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APRIL
2021
GREATER SPOKANE VALLEY
FREE
Major League Makeover
Spokane Indians return with new look to season, league, and big league ties page 10 BOYLE CALLS IT PAGE 2
2021 PROJECTS UNDER WAY PAGE 8
GALA GOES VIRTUAL PAGE 16
2
• APRIL 2021
The Current
RIVER CROSSING
Good Call –
Boyle known as local sports clarion By Craig Howard
Current Contributing Editor
The affable and artful delivery is unmistakable to radio listeners fidgeting with the dial in search of a game featuring their favorite local team. When Mike Boyle’s baritone call rings clear on the airwaves, local sports fans rest easy, knowing that Spokane’s signature broadcaster will be adeptly painting a picture of the competition on the ice or diamond. Since 2002, Boyle has called hockey games for the Spokane Chiefs. He will begin his 10th season this month as voice of the Spokane Indians baseball club. While managing play-by-play duties for the area’s two high-profile minor league franchises may be a juggling act at times, it pales in comparison to Boyle’s early days as a broadcaster in remote locations like Lamar, Colorado. Boyle was a freshfaced 24-year-old, not far removed from college, when he accepted a job at the local radio station. Along with his main role a sports director, Boyle filled in as a country music deejay and also cut commercials.
That came in 1991 when he did a test game as a color broadcaster for a high school football game. The opportunity occurred not with KVCI but with TCI, a Boise cable station, and launched Boyle into an on-air career that has now spanned three decades. In Boise, he reported on high school sports and became known for his live coverage at Boise State games. He also became the weekend sports anchor at KVCI.
Boyle’s next stop took him south to Tucson, Arizona in 1998 where he worked for the CBS affiliate and covered University of Arizona men’s basketball and football as well as the state’s pro sports quartet – the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Coyotes. By 2000, Boyle was interviewing at all three TV stations in Spokane, eventually landing at KXLY. Boyle credits veteran sports personalities Dennis Patchin and Rick Lukens for helping him acclimate to the Spokane market after transitioning from the desert.
It was Patchin who alerted Boyle to an opening with the Chiefs in the summer of 2002. The team needed to fill a void in the play-by-play booth and Boyle turned out to be the perfect fit. “I’d always wanted to be a radio play-by-play guy,” Boyle recalls. “I’d been doing TV but it was kind of an accident.” Boyle continued in a part-time TV role after 2002, this time with KREM. He has continued pitch hitting as a sports anchor, reporter, producer and photographer. He has also worked as a freelance writer for the Spokesman-Review. Boyle caught his break on the baseball side in 2007 when the TriCity representative in the Northwest League brought him on as the voice of the team. After four years with the Dust Devils, Boyle signed on with the Indians after legendary broadcaster Bob Robertson took on a reduced role to spend more time with his wife who was ill. Robertson would return to the microphone from time to time, collaborating with Boyle to create
Prep sports were the bread and butter of the rural station with 18 high schools in its listening area. During one holiday basketball tournament, Boyle was asked to call eight games on Thursday, six the following day and four games on championship Saturday.
storytelling
In his native Maryland, Boyle grew up listening to influential announcers in the same vein as Robertson. He would dial into stations on his transistor radio carrying Baltimore’s big-league baseball and football teams – the Orioles and Colts – with Hall of Fame broadcaster Chuck Thompson calling the action. During hockey season, Gene Hart – voice of the Philadelphia Flyers – filled the airwaves. Boyle would also listen to Harry Kalas, another Hall of Famer, call Philadelphia Phillies’ baseball games with Hall of Fame outfielder Richie Ashburn. “These guys were the voices of the teams they covered,” Boyle said. Boyle grew up in Havre de Grace, Maryland, the birthplace of baseball icon Cal Ripken Jr. Boyle’s uncle coached Ripken in high school and Boyle played in the same little league as Cal and his brother Billy as a grade schooler. When Boyle was 13, his parents split up and he and his mom and brother moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado. Sports helped Boyle integrate into his adopted community. By his junior year, in high school, Boyle was the sixth man on a basketball team that placed fifth in state. His dad drove down from Boise to catch the tournament, the first reunion for father and son since Boyle moved to Colorado. “My dad was the reason I got into sports,” Boyle said. “He took me to Colts and Orioles games and was a youth sports coach and official.” Boyle’s mom, meanwhile, was her son’s primary booster. “She never missed a game of mine wherever it was,” he said. “She was my biggest fan.”
“Eighteen games in three days,” Boyle recalls. “Fortunately, I had all the rosters in advance.” After a year in Lamar, Boyle latched on with a Boise TV channel – KVCI – where he had worked briefly after graduating from Colorado State. While Boyle’s preference was to be on the air, a logjam of hosts and reporters at the station meant he would be behind the scenes, writing and editing copy, working as a cameraman and hoping for his break.
vintage summertime from Avista Stadium.
Photo by Craig Howard Mike Boyle has been a fixture in the broadcasting booth for the Spokane Chiefs since 2002 and the Spokane Indians for the past decade. The Maryland native played Division-1 college basketball at Colorado State and began his media career in Boise behind the camera in 1984.
Boyle was good enough in basketball to receive letters of interests from big schools like Nebraska and Oklahoma State as well as scholarship offers from smaller colleges. Wanting to stay close to home, Boyle walked on at Colorado State and earned a roster spot. Playing time was limited as a freshman, however. See BOYLE, Page 4
APRIL 2021 • 3
The Current
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4
NEWS
• APRIL 2021
BOYLE
Continued from page 2 “I was not big enough for basketball at that level,” Boyle said. “I was a good jumper but I only weighed 150 pounds.” Boyle stepped away from the team after the first semester of his sophomore year to be part of a student exchange program at the University of London. He would graduate from CSU with a degree in communications and a minor in history. In addition to his work broadcasting local hockey and baseball, Spokane sports fans may remember Boyle as the TV play-byplay voice of the Spokane Shock in 2006, the year the team won the Arena Cup. Boyle met his wife Shelly through a mutual friend at KREM. The couple are proud parents of two sons. Q: As you were growing up playing different sports, did you ever add any play-by-play commentary to the proceedings? A: I never commentated while playing. I was a pretty intense player and extremely focused on what I was doing to help my team win. When it came to watching games in person or on TV, well that was a different story. I was much more likely to turn down the volume on the TV and call it myself; especially if it was a team I was rooting for. It was a classic case of calling the game as I would like to see it. I was pretty sure by the time I hit high school that I wanted to be a radio play-by-play announcer. Q: You had some noteworthy success as a basketball player. How do the rewards on the court compare with the fulfillment of calling a great game? A: I don’t know if noteworthy would be the word, but I did OK playing the game. As much as I can look back on my 30-plus year career of play-by-play work, I’ve never GREATER
had a game match up to a great moment as a player. Hitting a gamewinning shot, especially in a postseason situation, is what you live for as a player. Conversely, I’ve never suffered the lows as a broadcaster as you do as a player either. I can still recall missing a shot at the buzzer that lost my team a game as a senior – a makeable one too. That still haunts me as does the loss at state my junior year in high school in the quarterfinals to a team we had beaten by double digits three months earlier. That was over 40 years ago and it still crosses my mind. I’ve never had a game I broadcasted do that. Q: When you’re in the booth, how aware are you of the listeners at home who may seldom or never attend a game and are relying on you to transport them to that place? A: I think of the listener, young and old, every game I put on the headset and start talking in the mic. The memories of listening to my favorite teams over my grandmother’s transistor radio as a kid are always with me. Radio has a special connection with fans, much more than television I believe. There is nothing more powerful to the mind than the power of imagination and radio serves that purpose better than any other medium. I think picturing a great moment in sports is more powerful than watching it. I don’t think it’s any great coincidence that when you watch sports highlights shows with a great finish, it’s usually the radio guys’ calls of the moment they use, not the TV. Q: In this age of a pandemic and so much social isolation, how much more meaningful will this connection be? A: I don’t think it will be as big as the major league or major college level, as every game is televised. For minor league sports, like the Indians and Chiefs here in town, it’s going to be huge. Many of the road games will only be coming over radio,
SPOKANE
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A VALLEY-WIDE COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE
so how I call the game will be the only avenue our fans will have to know what’s going on in the game. Monitoring it by Twitter or some score tracker doesn’t nearly give you the background of what is happening in the game. I’m looking forward to some fans rediscovering radio. Q: How would you describe the pride that Spokane fans have in their teams? A: Huge. Just having the name Spokane in front of the name really gets this community behind their teams. Fans of the Indians and Chiefs are die-hard and longtime fans in many cases. Generations have attended Indians games and there’s a huge baseball following in Spokane. The hockey community is very tight-knit and it seems everybody knows everybody who’s put on a pair of skates over the last several generations. It’s comforting to see familiar faces over the years at both Indians and Chiefs games and I try to bring the passion they have for their teams to every game I call for them. Q: Along those same lines, how do you think sports can bring us together as a community? There’s no question sports can bring a community together like no other entity. I’ve seen teams in all kinds of sports get a town behind them unlike anything else in every market I’ve worked. I saw the effect Boise State athletics had in Boise, University of Arizona sports in Tucson, and Gonzaga, WSU, EWU, as well as the Shock, Indians and Chiefs here in Spokane. People forget about their differences and focus on one common goal when they root for the hometown team. It’s a great thing to watch and be a part of. Believe me. I can still recall coming back to Spokane from Kitchener, Ontario when the Chiefs won the Memorial Cup in 2008. Driving into the Spokane Arena with thousands of screaming fans was something I’ll never forget.
