What a great year Blessings Under the Bridge had! We grew faster this past year than ever. We can't say thank you enough for all the amazing blessings because we received so many this year. We are also incredibly touched by the new relationships we have built and maintained. 

Let me share some of the highlights of 2014. A huge increase in the number of people we serve every week. An increase in donations of food and other needed items, giving us the ability to serve from seven stations. Other organizations willing to help our friends who join us on Wednesdays. A move into an 8,000-square-feet HUB with a walk-in refrigerator, freezer and massive commercial shelving units. Our first official lease with the city of Spokane. Two vans to transport food and tables. The 4th annual Summer Event that served 650 people. Media attention including a September feature in People Magazine.

We ended our year with our 8th Annual Winter Event. With new features this year and a total of 32 stations, over 1,100 people came together under the bridge. It was our largest event to date. It seems that 2014 brought a movement to Spokane, simply by giving others an exciting option to serve the homeless and less fortunate in our city. The hand that blesses is the most blessed. 

Special thank you to all Liberty Lake residents and the following Liberty Lake 2014 supporters:  Albertsons, Altek, Anthony Frei (Thrivent Financial), Baker Construction and family, Boy Scouts Austin Wright and Sean Hagerty, Bubbadogz Cart, Emily Osborne (Statefarm), Hay J's Bistro,  Express Scripts, Insight, John L. Scott staff and family, Jim Frank (Greenstone), KiDDS Dental,  Lakeside Church, Latter Day Saints of Liberty Lake, Legacy Animal Medical Center, Liberty Lake Community Church, Liberty Lake Police Dept., Liberty Lake Running Club, True Legends, Melissa Wilson (31 Bags representative), Safeway, Starbucks, Stepping Stones, The Splash/Current, Tom Coffin (Rennaker Financial), Uplift Church, Valley Sports HUB, Vivint and Walgreens.

Blessings Under the Bridge is beyond thankful and blessed by all of our past, present and current supporters since 2007. Together, we have served over 52,000 people. We look forward to expanding our mission and continuing to build our relationship in 2015. We wish you an amazing and Happy New Year!

As a Central Valley graduate, resident, parent and retired employee, I have experienced educational excellence over many years.  Innovative programs, quality staffing and high academic standards have distinguished Central Valley School District and established a tradition of pride and excellence.

Central Valley is now at a crucial point.  The district is growing.  Over the past 10 years Central Valley has grown by 1,700 students without building any new schools.  An additional 900 students are projected in the next 5 years.

Last spring the CV Facilities Planning Committee considered more than 4,000 community thoughts before developing a bond package to address our district's most urgent needs without raising the tax rate.  Community priorities were: school safety and security; children attending schools in their own neighborhoods; a practical, cost effective approach to construction; and projects that doesn't raise the tax rate. 

The proposed bond package addresses all three of these community priorities. Voter approval will not raise the tax rate. Our last voter-approved 1998 high schools bonds will be paid off. Levy approval to continue school programs and operations is also crucial and will not raise tax rates.

It is time to approve this bond and levy vote.  We must continue our tradition of pride and excellence.  Vote yes for CV schools. 

I am urging all taxpayers and citizens to please return your ballot marked with a "yes" vote for Central Valley School District's Bond and Levy measures, right away. Every ballot is so important - and your "yes" vote will help secure the future and safety of our great schools and learning environments for every kiddo. 

CVSD is responsible and committed to every child who comes through our doors, regardless of the socio-economic status the child comes from, or the disabilities or obstacles the child may face. But we need more and better facilities to serve these children responsibly and equitably. Our local economy depends on us securing safe and appropriate learning facilities for our students to continue to attract homeowners and citizens to the Spokane Valley, which helps maintain and increase home values - every homeowners' concern. 

Our school board has listened to our citizens and committed to not raising the tax rate with these measures, yet we are able to make significant progress with what is quickly becoming a critical issue in our schools. Please help us secure the future of Central Valley schools and our economy; the time is critical.

Duane Alton and his cronies are at it again.  Hiding behind the misleading label, Citizens for Responsible Taxation, they have once again plastered the community with a last-minute flyer filled with half-truths and falsehoods in an attempt to undermine passage of the Central Valley School District's upcoming levy and bond measures.  

This group has been using the same stealth tactics for years.  They wait until the ballots are schedule to arrive in voters' mailboxes, and then they paper the community with questionable facts, misstatements and exaggerations.  Their timing, by design, makes it impossible for the school district or its supporters to challenge their allegations or correct the misinformation.  In contrast, the school district is required to have its information available for public perusal months before the actual vote.

The backers of the group don't identify themselves on either the material they distribute or their website; and they use addresses that are not linked to their regular residence (one year they listed the address of their vacation home which shared an address with several neighboring properties). When called out on one especially egregious statement - that a district's levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $2,490 over two years instead of the correct amount of $249 - they issued a late and weak correction stating that is was "just an innocent mistake." Its not hard to imagine their response if the school district understated the cost of their proposal by a factor of 10.

Their website (www.taxfacs.com) states that the group is composed of the "... families of two million home-educated children" and the "... families of 5.9 million private-school-educated children."  However, Washington's Public Disclosure Commission reports that the Alton family provides 99 percent of the organization's funding. Nowhere on their website can you find names or contact information for any of the individuals associated with the group. The return address on their current flyer is a post office box on the South Hill.

An internet search for either Duane Alton or Citizens for Responsible Taxation will reveal the group's 10-year history of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in attempts to defeat school funding measure across the state. Fortunately, the vast majority of measures they have tried to torpedo have been overwhelmingly approved by citizens who saw through their shenanigans. Hopefully, Central Valley voters will do the same in this election. 

It's time to man-up, Mr. Alton. If you have problems with the school district's levy or bond requests, state them up front and in a timely way so that the school district and supporters have time to respond to your concerns and correct your misinformation. Quit hiding behind disingenuous names and addresses.  Let voters make an accurately informed decision about whether or not to support the proposed measures.

As a 30-year resident of Central Valley, I am voting yes for the Central Valley Bond and Levy. These two proposals are vital if we want to maintain the economic vitality of our community.

It has been 16 long years since our community passed a bond. It's time we do so again! Today, a number of CV schools are in dire need of upgrades to make them secure, energy efficient and less crowded. Four of our schools have no interior doors to lock in case of an emergency including the school where I teach, Greenacres Elementary. Many schools have the added security risk of portable classrooms. 

Our schools are an investment we must maintain in order to attract and keep a healthy business presence which, in turn, promotes strong property values. Central Valley School District has structured this bond to accomplish a great deal without raising taxes while meeting the educational needs of our children. It's a win, win for everyone.

I think back to my grandparents who voted yes for schools in their day so my mother could enjoy art and music. Likewise, my parents voted yes for levies when I was young so I could study music and journalism. In my family being a good citizen meant supporting our local schools. Even as a struggling single parent, I always voted yes for Central Valley schools, so my kids could experience band, sports, art and other activities that helped develop the whole child. Now as a grandmother, I want my grandchildren to benefit from this same rich tradition. 

Citizens in Central Valley have always supported our schools. We know that our schools are an anchor in our community. We take pride in the many ways our students excel whether it is in academics, sports, drama or music. From pre-K through high school, Central Valley schools keep our community vibrant and growing. 

Vote yes, yes for the CV Bond and Levy. Love your school this February.