Bloglander

When will Restaurant Week end? I feel like I’ve been writing about it for months… but to answer the question, it ends Sunday. This is your last chance to participate this year, and you’ll probably want to make reservations because we’ve heard from lots of places filling up early.

Hawaii-based Maui Coffee Roasters recently opened its first mainland location right here in Spokane Valley. Read more about that in this week’s Entree newsletter.

We’ve written lots about the new Kendall Yards restaurants from chef Adam Hegsted, who was previously executive chef at Coeur d’Alene Casino. But who’s now in charge over there? The new executive chef is Steven Walk, who arrives from Washington State University dining services.

Representatives from Idaho’s Department of Agriculture made a trip to Chicago to show off the state’s fine foods and beverages, like beef, caviar and a potato vodka that’s been ranked the best in the world.

Perry Street Brewing is opening very soon — check out our long feature in this week's paper — and they’re now on Twitter.

Zythum Brewing Company in Fairfield is now open on Saturdays.

Cloudburst Brewing now has a location in Post Falls, with construction beginning soon.

Fenwyr Cellars, one of the first meaderies in the area, has officially started producing mead and just launched a Kickstarter campaign for additional equipment and supplies.

2 Loons Distillery decided on a bottle and logo, and will begin filling them once federal approval comes through.

Selkirk Abbey’s Belgian-style IPA, Infidel, got a shout-out as a top spring beer.

No-Li’s Born and Raised is out in four-packs. So pricey, but so cute!

River City is releasing a new beer, Heritage English Pale Ale, with $3 pints all night.

Jones Radiator hosted a Deschutes’ Abyss vertical tasting yesterday, but they’re continuing the special through the weekend — three 8-oz. pours and a flatbread for $30. And their Mug Club signup is Saturday.

As one budding entrepreneur found out, legal marijuana could be quite the boon for Girl Scout cookie sales — except that lots of people don’t want Girl Scouts making sales outside dispensaries and pot shops. Or bars. Or anywhere else lucrative, apparently.

Where did popular Mexican foods originate? OC Weekly schools Buzzfeed on their lousy research for “13 Dishes That Aren’t Actually Mexican,” because they actually are.

Also, here’s a bit of news for getting to the end of this post: The former Blue Spark is going to be reopening within the next couple of months, as a bar but with a lot of changes. We’ll have more on it soon.

Read previous food (and beverage) news here. We don't go thirsty.

Inlander Restaurant Week continues through Sunday, with more than 70 restaurants from Airway Heights to Coeur d’Alene offering three-course meals for a fixed price. But if you want a little extra entertainment with your dinner, we included some suggestions in the guide and have a few more here:

SOMETHING CLASSIC: The Northwest Bach Festival events span multiple weeks, including Zuill Bailey’s performances of Bach’s Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello at six different historic locations around Spokane. The second of the six happens tonight at Luxe. (6 pm, $20, Luxe Ballroom, 1017 W. 1st Ave.)
$18 Fire Artisan Pizza • $28 Scratch Restaurant and Rain Lounge

SOMETHING HIP: The Thermals, a trio of punk rockers out of Portland, are bringing their lo-fi sound and insightful lyrics to the Bartlett. (8 pm, $15, The Bartlett, 228 W. Sprague)
$28 Herbal Essence Cafe • $18 Post Street Ale House

SOMETHING THEATRICAL: Interplayers’ latest is a play about an actor. But not just any actor — legendary John Barrymore, portrayed in his final days by Patrick Treadway. This is opening night for Barrymore, with additional performances through the weekend. (7:30 pm, $12-28, Interplayers Theatre, 174 S. Howard)
$28 Europa • $18 Stacks at Steam Plant

SOMETHING TO WHET YOUR APPETITE: Author Tami Parr will be at Auntie’s for a signing, discussion and tasting for her historical book, Pacific Northwest Cheeses. (6:30 pm, free, Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave.)
$28 Sante Restaurant & Charcuterie • $28 Hills’ Restaurant and Lounge

SOMETHING CASUAL: Businesses in downtown Coeur d’Alene host musicians for the monthly music walk, making it a perfect excuse for a before- or after-dinner stroll. (Free, downtown Cda)
The Cellar, 317 Sherman Ave., Cda • Dockside

