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• MAY 2023

The Current

RIVER CROSSING

Lesson in Hope – Minchow a champion of mental health

By Craig Howard

Current Contributing Editor

May is Mental Health Awareness Month but for Gabe Minchow, the quest to promote emotional wellbeing is a year-round priority.

Minchow works as outreach specialist for Imagine by Northpoint, a treatment center that provides support for youth experiencing mental health and/or behavioral challenges. Imagine’s office is located on Pines Road in Spokane Valley and offers evidence-based, integrative outpatient treatment for adolescents 12 to 17.

For Minchow, the effort to help kids dealing with mental health and co-occurring substance use issues rings personal. Just over nine years ago, he arrived in Spokane seeking treatment for substance use disorder after family and friends held an intervention. He found his way to a sober lifestyle in the Inland Northwest with help from a variety of reliable sources and has never left.

At Imagine, Minchow works with a wide variety of local organizations that step up to the plate on behalf of at-risk youth. In addition to regular collaboration with entities like Inland Northwest Behavioral Health, Juvenile Probation and Providence Health & Services, Minchow is part of Community Engagement Boards at Central Valley, East Valley and West Valley school districts, collaborating with school social service workers on ways to not only keep kids in school but to thrive.

Growing up in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon, Minchow recalls an adolescence characterized by ambition and high achievement – yet lacking in self-awareness and self-care. He is classically trained on the cello and as a vocalist and participated in the Youth Symphony

of Southern Oregon during high school.

“I was uncomfortable in my own skin,” he said. “So it became a good distraction to throw myself into academics and extracurricular activities.”

In 2013, after working a series of restaurant jobs, Minchow had four Grand Mal seizures. Prior to his attempts at getting sober, he was throwing up at work. His sister tried to intervene first and later his dad.

Further intervention from family and friends led to his pledge to try treatment in Spokane. A 12-step recovery program proved to be the solution.

“I noticed my life, instead of

getting worse and worse, was getting better,” Minchow said. “There’s something magical about a 12-step program. You don’t have to give your buy-in immediately, you just have to go. The meetings are where people gather, but the magic it happens outside the room.”

Creating an exit plan in environments where alcohol and drugs may appear was vital for Minchow on his long-term road to sobriety. Last month, he celebrated nine years of being sober.

Once in long-term sobriety, Minchow reached out to a friend who was working in a Spokane-based rehabilitation center. He applied for a front-desk position but was hired as a

Contributed photo Gabe Minchow serves as outreach specialist for Imagine by Northpoint on Pines Road in Spokane Valley, a program that offers mental health and behavioral support and treatment for adolescents 12 to 17. Minchow came to Spokane from Oregon in April 2014 to receive treatment for substance use disorder. He celebrated nine years of sobriety on April 6.

group facilitator.

“It had meaning,” he said. “I was up there sharing the message of recovery.”

Minchow also returned to school, completing an undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at Eastern Washington University he had started at Southern Oregon University and Portland State University. Later, he earned a Master’s in Business Administration at EWU. In his role at Imagine, Minchow works to help youth and families find the same level of long-term mental health calm that now defines his own life.

“I’m engaging the community to better address its needs, and to elevate interagency collaboration,” he said. “The contagious nature of recovery is a marvel and one I see myself instigating for as long as I possibly can.”

Imagine Northpoint is located at 924 S. Pines #101 in Spokane Valley.

For more information, call 509-4104081 or visit www.spokaneimagine. com. Another resource for youth and parents is Youth Mental Health Project (www.ymhproject.org).

Northpoint Washington also offers drug detox and rehab for adults at its Seattle facility that can be reached by calling 425-906-3925.

Q: May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. Do you feel society is talking more about conditions like depression, anxiety and other conditions in a way that provides to those who may have felt marginalized in the past?

A: Yes, I would say that mental health is less stigmatized than it was 30 years ago and it seems we are on a nice trajectory. The problem lies now in access, I believe. We can celebrate mental health awareness all we want but since healthcare equity is more of an ideal than a standard it means we have another challenge: It is undeniable that people with fewer resources have less access to the care they need and they are arguably the ones who need the care the most. So, although we are making progress, there is still a great deal of work to do.

See MINCHOW, Page 5

MAY 2023 • 3

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MINCHOW

Continued from page 2 Q: If your friends and family had not intervened to help you escape the grip of substance abuse, do you think you could have achieved sobriety on your own?

A: Simply put, I was on a path to total destruction. I was welcoming the next seizure and praying I wouldn’t wake up from it. Statistically speaking, my odds for survival were next to zero had I kept going the way I was going. In that sense, my answer would be ‘no.’ However, one thing I have learned is that probably no human power could have relieved my alcoholism. The intervention was a critical component for me finding my footing in sobriety, but there was a more spiritual journey that began before the intervention.

This was a path to recovery, which is different than sobriety. Having an understanding and insight of a 12step program now, I look back and realize that my higher power was working for me and through all areas of my life, doing for me what I could not do for myself.

Q: How would you best describe Imagine by Northpoint to someone who has never heard of it before?

A Imagine by Northpoint offers mental health services to adolescents in a group setting, with individual counseling, family sessions and medication management as ancillary services. Imagine offers two levels of care: partial hospitalization program (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP).

The PHP program is both practical and beneficial as either a step-down from inpatient care or in some cases, an opportunity to stabilize and prevent crisis from occurring. It is a day-program that entails 30 hours of programming per week and usually lasts about a month. As such, it provides clients with a break from their school environment. The IOP program can be either a step-down from PHP, or clients can direct-admit into this level of care depending on the circumstances. Clients in the IOP level of care engage in programming three days per week for a few hours after school and it usually lasts about two to three months. The clinical staff at the Imagine program is licensed to treat both mental health and substance use disorder, provided the mental health component is primary.

This is a fun and creative environment with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy being the two modalities utilized.

Imagine is gender-affirming and

offers support for the whole family.

Q: What advice would you give to parents who are wondering how to help a child facing mental health and/or substance abuse challenges?

A: Seek professional guidance.

Even under good circumstances, each family dynamic presents challenges and can be a barrier to a child’s mental wellness. Children and adolescents often filter and omit things with their parents, despite them having the best intentions. As a parent, I can tell when something doesn’t feel right with one of my children and I believe most parents would relate. I also know that I am not equipped to handle, nor have all the answers for my children. Neither should any other parent. I am happy to be a resource for any parents who believe their child is struggling, or who may have struggles of their own.

My mission is to make a tangible impact in improving the quality of life for those around me. It’s a sort of living-amends for the hell my family went through when trying to figure out what to do about me and my alcoholism. My job is to elevate interagency collaboration in our community and to be a steward of the behavioral health organizations in the Spokane area, as well as serve as a connector to out-of-state programs.

The last thing that a family needs is to spend more time grasping at straws while their loved one is in harmful and potentially life-threatening circumstances.

Q: You've been in this field for a while now. What do you find most rewarding about your work?

A: I look for gratitude – in myself, my peers and all the thousands of families I have worked with.

Professionally, it doesn’t get any better than the feeling I get when I see healing taking place. Those of us who work in the behavioral health field are generally motivated by our lived-experience or a personal connection to someone else’s journey and struggles. Because of this, we work with passion through long and emotionally taxing hours. For every success story there are dozens of patient outcomes that are frustrating, sometimes avoidable and sometimes tragic. Yet despite this, it is all worth it when a treatment team effectively delivers their service to a patient who is willing and receptive. We experience joy to its fullest extent when we help pull someone out of the trenches of their condition and witness them turn their struggle into an inspiration.

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• MAY 2023

The Current

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The Current, a monthly publication for the Valley, offers visual storytelling, eye-catching ads and community coverage readers have come to rely on. This free newspaper is available at more than 150 high-traffic places around the Valley, including the following locations:

Published Date: 4/13/2023 Prepared by Spokane County Sheriff's RIG 9 Unit

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MAY 2023 • 7

The Current

Introducing the

Safety Awareness Channel 2023 March Theft Hotspots

The maps provided below depict where citizens have reported Vehicle Thefts, Thefts from a Vehicle (also known as vehicle prowling), Burglaries and Thefts. As you view the map each circle will contain a number indicating how many instances of a particular crime were reported at that location.

