliminated by last year’s state champion Mercer Island in a first-round playoff game on May 6.

premier girls’ high school programs.

The Stealth has played Mercer Island in the playoffs the last two years, dropping both games.

“They’re a very smart team,” Whitman said of the defending state champs. “They show our team what lacrosse can be. I thought we played the best defense we’ve ever played against them in our playoff game (May 6).

Stealth assistant coach Francheska Moseanko says the Stealth have gained respect from westside teams over the past several years. The Spokane squad traveled over the mountains in April to take on Auburn and Tahoma and returned home with a victory and a tie.

“I think they know we’re not just a team from the country they can write off,” said Moseanko, a Spokane Valley resident.

In competition against rivals from the Eastern Conference – a group that includes Gonzaga Prep, Kamiakin, Richland, Sandpoint and Big Cat – representing Mt. Spokane and Mead – the Stealth emerged undefeated.

Moseanko can relate to building a program from scratch. After playing high school varsity lacrosse all four years in Orlando, she enrolled at the University of North Florida, a college where competitive lacrosse was absent. Moseanko, whose dad played lacrosse at Rutgers University, took initiative and launched a women’s club team that took on established Division 1 squads like Stetson University and the University of Central Florida.

Last year, Moseanko was an assistant on a Team Washington club that took fifth place at the National Tournament in Maryland, defeating lacrosse-rich programs like Pennsylvania and Upstate New York.

Ridgeline senior Violet Abernathy was among four Falcons on the Stealth roster this year. Gracie Conley from Freeman also represented the Greater Spokane Valley. Abernathy said she’s seen the sport make significant strides since she began playing in fourth grade.

“I just loved the environment of lacrosse from the beginning,” she said. “Mainly, it’s been the coaching and my teammates, just knowing your team is going to be there for you and support you.”

The Current

JUNE 2023 • 27

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The Current

Council OKs more construction, moves to approve budget amendment

By John McCallum Current contributor

Construction-related issues continue to play a large role at Spokane Valley City Council meetings.

At the May 2 meeting the council approved a pair of items involving change orders for the recentlycompleted Barker Road / Burlington Northern Grade Separation project.

The first involved two change orders to project general contractor Max J. Kuney, one for $6,219.77 for traffic diversion from Trent to Wellesley in order to finish the final pavement connection at Trent and the second for $1.37 million for providing and installing two U.S. Department of Transportation overpass identification signs under the new bridge on Barker.

The change order brings the total project cost to just under $13.3 million, 14.62% over the original contract amount of almost $11.64 million.

Council also approved an amendment to the interlocal agreement between the city and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) regarding administering and payment of project costs. In order to streamline project billing and reimbursement, it was agreed at the start to transfer all of the project’s grant funding to WSDOT so that only one agency was in charge of expenditures and reimbursements.

Because of the unanticipated length and costs of the project, WSDOT is now expecting total construction administration costs at $2.3 million, $862,315 above the original estimate. This includes $415,000 of city staff and consultant support costs.

The amendment allows WSDOT to continue to the projects grants for construction costs and for the city to be reimbursed by the agency.

Spokane Valley has secured over $26 million in grant funding for the project.

The council also approved awarding the Park Road Sidewalk

Photo by John McCallum Renovation and expansion work at Balfour Park continues with some new elements and funding added to the project. / Nora to Baldwin project to Red Diamond Construction. Red Diamond was the lowest bidder on the project at $513,820.50.

The engineering estimate for the project was $609,682, with total budgeted funding at $786,000.

This project will install new sidewalk along the west side of Park Road as well as upgrade curb ramps to current ADA standards, provide stormwater conveyance and treatment facilities, and install intelligent transportation services (ITS) conduit and junction boxes for future connectivity of the signal system to the city network.

At the May 9 meeting, council approved several items related to upgrade work at Balfour Park. The first involved adding $207,143 in state funding to the park’s budget and approve a potential change order governing some additional work to the city’s contract with general contractor Cameron Reilly, LLC. Cameron Reilly’s bid of just over $3.81 million was awarded in January.

