Procedures change lives of patients

November 27, 2020
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Dr. Rob Piñón and Dr. Owen Packard opened Lakeside Dental at 1612 N. Barker Road in 2019. Measured by the number of patient stories and great memories, it seems even longer than that. Here are two favorites.

Dr. Piñón
A 39-year-old from Newman Lake, “Mr. Johnson,” came into our office in early October with severe generalized decay on almost every remaining tooth in his mouth. He suffered extreme GI disorders which contributed to acid erosion of almost all his remaining teeth. He was in pain constantly and embarrassed to even open his mouth, let alone smile.

After the initial comprehensive exam, we came up with an extensive plan of action that would take several months to complete. He responded with tears as he wouldn’t have his mouth back to normal by the time of a special cruise he planned with his wife in December. Knowing how much pain he was in both physically and emotionally, I gave him the option of expediting some of his treatment to get as much as we could before the cruise, and he agreed.

After three appointments, we accomplished the first phase of his treatment. When Mr. Johnson looked in the patient mirror, he broke down sobbing.

“Dr. Rob,” he said, “I’m so happy. I haven’t been able to even look at my teeth for so many years. This is just amazing. Now I will be able to smile and enjoy our cruise without being embarrassed. You are a miracle worker!”

I’m no miracle worker. However, I know I have the ability to change people’s lives through the gift of dentistry and look forward to many more stories just like Mr. Johnson’s.

Dr. Packard
“Jane” was a single adult in her late 40s who didn’t smile much and wanted her teeth to look nicer. We decided together she would benefit from braces and whitening. When her treatment was done, she was very happy with the results.

About 6 months later she came to my office and asked to see me. As I approached her, I could see she was crying, and my first inclination was to wonder if I had upset her somehow.

“Jane, how are you doing?” I asked tentatively.

“Oh, Dr. Owen, I just want you to know how grateful I am for what you have done for me!” she responded through tears.

Since her teeth were straightened and whitened, much had transpired in her life. What started as a confidence to smile more led to meeting a wonderful man who had proposed to her. She was so happy to be getting married. I told her she was so welcome and gave her a big hug.

“Jane, I can’t take credit for your marriage proposal, but I do want you to know how happy I am for you,” I said, thanking her for taking the time to share her news.

As I wished her well, I thought of what a wonderful thing it is for my dental team and I to see how profoundly our work can affect the wellbeing of our patients.

NOTE: A version of this article first appeared in the 2020 Liberty Lake Yearbook.

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Community at heart of Windermere’s mission

June 19, 2020
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COVID-19 may have changed Windermere’s plans to serve the community, but it sure didn’t cancel them.

After it became clear its annual June Community Service Day wouldn’t be able to proceed as planned, Windermere mobilized a fundraising effort to meet a timely community need. Thousands of dollars were raised company-wide to benefit local food banks. The Spokane area offices, including the one based in Liberty Lake, raised money for 2nd Harvest Food Bank, looking to capitalize on a $5,400 local match offered by the corporate office.

“We’ve already surpassed our goal as of yesterday, and we have a week to go,” Brooke Carey announced in April. Carey is the Managing Broker and Branch Manager of Windermere Liberty Lake. By the time the dust settled on the campaign, nearly $15,000 was donated.

Most years, Windermere closes its offices for one day each year to help make a difference in local communities. The Community Service Day tradition reflects Windermere’s spirit of commitment to the areas where the Windermere teams live, work and play. On this day, all offices in Spokane County — and over 350 offices and 6,500 agents network-wide — close in order to team up and tackle a project in the community to help others.

A recent beneficiary of Windermere’s Community Service day was Spokane Valley Partners, where more than 100 local Windermere agents, crew members and owners descended for a day to paint, clean, do yard work, build and deliver donations.

“We were there all day, and the transformation was remarkable,” Carey said.

While financial donations are also a big part of Windermere’s philosophy, Carey loves how the tradition allows everyone from office staff, to brand-new Realtors, to successful agents a chance to spend the day working side-by-side giving their time to something that matters.

“There are a lot of people who aren’t as fortunate, so it’s kind of a no-brainer, really,” Carey said.

Carey said it’s also gratifying that a portion of every Windermere sales transaction is contributed to the Windermere Foundation to invest back into the community.

In 2019, the local Windermere offices donated $41,000 to 10 different organizations. Carey said a significant portion of that total, $12,000, went toward new boots, gloves, shoes and socks for more than 250 low-income students selected by area school counselors. This was made possible through a partnership with Big 5 Sporting Goods in Spokane Valley.

Additionally, the annual Windermere Marathon — which starts at Rocky Hill Park in Liberty Lake — raised an additional $5,000 for the Windermere Foundation to put into the community. This year’s event was postponed to Sept. 6.

“There are so many communities and organizations that need our help,” Carey said. “In partnership with the connections we have in our community, we are committed to help wherever we can.”

NOTE: A version of this article first appeared in the 2020 Liberty Lake Yearbook.

The story of Liberty Lake and Greenstone

January 23, 2020
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By Jim Frank
Founder, Greenstone Homes

What was it about Liberty Lake that made it ideal soil for the vision of Greenstone, and how do you view Liberty Lake as a continued part of the Greenstone identity?

When we started Greenstone as a company, some 30 years ago, the vision for the Meadowwood planned community was already in place. The real vision for the community came from Bill Main, and he is the one that attracted Hewlett Packard and provided the private funding for the initial Liberty Lake sewage treatment plant. When we started working in Liberty Lake in the early 1990s, we shared with Bill Main the vision for a mixed-use walkable community. That vision was also shared by the Schneidmiller family, which farmed and owned the land.

The circumstances that enabled the growth of Meadowwood into the Liberty Lake community were unique. A vision for the community was in place, the LLSWD had the sewer and water capacity to support growth, and, most importantly, the Schneidmiller family had the patience to see the vision though.

The early years of developing in Liberty Lake were a learning experience. A strong sense of community existed in Liberty Lake when we started development, and we saw firsthand the benefit and power of people working together to create a better community. Those early experiences helped us form an understanding of how you create lasting value in a community, and that has carried over in our work across Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

Our focus in Liberty Lake is now in the River District, where we are working hard to build on the value we see in strong communities.

NOTE: A version of this article first appeared in the 2019 Liberty Lake Yearbook.

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