RIVER CROSSING
Meet County Fair Sheep Superintendent Morgan Garratt
By Nina Culver Current contributor
Morgan Garratt grew up in the 4H program, but never gave a second thought to sheep until a fateful rainy day at the Spokane County Interstate Fair when she stumbled on a woman spinning wool in the sheep barn. Now she has a flock of 20 sheep grazing peacefully in her backyard and shears them herself to spin their wool.
Garratt grew up in the Ponderosa neighborhood where she still lives and animals were always a part of her life. “I started with horses and then we went to chickens,” she said. “Chickens were the fifth-grade project. I grew up in 4H. It’s one of those things where you figure out what you like.”
After her spinning encounter at the fair, Garratt bought two sheep. She chose the Shetland breed, which is considered a primitive breed. “They’re as close to wild, Viking sheep as you can get.”
As the name implies, Shetland sheep are smaller than other breeds. “Just like Shetland ponies, they’re small,” she said. “These are cute, these are friendly and they don’t have a lot of health problems. I did not want to be throwing around 300 pound sheep.”
She also picked the breed because of their wool. All wool is not created equal. Different breeds provide wool that has differences in the thickness of the follicle and texture. The fineness of wool is measured in microns, with lower numbers creating finer, softer wool. “The bigger the number, the thicker around it is,” Garratt said.
Shetland sheep have long outer hair but a soft undercoat. Their wool has a crimped wave pattern instead of ringlets or a helical pattern. They’re one of the few breeds of sheep that will drop their wool if they are not shorn. The sheep form a line of grease against their skin that
signals they are ready to be shorn, Garratt said.
“They get really greasy so it can fall off and slide right off,” she said.
However, it doesn’t fall off in a large piece. It comes off in patches, creating a somewhat mangy look. Garratt said there was one spring that she had a broken foot and couldn't shear her sheep, so she got to watch their shedding.
After a few years of raising just two sheep she began breeding her sheep, raising them and then buying new ones to join her flock. She also
picked up a couple of rescues along the way. “I’m at my maximum number of sheep right now,” she said.
She’s a registered breeder under the name Rivendell, based on the Elven village in the Lord of the Rings novels. “Most of my sheep have literary names,” she said.
She’s named sheep Sinbad, Tom Thumb and Thumbelina, though she did name one Albert in honor of Albert Einstein. One of the sheep she purchased, whom she calls Bonnie, she got from a breeder who named sheep after famous musicians. Bonnie’s actual name is Bon Jovi.
“Everyone has their own naming convention,” she said.
Bonnie used to be a breeding ram, but he’s now weathered, a term used for neutered males. He’s calm and friendly and loves hanging out with the herd. Garratt said sheep are extremely social animals and there can be behavioral problems if someone attempts to have only one sheep.
“They all have unique personalities,” she said.
She raises her sheep strictly for their wool. Other breeds are best suited for meat or milk and Garratt never eats her sheep. “All of my sheep live out their whole lives here,” she said. “Some of my geriatrics are 11 or 12.”
Garratt said she’s heard that some sheep live to be 14. While some of her sheep are old, they can still be shorn of their wool. “I do all the shearing with my family,” she said.
She loves to spin her wool into yarn and even buys other types of wool to spin as well. “I love to spin for spinning,” she said. “It’s very soothing and I love it.”
She then takes the yarn she’s created and uses it to knit various things like scarves, hats and shawls. “I go from sheep to shawl,” she said. “When I was still in high school, I made a mini skirt.”
Naturally, she wore that mini skirt to show her sheep at the fair.
She sells some of what she makes and also sometimes sells some of her yarn. She likes to attend spin-in’s, where people gather to spin wool as a group. It’s common at those events for attendees to trade wool, which Garratt does to occasionally get different types of wool.
The one aspect of creating yarn that Garratt hasn’t mastered is dyeing it. To help combat that, she has sheep in several different colors, including black, brown and dark brown. “They come in 11 different colors,” she said of the Shetland breed of sheep. “That’s part of why I like them.”
After all these years, Garratt still shows at the Spokane County Interstate Fair. She breeds every
Photo by Nina Culver
Morgan Garratt and her sheep Bonnie. Garratt got 'hooked' on fiber after a spinning demonstration at the Spokane County Fair and now raises 20 Shetland sheep and volunteers in the sheep barn at the Spokane County Interstate Fair.
GARRATT
Continued from page 2 few years and typically brings her yearlings to show. This year she has two yearling ewes and a ram lamb that she will bring into the ring. She competes in the open class, which means the yearlings are not sold as part of the fair. “Open is all about the breeders,” Garratt said. “It’s really just connecting with the community.”
But even in the years when she isn’t showing, Garratt still participates in the fair as an exhibitor. That led to her being asked to be an open sheep assistant superintendent in 2019. Garratt said the thinking was that she was already there, so why not help out? “I fell into it,” she said.
She’s now the co-superintendent with Danne Hudson, the woman who first inspired her to take up spinning. Hudson runs the shows during the years when Garratt is showing so there’s not a conflict of interest.
Garratt said she can’t imagine not being involved with the fair. “I love the fair,” she said. “I’ve always
done it. I can’t imagine not doing it.”
Q: How did you first get interested in sheep?
A: The Interstate Fair! I learned to knit at the start of high school on a whim. That year I was at the fair with 4H horses and it was raining horribly. The sheep barn was dry and Danne the superintendent was spinning wool in this nice dry warm barn and I was fascinated. She invited me to try spinning on her wheel. That winter I learned to spin wool and the next spring I bought my first two sheep for wool.
