2026 April Splash

Liberty Lake Council member Rick Klinger new to Council but not new to Liberty Lake

By Nina Culver Splash contributor

Rick Klingler is one of several new faces on the Liberty Lake City Council this year and has been settling into his role, learning about how much behind the scenes work goes into every decision the council makes.

Klingler said he spends about three to five hours preparing for each city council meeting, which begins with a review of the agenda and a packet of accompanying documents that can be anywhere from between 100 and 200 pages long.

It’s not just as simple as reviewing the packet, Klingler said. He tries to go back and look at decisions previous councils made on the topic, consider the city’s long term planning and more. Some topics are complex or have their own language that has to be understood.

“I do want to be prepared,” he said. “I want to make good decisions. Hopefully, as I become more steeped, it will become less.”

Klingler said it’s his job to “peel back the layers of the onion” and take a deep dive into information surrounding council decisions. “It’s very easy to just look at the surface,” he said.

It’s not unusual for Klingler to ask questions during meetings to make sure he’s understanding each issue clearly. As part of his educational process, he met with former city councilman Mike Kennedy. Klingler said he respects Kennedy’s honesty and integrity and the two spoke

DOCKSIDE

about how Klingler’s role was to do what is best for the community, not himself.

“He shared his experience,” Klingler said. “He’s very grounded in the RCW.”

Running for his city council seat last fall was his first attempt at winning an election. He was running against Phil Folyer, a former Liberty Lake council member who was trying to rejoin the council. He won with nearly 55 percent of the vote compared to Folyer’s 44 percent.

Klingler said people he knew had been asking him to run for a council seat for the last several years. “Before, in earlier asks, I was really busy,” he said. “I politely declined.”

Klingler was born in Toledo, Ohio, but spent most of his childhood living in Western Washington. He had an early career as a truck driver, then earned a

degree in nursing from Washington State University and later a master’s in business administration from Phoenix University.

After several years working as a nurse, he became a complex case manager, helping people with major illnesses or injuries navigate health care institutions. He’s been on the business side of health care for years, currently working in healthcare information technology.

Despite his roots in Western Washington, once he married, he and his wife started looking east to Liberty Lake. “We wanted to raise a family and didn’t see doing that in Seattle,” he said. “There’s a quality of life here in the Inland Northwest you just can’t beat.”

His two children are grown now and Klingler said that after years spent focusing on raising his children, he wants to help others

raise their children in the same environment his children enjoyed.

Recently, Klingler said he’d become disappointed with how partisan and acrimonious the city council meetings had become in Liberty Lake. After one particularly heated exchange between council members, Klingler used the public comment period to ask them to do better. People can have a healthy debate, Klingler said, but if there’s no respect present it’s likely the best outcome won’t be reached.

The acrimonious meetings is one of the reasons Klingler decided now was the time to run for office. He said city council positions are nonpartisan and should stay that way. “No matter what you think about national politics, it has no place on the council because we can’t affect those things,” he said.

Klingler said he believes it’s important to keep your own bias out of council decisions and that it’s important to hear all perspectives. He said he’s been told by some community members that he has had a calming effect on the council meetings and Klingler noted that council meetings are shorter now that there aren’t speeches and arguments among council members.

Council members recently had an informal retreat and talked about what they want to achieve and how they want to interact with each other, Klingler said. The consensus was to assume positive intent for all council members and go from there, he said.

“We’re going to operate from that,” he said. “I think it’s going really well. I think there’s been a new level of respect.”

Klingler said he believes in letting residents have a say in major decisions that will affect them, such as tax increases. In particular, the council just decided to ask voters to approve a tenth of a percent sales tax that would raise money for the city’s police department. The measure is expected to be on the November ballot. “That is an impact to them,”

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CVSD students star t college without leaving their HS community...

When University HS junior Carson Keeney signed up for his first collegelevel class as a freshman, he wasn’t sure he was ready

Now, he and several classmates are on track to graduate with transferable college credits — able to earn an Associate of Arts (AA) degree in the HS — proof that college can begin long before graduation day

Through College in the High School (CiHS), students earn transferable college credit, coupled with online Running Start classes, to earn an AA degree while learning in familiar classrooms surrounded by teachers, classmates and strong support systems. Participation has grown

rapidly since Washington state made CiHS courses free to public HS students in 2023, expanding access for families.

CiHS courses take place on our campuses, taught by college-endorsed HS instructors. Students can remain fully involved in athletics, performing arts, clubs and school traditions while completing college-level coursework.

Katie and Isaac Hebden, whose three children attend UHS, say the program strengthens both academic opportunity and community connection.

“By supporting these students now, we are getting them ready for the future,” they said.

After a successful AA in the HS program launch at UHS last year, Superintendent John Parker expanded the program.

Assistant Principal Hana Miller said UHS had already been building systems focused on access, student readiness and academic support.

NO INSURANCE, WE HAVE YOU COVERED

“ We already believed students were capable of college-level work,” Miller said. “Our job was to build the support structures so they could succeed while still experiencing high school.”

UHS Principal Rob Bartlett says the program allows students to pursue rigorous academics without sacrificing belonging.