The Current
Q: You are the type of broadcaster that makes things look and sound easy but there has to be a lot that goes into that. What sort of preparation do you put into each game? A: More than anyone realizes. To start the Chiefs’ season this year, I have three games in three nights. I’ll be putting in prep work starting the Monday before the Friday opener and doing every night up until game time. I’ll put in at least 12 hours of work heading into the opening weekend preparing the pregame half hour segments as well as any information I need during the game itself. I have names to go over, statistics from previous seasons to look over as well as basic background info on the players on the Chiefs as well as the opponents. The art comes in passing on that information in a seamless fashion within the framework of describing the action for the fan. Q: The Spokane Indians are making a big transition this year to a new league, a longer season and a new big league affiliation. What are you looking forward to most about the 2021 season? A: I’m looking forward to working more than anything else. I’ve never gone a year without working, so it’s going to feel great getting back to doing what I love best. Being at the ballpark will be different with the limited number of fans and I’ll miss the packed house electricity, especially in a close game in the late innings. The longer season will be a grind but having six-game series will cut down on the travel, which will help quite a bit with the wear and tear you get playing daily. I’m looking forward to working with the Rockies again as I worked with them when I was in Tri Cities in the late 2000s. I watched the Rockies first home game in Denver in 1993 and made a couple trips down to watch them in their early years. I even still have my old Todd Helton jersey.
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The Current
NEWS
SVFD Report – April 2020 Current News sources
Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) crews responded to a total of 1445 emergency calls from February 15 – March 15, 2021. Emergency Medical Services 1176 Motor Vehicle
82
Fires
67
Building Alarms
38
Service Calls
20
Vehicle Fires
14
Hazardous Materials
8
Auto vs Pedestrian 2 2
Highlights and the news include: Total calls for service decreased from 1532 the month prior to 1445 this month. • Calls for EMS decreased from 1249 to 1176. • Motor Vehicle increased from 54 to 82.
Accidents
• Vehicle Fires saw a large increase going from 6 to 14. • Fires saw an decrease from 85 last month to 67 this month. Media Release Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) has been awarded a State Farm Good Neighbor Grant in the amount of $15,000. The Spokane County area, including areas within SVFD’s jurisdiction are considered vulnerable to wildfire risk. “We live in a WUI zone; an area that lies between wildland and human development,” said Spokane Valley Fire Department Fire Marshal, Greg Rogers. “WUI fires include brush, grass, forest fires and other outdoor fires, and our department is dispatched to these types of calls every month of the year. As the threat of wildfire is increasing, it is becoming more important that each resident take steps to protect their homes and their community.” The funds will be used to support a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Awareness and Preparedness Education project that the department is developing this year. The project will help SVFD residents learn more about their specific WUI fire risks and ways to mitigate those risks and better prepare their homes and property
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against a wildfire. SVFD applied in October 2020 for one of the Safety Grants to be used towards a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Awareness and Preparedness Education Project. State Farm focuses their Safety Grant funding on several key areas of neighborhood safety: •
Auto and roadway safety.
•
Teen driver education.
• Home prevention.
Dispatched and cancelled en route 36
Technical Rescue
APRIL 2021 • 5
safety
and
•
Disaster preparedness.
•
Disaster recovery.
fire
State Farm makes it part of their business to be “like a good neighbor”, helping to build safer, stronger, and better educated communities throughout the US. They do that by supporting the communities where they live and work and focus on giving back to communities by establishing their “Good Neighbor Citizenships Company Grants”. The grants focus on three areas: safety, community development, and education. According to the NFPA, more than 46 million residences in 70,000 communities in the US are at risk for WUI fires. It is through preparatory actions taken by homeowners that we can all reduce the risk not only to individual homes, but to our entire community. Simple steps such as creating a defensible space around your home can reduce the WUI fire risk. Through wildfire preparedness activities we can help make our community a safer place to live. Incidents: Two Fires, February 18 - Spokane Valley Fire Department crews were called on two structure fires 10 minutes apart in the early morning. Fire One Fire crews were called to the first fire, an abandoned house, around 12:32 a.m. The fire was called in by a neighbor who had seen smoke coming from the roof.
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• APRIL 2021
The Current
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The Current
Introducing the
Safety Awareness Channel 2021 February Robbery Hotspots
Published Date: 3/8/2021 Prepared by Spokane County Sheriff's RIG 9 Unit
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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.
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With COVID-19 making its way through our community, we would like to remind you to please “Stay home and stay healthy.” If you do need to go out, please remember to; 1. Practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet away from other community members.
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2. Only buy what you need. The recent onslaught of over buying of items has caused shortages in the immediate food supply in our community. The only way for those to replenish is to give them time to transport and restock those items. Please only purchase what you need. 3. Wash you hands! Remember to wash your hand after each outing you may embark on. 4. Keep surfaces clean. COVID-19 can survive on surfaces for extended periods of time. Wipe frequently used surfaces daily to contain contamination.