Thefts from a vehicle is often under reported as people often feel nothing can be done or they only lost a small quantity of loose change. However, the Spokane Valley Police Department and the Spokane County Sheriff’s office analyze this data to determine high crime areas and where to allocate resources. I encourage citizens who have been a victim of crime to call 911, if the crime is in progress, or Crime Check at 456-2233, if not in progress, to report a crime.

Published Date: 4/13/2023 Prepared by Spokane County Sheriff's RIG 9 Unit

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Wear a Helmet Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by at least 45%, brain injury by 33%, facial injury by 27%, and fatal injury by 29%.3 Check for Fit and Roadworthiness Feeling uncomfortable in the saddle, experiencing aches in the lower back, and having knee pain are common issues that can occur when a bike is improperly fitted.

Use Reflective Gear Reflective gear includes vests, arm bands, and headlamps. You also should consider lights for your bike for better visibility and to warn others of your whereabouts.

Install Lights and Mirrors Bike lights provide extra visibility for you to see ahead and let others see you. In fact, one study reports that the incidence rate of injuries is 19% lower for cyclists with permanent running lights mounted.

Keep to the Bike Lane or Path Rather than dodge traffic, stick to bike lanes or bike paths when you can.

Laws You Need to Know Ride on the right-hand side of the road.

Yield to crossing traffic. Maintain at least three feet from traffic, if the lane is wide enough to share. Abide by all street signs road markings, and signals.

Avoid Extreme Weather Conditions If temperatures are soaring, or have plummeted into the minus causing ice on the road, it might be best to skip the outdoor cycle.

8

• MAY 2023

Barker Road reopens after two-year construction project

By John McCallum Current contributor

The April 18 ribbon cutting for the new Barker Road Bridge couldn’t have had a better moment even if scripted by Hollywood.

As Spokane Valley City Manager John Hohman spoke to the gathered dignitaries, officials and others and thanked Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway for their assistance on the two-year, $26 million traffic reconfiguration and rail grade separation project, an eastbound BNSF train passed underneath the newly constructed bridge, sounding its horn.

Hohman said it served as a reminder of the importance of the project to traffic safety in the region, removing two at-grade railway crossings while also creating better traffic flow with a two-lane roundabout at Barker and Trent — replacing a former stop-sign controlled intersection.

“And after today, hopefully there won’t be any more of those train horns, at least not here,” Hohman added.

The project is the largest and most complex project the city has undertaken to date. It involved coordination between a number of entities, with Washington State Department of Transportation administering the construction

NEWS

project and providing construction management.

Spokane Valley and BNSF were also involved in approving the work as it progressed, with Max J. Kuney Company serving as the general contractor overseeing the work of a variety of subcontractors.

The complexity of the work and the organizational arrangement led to a number of change orders — 68 to be exact, a figure including some that are still under negotiation.

Some of the change orders, such as change order No. 37 in the amount of $208,953, came from added costs to the contractor as a result of review delays by BNSF, along with issues arising from railroad right of way issues. “(BNSF) must approved the means and the methods of construction, not necessarily the amounts,” Spokane Valley city engineer Gloria Mantz said in an April 19 interview.

In the same interview, Hohman added that the right of way issues with BNSF included construction of the roundabout north of the bridge, with much of Trent Avenue residing on BNSF property. Those issues will also play a part in the city’s next large grade separation project at Pines Road and Trent.

There were also material issues, one of the largest being the fill material needed to raise the roundabout level and for the bridge ramps. BNSF required a specific type of material that was natural and never touched, forcing the contractor to truck in material from a site north of Spokane 15 miles away rather than closer to the project.

The changes resulted in a $1.434 million increase in the construction cost of the project, going from the almost $11.64 million bid by Kuney

in March 2021 to $13.293 million as of February. Even with the changes, the project is still within its $26 million budget.

Despite that, all parties involved agreed the project is a success, and should result in economic and safety success for the region. In her remarks at the ribbon cutting, Spokane Valley Mayor Pam Haley said the new roundabout will create better traffic flow and safety at Barker and Trent, while the bridge will eliminate any potential contact between vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the area and the 60 – 70 trains BNSF officials say pass through the region daily.

And while this may cut down on train horns at Trent, those horns will continue to sound at the Union Pacific crossing further south on Barker Road.

“This is going to be such an important part of safety and convenience,” Haley added of the Barker project.

Haley also noted the project has already spurred development of some of the 600 acres of industrial land along Barker. Doug Yost, vice president of development & acquisitions for Centennial Real Estate Investments, said he didn’t envision the development that has already taken place in the 11 years since he stood in a field along Barker Road surveying the area.

“We’ve only scratched the surface of what can be done out here,” Yost said.

According to a report created for the city by consultants ECO Northwest, the Barker Road project could result in $2 billion of total economic output for the state, with $980 million in direct impact. It could lead to 9,800 new jobs in the state, 3,300 locally, with a projected tax

Photo by John McCallum Right to Left, Spokane Valley Council members Arnie Woodard and Laura Padden, Licett Figueroa Garbe from Senator Murrays office, WSDOT Assistant Secretary Mike Gribner, Max Kuney of Kuney Construction, Eve McMenamy from Spokane Regional Transportation Council, Spokane Valley City Manager John Hohman, Spokane Valley Councilmember Brandi Peetz, Spokane Valley Mayor Pam Hayle, Spokane Valley Councilmember Tim Hattenburg, Matt Ewers of IEDS Logistics and the WA State Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board, Spokane Valley City Council Member Ben Wick, Spokane Valley Chamber CEO Lance Beck, and Spokane Valley Deputy Mayor Rod Higgins.

The Current

revenue of $12.3 million for Spokane Valley and $50.8 million for the state.

Of the $26 million in funding, $9 million came from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Investment Generating Recovery Discretionary Grant program, with $6 million coming from the National Highway Freight Program. The Washington State Freight Mobility Investment Board provided $5 million with the city of Spokane Valley adding another $3.6 million, something Haley expressed pride in.

“There’s no way we could have done this on our own,” she added.

The Barker Road project is part of the city’s “Bridging the Valley” project that began about 10 years ago. While the roundabout and bridge opened for traffic on April 19, other aspects of the project remain to be completed, including closing Flora Road from Garland to Trent and thereby removing the at-grade railway crossing on Flora.

“It was a two-for-one deal at the time,” Hohman said in the April 19 interview. “To get the funding, we had to build the one and close the other.”

The project also served as an exercise in cooperation between the entities involved. That cooperation was evident from the early design stages six years ago and resulted in some savings.

The city’s original design utilized a standard diamond-shaped intersection similar to the one further west on Trent at Sullivan. While it could be built, DOT officials told the city it wouldn’t likely be economically feasible, and instead suggested the roundabout and Barker bridge.

“The project we ended up putting in was about half the cost,” Hohman said.

The cooperation between entities will get more chances soon. The $40 million Pines Road / BNSF Grade Separation Project could begin seeing some activity this fall, with a likely groundbreaking in spring 2024, with design work on the Sullivan Road/ Trent Avenue interchange bridge being increased.

“For DOT, it (Barker grade separation) was a benchmark on how to do projects together,” WSDOT Assistant Secretary – Regions/ Chief Engineer Mike Gribner said at the ribbon cutting. “A lot of tough decisions were made along the way.

The relationship between the agency and the city staff made it possible.”

The Current

Spokane Valley council to address illicit massage and reflexology practices

By John McCallum Current contributor

The city of Spokane Valley is eyeing measures to rein in what it sees as increases in unlicensed massage and reflexology businesses and individuals practicing this craft, and the potential for criminal activity sometimes associated with these businesses.

At its April 18 meeting, the City Council heard from Deputy City Manager Erik Lamb and Spokane Valley Police Department Sgt. Rick Johnson about a proposed twopronged approach to addressing the issue of these unlicensed individuals and businesses. The first would be adding new language to the city’s municipal code by adopting Chapters 18.108 and 18.130 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) “related to the unlicensed practice of professional services by reference.”

The state provisions were enacted in 2015 through passage of Substitute House Bill 1252, which, among many things, subjected massage and reflexology business owners to criminal penalties for engaging in unlicensed practices.

