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February 4, 2012 News
Resilience earns Kopelson a place on Liberty Lake City Council
By Craig Howard, News EditorShare:  
February 4, 2012 — Among all the races and ballot measures in Spokane County during last November's general election, a battle between two Liberty Lake City Council candidates turned out to be one of the closest.
After all the votes had been counted, Keith Kopelson had fallen just short of opponent Shane Brickner for a bid to the town's governing board.
The final margin was a narrow 77 votes.
Despite the defeat, Kopelson did not sulk about the city of nearly 7,000, calling for a recount or criticizing the winning platform of his foe. Instead, Kopelson - a member of the Liberty Lake Ward in the Spokane Valley Stake - remained his cheerful self, attending City Council meetings and studying up on the latest municipal topics.
Keith Kopelson (right), a member of the Liberty Lake Ward in the Spokane Valley Stake, was appointed to the Liberty Lake City Council on Jan. 31. Mayor Steve Peterson congratulates Kopelson after he was voted in by a unanimous margin.
Photo by Craig Howard.
Then, on Dec. 27, the news came that Ryan Romney, a representative of the City Council since 2009, would be stepping down due to work and family obligations. Romney, who also hails from the Liberty Lake Ward, is pursuing a Master's degree as well while serving in the Liberty Lake bishopric.
Kopelson, a native of New York who grew up in St. Louis before attending Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) was the first to apply for Romney's chair in late December. A quartet of candidates followed. On Jan. 31, all five applicants were interviewed by the standing City Council and Mayor Steve Peterson at Liberty Lake City Hall.
The questions - seven in total - covered a range of complex city topics, from future development to the quest for consensus between leaders and residents.
Fortified from his experience on the campaign trail, Kopelson aced the quiz - many of the topics paralleled subjects brought up during debates with Brickner in the fall. When asked about the potential for divisiveness to sidetrack the mission of City Council, Kopelson said it would be important to stay on task.
"We need to do the right things for the right reasons," he said. "This is not about personalities. There are important decisions being made here."
After the City Council had questioned each of the candidates and conferred over the pick, Kopelson was chosen by a unanimous margin.
"He's a very good person," said Mayor Peterson. "He's very articulate and interested in what goes on in this community."
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News
Road to 1,000 - Sentinel celebrates subscriber landmark
By Craig Howard, News EditorShare:
February 4, 2012 — After months of speculation, it became official at 8:36 p.m. on Jan. 24 - the Latter-day Sentinel has crossed over into the realm of 1,000 subscribers.
Congratulations, Bev Mallory of the Hayden Lake (Idaho) Stake - you have vaulted the humble online paper that started with 74 readers in June of 2009 into the rare air of quadruple-digit readership and earned yourself a free lunch along the way.
Brett Lyman (far right), owner of Scrud's Gourmet Grub in Coeur d'Alene, is pictured above with Bev Mallory and her husband Bob. The Mallorys won a complimentary lunch after Bev became the 1,000th Latter-day Sentinel subscriber on Jan. 24.
Photo by Nathan Howard.
Sentinel publishers Nathan and JoAnn Howard presented Bev, and her husband, Bob, with the winner's certificate earlier this week, good for a complimentary lunch at Scrud's Gourmet Grub, one of North Idaho's most popular dining venues. Bob, Bev and Gloria Warnick, who referred No. 1,000, joined the Howards at the Coeur d'Alene restaurant on Feb. 1.
In observance of this special occasion, the Sentinel caught up with the publication's founder and original publisher, Dennis West, currently living in Provo, Utah with his family, where he is studying at BYU's prestigious School of Animation. Dennis and a cadre of local writers began publishing the good news of the Spokane Temple District on a shoestring budget and a prayer just over two-and-a-half years ago. The free, weekly online publication now reaches readers in over a dozen stakes from Eastern Washington to North Idaho and into Western Montana.
Dennis said the original idea for the Sentinel was based on an LDS print publication that had gained a considerable following in southern California.
"Actually it was Cheri Peck (of the Belle Terre Ward in the Spokane East Stake) who first brought up the idea of a local LDS news publication," West said. "She remembered her time in San Diego and the local paper they had there, called "The Seagull." She thought that my graphic design experience would put me in a position of being someone who might be able to pull off a printed paper like that here. At that time, though I was just finishing up an online newsletter system for a client of mine, The Clark Company, called "entertainmentspokane.com. I liked Cheri's idea, but thought that the safest way to start up would be to use the system I had developed previously and, with some enhancements, make an online local LDS news site."
About a month before the first issue, Dennis sent out e-mail notices to dozens of friends, many of them in the Spokane East Stake. A link to pre-register was also included. Soon, people were talking about the idea and looking forward to the inaugural edition.