SOMETHING VIOLENT: Watch local mixed martial arts fighters take to the octagon at Northern Quest. Champ Julianna Pena, now injured, will be making an appearance to support her Spokane teammates. (7 pm, $45-$75, Northern Quest, 100 N. Hayford Rd.)
$18 EPIC at Northern Quest • $18 Fai’s Noodle House • $28 Legends of Fire

SOMETHING FUNNY: "Hey girl, I saw you lookin' all fly in your pink tights at the grocery store," or "To all the crappy people who can't drive, I have a serious beef with you... " Blue Door Theatre is taking improv inspiration from the “I Saw You” pages of the Inlander. (8 pm, $7-$9, Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland)
$18 Webster’s Ranch House Saloon • $28 Downriver Grill

SOMETHING IRISH-Y: Keith Roberts will be the first to tell you that his band Young Dubliners is not just some Irish band — Roberts is from Ireland, but the rest of the Dubliners are veterans of the Los Angeles rock scene. Kick off your St. Patrick’s Day festivities early when they visit the Knitting Factory, or even earlier as O’Doherty’s hosts a special Guinness night to benefit firefighters. (8 pm, $14, Knitting Factory, 919 W. Sprague)
$18 O’Doherty’s Irish Grille • $18 The District Bar

SOMETHING CIVIC: Celebrate influential women with our own local influential women — a handful of speakers representing politics, the arts, science and more will speak at Boots, and you’ll still have time to get to an early dinner reservation. ($3 pm, free, Boots Bakery & Lounge, 24 W. Main)$18 Saranac • $28 Luigi’s

SOMETHING WONDROUS: Alice in Wonderland doesn’t have to be bright Disney colors, as the steampunk production at Gonzaga shows. And the matinee ends in time for a stroll around campus and an early dinner. (2 pm, $10-$15, Magnuson Theatre, 502 E. Boone)
$28 Clover • $18 Stir Eatery & Lounge

SOMETHING EPIC: The Civic and the Spokane Symphony are partnering to bring back Les Mis for just one weekend. Go hear the people sing, then eat a fancy dinner. (7:30 pm, $10-$125, The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague)
$28 Safari Room • $18 Twigs

SOMETHING TO BURN OFF THE CALORIES: Go for a day or evening skate at the Ice Palace during its final weekend of 2014, or take a walk across the falls in Riverfront Park.
$28 Clinkerdagger • $18 Rock City Grill

SOMETHING CLASSIC: In one of the four Festival Classics concerts of the Northwest Bach Festival, Piers Lane performs Complete Chopin Nocturnes by Candlelight on piano at St. John’s Cathedral. (5 pm, $25-$50, St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave.)
$28 Manito Tap House • $18 Maggie’s on the Hill

SOMETHING HOLLYWOOD: Sure, you could watch the Academy Awards at home, or you could get dolled up, go for an elegant, early dinner and then watch the Academy Awards on the big screen surrounded by the restored opulence of the Bing. ($5 pm, $15, Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague)
$28 Palm Court Grill at the Davenport • $18 Bistango

Find restaurants' menus here and read other stories here.

Tom Forbes was a tenant kicked out of his apartment in November by a company called BlueStar.

In fact, if you read this week's cover story, you'll learn that the company has kicked out every tenant, most of them low-income, in the Commercial Building on two separate occasions: Once in 2007 and again in 2013.

On Nov. 12, 2013, a week after the FBI raid, he wrote this plea to Mayor David Condon’s office:

Mr. Mayor,
If an earthquake or flood were to destroy an apartment building in Spokane, both private and governmental agencies would act quickly to rehouse the displaced residents. In the case of the residents of Park Avenue Suites, however, we have been displaced not by an act of God, but by the actions of a man now being investigated for allegedly defrauding investors out of millions of dollars and his unwitting accomplice, the city of Spokane. And we have absolutely no immediate rehousing resources or assistance available to us at all. That needs to be remedied immediately.