Q: How many sheep do you currently own and how long have you had them?
A: I have what is known as a spinners flock, a total of 20 sheep that live their whole life here just for wool. I bought my first sheep in 2005 and am a registered Shetland sheep breeder with a few Craigslist rescues.
Q: What’s something about sheep that most people don’t know?
A: Sheep can recognize facial expressions and tone of voice of people. They can recognize over 50
different flock members by bleating (sheep's cry).
Q: What are your duties as the open sheep superintendent with the Spokane County Fair?
A: I organize the barn and set up for the demonstrations and show. That's managing the exhibitors and their animals and being aware of who is bringing what animals. I'm in or around the barn from when sheep arrive Wednesday to load out on Sunday, and most nights I lock the barn. We have sheep dog herding demos every day and a day long wool Fiber to Fashion, to educate the public.
The biggest thing I do is be aware to keep everyone safe, including fair goers and sheep. Danne, my cosuperintendent, runs the show so my sheep can participate.
Q: What is your favorite part of being involved in the Spokane County Fair?
A: The community that makes it happen, exhibitors and visitors. It’s a huge community that is just part of my world. I started the fair in second grade with creature feature - where you make monsters with vegetables. I learned to talk to people exhibiting horses. I talk to strangers every day of the fair. I learn from them and teach others and I grow more as a person the more people I connect to.
Q: What advice do you have for anyone considering owning or raising sheep?
A: Spend time with the animals beforehand and know why you personally are raising them. I raise sheep for wool, so what I'm considering for picking a breed and a sheep is very different than for meat or milk breeders. Have a plan for when things go sideways, and talk to the community. Small farmers want to support each other.
Valley council approves Pines Road bid, TIB funding request
By John McCallum
Current contributor
After a false start in late June, Spokane Valley’s long-awaited road reconfiguration and railroad grade separation project at Pines Road and Trent Avenue is finally gaining steam.
At its Aug. 19 meeting, the City Council voted 6-1 to approve the finalization and execution of a construction services agreement with Active Construction, Inc. on Phase 2 of the city’s estimated $48 million Pines Road / BNSF Grade Separation Project. As described in the bid advertisement on the city’s website, the project “consists of construction of a new alignment of Pines Road (SR-27) to the east of the existing roadway and beneath the proposed BNSF railroad bridges (to be constructed by BNSF), a roundabout at Trent Avenue (SR290), a new northern connection to Empire Avenue, drainage improvements and improved lighting.”
The project also includes a new trailhead for the Centennial Trail which passes just south of the proposed work. The new trailhead will include an expanded parking lot equipped with restrooms, electric vehicle charging stations and nonmotorized access to the trail and Spokane River.
The project originally bid on June 27 with four construction firms submitting bids. At the July 1t council meeting, Public Works Director Robert Blegen said staff review of the bids indicated “irregularities” with each bid, along with protests from all bidders during the review process. Blegen said one bidder also threatened to take legal action against the city, a move that could push the project further beyond the construction season as well as delay the rail grade separation, removal of the highway signals — which
are proposed being replaced by a large roundabout — and potentially increase costs.
At the July meeting, council voted to reject all of the bids and readvertise the project, which was done on July 18, with a bid opening of Aug. 8. Seven firms submitted bids, with two viewed as unresponsive.
Active Construction was the lowest bidder at just over $11.62 million, approximately 26% under the engineering estimate. The project is funded by a number of local, state and federal sources, the largest of which is $21 million from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) fund.
The city is also receiving $5.3 million from a Surface Transportation Block Grant, $5 million in congressionally directed spending appropriation, $5 million from a Move Ahead Washington grant, $4.9 million from a congestion and air quality grant and a $1.2 million grant from the state Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program. Avista Utilities has donated land at the project site for the trailhead expansion, land valued at nearly $800,000.
Councilman Al Merkel cast the lone “No” vote on the bid award.
City pursues state TIB transportation funding
By a 5-1 vote, with Merkel voting “No,” the City Council gave its authorization to city staff to pursue a total of $6.32 million in grant funding from three state Transportation Improvement Board programs for four proposed local projects totaling $11.8 million in estimated construction costs. If successful with all four requests, something city staff believe is unlikely, Spokane Valley would be required to provide up to $1.58 million in matching funds.
Two of the four projects involve improvements to Sullivan Road: $6.2 million preservation work from 8th to 24th avenues and $750,000 shared path connection from the Spokane River to Wellesley Avenue. The city is requesting $1.84 million the state’s Urban Arterial and Complete Streets programs for the preservation work and $600,000 from the Active Transportation Program for the shared path project.
NEWS
The two other projects are part of the Barker Road Corridor project: a $3 million roundabout at Barker and 4th Avenue and $1.85 million road widening and improvements from Sprague to 4th. The city is requesting $2.4 million and $1.48 million respectively from the Urban Arterial and Complete Streets programs for the projects.
Council awards precinct remodel project
At the Aug. 12 meeting, council unanimously approved a $511,005 award to Leone & Keeble, Inc. for remodeling the Spokane Valley Police Department precinct to enable the department to provide for 20 additional police officers being hired by the city. The total includes two bid alternates for creating additional space by demolishing existing hold cells and the vestibule and an office to provide more space for officers in the Traffic Unit and Spokane Valley Investigative Units (SVIU).
Base bid work includes modifying the current SVIU space to house patrol officers and modifying the current Patrol space to house more traffic officers, including installation
of more workstations. Repurposing of “certain office space” in the current Traffic and Forensics areas will help accommodate the SVIU officers.