According to a short citation on the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals website, 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.

According to the bill, 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.

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The added section also clarifies law enforcements ability to inspect the business, under what conditions this can take place and the limitations on when and where it can occur.

Lamb said the second prong involves amending city code 5.05 SVMC — which applies to all individual or entities seeking business license in Spokane Valley — to install procedures allowing the city to deny, suspend or revoke the offending business owner’s business license, something the current code does not allow. It also clarifies and updates the appeals process to make those current with the city’s Hearing Examiner — who would make a final judgement in these cases — procedures.

The amendments 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.”

“We’re trying to engage this once we know of bad actors out there,” Lamb said.

Johnson, who worked in a human trafficking unit prior to coming to Spokane Valley, said the department is seeing more of these businesses springing up in the city and an accompanying increase in complaints from citizens surrounding some of the activity taking place. He added these unlicensed businesses and individuals are often involved in human trafficking and are difficult to investigate and bring charges against. He said the city recently charged one such parlor after a ninemonth investigation, but that the “end game” of the new measures isn’t necessarily prosecution.

“We want these places shut down,” Johnson said. “We want these places to move on.”

According to a 2020 report by the Human Trafficking Institute,

Washington was home to 279 suspected illicit massage businesses.

While human trafficking occurs in many cultures and countries, the report noted “victim workers” in illicit massage businesses are typically women aged 30 – 50 from China, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam who arrive in the U.S. on legal visitor visas, learn of these job opportunities “through fraudulent recruitment ads on social media platforms,” are forced to engage in providing sexual services and find themselves having “exorbitant debt to repay, in the tens of thousands of dollars — often upwards of $50,000” due to visa and travel costs, often arranged through brokers.

MAY 2023 • 9

While human trafficking is a serious issue, Lamb reiterated the intent of the new and amended measures isn’t aimed at this practice.

“The larger goal is to shut these down and send a message to not come here,” he added. “Human trafficking is another, larger issue.”

The council gave its consensus to city staff to prepare resolutions to bring back to council for possible adoption at an upcoming meeting.

Councilwoman Brandi Peetz asked Johnson if the department had attempted to work with the state Department of Labor on issues involving unlicensed massage shops and individuals. Johnson said they had, but experienced difficulty getting useful responses.

“It hasn’t been well received,” he added.

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The Current

from the Washington State a security office for the Spokane be plenty of room to have just one New Sprague secured Treasurer’s LOCAL program and Valley Police Department will be event instead of breaking kids up Washington State Department put in and some park pathways into groups. “We can run more Library taking the of Commerce contributed a $2 will be completed. An events programs with larger audiences million grant. Spokane Valley also plaza with a Veteran’s Memorial and still comply with fire codes,” he contributed some funds and the is also included in Phase 1. Phase said. “Our public space is about a shape library is still in the middle of a 2 is tentatively planned for 2024 25 percent increase from where we

By Nina Culver Current contributor

People across Spokane Valley are eagerly counting the days until the doors of the brand-new Spokane Valley Library swing open to a larger, brighter space that will allow more and expanded programs.

For years it looked like the new library, planned to complement an expansion of neighboring Balfour Park, wasn’t going to happen. Three attempts to pass a construction bond were not approved by voters even though interest in a new library was high. Efforts by the Spokane County Library District and the Spokane Valley City Council to work together seemed to be failing.

Then the library’s Board of Trustees got creative in order to fund the $15 million project. The district’s capital fund was tapped for some of the money, a loan was

capital campaign to raise $1 million.

“It’s very exciting,” said Library District executive director Patrick Roewe. “It’s been a 10-year process, several library directors, several boards, several city councils. The players have changed, but the end goal has been the same.”

The new library, at the corner of Sprague Avenue and Herald Road across from the Spokane Valley City Hall, is 28,000 square feet. It sits on three acres the library purchased from the city in 2012. The five acres next to the library is being used for an expansion of Balfour Park, which is currently under construction.

According to the city, the Phase 1 construction in Balfour Park that is currently underway includes putting in utilities, landscaping and irrigation. A small building that includes public bathrooms and

and will include an amphitheater, playground, picnic shelters, splash pad and sport courts.

The current Spokane Valley Library on Main Street is a threestory building constructed in 1955 with a significantly smaller footprint. There’s little natural light inside and not much room for programs, including the popular storytimes for kids. Even though the building is small, it’s one of the busiest, serving hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Roewe said the library has had to set capacity limits for several programs, including the popular summer reading program. “For some of our marquee events we hand out tickets and hold encore events,” he said.

The larger space available in the new library means there will

are now. It’s all one level, very open and flexible.”

The library was built to last at least 50 years and the way the library serves the public will likely change during that time, Roewe said. The design of the building was created to be flexible enough to adapt to whatever those changes might be.

The new library boasts a large community room that can accommodate 200 people and can also be split into two smaller rooms.

There’s an audio/visual studio that can be used to record videos or podcasts, four meeting rooms and an outdoor patio. There are windows everywhere, particularly looking north toward what will become the expanded Balfour Park.

“This building feels very warm and inviting,” Roewe said. “We’re going to have this gorgeous park. The

The Current

library design is meant to embrace the park.”

When the library district first proposed building a new library more than a decade ago, several public meetings were held to get input from the public about what features and amenities they would like to see in the new building.

The district listened to that input, Roewe said.

“The reason we have four meeting rooms is because that’s what people wanted,” he said.

“We’ve been able to include that feedback from way back when.”

Each meeting room is slightly different, but they all boast integrated audio/visual equipment as well as white boards. They can be used for anything from homeschool groups to students wanting a quiet place to study. All the rooms, including the large community room, are free to use and can be reserved online. “These rooms can be whatever the community needs them to be,” he said.

The interior of the building is mostly complete except for some finishing touches that will be done before the June 17 grand opening celebration. The landscaping is currently going in, including some gardens and seating areas. “We’re over 90 percent complete right now,” Roewe said. “We’ really nearly there.”

The new library also has a garage that will serve as the home base for the district’s mobile services program, which sends what are essentially mobile libraries throughout the county. “The is our new home base,” Roewe said.

“We have been without permanent storage for our mobile services.”

One of the first things visitors will notice is the huge, donut shaped lights that hang from the ceiling. The round LED lights have a hole in the center that is designed to dampen sound. “It’s meant to funnel sounds upward with the cone,” he said.

The expanded children’s area will be in the east end of the building.

There will be space for activities, including activities tables that will be constantly changing, offering everything from construction with Legos to coloring.

“We’ll have some fun interactive learning areas,” Roewe said.

COVER STORY

“Imaginative play is really important to skill development.”

Roewe said he’s looking forward to partnering with the Spokane Valley Parks department to offer programs in the park and in the library.

There will be a computer area where people can access the internet and use a printer. There will also be laptops available for checkout, though the laptops can only be used in the building and can’t be taken home, Roewe said.

A spacious parking lot sits freshly paved and painted just north of the new library and the roads surrounding the library and the expanded park were previously widened by the city to accommodate increased traffic and to allow street parking.

While the library will have all new furnishings, including bookshelves, the district will need time to move all the books and other equipment from the old library. The current Spokane Valley Library will shut down on June 5 to give the district two weeks to make the move. The grand opening for the new library is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on June 17.

Though construction is nearly complete, the Library Foundation of Spokane County is still looking for donations, which can be made online at www.supportscld.org/ sv-library-campaign. “We’ve raised just about half of our $1 million goal,” said Communications and Development Director Jane Baker.

There are also opportunities to make a $500 donation and have a paver in the new library’s courtyard engraved with names, a phrase or short message. The 12” by 12” squares can fit three lines with up to 20 characters per line, including spaces.

There are also corporate sponsorships available for naming rights for meeting rooms, gardens and benches, Baker said.

Information on those fundraising efforts is also available on the Foundation’s web site.

The district is looking forward to finally opening the new library up for public access, Roewe said. “It’s the 20th anniversary of the city,” he said. “This is our gift to the city.

We’re just excited to open the doors to the public on the 17th.”

MAY 2023 • 11

Photo by Nina Culver A sneak peak inside the new Library Building shows significant progress towards the June 17th Grand Opening.