8
• APRIL 2021
NEWS
Priority Projects Identified and street committee established By Bill Gothmann Current Contributor
Street Sustainability Committee Established Council appointed 23 citizens to a committee that will examine the condition of the City’s streets and their funding. The initial goals of the Committee are: evaluate citizens’ interest and support for maintaining city streets and suggest pavement condition goals; identify preference for maintaining city streets, types of treatments used, and long-term levels of service; and investigate current revenues and potential future funding sources for maintaining city streets at the recommended level of service. Street maintenance and condition have been a challenge ever since the City was incorporated in 2003. Those selected were: Lance Beck, Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce; Frank Tombari, Banner Bank; Cheryl Stewart, General Association of General Contractors – Inland NW; Kevin Person, Wagstaff; Kyle England, Kaiser Aluminum; Greg Repetti, Valley Hospital; Jesse Granado, Waste Management; Robin DeRuew, Fitness Finatics; Tom Dingus, Dingus, Zarecor & Associates; Matt Ewers, Inland Empire Distribution Services; Ben Small, Central Valley School District; Cal Coblentz, Spokane Valley Partners; Carol Weltz, Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP); Mike Frucci, Washington State Department of Transportation; Karl Otterstrom, Spokane Transit Authority; Kelly Fukai, Washington State Transportation Commission;
Kevin Wallace, Spokane Regional Transportation Council; Melanie Rose, Avista Utilities; Todd Henry, Vera Water and Power; Joe Tortorelli, Spokane Good Roads Association; Chris Moan, Citizen Representative; Diana Wilhite, Citizen Representative; and Kathe Williams, Citizen Representative. Council approved the motion 4:3, with council members Pam Haley, Arne Woodard, and Rod Higgins dissenting. Haley noted that the proposal did not require that all committee members would be City residents. Staff Reviews Accomplishments
2020
Last year was a busy year for Spokane Valley Staff and Council and every department was influenced by the Pandemic. The following is only a portion of what was accomplished by the City. A groundbreaking ceremony was recently held for the Barker/BNSF grade separation project after extensive preparation last year. Barker roundabouts were completed. The Centerplace West Lawn project was completed. Industrial areas were expanded by the construction of Garland, only to have a portion of it rerouted for the Amazon project. The final phase in Browns Park was completed. Two assistant police chiefs were selected. City Council represented the City on 18 different committees while holding 50 council meetings at which they approved 16 resolutions and 29 ordinances. The City Clerk processed 431 public records requests requiring 1057 staff hours, costing $59,263 and receiving $838 in payment. Contract Administration, coordinating with
the outreach team, were able to house 21 people and shelter 11 homeless persons. They saved one million dollars by reviewing and providing for corrections to the Sheriff’s contract. Human Resources managed 20 recruitments having an average of 20 applicants, interviewed 38 candidates, and hired 12 employees. They also implemented COVID safety procedures for the City and, through their programs and efforts, the City again received the Well City award from the Association of Washington Cities. Their poll shows a 97% satisfaction record by employees. The City Attorney assisted in the distribution of $4.35 million in CARES funding while resolving 26 nuisance and code enforcement cases, including two abatements, successfully defending two administrative code enforcement appeals and assisting Code Enforcement in cleaning up a long-standing nuisance property issue. Finance had a clean State audit, commenting, “the auditor said this was one of the cleanest audits they had ever seen.” Information Technology maintained a 99.9% network availability during working hours while doing extensive set-ups for off-site for remote work, closing 1,555 help tickets, and undergoing an IT audit by the State to help increase the City’s IT security. Community and Public Works Capital Improvement Program staff continue to work on the City’s pavement preservation program while designing 20 different projects and handling 10 different construction projects. Traffic Operations responded to 407 citizen requests, reviewed 12 special event
The Current
permits, produced or reviewed and approved 225 traffic control plans, and developed the City’s first Transportation Impact Fees. They also coordinated with WSDOT to improve Argonne signal timing and are now working on the Pines corridor. The Stormwater Utility responded to 87 drainage calls, swept over 1032 cubic yards of debris, and cleaned over 1800 storm water structures. They also received grants for a decant facility canopy, and improvement to Sprague and Appleway storm drainage. Street Maintenance placed 7000 tons of asphalt, crack sealed 50 lane miles of pavement, removed 91,820 lbs. of rubbish and vegetation from roadways, completed one Citywide snow plow, and placed 129,300 gallons of liquid deicer, and 1,260 tons of granular icer. Economy Development recruited such businesses as Mygrant Glass, Euclid Logistics Center, Project Fireball, Burlington Coat Factory, Ulta Beauty, Chipotle, and Olive Garden and developed shoreline, housing, and annual comprehensive plans. They also marketed the City through a variety of media. Building and Planning provided for more online permitting. Permit valuations hit a new high. Code Enforcement processed 648 cases, most from nuisances. Spokane Valley Police showed a slight decrease in calls for service and deputy responses while deputy involved incidents rose. DUI and collisions decreased. They served 143 search warrants and recovered over $243 thousand in property and currency. In 2020, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office hired 23 deputies; out of that total, 5 have resigned and 2 are on a leave of absence. The COVID pandemic substantially affected Parks and
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Recreation activities. Still, they acquired the 45-acre WSDOT Flora Rd. property, demolished the Valley Horse Arena and developed plans for our region’s first paved bicycle pump track and a larger skate park, and finished Centennial Trail from University to Tshirley. Centerplace received a Gold award under “Best Business Event Facility” as the best event facility to do business with from the readers of Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living Magazine. Police Report on Live 911, Recruiting, and Speed Deterrence Trailers Spokane Valley Police Chief Dave Ellis Reported on the progress of Live 911. This is a software package that, instead of making a report to 911, and it being relayed to patrol officers, the report is live streamed to the officers. This speeds the response and provides information not entered into the CAD system. In addition, officers are given a map of where the incident is occurring. This Live 911 is the first in the Pacific Northwest, going into effect in April of this year at a cost of $6000 per year. Chef Ellis also reported on police recruitment efforts. They are now offering a $15,000 signing bonus for lateral recruits and providing up to $1,500 for new recruit uniforms. The County also provides billboards in critical cities and a recruiting web site. Furthermore, they recently developed a five-minute video touting the agency’s opportunity for growth, the area’s beauty and quality of living, great citizen support for law enforcement, many specialty teams, take-home cars, and opportunity for both rural and city engagement. They noted that there were no unsolved homicides since 2014. The County has acquired several speed and message trailers, two of which will be deployed in Spokane Valley. Not only do they provide a deterrent to speeding, but they provide traffic data to the agency. Crime Check Report The Spokane Regional Emergency Communication (SREC) now supplies both dispatching and 911/ Crime Check to police departments in Spokane Valley, Airway Heights, Liberty Lake, Kalispel Tribe, EWU, numerous Spokane County Fire Departments, and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. On-Line
NEWS
crime reporting will be available to citizens starting in March. Camping Updated
Regulations
to
be
Staff is proposing to update the camping regulations by including more areas where camping is prohibited, clarifying that these regulations only apply to public property, and clarifying the City’s current approach for assisting homeless individuals in their quest for housing. Parking Complaints Addressed On Conklin Rd., Valleyway to Broadway, citizens expressed concerns that the multifamily development has resulted in adjacent residents delineating their property to deter parking, litter, damage, or vandalism. Upon evaluation, staff saw no operational or safety need for parking restrictions, as was requested. They also noted that laws prohibit placing private signs on the right of way or constructing signs that are similar to official street signs. Fourth Ave, west of Thierman will have “no parking” signs installed in both directions because its width is too narrow when cars are parked. Jackson Ave. west of Wilbur has no parking along both sides although a county resolution adopted in December of 2000 listed it as “no parking” only on the south side. However, staff stated that there is no operational or safety need to do so. It was unclear whether any further action will be taken other than notifying code enforcement of possible junk cars along the roadway. 2021 Update
Construction
Projects
Staff reported that there are currently 40 construction problems being tackled. Barker Road Corridor and Sewer projects include Barker/ BNSF grade separation (2021/2022), Spokane River to Euclid (2020/2021), pathway from Spokane River to the grade separation project (2021), and Euclid to Euclid alignment at the Union Pacific Railroad (2021). Intersection improvement projects include Sullivan/Wellesley, and Argonne/Montgomery. Pavement preservation projects include Mullan Rd (Broadway to Mission), Balfour Park preservation and frontage improvements, Evergreen Rd. (Sprague to Broadway), Barker homes preservation, and local streets in the Park Rd. neighborhood scheduled
for 2021. A sidewalk will be installed from Mission to Sharp along Park Rd. Stormwater improvements are scheduled for Appleway from University to Farr. The Sullivan Rd. bridge at the Union Pacific Railroad is up for deck repair. City-wide reflective signal backplates and post panels are to be installed. Finally, Brown Park’s improvements are in the final phase with installation of a restroom, shelter, and playground equipment. Five Projects Recommended for Federal Earmarks Council approved five ranked City projects that could be earmarked for support in the federal budget. On the top of the list was the Pines Road/BNSF Railway Grade Separation Project. This will install a Pines Rd. bridge over the BNSF railroad tracks and a roundabout at a relocated Pines/Trent intersection. This railroad crossing is the highest ranked unfunded Tier 1 crossing in the State out of 4,171 total crossings, based upon freight mobility and safety. Total cost of the project is $29 million, with $19.3 million still needed. The second ranked project was the Spokane Valley River Loop Trail. This project would construct a fivemile, non-motorized trail on the north side of the Spokane River from Plante Ferry’s Park to the Flora Road Park Property, a 46-acre property recently purchased from the Washington State Department of Transportation for $2.1 million. Pedestrian Bridges would be constructed at both the east and west ends connecting with the Centennial Trail. Spokane County would partner with the City for this project. This trail is in the conceptual stage and costs have yet to be determined. The third project is the Sullivan Corridor from Sprague to Bigelow Gulch, where the City is partnering with Spokane County and others to build a route from North Spokane to I-90 via Sullivan. Sullivan Bridge, and the intersections at Sprague, Broadway, Indiana, and Euclid have been completed. Intersections at Kiernan, Marietta, and SR-90 (Trent) have yet to be completed, and the Wellesley to Trent road has yet to be upgraded. The funding request is for $26.6 million. Total cost of the entire route is $74.7 million, with 50% unfunded, 18% funded, and 32% completed.