Leone & Keeble was the lowest of four bidders on the project, with three bidders submitting responsive bids. The engineering estimate for the project, which is slated to run September 2025 through January 2026, was $720,000.
Following recommendations of a third-party study, Spokane Valley City Council approved funding for and the hiring of 12 of up to 30 recommended officers in late 2024. Ten more officers were funded in January 2025.
In the Aug. 5 primary election, 58.35% of Spokane Valley voters approved a ballot measure increasing the sales tax by 0.1% from 8.9% to 9.0% to fund the hiring of 10 more officers. The increase is projected to provide an estimated $2.6 million annually for Police Department staffing.
Communication tower heights waived
At its July 29 meeting, the council voted unanimously to waive the “three-touch rule” for ordinances and adopt and ordinance allowing Spokane Regional Emergency Communications (SREC) to erect a 120-foot tower needed for the region’s first responder communications network.
The SREC owns four-plus acres at 12809 E. Mirabeau Parkway where they intend to build a new call center and emergency communications tower. Because this is located in a “Mixed Use” zone, current city codes prohibit towers taller than 60 feet with 20 feet of antenna, but to be effective, SREC requires a 100-foothigh tower with 20 feet of antenna.
SREC’s lease on its current location in the city of Spokane is up in five months, and construction on a new tower needs to begin immediately in order to continue reliable emergency communications operations once they vacate their current facility. The city of Spokane is building its own 911 call center and increasing staff to operate it sometime in 2026.
The maps provided depict where citizens have reported Vehicle Thefts, Burglaries, Malicious Mischief and Thefts. 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. Citizens who have been a victim of crime are encouraged to call 911, if the crime is in progress, or Crime Check at 4562233, if not in progress, to report a crime.
2025 July Theft Hotspots
SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH
September is National Preparedness Month. This year’s theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.” To help you and your loved ones prepare for fall hazards, such as hurricanes, drought, wildfires and more, the National Weather Service (NWS) launched its Fall Safety Campaign on September 1.
1. Remain vigilant after extreme weather passes. The storm may be over, but dangers remain, so watch out for downed power lines and damaged buildings, and always avoid floodwaters.
2. Take simple actions to protect yourself and your loved ones. For example, if your community is impacted by a drought, try to conserve your household water use by turning off the water while brushing or taking shorter showers. Look to your local officials for additional guidance during a drought.
3. When encountering flooded roads or walkways, Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Half of flood fatalities occur in vehicles. Dangers can lurk below the surface of the water like erosion and potential collapse of the road surface.
4. Know the difference between a NWS Watch and Warning. For example, the graphic below describes a High Wind Watch (which means be prepared) and a High Wind Warning (which means take immediate action).
Bonus Tip: Know Before You Go! Always be sure to check your favorite weather app for the latest weather conditions and alerts before you head outside. 21-27 30 27
2025 July Burglary Hotspots
City Completes Greenacres Park Expansion
By Nina Culver
Current contributor
Children descended on the new play equipment at Greenacres Park before the ribbon was even cut during a ceremony held July 25 to celebrate the opening of the park’s new and expanded features.
Greenacres Park has a history in Spokane Valley nearly as long as the city itself. The city incorporated in 2003 and the city purchased the land for what would become Greenacres Park in 2007. Phase 1 of the park was completed in 2012 for $1.4 million.
The 8.3 acre park has been known for its farm features. The original play equipment has a farm theme and resembles a red barn. A lifesized cow, modeled after Ferdinand the Bull of storybook fame, lays sniffing a flower, the perfect height for children to sit on. After the recent Phase II construction, there’s now a shade tent over Ferdinand, providing a cooler place to sit.
Spokane Valley Parks and Recreation Director John Bottelli said the community helped pick the farm design of the original park features to honor the agricultural roots of the neighborhood. “It was shaped by the people who live here,” he said.
Hundreds of people turned out for the recent ribbon cutting, with
the larger parking lot full and cars lining the street for blocks. Children ran through the expanded splash pad, giggling as water dunked on their heads and sprayed their bodies. They lined up at a Spokane Valley Police Department booth for free popsicles and stickers.
In addition to the new, larger play structure, the entire playground surface was replaced, with the old wood chips taken out and a new soft and squishy fall protection surface put in. A merry-go-round was put in, but not the old-fashioned metal kind that kids had to push by hand. The new one is plastic with several seats and children make it spin by turning a wheel in the center, a safer design.
Picnic tables now dot the park, several of them with shade roofs. “There’s much more shade now,” said Bottelli.
The population in the neighborhood around the park has doubled in the last decade, Bottelli said. The city began planning the park’s expansion when the park master plan was updated in 2021. The process included numerous public meetings and people were asked what features they would like to see in the expanded park.
The city settled on a $2 million
plan, with the city covering about 25 percent of the cost. The city received a $500,000 grant from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program and a $1 million grant from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Spokane County Conservation District donated several trees.
The PTSA of Riverbend Elementary School, located next door to the park, also donated $4,000 toward the improvements. “It was really helpful,” Bottelli said. “Believe it or not, we needed every penny.”
“This is such a beautiful space,” said Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg during the ribbon cutting. “I was a Greenacres kid. This was a field.”
Hattenburg thanked the previous city council members and mayors who worked to build and expand the park. “It took a lot of time, a lot of years and a lot of hard work,” he said.
Photo by Nina Culver
City Councilmember Laura Padden, Spokane Valley Parks and Rec Director John Bottelli, Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg, and Councilmember Jessica Yeager among over a hundred of others that were preset to cut the ribbon celebrating the completion of the parks $2 million expansion project on July 25th.