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• MAY 2023

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MAY 2023 • 13

Energy funding bring these to council.

Council At the April 25 meeting, council Coming in May agreed to authorize staff to contact The following issues are reviews more Also coming up will be bid the U.S. Department of Energy to tentatively set to be discussed at openings on the estimated $1.8 notify them the city of Spokane council meetings in May. road work, million similar project in the Valley was interested in applying May 2 – First reading of Summerfield Estates neighborhood for an allocation of $154,350 nuisance around Trentwood Elementary available to it under the Energy amended ordinances for business Mantz said a contract award Efficiency & Conservation Block and massage business licensing; bid awards for 8th Avenue sidewalk code changes School. should be extended in May, and Grant Program. and preservation project, Park three inches of asphalt. The project will improve about 54,000 square yards of roads.

will improve about 37,000 square yards of roads.

By John McCallum Current contributor

Road work construction

and

other

At its April 4 meeting, the City Council set a Planning Commission hearing date of April 27 on an application requesting the city vacate the right of way at 22nd Avenue and Glenview Circle.

The Oaks Education Association is requesting the city vacate 6,970 square feet of the public right of way just south of the current intersection. The south portion of the intersection has never been developed, does not extend further south and according to a report to council, is no longer needed by the city.

At its April 11 meeting, council approved a $3.82 million contract with North Fork Enterprises, LLC, for a project reconstructing Sullivan Road from Sprague Avenue to 8th Avenue near Central Valley High School. The project — estimated at $5 million — involves a fulldepth reconstruction of the street pavement, installation of new sidewalk on the west side of Sullivan to fill in gaps where no sidewalk exists, along with an ITS system, stormwater and ADA improvements.

Project funding will come from federal, Transportation Improvement Board, Department of Ecology and city sources.

Council was provided updates on several neighborhood street projects at their April 25 meeting.

Inland Asphalt is tentatively set to begin work May 8 on a $1.5 million pavement replacement along with stormwater and ADA improvements in the Hillview Estates neighborhood west of State Route 27 and north of 32nd Avenue.

City engineer Gloria Mantz said old pavement would be removed, surfaces graded and covered in

Councilman Ben Wick said it will be interesting to compare the two since the Summerfield project employs a competitive-bid style of pricing while the Hillview project uses the city’s new “unit rate price” method.

Chronic nuisance properties City staff presented proposals for improving Spokane Valley’s chronic nuisance codes to make it more effective to abate properties in violations of the ordinances.

Currently this is limited to criminal activity at a property that creates a public nuisance in the neighborhood, but at a December, 2022 meeting, council expressed a desire to go further.

Currently, 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.

The proposed ordinance would add a shorter time period of three nuisances within 60 days, one criminal, and five nuisances in 12 months, one criminal. It would also broaden nuisance instances to include abandoned properties, drug properties and a broader definition of nuisances to include criminal, regular and other civil violations.

Finally, instead of the current practice of boarding up the property for up to a year, the proposal would add the option of putting the property into receivership after a determination by a court that it is a chronic nuisance. Receivership would allow a court-appointed third party to sell the property, ensuring it does not return to a chronic nuisance condition and returns it to beneficial use.

Council gave its consensus to staff to bring forward ordinance language at a future meeting.

Community & Public Works Director Bill Helbig said the funding carries a pre-award application deadline of April 28 and a project application deadline of Jan. 31, 2024.

Helbig said the city didn’t have any energy projects on the table for the funding, but suggested several areas the money could be used if received such as street light energy upgrades and traffic signal interconnection and coordination at certain intersections along Sprague.

The federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law directed $550 million to the grant program. After pre-approval is submitted, Helbig said staff would identify projects the funding could be used for and

Road sidewalk project, Balfour Park change order.

May 9 – Second reading of business and massage business licensing; aquatics update, 2023 budget amendment report.

May 16 – First reading on 2023 budget amendment; bid awards for Broadway & Park intersection improvements, Barker Road at Union Pacific crossing project and Summerfield Estates street preservation project.

May 23 – second reading of 2023 budget amendment, bid award for Pines & Mission intersection improvements, Broadway Preservation Phase 1 bid award.

May 30 – Library building update

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MAY 2023 • 17

The Current

Celebra ng our Students!

Next month, with the help of our sponsors, Partners Advancing Character Educa on will honor over 50 students, one from each of the PACE schools in Spokane Valley, Freeman and Tekoa, for demonstra ng outstanding character throughout the school year.

We are excited to gather in not just one, but two celebra ons of these outstanding students for both elementary and secondary. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors that helped make these celebra ons possible. Be sure to watch for PACE “A Student of Character Lives Here” yard signs in your neighborhood!

Launched in 2010, PACE promotes good character through partnerships with schools, businesses, public agencies, faith-based organiza ons and community service groups. PACE has nearly 200 partners and over 50 schools working together with families to promote good character across the greater Spokane Valley.

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18

• MAY 2023

NEWS East Valley Middle School Improv Team Seeking Support for Global Competition Trip

By Colette Buck

Current contributor

Student Improv Team ‘Aged Improvolone’ from the East Valley School District’s Highly Capable Program (PEP) is set to attend Destination Imagination’s Global Finals in Kansas City, Missouri, but they need help to get there.

Destination Imagination’s Global Finals is an annual problemsolving competition for some of the world’s brightest minds in kindergarten through college.

Students in the United States enter challenge competitions with subjects like theatrical improvisation, engineering, and science at the regional and state levels. State competitions decide which schools head to the finals.

This year, the eighth-grade East Valley team, ‘Aged Improvolone’, is one of two Washington State teams to make it to the improvisational competition at Destination Imagination’s Global Finals. The team won what’s called the ‘Instant Challenge’ at the state competition, which put the team a hair under the first-place team and qualified them for Globals.

on what’s called the Brick Wall Improv Theatre. PEP students in second through sixth grades are invited to get up on stage and use the method of improv to make mistakes, learn important life lessons, and even work out personal problems with like-minded peers.

“The other thing that we do is we tackle the characteristics that go with being a gifted kid because most people believe gifted children have it made, but they have no idea the pressure they put on themselves to be perfect, so we deal with that a lot,” Thomas said.

What students take away from the classroom sessions and the competitions varies, but the goal of regularly including improv in classroom lessons is to encourage social-emotional learning that will set students up for success in anything they do once they leave the classroom.

“We’re not learning improv, we’re learning cooperation through improv; we’re learning leadership through improv; we’re learning risk-

taking through improv,” Thomas said. “We really emphasize why, so that the kids can know why we’re doing this, and we think…improv should be taught for every student at every level, and that’s kind of our mission.”

As of right now, Aged Improvolone is $7,000 short of their total $13,000 goal to get to the Destination Imagination Global Finals the weekend of May 20. The team is responsible for paying the competition registration fee, travel and hotel costs, and meal costs for the three-day competition. Schultz said the program doesn’t regularly fundraise to send their middle school teams to Destination Imagination because it’s not a regular occurrence for the program.

The East Valley PEP program is taking donations from individual community members and businesses interested in supporting their student’s journey to what Schultz called a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.’

“Destination Imagination Globals is like the Olympics. It’s an incredible opportunity, and I wish I could take everyone,” Schultz said.

“Just being able to see an entire four days committed to academics, creativity, problem-solving, intellect.

It’s just the most powerful thing, and

The Current

if people would come alongside us and help send Aged Improvolone (to Globals), these four teenagers will forever have their lives changed.”

The program is putting on an improvisation show with the Blue Door Theatre at Trent Elementary on May 2. It starts at 6:30 p.m. and admission is free, but donations to the Destination Imagination Global Finals trip are encouraged. There will also be a raffle, snacks and t-shirts available for purchase.

For Schultz and Thomas, the hard work and dedication Team Aged Improvelone has shown over the past school year is merit enough to attend the Destination Imagination Global Finals event. On top of attending their regular PEP sessions, the four students on Aged Improvelone have spent their Monday free time practicing for the competition, often giving up time with their friends and other activities to train.

“This is the third time in 28 years that East Valley will be represented at Global finals, so it’s just so special and so rare, and we just need some help,” Schultz said. “Believe me, these teens are just cool people and they’re going to change the world.”

