A group of protesters marched through downtown Spokane to show solidarity with victims of police brutality.

SPOKANE, Washington. – Sometime last summer, there were protests almost every day in response to the assassination of George Floyd.

Several events took place in Spokane with thousands of people marching downtown.

The message they pressed continued in the pavilion this afternoon.

“To be able to speak your name, it increases the power,” said Angel Tomeo Sam at the Spokane Bail Project. “It not only pulls down the moment they were lost, but everything they were and what they could have been.”

Today’s march was meant to show solidarity with victims of police brutality. The group with local activists and Spokane natives started in Riverfront Park.

Several speakers came forward as protesters made pit stops at various locations along their route.

“I use my voice because I think we can change Spokane,” said Lacrecia Hill, president of the Spectrum LGBTQIA2 + Center.

“I think Spokane has the capacity and the resources to change the way we respond to the people in our community,” Hill continued.

As the George Floyd Trial approaches, many protesters believe this is no time to shut up.

The last stop in March was the Black Lives Matter mural. A project that arose due to the events of the past year.

Local artists involved in its creation were present and given the opportunity to reflect on its importance.

“That’s the power of art,” shared Sarah Torres, an artist and student who worked on the mural. “It visually and physically gives hope and fuel to a community.

Since the rise, the mural has been a target of vandalism, but for artists like Sarah Torres the message this project embodies is love and hope for the future.