When it was originally purchased, the park land was owned by several different people. One of the several landowners had a home on the property and sold it to the city on the condition that he be allowed to live there for the rest of his life. That resident died a few years ago, Bottelli said, opening up more land for the park. “That was the undeveloped portion of the park we were able to expand into,” he said.
That new land was used to create six pickleball courts, a tennis court and two basketball courts on the northern edge of the park. Pickleball is hugely popular and there were games going during the ribbon cutting ceremony. “There’s a tremendous demand for courts,” Bottelli said.
The city is still working on setting the rules and regulations for use of the pickleball courts. So far the city has settled on an open play method, with people lining up to play 15 minute matches on a firstcome, first-served basis. People do have to bring their own equipment.
“You can rotate through the court,” he said. “It’s a way to make sure lots and lots of people get to play. We’re going to see how it works.”
The park now includes 15 raised garden beds that people can use to plant vegetables and/or flowers. There’s a locking shed where people can keep their tools on site. “We’re coming up with how they’re going to be operated,” Bottelli said. “We’ll open them up for reservations for a nominal fee.”
The city widened and paved the perimeter path to improve accessibility. A baseball backstop was also added. “It’s not a full ballfield, but there’s a backstop,” he said.
A soccer mini pitch was installed in partnership with the Seattle Sounders and is expected to be complete in September.
Greenacres Park did lose one feature to make room for the expansion, the disc golf course. It was small and not widely used, Bottelli said, but the park does still have a disc golf putting ring.
Congressman Michael Baumgartner Is Fighting for Rural Health Care
I want everyone to have access to the healthcare they need.
Rural health care has been a priority of mine for a long time. This year, I worked to ensure the One Big Beautiful Bill included funding to keep local, rural clinics open.
The new law’s Medicaid provisions will not take effect until the end of 2026. In the meantime, the state government can apply for Washington’s share of a $50 billion rural health fund, meant to rush money to farm and forest communities.
After 2026, able-bodied individuals who want Medicaid will be required to work, be in school, or volunteer, (something supported by 80% of Americans*). This is how it should be; our tax dollars must go to supporting the most vulnerable.
We’re here to help. Contact my office to get help with any federal agency or concern. www.baumgartner.house.gov
*Source: Majority House Budget Committee, poll by Paragon Health Institute
Deadline Draws Near for Performing Arts Center
By Ben Wick Current Publisher
Launching in 2016, Spokane Valley Summer Theatre(SVST) brought performances to life in Spokane Valley and has recently completed its 10th season. “Our mission is to enrich, entertain and serve the community in a safe, professional environment,” says SVST Founder/Executive Artistic Director Yvonne Johnson.
Since its inception the organization has rented Central Valley School District Facilities. Traditionally SVST hosts three productions during the summer months as well as a Christmas production, titled ‘Big Band Christmas’, to celebrate the holiday season.
“It’s been another highly successful Season 10 with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor breaking our previous single ticket record,” said Johnson. With the previous record being the prior seasons Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. “It’s been a phenomenal, ambitious, magical year!”
The Spokane Valley Summer Theatre reported approximately 12,000 people attended one of their three summer productions or the Big Band Christmas in 2024, with over 600 of those self-reporting through their ticket software that they would be coming from over 50 miles away.
Less widely known is the organization also began a theatrical conservatory in 2016. Serving as a theatrical touchpoint and launch pad for young people interested in performing arts, the conservatory has provided theatrical training to over 1,000 students noted Johnson. Offering themed ‘Play-in-a-Week’ camps for students in grade 2 through 7, and specialized week-long courses for middle and high school students.
“We sell out our summer camps and have an extensive waiting list by early June before the summer season even begins” added Johnson.
With 10 weeks of back-to-back camps this summer (covering all but the week of July 4th), the Spokane
Valley Summer Theatre Conservatory hosted 190 students said Collin Pittmann, Director of Education for the Spokane Valley Summer Theatre. “This year some of our classes had wait lists of over 15 students, from parents that reached out after seeing that the registrations were full on the website. That tells me that we could still do more.”
"Our daughter has participated in several summer camps through SVST and has loved every single one. It's often hard to choose from the many fun themes available! The exposure that our daughter has had to all aspects of the production process is valuable and the performances that are put on after only a week of preparation are incredible. We love how the SVST camps continue to inspire her to be involved in the drama community in Spokane. We are grateful that we have these incredible camp options in Spokane!” commented Matt & Cathy Santangelo whose daughter is a regular camp attendee.
“Due to the growth and success of the Spokane Valley Summer Theatre, we needed a permanent home in order to remain operational in the years to come,” says Executive Artistic Director Yvonne Johnson. “This region needs a Performing Arts Center that promises to elevate the arts while supporting the dreams and futures of performing artists.”
Performing Arts Center
Potential Economic Impact
•7 main stage productions annually (each running 5 weeks), for a total of 161 performances each year, and providing an annual seating capacity of 74,543.
•$96 million economic impact from the construction of the building (The Bureau of Economic Analysis says for every $1 spent on construction, $3 are generated in economic impact)
•Americans for the Arts study (2022) cited that for every ticket purchased to a live performing arts event, an average attendee spends $38.46 in addition to the cost of their event admission. Based upon the ICSVPAC estimates of 67% occupancy during the first year. This would drive an initial $2+ million annual spending by audience members, with 1/3 of the spending coming from visitors traveling in from outside of the county.
•According to the same study, 77% of those nonlocal respondents said the primary purpose of their visit was to attend that cultural event making the venue a tourism destination for travelers.