Go to https://wa-eastvalley361lite.intouchreceipting.com/ to donate to the team.

“Every team at Destination Imagination…has to do an Instant Challenge. They go into a room… and they have to solve it right then and there,” said East Valley PEP Teacher Heather Schultz. “It could be a performance challenge or it could be a building challenge where they have to build a bridge that holds this weight or spans this gap. Our team actually won that part of the competition at state, which helped boost their score.”

Schultz and her PEP co-teacher, Nicole Thomas, are based at Otis Orchard’s Elementary and spend each week supporting the top 5% of the district’s best-performing students in what’s called the ‘Highly Capable Program’ or PEP. The program services students from kindergarten to eighth grade once a week or month for the entire school year using a curriculum built especially for gifted students.

The most important element of the PEP program is the use of improvisation in everyday learning

Contributed photo Team ‘Aged Improveline’ is the third East Valley PEP team to quality for Destination Imagination Global Finals in 28+ years.

MAY 2023 • 19

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Athlete of the Month

Citizen of the Month

Trenton Hlookoff makes it a point to make a difference at Freeman High School. The senior maintains a 3.99 grade point average and is a member of the school’s Conservation Club where he has served as president the last two years. He has been part of establishing a program that converts food waste into compost to be utilized in the community. Hlookoff and his fellow club members have also launched a native plant garden on campus. As part of Freeman’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter, Hlookoff qualified for the national competition in Chicago last year, participating in a group American Enterprise project.

The Rockford resident has taken a slew of AP classes in subjects like Environmental Science, Biology, Literature and Calculus. He will attend the University of Washington this fall where his focus will be on Engineering and Renewable Energy.

On the court, track and in the classroom, Maddy Phillips has excelled at Freeman High School. The senior is a four-year varsity letterwinner in basketball and was part of a Scotties’ squad that placed sixth at the 1A State Tournament this season. In a district playoff game that marked her first competition in three weeks due to an injury, Phillips scored 12 points.

She has overcome two knee surgeries during her high school career. In track, she competes in discus, javelin and shotput and has lettered all four years.

Phillips was selected as Southeast Spokane County Fair Queen last May and represented the fair at events over the past year. She maintains a 3.9 grade point average and is secretary of Freeman’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter. She would like to pursue a career in physical therapy or sports medicine.

Food banks, backpack distributions, after-school programs, community gardens, flood relief – all this and more are part of Patty Marsh’s efforts as director of Adventist Community Services and Disaster Response for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church Upper Columbia Conference. The Spokane Valley resident says, “We can’t do everything but we can do something.” Marsh oversees an area that includes all of Eastern Washington, North Idaho and part of Central Idaho, two counties in Oregon and 111 outreach programs. Marsh also serves on the Greater Valley Support Network Leadership Team. Locally, Adventist Community Services has collaborated on a food bank in Otis Orchards and backpack distribution with Liberty Lake Kiwanis. “I have my ear to the ground,” said Marsh. “I just want to be faithful.”

Patty and her husband Larry have been married 54 years and have two grown daughters and three grandchildren.

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• MAY 2023

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About and for Spokane Valley area seniors

New Assit.

Police Chief Focusing on ‘Modernizing Precient,’ Return to CommunityOriented Policing

patrol as a patrol corporal and later a detective specializing in information lead policing, or using crime hotspot data to solve community issues like chronic nuisance houses. He then returned back to the Spokane Valley patrol unit as a sergeant.

“I worked the night shift, and then I worked dayshift patrol, and then I was lucky enough to be selected as the administrative sergeant for the precinct,” he said.

“You spend most of your time in the building; it’s the daily operations of the building…working with all the different entities to make sure this place runs…and then some

law enforcement-related tasks.”

After spending some time serving as the administrative sergeant, Assistant Chief Walter decided to take the civil service test that allows him to qualify and promote to the rank of lieutenant and passed. It was right at this time he said the Assistant Chief position fell vacant, and he was placed in the running, went through the interview process, and was appointed to the position.

“One of my main jobs is precinct commander,” Walter said. “The (police) chief relies on me to run the precinct from a very

By Colette Buck

Current contributor

Day-to-day command of the Spokane Valley Police Department now rests in the hands of newlyappointed Assistant Police Chief Sean Walter, a Spokane County native and 24-year veteran of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Stepping into the new role, Assistant Chief Walter said his focus is to streamline the way the Spokane Valley Police Department operates by modernizing its practices and reorienting its focus on community-led policing efforts.

Walter previously took on the task of streamlining some smaller things around the precinct while serving as the administrative sergeant and retooled some daily tasks at the lower level. Now in his new role, he wants the public to know their input is welcome and appreciated as they update the department.

“We value the public’s input on issues and to not…think that it’s going to be set aside,” Assistant Chief Walter said.

“We’re always open to working with the community and very much so under the new sheriff administration…we really want to get back to community-oriented policing. Just being out there and engaging to figure out the problem and how to fix it from the people that are actually experiencing it.”

Walter grew up here in Spokane and first started his law enforcement career as a corrections officer at the Spokane County Jail where he worked for two years before getting hired as a patrol deputy. He was assigned all over Spokane County in his fifteen years on patrol but spent the majority of his shifts assigned to the Spokane Valley.

For now, Spokane Valley residents can find Assistant Chief Walter settling into his new role and attending community events like the upcoming twentieth anniversary of the incorporation of Spokane Valley, something Walter says he enjoys.

“I actually worked here when it was unincorporated,” Assistant Chief Walter said. “Once it was incorporated and we got the police station, I think I spent eight years of patrol here before I got a different job…It was a plainclothes unit that was run out of downtown, but we serviced the Valley…called the Property Crimes Taskforce.”

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office partnered with the U.S. Marshals for the task force, and Assistant Chief Walter was even designated as a Special Deputy United States Marshal while working alongside a U.S. Marshal across the state of Washington.

Walter eventually returned to

broad perspective. When I was the administrative sergeant, I would do some of the lower-level tasks myself, but now it’s more about managing the different entities that make this place run and any conflict resolution needed to solve problems.”

Contributed photo Spokane Valley Assistant Police Chief Sean Walter is no stranger to Spokane Valley having served 24 years in the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.

“In this job, I’m able to do more community events and interact with people, community members, and community entities more than I’ve ever been able to do; it’s been great,” Walter said.

“It’s only been a little bit and I’ve already been to events and interacted with people and gotten their opinions about things…I’ve been to SCOPE-related functions, and then coffee with a cop, holidays with heroes.”

MAY 2023 • 21

The Current

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• MAY 2023

The Current

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www.hubsportscenter.org them know the Bears are once diamonds from a downpour, Spring sports said.Several games featured sudden letting again surrounded by frozen tundra. Emmerson – a former linebacker swirls of hail that resulted in teams “Last year, we hosted a meet at Washington State – coordinates cope with defense against taking shelter in the dugout. on March 25 and the weather was Ridgeline’s unpredictable spring weather. nice,” Bowden said.

“The rest of the just wait it out and then familiar hurdle get“You’d that season was cold through state.” The dirt on Falcon diamonds now back to playing,” Peterson said. contains a healthy dose of clay to Athletes with ParaSport Spokane bolster against damp threats.

Peterson wore two sets of batting of adverse gloves on each hand when the can relate to scaling the uphill weather Emmerson points out that schools barometer dipped and kept another battle each year. The program is on the west side and in areas like the weather pair as backup. Even then, contact known for producing some of the

By Craig Howard

Current Contributing Editor

The beginning of Bryan Peterson’s senior baseball season at West Valley High School and the start of his professional career with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox remains a study in climate contrast.

An elite outfielder and hitter, Peterson had established himself as one of the region’s best prospects well before his senior campaign in 2008. The Boston Red Sox selected the Spokane native in the 11th round of that June’s first-year player draft and promptly sent him to their GCL affiliate in Bradenton, Florida where he batted .277 on sun-soaked fields bordered by palm trees.

Just a few months earlier, Peterson and his WV teammates began practice with layers of snow covering their home diamond.

“I remember my senior year being really cold to start with sporadic snow,” Peterson recalls. “It was very difficult to get ready for the season.”