“Students can challenge themselves academically and still be part of what makes HS meaningful,” Bartlett said. “Opportunity and connection are the foundation of Titan Pride.”

Alumni teachers Ryan Montang and Ryan Cornell now help students navigate college expectations while providing guidance along the way

“ You’re signing up for a challenge,” Cornell tells students. “But if you stick with it, you gain confidence and preparation that makes college much less overwhelming.”

“ This can be a game changer for some students Higher education becomes something they believe they can do. Or, they can opt to star t their career, right after HS.”

—Superintendent John Parker

The program expanded to Central Valley HS and Ridgeline HS this year. Students leave high school not only with college credit, but with confidence in motion—and a community cheering them on.

UHS junior Carson Keeney represents a growing number of more than 90 CVSD students earning college credit toward associate degrees.

KLINGLER

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he said. “They need to have a voice on it.”

It's also important for the city to be transparent so people know what’s happening, he said.

Klingler said he’s looking forward to continuing to serve the residents of Liberty Lake. “We have a lovely city,” he said. “We have wonderful residents. We care about each other. You see it in how they treat each other.”

Q: What prompted you to run for your Liberty Lake City Council seat last year?

A: I’ve always believed in stepping up when you see an opportunity to make things better. Liberty Lake is a special place, and I wanted to help guide its growth in a way that protects what makes it unique. After years of professional experience making decisions that impact people and communities, I felt ready to serve locally and contribute in a more direct, meaningful way.

Q: At the time, what did you see as the most important issue in Liberty Lake?

A: Smart, responsible growth stood out as the most important issue. Liberty Lake is growing, and with that comes pressure on infrastructure, housing, and quality of life. I believed then—and still do— that we need to balance growth with thoughtful planning, so we don’t lose the character of our community.

Q: Now that you have been serving on the council for a few months, has anything you learned

surprised you?

A: What’s surprised me most is the complexity behind even small decisions. There’s a lot of work happening behind the scenes, and every choice has ripple effects. I’ve also been impressed by the dedication of staff and fellow council members—it’s clear that people genuinely care about doing what’s right for Liberty Lake.

Q: Have you changed your mind on what is the most important issue in Liberty Lake or has it remained the same?

A: The core issue—managing growth responsibly—has remained the same, but I now see it as even more interconnected with everything else. Infrastructure, public safety, economic development, and community character all tie back to how we grow. It’s reinforced the importance of taking a long-term, disciplined approach.

Q: What do you like best about Liberty Lake?

A: It’s the sense of community. Liberty Lake has a small-town feel where people know each other and care about where they live. At the same time, it’s a beautiful place with access to the outdoors and a strong quality of life. That combination is something worth protecting.

Q: What do you like to do to relax?

A: I enjoy spending time outdoors and staying active—it’s one of the reasons Liberty Lake is such a great place to live. I also value time with family and friends. Those moments help keep me grounded and give me perspective, especially when things get busy.

3. Consider our climate:

• Spring is a rainy season (March-June)

• Water between 7p and 9a to avoid evaporative losses

• Turn o system during high winds

• Established lawns only need 1.5” per week — www.epa.gov/watersense

Liberty Lake Council puts Public Safety Sales tax on November

Ballot

By Nina Culver Splash contributor

The Liberty Lake City Council, facing what they believe is the certainty that Spokane County will ask voters to increase the public safety sales tax to three-tenths of one percent in November, voted to put a measure on that same ballot that would instead divert one-tenth of one percent of that total directly to the City of Liberty Lake.

Spokane County currently collects a public safety sales tax of one-tenth of one percent and the maximum allowed by state

law is three-tenths of one percent. Liberty Lake can ask its voters for a third of that total, but only if it gets its request on the ballot before the County does because the combined tax rate can’t equal more than three-tenths of one percent, said Finance Director Kyle Dixon.

If the County were to submit its ballot proposal first, the city would not be able to make its ballot request, Dixon said. “Timing is everything,” he said.

The council discussed the issue during its March 3 meeting and voted to approve putting the request on the ballot during the March 17 meeting.

Currently, Spokane County keeps 60 percent of the one-tenth of one percent collected and the remainder is split among the cities in Spokane County.

Liberty Lake would receive some money under the County’s presumed proposal to collect threetenths of one percent. The County

LIBERTY LAKE KIWANIS COMMUNITY

June 20, 9 am - 5 pm

YARD SALE

would receive an estimated $1 million of the total collected and the remaining $680,000 would be distributed among all the cities in Spokane County, not just Liberty Lake, Dixon said.

But if Liberty Lake voters approve the city’s request to collect one-tenth of one percent on its own, it would keep 85 percent of the money, which would be an estimated $720,000. The remaining 15 percent, approximately $130,000, would go to Spokane County, Dixon said.

“It’s my position that we seek to maximize the return on this tax,” he said.

The cost of law enforcement has been rising year after year and so far the city has been absorbing those increases, Dixon said. “We’ve been able to accommodate those requests,” he said. “Is this sustainable over a 10 year term? Probably not.”

It’s possible that both measures could pass, both could fail or one passes and the other fails, Dixon said. If both pass, the County’s share of the tax would automatically be reduced to twotenths of one percent. If both fail, the tax will remain at the onetenth of one percent currently collected by the County.