GUSTAVSON, Martha Anne (74 years old) Martha Anne Gustavson was born in Boise, Idaho and grew up in the Tri-Cities. She was the second of six siblings: Fred, Martha, Julie, Don (Jullian), Bob and Mary. Her mother, Mary Gustavson, was a third grade teacher, and her father, Don Gustavson, survived World War II (Navy) and worked as a nuclear engineer at Hanford. Martha had a lovely childhood. She loved swimming, roller skating, skiing and riding horses. In elementary school, Martha was often seen riding a bicycle with her domestic pigeon on her shoulder. She cherished the commute to school every day with her childhood friend, Janet, they also earned their Boy Scout badges together. Martha loved animals, while her neighbors were growing up, she often brought wounded birds to Martha to nurse them back to health. As a teenager she worked at Dr. Moore hoping to become a vet one day. Her starting salary was 77 cents an hour! Her love for swimming and diving led her to work as a lifeguard for three summers after receiving her WSI certification from WSU. Martha was fascinated by other cultures and wanted to travel as an exchange student. As a young adult, this desire led her to travel for over six years through Asia and the Orient, where she lived, worked, built lifelong friendships and broadened her view of the world. Martha had a child; Their daughter was born at home in Spokane in 1975 during a snow storm. The blizzard provided nine inches of snow while Martha gave birth to a happy and healthy girl named “Spirit of the Snow” Davis, named in honor of Native Americans, their history, and the storm. Although Spirit later changed her name to Jodie, she still appreciates her maiden name and meaning, and she appreciates the holdover that they continue to call Spirit. Martha dedicated herself to the task of serving as a positive role model for her daughter. She was a shining example of hard work, dedication, creative and open-minded thinking, positive problem solving, courage, honesty, trust and generosity. She taught Jodie the value of real and meaningful social interaction, responsibility, care, and love. Jodie looked up at her mother with astonishment and respect. She provided Jodie with the richest childhood, her life full of amazing, unique, and meaningful experiences for which Jodie is infinitely grateful. Martha was an artist from a very early age and loved to paint and draw. This later led to a career in graphic design. During the recession, she started her own design business. Martha was incredibly talented, entrepreneurial, and had such a creative mind. She enjoyed learning and refining new techniques to meet customer needs. She mastered every kind of artistic endeavor imaginable from screen printing, logos and signage, carpentry, portraits, ceramics, sandblasting, printing, lead glass, illustrations for the Spokesman Review, even totem pole carving, and much more! The feather in her cap was the design of the City of Spokane logo, which can be found across town in its many forms, from manhole covers to utility bills to garbage trucks. She often joked that she created the largest moving art installation in Spokane. Martha always had goals and aspirations, and she was never afraid to try new things, even if they were challenging or non-traditional. Although tradition, social rules, or systems have repeatedly said “Nosingle women and single mothers are not allowed to do this or that,” she had a way of finding out. She realized her visions through immense hard work, intent, and navigating the construct of systems that were not set up for her to be successful. She has always been a free thinker and problem solver. When she wanted to become a property owner, she not only accepted being told she couldn’t get a loan because she was a self-employed single woman. Again and again she used her creativity and ingenuity to achieve her goals. Becoming a property owner was an accomplishment she was extremely proud of. She continued to improve, investing her work, hard earned income, and heart and soul back in her property throughout her life. Martha’s only child Jodie and her ex-husband Dan Pierson have three children, Gavin, Dylan and Lilly. Martha loved being her Gramma and spending time with them. She is so proud of the successful young adults that they have become. Martha was so excited and proud of Jodie’s goal to become an RN that she was so happy to celebrate it with Jodie’s partner Alice Young. For many years, Martha volunteered at local theaters where she and Jodie served as ushers, and later she accepted her grandchildren into the tradition as well. When Jodie was in high school, Martha decided that she and her daughter should become ski instructors for the mountain. Spokane, where they both worked for many years sharing their skills, knowledge and love of skiing with hundreds and hundreds of students of all ages. Gavin and Dylan later joined the team of instructors. How much fun Martha was having skiing and teaching all three generations. Her work as a ski instructor at Mt. Spokane and her volunteering work for Interplayer, The Civic Theater and The FOX were particularly significant because they led to many valued and long-term friendships. Later in her life, Martha relied on her caring nature and became a licensed CNA providing skilled professional care and support to her senior clients for many years. As a CNA, she was able to take jobs in and around the Tri-Cities to be close to her parents in old age. After Martha’s parents passed away, aged 96 and 97, she retired and spent most of her time skiing, kayaking, water aerobics with her friends and further improving her property by doing gardening work, Hundreds of trees rooted and planted and built fences. Martha had plans to travel again to reunite with her friends from abroad. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She kept telling how much she enjoyed her life as a person on this beautiful blue planet. Whether you had known Martha from childhood, her travels, the art world, Mt. Spokane, Interplayer / Civic / Fox, LiveStrong or any other association, she was sure it had influenced your life. She wants to give all of her friends and family a big hug and remind them to appreciate the many simple joys in life. A memorial service for Martha’s life will be held in Spokane, TBD this summer. Please donate to Martha’s favorite charities: KSPS Public Television, EWU Jazz Radio, The Civic Theater, The Fox, and Southern Poverty Law Center. Condolences can be sent to Jodie Davis at 2633 W. Sanson Ave., Spokane, WA. 99205 or jodiedavis.email@gmail.com

Posted in Spokesman Review on March 7, 2021.

The expansion of Balfour Park as a plan to build a new library on the edge of the park is taking shape.

Developing 45 acre wooded land along the Spokane River near Flora Road and Euclid Avenue to create a new park.

Further development of a newly proposed trail project along the northern part of the Spokane River.

All of these initiatives are among John Bottelli’s priorities as director of new parks, recreational facilities and facilities in the Spokane Valley.

Bottelli, who started his new position a month ago, joins the job after having worked for Spokane County for about 13 years. The 50-year-old said the job in the Spokane Valley was a natural next step in his career – largely because he wanted to keep living in the area.

“These opportunities are far and wide,” said Bottelli. “Spokane Valley has an amazing opportunity to develop an interconnected park and trail system. So much great work can be done here. “

Bottelli said his career in city government began working for the Coeur d’Alene tribe in the late 1990s.

He joined the county in 2007 as a special park manager and was named assistant director of the county’s parks, recreation and golf division about two years later. When Bottelli became the district’s park manager in 2017, he was responsible for overseeing more than 15,000 acres of public land and parking facilities.