With baseball kicking off in late February weather more suited for bobsledding, the Eagles moved workouts to the gym to get in some degree of practice.

“You make the best of it but you can’t throw too far inside and you’re not getting true hops like you would outside,” Peterson said.

When the season finally started, cold temperatures remained.

Peterson remembers layering to stay warm and avidly following local weather patterns.

“Each morning, I’d wake up and check the forecast to see if we were going to be playing that day,” he

off the handle or end the bat created a painful reverberations.

“The ball doesn’t jump off the bat as well in the cold,” he said. “As the weather warmed up, I felt more comfortable at the plate.”

Baseball isn’t the only spring sport that faces adversity in the early part of the season when Inland Northwest conditions remain frosty.

Chuck Bowden has been coaching track and field at Central Valley High School for the past 32 years and says the start of the season is always accompanied by “a winter push.”

“You’re looking at three legitimate weeks of what is really still winter,” Bowden said. “It’s tough for our sport to be what it is with cold weather.”

Bowden said sprinters and throwers face particular challenges when practice moves inside. Some athletes grow tired of the indoor agenda and walk away from the sport. Many stick it out and develop a resilience that Bowden says is a trademark of the Bears’ program. The CV boys placed first at the 4A state meet last season with ambulatory events included while the girls went undefeated in the Greater Spokane League and took the regional crown along with the boys’ squad.

“Once we start competition, we don’t get to choose the weather,” Bowden said. “It is what it is and this is why we’re tough, this is why we’re good.”

Bowden said last year’s campaign was the coldest he can recall in his coaching career. At the beginning of each season, he reaches out to fellow coaches on the westside of the state,

best wheelchair competitors in the world and often draws from Valley high schools. ParaSport Executive Director Teresa Skinner said rugged weather represents an opportunity for “a character push.”

“We try and make it fun,” she said. “Our job is for them not to quit.”

ParaSport practices at the Valley Christian School track and, each June, hosts the Pinecone Classic, a meet that took place last year at Ridgeline High School in Liberty Lake and this year will be held at Whitworth University. The squad often travels to warm-weather venues during Spokane’s spring. The third week of May will find the team participating at the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field National Championships in San Diego.

“We’re not usually traveling to a meet unless it’s to a warmer climate,” Skinner said.

Keeping the spring sports schedule on track can be a complex juggling act at local schools, particularly when the weather runs off course. Ridgeline Activities Coordinator Grady Emmerson says he and his counterparts at local high schools “can be on the phone all day” reviewing a myriad of concerns from field conditions to transportation to scheduling officials.

“On a bad weather day, we’re constantly communicating with each other,” Emmerson said. “Coaches are running out to the field, checking on conditions. Usually, if we have rain that stops by noon, we’re going to be playing that day.”

From squeegees that mop up soggy tennis courts to plastic tarps that protect baseball and softball

Tri-Cities get a jump on practice and competition in the spring.

“We’ll go to the Tri-Cities and they’ve already got four (baseball or softball) games in,” he said.

“Sometimes, by the first game of the year, teams around here haven’t even taken infield or outfield because we’ve been inside.”

Still, Emmerson said he’s been impressed by the determined approach of local coaches and athletes in dealing with climate uncertainty.

“It’s pretty amazing,” he said.

“Talk about resiliency.”

A GSL golf match in Liberty Lake on April 13 featured a collection of resolute teams that were finally called off the course halfway through the tournament when a severe hailstorm made conditions unsafe. Lewis and Clark girls’ coach Michelle Grafos, an All GSL golfer at CV who went onto play at the University of Washington and become a PGA professional instructor, said it was the first league competition she can recall in years to be canceled due to weather.

When Grafos was at CV, she would venture to the Tri-Cities to practice in early spring when Spokane temperatures still hovered near or below freezing. There was also the old Golf Dome off Fancher that offered an indoor driving range.

Grafos is the proprietor of a golf school in the Valley that opens in early November and runs until the end of February, giving local golfers a respite from the cold.

“To be a good golfer in this area you’ve to got to be mentally tough,” Grafos said. “You have to know how to navigate the weather.”

MAY 2023 • 23

The Current

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The Current

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The Current

New ReadAlong books for kids offer built-in audio while they read

By Sheri Boggs, librarian

Spokane County Library District

With summer just around the corner, many families are looking for convenient, inexpensive ways to keep the kids entertained and engaged. That’s why we’re excited to share the launch of a new collection at the library that ticks all the boxes.

Read-Along books (or simply, Read-Alongs) are regular hardcover children’s books with a sturdy audio player permanently attached. They are as easy to use as they are fun.

Our collection includes ReadAlong picture books, easy readers, children’s nonfiction, and even

Library’s Teen Leadership Council offers opportunities to make a difference in the community

By Alison Johnson, librarian Spokane County Library District

Spokane Valley Library is wrapping up its first year with our Teen Leadership Council. The council is a group of teens, in grades 7–12, who meet regularly, along with a librarian, during the school year to help plan and implement activities, programs, and projects for themselves and others at the library.

This can take form in a variety of ways and is driven by the vision and interests of the teens themselves. The teens get to decide what the council will do! This means the projects will be something different each school year and relevant to the teens who are participating on the council.

LIBRARY

MAY 2023 • 25

chapter books for older kids.

The Read-Along format lets readers listen as they read. This feature is especially beneficial for emerging readers, kids with dyslexia or vision impairments, English-asa-Second Language (ESL) students, or anyone who wants a little more fun from their reading. The audio recordings are crisp, professionally produced, and sometimes feature celebrity narrators, such as Danny DeVito, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Kids can listen with the builtin speaker or attach their own headphones. This option makes them great for family road trips, especially when each child might want to listen to their own book.

Read-Alongs are an immersive experience, incorporating music, sound effects, and even a turn-thepage chime on the books for younger readers. Some even feature “singalong” titles or include “learning mode,” where the audio player asks open-ended questions designed for reflection and comprehension.

Best of all, the controls mimic the

look of other standard electronic audio devices, making them familiar so that a child can operate a Read-Along with minimal parental involvement.

Each Read-Along book is selfcontained. There are no CDs, tapes, batteries, or pieces to manage, and you don’t need to use Wi-Fi internet or mobile data. In most cases, you won’t even need electricity.

However, Read-Along books can be recharged with a standard microUSB cable if they lose their charge after leaving the library.

Some of our new arrivals are: "Big Nate Blasts Off," by Lincoln Peirce; "How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food," by Jane Yolen; "Frog and Toad Are Friends," by Arnold Lobel; "Pete the Cat’s Groovy Imagination," by Kim Dean; "Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea," by Ben Clanton; and "The Adventures of Captain Underpants," by Dav Pilkey.

We hope you come by the library to take a look at and check out one of these or the many other ReadAlong books on our shelves!

Currently the Teen Leadership Council is creating a zine to add to the library’s collection.

What is a zine (pronounced “zeen” like “teen”) you may ask? A zine is a self-published, magazinelike publication often created by one person or small group of people.

Zines are created in many do-ityourself ways. There are no rules in zine creation. They can be large, small, monochromatic or in color.

They can even be interactive. You can learn about zines and their history, see some examples, and discover ways to make your own zine at www.scld.org/making-azine.

Zines are also a great platform for teens to express themselves and share their opinions as well as a way to learn about writing, design, editing, and collaboration.

This year’s council is creating a zine on the theme of superheroes.

Each teen contributes to the publication, exploring the theme of superheroes with art, poems, collage, or really anywhere their creativity takes them on the page.

The teens also do all of the editing, layout, and binding themselves.

Overall, the Teen Leadership

Council is a great way for teens to create a project that interests them and connects them with other teens, all while benefiting their community.

Some benefits teens receive by being on the council include volunteer and leadership experience, community service hours, a way to build up their resumes, a platform to be creative and share their ideas—just to name a few. And did I mention snacks? The library provides those as well!

The next meeting for the Teen Leadership Council is on Wednesday, May 3, at 5pm at Spokane Valley Library (12004 E Main Ave). We’ll also be meeting on Wednesday, June 7, at 5pm at Argonne Library (4322 N Argonne Rd) before taking a break for the summer. Any teens interested in seeing what the council is about and getting ideas for 2023–2024 council projects is welcome to stop by and pick up a participation agreement.