"Pam Call of Call Realty and Mark Spear of Mark Spear Homeselling Team were among the very first subscribers and advertisers," Dennis said. "By the time we were ready to launch about 70 people had self-registered to receive Latter-day Sentinel--and not all of them were among my friends. Some signed up through word of mouth."
The first issue on June 1, 2009 included a story about the Angel Moroni statue being replaced at the Spokane Temple, an article on a special fireside featuring former BYU quarterback Ty Detmer and news of a service project carried out by representatives of the Riverside Ward in the Colville Stake.
Hundreds of stories and 132 issues later, the Sentinel has added features like the Sentinel Standout, Community Cupboard, Sentinel Scrawl, Wholesome Recreation Guide and the Health and Help Bulletin. Next week, the paper will introduce a new section, called "Sentinel Selections" that will include the publication's picks in a variety of media categories, from books to movies to articles to websites. West's personal blog - www.denniswest.com - becomes the first Sentinel Selection for its polished compilation of animated work.
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News
Wholesome Recreation Guide - Feb. 4-11
By Sentinel News SourcesShare:
February 4, 2012 — Civil War Genealogy
As part of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the Spokane County Library District is hosting a series of free educational presentations at various branches throughout the area. On Wednesday, Feb. 8, local historian Miriam Robbins, a direct descendant of Civil War veterans, will speak on the topic of Civil War Genealogy at the North Spokane Library, 44 N. Hawthorne Road. Robbins will discuss how to access key documents and other resources in the search for ancestors. For more information, call 509-893-8350.
Art at Jundt
The Jundt Art Museum on the campus of Gonzaga University is currently hosting an collection of artwork from the Sahlin Foundation through April 3. Featured artists include Ibrahim Miranda, John Wilson and Neil Welliver. The work of Czech printmaker Jiri Anderle, donated be the Baruch Foundation, will also be on display. A reception will be held on Thursday, March 8, from 6 to 7:15 p.m. with a lecture at 7:30 p.m. The Jundt Art Museum is located at 502 N. Boone Ave. in Spokane. To learn more, call 509-313-6611.
LDS Single Adult events
The Regional LDS Single Adult program (31 and over) will host several events over the next week, beginning with a fireside on "The Importance of Keeping Records" on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. at the West Stake Center. On Friday, Feb. 10, the East Stake Center will host a Valentine's Dance, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Sunday dress is recommended. For more information on these and other Single Adult events - including the address of venues - visit www.spokaneldssa.org or call the Spokane info line at 509-459-1072 or the Coeur d'Alene line at 208-664-1223.
Spokane Symphony
Acclaimed violinist Mateusz Wolski will join the Spokane Symphony for the orchestra's latest installment of the Classics series at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $14. To learn more, call 509-624-1200.
The Way We Worked
The topic of work in American culture will be the central theme of a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institute at the Coeur d'Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave., this month. "The Way We Worked" looks at a range of topics, including industrialization, urbanization, economic depression and immigration. A total of 85 black-and-white photographs chronicle the vocational landscape in the U.S. from 1857 to 1987. For more information, visit www.cdalibrary.org.
Zags vs. BYU
Tickets to the BYU at Gonzaga men's basketball game on Feb. 23 may be a difficult to find as a Utah Utes fan in the Marriott Center, but another Zags/Cougs hoops contest will be featured at the McCarthey Center in Spokane this month - and, as of this week, the game is not sold out. The Gonzaga women's team, currently ranked 23rd in the nation, will host BYU at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25. Reserved tickets are $8, or $5 for students and seniors. Gonzaga also has home games scheduled against Santa Clara (Feb. 16) and Pepperdine (Feb. 18). For more information, visit www.gozags.com or go to www.ticketswest.com.
Campbell House at MAC
Take a trip back in time to the early 20th century when the height of technology included radios, toasters and the quartz clock. The Campbell House - on the grounds of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture in Spokane - features a perfectly preserved mansion from 1910 with guided tours Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors and students. To learn more, call 509-456-3931.
Palouse Discovery Science Center
The Palouse Discovery Science Center in Pullman promotes science, math, and technology literacy through educational programs, exhibits, teaching collections, and activities emphasizing practical learning. The center provides special programs for different age groups and has available space for birthday parties as well as a calendar full of special events. The PDSC is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.palousescience.org for more information.
Rock climbing at REI
Looking to scale new obstacles in the New Year? REI-Spokane, 1125 N. Monroe, presents climbing on an indoor rock wall each Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m. Equipment is provided and routes range from simple to moderate. Cost is $5; free for REI members. Call 509-328-9900 to learn more.
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News
Image of the Week
By Craig Howard, News EditorShare:
February 4, 2012 — 
Remnants of last month's snowstorm could still be found at Lincoln Park on Spokane's South Hill this week.
Photo by Craig Howard.
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