With Spokane Valley, Bottelli oversees around 11 people as well as more than a dozen parks and open spaces.

Here’s a look at some of the other projects Bottelli has prioritized with his new position:

• • CenterPlace: Marketing of the newly renovated West Lawn space in the CenterPlace Regional Event Center, which Bottelli says can be rented alone or in conjunction with the Event Center. The recent $ 2 million renovation resulted in a new, hard-sculpted space with a concert stage and dance area.

• • Browns Park: Construction begins on the final phase of improvements at Browns Park, which includes a playground, a small animal shelter, and a small toilet, Bottelli said.

• • Pinecroft: Working with the State Department of Natural Resources to provide public access to the state Pinecroft Natural Area Preserve adjacent to Mirabeau Point Park.

• • Sullivan Park: Completion of acquisition of 14 acres of land adjacent to Sullivan Park for expansion. The city signed the purchase and sale agreement in 2019; Bottelli said the city paid 10% ($ 84,400) for the cost, with the remaining $ 759,600 earmarked in a capital reserve and included as an anticipated expense in the 2021 budget to be paid once the aluminum slag contamination is removed along the way The northern boundary of the site is complete.

• • Spokane River Trail: The Spokane River Trail project is still in a conceptual phase and would connect existing trail segments on the north side of the river from Flora Road to Plante’s Ferry Park to Upriver Drive. Deputy City Administrator John Hohman explained the concept to Spokane Valley City Council in late February.

“My vision would be to join the Appleway Trail with the Centennial Trail, probably along the Flora Road corridor,” Bottelli said.

In addition to access to a regional transport system via the Spokane Transit Authority, the Spokane Valley is unique, according to Bottelli, for the starting points located on the city limits, for example the Dishman Hills nature reserve, the Saltese Uplands nature reserve and the “Soon-to” -be-developed Etter Ranch Trailhead in the Antoine Peak Conservation Area.

“For me, the connection to our regional traffic authority and an interconnected park and path network is that citizens can use public transport to go to places in or near our parks and from there to relax beyond the transit stop,” said Bottelli .

Bottelli worked in his office at CenterPlace in Mirabeau Point Park and used a “fire hose analogy” to describe the amount of information he needed to gather in order to stay up to date.

“The Spokane Valley park and trail system is a system of interconnected facilities and serves as an engine for economic development. It increases the well-being of the city and the quality of life in the entire region, ”said Bottelli. “That’s why I’m in this business.”

An unusually realistic department store mannequin caused a stir in the window of the Crescent department store on Riverside Avenue.

A “Joker” – probably a newsboy – was rumored to be a hypnotized man and he would walk out the window at 8pm

At the appointed time, a crowd gathered on the sidewalk. It got so big that a patrol officer called police headquarters to ask for reinforcements. Two men almost quarreled whether “Silk Hat Harry” was alive or wrong. The man was described as “Adonis-like” and dressed in evening attire.

Unfortunately, Silk Hat Harry remained immobile. It was reported that Crescent management were amused by the incident and enjoyed the free publicity.

From the tourist beat: Elaborated plans were in the works to make Mount Spokane a tourist destination.

The latest plan was to have a restaurant at or near the top, near the end of the road.

It would be built at the county’s expense and under the direction of the Spokane Chamber of Commerce’s advertising tourism office.

Also on this day

(From the Associated Press)

1876: Alexander Graham Bell received a US patent for his phone.

1965: A march of civil rights demonstrators on Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, was violently broken off by state troops and a sheriff’s troop on so-called “Bloody Sunday”.