APRIL 2021 • 9
The fourth project is a $3 million request to build a 32,300 sq. ft. conference building at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center at Broadway and Havana. The building is envisioned to be attached to the northwest corner of the existing facility. It will include new conferencing space, a full-service restaurant, administrative and ticket sales offices, and a stylish entry that welcomes visitors. The total cost is estimated at $10 million, with $3 million in secured local funding, a $4 million request to the Washington State Legislature, and a $3 million request for federal funding. The fifth ranked request is to improve Barker from Mission to the City Limits south of 8th. Barker will be reconstructed along this entire route and the intersections of Sprague, 4th., and 8th will be reconstructed. Total cost of the project is estimated to be $18.8 million, with secured funding of $2.3 million, impact fees of $3.6 million, and a funding request of $12.9 million. Council added a recommendation for further support closing more than 18,000 national grade crossings and consolidating railroad lines. Council Briefs: • Riley Zielfelder from West Valley High School was nominated by a City committee for the Association of Washington Cities Center for Quality Communities scholarship. • The City awarded a $491,356 contract to TML Construction to construct a canopy for the Regional Decant Facility. This will permit the facility to be used all year. • Council discussed supplying body cameras for all its deputies. The cost will be $410,000 for 2021 and $320.000 in four subsequent years. The County would retain ownership of the cameras. Council will vote on this at a later meeting. • The City has hired Maul, Foster, and Alongi as consultants to develop a Housing Action Plan (HAP) using a $100,000 grant from the Department of Commerce. The plan would “address their ability to provide housing, and especially more affordable housing, by increasing urban residential capacity.” • Mr. Bob Peregoy was appointed to the County Conservation Futures Land Evaluation Committee.
10
• APRIL 2021
Indians’ manager brings tested baseball pedigree By Craig Howard
Current Contributing Editor
Only about 10 percent of minor league baseball players ever advance to the big leagues. Scott Little remembers his two weeks in the majors like it was yesterday. The new manager of the Spokane Indians was a workhorse utility player in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization when he got the call in 1989. The team featured an All-Star outfield in Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and Andy Van Slyke, so Little knew he would need to break in at another spot. Not a problem since he had played every position – including pitcher – during his baseball career. Little would stay with the Pirates for two weeks before he returned to the minors. His cup of coffee at the highest level of baseball included a line drive single to the left centerfield gap against the Chicago Cubs – his one hit as a major leaguer. In the same game, Little threw out a Cubs’ runner at the plate to preserve a tie and force extra innings. “I’m glad I got the hit,” Little says. Originally drafted by the New York Mets, Little was originally a scholarship football player at the University of Missouri, getting into the Tangerine Bowl as a freshman. He later transitioned to Mineral Area Junior College to play basketball and baseball, eventually earning a spot in the school’s Hall of Fame. “I knew my best professional opportunity would be in baseball,” Little said. Little played eight years in the minors before a broken hand in 1991 led to a career change. The Pirates offered him a coaching job with Augusta, their low-A team in the South Atlantic League
COVER STORY beginning with the 1992 season. He has been managing ever since. “I guess I played a certain way and they saw that,” Little said of his transition from player to coach at 29. Over the years, Little has managed at various minor league levels with different organizations beyond Pittsburgh, including the Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies. He also served as a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Little says nearly 30 years in the dugout have refined him. “I’m a different person now,” he said. “My ego is gone. I’m over myself. There were a lot of things I didn’t know back then. You find out things and learn things. I wish I’d asked more questions. I’m still learning.” Little, 58, said he will emphasize player development this season – while winning games along the way. “Our goal from day one to the end of the season is to make our players better,” he said. “Do we want to win? Of course, but we don’t want to jeopardize development or miss out on learning opportunities.” Little’s most recent stop was with the Lancaster JetHawks, the Rockies’ high-A team in the California League. He is familiar with the terrain of the former Northwest League – now High West A League – from three seasons as manager of the Boise Hawks. “When we played Spokane, the team was awesome, the field was great, the staff was awesome, just very hospitable,” Little said. “I’m looking forward to being part of it.”
The Current
New league, affiliation mark return of Spokane Indians
“We’re really looking forward to it,” said Otto Klein, the team’s senior vice president. “A lot of the energy that we had in 2020, we just tabled it and now we’re bringing it back for this season.”
Current Contributing Editor
“In a way, we got a double promotion,” he says. “We were promoted two levels when you consider short-season A and low-A. Overall, this is the most historical change in minor league baseball in the last 100 years. We’re choosing to take the positive route. We’re confident we can do this.”
By Craig Howard
The last time Spokane was the site of springtime pro baseball, Ronald Reagan was president, a gallon of gas ran 91 cents and a new machine known as a CD player was a high-tech hit. In 1982, the Spokane Indians wrapped up their final season in the Pacific Coast League as the Triple-A affiliate of the California Angels. The slate of 143 games began in mid-April and ran through Labor Day. The following year, the local club was part of the latest incarnation of the Northwest League, playing a short-A schedule that featured half as many games. Since then, baseball fans in the Inland Northwest have circled their summer calendars from mid-June to early September in anticipation of Family Feast Nights, Otto the mascot rallying sold-out crowds at Avista Stadium and an exciting brand of baseball featuring fresh-faced prospects with visions of reaching the Big Show. Summer weather has routinely smiled over the average of 35 home games at a venue consistently named the best in the Northwest League and among the elite in all of the minor leagues. Rainouts have been about as common as an unassisted triple play. This year, following a season washed out by the COVD-19 pandemic, the Indians will return to the diamond under the umbrella of a revamped league and a new big club affiliation. On May 4, Avista Stadium will host the season opener featuring the Indians and Eugene Emeralds in the debut of the High West A League. The 120game schedule will run through Sept. 19, concluding with a dozen road games to avoid conflict with the Spokane County Interstate Fair. In the future, the season, will kick off April 10.
Klein said the transition to high-A baseball will bring an advanced version of the game to a franchise that has been around since 1903.
The High West A League consists of six teams from the old Northwest League – Tri Cities, Vancouver, Hillsboro, Everett, Eugene and Spokane. Gone are Boise and Salem. The transition is part of a new nationwide alignment overseen by Major League Baseball (MLB) that saw the number of minor league affiliates cut from 160 to 120. The short-season schedule familiar to Spokane since 1983 has – at least for now – become part of baseball’s past, along with wool uniforms and a National League team in Brooklyn. Spokane and the other 119 minor league teams signed 10-year license agreements with MLB in February. “Major League Baseball wanted to implement an entirely new system,” said Bobby Brett, Spokane Indians’ owner. “They only invited 120 teams to be a part of it. We landed well. We’ll have more games for our fans and we’ll have a higher level of baseball.” At the center of Spokane’s landing scenario is a new affiliation with MLB’s Colorado Rockies following 18 years with the Texas Rangers. “It’s easier to fly to Denver than Texas,” Brett says of the geographical proximity of the parent club. “We had a great relationship with the Rangers and I’m sure we’ll have a great relationship with Colorado.” Brett is friends with Rockies’ owner Charlie Monfort while his Hall of Fame brother George Brett was a longtime teammate of Colorado manager Bud Black
The Current
COVER STORY Spokane.
In 1962, a soggy and cold spring had a dampening effect on Indians’ attendance. The team saw turnstile numbers go from 153,393 the year before to 80,519. Even more dramatic was the drop-off from 1982 to 1983 when the short season premiered. While there was no workaround to the decrease in home games, the gate plummeted to a total of 41,137 fans compared to over 221,000 the year before. Klein said the team is more prepared to deal with less-thansunny forecasts that it was in the past. “Weather was a prohibitor before but that was 40 years ago,” he said. “I think we’re better suited as a business to overcome those challenges.” Price says he is interested to see how the franchise will adapt to the return of a longer season – and how fans will respond.
Contributed photo Spokane Indians Mascott 'Otto' ecourages the crowd during a recent Spokane Indians Game when both played for the Kansas City Royals. Another Spokane connection involves Gonzaga Prep and Gonzaga University alum Mike Redmond, a former major league catcher and manager, who is the Rockies’ bench coach.
baseball teams that cope with the region’s unpredictable spring weather. Jim Price, former playby-play announcer and publicist for the Indians, remembers a time when the community’s pro club faced the same balancing act.
As Brett and the rest of Spokane’s brass prepare for the season opener, one item on their shopping list is something ownership hasn’t required since Brett and his brothers bought the club in 1985.
