INSIDE: - The Liberty Lake Splash

opinion16 • mARCH 11, 2010The SplashAbout those things you’ve heardA letter from afather to a daughterColumn by Josh JohnsonSplash staff writerMy dear Kylie,Grammy’s probably already told youwhat she told me when I was your age,that business about how you may not getsomething now, but you’ll understandwhen you’re older. Turns out, she is right,but not in the way I thought. I once suspectedunderstanding was the byproductof a magical age, but that’s not true anymore than you automatically know how todrive a car when you strike 16 or to distrustpoliticians at 18. More often than not, understandingis a process. It becomes richermoment by moment. Even epiphanies arebest left time-tested.So Mrs. B at the Kindergarten Centersaid you’re all signed up, huh? Mom toldme you wanted to go straight down thehall and check into class. (I’ll remind youof this when you’re a sophomore.) You alwayshave been a go-getter, Kylie, readyto tackle whatever’s next. If patience is avirtue, I’m glad you have so many of theother ones.I guess you’ve heard what people havebeen telling me lately. You know, that thingthey always say after they ask you, “Wow,are you getting excited for kindergarten?”They look at me and say, “Fast, wasn’t it?”I can’t say these same people didn’t warnme five years ago with treasures of wisdomscrawled on the white side of an “It’sa Girl” card. What’s really galling is thatthese same people — the ones who toldme about the birth to 5 whirlwind — arenow forecasting a hurricane for yourRipplesBand director gets kudosLiberty Lake resident and Central ValleyHigh School band director Eric Parkerdoesn’t play favorites when it comes to playingfor sports teams.The CVHS prep band traveled to the Tri-Cities recently to play for the girls basketballteam’s efforts at regionals. The band,rather than put away the instruments afterthe game, played for the A.C. Davis HighSchool boys basketball team, whose bandcouldn’t be there.A.C. Davis won their game.Photo by pat lutzenbergerKylie and Josh Johnson at the KiwanisFather-Daughter Dance Saturday.school-age years. They say weeks start tobe measured by sack lunches and Fridayfolders, seasons by whether the soccerpractices are indoors or out. They say lifeis five days of heavy lifting followed by twoso-called recovery days, like some kind ofunforgiving personal trainer who won’t letyou off the bench press. Something aboutthe weekly, daily, hourly checkmarks causelife to tick past even faster, they warn me,as if you can hear the clock. But I’ve got totell you something. I’m not worried aboutyou keeping up with the pace, Kylie. That’sabsolutely not what I’m worried about.You might have heard your Mom and Ilaugh that you’re not the most affectionatechild, and in case you don’t always wait forthe next sentence, I hope you know that’sA-OK by us. (For one thing, I’m trustingyou’ll make that crystal clear to futureboyfriends.) I personally think this has todo with the way you are so wrapped up inthe adventure of life. You continue to enjoyhow the plot unfolds, sneaking the firstglance at what’s around the next bend, andthat leaves less time for reflective expressions.Some people make their living inThe athletic director of the A.C. Davis,Bob Stanley, wrote a letter that was publishedin Sunday’s Spokesman-Review,lauding CV for its good cheer: “The DavisPirates earned a trip to the WIAA statechampionships that day and we will beforever grateful to the students and directorof the Central Valley High School band.Spokane can be proud of the sportsmanshipdisplayed by one of your high schools.”State allows golf carts on streetsThe state Legislature has given golf cartsthe green light on public roads in cities thatwill allow it. The state action comes morethan three years after the city of LibertyLake allowed golf carts on most city streets.The state bill allows cities and counties tocreate golf cart zones, which would be limitedto streets with speed limits of 25 mph orless. Drivers would have to be 16 years oldand follow the same road rules as vehicles.The carts also must have reflectors, rearviewmirrors and seatbelts.Ripples features interesting Liberty Lakeconnectedtidbits. To submit an item, e-maileditor@libertylakesplash.com.the caboose, embracing or retracing everylast glimpse of what’s already past. That’snot you.They say time marches on, and it’s ahealthy quality to keep marching alongwith it, except for when it’s not. The olderyou get, the more I am noticing in you theability to be present in the appropriate moments,taking that cool drink of life duringthe times that most deserve pause. I’mproud of how you’re learning this balancebetween racing the train and visiting thecaboose.Your mom said it was OK for you to goto the dance Saturday night, despite thequestionable credentials of the chap whoasked you out. You zipped and zaggedaround the dance floor like Jilly your ZhuZhu hamster, batting at beach balls in betweentwirls in that fancy red dress. I triedto keep up, but mostly I watched.You may not remember — at least notthe way I’ll remember — the time youLetter to the EditorSCRAPS thanks local vet officeSpokane County Regional Animal ProtectionService (SCRAPS) would like tothank Legacy Animal Medical Centeralong with Dr. Mark Fosberg and his stafffor a job well done.SCRAPS is charged with housing thecommunity’s stray and homeless animals.This often includes animals that are impoundedbecause they were running looseand received an injury or have becomeill. Legacy Animal Medical Center hasgraciously agreed to examine these animalsat no charge. Additionally, they offertreatment at cost or a greatly reduced rate.This has allowed SCRAPS to care for theseanimals given the constraints of a limitedbudget. Without the dedication, compassionand commitment that Legacy AnimalMedical has shown, this would not be possible.Splash Photo by josh johnsonA huge turnout enjoysthe festivitiesat the fifth annualFather-DaughterDance Saturdayat Centerplace inSpokane Valley.The event, put onby the Liberty LakeKiwanis and LibertyLake ElementarySchool K-Kids,drew 312 preregisteredfathers anddaughters, notincluding thosewho registered atthe door.caught my eye from your perch besideseveral other daughters dancing from thestage. You waved, and I walked to the sideof the stage as you leaned in to tell mesomething.But there were no words. Only a kiss, asquick as it was rare.In a flash, you twirled back into action,doing your part to help Miley Cyrus spreadthat important message that “there’s a partyin the USA.”Me? I was whisked in a haze to the backof the train, bumbling to toss a javelininto the fleeting terrain, a snapshot for mymemory. It stuck. Like a cool drink of life.Do you understand, Kylie, how muchyou mean to me? Sometimes, like on Saturday,I think you are catching on. Momentby moment. And when you’re older.Josh Johnson is publisher of The Splash.Write to him at josh@libertylakesplash.com.Please join me in thanking them for beinga caring contributing member of ourcommunity.Nancy HillSCRAPS DirectorLetters PolicyLetters to the editor of no more than350 words or guest columns of about 700words should be e-mailed to editor@libertylakesplash.comor mailed to P.O. Box363, Liberty Lake, WA 99019. A full nameand telephone number must be includedfor purposes of verification. A photo of theauthor must be taken or provided for allLiberty Lake Voices guest columns. TheSplash reserves the right to edit or rejectany submission. Views expressed in signedcolumns or letters do not necessarily reflectthe views of this newspaper or its staff.