Do you know a teen or are you a teen who cares about your community? Decide how you can make a difference by joining the Teen Leadership Council. Learn more at www.scld.org/teen-leaders.

Grow Your Garden with Help from a Seed Library How Seed Libraries Work Borrow from a selection of seeds.

Plant them in your garden.

At harvest time, collect seeds to bring back for next season.

Find a seed library at: SPOKANE VALLEY LIBRARY 12004 E Main Ave OTIS ORCHARDS LIBRARY 22324 E Wellesley Ave Also at Cheney, Fairfield & North Spokane Libraries. www.scld.org/seed-libraries

www.scld.org

26

• MAY 2023

The Current

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The Current

Who is Lexar Homes

By Ashley Humbird Current contributor

Chances are you have driven along the I-90 corridor between Pines and Sullivan and not noticed the large cedar building on the South side of the freeway located next to Steinway Piano Gallery. In the short amount of time that it comes into your field of vision, you may assume it is a personal residence, but it is the location of the local owned and operated Lexar Homes Spokane.

Lexar Homes Spokane was originally started in the greater Spokane area in 2008 by Bob Oliver and Don Colts. Lexar Homes Spokane is part of a corporation of franchised, independently owned businesses. Lexar Homes was founded in 1993 with the vision to build beautiful, environmentally conscious, and energy efficient custom homes.

Ryan Swanson joined Bob and Don’s team almost 13 years ago to coordinate construction, Steve Watts joined 9 years ago to oversee the jobs being completed, and Royce Robinson joined 3 years ago in their sales and marketing department.

BUSINESS

as the local builder as much as we can. Whether it’s by supporting for example the East Valley Booster club or the Northwest Christian Academy or the Lakecity School.

It’s our way to give back, because we employ many members of those communities. Since we are locally owned, we’re allowed to work with local vendors and contractors.”

While working with the local labor force where homes will be built, the high-standard and craftsmanship that sets Lexar homes apart is maintained. Energy efficient and high-performance homes are the foundation of Lexar. Those values are accomplished are by installing heat pumps, energy-rated vinyl windows, cement lap siding and more.

“Our model has been to build premier homes that are efficient and high quality. We have stayed ahead of code. The energy code changed back in 2018 and it caused everyone to raise the prices and change the way they build. We were already doing it. We didn’t have to change one thing we were doing. We were already ahead of the code. In July

of this year there will be a new code that comes out again and we are already there. We’re not going to need to increase prices due to code.”

Steve shares.

“We build a home that will be there for generations to come.” Steve is Operations partner and has seen the value in building homes that are energy efficient. “The way we ventilate our homes and the ways the house breathes. We want our homes to breathe like you do every day. Bring in the fresh air.”

For many in the market for a new home to be built, the journey can be daunting. The team at Lexar has a portfolio of many different sized floor plans and will help their clients customize any floorplan. The smallest home that Lexar Spokane has built is a cottage-like home with just 550 square feet, and on the opposite end of the spectrum is a large 6,730 multi-level home in the Liberty Lake area. The team at Lexar will also help design non-traditional homes, such a shop homes. Royce can help buyers in any stage in their home buying process. “It’s all about the experience for the customer.”

MAY 2023 • 27

Over the past couple of years, a trend has been adding smaller homes to the properties, commonly referred to as “mother in-law suites”. Sixteen of these homes have been recently built.

The process from foundation to occupancy is approximately 180 days for the team at Lexar. In 2022 they built and completed about 60 homes in the 150 mile radius of their Spokane Valley design center.

“It’s satisfying and fun,” Royce is able to connect with his customers on a personal and local level. “The phrase I say is ‘At the end of the day, I can hang my hat knowing that we’re a builder for the community and a builder for the people.’

From someone who has inherited property up in Addy, Washington or in Colville they’ll call us saying ‘we can’t find a builder who will build up here’. I say great! Give me a call. Yes, there’s costs to do some things, but if we can do it we will.”

Lexar Homes Spokane’s main design center is located at 13412 E Nora Ave in Spokane Valley.

Lexar Homes Spokane’s website is lexarhomes.com/spokane

At the time, Ryan, Steve, and Royce were working for Bob and Don on new home constructions in a 150-mile radius of Spokane. As far south as Clarkston and St. Marie’s all the way up to the Canadian border, the team built houses for their customers.

Toward the end of 2021, Ryan and Steve were approached by the past owners with the possibility of purchasing the business. Ryan and Steve brought Royce on board to join in the business partnership.

One year after the initial talks, Ryan, Steve, and Royce became owners of the business on October 1st, 2022.

Keeping the business local and giving back to the community is important to all three of the partners.

Ryan is an East Valley High School graduate and Royce is a Freeman High School graduate.

“We’re trying to be the community builder,” Royce explains. “For us, we’re locally owned. Let’s be known

File photo Locally owned and operated Lexar Homes' Main Design Center building which can be seen along the north side of I-90 between Pines and Evergreen.

28

• MAY 2023

SVFD Report – March 2023 Current news sources

Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) crews responded to a total of 1,854 emergency incidents for March 2023.

By the numbers: Emergency Medical Services 1,551 Fire Suppression 146 Tech Rescue (includes 54 Motor Vehicle Collisions) 68 Other 52 Dispatched and Cancelled enroute 21 HazMat 11 Wildland Fire 5 Rescue Task Force 1 Of note: • Emergency Medical Services were 83.60% of all SVFD incidents.

• Fire Suppression (fire and Building Alarms) was 7.87% of all SVFD incidents.

Please remember: • Spring is coming. SVFD Water Rescue crews are out training at this time to be prepared for our community’s needs.

Mountain snow is melting. Be careful near rising water levels in our rivers and bodies of water.

• With a nationwide increase in dangerous incidents involving devices that use lithium-ion batteries, the Spokane Valley Fire Department wants to remind our citizens to use, store and dispose of these types of batteries safely.

Media Release March 29, 2023: Spokane Valley, WA – Just before 10 a.m. Tuesday morning Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) responded to a fire in the 400 block of S. Chronicle Road after neighbors saw smoke coming from an unoccupied home across the street. Neighbors also reported seeing a suspicious person entering the home a short time earlier and then leaving around the same time they first noticed the smoke.

Seeing a column of smoke, Firefighters upgraded the response to a working fire, adding additional crews. With the location of the fire being so close to the boundary between Spokane and Spokane Valley, crews from both departments

NEWS

were dispatched.

Arriving crews quickly began their attack, knocking down the fire. The fire had burned through the 2nd floor and roof, causing a partial collapse. Firefighters were successful in keeping the fire from spreading to other nearby homes.

The house is considered a total loss. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A person of interest matching the description of the man neighbors reported seeing leaving the home was taken into custody a few blocks away by Spokane Valley Deputies.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department would like to remind our residents if you see something suspicious, call 911 immediately.

Media Release March 15, 2023: Spokane Valley, WA – On March 16th the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) will proudly unveil Engine 8, the newest addition to our fleet, in a traditional push in ceremony at Station 8 (2110 N. Wilbur Rd).

Engine 8 will join Ladder 8 serving citizens in the Pinecroft neighborhood and surrounding area.

The new addition helps SVFD better respond to the growing number of incidents, increasing safety in the community. This marks the first time in nearly two decades that an engine company and ladder company will be based out of the same station.

Station 8 is SVFD’s busiest fire station (see map below) responding to: • 3,636 calls in 2021 • 3,486 calls in 2022 • 561 calls through February of 2023 SVFD is committed to having the right resources in the areas they’re needed most.

“The Fire District and cities served by the SVFD are experiencing consistent and significant population growth which is expected to continue well into the future. Adding Valley Engine 8 (VE8) will allow us to keep up with population growth and emergency needs and serve the community where it is most needed.” Deputy Chief Zack Bond – Spokane Valley Fire Department

Media Release March 13, 2023: Spokane Valley, WA – With a nationwide increase in dangerous incidents involving devices that use lithium-ion batteries, the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) wants to remind our citizens to use, store and dispose of these types of batteries safely.

