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Cheney Parks and Recreation Director Paul Simmons said it’s always been his belief that it would take something “incredible” to get him to leave his position with the city that he’s held since 2004. Apparently, the incredible happened last week. Simmons has accepted an offer to become the Director of Parks, Arts and Recreation at the city of Olympia, overseeing a full-time staff of 35-40 people, 1,000 acres of parkland and annual budget of $5.1 million. It’s a far cry from Cheney’s four full-time staff, 40 acres of parks an...
Emmanuel Lutheran Church Emmanuel Lutheran Church invites you to join us in worship Sunday Oct. 13 at 10:30 a.m. as we celebrate the 21st Sunday after Pentecost. Christian education classes for pre-school through adult begin at 9 a.m. Fellowship hour follows the worship service. Emmanuel will host StageWest Community Theater’s production of “It was a Dark and Stormy Night” written by Tim Kelly and directed by Charles Kenfield. Play dates are Friday, Oct. 11, 18, and 25 at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, 19, and 26 at 7 p.m. Sunda...
Polish your skates and make sure your bicycle is ready. We’re going to try to catch up with Christine Buob’s twins, Josh and John. These 11-year-old boys enjoy life at a fast pace. Their quick minds have their attention on the next subject while you are still pondering the last one. I made the mistake of asking them what they’d like to be when they grew up. “Batman,” Josh said. “Spiderman,” John said. Well, maybe, fellas, I’m not so sure. I think they were testing me. Act...
The government shutdown is all that news outlets have been able to cover since the start of the month, but when considering that shutdowns have happened 17 times since 1976. This current “shutdown,” according to the Congressional Budget Office only affects 17 percent of the federal government. If there isn’t a business out there that can choose to shut down 17 percent of its operations for a month - cutting back on printer toner, holding off on that software upgrade, turn off lights and ask employees to reduce their milea...
The election of John Taves would bring a much-needed, new voice to the Cheney City Council. Appointed to fill the vacant position following the death of Mike McKeehan, John has demonstrated that he does his homework, can debate the issues and make wise decisions. John brings to the office 35 years of leadership and executive experience with Bonneville Power Administration, including chief, National Environmental Policy Act Compliance staff. He has a PhD in sociology from Washington State University and was an assistant...
What could be more insulting to a war veteran who arrived at Washington, D.C. on an Honor Flight to be near the Vietnam Memorial and find it barricaded, closed, deliberately off limits to those whom it would mean the most? These former soldiers who gave so much of their lives, some who would always remember their buddies who never came home, tore down the barricade. Two hundred of them sat in rows and were photographed as if to say, “We pushed through the barricade. We did this many years ago. We can do it again.” Too man...
I-522 is not about whether food should be genetically engineered, but rather whether it should be identified as such. Forty-nine countries, including Japan, South Korea, China, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Russia, European Union states and other key U.S. trading partners have laws mandating disclosure of genetic engineering (also known as GMOs, Genetically Modified Organisms) on food labels. Some foreign markets are refusing to buy agricultural products from the United States because our genetically engineered products...
I write to encourage Cheney residents to vote for John Taves for a seat on the Cheney City Council. While on the Council for approximately a year, replacing the late Mike McKeehan, Taves has shown dedication to his work. Besides his great background with his work at the Bonneville Power Administration, he has written a very eloquent set of articles for the Cheney Free Press. Just attend the City Council, and you will be totally impressed with his thoroughness in doing his homework, in poring over the various documents and...
As we begin our strategic planning for 2014, I would like to take a minute to thank the citizens of Medical Lake for their continuing support of a great place to live. The Mayor, John Higgins, City Administrator Doug Ross, the seven council members and all city employees take seriously their roles in ensuring that Medical Lake is a safe, clean, and healthy place to live. The city’s budget is stable and staff and elected officials continually assess the resources available to provide the services our citizens need, i...
This editorial first appeared in The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the Cheney Free Press editorial board. Austerity brings out the worst in government and the best in those who pay for it. This week’s government shutdown has exacerbated a form of sinister political theater that was in play as a result of sequestration. It’s called Washington Monument Strategy, a phrase coined after a 1990 government shutdown led the National Park Service to close the Washington Monument at the...
Steve Lawrence is the incumbent in the only challenged race for a position on the Airway Heights City Council. Lawrence is running once again for Position 2 on the City Council to provide a voice for residents on the southern side of Airway Heights. “There’s no representation and apparently no one is rising up this time,” he said. He also said the City Council has been a productive one over the last four years, and the current makeup has made great achievements this year. The opinions are diverse and the representation is va...
Teresa Overhauser, a three-term incumbent for City Council Position 4, believes she still has plenty more to offer to the city of Cheney. “It has been three terms and I really feel like I can still make a difference,” Overhauser said. “I believe I have a different voice on council than my other council members. I find that my interests or the questions I ask and the perspective I bring is different from theirs.” Among the things that Overhauser would like to accomplish if reelected is to continue to work alongside the may...