"DVD mogul" Erick Hansen and his company, BlueStar Technologies, have been warmly welcomed by the city since locating here in 2007, despite being cited for major securities violations in California in 2008 and Washington in 2011. Your predecessors as Mayor, in fact, were lavish in their praise for Mr. Hansen. That all ended on November 5, 2013, when FBI agents raided the company's headquarters on First Avenue, just a few blocks from your office.

Yet, in 2011, when all the low-income residents were evicted from the Commercial Building, BlueStar was somehow allowed to continue renting rooms as "Park Avenue Suites". Supposedly, this housing was going to be geared towards students interested in learning about digital technology. In reality, the short term leases and low deposits were ideal for people new to town or in need of transitional housing.

We may not spend $1,500 on lingerie or hobnob with Michael Jackson's father, but we certainly didn't deserve having eviction notices abruptly shoved under our doors by associates of Mr. Hansen wearing guns on their hips just a few weeks before the FBI raid. Quite obviously, the skids were coming off Hansen's schemes yet again and we had to go, just as the previous residents had in 2011 when BlueStar was slapped with fines by the state of Washington for illegally soliciting investors. The ten of us living at Park Avenue Suites in early October faced the nearly impossible task of either securing new housing within three weeks or an eviction hearing, which is the kiss of death to a renter. But in the end, through no fault of our own, we have been thrown out onto the street just before the holidays and become merely more statistics in Spokane's homeless community: unknown, unheeded, and unwanted.

Business partnerships to renovate downtown are important, particularly ones that aim to expand low-income housing. But as projects like the Ridpath progress, the city of Spokane can't be like that other River City and march to the music of any flashy bandmaster. You must protect the most vulnerable before you protect the bottom line. A strong dose of due diligence seems a good first step.

My fellow residents and myself are not simply collateral damage from greedy corporate machinations. We're human beings with dignity and hopes and dreams of our own. We're fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and sons and daughters. To that end and as the city does bear some responsibility for what has transpired, I ask for your assistance for the ten of us displaced by Erick Hansen and BlueStar Technologies.

Respectfully,

Tom Forbes

I’d just offer two corrections to his letter: First, the original evictions happened in 2007, not 2011. And a separate company, headed by Nicola Mann, ran the Park Avenue Suites initially. It wasn’t until May of 2013 that BlueStar took control of the suites.

Here the response to the plea for “immediate” assistance, sent 48 days later on Dec. 30, 2013 from Condon’s office. It encourages Forbes to dial 211, outlines the city’s housing strategy, and praises the city’s response to the 2007 eviction.

Dear Mr. Forbes,

Thank you for contacting our office with your questions, Mayor Condon asked that I follow up and provide you with some resources that may be beneficial for you. If you are currently in need of housing assistance or know of individuals who need housing assistance, please contact 211 for help. This one-stop call system will make service referrals for housing and supportive services.

The City routinely works with low income housing providers in the event of evictions, including in the Commercial Building. All willing residents were assessed and provided relocation assistance if they met the income qualifications. We have a rapid rehousing program that places individuals into housing quickly after they experience homelessness. The City also funds homelessness prevention programs to provide assistance for income-eligible individuals who have received eviction notices or are in immediate threat of becoming homeless.

The City has consolidated its approach to providing services and housing for our extremely-low-to-moderate income citizens:

— The City has combined the departments responsible for social services & housing investments to ensure investments in social services support long-term success for individuals placed into housing.

— We have developed programs targeted to those most in need of assistance, chronically homeless and mentally ill individuals. Through partnering with medical service providers, housing providers and social services, we identify those most in need and prioritize them for housing and services.

— The City has implemented an integrated intake process for homeless families and we are developing a similar process for homeless individuals. These efforts provide a one-stop application and intake for many programs that provide services and housing.

— Individuals who participate in the integrated intake process undergo an assessment that identified their unique individual needs to ensure that we match them with resources that serve their needs rather than waste resources by placing them into standardized service systems. The savings we achieve through this integrated process help us provide additional services by reducing waste.

Again, I would like to reiterate that if you are in need of assistance or know others who are, please call 211 for help. Working together, as you mentioned, with the great people of our city, we can make Spokane the “City of Choice” and a community that tends to its most vulnerable population.

Like last year, the Inlander and Visit Spokane invited a handful of local public figures to dine out for Inlander Restaurant Week and tell us about the experience. Read more responses and stories here.