“You can’t guarantee the weather around here,” said Price. “Spokane does not have the same weather in the same seasons every year.”
“We’ll need to invest in a field tarp,” Brett said. “We’ve never had one but we’ll need to invest in one. More games are a good thing from a business standpoint but in the early part of our season the weather can be iffy.” Protecting the diamond from the elements is nothing new for local high school and college
Over the years, Gonzaga’s baseball program has perfected the science of weather-related scheduling, hitting the road in warm-weather locales before returning to Spokane to begin the home season under more temperate conditions. Price was working for the Indians in 1979 when the team opened on the with a series in Hawaii followed by a trip to Portland. It was early May before the team set foot back in
“Time will tell,” he said. “Fans nowadays are less in tune with how the teams are. It’s more about general entertainment. I would think the challenge for the Indians with the longer schedule is are they going to have more games without promotions or more promotions, which is a challenge.” The team will also be adapting to the safety precautions in place due to COVID-19. The state’s Phase 3 stipulations for sporting venues call for 25 percent capacity,
APRIL 2021 • 11
putting the ceiling for Avista Stadium at 1,750, a number that includes players, coaches, staff and concession workers. “That means approximately 1,500 fans,” Klein said. Protective face masks will be required for all those entering the stadium, while the team is working on other protective measures like electronic tickets, hand sanitizing stations and spaced seating with pods. “We want people to feel safe coming back,” said Klein. After the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season, Klein and the rest of the Indians’ leadership did their best to pivot, offering ballpark meals to go, merchandise pick-up and the Infield Café. “We needed to re-imagine how to reach the community,” Klein said. The reconfiguration of Minor League Baseball means that Klein, Brett and the rest of the team’s key front office figures will provide direct input to MLB representatives in New York as opposed to old system where minor league officials in St. Petersburg, Florida served as the liaisons between teams like the Indians and MLB., “They’re harnessing all the great minds in Minor League Baseball in more of a streamlined fashion,” Klein said. “We also have the best and brightest people in Major League Baseball working to make us successful.”
Contributed photo Spokane Indians teammates congratulate each other following a game.
12
• APRIL 2021
The Current
brought to you by
Student of the Month
Athlete of the Month
Citizen of the Month
High achievement is standard for Feitong (Angel) Zhang, a senior at Valley Christian School. A 4.0 student, she serves as class president and president of the school’s Foreign Student Club. As vice president of the VCS National Honor Society chapter, Zhang and her fellow students have volunteered at local nonprofits like Cup of Cool Water, food banks and thrift stores. “It’s been a good experience for me,” Zhang said. “When you talk face to face with people who are homeless, you hear their stories.” A native of China, Zhang came to the U.S. as a sophomore. She was recently named a Spokane Scholar in math and would like to major in education or psychology in college. Zhang volunteers at Valley Real Life and has participated in track at VCS, competing in the shotput and javelin. She was also a homecoming queen.
Running is a calling for Caleb Malen. The Valley Christian senior is a longdistance standout for the Panthers, who won a 1B district title in cross country last month. Malen has been part of two squads that advanced to the state meet. As a sophomore, he set a personal best at districts with a time of 20:41 on the 5K course. He set a new PR of 19:04 this year. In track, Malen qualified for regionals as a sophomore in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs with times of 5:18 and 11:41, respectively. Malen takes training and competing seriously but makes it a point “to put God first.” He maintains a 3.7 grade point average and was named a 2021 Spokane Scholar in Fine Arts. He is an accomplished videographer and part of the tech administration team at Calvary Chapel Spokane Valley.
When there is a task to be addressed at Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels, longtime volunteer Lynda Orsburn can be counted upon. “She’s our go-to person,” said Janet Dixon, director of development and communications for the Spokane Valleybased nonprofit. “When something comes up, I know Lynda will be there to help.” Orsburn not only delivers food each week to homebound residents, she also donates time in the office, sorting, mailing and filing. “She’s more like a sister or a friend to our clients,” Dixon said. A Valley native, Orsburn graduated from Central Valley High School and lived in multiple states with her husband and four kids. She now has 14 grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. Orsburn is also part of the Spokane Valley Newcomers Club, a social organization that welcomes and befriends new residents and also raises money for local nonprofits.
Come visit your Spokane Valley Neighborhood Financial Center located at
615 N Sullivan Road
800-233-2328
Thanks you for all you do in our community
MORE THAN JUST MONEY.
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APRIL 2021 • 13
The Current
SVFD REPORT Continued from page 5
extending into void spaces in the attic and electrical concerns being discovered while fighting the fire. Even though this structure had been long abandoned, the house still had its electrical service partially intact. Therefore, nothing is taken for granted on a fire scene (Safety First!). Modern Electric was called for the electrical disconnect. A board up company was called to close opening caused by the fire and suppression operations. The department fire investigator has made the determination that the fire was most likely caused by a transient’s fire under the front porch that spread to the interior of the abandoned property. Fire Two The second fire occurred around 12:42 a.m. Crews were called to the 9500 block on E. 4th Ave where a small travel trailer was on fire in a driveway. Residents had evacuated from the trailer with the help of an alert neighbor. The neighbor’s quick response in getting the residents out of the trailer most likely saved their lives. While this was truly a travel trailer, it was being lived in as a temporary residence and as such should have had a working smoke alarm and CO detector. It did not. The investigator determined the fire source was a propane fueled heating device that had been placed too close to combustibles or flammable items. The fire was quickly extinguished with tank water and with extension of the fire to other structures. One patient was transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Injury, February 22 - Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) crews were called to the area of Alki and Fancher, where a worker had slipped while in the grain elevator. He was getting ready to receive a delivery. The fall was approximately 19 feet. The worker received injury to his leg and arm. Both injuries were non-life threatening. The rescue took approximately 25 – 30 minutes. An air monitor was put down in the underground elevator shaft to assure quality air was available for the patient and everyone working to rescue the patient. As a precaution, all running, or capable of running machinery near the rescue location is disabled and locked out for
the duration of the extrication. Once the patient was extricated, he was quickly transported by AMR to an area hospital.
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Service Call, Full Response, March 1 – Spokane Valley Fire responded for report of dog that had fallen into the river. Valley Ladder 8 and the Water Rescue crew developed a plan to enter the water upstream of the dog for retrieval. VL8 entered the water, located the very distressed dog, and were able to successfully pull him onto shore. The dog was at the water’s edge about 20 feet below a rock outcropping. He was unreachable from shore. The Swift Water crew was requested at this time to go into the river to access and rescue the dog. Structure Fire, March 4 – Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) responded to the area of the 2200 block of S University Road for the report of a fire coming from the backyard of a residence. Crews arrived and found the fire out and with no extension to exposed structures. On arrival, a large column of smoke was observed coming from the back yard of the residence. The fire had extended into 4 different yards. Hose lines and tools were used to extinguish hot spots. When all the hot spots were addressed, crews returned to service. Vehicle Fire, March 8 – Spokane Valley Fire responded to the call for heavy smoke coming from an engine of a car. Crews arrived and found a passenger vehicle with heavy smoke coming from engine compartment and interior, with no flames visible initially. Crews stretched a line from the front bumper of the fire truck for fire attack. Firefighters were able to extinguish the engine compartment fire and used irons to gain access to the engine compartment. The vehicle owner was on scene and he was able to unlock the doors. The fire was confined to the engine but the interior sustained smoke damage. The vehicle owner stated he had recently noticed an oil leak on the top of the engine. The vehicle had been driven and parked 10 minutes prior to the fire being reported. No injuries were reported. With the fire extinguished quickly, Engine 5 turned the scene over to Spokane Valley Mall Security. Connect with SVFD at: spokanevalleyfire.com. For department news, safety information, and timely updates, find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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APRIL 2021 • 15
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16
• APRIL 2021
The Crest
The Current Brought to you by
Gem of the Valley virtual gala By Nina Culver
Current Contributor
Two longtime Spokane Valley fixtures were recently honored by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce for their decades of hard work and community involvement. Barry Baker, president of Baker Construction, was named the 2021 Harry E. Nelson Citizen of the Year and retired West Valley School District Superintendent Gene Sementi was given a Lifetime Achievement award. What makes the awards unique is that they were not decided on by the Chamber. Each year, the previous winners of the Harry E. Nelson Citizen of the Year Award gather and discuss who will receive the award next. The group of former recipients includes business leaders, former Spokane Valley mayors and council members and school superintendents. The group also selects winners of the Lifetime Achievement award, though that award is not given out every year. “That is selected in years when they deem that someone is worthy of that award,” said Valley Chamber president Lance Beck. Beck said he was pleased by the group’s selections this year. Baker, who has served on the Chamber Board, remained fully involved in the community last year even as businesses, including his own, grappled with the pandemic. “His involvement in the community didn’t stutter,” Beck said. Beck said it’s fair to say the Valley Chamber wouldn’t exist today without Baker, who led a group of people who stepped in to save the organization several years ago when it was struggling. “Barry was the ringleader,” Beck said. “I don’t think it’s possible to overstate what he has meant for the Chamber. And we’re only one of several groups that he has touched in that way.” Sementi helped build the West Valley School District into what it is today, Beck said, and he’s pleased that Sementi has been recognized. “It’s so rare to see someone dedicate their entire career to one school district,” he said.