Councilman Hugh Severs said that either way, people who live in Liberty Lake would be paying a 9.2 percent sales tax and that it makes sense to funnel as much of that to the city as possible. “It seems like an absolute no brainer,” Severs said. “Keep our revenue here.”

“I second the no-brainer,” said councilman Rick Klingler.

Councilwoman Annie Kurtz said the proposed tax would help fund the city’s police department. “Doing this aligns with the values we’ve put forward,” she said. “Public safety is important and this is a way to pay for it.”

Mayor Pro Tem Dan Dunne said he likes the idea of local control of the money being collected. “Public safety has always been, for me, at the top,” he said.

Moving first to put a onetenth of one percent measure on the ballot simply makes sense if voters are going to end up paying it even if the city doesn’t request it, he said. “Really, no one likes a tax,” he said. “It appears that the County is poised to engage.”

Councilwoman Arlene Fisher said that Liberty Lake was founded on the premise of providing a safe community. “It’s not a tax on the homeowner,” she said. “It is a different way of funding public safety.”

Dixon recommended that the council vote on whether to put the tax on the ballot by May and Severs questioned if that was risky. “Can we do it sooner?” he asked. “I would encourage us to do it as soon as possible.”

“We can absolutely move that date up,” Dixon said.

Move up it did. Dixon brought a resolution to the council for a vote at the next meeting.

During the March 17 meeting, council members continued to speak in favor of asking voters to divert public safety tax money to Liberty Lake.

Dunne said it represents a choice between the city receiving the money or the larger area. “I am supporting this strongly,” he said.

Klingler said he agreed. “We have to have the funds to support public safety,” he said.

Severs said the measure would allow the city to keep more of the public safety sales tax instead of sending it to Spokane County. It’s clear that there will be a tax, Severs said, the only choice is where the money will go.

“The money is to our benefit, doing it this way,” said councilwoman Linda Ball.

The vote to approve the resolution was unanimous. Mayor Kris Kaminskas said the city will move forward with voter education on the issue soon. “This will need a lot of outreach,” she said. “It is confusing, even to us here.”

The Lookout

LLPD presents Life Saving Award to Noah Bigner

Members of the Liberty Lake Police Dept. made a special visit to the Liberty Lake Taco Bell on March 6 to present a Life Saving Award to restaurant employee Noah Bigner. The award, presented by LLPD Chief Damon Simmons and Lt. Mark Holthaus, recognized the actions Bigner took in performing CPR during a medical emergency involving an unconscious teen at the business back on Jan. 26.

Brigner was recommended for the special award by LLPD Sgt. Mike

Bogenreif, who was the responding officer during the Jan. 26 incident. Police staff credited the restaurant employee’s actions for helping save the person’s life.

In a statement read at the March 3 Liberty Lake City Council meeting, LLPD Deputy Chief Darin Morgan said: “Despite the high stress and chaotic nature of the incident, Mr. Bigner remained calm, focused, and deliberate in his actions. He continued providing effective chest compressions and care until fire department personnel were ready to take over the patient’s care. His quick thinking, initiative, and willingness to step in during a critical moment ensured the patient received immediate intervention during the most critical minutes.”

E-bikes and golf carts to be topic of April 28 town hall

E-bikes, golf carts, e-scooters, and other micromobility devices will be the focus of a community town hall scheduled for Tuesday, April 28, at the Trailhead Golf Course building at 22302 E. Country Vista Drive. This public event in the building’s Rotary Room will start at 6 p.m.

During the town hall, Liberty Lake Police Department personnel will discuss proposals that are being developed to address public safety concerns about these transportation devices. Area residents will also have opportunities to respond to the proposals and share other comments during this interactive gathering.

For more information about this April 28, contact City Hall at 509755-6700.

Add a banner to Hometown Heroes display during America’s 250th birthday!

Liberty Lake’s patriotic display of the Hometown Heroes banners has some openings … but you only have until April 15 to add a current or former member of the military to that group for 2026.

Up to 15 spots are open for the fifth annual display that will be returning on Memorial Day

Prep for your Arbor Day at April 18 tree planting workshop

Liberty Lake’s Public Works and Parks & Recreation departments are presenting a free tree planting workshop at Pavillion Park on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Dan Maus, the city’s International Society of Arboriculture-certified master arborist, will start off the morning with a presentation of 20 to 30 minutes on the best steps for planting trees.

Following his instructional session, attendees will have a hands-on opportunity to plant one of several new trees at Pavillion Park. Attendees should bring their own work gloves.

Participants will need to register for this free event through the “Classes” link on the City of Liberty Lake’s Parks & Recreation page. For further information, call 509995-3588.

weekend throughout portions of E. Country Vista and N. Liberty Lake Road. The sponsor cost of $200 will support a new banner that will be part of the 60-piece collection that honors veterans and current members of America’s military services.

Application forms can be picked up inside the entrance of Liberty Lake City Hall, and can be found online at https:// libertylakehometownheroes.com.

This project is jointly sponsored by Liberty Lake Centennial Rotary, Avista, and the City of Liberty Lake.