For Restaurant Week, Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart and his wife went out to eat at Italia Trattoria in Browne's Addition. It’s a good opportunity to try new places or old favorites, Stuckart says, while supporting Spokane’s service industry and enjoying a night on the town.

Stuckart took the time to answer a few additional questions.

What kinds of food did you love as a kid, and what kinds of restaurants and cuisines do you prefer today?

When I was growing up we only ate out once a month on the last day of the month. That was usually hamburgers at Dick’s. My favorite foods were comfort food growing up like beef stroganoff, crock pot pork chops and shepherd’s pie. I am now a big fan of eating out and enjoy restaurants that use local food and locally owned. Some of our favorite restaurant’s in Spokane are Italia Trattoria, Sante, Central Food, Casper Fry and Downriver Grill.

What did you and/or your dining companion choose from the pre fixe menu and why? How did you like it? Did any particular ingredient or presentation stand out to you?

Our server Myra was great. Bethe, the owner, said that this year restaurant week was even busier than last year and it is great for business. Ann, my wife and I ordered Salt Cod Fritters and Prosciutto Di Parma to start with. For entrees we ordered the Grilled Salmon with Gorgonzola Potatoes and the Porchetta with Creamy Polenta. We finished with a Tiramisu and Chocolate Heaven. Here are some descriptions that were used during our wonderful meal: “This is ridiculously good,” “The salmon melts in your mouth,” “The potatoes are so rich and creamy” and my favorite, “This is like a flavor explosion.”

What was your favorite thing about your Restaurant Week dining experience?

My favorite thing last evening was that for a reasonable cost we were able to enjoy a starter, entrée and dessert at a fine dining establishment. The service and atmosphere were great and it felt like we were being spoiled.

This week, we have a lengthy investigation on a company called BlueStar Digital Technologies (formerly Blue Ray Technologies). It came to Spokane with big promises, fulfilled essentially none of them, has been tagged at least one civil judgment of fraud, and now is under investigation by the FBI.

Spokane’s enthusiasm for the company, back in 2007 and 2008, had been leveraged as a way to draw in further investment, despite the fact that wouldn’t actually begin selling small orders of discs until about December 2011.

For example, in her Feb. 8, 2008, State of the City address, Mayor Mary Verner mentioned Blue Ray twice, saying first: “We can credit our quality of appeal for bringing business like [Blue] Ray Technologies to Spokane. Companies like [Blue] Ray want a place where they can do business successfully, of course, but also a place where their managers and employees want to live.”

And later in her speech, while talking about Spokane constructing environmentally friendly buildings: “[Blue] Ray converted an historic downtown building into a manufacturing facility that uses subterranean cooling and water recycling to minimize energy costs and environmental impacts.”

But perhaps most controversial in hindsight was an April 14, 2008, letter Verner wrote, at request of the company, that they sent out to investors.

Here’s the full text of the letter, with some minor clarifications in brackets:

Finance and Technology Partners:
I endorse the efforts of Blue Ray [Technologies] and the affiliated companies positioned to operate in Spokane. They bring diversity and will be the foundation of new opportunities in the area driven by their developmental technology. My hope is that Blue Ray Technologies will be the catalyst for attracting further high tech companies to locate in Spokane by demonstrating that our area is a wonderful place to live and work.

I look forward to the growth of Blue Ray Technologies as they develop more jobs and contribute to the local economy. My vision for Spokane includes the creation and retention of employment in the high tech and clean tech arenas. The success of Blue Ray will not only help achieve our vision, but will show that high tech does not need to be in Silicon Valley to be successful. As companies come here to work with Blue Ray, they will see why Forbes ranked Spokane the ninth best city to work and live out of the largest 200 cities in the United States.

My staff and I are committed to new companies like Blue Ray Technologies. We work closely with Mr. [Erick Hansen] and his company because I am dedicated to successful growth in our City. I urge you to consider helping Blue Ray Technologies grow into a cornerstone for Spokane and Eastern Washington.

Sincerely,

Mary B. Verner

When working on this story, I wanted to get Verner’s thoughts in retrospect. She was not willing to do a phone interview, saying that she preferred to answer questions over email.