Contributed photo Barry Baker, President of Baker Construction, was awarded “2021 Harry E. Nelson Citizen of the Year Award” The awards were given in a virtual celebration in March, which gave the Chamber time to prepare videos featuring members of the community speaking about the award winners. All of the Spokane Valley area superintendents had kind words to say about Sementi. “He’s committed to this Valley,” said Central Valley School District Superintendent Ben Small. “His lifetime has been invested here.” East Valley School District Superintendent Kelly Shea spoke about Sementi as a person. “When he listens to people, people feel heard,” Shea said. “He is such a kind and generous person.” Brooke Baker was among several people who spoke about her father,
Barry Baker. She talked about the commitment he has to the community where he has raised his family and built his business. “There’s so many things that he does in the community that people don’t even see,” she said. Small said that Baker holds an important role in the community. “Barry is the glue of Spokane Valley, I think,” Small said. “He is someone who connects.” Sementi said he was honored to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. “I was surprised,” he said. “I guess I hadn’t really thought of myself as having a lifetime of anything yet.” Sementi spent 31 years in the West Valley School District, starting as a teacher and a coach. He taught at Centennial Middle School and West
Valley High School before becoming assistant principal at Centennial. He was the principal of Orchard Center Elementary, Centennial and West Valley High School before taking the job of assistant superintendent. After seven years in that role, he became superintendent. He retired last year. Since his retirement, Sementi hasn’t really gotten away from education. He and his wife, a retired teacher, had their two granddaughters in their home several days a week while they did remote schooling. “We had a great time doing that,” he said. He’s also been doing a lot of consulting – mostly over Zoom – with Northwest school districts. See GALA, Page 21
APRIL 2021 • 17
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18
• APRIL 2021
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Local teams shine as prep sports return with flourish By Craig Howard
Current Contributing Editor
Fall sports adapted to an unfamiliar schedule last month as high school teams across Spokane Valley returned to the pitch, field, court and trail. In an effort to include all three sports seasons in what remains of the academic year, traditional fall sports began on Feb. 8 with volleyball, followed by football on Feb. 15. Cross country and girls’ soccer kicked off on Feb. 22. The slowpitch softball season, traditionally a fall sport, was added to a winter sports slate that will begin in May. The lineup of spring sports – tennis, fastpitch softball, track, boys’ soccer and golf – will start April 5 and run to May 15. “The GSL (Greater Spokane League) and WIAA (Washington Interscholastic Activities Association) were committed to having each of the sports seasons,” GSL Director Ken Van Sickle said. “We didn’t want anyone to miss out like they did a year ago.” Outstanding efforts have been abundant in the condensed season, beginning with Janis Oliver leading East Valley to its first
soccer victory in 2021 with five goals in a 6-0 drubbing of Othello on March 9. Later in the month, Kayleigh Oyler of Freeman netted seven goals as the Scotties shut out Newport 11-0.
On the pitch, CV improved to 6-1 with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Ferris on March 22. Zoe Crockett was the difference-maker for the Bears, scoring the game’s sole goal in the 75th minute.
Even lopsided games were welcomed with enthusiasm in light of prep sports being shelved since last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the introduction of Phase 3 on March 22, sporting venues could operate at 25-percent capacity. Van Sickle said the GSL is adhering to an attendance formula that prioritizes fan demographics, such as the parents of senior athletes.
“Everyone is just thrilled that we’re playing,” said Van Sickle. “We’re thankful the kids have this opportunity.” Athletes like Malachi Clark are making the most of their chances this spring. The West Valley senior running back paced the Eagles to a 3-0 record, piling up 617 yards on 83 carries for an average of just over seven yards per run. Longtime rivalries have also been renewed such as Central Valley taking on University in volleyball. The Bears won the crosstown battle against the Titans on March 9 in five sets with Makayla Beckett leading CV with 40 assists and Corinne Westby adding 21 kills. On the gridiron, the Bears have been stellar, compiling a 3-1 record with the only loss coming to Mt. Spokane, 19-15, in the game’s closing minutes on March 19. Junior quarterback Luke Abshire has been a catalyst through the air and on the ground. In a 23-0 win over Mead on March 5, Abshire completed 20 of 34 passes for 261 yards while adding two rushing touchdowns.
“People are going to have to adjust to the capacity of each stadium,” Van Sickle added. Winter sports – basketball, wrestling, slowpitch softball and competitive cheer/dance/drill team will run from May 10 to June 20. There are no plans for district, regional or state tournaments – although Van Sickle said there will be a “culminating event” in certain sports, pitting seeded teams against each other in a crossover tournament. Athletic directors from the GSL have been meeting weekly to discuss the safest approaches to the sports schedule. The group include representatives from the Spokane Regional Health District. While some matchups – like U-Hi/ Mt. Spokane and West Valley/ Shadle Park in the fifth week of football – were cancelled because of COVID protocol, Van Sickle says the first season of 2021 has “been a tribute to not only the coaches and athletes but the principals, athletic
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There have also been some creative alternatives in light of the restrictions in place. The CV girls and boys cross country team competed in a “virtual” state meet at the end of last month. The format featured runners completing a 5K (3.1-mile course) on its home track. Times will be compared to those from runners throughout Washington participating in similar conditions. Individual and team champions will be announced by April 10. “It really is a different cross country season altogether,” said Doug Pecha, CV girls cross country coach, who said the Bears would have likely competed for a top four trophy at state this year. The Bears have only lost one meet all season – by one point to defending 3A champion North Central. The squad has been led by Nicole Bissell, Kylee Shakespeare, Sarah Pecha, Alivia Bruno, Savannah Pratt and Chloe Bryntesen. On the boys’ side, Alex Wright, Caleb Kartchner and Ethan Sheneman have paced the Bear harriers. Andres Monrroy, CV boys’ soccer coach, said he is looking forward to practices starting April 5 but admits it will be a challenge to begin a season the same week as spring break. The Bears have not played a match since March 10, 2020. “I do have some concerns that players will not be fit and won’t be ready,” Monrroy said. “But I’m looking at this as a positive. I’m excited to be coaching again and to have the kids playing again.” A new turf field is now home to CV soccer, a development that Monrroy said should level the playing field with teams who have traditionally practiced and played on an artificial surface. “It’s nice,” he said. “The ball goes faster.”
APRIL 2021 • 19
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CELEBRATING 100 YEARS Save the Date! The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce is turning 100! Come celebrate with us during our Grand Opening at our new office location. What: Grand Opening & 100th Anniversary Celebration Where: 10808 E Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley, WA 99206 When: Tuesday, May 25th More details coming soon at spokanevalleychamber.org.