Community Safety & Resilience Fair coming on April 30

Gain information on how to protect your home during the wildfire season – and on how to save energy and lower your electricity bills – by attending the Community Safety & Resilience Fair coming to the Trailhead Golf Course’s Rotary Room on Thursday, April 30, from 4 to 6 p.m.

During the drop-in event, attendees will be able to learn about simple steps for protecting their home, find out about programs and tips to improve energy efficiency in their home, meet with local firefighters, and participate in fun activities and giveaways.

The Community Safety & Resiliency Fair is being presented by the City of Liberty Lake’s Community Development Department. Participating partners include the Spokane Valley Fire Department, Avista, and the Spokane Conservation District.

Checking in with Liberty Lakes Three Golf Courses as the 2026 season gets underway

By Nina Culver Splash contributor

March weather was both a blessing and a curse for Liberty Lake golfers. Warm weather allowed the two Spokane County courses, Liberty Lake and MeadowWood, to open in early March, but only days later they had to close again when it snowed several inches. They are both back open again.

Trailhead Golf Course

The Trailhead Golf Course, a 9-hole course owned by the City of Liberty Lake, is unique in that it is open year-round. When the weather is bad, people can use the covered driving range or use the golf simulators inside to keep their skills

fresh. “No matter what the weather is outside, if you come to Trailhead you can be hitting balls,” said Golf Pro Chris Johnston.

Golfers can tee off outside on good weather days, even if its in January. “We’re the only golf course in Liberty Lake that’s open all year long,” said Johnston.

The data shows that if the weather is good, they will come. On February 28, when the temperature was 50 degrees, there were 140 players on the course. On March 4, when it was rainy and chillier, only one foursome showed up to play.

Being open year-round means that the course hosts more golf teams. There are four high school golf teams who practice at Trailhead and during the winter the teams from Eastern Washington University and Gonzaga University also practice there since Trailhead is the only course open, Johnston said.

“They’re also seeing a jump in people signing up for golf,” he said of the high school and college teams.

Trailhead, located at 22302 E. Country Vista Drive, is in its third year in a brand new building that includes a pro shop, community meeting room and restaurant. The two golf simulators were also added

once the building was finished in July of 2023. The course itself has been open since 1973.

Even the merchandise inside the pro shop has been refreshed in the form of a new logo. Hats, shirts and bags now feature the outline of a Sasquatch holding a small red flag. “The flag is the flag from the old logo,” Johnston said. “Everybody went nuts for it. It just took off. We’re the Pacific Northwest and who doesn’t like Sasquatch?”

Business has been booming at Trailhead, Johnston said. The increases became noticeable during the COVID-19 pandemic, when playing golf was one of the only activities you could do. There was a surge of new players learning the game and former players who returned, Johnston said.

“It’s just been going up and up since then,” he said. “Every year we’ve had a record year, especially since 2021. We do have a new building and new amenities, which has helped that.”

Recently people have been lining up four deep to wait their turn on the driving range. “Our range is pretty busy,” he said. “Ours is the only one that’s covered, if you need that, and it’s the only one that’s heated.”

Lately the course has also been attracting more young golfers, Johnston said. “We have a big juniors program,” he said.

Trailhead is the only 9-hole course in Liberty Lake. Playing a round takes less time than it does at an 18hole course, which makes it easier to fit into people’s schedule, Johnston said. It’s also easier for beginners.

“That’s kind of our niche,” he said. “We don’t really compete with the other two golf courses.”

Like most golf courses in the area, Trailhead raised its prices slightly to combat rising operating costs. Labor and fuel, the major components of the budget, have been going up for years. This year a 9-hole round will cost $29 for adults, up $4 from last year. “This was probably the largest jump,” he said.

Still, a check of public golf courses around the country will show that the $29 price tag is still an excellent deal, Johnston said. “The rates are so reasonable compared to the rest of the country,” he said. “In most areas, it’s double or triple the amount in greens fees than it is here.”

Those interested in checking out Trailhead can visit anytime, but if a less busy time is desired, Monday between 1 and 3 p.m. tends to be the least crowded, Johnston said. Fridays are the busiest day of the week, followed closely by Saturdays.

Simulator time is discounted during June, July and August. Usually it’s $55 for an hour, but during the summer months it’s only $30 an hour, which makes it a great option for a rainy day.

There’s a men’s league that plays every Thursday and the ladies golf club plays every Wednesday. There are now close to 100 women in the club now compared to only 14 when he arrived years ago, Johnston said.

“They’re very active, very involved,” he said. “The ladies club has been going up every year.”

There are also discount cards and season passes available for purchase. Full details are available online at www.libertylakewa.gov/722/golfcourse.

Meadowwood Golf Course

The MeadowWood Golf Course, located at 24501 E. Valleyway Ave., opened on March 2 for range balls and then opened fully on March 11. “Everybody was ready to get

outside,” said Golf Pro Bob Scott.

Though early, it was not the earliest that MeadowWood had opened. “We’ve opened as early as February 18 or as late as March 28 in my 30 years,” he said.

Of course, the snow on March 13 meant the golf course had to shut down again. “We reclosed for five days,” Scott said. “But, you know, that’s Spokane golf.”