We paraphrased a small piece of her answer in the story, but we wanted to print my questions and her response in full.

Here were my questions. I used the name “BlueStar,” the title the company changed to in September of 2008 in response to a copyright suit from Sony, to refer to the company and its various related entities throughout the past seven years.

Mary,

I hope you're doing well. I've been looking into BlueStar and the city's role in promoting the company.

I'm hoping you could answer a few questions:

1) I understand you took a tour of the BlueStar plant in the grand opening in 2008. Does anything stick out in your mind? Any memories? Any details of things said or sights seen that you can still remember?

2) An investor says he received correspondence from BlueStar with a letter from you endorsing the company. I believe it was from April 14, 2008. It was one factor that made him want to consider investing even more money in the company.

Why did you endorse the company? What sort of due diligence or research did the city do before you endorsed the company? Was the city aware of any of the bankruptcy of his previous business, Hansen's considerable personal debt, the 1999 Cease and Desist from California, the lack of occupancy permit in the building, the outdated equipment, or the lack of any contracts from the company?

If not, should city officials or future Mayors take away anything from this?

It might be easier to call me, because I know that's a lot to go through. I know you're busy, but I can schedule a time that works for you.

(I should note that whether the equipment was outdated, instead of just not upgraded to legal specifications, is disputed.)

Here, after a little back and forth over timing, is Verner’s response. Her computer was in the shop, so she typed the response on her iPhone:

Specific memories have dimmed with time. I don't recall a company named BlueStar; seems is was Blue Ray Technologies or similar name.

I recall Blue [Ray] was a GSI recruit and there was optimism this company would help revitalize west downtown. As a member of City Council, I attended numerous meetings at which Council President Joe Shogan and DSP Director Marty Dickinson worked hard to find housing for individuals who would be displaced when low-rent housing in west downtown converted to new commercial uses. Apparently, GSI, DSP, Mayor Hession, and City Council believed Blue [Star] would be a transformative entrant into downtown's business community worthy of the hard work on the part of the city, DSP, and non-profit partners.

I had no information about Blue [Star]'s financial stability; like others, I presumed the recruitment process involved due diligence on the company (the city paid GSI to be our business recruitment entity).

I do remember a tour of the facility, although I don't recall the date. The storefront, office, and downstairs production machine areas were freshly painted and clean. Only a handful of Blue [Star] administrative employees were present, and talk at the time was about this company bringing high-wage tech jobs to downtown. The excitement and prominence of this company on GSI's list of recruitment successes were likely the reason this particular company was called out in the State of the City address. (Again, my memory on these details may be incorrect.)

After I became mayor, I learned the company wanted the city to provide more utility work. I don't recall specifics, but think it had something to do with the alley.

At some date, [Erick] Hansen of Blue [Star] invited me to an event at the facility involving Joe Jackson, father of famous musician Michael Jackson. There was much fanfare and the point of the visit was to garner interest from investors through Jackson. I remember thinking it odd, even disconcerting, that no employees were working at the "plant" and the facility seemed almost unused since the first open house.

At some date I don't specifically recall, city staff told me Blue[Star]/[Erick] Hansen wanted a letter of support from the city so the company could secure more funding. I was unwilling to involve the city in vouching for any particular company's financial stability and agreed to provide only a non-committal letter, something to the effect that Spokane welcomes new businesses and wish Blue [Star] success, so the recipient of the letter would look favorably upon Spokane as a place to do business. I very specifically recall not agreeing to vouch for Blue [Star]'s fiscal health. Any financial backer of a business would be expected to conduct their own thorough due diligence; that was not a role of the city, and I would think it odd an investor would purport to rely on a lukewarm "endorsement" letter.

Lessons learned include: clarify the roles of GSI and city (I tightened the city's contract with GSI to include a specific scope of work); ensure newly recruited companies provide sufficient proof of financial stability to warrant community investments; avoid even tepid support for any particular company's expansion plans unless thorough due diligence is conducted; and, believe in the old tongue-in-cheek adage that "no good deed goes unpunished."

