Where can BECU take you?

May 22, 2020

Who helps write your story? It’s the people you meet. The places you travel. Where you live, work and play. BECU is a credit union helping write the stories of its members.

As a member-owned, not-for-profit credit union, we’re invested in giving back to you, the member. Buy the home you’ve long sought, paying no origination fee on most loans. Reach new places with our better rates when financing an RV or boat. Grow your child’s savings using higher early-saver rates that show them the power of interest.

We’re also helping write the story of your community. See us partnering with the 4News Now Extreme Team, building a new canine rescue, making the wish of a child come true, and lighting up the holidays for children at Sacred Heart Hospital. Cheer for Coug Country, knowing WSU college students learn real-world budgeting through our sponsorship of Cougar Money Matters.

Where can we take you? At BECU, a new page is waiting.

Visit one of our three locations in Spokane: North Division, Downtown and in the Valley. Learn more at becu.org/locations.

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

Service above self: Liberty Lake Rotary

October 30, 2019

Cheryl Woods of Liberty Lake Centennial Rotary on a 2017 trip to Honduras

In spring 2019, a group from the Liberty Lake Centennial Rotary Club headed to Honduras in partnership with Pure Water for the World. While there, these Rotarians installed water filtration systems, taught basic hygiene and delivered books, school supplies, new school uniforms, hygiene items and fun things for the kids. Everything was donated by the club’s local members, as well as the Post Falls Rotary Club, Columbia Bank, and many friends and community members.

This was the second trip to Honduras for club members Chris Choate and Cheryl Woods, who organized the trip and procured an international grant from Rotary which covered the cost of the water filtration systems. Across the country, more than 1 million people lack access to improved sanitation, 638,000 lack safe water and many of these are children who are missing school due to sickness from contaminated water.

This trip is just one of many projects the active club of approximately 30 members is involved in. The annual Memorial Day Breakfast at Pavillion Park resulted in the club being able to donate all proceeds to the local Inland Northwest Honor Flight to send seven local veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor. The club’s largest annual fundraiser, the RIM Ride held every September, was started by Rotary’s current President, Mandy Desgrosellier, and raises funds for local causes such as the HUB 360 program, college scholarships, Friends of Pavillion Park, Special Olympics Washington and a number of other local non-profits connected to Rotary’s mission.

State Farm agent Emily Osborne became the Liberty Lake Rotary president in June 2019 and is celebrating 20 years with State Farm this year.

“I moved to Liberty Lake to open a scratch Agency here almost 12 years ago and was so focused on starting this business that I ended up buying a condo in 20 minutes,” Osborne recalled. “That’s when I met Mary Duncan at Liberty Closing & Escrow, who invited me to a Rotary meeting. I had no idea what Rotary was but thought it would be a good distraction, a way of getting insurance off my mind for an hour a week, but it’s turned out to be so much more. Rotary is simply amazing! I wish more people knew all the good in the world they do — promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene, saving mothers and children, supporting education and helping to grow local economies. How can you not get behind that? I really do love what I do at State Farm and am so grateful for my customers and for a career that allows me to be a part of Rotary, and to give back to my community and the world. It’s a passion I am very proud to be a part of.”

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

Renewable energy options in your home

August 7, 2020

As technology and interest in renewable energy options grow, consider how you might incorporate these options into your home and life.

Electric Vehicles
Considering going electric on the road? It’s a big change, but one that’s getting easier, thanks to the expanding number of vehicle options and charging locations. Avista is ready to be your resource with information and programs to help you install an electric vehicle (EV) charger in your home or business.

Driving an EV can save you more than 70 percent on fuel costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent and local pollution from tailpipe emissions by up to 100 percent.

EVs are cars or trucks that run on battery technology with an operational range of 10-300 miles.

Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs) — run on electricity only
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) — run on a blend of electricity and gasoline
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) — powered by electricity only

Most EV owners install a charger in their home. A Level 1 connector (comes with your vehicle) with a 120 volt AC outlet in your garage will gain 3 to 5 miles per hour of charging. Most drivers of today’s PHEV vehicles, like the Chevy Volt, find that a Level 1 charger in their garage works just fine. Owners of all-electric BEVs, like the Nissan Leaf, have larger battery packs and often need a Level 2 connector with a 208/240 volt AC receptacle to gain 10 to 25 miles per hour of charge, or a full recharge overnight.

Public EV charging stations are popping up all over, making EVs more accessible for many drivers. In the Liberty Lake area, Avista partnered with the city to install a public charger in Town Square, and with STA to install a DC fast charger site at the nearby Park and Ride.

Residential Solar
Another renewable option on the mind of some homeowners is solar. With solar you can produce your own electricity (when the sun is shining), reduce your electric bill and shrink your carbon footprint.

Because onsite solar installation can be expensive and is a long-term commitment, there are some important questions to consider as you evaluate whether solar is right for you:

Will solar installation affect my roof warranty?
Are there restrictions from my HOA, city or county?
Will solar affect my homeowner’s insurance premium?
What are my goals? Am I seeking to offset all or a portion of my energy use?
Avista’s solar estimator tool can help you compare your options and calculate estimates for varied systems and financial models at avista.wattplan.com/pv/.

My Clean Energy
Interested in showing your support for renewable energy without installing solar panels on your roof? Consider Avista’s My Clean Energy program, a flexible way to directly support our transition to clean, renewable energy.

By adding as little as $1 to your monthly Avista payment, you are greening your energy. Your dollars go toward the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) with a mix of wind, solar and other clean generation. A $1 subscription buys one block of 100kWh regional energy. You decide on the number of blocks you want to purchase. For each $1, you’ll offset greenhouse gas emissions from an average car driving 173 miles. There is also a national energy option.

In just one year, Avista My Clean Energy customers contributed to offsetting more than 73 million kWh of electric use with clean, renewable energy — enough to power more than 6,000 homes for one year.

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

Where can BECU take you?

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