It can sometimes be inconvenient to be one of three golf courses in close proximity to one another, but Scott said each course has something that sets it apart. “Trailhead is a great beginner, senior course and then you’ve got two Masters courses,” he said. “It just makes a great golf environment. You just don’t find this anywhere else, three driving ranges within five minutes of each other.”

One of the things that sets MeadowWood apart from its sister course just across the road, Liberty Lake Golf Course, is the driving range. Golfers hit their balls into a large, man-made pond. The story behind that dates back to the creation of the course, Scott said.

Someone donated 140 acres of land to Spokane County to build the course, which opened in 1988. But when calculating the amount of land needed for a golf course, a driving range was not considered. So the pond was built and golfers use limited flight balls to make sure they don’t overshoot the pond. “We make it work,” Scott said.

Other than that, it’s mostly the little things that set the two Spokane County owned courses apart. “This course is always in really good condition and it’s probably a little easier than Liberty Lake,” he said. “It’s a little more user friendly.”

Scott agrees that business has been booming since the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing an influx of golfers to local courses. “It’s gotten to the point where it’s almost maxed out,” he said. “If it’s halfway decent weather, I’d say we’re 90 to 95 percent full.”

He said he’s been seeing a lot more kids and women coming to golf. He offers lessons to kids as young as 5. “When I was a kid, golf wasn’t cool,” he said. “There’s so many great players now. Golf is cool.”

Scott said he can see a day when there’s a shortage of golf courses. In

COVER STORY

decades past, several golf courses have closed in Spokane County, including the Painted Hills Golf Course in Spokane Valley and the Sundance Golf Course in Nine Mile Falls. It would be difficult to find a large enough area to build a new course now, let alone enough money to build one, he said.

“To build a golf course, it would probably cost an arm and a leg,” he said.

There are plenty of opportunities to play at MeadowWood. There’s an Over the Hill Gang that plays on Mondays that switches back and forth from MeadowWood to Liberty Lake. There’s also a ladies golf club that plays on Wednesdays.

“I’ve got groups just about every day,” Scott said. “If the weather’s halfway decent, we’re pretty much full.”

The prices at MeadowWood and Liberty Lake courses are the same since both are County owned. Like Trailhead, the greens fees have gone up $4 from last year’s price to $52 for 18 holes or $36 for 9 holes.

There are discount cards and loyalty passes available as well. Scott said if a player plans to play fewer than 32 rounds of golf in a season, it makes sense to purchase a $75 loyalty pass, which brings the cost of an 18hole round down to $42. If a golfer plans to be on the course more than 32 times, it’s more cost effective to purchase a loyalty pass for $375 that brings the price of an 18-hole round down to $33.

Details on lessons and other information is available at www. spokanecounty.gov/1234/ MeadowWood.

Liberty Lake Golf Course

Golf has gotten off to a rough start at the Liberty Lake Golf Course, located at 24403 E. Sprague Avenue. After shutting down for the snow, it didn’t reopen again until March 18. In addition, the driving range is closed for the foreseeable future.

“We had wind damage in December that broke several of the poles that support the netting,” said Golf Pro Kit DeAndre.

Spokane County already had budgeted to upgrade the driving range netting this fall, DeAndre said, and decided to move up the project instead of trying to repair the damage. “We’re trying to step that up,” he said.

Spokane County Parks, Recreation and Golf Department Director Doug Chase said the County has already put the project out to bid. The hope is to install 70-foot netting along Sprague Avenue and at the end of the driving range and 50-foot netting on the interior border of the driving range. The poles holding the netting would also be steel instead of wood.

Chase said the Spokane County Commissioners are expected to vote on whether or not to accept one of the bids within a couple weeks. The project is expected to take 120 days to complete once it begins, Chase said.

Once it’s done, the improvements will be on par with improvements made recently to the Trailhead Golf Course driving range netting, DeAndre said.

DeAndre said he’s already talked to many disappointed golfers who wanted to use the driving range and said he hopes it won’t be a big hit on the course’s bottom line. “It will be a

little impactful,” he said. “This time of year, players like to come out and just start warming up.”

His course, like the other two courses in Liberty Lake, has been seeing more and more golfers. DeAndre said he used to be able to recognize all his regulars, but there’s simply too many now. “We’ve been swamped,” he said. “We just shake our heads. We’re packed.”

As a group, the Spokane County golf courses had the most rounds played and most revenue ever in 2024, DeAndre said. It continued to go up in 2025. “We outdid 2024 by about 20 percent,” he said.

The Liberty Lake Golf Course, established in 1959, is the oldest one in Liberty Lake. It shut down in 2008 for two years for a major redesign, reopening in 2010

DeAndre agrees that his course is different from MeadowWood even though both are 18-hole courses. “It’s two totally different golf courses,” he said. “We’re an old school par 70 golf course. Historically, that makes this golf course a little tougher. It plays a little bit longer.”

He also has several different groups that frequent his course. The Over the Hill Gang visits every other Monday and there’s an 18-hole ladies golf club that meets on Tuesdays. There’s also a 9-hole ladies golf club that plays on Thursdays.

The Liberty Lake Golf Course doesn’t have an organized juniors club, but does offer lessons for children, Wood Said.

Details are available at www. spokanecounty.gov/1210/LibertyLake.

