Driving by Mary Maxfield’s home, you’d think you’re passing a giant bird house. Technically it’s a home, but it’s filled with books. Last month she installed a library in her front lawn at 46th and Crestline.

If you think that’s unusual, Maxfield isn’t alone. She’s one of thousands of residents across the United States bringing literature to their neighborhoods.

Magazines, children’s books and nonfiction novels are available for your perusal by opening the glass door. Maxfield says she saw a neighbor girl read a Bernenstain Bears book, front to cover, while waiting for her mother.

“We love books so much. For the kids that come by during the summer time when they don’t have their school libraries, it’s good to know have something they can come get. The challenge for me is keeping new books in there,” Maxfield said.

It’s based on the honor system. You take a book and bring it back. If you like, you can trade out a book of your own with one already in there. 

The concept comes from Little Free Library, an non-profit that supplies the kits and plans to build these libraries all over the world. They incorporate volunteer stewards to help keep the little libraries going with kits ranging in prices from $100-600.

A local cleaning company is doing more than just cleaning homes, they're helping to rebuild local women's lives.

Spokane's Cleaning Authority, which has several locations in our region, is partnering with a new non-profit called Cleaning For A Reason.

They're cleaning cancer patient's and survivor's homes - for free.

Cleaning For A Reason was started by a woman in Texas who was a cancer survivor herself, and also owned a large cleaning company.  Her idea was to offer women in cancer treatment a series of free home cleanings. She wanted cancer patients to focus on recovery, rather than the status of their home.

In Spokane, Mark Silver and the rest of the workers at Cleaning Authority provided about 50 free cleans this last year. But they want to do more. They're trying to get the word out about their free cleaning service to cancer patients in our area. They have the capacity and the willingness to help many more people.

Spokane County is trying to make it a little easier for you to get out and get some exercise! The county is forming a new trailhead connecting the South Hill to the Dishman Hills Natural Area this month.

The trailhead is located on the 3700 block of South Thierman Road in the Glenrose area, two miles east of Ferris High School. The county used Conservation Futures Funding to buy the 269-acre plot of land on April 12.

According to Jeff Lambert, Vice President of the Dishman Hills Natural Area Association, the new Conservation Area lies in the path of the Dream Trail, which will take the  "Connecting People to Nature" project and connect it to the Iller Creek Conservation Area on the south end of the Dishman Hills Natural Area.

Connecting the two conservation areas would result in a wildlife and recreation corridor of more than six miles, with a network of recreation trails of many miles.

The Dishman Hills Natural Area Association is holding a dinner at the Moran Prairie Grange to celebrate the new trailhead on May 12. The celebration is a member-only event, but you can join for a special $10 dues through May 12 via www.DHNAA.org.