Lithium-ion batteries store a large amount of energy in a small amount of space. They power devices we use every day including smart phones, laptops/tablets, e-scooters/e-bikes, power tools, children’s toys, and even cars. If not used correctly, or if damaged, these batteries can overheat, catch fire, or even explode, causing potentially serious injuries or death.

“Fortunately, SVFD has not had to respond to any serious or fatal incidents involving these types of batteries, but they are still a major concern for us and something we want everyone in our community to be aware of.” – Chief Frank Soto Jr.Spokane Valley Fire Department SAFETY TIPS: • Purchase and use devices that are certified.

• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Only use the battery and charger designed specifically for that device.

• Do not charge a device while sleeping.

• Do not charge a device under your pillow, on your bed, or on a couch.

• Do not continue charging the device or device battery once it is fully charged.

• Keep batteries at room temperature and away from direct sunlight or a heat source.

• Stop using your device if the battery shows any signs of damage.

Lithium-ion batteries and devices containing these batteries should not go in household garbage or recycling bins. Instead, they should be taken to a recycling center. To prevent potential fires, make sure to tape battery terminals or place the batteries in separate plastic bags.

VIDEO: • https://www.nbcnews. com/nightly-news/video/ lithium-ion-battery-fires-becomingincreasingly-common-162841669983

The Current

• https://www.facebook. com/watch/?v=363987635385101 • https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=8nz5ijXcckI • h t t p s : / / w w w . fireandsafetysolutionsltd.com/theunseen-danger-of-battery-fires/ Major Incidents: Car Collision, February 25,2023 – E Sprague Ave/N University Rd SVFD responded to a high speed collision on University. The call was upgraded to an extrication. Crews were able to extricate 2 patients and provide medical attention until AMR was on scene. Crews then returned in service.

Structure Fire, February 26, 2023 – E Broadway Ave/E Cataldo Ave SVFD responded to the report of a microwave catching fire with flames and smoke after putting someing inside and turning it on.

Crews arrived to find occupants had evacuated the home. Crews found smoke but no fire in the apartment.

They located the source of the smoke and removed it. Smoke was vented from the home and returned in service.

Vehicle Collision, February 27, 2023 – E Indiana Ave/N Pines Rd A caller identified a truck versus a vehicle collision and identified that noone appeared injured.

Crews arrived to provide medical assistance as needed and returned in service once completed.

Structure Fire, February 28 8:42 a.m. – Indiana Ave/E Knox Ave SVFD responded to a report of a home on fire. Caller reported 3 dogs in the home and 1 person. The caller reported the home was full of smoke. Crews arrived to find light smoke at the front door. A quick assessment was made and the fire extinguished within a few minutes.

The home was vented of the smoke.

No casualties occurred.

Crews returned in service.

Established in 1940, SVFD is committed to pursuing excellence and is distinguished as an accredited agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI), and by SVFD’s Class 2 fire insurance rating from the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau Connect with SVFD at: spokanevalleyfire.com. For department news, safety information, and timely updates, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube

MAY 2023 • 29

The Current GREATER SPOKANE VALLEY

A VALLEY-WIDE COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE

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CONTRIBUTORS

Colette Buck, Nina Culver, Craig Howard, Ashley Humbird, John McCallum The Valley Current P.O. Box 363 Liberty Lake, WA 99019 Phone: 509-242-7752

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The Current

2023 Chamber Business Awards

By Nina Culver

Current contributor

The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce has again recognized local businesses, teachers and citizens with awards recognizing their impact on the community.

Perhaps the biggest award given out each year is the Harry E. Nelson Citizen of the Year award.

Each year’s recipient is selected by a committee of previous Citizen of the Year award winners. This year’s recipient is Craig Howard, contributing editor of the Spokane Valley Current and Liberty Lake Splash as well as the development manager for Family Promise of Spokane.

Join us at the Pavilion on May 12th & 13th to apply for the Working Families Tax Credit or to learn more about the program.

Everyone is welcome and no appointment is necessary!

To apply for the Working Families Tax Credit you will need: · Driver’s License or Valid Photo ID • Copy of Federal Income Tax for 2022—Paper or Electronic Copy • All supporting documents for your 2022 Tax Filing (W-2s, 1099s, Schedules) • Information for all persons on the 1040 (spouse, children, social security #s or ITIN's, date of birth) • Voided check for direct deposit only • Mailing address if available

To learn about upcoming WFTC events & application drives: www.aiccinc.org www.snap.org www.spokaneunitedwestand.org

The selection committee gave Howard the title of Community Storyteller. Committee member and former Liberty Lake Mayor Steve Peterson praised Howard’s passion and commitment. “His energy for telling the stories of this growing community enhanced our lives and especially our business life.”

Howard was introduced at the annual Gem of the Valley awards banquet last month by last year’s Citizen of the Year award winners, Dave and Sue Thompson. Sue Thompson noted that Howard said that his father used to tell him and his brother stories each night before they went to bed. “Those stories always wove in elements of morals and the importance of helping people, instilling these values into Craig at a young age, which clearly has lasted a lifetime.”

In his acceptance speech, Howard noted that Nelson published the first edition of the Spokane Valley Herald 103 years ago.

“All I’ve been doing for the last 21 years is telling the community’s story, your story,” he said.

Howard said it was his privilege

The Current

ON THAT NOTE Spokane Valley businesses.

BECU was given the Community Stewardship Award in the large business category for its commitment to philanthropy. The business has supported multiple non-profit organizations over the years and recently gave $15,000 grants to Joya, the Spokane AIDS Network and the Idaho Central Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center.

Business Innovation awards were given to Spokane Valley Summer Theatre in the small business category and Western States Cat in the large business category.

Contributed photo Spokane Valley Chamber's 2023 Harry E Nelson Award Winner Craig Howard the 'Community Story Teller' honored at the annual Chamber Business Awards Banquet. to be able to share the community’s stories for so long and said many have had an impact on him. “I’m just honored and humbled to be here today,” he said. “I look around the room and see many of you that I’ve interviewed over the last two decades plus.”

organizations that have a significant impact on the community through volunteerism and philanthropy.

Valleyfest was given the award in the small business category for its commitment to community involvement and support for

The Chamber also traditionally recognizes an educator from each of the Spokane Valley school districts as Educator of the Year. The teacher selected for the East Valley School District is Marcy Williams from East Valley Middle School.

“Marcy is truly deserving of this recognition,” said Principal Mat Orndorff. “She champions for each and every one of her students, consistently works to improve her craft, and teaches with her whole heart. She consistently goes above and beyond to make our school a better place for students, staff and families.”

MAY 2023 • 31

In the West Valley School District, culinary arts teacher Lasley Dalke from West Valley High School was selected as the Educator of the Year. She’s been at the school since 2006. Principal Lindsay Stinger praised Dalke’s dedication to her students.

“While many teachers struggled to find ways to engage students during the COVID shutdowns, Lesley rose to the occasion,” Stinger said. “She ran her virtual classes like a cooking show where students could log on and watch her practice recipes. Lesley’s dedication to students makes her one of the greatest teachers to ever work in the Spokane region. She is inspiring and makes you want to be a better version of yourself.”

The Educator of the Year in the Freeman School District is Transportation Director Char Trejbal, who has been with the district for 39 years. The Central Valley School District Educator of the Year is Mark Bitz from Spokane Valley Tech. Bitz is a mechanical engineer who worked for HewlettPackard and Agilent Technologies for nearly 30 years and has taught principles of engineering, physics and advanced manufacturing at Spokane Valley Tech since 2013.

Business awards were given to companies in both the small and large business categories.

Roller Valley won the Inspiring Workplace Award in the small business category. Owner Zhanna Oberemok bought the rink five years ago but had planned to use the building for other purposes.

The community, however, convinced her to keep the beloved roller-skating rink open. She allows working mothers to bring their children to work with them and also hires teenagers looking for their first jobs.

The Spokane Indians Baseball Club was given the Inspiring Workplace Award in the large business category. The club also works to provide first jobs to local teenagers and focuses on employee development to make the experience a good one.

The Chamber also gives out a Community Stewardship Award to

Contributed photo Long time Spokane Valley Chambers Office Manager Sue Rusnak reflects on her years of service as she said fairwell to the Chamber as she moves into retirement.

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• MAY 2023

The Current

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