By John McCallum Splash contributor

SPRING SPORTS

Baseball

Falcon spring teams offer blending of youth with experience

It may not seem like it yet looking at the weather, but spring sports are well under way for Ridgeline High School teams.

The Falcons return a solid nucleus of experienced and allleague award players from last year’s team that finished 11-14 and lost in the District 6 title game to Kennewick and the opening round of the State 3A playoffs to Shorewood.

“This year’s roster features five seniors, each set to earn their fourth varsity letter,” head coach Jeramie Maupin said. “Several have been starters in every season of their high school careers.”

Ridgeline’s crop of returners begins with Caden Andreas at shortstop. The senior was last year’s Greater Spokane League Offensive Player of the Year and was a firstteam All-State selection, who is headed to play college baseball at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho.

The four other seniors include Mikey Macall (third base), Ben Wartinger (pitcher / second base), Charlie Lynn (pitcher / outfield) and Nolan Wohl (catcher). Macall was first-team All-GSL, secondteam All-State while Wartinger and Lynn were first-team All-GSL and Nolan was GSL honorable mention.

Macall, Wartinger and Lynn are headed to Tacoma Community College next year while Wohl is headed across the Puget Sound to Olympic Community College in

Also back this year are juniors Braxxton Barker and Tallyn Oakshott, both playing in the outfield and making appearances on the mound when needed. Barker was a GSL Honorable Mention in 2025.

“With this experienced core and a group of talented, impact-making underclassmen, the team enters the season with high expectations and the promise of exciting, highquality baseball,” Maupin said.

As of March 24 the Falcons were 0-1, losing their opener 7-2 on the road at 3A Kamiakin on March 13.

Fastpitch softball

The Falcons return three seniors from last year’s team that notched several firsts in program history á including their first playoff victory, 8-6 over GSL rival Cheney in District 6 competition. Ridgeline

placed fourth in the GSL in 2025 at 11-7, 12-10 overall – which included first ever wins over 3A University and 4A Mead.

Returning this year are seniors Abby Savage, Quinch Coder and Jenna Fleeman, all playing either infield or outfield depending on the situation. Other players to watch are juniors Millie Dobyns (infield / catcher) and Persais Triplett (infield /outfield /pitcher) and sophomore Colbie Hallett (infield). Coder, who was a GSL second-team utility player selection in 2025, is one to watch as well, especially from the plate as well as Triplett, who was GSL Honorable Mention as a pitcher last year.

“We are young and have several new players to the varsity level, we will focus on developing together and adjusting to the pace of varsity competition,” head coach Jenna Knauss said. “The energy and

competitiveness of the new players, combined with the leadership and experience of our returning players, will help build a strong foundation for the season.”

So far the Falcons are off to a good start, opening with wins over Northeast 2B Freeman, GSL 4A Gonzaga Prep and 3A Shadle Park before their first loss against league and 3A leader Mt. Spokane.

Golf

The Falcon girls lost three starters from the team that won the 3A GSL title, finished seventh at the 2024 state tournament, won the District 6 crown in 2025 and anchored the growth of the program from its beginnings. That said, they still return three golfers with that championship and state experience: juniors Chloe Hamilton and Morgan Quesnell and senior Sawyer Anderson.

Anderson is a four-year varsity player while Hamilton and Quesnell are three-year players. Head coach Danny White said his top newcomers are freshman Taylor Boast, sophomore Grace Sitton and junior Ellie Mulligan, with six other players vying for the No.5 and No.6 varsity spots.

“The future looks bright with some hard work now and through the summer offseason,” White said.

Boys soccer

The Falcons return a balanced, experienced team from last year’s squad that placed fourth in 3A GSL, second in the District 6 playoff competition but lost in the first round of state to Auburn Mountainview, finishing 10-8-1 overall.

Ridgeline’s roster has five seniors and five juniors. Seniors are Brody Presho and Silas Merino in goal, Thatcher Hemphill at defender / midfield, Landon Spinning at midfield and Ethan Nielsen at defender.

Juniors are Noah Meadows and Beckam Lopez at defender, Draeden Simatos and Aina TAchera at midfield and Dean Corral at defender / midfielder. Also making varsity are five sophomores and a pair of freshmen.

Ridgeline has opened 2026 at 1-1-1, defeating Cheney 4-0 in the opener before losing 1-0 to Central Valley and tying GSL 2A West Valley.

Tennis

Falcon girls head coach Russ Tarmann’s team will have some experience this season with eight seniors on the squad. Leading that contingent is Tessa Currin, playing in her fourth varsity season, along with second-year varsity senior Gina Stroot.

“Seniors who have committed to the team and the love of the sport, at either the JV (junior varsity) or C-Team level are Elisa Aliu, Bea Beykirch, Caitlyn Jensen, Valeria Lievano Caballero, Madalynn McHenry and Shayla Jones,” Tarmann said in an email. “They all have been role models with multiple years of experience guiding younger players and have participated in our end of the school year kids camps.”

Two-time GSL Honorable

Mention, junior Mia Longo, heads up the singles rotation at No. 1. She’s followed by third-year starter Stella Taylor at No. 2, with freshman Guiles Longo — the fourth Longo member to play for the Falcons — at No. 3 and Audrina Aguilar at No. 4.