The additional funding comes from the state including money for the Veterans’ Memorial Plaza at the park, and will cover a list of upgrades to Phase 1 of park construction.

The second item was approving a $25,141.95 increase to park design consultant firm AHBL for revised plans and design services for the potential changes listed under the change order to Cameron Reilly,

increasing the contract with AHBL to $506,300.

At the May 23 meeting, council awarded a just over $2.67 million contract to N.A. Degerstrom, Inc. for the 8th Avenue Improvements Project. The project, budgeted at over $3.3 million, will install new sidewalk in gaps on the north side of 8th Avenue between Park and Fancher, upgrade existing ramps to current ADA standards, fix stormwater issues, install ITS infrastructure and complete a grind/overlay of the asphalt pavement between Carnahan and Park.

Amending the budget At the May 23 meeting, council held a public hearing and first reading of a budget amendment affecting 12 different city funds. The amendment adds a total of just over $20.17 million in revenue and almost $29.18 million in expenses.

The general fund experienced the largest increase in expenditures at $13.5 million. Of that, $6.52 million came from increases due to expected Coronavirus Local Recovery Funding (CLRF) while almost $5.36 million represented a transfer to Capital Reserve Fund 312 representing the 2021 year-end fund balance in excess of 50% of recuring expenditures.

The general fund revenue also included $4.52 million in anticipated CLRF funding.

The amendment passed the first reading by a 6-1 vote, with

Councilwoman Brandi Peetz voting no. Peetz explained her no vote was due to the inclusion of $3.649 million in increased stormwater revenues due to what she said was an increase in stormwater fees of almost 300%.

A second reading is scheduled for the May 30 meeting.

Other business At the May 2 meeting, council voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Jacqueline Babol to represent the city on the Spokane Housing Authority board. Babol, a podiatrist surgeon at the Foot & Ankle Clinic in Spokane Valley, has served on other boards, with Councilwoman and Mayor Pam Haley saying she was chosen because she has a background that would be more helpful to the SHA. Council also unanimously approved select of the firm 116 & West as consultant for the city’s fiveyear destination marketing plan and tourism marketing services plan.

Staff will proceed with negotiating, finalizing and executing a contract with 116 & West.

At the May 9 meeting, council unanimously approved an interlocal agreement between the city of Spokane and city of Spokane Valley parks departments regarding the joint offering of specific recreational program classes. Council also unanimously approved extension of the agreement with the Department of Emergency Management into a second, three-year term.

30

• JUNE 2023

You’re invited to The Grand Opening of the New Spokane Valley Library

LIBRARY

Grand opening of library reveals new building, large collection, eventfilled summer

first library building and has been remodeled, expanded, and reconfigured over the years to adapt to changing times. Thousands of kids have enjoyed storytime in the old building, and some of those “kids” now bring their grandchildren and great-grandchildren in for storytime, so this move to the new building does include some reminiscence and wistfulness.

It’s moving day for Spokane Valley Library, or in this case, a dozen or so moving days.

With a step into the new library building, that feeling of nostalgia eases and the potential and possibility for Spokane Valley’s future thinkers, doers, and leaders blooms.

By Jane Baker, Communication & Development Director Spokane County Library District

Spokane Valley Library on Main Avenue closes Sunday evening on June 4 and opens again on June 17 at its new location on the corner of Sprague and Herald across from city hall. After a brief ribbon cutting ceremony, the doors open at 10am, just in time for a summer filled with programs and activities.

Saturday June 17, 10am Stop by the library for fun-filled summer activities & reading SPOKANE VALLEY LIBRARY 22 N Herald Rd, at the corner of Sprague Ave

www.scld.org

This is a big move, and it includes more than just the books and equipment. For 68 years, Spokane Valley Library has served generations from the location on Main. It was the Library District’s

Summer at the library includes performers, activities, reading prizes

By Gwendolyn Haley, librarian Spokane County Library District

Summer is the perfect time to soak up the sun and get lost in a good book, and there’s no better place to find those books than your local library. Not only do libraries offer an ample collection of books, they also offer summer reading programs that are free and open to everyone.