~$800,000 - $1,000,000 annual payroll paid to local performers, musicians, and staff. Information according to economic impact data provided by the ICCUPAC
Plans for the nearly 60,000 sq ft facility were publicly announced in 2021 and included a 463 seat main stage, a two-story lobby, scene and costume shops, rehearsal rooms, four music / sound recording practice rooms, as well as event meeting spaces.
With an original cost projection at $25.5 million, the group broke ground in August of 2022. “We were under the impression that the funding was all in
place based upon communications received from the funding partners,” said Brent Wise who has since been hired by the ICSVPAC as a Finance and Construction Consultant.
However, conditions changed and “Due to circumstances beyond ICSVPAC’s control, the organization had to stop construction, regroup, reassess, work to phase the project, hire a consultant and start fundraising all over again,” noted Wise.
Contributed photo
Spokane Valley Summer Theatre Performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat which had performances in early August was the highest single ticket sales show in the Theatres 10 season history.
“Due to the pandemic and rising construction and labor costs, the project escalated to well over $48 million in construction costs alone,” said Johnson.
According to construction costs provided by ICSVPAC in their investment prospectus packet, during the course of construction, a little more than $9 million was invested, accomplishing 19% of the building and 90% of the total concrete work including all of the underground infrastructure, utilities, and the lower level.
While having to break the project into phases, Johnson notes that “The original plan is still 100 percent, but we will be phasing the building into two parts for affordability.”
Phase 1 includes 45,000 of the 60,000 square foot building, which includes the 463 seat Main Stage Theatre, practice rooms, scene and costume shops, as well as the practice room. Phase 2 would include the studio theatre and event space. “With the completion of Phase I Spokane Valley Summer Theatre can be operational year-round, and we can offer year-round Conservatory classes for youth,” added Yvonne.
“We need $32M to complete Phase I with Walker Construction taking the helm.”
Fundraising Plan
Noting that the organization is in its fifth year of promoting their capital campaign and the bulk of the funding previously raised having been utilized for the land acquisition and the prior construction activities, the organization has taken a multiprong approach to fundraising.
For those interested in investing in the Idaho Central Credit Union Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center, they have established a partnership with SEMBLE, a nonprofit investing platform that allows community members to utilize their investment portfolio to lend money to the cause while earning 5% interest as a return on their investment over a five-year period. The minimum commitment is $100,000.
Naming rights are still available within the facility itself and are continuing to be reserved.
Most recently SVST has launched the Light the Way Campaign, which seeks 15 community leaders who will each pledge $1,000,000+ to complete the facility and will receive prominent recognition inside the new facility.
According to Wise, currently the
COVER STORY
Contributed
graphic
The artistic rendering of what the 463 seat main theatre would look like inside the proposed Idaho Central Spokane Valley Performing Arts Center when completed. The structure of this stage is what you currently see standing tall in the Mirabeau area just east of the True by Hilton Hotel.
organization has $3.75 million in pledges towards the construction of phase 1 of the performing arts center, with $1 million coming from a Washington State Department of Commerce Grant (which is a reimbursement grant after construction resumes and only valid between 2025 and 2027), $2 million in pledged donations, and $750,000 in investments via the SEMBLE platform.
According to Wise, the plan is to secure $15 million more in donations which would allow them to access $13 million in traditional bank financing.
Timing
With the changes in the school calendar adopted by the Central Valley School District (CVSD), the availability of their current facility is going to be greatly reduced.
“CVSD is adapting its schedule to meet their needs going forward for their students,” says Johnson. “We are grateful for the community partnership and support of CVSD over the past 10 years.”
According to Johnson, “the Central Valley School District will only allow SVST [Spokane Valley Summer Theatre] access for up to four weeks per year after 2026. We already function on a limited operation schedule and this is not sustainable into the future.”
Without the performing arts center, Spokane Valley Summer
Theatre will “cease to exist.”
Therefore, Johnson adds “September 30th is our deadline to know if we can proceed forward beyond Season 11, as we will lose our performance space after 2026.”
For those who want to see the Spokane Valley Summer Theatre shows continue Johnson asks “Invest through SEMBLE, share and speak with individuals that have the capacity to donate or invest. NOW is
the time.”
“This region needs a Performing Arts Center that promises to elevate the arts while supporting the dreams and futures of performing artists. The opportunities the PAC can provide are endless and can bring people together from all walks of life to create and experience the magic of live theatre,” finishes Johnson. “It is a legacy project that will serve as a beacon of light and hope for all.”
A drone image looking straight down on the paused construction site of the proposed Performing Arts Center which stopped construction after getting 90% of the concrete work completed which included all of the underground infrastructure, utilities, and lower level.
Contributed photo
Student of the Month
Greenacres Middle School student Hermione Wick bring passion and enthusiasm to every project she touches. Hermione plays the trumpet in school and looks forward to starting the year at a new school. Over the summer Hermione has volunteered numerous time at community events such as Movies in the Park happily serving concessions in both Liberty Lake and Spokane Valley. Hermione has also been practicing responsibility as she raises a Turkey which she will show at the Spokane County Interstate Fair in September.
Athlete of the Month
Trent Elementary Schooler Jeremiah DeMello recently won the 2025 World Horseshoe Pitching Championships put on by the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association for the Cadet Boys Division in July. Jeremiah and his family have a horseshoe pit in their backyard for fund but traveled to Sandy, Utah for the championship round. Congratulations Jeremiah!
