LATAH/HANGMAN
Ed Bruya, Community Assembly RepresentativeBruya has served in various roles with the Latah/Hangman Neighborhood Council for six years.
How would you describe your neighborhood in three words?
Lovely but struggling.
What sets your neighborhood apart from the rest of the city?
I think it’s the ease and access to the High Drive Bluff Park and the bike trails. We have access to Hangman Creek and access to the river. We have that urban/rural feel.
What is your neighborhood’s claim to fame or hidden gem?
We have Vinegar Flats and also access to the Fish Lake Trail. Also Hangman Creek and High Bridge Park.
What’s your favorite place to go out to eat or drink in your neighborhood?
Chaps. They have great food.
If you had $100,000 to fix an issue in your neighborhood, what would you invest it in?
I would say that we would need some sort of fire truck or station to help out with the issues on the west side of [U.S. Route] 195 in the Eagle Ridge area.
Who is someone who is working really hard to improve your neighborhood?
I think it’s the collective group that’s working hard. I don’t think there’s any one person to give all the credit to. There are a lot of diverse individuals who are all working toward making that a great neighborhood. (MP)
WEST HILLS
Robert Thompson, Neighborhood Council ChairThompson has lived in West Hills for 12 years and began serving on the neighborhood council this year.
What is your neighborhood’s best landmark?
The Finch Arboretum. It’s a beautiful spot, a beautiful space to spend a day.
What sets your neighborhood apart from the rest of the city?
We are an entry point into the city of Spokane that folks forget about. We have Sunset Highway coming off of the West Plains. If people are entering Spokane from the west and they’re not taking the freeway, they’re going to come through our neighborhood first, and I think that offers some very unique opportunities.
If you had $100,000 to fix an issue in your neighborhood, what would you invest it in?
More neighborhood planning. Just drawing up some ideas of what the Sunset Corridor and the Sunset and Government Way intersection could look like, really get some visuals of what our neighborhood could look like in the future. We’re so close to nature, and we have such a beautiful spot as it is that sometimes we aren’t capable of envisioning what that can be. Some design work could be incredibly beneficial, and of course, the Sunset bridge, as much money as we can throw at it.
What’s your favorite place to eat or drink in your neighborhood, and why?
I don’t think that we have any restaurants that are right in our neighborhood, unfortunately, but if I’m going to grab a cup of coffee and go for a walk, I’m going to the Finch Arboretum, for sure.
Who is someone working hard to improve your neighborhood and what do you admire about their efforts?
Susan Mensching took over the neighborhood council last year after some folks had stepped down, and she’s remained incredibly involved in our council, bringing forward ideas and solutions. Whenever there’s a problem, she always has one, sometimes two or three potential solutions. I just really admire people who can bring that to a space.
How would you describe your neighborhood in three words?
Nature, opportunity and growth. (VCM)
GRANDVIEW/THORPE
Joy Sheikh, Neighborhood Council ChairSheikh has served as chair for more than 10 years and has lived in the neighborhood for two decades.
What is Grandview/Thorpe's best landmark, gathering spot or hidden gem?
The landmark and gathering spot would be Grandview Park, which is the heart of the neighborhood. We also have the Trolley Trail, which is a hidden gem that’s near and dear to my heart. Back in the olden days, there was a trolley that ran from, I believe, Medical Lake to Browne’s Addition, and about two miles of it ran through here before there was even a neighborhood. The tracks have long since been removed, but there’s still the trail, and it’s nice and flat and forested, so it’s really pretty.What sets your neighborhood apart from the rest of the city?
We don’t have any commercial or public buildings — no store, no coffee shop, no school, no library, no community center, no church. A lot of people might like to see some commercial activity, but I personally love it the way that it is. It’s a great place to let your kids play in the street.
If you had $100,000 to fix an issue in your neighborhood, what would you invest it in?
At the top of 16th [Avenue] there’s an intersection that we lovingly refer to as ‘Malfunction Junction.’ People who aren’t from the neighborhood don’t know who to yield to when they come to it. It’s a mess. So I would fix all of that and get it built according to the plan that we made almost a decade ago.
What’s your favorite place to go out to eat or drink in your neighborhood and why?
Technically, within our boundaries, there is nowhere. You could take a picnic to the park. You definitely see people with kids bring a picnic blanket and spend the morning at the splash pad.
Who is someone that’s working hard to improve your neighborhood and what do you admire about their efforts?
Molly Marshall. She’s been a real go-getter. We first brought her on as treasurer of the Grandview/Thorpe neighborhood. Then she really got involved with saving the Trolley Trail. It’s because of Molly that the last section was preserved. And now she’s working really hard for fire prevention in our neighborhood. Fire is a big deal up here. It’s one of the densest forest canopies in the city.
How would you describe your neighborhood in three words?
Secluded, natural, close-knit. (EI) EDITOR'S NOTE: In the original web version of this article, Robert Thompson and Joy Sheikh's photos were transposed. The photo order is now corrected.
