It’s already one of our favorite publications (we tend to read it cover-to-cover as soon as it arrives) but the March issue of Out There Monthly has special appeal for Friends of the Falls, since it’s our Board Vice-Chair, Travis Nichols, gracing the cover!

The related article, entitled ”Year of the River,” celebrates opportunities inherent in what should be a very good flow year for the Spokane River, due to an ample snowpack in nearby mountains. It’s full of information about various stretches of the river, including little-known history, safety information for would-be boaters, club contacts, and more.

As for Travis, he’s been involved with FOF since his volunteer “work” helping kayak-escort several of our spring raft trips a few years ago. He’s an expert whitewater guy, and even helps teach newcomers to the sport. Some of Travis’ key volunteering these days involves representing FOF in the City’s ongoing Shoreline Master Program effort.

Check out the Out There article below, or better yet, pick up a copy at just about any area coffee house, grocer, or pub. We’ve included a link to a larger picture of Travis’ cover, too, but it’s mainly there to embarrass Travis a bit…

Oh, and we might add that the author of the Out There article, Paul Delaney, has also served as skipper on many of FOF’s spring floats. Great article, Paul, and great choice for the cover!

“Year of the River” - Out There Monthly, March issue (Weblink)
Cover Picture (.jpeg file)

There are big goings-on this week, with at least two must-attend events happening of interest to FOF and river supporters.

One - which we’ve been tracking for quite awhile now - is a “meet and greet” session for the community to get to know each of the two candidates being considered for Spokane’s Parks & Recreation Director position. The finalists, Mr. Barry Russell of El Paso, Texas, and Mr. Roger Thomas of Provo, Utah, will be on-hand in the Chase Gallery (outside Council Chambers) from 5:30 to 7:00 the evening of Thursday, March 6. A short, formal presentation from the candidates is scheduled for 6:00 pm.

If you, like us, recognize the critical importance of parks, greenbelts and open space in civic life - especially in Spokane’s Olmsted-enriched context - you’ll really want to visit with these two gentlemen, and add your thoughts to the review process now being carried out by the Parks Board. Mayor Verner, who by charter makes the selection, says she’s hopeful to have a new director in place by April. After appointment by the Mayor, City Council must confirm the appointment. Former Spokane City Manager Roger Crum has been serving as the interim Parks Director since December.

Folks, this opportunity can’t be overestimated and shouldn’t be missed. To get you started, we’ve acquired a copy of the City-issued candidate profiles and have them available for download below. (We’ve even added links to their respective websites - just click on each candidate’s name.) Check them out, do some research, visit with the finalists on Thursday, and be sure to pass your thoughts along to Mayor Verner!

Candidate Profiles (28 Kb, Acrobat® file)

Friends of the Falls subscribes to several news listings with local and State agencies, and when the news seems especially well-suited to our group’s mission, we pass it along. The following post from Washington State’s Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO, formerly IAC) is one such item:

Seems the RCO is currently looking for volunteers to serve on the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA) committee, which evaluates grant proposals for parks and habitat areas along waterfront areas. More specifically, the committee reviews applications from agencies seeking to acquire, develop, and restore lands adjacent to navigable water bodies for public purposes, including access to such lands. The committee also assists policy development for the program.

Sound interesting? According to the release, the RCO is looking for five volunteers who represent the points of view of:

• Local agency, recreation interest
• Local agency, habitat interest
• Citizen at large, recreation interest
• Citizen at large, habitat interest (2 positions)

According to the release, it’s OK for committee members to also be members of organizations that apply for ALEA grants.

Terms are for two years, and travel expenses are typically provided for the (up to) six days’ worth of meetings in even-numbered years required of members.

To apply for membership on the committee, send your form and support materials to RCO no later than April 15th. (We’ve linked a copy of the application below). More information is available online on the RCO website, or by contacting Lorinda Anderson at 360-902-3009. 

RCO ALEA application (124 Kb, MS Word® file)

We wondered at first if this was a good fit for inclusion here, but with several bicycle and/or pedestrian-oriented projects identified in the Gorge Master Plan, we’ll say it fits perfectly.

In any case, our contacts at Washington State’s office of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) sent this item recently, and we thought we’d spread the word to our bike/ped friends at the City and of course to Friends of the Centennial Trail.

It’s an $11-million dollar pot of money now available from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), to be distributed through two grant programs related to non-auto transportation. One’s about safe routes to school, but the other program could have implications for area-wide trails and bike lanes, maybe even in the Spokane River Gorge. Called the “Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Grant Program,” the source is all about “...funding projects that improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, and may include “engineering solutions and educational programs.”

It seems the grants have to be issued through a public agency like the City of Spokane, but efforts - especially from groups - that help identify and assist with grant applications are usually welcome at the City.

Design work for the trail through the Kendall Yards area? Work to improve safety along that nasty stretch of the Centennial Trail running along the Government Way and Fort George Wright zoom-ways? Maybe so.

Check out the press release for the grants, downloadable below.

WSDOT Bike/Ped Grants (96 Kb, Acrobat® file)