10808 E Sprague Ave, Spokane WA 99206 | 509-924-4994 | spokanevalleychamber.org
20
LIBRARY
• APRIL 2021
Library Giving Day donations support mobile hotspots, internet access By Erin Dodge Current guest contributor
APRIL
7
2021 Mark your calendar to give OR Donate Now www.supportscld.org
YOUR GIFT • Supports access to technology • Enriches literacy & early education • Bolsters lifelong learning
The Library Foundation of Spokane County is a not-for-profit organization.
www.scld.org
There are areas within Spokane County where access to the internet is spotty at best. Spokane County Library District recently began lending mobile hotspots to customers who have limited or no access to the internet get online. You can call 509-893-8400 during library open hours, currently 12–6pm, Monday–Saturday, to see about checking one out. With reliance on the internet greater than ever during the pandemic, it is hard to imagine life without online access to essential services like medical professionals and grocery stores and to stay connected to family and friends. The mobile hotspots from the library help fill that gap for those who really need it. “Access to the internet is a popular service with library visitors, both those using library computers and connecting to Wi-Fi with personal devices,” shared Doug
Small business resiliency focus of new workshop during hard but hopeful times By Stacey Goddard, Librarian Spokane County Library District
Whether you’re a small business owner, know someone who is, or an avid supporter of your favorite local shop or restaurant, you’ve seen firsthand the challenges local small businesses have faced over the past 12 months. With phased reopening for businesses and the increasing number of people receiving vaccinations, it feels like things are finally looking up. But unfortunately, longer open hours and larger capacity doesn’t mean that small businesses will automatically get back to their pre-pandemic sales levels. It’s going to take time and planning to recover from the pandemic. To
help
with
that,
Spokane
Stumbough, Operation Director for Spokane County Library District. “When our libraries closed due to the pandemic, we were looking for a way to continue to offer this service to customers who rely on the library’s internet.” In October 2020, the Library District was able to offer 30 mobile hotspots for check out to customers, through a CARES funding grant from Washington State Library. According to Stumbough, the hotspots were immediately popular with a 4-month waitlist within the first week. “We were able to purchase additional hotspots in December, which has reduced the wait time to about 6 weeks,” said Stumbough. “Being able to reduce that wait time even more would greatly help us meet the continued need for customers, some of whom are homebound, who are in areas around the county that lack internet service.” The Library Foundation of Spokane County is holding a donation drive to support the county libraries in purchasing additional mobile hotspots. You can help this Library Giving Day on April 7, 2021. Individuals, organizations, County Library District is pleased to present “Small Business Resiliency Tools & Ideas: Guiding Through the Pandemic” on Thursday, April 22, from noon to 1:30pm. In this free workshop, SCORE Business mentor Ben Cabildo will discuss ways to adjust your business model to increase the resiliency of your business. You can sign up for the workshop at www. scld.org/small-biz-resiliency. “The pandemic has fundamentally changed the market that small businesses once knew,” Ben shared with me. Many customers turned to online shopping as their primary means of purchasing items, and traditional sales cycles like back-toschool shopping and Black Friday looked very different in 2020. This Small Business Resiliency workshop helps you put aside past assumptions about your customers and finances and helps you position your business to be better able to adapt to future challenges. Ben will also discuss a variety of community resources available to small business owners. If you’d like to review some of the
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and businesses can donate at www. supportscld.org/library-givingday. Development Manager Jill-Lynn Nunemaker shared the breakdown of costs for each mobile hotspot. The device costs around $100, a protective case $25, and a month of internet service $40, equal to $480 annually. “These costs give an idea of what your donation would cover, and of course, the Library Foundation welcomes donations of any size, which will help support library programs and services,” Nunemaker said. If you have questions about the donation drive or wish to arrange planned giving or a legacy fund with the Library Foundation, you can contact Jill-Lynn Nunemaker by phone at 509-893-8238 or by email at jnunemaker@scld.org. Everyone who is able to donate is encouraged to give to the Library Foundation of Spokane County to support literacy, early childhood education, and technology access like the mobile hotspots provide. You can learn more about the Foundation’s mission at www. supportscld.org.
resources ahead of this workshop, the Small Business Administration’s website (www.sba.gov) is a great place to start. Their Small Business Guidance & Loan Resources page includes help finding a lender for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and much more. The Small Business Development Center also has a robust collection of federal resources for small businesses (covid-sb.org), with topics ranging from the latest pandemic stimulus information to OSHA guidelines for employers and workers. For local and regional resources, check out Greater Spokane Inc.’s COVID-19 Business Recovery web page (https://greaterspokane.org/ covid-19/). This collaboration between GSI and local chambers of commerce includes the latest information from the governor, updates on current local small business grants, and a variety of other resources. If you have questions or need other help for your small business, you can call the library at 509.893.8400 to schedule a Book-a-Librarian appointment for one-on-one help.
APRIL 2021 • 21
The Current GREATER SPOKANE VALLEY
A VALLEY-WIDE COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE
EDITOR/PUBLISHER
Ben Wick
ben@libertylakesplash.com
Danica Wick
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danica@libertylakesplash.com OFFICE MANAGER
Paula Gano paula@libertylakesplash.com
Larry Passmore circulation@libertylakesplash.com
CIRCULATION
CONTRIBUTORS
Nina Culver, Bill Gothmann, Craig Howard,
The Valley Current P.O. Box 363 Liberty Lake, WA 99019 Phone: 242-7752; Fax: 927-2190 www.valleycurrent.com The Current is published monthly by or before the first of each month. It is distributed free of charge to every business and home in the greater Spokane Valley area. Copies are located at drop-off locations in Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and the surrounding area.
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Announcements, obituaries, letters to the editor and story ideas are encouraged. Submit them in writing to publisher@valleycurrent.com. Submissions should be received by the 15th of the month for best chance of publication in the following month’s Current. Subscriptions Subscriptions for U.S. postal addresses cost $12 for 12 issues. Send a check and subscription address to P.O. Box 363, Liberty Lake, WA 99019. Subscriptions must be received by the 15th of the month in order for the subscription to begin with the issue printed the end of that month. Correction policy The Current strives for accuracy in all content. Errors should be reported immediately to 242-7752 or by email to editor@valleycurrent.com. Confirmed factual errors will be corrected on this page in the issue following their discovery. Advertising information Display ad copy and camera-ready ads are due by 5 p.m. on the 15th of the month for the following month’s issue. Call 242-7752 for more information. Advertising integrity Inaccurate or deceptive advertising is never knowingly accepted. Complaints about advertisers should be made in writing to the Better Business Bureau and to advertise@valleycurrent.com. The Current is not responsible for the content of or claims made in ads. Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved. All contents of The Current may not be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.
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Continued from page 16 Sementi appreciates that the award was given by a group of former Citizen of the Year award winners. Just the fact that he was nominated for the award meant as much as winning it, he said. “I know most, if not all, of those former winners, some of them really well,” he said. “It meant a lot to me to be honored by that group.” He also appreciated the video that the Chamber prepared. “They talked to all the local superintendents,” he said. “For me, it was very meaningful, very touching, to see my former colleagues have such nice things to say.”
The Current is committed to serving the Greater Spokane Valley area through excellent community journalism. We can’t do it at all without you, our readers, and we can’t do it for long without support from our advertisers. Please thank our business partners and look to them when offering your patronage.
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Baker said he was also honored and surprised to be given his award by a group of former winners. “That is truly humbling,” he said. “There are so many deserving people out there.”
ENRI
THE
Baker Construction was started in 1951 by his parents, John and Vera Baker. At the time, Baker Agency was a real estate and construction company. He grew up in the business, but had no intention of going to work for the family company. He went away to college to study business administration.
lifestyle
YO U WAN T
“I graduated on Saturday, came home on Sunday, went to work on Monday and I’ve been there ever since,” he said. “I’m finishing my 44th year.” His company is now licensed to work in 12 states and has completed building projects for Fortune 500 companies. Baker said it’s his love of people that keeps him on the job. “I love people, I love my customers, I love my employees, I love Spokane,” he said. “It’s a matter of people helping people achieve their dreams.” He sees his involvement in the community as an important part of his job. He compares it to a key rule in the Boy Scouts – always leave the campground better than you found it. “When you take something out of the community, I think you’re obligated to put something back into it,” he said. His involvement also makes Spokane and Spokane Valley better communities and Baker said one of his goals has been to make his local community better so that his children don’t have to leave to find the opportunities they want. The Chamber did not present business awards as usual this year, but it did present Educator of the Year awards to educators in the four local school districts. The winners are: Amy Heinen, Freeman School District; Leah Lucera, East Valley School District; Erik Flodin, Central Valley School Districts; Tami Henry, West Valley School District.
quality
Greater Spokane Valley Chamber • Liberty Lake Family T H Dentistry E Spokane Family Dental • Estates and Elders
YO
New homes in Funeral Spokane, Hennessey Valley HomeSpokane Valley, Libe GREATER SPOKANE VALLEY
A VALLEY-WIDE COMMUNITY NEWSMAGAZINE
g re e n s t o n e h o m
Index of advertisers
Following are the local advertisers in this issue of The Current.