Citizen of the Month
Retired Washington State Patrol Officer Greg McNeilly has been a member of the Spokane Valley Kiwanis Club for 36 years joining the club in 1989. Recently Greg has been serving as a co-treasurer for the club and is on the Spokane Valley Kiwanis Foundation Board. Greg loves to fish and to cook fish at the Kiwanis Food Booth at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center. Outside of the fair, Greg recently helped paint the playground at Trent Elementary School and volunteered to help the Spokane Valley Cycle Celebration and the Pacific Northwest Tandem Bike Ride by volunteering at a rest station. No matter the situation you can always count on Greg for help.
Members Michael F., Matt N., & Christa S.
THIS FEATURE BROUGHT TO YOU BY
PACE Character
Trait of the MonthRespect
By Trent Nielsen, Hennessey Valley Funeral Home & Crematory in Spokane Valley
My wife and I have five children ages 12 and under. As parents, we often consider what we are teaching our children. One evening while we sat at the dinner table trying to begin our meal, most of our kids were misbehaving. We then discussed respect, specifically about respecting these three- the person, the time, and the place. I’d like to explore these with you today.
Respecting the person
Every person deserves respect regardless of perceived differences. Self-respect comes first. We show respect to ourselves in many ways. We can properly nourish our bodies and eliminate unhealthy habits. Being kind and forgiving to ourselves when we make mistakes can help us recognize our selfworth. Know that you matter, and
your value is not derived by the opinions of others.
Just as you should respect yourself, remember that others deserve the same. Each person has the right to think and act for themselves. You can respect their thoughts, feelings, and emotions, even when they don’t respect yours.
Respecting the time
Most of us have heard the wisdom from Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3 (or the song by The Byrds) about there being a time for everything:
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”
We must show proper respect for the time that we’re in. If it is a time to have fun – have fun! If it is
a time to sleep – sleep! If it is a time for reverence – show reverence.
We sometimes don’t feel like behaving according to the time that we are in. But all we must do is remember that, just like the seasons change, the time will come for other things. Although we might be in mourning now, there will be a time to dance later. In the meantime, let’s show proper respect for the ‘now’.
Respecting the place
It is crucial that we show respect for the place in which we are. I think we’ve all had the librarian glare at us a time or two when we forgot to keep our voices down in the library. Perhaps you’ve seen the heads turn when your phone rings in a meeting. Sacred spaces like churches, synagogues, temples,
and cemeteries require our respect and reverence. Let us all remember where we are and allow those places the appropriate level of respect.
So, as we consider the people in our lives, the times and seasons we’re in, and where we find ourselves, let us show respect for each. As we do so, I promise we’ll gain more from those moments and from life itself.
Trent Nielsen is the Managing Partner of Hennessey Valley Funeral Home & Crematory in Spokane Valley. He has been in the funeral profession since 2003, serving families in both Eastern and Western Washington. Trent and his family live, work, and attend church in Spokane Valley and enjoy being a part of this community.
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The Crest
About and for Spokane Valley area seniors
By Nina Culver Current contributor
Play it Again Sports
Spokane Valley sports enthusiasts have a new option when it comes to the sometimes expensive equipment needed to pursue their passion. A new Play It Again Sports franchise has opened at Sprague and Sullivan, offering new and gently used sporting equipment of all types.
Co-owners Jessie and Heather Willmon spent several weeks of the summer with their doors only open to those wanting to sell equipment before they opened their doors fully on August 21. Jessie Willmon quit his day job to run the store and signed up two of his three children to help staff the front desk. “I jumped into this completely,” he said.
Willmon was heavily into sports when he was in school and his children continued that tradition. “I had three kids who played every school sport,” he said. “We were constantly on the move, constantly buying things.”
He and his family lived on the west side of the state for years and Willmon often turned to a local Play It Again Sports store to purchase the equipment his children needed. He worked in outside sales and took a job in the Spokane area, bringing his family with him.
Willmon, who has been involved in baseball and/or football for 40 of his 47 years, saw opening a local franchise as a way to turn his passion into a job and “see how it goes.” “We’ve always talked about it,” he said. “It’s important to get kids out playing without worrying about the cost of it. Spokane Valley is good for that.”
The timing was right to do it now because his youngest just graduated from high school. “We are no longer going from field to field, practice to practice,” he said.
About $4,000 worth of equipment
on his shelves came from his own garage as he cleaned out equipment his children will no longer use. “My daughter’s last bat was $500,” he said.
Willmon has been working to open his franchise location for months. He found a spot in the strip mall on the southwest corner of Sprague and Sullivan that offers 5,200 square feet of space, including 4,000 square feet for the sales floor.
Willmon said one reason he liked the location is because it is near several high schools, including one just a few blocks down the road. “We went with it because it’s centrally located in the Valley,” he said. “We’re in a high traffic area. There’s lots of parking.”
He spent only six weeks buying equipment, defying the expectations of his parent company. “We have to do nothing but buy until we hit a
www.hubsportscenter.org
certain amount,” he said. “They say 8-12 weeks. It went way faster than anyone thought.”
Interest in the new store has been high. The business’s Facebook page has gotten 1.2 million views since it launched in April. “It’s absolutely insane,” he said.
People can find just about anything they need inside his store. There’s equipment for camping, hiking and biking. Several kayaks line one wall. There are cleats of all sizes, balls, bats, gloves, motocross equipment, hockey equipment, tennis racquets, skateboards, disc golf equipment, boxing gloves and much, much more.
There’s also a very large selection of golf clubs. There’s even exactly one unicycle. Willmon said about 60 percent of his stock is used while the rest is new.