Spokane Valley Library kicks off summer with free family concerts featuring Jenks, a high energy music and juggling act featuring fun, original songs for all ages, starting at 11am at parks in Spokane Valley: Edgecliff Park on Tuesday, June 20; Terrace View Park on Wednesday, June 21; and Valley Mission Park on Thursday, June 22. Red Yarn Music and Puppet Show for younger children and Harmonica Pocket, a fun family music program for all ages,

The new space allows for double the number of people served and programs offered. Its flexible design will grow with our community, providing education, access to resources, and happy memories for generations. This new contemporary facility has updated technology, a large community room, which is available for use by the public, creative spaces, and a lovely view overlooking the city’s expanding

both perform at our libraries. Each week, young children and their families can also enjoy storytimes at all our libraries.

The library also offers a range of programs for teens and tweens, including escape rooms, cupcake decorating, a library carnival, video boot camp, and more. These programs are a great way for young people to stay engaged and active during the summer months while also having fun and meeting new friends.

For all ages, our Kindness Rocks program combines art and thoughtfulness, and during our After-Hours Miniature Golf events, tee up inside the library with family and friends. These activities are perfect for families or individuals looking for a creative or active outlet. You can learn about all summer programs and events in our new issue of “Engage,” available in our libraries and online at www.scld.org/engage.

Sign up for our Online Summer Reading Challenge on Beanstack to track your reading progress and earn tickets for prize drawings sponsored by The

The Current

Balfour Park, all of which will benefit everyone who calls Spokane Valley home.

With all the changes coming to Spokane Valley Library, there are some things that will remain.

Library customers will continue to have access to over 1.5 million items in the District’s physical and digital collections. Library staff will be the same friendly and helpful people that kids look forward to seeing at storytime and who help you finding an answer to a reference question.

And the library will continue to be an important community hub. It’s a welcoming space for gathering, exchanging, and exploring ideas and making community connections.

You’re invited to come by during the grand opening on June 17 and see what the new library has to offer. The opening also kicks off a season of programs and events with the summer reading theme of “All Together Now,” during which we explore friendship, kindness, and unity. We hope to see you at Spokane Valley Library this summer.

Library Foundation of Spokane County.

Visit www.scld.org. online-summer-reading to get started. The summer reading prize drawing takes place on August 31 and includes a family membership to Mobius Discover Center, a pickleball set, Silverwood tickets, and more. Families can also access exclusive, virtual Page Turner Adventures on Beanstack, featuring stories, crafts, and activities.

Research has shown that reading during the summer helps children maintain and improve their reading skills. Reading also helps to prevent “summer slide”— also called summer learning loss— where children can lose up to three months of reading progress during the summer break. Adults can also benefit from reading during the summer, as a way to unwind and escape from daily stress, while also keeping the mind active and engaged.

There’s something for everyone at Spokane Valley Library and all library books, programs, and services are available at no cost, making it great place to stop in and spend some time this summer.

JUNE 2023 • 31

The Current

U S F N I O O R J T E HE M OC

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CARNIVAL June 23rd 2023

5:30-8:00pm Touch a truck GAMES Ice cream FACE PAINTING fUN & MORE fOOD

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We are looking for volunteers to help put on this amazing event. for more information and to volunteer contact Marie Dudka @ 509-216-2329

Have you heard of the new Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC)?

You can get up to $1,200 back if you are eligible for this new state tax credit.

Visit WorkingFamililesCredit.wa.gov or stop by our workshop during the carnival to learn more.

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32

• JUNE 2023

The Current

SVFD Report – April 2023 Current news sources

Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) crews responded to a total of 1,787 emergency incidents for April 2023.