I hope your story on this topic doesn't continue the trend of Inlander pieces that reflect negatively on my time serving in public office in Spokane. It is discouraging to read misrepresentations that distort history or damage my reputation for no apparent reason. I served in good faith, gave the job 100% of my energy and devotion, and accomplished significant good for Spokane. Your line of questioning leads me to think your story will convey a different angle. It would be refreshing to be proven wrong in that expectation.

Spokane is still home, and I'm still glad the Inlander provides an alternative to the Spokesman to help citizens be better informed.

Mary

HERE

Spokane Valley victim's family, others upset with governor's death penalty moratorium. (KREM)

Gun found by boy in Deer Park confirmed as weapon in recent homicide. (KXLY)

Spokane's Waste-to-Energy incinerator fails to get vote to be reclassified as renewable energy source. (S-R)

THERE

Twisp girl, 11, shoots small cougar tracking her older brother. (AP via Seattle Times)

Wildlife officials confirm first evidence of wolf activity on Mt. Hood in Oregon since 1947. (Oregonian)

Idaho House passes "ag-gag" bill, 56-14, to prosecute people who secretly film animal abuse at agricultural facilities, sending bill to the governor's office. (Statesman)

ELSEWHERE

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoes bill that would have allowed businesses to refuse service to gays and lesbians. (WaPost)

British surveillance agency, with help from NSA, collected millions of images from unsuspecting Internet users' web cams. (Guardian)

A long story on how close scientists are to resurrecting extinct animals like wooly mammoths and passenger pigeons. (NY Times Magazine)

Recently, we reported that Spokane Public Schools was in the early stages of considering hiring teachers from Teach for America, a teacher recruitment program that has a lot of success stories and a lot of failure stories. It's a major controversy throughout school districts across the country, one that Spokane has been insulated from because, so far, it hasn't used the program.

Teach for America recruits an elite crop of students from colleges, gives them about five weeks of training, and then sends them into the classroom. So teachers' unions, representing teachers who've had years and years of specific teacher training, have tended to be a bit skeptical, even outright hostile, to the program.

That's true in Spokane too:

In an email, Jenny Rose, president of the Spokane Education Association, confirms that the local teachers' union would fight against Teach for America.

Just so you know I did notify [Superintendent Shelley] Redinger that this is one issue we will butt heads on. TFA is unacceptable in our eyes as they are not educated or trained to be teachers. Spokane has an overabundance of good teacher candidates unlike some other areas of the state and there is no need for TFA to be in Spokane.

HERE

Spokane Valley City Council votes to ban members from texting or emailing during meetings. (S-R)

A 19-year-old SFCC student suffered serious injuries when she was struck by a car while crossing Fort George Wright Road yesterday to catch a bus. (KXLY)

Autopsy determines WSU professor found dead suffered seizure and drowned in Pullman pond. (Daily News)

Colville police officer pleads guilty to multiple counts of sexual misconduct. (KREM)

THERE

Proposed bill would allow prostitution convictions to be vacated. (Seattle Times)

Northwest tribes voice opposition to marijuana legalization. (Oregonian)

ELSEWHERE

Putin orders surprise military exercise near Ukraine as country copes with political upheaval. (NYTimes)

Top military commander questions proposed complete withdrawal from Afghanistan. (BBC)

The costs of some lavish public-sector pensions. (WaPost)

In his fifth annual report to city officials, Spokane Police Ombudsman Tim Burns outlined a variety of new programs, encouraging statistics and stubborn challenges facing the Spokane Police Department throughout its first full year of transition and reform under Police Chief Frank Straub.

Burns, who has served as ombudsman since 2009, describes 2013 as a period of realignment, reinvestment and retrospection. The department tightened some standards on reporting incidents, instituted new training and made important progress toward overdue reforms.

"There's a lot of changes that have gone on in the last year," Burns tells the Inlander.

The 2013 annual report, released Monday night, states SPD officers made contact with more than 135,700 people throughout the year, resulting in more than 10,650 arrests, more than twice the 4,226 arrests of 2012. Officers also issued 10,594 citations last year, down from nearly 13,000 in 2012. Burns' office also saw a 38 percent increase in contacts with citizens, rising from 909 to 1,252 contacts last year.