Willmon has a swing cage tucked in one corner so people can use it to try out bats and golf clubs before they buy them. He’s not sure if it will help sales or not, but he’s giving it a try. “If we find out people don’t want it, we’ll pull it out,” he said.
His collection of cleats is fairly large. Willmon said he knows they are expensive. “I’ve got brand new cleats for $20 that we got from a guy who bought them at auction,” he said.
A section of one wall has several shelves of ice skates. “We have an ice skate sharpener, which is apparently a big deal,” he said.
Willmon said his store is always looking for more equipment. He pays either in cash or with store credit. “Any time we’re open, we’re buying,” he said.
There are also times when people donate old equipment. That’s kept in bins in the back to be given away to young players who can’t afford to buy even used equipment, Willmon said. “We have free equipment,” he said. “That’s supplied by people coming in.”
Giving back and making sports accessible to everyone regardless of their ability to pay is important to Willmon, whose own family didn’t have a lot of money to spare for his sports equipment when he was a child. To that end, he’s also looking for sports teams that his business can sponsor.
His store employs 13 people, including himself and his family. Many are part-time employees who are still in high school, but Willmon said he’s willing to work around their sports schedules. Their backgrounds make them knowledgeable about the equipment Willmon sells. “They’re all athletes of some sort,” he said. “We have several 15-year-olds working for us. It’s hard for them to find jobs.”
Play It Again Sports, located at 15412 E. Sprague Suite 12, is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Photo by Nina Culver Play it Again co-owner Jessie Willmon with a variety of used sports equipment that is available in their new location at Sprague and Sullivan. Play it Again
Explore the outdoors with digital books about hiking, camping, gardening, creating art in nature
By Erin Dodge Spokane County Library District
Your library card from Spokane County Library District (SCLD) offers you access to hundreds of thousands of eBooks and audiobooks through the OverDrive site and the Libby app. There you’ll find lists curated by librarians on a medley of topics. Here, we’re taking a look at four lists about the outdoors, starting with titles focused on the region where we live.
The Pacific Northwest has a plethora of natural wonders to see and other things to experience. The booklist “Out & About in the PNW” shares hiking and walking guides, nonfiction accounts and diaries of
Stay Sharp Kit activities
support people with memory loss, promote multigenerational connection
By Stacey Goddard, librarian Spokane County Library District
The library has some pretty special things in its collection: Stay Sharp Kits. With 30 different themes, these kits are great for anyone who wants to improve their short-term memory and overall mental speed. In fact, Stay Sharp Kits are designed to be used with individuals who are experiencing memory loss or other cognitive issues related to dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other memory disorders.
Each kit is a collection of engaging items with a specific theme, such as gardening, travel, baseball, movies, cats, dogs, and so on. Each kit includes
LIBRARY
historic happenings in the region, outdoor activities for kids and adults, compilations of animals, insects, trees, and plants, some edible, found in the area, and even cookbooks for foragers and outdoor enthusiasts. Discover awesome things in the Pacific Northwest at scld.org/books-pnwoutdoors.
Whether you’re getting ready for an outdoorsy summer or want to read about the outdoors while camping, the “Let’s Go Camping” list of digital reads are ready to hit the road with you. Create the perfect camp cookout. Discover ways to minimize your footprint on your outdoor adventures. Learn how to bird-watch. Find activities to bust outdoor boredom. Prepare for bears and other wildlife. So many ideas and helpful information are in this booklist at scld.org/bookscamping.
Nature has a lot to offer us, including adventuring, hiking, gardening, and relaxing. “The Great Outdoors” booklist includes books about finding great hiking, adventuring, and camping across North America. If hiking and camping aren’t in your future, you can still enjoy titles about gardening and relaxing in nature. Find books about beekeeping, seed saving, vertical gardening,
a book and three or four activities, such as puzzles and card games, that spark conversation and stimulate brain activity.
These books and activities encourage multi-generational participation and are fun for families, friends, and neighbors to complete together. You can browse all 30 kits at scld.org/stay-sharp-kits.
To give you an idea of what you can find in a kit, I’ll share the contents of the “Let’s move!” kit.
The first item is the book “Chair Yoga for Seniors,” by Lynn Lehmkuhl. Lehmkuhl is a registered yoga teacher and begins her book with examples of real individuals who have taken and benefited from her chair yoga classes. Along with simple and clear instructions, this book has photographs demonstrating each stretch, pose, and movement. Several items in the kit focus on hands-on activities. “Dimpl Pops” is a pop board and a strangely satisfying activity! Younger kids as well as adults enjoy popping specific colors or making a shape like a square on the pop board. The next item is fun to play with and twist around! “Stretchy Strings” are manipulative
composting, and more. There are titles for kids to gain outdoor skills, books about a wide range of animals found in nature, including the ocean, and tree and plant identification. There is so much to discover about the great outdoors. Get started at scld.org/ books-great-outdoors.
If you’re interested in expanding and exploring your creativity, consider immersing yourself in nature while you create. Grab your paints, journal, camera, or other creative tools and head outdoors. The “Inspired by Nature” booklist has over a hundred titles to spark your creativity, including ideas for watercolor painting, collaging, soap making, basket weaving, herb gardening, Zen gardening, photography, journaling, and more. Engage with these titles at scld.org/books-nature-art.
These eBooks and audiobooks are great for downloading to your mobile device for on-the-go reading. If you need help accessing these digital titles, you can talk to SCLD staff when visiting your library or use SCLD’s Book-a-Librarian service (scld.org/ book-a-librarian) to get one-on-one help with OverDrive, the Libby app, and downloading digital books. The outdoors awaits!
items that provide sensory therapy and are shown to reduce anxiety, provide comfort, and calm fidgety hands. “Playable Art Balls” are 20 colorful wooden balls that are all interconnected and can be turned, twisted, and manipulated into a variety of different shapes. This is a satisfying tactile exercise, and the wooden click-clack sound the balls make when they strike each other can be soothing.