SIMANTON, James Nolan A mighty oak has fallen. James Nolan Simanton, mostly known as “Jim” or “Si” or “Dad”, passed away on February 21, shortly after 11 pm, quietly and peacefully at Guardian Angels, a loving and caring facility in Liberty Lake. Dad struggled with multiple illnesses at once, but mostly, we think by almost 93, he’d decided it was his time. He died a house away from his beloved wife of nearly 70, Marjorie (“Margie”) Helen Brinkman Simanton. It was both cruel and cute to be about a hundred yards from her as the crow flies, even though neither had the ability to recognize the other. Father was born on April 24, 1928 to William Nolan and Louphelia LeNoir Simanton, one of five children the couple had, including older sister Willow (who died in infancy), older sister LeNoir, and younger brother W. Gordon (Gordy). who both preceded him in death, and his surviving younger sister Vesta Gale (Toody). He spent some formative years in Malta, Montana, in a Depression-era existence, Dust Bowl, Depression. It was a rough life and the family moved to find work, including Grand Coulee and Deer Park, before eventually settling on the South Hill of Spokane known as Rockwood. He graduated from Lewis & Clark High School and has been a proud tiger all his life. One night in college, he was invited on a blind date by his friend and colleague Roger Johnson (and wife Pat) of Eastern Washington Eagle with Marjorie Helen Brinkman of Danville, WA. He was instantly excited and probably thought it was even a providence as they had the same date of birth, 4/24 although she was two years younger, born in 1930. They married on June 30, 1951. He would always say that he never understood what she saw in him, and he was lucky that she had married him, even though it really went both ways. Through Margie he met her parents, Claude and Madge Brinkman, whom he adored, their family and their homestead in Danville. There he hunted with her older brother Glenn and found a sense of deep belonging and unconditional acceptance that he had always longed for. Margie and Jim settled in the Spokane Valley and had four children, Lauri, Jim, Leslie and Keith. Through the WSU, you brought all four of us to the salaries of the teachers. They were wonderful, loving parents. We were incredibly lucky. He was playful and if he had a bit of mustache stubble he would make any of us squeal with laughter when we were little chewing on “neck bones”. That’s not to say Dad wasn’t tough. He was. He had put the fear of a living God into you by clenching his jaw. You didn’t play with papa. Ironically, when it came to his three grandchildren Adam, Danny, and Rob, he was no such thing to his grown children. “Pushover” doesn’t cover it enough. Papa was a veterinarian from the Korean War who served as a sergeant in the army from 1952 and traveled to Tokyo and on to Seoul. He was one of three teams that wrote the armistice in Korea back to the United States on July 27, 1953. He also had a heavy duty to dictate letters home from wounded soldiers who, because of their injuries, were unable to write their own families, a memory that scarred and haunted him. Papa was a boxer with gold gloves. He struggled in high school and college, including a scholarship at Eastern that enabled him to go there. He even tried it for the Olympics, though he quickly realized he wasn’t quite at that level. Papa was an educator for most of his career, teaching math and the lost art of mechanical drawing. He coached basketball and soccer at North Pines Junior High and later at Evergreen. He was also the shop teacher, when that meant you could learn a trade from it. Decades after students reached out to him to tell him that while he was harsh as hell, he was teaching them the skills they need for their own jobs and feeding their own families. He later used these skills himself and became a carpenter after retiring from the district offered. If your older house still has closet doors that close tightly and a baseboard and door panel that look seamless, then our dad probably did the job. He was still working in his early 80s. He and his grandson Danny painted their own house two years ago. And that was because Dad was the hardest working man. He was driven to work by an unsolicited ethic or code. He didn’t stop. He was never sick. Even when he was quiet, he kept jingling coins in his pocket. He didn’t know a break. He could work you in the ground on a normal day, get something to eat, and then go back out just as you put your feet up. After he left, he taught his retirement years with Mom, including her lifelong friendships with Mom’s sorority friends and her husbands, where they played golf, danced, drank, and sang and generally had a great old time. We are forever grateful to these friends and to the friends they made as teachers. Papa also had a whistle that could be heard through the cotton trees a mile away, one that cut through tin and sailed over the neighbors’ houses, telling them it was time to come in. To this day, when the four of his children hear something similar from a distance, with indispensable, Pavlovian, involuntary immediacy, our heads will turn. You can hear it now. Father is survived by his wife Marjorie, daughter Lauri and husband Allan, son Jim and wife Kim, daughter Leslie and husband Dave and their son Danny, son Keith and wife Teresa and their sons Adam and Rob. Father is also survived by his sister Toody VanTrease and her husband Dean, as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and their children. A celebration of Papa’s life is planned closer to June.