With those additional officer contacts, Burns argues SPD officers have had the opportunity to be more proactive in their enforcement and investigation. The city has recently reported significant decreases in crime after a year under the CompStat targeted "hot-spot" strategy.

But Burns notes arrest numbers also reveal potential racial disparities in local policing, which he says he's never observed during dozens of SPD ridealongs, however, "the numbers say different."

Census data shows nearly 87 percent of Spokane residents are white, but only 80 percent of SPD arrests are white suspects. Meanwhile, African Americans make up just 2.3 percent of the population, but 9 percent of arrests. Native Americans similarly represent 2 percent of residents, but 8 percent of arrests.

"African Americans and Native Americans are arrested in far greater number than they represent [in the community]," he says, adding, "It re-enforces what I think a lot of us knew. … [But] those numbers are wake-up calls."

Burns also noted a dramatic increase in "no response" calls, which are 911 calls that police supervisors clear from dispatch without sending an officer. Those calls are either determined to not require an officer response, or they come in when the department has no officers to spare.

"I'm of the belief that if somebody calls the police, the police should respond," Burns says.

Those "no response" calls went from 8,701 calls in 2012 up to 10,387 last year. Burns says he has been told it's a matter of supervisors managing calls more efficiently, but he says more calls should warrant some response.

Here are several other findings from the 2013 annual report:

• 95 citizen complaints were assigned for investigation, compared to 62 in 2012.

• Of those complaints, 12 were allegations of excessive force. Of those allegations, none were sustained and three remain under investigation.

• 14 SPD employees were disciplined on 16 violations. Discipline ranged from oral counseling to "last chance" agreements. No terminations occurred.

• The SPD reported 147 instances in which officers used force, ranging from pressure holds to fatal shootings. The SPD had three fatal officer-involved shootings in 2013.

• SPD officers used their tasers 32 times last year, down from 38 times in 2012.

• The SWAT team was activated 50 times, down from 54 times in 2012.

• SPD officers were in 58 vehicle collisions, including one officer who had five collisions. Of all collisions, 16 were later found to be preventable.

Burns also submitted recommendations for the new year. He would like to see the SPD move out of the county's Public Safety Building into a newer, more accessible building. He argues the current building is hidden away and keeps officers behind metal detectors. The city also pays nearly $400,000 in annual rent for a building they don't own.

Burns argues Neighborhood Conditions Officers, assigned to neighborhoods to work with residents, should receive the same 3-percent specialty pay that many other positions receive.

He would also like to see the city post all litigation settlement records online for better public access and transparency.

As the SPD moves forward, Burns says he would also like to see more progress on the introduction of body cameras, which he describes as a "game changer" in police accountability. He says smaller, neighboring jurisdictions have managed to figure out how to adopt the technology must faster than the Spokane department.

"[Body cameras] have been purchased," he says. "They're sitting somewhere and they're ready to be used. … I'm just a little frustrated with the time that it's taken."

Overall, Burns says he's hopeful with the direction of the department and he thanks city officials for their support and additional funding for 25 new police officers in the coming year. He says the department's changes have been good, but he's looking forward to some steady, stable progress in 2014.

Read the entire 2013 Annual Report.

Google was once just an idea that lived in the minds of two students at Stanford. But Larry Page and Sergey Brin brought their idea to life and changed the world, and now Google is asking kids to share their innovative, world-changing ideas in the 2014 Doodle 4 Google competition.

Google is looking for students grades K-12 to create a doodle about “If I Could Invent One Thing to Make the World a Better Place...”

Not only is this competition an excuse to get creative, but the winner earns some awesome perks. The top doodler gets their creation displayed on Google’s homepage for 24 hours, receives a $30,000 scholarship and earns a $50,000 grant for a tech lab in their school. And the fun doesn’t end there — the winner also gets a trip to go hang out with the doodle team at Google’s headquarters in California as they bring the winning doodle to life.

With a state finalist selected from each state, the Inland Northwest has double the opportunity to have its young talent represented. So, friends, family and teachers — spread the word to the little artists in your life. All submissions are due March 20, so let’s get doodling!

Here’s more information on how to get involved. And if you’re a teacher, here are some lesson plans for bringing Doodle 4 Google to the classroom.

More inspiration here.