Also included in this Stay Sharp Kit is a card game called “Expressions,” a memory game that asks players to complete a well-known phrase, such as “up, up, and _ _ _ _” (away) or “the check is in the _ _ _ _” (mail). Most players find it satisfying to match the missing word with its corresponding phrase.
Like the “Let’s Move!” kit, all of the Stay Sharp Kits have interactive activities and a book. These activities offer a low-stakes way to interact with the people in your life who are experiencing memory loss. I encourage anyone with family or friends experiencing memory loss to try one. Explore the different topics today and place a hold at scld.org/ stay-sharp-kits.
Explore nature in state parks near and far with a Discover Pass Backpack from the library.
Available to borrow for 28 days.
Get started at scld.org/discover-pass
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Nina Culver, John McCallum
Chamber Hosts third annual Youth Market
By Nina Culver Splash contributor
The number of booths at this year’s Youth Business Market hosted by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce nearly tripled from last year, as kids as young as 6 gathered to sell everything from art to baked goods.
“We’ve hit our growth mark,” said Chamber CEO Lance Beck. “We went from 15 booths to over 50 booths.”
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The third annual event, held on August 23, was modeled after one started in Vancouver, Washington, Beck said. He said the number of vendors at that event in Vancouver has since shot up to over 100, making him hopeful about the future of the Spokane Valley event. “I’m holding my breath about what it looks like next year,” he said.
The event, held at the CenterPlace Regional Event Center, gives young entrepreneurs a place to spread their wings, Beck said. “It’s the next generation of business people, a chance to let them shine,” he said.
The first year the event was held at the Spokane Valley Farmer’s Market. Last year, it was held in the Wal-Mart parking lot, said Thomas Gill, Director of Community Engagement at the Chamber. Holding it at CenterPlace this year made everything easier and more comfortable for vendors and shoppers. “Being in an enclosed space solves a lot of logistics problems,” he said. “A/C doesn’t hurt.”
Vendors had the choice between setting up inside or outside on the patio. A few chose to be outdoors, including a young blacksmith who had business cards made up with the name of his business, Flaming Anvil. Next to him was a snow cone booth offering a reprieve from the hot weather.
The Chamber collaborated with AmpUpSkill to provide support and resources for the young entrepreneurs. Kids got to learn
She donates 25 percent of her profits to Speed the Light, an organization that provides cars, scooters or other modes of transportation to missionaries serving overseas. Thomas, who said she wants to be a missionary herself one day, wanted to be able to support missionaries somehow and decided donating some of her profits was the best way to do that.
Thomas said she might use the skills she’s learning now to expand her business in the future. “I could totally see it being something in the future,” she said.
A few tables away, 15-year-old Macie Mead was trying her hand at selling her crocheted animals for the first time. She made everything from bees to chickens to cats, all of various sizes. She only learned how to crochet recently after she saw someone on YouTube do it and thought it looked interesting. She watched videos to learn how to create the soft creatures.
“I’m a visual learner,” she said.
She also made frogs, turtles and mushrooms, providing a selection that would appeal to a wide range of people. One woman selected her largest animal, a cow, and paid for it as Mead beamed.
Mead said she heard about the Youth Business Market from her friend who is taking a business marketing class. “She knows I’ve been wanting to sell my things for a while,” she said.
She spent most of her summer making various creatures in anticipation of the sale. While a small bumblebee might take only an hour to create, the large cow that stood about eight inches tall took her an entire day.
While she wanted to sell what she made, she had never previously thought about going into business. “I didn’t foresee that happening,” she said.
But midway through the event, she was ready to sign up for the Youth Market again next year. “I would love to,” she said.
about developing a marketing plan and running a business. While some had previously sold their handmade creations before, others were having their very first experience selling things that they made.
Children had to apply to be included in the Youth Market, but the only application that was rejected was clearly some sort of spam, Gill said. The kids get to learn about running a business and it’s fun to work with them, he said. “For us, it’s amazing,” he said.
During the market, shoppers browsed the tables full of everything from pillows to bracelets. Other items for sale included keychains, walking sticks, wooden chess sets, crocheted animals, earrings, keyboard fidgets and dragons.
This year’s Youth Business Market was the second for 13-year-
old Paitynn Thomas. She was selling cookies, rice crispy treats and brownies. Thomas said her grandmother taught her the art of baking.
“I’ve always loved baking,” she said. “I’m really specific about using family recipes.”
Thomas calls her business Sweet P’s. While she doesn’t have a website, she does sell things throughout the year, mostly through word of mouth. She makes birthday cakes and other items on request.
Thomas chatted easily with customers, talking about her baked goods. She said she enjoys participating in the Youth Business Market. “I just love the community of young entrepreneurs,” she said. “I think it’s really amazing that they do this for young entrepreneurs. It’s a great learning experience.”
Photo by Nina Culver
Paitynn Thomas who owns Sweet P's is in her second year coming to the Spokane Valley Chamber Youth Market and donates 25% of her profits to Speed the Light an organization that provides transportation to missionaries serving overseas.
Photo by Nina Culver
Macie Mead is in her first year at the market and is selling crocheted animals. Mead learned how to make the crocheted animals by watching YouTube videos and created everything from bees to cows so that she would have a selection that might appeal to a wide range of people.