Both Aguilar and Abby Bolton are returning Mid-Columbia Conference / GSL districts alternates.

“Audrina along with Abby Bolton Tessa Currin, Gina Stroot, and Grace Conard bring experience at both singles and doubles,” Tarmann said.

Freshmen Sophie Jorgensen and Addie Lent, who have already made an impact playing doubles in the Falcons’ out of season matches, complete the varsity lineup. Players to watch for as varsity alternates are Riona Albright, Clara Kardonsky and Emmie House.

Track and Field

The 2026 Falcon boys feature quantity — as in number of athletes turning out.

“We have nearly 110 boys out for the team this year, with the majority being underclassmen,” first-year head coach Jeremy Van Assche said. “A very young but talented team.”

Van Assche said key members to watch are Keean Huntsinger, Grant Summers and Kian Henry Sutherland in the distance events, Reed Swain and Tony Rodriguez in the sprints, Gavin O'Connell in high jump and Carson Atwood in the javelin.

At the Wildcat Invitational March 19 at Mt. Spokane, Huntsinger won the 800-meter run with Summers and Sutherland going 4-5 in the 3,200. Atwood was third in the javelin while O’Connell was second in the high jump

For the girls at Mt. Spokane, senior Kali Rothrock was first in the 400 and first in the triple jump, freshman Emery Sevy third in the 800 and freshmen Kalia Blanchard and junior Kayla Jensen second in the 1,600 and 3,200 respectively. Sophomore Jovie Dire won the javelin with freshman Makiah Frandsen second in the long jump.

No information was available about boys golf, tennis or girls track and field.

Liberty Lake City Council - News and Notes

By Nina Culver Splash contributor

The Liberty Lake City Council is discussing bringing back committees, which fell by the wayside years ago. When the city first began, it had several committees that included council members and city staff who would discuss in depth issues related to finance, public safety and community development.

Mayor Pro Tem Dan Dunne, who served previously on the council when committees were used, said it allowed council members to become subject matter experts. A representative of each committee would report back to the council about what the committee discussed, but some council members disliked the process and wanted to see all the information themselves, Dunne said.

That was the reason the committees went away.

Dunne said he’s fine with using committees. “I don’t want to see it all,” he said.

Most cities have committees and Liberty Lake is unusual in that it doesn’t have any, Dunne said.

Councilman Hugh Severs said he also previously served when Liberty Lake had committees. “To me it was an opportunity for certain council members to go on a deep dive,” he said. “I speak very much in favor of bringing committees back.”

Councilwomen Summer Darrow and Arlene Fisher also spoke in favor of the concept. “In any city I’ve been a part of, there have been committees,” Fisher said. “They are beneficial.”

The issue was discussed again during the March 17 council meeting, including how often they should meet. Each council member present indicated their preference for what committees they would like to serve on, giving a top choice and a secondary choice. Mayor Cris Kaminskas said a decision on which

council members would serve on what committees should be made soon.

The council also discussed whether or not to bring back the city’s youth commission, which has been dormant for a while. “It does rely on students and youth in the community,” said Dunne. “We want to really empower youth in our community. We just haven’t had a ton of students asked to be involved.”

If there is a youth commission it would probably be a good idea to name a city council member as a liason to the commission, said Kaminskas.

Darrow said another option would be to add youth seats to other commissions that are already active. “That would be my thought, initially,” she said.

Youth can bring energy and new ideas to city issues, said councilman Rick Klingler. “Kids have the best level of energy,” he said. “They’re not jaded like us.”

Fisher said she would love to see the youth commission come back, but said she worries that teenagers are simply too busy.

“I am struggling with this one because of the lack of participation in the past,” said councilman Hugh Severs. “I think we should engage the high school and see what they think.”

Councilwoman Linda Ball agreed that the city should approach the high school first. “It would be fruitless to have a commission and no one come,” she said.

Representatives from Visit Spokane presented a report to the city council during the March 3 meeting about what the organization has been doing to promote the City of Liberty Lake. Jeff Hawley, vice president of marketing, said Visit Spokane has used the lodging tax money given to it by the city to run a campaign using an “Escape to Liberty Lake” theme.

“We love to promote Liberty Lake, all the cool stuff happening in Liberty Lake and all the new development,” he said.

Visit Spokane ran the digital marketing campaign in the fall of 2025, after sending people throughout the city to take photos, videos and drone shots for the

campaign. Visit Spokane created a “visual asset collection” by doing so, Hawley said. “We didn’t have a lot of it we could use,” he said.

The campaign also included print ads in the Inlander for the Restaurant Week edition to highlight the numerous restaurants in Liberty Lake.

They targeted nearby markets for the ad campaign, which got a lot of hits from people in Coeur d’Alene and the Tri-Cities, Hawley said. Liberty Lake’s page on the Visit Spokane website got 45,000 clicks. That represents a click through rate of .24 percent when the normal is .01 percent, Hawley said.

“We think this was successful,” he said.

The Liberty Lake Police Department presented Noah Bigner with a Life Saving Award after he performed CPR on a teenager while waiting for first responders to arrive.