Posted in Spokesman Review on March 7, 2021.

Luke Abshire has waited for it practically his whole life. He’s got some big shoes to fill in the Central Valley, and so far, so good.

Aside from the heroics on the field, the junior quarterback rushed up and down the sideline several times, pumping his teammates up while the bears were on defense. He is now the undisputed leader of this group – physically and emotionally.

“I don’t know, I was just trying to do my thing, you know?” Abshire said. “Try to get the guys going and just do what I can to help us win.”

Abshire went 20 of 34 for 261 yards, rushed for two touchdowns and had several long deals to score – and the Bears defense did the rest during a 23-0 win over Mead in a Greater Spokane League 4A game / 3A Friday.

“I’ve played with one of my recipients, Aaden Anderson, since I was 6 years old,” Abshire said. “And so I have a lot of good connections and good camaraderie with (the recipients).”

“We’ve known (Abshire) for a while,” said CV trainer Ryan Butner. “From middle school on, he even disguised himself as a newbie and stood on the sidelines and looked at it. He’s been waiting for his opportunity and it definitely deserves it. “

Butner was also pleased with his defense, which limited the Panthers to a total of 83 yards.

“Our defenses, especially in a short season like this, will take us up,” said Butner. “But boy, they played those last two games really well.”

“We knew they walked hard,” said Sam Brown of Mead. “Stop the run first and then play in your backfield. Turn them off from there. “

After two weeks, players are still being adjusted to all COVID-19 protocols.

“I mean, it’s weird,” said Brown. “But when you’re on the field, it’s football.”

“It feels really good, really good to get out of here,” Abshire said. “Come through all that COVID stuff and finally play and get under the light again.”

CV (2-0) opened quickly, and Abshire linked up with Justin Finn on game three for a 34 yard win. Six games later, Abshire broke the containment on the left sideline and went 15 yards for a score.

Hunter Myers added a 29-yard field goal on next possession. Then an eight-game drive that started at the 50 ended in Abshire with a clever fake ball to shoot 3 yards around the left end and get a score.

In the middle of the second quarter, Finn scored a 36-yard hit on the right sideline for Mead 7, but the journey stalled and Myers drilled a 37-yard field goal for a 20-0 lead at halftime.

Finn finished with six catches for 115 yards while Brandon Bruegeman added five catches for 93 yards.

Mead (1-1) put it on the grass in his first possession in the second half with 36. Myers added a 33 meter field gate to the ledger.

“I want to say I treat every game the same way, but I never beat (Mead),” Brown said. “I started playing sophomore and I never beat them so I just wanted to finish on a high grade, you know, last year.”

All about the GSL

Gonzaga Prep 48, Lewis and Clark 7: Ryan McKenna rushed for 146 yards with touchdowns of 49 and 41 yards, added a 39-yard touchdown pass and host Bullpups (2-0) defeated the Tigers (0-2) in a GSL 4A / 3A game. Jaden Ortega added 85 yards racing on 10 carry with two TDs for the bullpups.

Ferris 20, University 18: Paxton Page went with three touchdowns for 163 yards to 12 of 22 and the visiting Saxons (1-1) defeated the Titans (0-2) in a 4A / 3A game. Jide Olajoyegbe had five catches for 92 yards and two TDs, one of 65 yards, for the Saxons. Malaki Miller rushed for 156 yards with three TDs for U-Hi.

Mt. Spokane 17, Cheney 0: Tyler Alm rushed a touchdown for 61 yards over 10 runs and the Wildcats (1-1) defeated the Blackhawks (1-1) in a GSL 4A / 3A game at Union Stadium. The mountain. The Spokane Defense limited Cheney to a total of 75 yards.