By the numbers: Emergency Medical Services 1,477 Fire Suppression

166

Tech Rescue (includes 78 Motor Vehicle Collisions) 86 Other 42 HazMat 9 Wildland Fire

6

Of note: • Emergency Medical Services accounted for 82.70% of all SVFD incidents.

• Fire Suppression (fire and Building Alarms) was 9.29% of all SVFD incidents.

Safety Message • We continue to emphasize Driving Safely. Schools will soon

be out, and more children will be in parks and on roads.

• Be careful with yard equipment and anything that can spark a fire. May is Wildfire Awareness Month. As we move into those warmer temperatures be aware of anything that can potentially start a fire. Do not put cigarettes out in potted plants or throw them out of car windows. The potential for fire from an improperly disposed of cigarette is extremely high.

• Wear your life jacket (PFD) while recreating near or on rivers and lakes. Every year SVFD rescues people not wearing life jackets out on area rivers and lakes.

Media Release April 12, 2023: Spokane County, Wash. – The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD), The Spokane Fire Department (SFD), Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency (Spokane Clean Air), along with surrounding fire agencies, have recently been experiencing an increase in possible illegal burning calls and uncontrolled fires. Warmer spring weather after a long winter has residents outdoors doing yard

work and spring cleaning. We would like to remind area residents that burning garbage, including construction material, and the use of burn barrels is prohibited in our region. Burning outdoors, including yard debris, is not allowed in most areas of Spokane County.

Recreational fires are currently allowed until burn restrictions are put in place later this summer.

“As we hop into what appears to be a typical Inland Northwest spring, it’s time to bring wildland awareness to the top of our minds!

Fire can spread quickly in dry fuels left over from winter, so let’s start to raise our seasonal awareness levels this week.” – Deputy Fire Marshal Brett Anderson – Spokane Valley Fire Department “To minimize smoke from outdoor fires, Spokane Clean Air has field staff responding to reports of illegal burning, including on weekends when needed.” – Lisa Woodard, Communications Manager – Spokane Clean Air. Recreational fires that get outof-control are a common cause of wildfires caused by people. You can

be held financially responsible for the cost of fire department response and any property damage it caused.

“Wildfires are not usually a concern during the Spring in the Pacific Northwest; however, we have already seen several small grass fires locally. We encourage people to use caution when burning recreationally.” – Fire Marshal Lance Dahl – City of Spokane Fire Department If you are following regulations, please remember to “Be Fire Smart”: • Use clean, dry firewood or manufactured logs, • Burn 25’ away from any structure, like a house, garage, or fence, • Have an extinguisher or charged water hose nearby, •

Stay near the fire,

• Keep any fire small; no larger than 3’ wide and 2’ tall, and •

Put out the fire completely!

For more information on outdoor burning and restrictions, visit www.

SpokaneCleanAir.org/outdoorburning

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JUNE 2023 • 33

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Media Release April 17 Spokane Valley, WA – On Wednesday April 19th, the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) will officially unveil our new 140,000 sq ft. maintenance facility.

The recently completed $8.1 million dollar shop includes seven 63’ long apparatus bays, one vehicle bay a fabrication shop, and a pumping station needed to certify SVFD’s apparatus pumps annually.

Our former shop could not fit three of our apparatus inside without filling the entire shop, which made maintenance in the winter extremely difficult.

Currently, SVFD has 9 frontline Engines and two frontline Tillers.

An additional three reserve Engines, one training Engine, one reserve Ladder Truck and one reserve Tiller.

There are also about 40 support vehicles and three Brush Trucks.

SVFD has a supervisor and three mechanics to maintain all the department’s motorized equipment, from chainsaws to apparatus and vehicles. That includes rebuilding a motor or pump when needed.