By PAUL DELANEY Staff Reporter Incumbent Arthur “AJ” Burton is running unopposed for City Council Position No. 3 in Medical Lake. The 49-year-old computer technician has lived in the community for 13 years and said his prime reason for running for the four-year nonpartisan seat was “To serve the community that I live in.” Burton’s focus in the upcoming term will be to have more business open in the city, and “To keep Medical Lake a good safe place for your family to live.” “Maintaining Medical Lake’s quality of life w...
Brenda Redell is seeking to retain her seat on the Medical Lake City Council in the upcoming election. She said the current makeup of the council is a big part of why she’s running for another term. The council is on the right track, she said, and has a good understanding of what the city’s residents are seeking from representatives. “I feel like we need to continue in that direction,” she said. “We’re past that learning curve.” Redell mentioned that the SR 902 project completion is something that will help spur growth i...
The annual Coats 4 Kids Cheney community Coat Drive is now underway. Coats can be donated at any local Cheney School District schools or at many local churches and businesses from now to Oct. 19. Collected coats will be cleaned in cooperation with Coats 4 Kids and at Big Wash in Cheney. Coats will be distributed as follows: - Friday, Oct. 25 – Sunset Elementary School, Airway Heights, 3-5 p.m. - Saturday, Oct. 26 – Salnave Elementary School, Cheney; Westwood Middle School, Windsor area, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. An additional dis...
The first annual “Denim and Dollars” Cheney FFA alumni benefit dinner and auction is taking place Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Cheney Rodeo Grounds. Doors and a silent auction open at 5 p.m., with dinner served at 6 p.m. Must be 21 and over, with tickets available at Pape in Four Lakes, Del’s Feed in Cheney and Stimson Contracting in Airway Heights. Proceeds go to benefiting Cheney High School FFA students and their agricultural endeavors. Come have fun while supporting a great cause....
Cheney Gardeners Oct. 14 Did you ever wonder just how to get bulbs to flower in your home in winter? Master Gardener Steve Nokes will tell the Gardeners of Cheney about using kits for “Container planting of spring bulbs for winter enjoyment.” Guests are welcome to the meeting and speech at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 14 in the Sessions Village Community Room, 2219 N. Sixth St. behind the Cheney Care Center. Feed ML serves two meals Feeling the pinch of the government shutdown? Feed Medical Lake is serving two meals Oct. 14 and 28, bot...
Only one item required action on an extremely light Cheney City Council agenda Tuesday night. The council approved a resolution accepting $2,700 from the Administrative Office of the Courts for fiscal year 2014 as per an equipment replacement agreement. Cheney Municipal Court Administrator Terri Cooper said the funding would be used to reimburse the court for replacing three personal computers and three monitors. In non-action items, the city’s wastewater treatment plant was presented an Outstanding Performance Award from the...
The Medical Lake City Council held a quick meeting Tuesday, Oct. 1, approving a moratorium on the acceptance of land use permits relating to marijuana. Nearly a year after voters approved an initiative to allow recreational sale and use of marijuana, rules finally arrived for cities to create an ordinance. City Administrator Doug Ross said there was really only one location within the city where storefronts could go. The moratorium will be addressed again once the city has crafted its ordinance for marijuana retail. Also appr...
Cheney lineman Noah Zieman added a pink mohawk to his other pink gear at Friday’s game with Sandpoint in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many players wore pink attire, as did Blackhawks cheerleaders....
Shirley Maike is the incumbent in Medical Lake’s race for Position 2 on the City Council. For her, the current city council, mayor and administration at City Hall have done a good job of maintaining the city’s finances. She’s running to keep that in place. “The city is in a good position both fiscally and from a public safety standpoint,” she said. Maike cited maintaining the city’s infrastructure as something on her list for the next term, as well as finding resources to be able to have that level of upkeep continue. ...
It’s easy to figure out what season it is — just look for the signs. The Cheney Free Press candidate profile series continues with stories this week on city council races in Airway Heights, Cheney and Medical Lake....
Shirley Maike is the incumbent in Medical Lake’s race for Position 2 on the City Council. For her, the current city council, mayor and administration at City Hall have done a good job of maintaining the city’s finances. She’s running to keep that in place. “The city is in a good position both fiscally and from a public safety standpoint,” she said. Maike cited maintaining the city’s infrastructure as something on her list for the next term, as well as finding resources to be able to have that level of upkeep continue. ...
The race for Cheney City Council Position 1 pits first-term incumbent Fred Pollard against Cheney Planning Commissioner Chris Grover. Both are local businessmen and members of several community organizations. 1. Why run for office? Pollard said he decided to run in 2009 after working with “historic downtown groups and seeing first hand the need for the city of Cheney to improve its economics, develop opportunities and work closer with EWU.” It took him a couple years to figure out his role on council, he said, and having don...
The Airway Heights City Council once again tackled the issue of marijuana storefronts at its meeting Monday, Oct. 7, approving an extension of a moratorium that was enacted earlier this year. The City Council approved the extension on medical cannabis storefronts within Airway Heights, pushing the expiration date into April 2014. The moratorium would have expired Oct. 15. Airway Heights is still forming its marijuana ordinance, waiting for a final document from the state to emerge. Development Services Director Derrick Braate...