Shadle Park 49, Rogers 0: Ryan Schmidt ran for two touchdowns, passed for two and kicked off a score back and the Highlanders (2-0) defeated the Pirates (0-2) in the 2A game at Union Stadium. Schmidt finished 7 of 11 for 139 yards.

West Valley 26, Othello 7: Treden Davis-Reed picked up a touchdown pass from Nick Toole and the visiting Eagles (2-0) defeated the Huskies (1-1) in a GSL 2A game.

Luke Abshire has waited for it practically his whole life. He’s got some big shoes to fill in the Central Valley, and so far, so good.

Aside from the heroics on the field, the junior quarterback rushed up and down the sideline several times, pumping his teammates up while the bears were on defense. He is now the undisputed leader of this group – physically and emotionally.

“I don’t know, I was just trying to do my thing, you know?” Abshire said. “Try to get the guys going and just do what I can to help us win.”

Abshire went 20 of 34 for 261 yards, rushed for two touchdowns and had several long deals to score – and the Bears defense did the rest during a 23-0 win over Mead in a Greater Spokane League 4A game / 3A Friday.

“I’ve played with one of my recipients, Aaden Anderson, since I was 6 years old,” Abshire said. “And so I have a lot of good connections and good camaraderie with (the recipients).”

“We’ve known (Abshire) for a while,” said CV trainer Ryan Butner. “From middle school on, he even disguised himself as a newbie and stood on the sidelines and looked at it. He’s been waiting for his opportunity and it definitely deserves it. “

Butner was also pleased with his defense, which limited the Panthers to a total of 83 yards.

“Our defenses, especially in a short season like this, will take us up,” said Butner. “But boy, they played those last two games really well.”

“We knew they walked hard,” said Sam Brown of Mead. “Stop the run first and then play in your backfield. Turn them off from there. “

After two weeks, players are still being adjusted to all COVID-19 protocols.

“I mean, it’s weird,” said Brown. “But when you’re on the field, it’s football.”

“It feels really good, really good to get out of here,” Abshire said. “Come through all that COVID stuff and finally play and get under the light again.”

CV (2-0) opened quickly, and Abshire linked up with Justin Finn on game three for a 34 yard win. Six games later, Abshire broke the containment on the left sideline and went 15 yards for a score.

Hunter Myers added a 29-yard field goal on next possession. Then an eight-game drive that started at the 50 ended in Abshire with a clever fake ball to shoot 3 yards around the left end and get a score.

In the middle of the second quarter, Finn scored a 36-yard hit on the right sideline for Mead 7, but the journey stalled and Myers drilled a 37-yard field goal for a 20-0 lead at halftime.

Finn finished with six catches for 115 yards while Brandon Bruegeman added five catches for 93 yards.

Mead (1-1) put it on the grass in his first possession in the second half with 36. Myers added a 33 meter field gate to the ledger.

“I want to say I treat every game the same way, but I never beat (Mead),” Brown said. “I started playing sophomore and I never beat them so I just wanted to finish on a high grade, you know, last year.”

All about the GSL

Gonzaga Prep 48, Lewis and Clark 7: Ryan McKenna rushed for 146 yards with touchdowns of 49 and 41 yards, added a 39-yard touchdown pass and host Bullpups (2-0) defeated the Tigers (0-2) in a GSL 4A / 3A game. Jaden Ortega added 85 yards racing on 10 carry with two TDs for the bullpups.

Ferris 20, University 18: Paxton Page went with three touchdowns for 163 yards to 12 of 22 and the visiting Saxons (1-1) defeated the Titans (0-2) in a 4A / 3A game. Jide Olajoyegbe had five catches for 92 yards and two TDs, one of 65 yards, for the Saxons. Malaki Miller rushed for 156 yards with three TDs for U-Hi.

Mt. Spokane 17, Cheney 0: Tyler Alm rushed a touchdown for 61 yards over 10 runs and the Wildcats (1-1) defeated the Blackhawks (1-1) in a GSL 4A / 3A game at Union Stadium. The mountain. The Spokane Defense limited Cheney to a total of 75 yards.