Deputy Police Chief Darin Morgan said police were called to Taco Bell, where Bigner works, on January 25 after receiving a report that a 14-year-old girl was unconscious and not breathing on the bathroom floor. Sergeant Mike Bogenreif was the first to arrive and wrote the letter recommending Bigner for the award.

Bogenreif wrote that despite the stress and chaos of the situation, Bigner was calm, focused and deliberate in his actions as he continued to do CPR until paramedics with the Spokane Valley Fire Department arrived. “His quick thinking, initiative and willingness to step in during a critical moment ensured that the patient received immediate intervention during the most crucial minutes,” he wrote.

Morgan said Bigner acted quickly and his reaction made a difference. “She is still alive today because of his life saving measures,” he said.

The Life Saving Award is usually a medal given only to members of law enforcement, but Morgan said the department created a special plaque to be presented to Bigner. Bigner was not able to come to the council meeting, but Police Chief Damon Simmons presented the award to Bigner during his next shift at work.

Student of the Month

Teigan Bronec is a high-achieving senior at Ridgeline High School and the Salutatorian of the Class of 2026, maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA while completing seven Advanced Placement courses and earning a 1490 on the SAT. A dedicated leader, Teigan has been an active member of the Falcon Robotics program for five years, currently serving as club president, and played a key role in founding a Robotics club at Spokane Valley Tech. He is also deeply involved in student leadership and business organizations, serving as a Washington FBLA state officer—first as Northeast Region Vice President and now as Executive Vice President—and competing at the state level with Ridgeline’s DECA team. In addition, Teigan contributes to the school’s Knowledge Bowl team, which recently placed fourth at state, and competes on the Falcon Varsity Tennis Team. Outside of school, he enjoys recreational skiing at Schweitzer. After graduation, Teigan will attend Stanford University to study Electrical Engineering, with aspirations of gaining experience in Silicon Valley and eventually starting his own business.

Aimee Cook is a dedicated senior at Oaks Classical Christian Academy with a 3.94 GPA who exemplifies leadership, creativity, and service. She has played volleyball for six years, and has been deeply involved in her school community through multiple leadership roles. As a member of the inaugural yearbook team, she began as a sports section designer and now oversees senior content, elementary grades, and sports. Aimee is an active participant in the school ambassadors program, where she organizes service initiatives such as concession sales and the school coffee bar. She has led impactful service projects, including the Baby Bottle Drive with Life Services of Spokane, raising funds and essential items for families in need, and she successfully revived the school’s Sugar Ministry to foster encouragement and connection among students. In addition, Aimee helped restart the school’s select choir, serves as the school’s Lilac Ambassador, was honored as the 2025 Ms. Spokane Valley through the Valleyfest Royalty program, and contributes to the Spokane County Interstate Fair Junior Advisory Board. Beyond school, she works as a childcare assistant teacher at Valley Real Life Church, further demonstrating her commitment to serving others.

After high school Aimee plans to study Kinesiology (Health Science) with the goal of becoming a Physical Therapist specializing in Sports Therapy at a school in the South Eastern part of the United States.

Abby Sprague is the owner and founder of Sprague Digital, a small digital marketing company dedicated to supporting community focused small businesses. After relocating from southern Idaho to Liberty Lake two years ago, Abby quickly became an active and engaged member of the community, joining both the Liberty Lake Kiwanis Club and Rotary, earning an appointment to the Liberty Lake Planning Commission, and volunteering on its Sign Code subcommittee. A lifelong passion for service has guided her journey, from being elected Student Body President while studying Political Science at Treasure Valley Community College to serving as the Chief of Staff for the Student Body at Boise State University, where she oversaw the ASB budget and finances. Abby holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics with minors in Math and History from Boise State University and began her professional career as a Web Lead intern with the Idaho Bureau of Land Management. She is happily married to her husband, Collin Sprague, and is a proud mother to their two year old daughter, Hadrian. In her free time, Abby enjoys running and staying active.

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CITY COUNCIL

Continued from page 16

Public Works Director Ben Turner gave a brief report on the remodeling project of what will become the new city hall in a former church next to the police station. City staff recently opened the bids for the project.

“We had really good results,” Turner said. “We had a good bidding environment.”

It was estimated that the project would cost $4.6 million. The lowest bid, which included 10 optional additions, came in at $3.6 million, Turner said. The optional additions include a new roof, some interior upgrades to reduce ongoing maintenance, adding a covered canopy at the building entrance and installing windows in the city council chamber.

The church plans to vacate the building by April 10, after Easter Sunday.

The council voted unanimously to award the contract to the lowest bidder, Dardan Enterprises.

In other business, the council also voted to sign a 3-year recreation agreement with the United States Tennis Association PNW to provide tennis lessons in city parks and a 3-year recreation agreement with the YMCA for a summer day camp in Orchard Park.

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Ben Wick ben@libertylakesplash.com

CO OWNER Danica Wick danica@libertylakesplash.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Nina Culver, John McCallum, Ross Schneidmiller

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The council also agreed to pay for parking lot repairs at the Liberty Lake Library, approve the final Pavement Master Plan and make slight changes to the library meeting room policy. Andy Cho was appointed to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee.

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