In the summer of 2019, the City of Liberty Lake dedicated Orchard Park, an 11-acre green space in the River District. The fully developed park features a splash pad, tennis, basketball and pickleball courts, a playground, two picnic pavilions, an amphitheater and a winding path. The $2 million project was funded primarily by the city.
2. Two new schools in Liberty Lake
Approved on the February 2018 ballot, the new Selkirk Middle School officially opened and was dedicated on Aug. 22, 2019. The new middle school, designed to accommodate 600 students, was designed by ALSC Architects and constructed by Walker Construction. That same month, the Central Valley School District broke ground on another school within Liberty Lake city limits, the new Ridgeline High School, future home of the Falcons.
3. Thank you, Steve Peterson
Mayor Steve Peterson sought re-election as Liberty Lake’s mayor, but last November citizens chose a different direction. Steve has been with the city for many years and was a driving force for many of the positive changes that helped bring many of the projects in Liberty Lake to fruition. Thank you, Steve, for all of your service to Liberty Lake.
Two to watch in 2020
1. Mayor Brickner at the helm
In the 19-year history of the City of Liberty Lake, we have only seen two different mayors at the helm —until now. This year, we welcome the third, Mayor Shane Brickner. Having served on the City Council for eight years prior, Brickner is not new to the city nor the community. He also served as a volunteer reserve police officer in the Liberty Lake Police Department for more than 12 years. As Mayor Brickner settles into his new role this year, we are bound to see some changes at the city as his leadership style sets in.
2. Trailhead reimagined
The City of Liberty Lake has long debated the future of the Trailhead Golf Course, but the city has hired an outside consultant to help them develop a master plan for the property. Ideas such as incorporating the City Hall property into a single development as well as considering more community space and an expanded driving range have all got people thinking. The consultant is supposed to come back with high, low and medium cost proposals for continued discussion in 2020. Which option will the community buy into? How will the city pay for said improvements? With the current momentum, it looks like the proposal will be coming forward in 2020. Stay tuned.
Mike suffered from knee pain off and on for several years, a condition that slowly worsened over time. He liked to remain active, but with every step he felt pain, which limited his activity. Slowly, the weight started coming on, which only compounded the pain.
Seeking help from his orthopedic doctor, Mike was told he would need a knee replacement, one of the hardest and most painful surgeries to recover from. He could not afford six weeks off work to recover, and he knew too many friends who did not find relief from this surgery.
Instead, Mike decided to try something new, a stem cell injection in the knee. At Healthy Living Liberty Lake, umbilical cord stem cells were injected in the knee, a 15-minute procedure. After just one month, he noticed an improvement in pain, and at three months he was walking 3 miles a day and able to play tennis. The knee continued to improve over the next year, and he is now completely pain free with cartilage restored in the joint.
Dr. Susan Ashley of Healthy Living Liberty Lake said patients like Mike are seen every day at the clinic, and their lives are restored through the use of stem cells.