“SVFD is thankful to the citizens of our Fire District for helping provide a facility that has the capacity to keep our vehicles responding every hour of every day to their emergencies and also keeps our maintenance staff safe and healthy from potentially harmful agents.” – Chief Frank Soto JR. – Spokane Valley Fire Department The maintenance site also includes a $1.1 million-dollar oneacre reinforced cement driving surface for certifying our front and back Tiller drivers annually.

A normal asphalt parking lot or cement runway could not support this annual certification due to the weight and speed on cornering that is required for the annual certification of our 27 drivers.

Media Release April 30 Members of the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) and the City of Spokane Fire Department acted swiftly Saturday night to extinguish a fire in a duplex in the Spokane Valley near Thierman Rd and 3rd Ave. The fire was extinguished within 20 minutes of the initial dispatch being sent out.

Automatic Aid resulted in multiple units from both the Valley and the City arriving rapidly on scene, aiding in the

quick knockdown. Units involved included VE6, VE1, VE2, V22, and V31 from the Spokane Valley Fire Department as well as SE14, SE8, and SL1 from the City of Spokane Fire Department.

During every structure fire, a standardized series of events occur including, rapidly extinguishing the known fire, checking the structure for fire extension into hidden areas, a rapid primary search of the entire building for occupants, and a more thorough secondary search of the entire building for occupants.

Other actions can include removing or covering valuables that could be damaged during suppression activities, as well as removing debris resulting from the fire. These events can occur more quickly when there are more units on scene, early in the fire operation.

There were no firefighter or civilian injuries reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Three residents were displaced with the Red Cross providing aid to them. Two cats and a lizard were rescued from within the structure.

As always, thanks to American Medical Response for standing by as medical support during the fire operation.

Incidents: Tech Rescue, April 23 SVFD responded to a cat stuck on powerlines. SVFD Firefighters hoisted a ladder against the powerpole and were able to safely rescue the feline and bring her down safely.

Fall, April 12 Wednesday night, Spokane Valley Fire Department Engine 3, Engine 4 and Valley 22 responded to a call for an elderly person who was injured after falling off of a horse.

SVFD Firefighter/Paramedics were able to use our off-road vehicle to reach the person and safely transport them approximately a half a mile to a waiting ambulance.

Public Outreach and Education: Smoke Alarm and CO Alarm Installs April and YTD The Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) serves a population of 142,000+ over 75-square miles, including the cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and Millwood, as well as surrounding unincorporated areas.

In 2021, our cross-trained Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics responded to more than 23,235 emergency calls.

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• JUNE 2023

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ON THAT NOTE

The Current

Filing Week Wrap Up

By Nina Culver

Current contributor

Some familiar names will be on the ballot in Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake in August as incumbents drew challengers and multiple people filed to run for positions that will be vacated by those currently in office.

In Spokane Valley, three people filed to run for Position 2 to replace Brandi Peetz, who was elected in 2017 and recently announced she was not running again. Those vying for the open seat are Jessica Yaeger, Rachel Briscoe and Adam Smith.

On Yaeger’s website she states that she is running “to address the concerning decline in safety, condition and livability within our cherished community.”

She also states that “crumbling infrastructure” and “out of control crime” must be dealt with while also “hunting down drug dealers.” She is listed as the Chapter Chair of the Spokane County chapter of Moms for Liberty.

Smith, owner of Spokane Valley Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, previously ran for a Spokane Valley council seat against Arne Woodard in 2019.

In Position 3, incumbent Arne Woodard has filed to run again and will be challenged by Al Merkel, who previously ran against Woodard in 2019 and lost. Woodard has held his seat since 2011 and served as Deputy Mayor twice. Merkel also ran unsuccessfully for a council seat in 2017 and has previously served as a Republic Precinct Committee Officer in Spokane Valley.

previously applied to fill a vacant city council seat in 2022.

Dan Dunne, who has served on the city council in 2012, drew two challengers for his Position 3 seat; Larry Marshall and Keith Kopelson.

Kopelson was previously appointed to the Liberty Lake City council in 2012 and served until 2016.