Amaculate Housekeeping
6
Hennessey Valley
8
Banner Fuel
5
Inland Empire Utility CC
6
Jim Slavin
3
Brand It Advertising
19
BECU 12
Liberty Lake Family Dentistry
5
Clark’s Tire and Auto
Mainstream Electric
3
22
Greenstone 24
Orchard Crest
Gus Johnson Ford
Simonds 24
18
17
Spokane County Library District 15, 20
Spokane Family Dental
13
Spokane Valley Chamber
19
St Joseph’s Church
3
Service Directory
Of note: This thank you message was produced by The Current’s advertising team, which works its tail off on behalf of partner businesses, helping them share their messages through advertisements. This is an independent function from The Current’s editorial team, which has its own evaluation process to determine the community news stories and features it pursues. For more information about a win-win partnership that expertly markets your business to thousands of readers (while making this home-grown community newspaper possible), email advertise@valleycurrent.com. With story ideas, contact editor@valleycurrent.com.
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22
OPINION
• APRIL 2021
To the Editor,
About the Opinion Page The Splash opinion page is intended to be a community forum for discussing local issues. Please interact with us by sending a letter to the editor or Liberty Lake Voices guest column for consideration. Letters to the editor of no more than 350 words or guest columns of about 700 words should be e-mailed to editor@libertylakesplash.com or mailed to P.O. Box 363, Liberty Lake, WA 99019. A full name and telephone number must be included for purposes of verification. A photo of the author must be taken or provided for all guest columns. The Splash reserves the right to edit or reject any submission. Business complaints or endorsements will not be accepted, and political endorsement letters will only be accepted if they interact with issues of a campaign. Views expressed in signed columns or letters do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper or its staff. Editorials, which appear under the heading "Splash Editorial," represent the voice of The Splash and are written by Publisher Ben Wick.
I am in TOTAL agreement with the Cat in the Hat cartoon that appeared in the Spokesman a little while ago. I wrote a letter to Mr. Ramirez, letting him know how much I appreciate his cartoon. It makes me very sad — having grown up with the Dr. Seuss books, and then having read them to my brothers as a kid, and then to my own sons when they were little — that this whole debacle with the Seuss books is going on, indeed another vicim of "cancel culture.” Ted Geisel, as Dr. Seuss, wrote some delightful books —full of whimsy, wonderful rhymes, and fun drawings. And the fact is: Chinese workers DID wear “coolie” hats, and African people DID wear grass skirts and big earrings. (Some also put discs in their mouths to distort them out of shape; part of the culture.) Dr. Seuss was NOT mocking this garb.Would it be offensive to portray French people in berets holding baguettes, or Germans in
The Current
Lederhosen holding a beer stein, or a Japanese person wearing a kimono wielding a Samurai sword? No. These are all cultural attributes, albeit somewhat cliché, but not offensive. While I am very conscious of people’s feelings and cultural sensitivity (having lived and worked in several different countries), pulling books off the shelves because of our current tendency to be overly sensitive, and our propensity to immediately cry “Racist” — without really considering the meaning of what is being said or portrayed — is just wrong. I’m pretty sure that Dr. Seuss did NOT think of these depictions as “racist” or demeaning. As a junior in high school I read Fahrenheit 451 which opened my eyes to the dangers of censorship. But apparently we Americans are so darn “sensitive” to anything that MIGHT in the least offend ANYONE, that things can be misconstrued and blown out of proportion — not to mention taken
out of the context and era in which they were written. It has become a ridiculous practice, and can often lead to wrongful censorship. Mr. Ramirez is so right-on when he says “today, it’s a book, so watch what you do. One day in the future they may cancel you.” Leslie Anne Smith
Dear editor, My name is Amy and I live in Spokane Valley. I want the Washington Legislature to pass voting rights restoration, and specifically the bills in front of the House and Senate right now (HB 1078/SB 5086). Our democracy is strongest when every person has their voice heard, no matter their race, zip code, income, or political party. And if we join together in support of voting rights restoration, we can create a future in which communities of color are more empowered by our political system and our democracy is more representative. Sincerely, Amy Compestine
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The Current
APRIL 2021 • 23
Liberty Lake Boys Academy planning under way By Nina Culver
Current contributor
A website and Facebook ads featuring the Liberty Boys Academy, a private school for boys in Liberty Lake, caught some in the community off guard. The school, which has not yet opened, is the dream of the former owner of Autosource Dealerships and co-founder of the Utah Warriors Lucas Kjar. Kjar, who lives in Liberty Lake, bought the former Wallingford property at 22815 E. Eighth Avenue in late 2019. He said he hopes to open a middle school for grades 6-8 in the basement of the large home on the property in the fall of 2021. “We’re planning,” he said. Kjar said he thinks education is lacking for boys in traditional schools and wants to provide hands-on learning. “I noticed in the world what was going wrong with boys and what’s happening in their education,” he said. His school would be a rugby academy with the end goal of training world class rugby players, Kjar said. Spokane County Assessor’s Office records show that the property was purchased by Kriger Estate Holding LLC for $2 million in November 2019. The records also show that property taxes on the land were not paid in 2020. Liberty Lake resident Bob Martin is part of a group of residents called the Liberty Lake Community Information Group. He said he’s seen information on Kjar’s website that calls for a K-12 school with a 3,000-seat sports stadium, which concerns his group. “We hadn’t heard anything about it,” he said. “We kind of dug into it. All the information we found was contradictory.” Some information calls it a boarding school, which other information does not. Either way, Martin said he’s not sure how a school and a sports stadium would work on land zoned rural
Contributed Liberty Lake Boys Academy is dreaming big for the future. These plans show what the organization is hopes to grow to someday in order to help education local boys. traditional. He and his group have concerns about the environment, the watershed and traffic. “This is outside the urban growth area,” he said. “We know there’s going to be development. We just want it to be conforming.” Information about a sports stadium is particularly concerning, Martin said. “This is not a local community ballfield,” he said. “This is a high school that wants to be a regional sports center.” Kjar said the plans for a full K-12 school and sports stadium on his website, complete with conceptual drawings, are simply his dream for the future. “It’s kind of an idea, the vision,” he said. “That was a master plan I’m years away from.” There are currently no plans to make it a boarding school, Kjar said. “I’m not doing boarding, especially right off the bat,” he said. “We need to get this thing going.” A K-8 school is a permitted use in a rural traditional zone, but a high school is not. Kjar said that’s why he wants to start with a middle school inside the current house. “Our goal is to remodel the basement and put in 60 students,” he said. Kjar said he is, first and foremost, a businessman and wants to see if
his idea will pencil out. Only then would he move forward with future expansion. “We’ve got to see the demand,” he said. “We have to see if it works.” No work has yet been done on the property, but the school website at www.libertyboysacademy. com reads as though it has. It also references plans for a boarding school. “Much thoughtful consideration, careful planning and design transformed our ‘Big House’ to create an optimally functional campus for our academics, sports, and life skill education for boys,” it reads. “We look forward to continued growth of our campus in which a state-of-the-art school will be built, transitioning our current residence into a boarding home for students both local and abroad.” Kjar had a pre-application meeting with the Spokane County Development Services Department in September 2019 before he bought the property to explore the feasibility of the idea. Records from the meeting indicate it was for a change of use of a residence to a K-8 private school. Documents also indicate that the land is in a Critical Aquifer Recharge Area and that any development
of the property would probably require the full-width paving of Eighth Avenue, which is a gravel road at that location. No further applications permits have been filed.
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Martin said it was disconcerting to see a K-12 school in a 100,000 square foot facility and a sports stadium presented and promoted as if it was already decided. “This one just hit everyone out of the blue,” he said. “Our concern is he’s getting a bit ahead of himself.” Kjar said he understands that people may have been caught off guard by the master plan presented on his web site. “I understand the angst,” he said. “I know that change is difficult.” He wants his academy to be a source of good work in the community, he said. “This isn’t for troubled youth,” he said. “This is for my boys. This is for the type of boys who just aren’t learning in school anymore.” Martin said he and his group just want assurances that proper procedures will be followed, including zoning rules. “We’ don’t want to be against anything,” he said. “We just want to make sure things are done right.”
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• APRIL 2021
The Current
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