Position 4 incumbent Jed Spencer, who was appointed to the council last year, is facing a challenge from Travis Scott, founder of RainierDigital. Scott posted on his LinkedIn page that he believes the country is too divided. “There’s also an attack on our freedom and a push for big government (from the party that preaches no big government,” he wrote. “They want to tell us what we can read. Who we can love. How we should pray. Don’t be fooled.

When they start the train of taking freedoms away, it doesn’t stop once it’s left the station.”

Position 5 incumbent Annie Kurtz is being challenged by Mike Behary, a city planner in Coeur d’Alene who previously ran for a city council seat in 2021. Position 6 incumbent Tom Sahlberg opted not to run for reelection and his seat is being sought by Michael Hamblet and Mike Kennedy. Kennedy previously held the seat until he stepped down in early 2022.

In Position 7, Wendy Van Orman is attempting to keep the seat she was appointed to in early 2022.

She previously served as a council member from 2001 to 2007 and was Mayor of Liberty Lake from 2008 to 2011. She is being challenged

by Teresa Tapao-Hunt, a special education teacher who currently sits on the Liberty Lake Library Board of Trustees.

There are also plenty of challengers for seats on the Central Valley School District board, with inexperienced newcomers pitted against longtime incumbents.

In District 1, incumbent Cindy McMullen will face off against Jeff Brooks. McMullen previously served on the Central Valley school board for 24 years, including serving as president five times. She rejoined the school board in December 2015.

In District 3, longtime incumbent Debra Long is being challenged by Stephanie Jerdon. Long was elected to the school board in 2003 and since then has held several state leadership positions with the Washington State School Directors Association.

In 2020 Jerdon became involved with A Voice for Washington Children, which worked to get Referendum 90 on the ballot with the goal of rejecting a comprehensive sex education law approved by the Washington State Legislature. On her website Jerdon writes that more transparency is needed between the school board and the community, along with community values and local control.

JUNE 2023 • 35

District 4 incumbent Keith Clark, a board member since 2007 and current board president, is being challenged by Anniece Barker.

According to her website Barker was the founder of A Voice for Washington Children because she “strongly believed that our District and parents should be able to determine what curriculum it taught in its schools – curriculum that reflects its community values.”

A seat on the West Valley School board has also drawn several interested people. In District 3, incumbent Christy White will not be on the ballot. Her seat is being sought

by Tricia Phillips, Amy Anselmo and S. John Dubois. Incumbent Adam Mortensen is running unopposed for reelection in District 4.

In the Spokane Valley Fire Department, former firefighter and longtime board member Bill Anderson has not filed for reelection to Position 5. The vacant seat has drawn interest from former Spokane Valley Mayor and Spokane Valley Fire civil service commissioner Diana Wilhite, former firefighter and state legislator George Orr and recently retired firefighter and arson dog handler Rick Freier.

In the East Valley School District, board members Theresa Noack and Laura Gates are unopposed. In the City of Millwood, council members Kelly Stravens, Andy Van Hees and Shaun Culler are also unopposed.

Retired educator and incumbent Tim Hattenburg filed to retain his seat on the council in position 6 and is being challenged by Rob Chase, who was elected state representative in 2020 and Spokane County treasurer in 2010 and 2015.

Chase also ran unsuccessfully for multiple position in the State Senate, U.S House of Representatives and Spokane County Commissioner.

Every seat on the Liberty Lake City Council is on the ballot this year and all drew challengers, though Mayor Cris Kaminskas will be on the ballot unopposed. In council position 1, incumbent Phil Folyer has filed for reelection and will be challenged by Linda Ball. Ball

Contributed photo Liberty Lake City Administrator Mark McAvoy hosts class to inform those in attendance about Liberty Lake’s form of government. The City Academy is designed to give residents a better understanding into how city government works in hopes of encouraging and informing potential leaders of Liberty Lake.

36

• JUNE 2023

The Current

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