Shadle Park 49, Rogers 0: Ryan Schmidt ran for two touchdowns, passed for two and kicked off a score back and the Highlanders (2-0) defeated the Pirates (0-2) in the 2A game at Union Stadium. Schmidt finished 7 of 11 for 139 yards.

West Valley 26, Othello 7: Treden Davis-Reed picked up a touchdown pass from Nick Toole and the visiting Eagles (2-0) defeated the Huskies (1-1) in a GSL 2A game.

The final piece of the taxpayer-funded renovation of Riverfront Park is slated to open in late spring or early summer, and the availability of its ice-age-themed features could be affected by the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Spokane Parks director Garrett Jones said Thursday.

“At the same time, we don’t want this nice, new, shiny amenity that citizens and our partners paid for and it’s behind a fence and ready to go,” Jones said in an interview part of a virtual forum for Northwest Passages, which can be viewed in full online. “It could also be a step-by-step approach to opening this up. But we will see. “

Virtual forum for Northwest Passages / The Spokesman Review

Completion of the $ 9.4 million complex, including a regional playground, skate park, splash pad, outdoor basketball court, and climbing wall, will round out the five projects that citizens are seeking to restore as part of a 64- Have voted million dollar bond in 2014. Projects that have already been completed include the Numerica Skate Ribbon and SkyRide, the Looff Carrousel, the central promenades and the US Pavilion.

The pandemic also slowed the unveiling of the pavilion’s true potential, by far the largest investment the department has made in the remodeling. A planned series of concerts, Hoopfest and other events were postponed just a few months after a grand opening that brought hundreds under the illuminated net to the sounds of the Spokane Symphony.

“It was difficult. At the beginning it was also very difficult,” said Jones. “But we have learned and we just adapt and are very flexible.”

A series of concerts will begin on July 22nd with the headlining folk / rock / reggae outfit Slightly Stoopid, followed by Primus on August 13th. Both acts should appear in the pavilion in 2020.

While the crews were working on the new parts of the park, the department has also planned to fix what is there with money beyond the taxpayer-approved bonds. This includes replacing the Expo ’74 butterfly that was destroyed by the January storm.

“We’re engaged in one way or another to find out what that replacement is,” said Jones. “We have already started this process and looked deeply into what happened, why it happened and what progress we can make to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Jones said the park was working on a “2.0” version of the butterfly. It would include the movement of actual butterflies and other engineering enhancements to prevent gusts from toppling the structure, as they did in January and February 1995.

Another project that is not part of the bond, which is scheduled to be completed this year, is the renovation of the footbridge over the upper falls. It was built during the expo and closed in April 2019 due to concerns about the safety of the tread or deck of the bridge.

The parking department started soliciting bids for work to repair the bridge this week. The park department starts with the northernmost bridge and then switches to the southern bridge, which remains open.

“This year. We keep our fingers crossed,” said Jones. “We hope we get good bids back.”

The south bridge will probably not be repaired until after 2021.

While some of the programs remain limited for health and safety reasons, the reopening of the carousel and welcoming guests during the summer months should give visitors a clue as to how Riverfront Park will go into the next 50 years, Jones said.

“The greatest achievement is the experiences and memories our citizens and tourists have in the park,” said Jones.

Author Kip Hill conducted the interview with Northwest Passages that formed the basis for this story.

The common denominator between cowboys and zombies is Spokane and Alex Terzieff. Gunslingers are the characters in the western film “Boon”, which was filmed in Spokane in January and February.

The living dead were the main attraction on “Z Nation,” which ran from 2014 to 2008 for five seasons on the Syfy channel. The zombie footage was filmed in and around Spokane.

Terzieff was the stunt coordinator in both productions. Without the Seattle native, “Boon” would not have been filmed in the lilac city. Terzieff, a longtime friend of “Boon” star, writer and producer Neal McDonough, suggested that Spokane would be perfect for the sequel to western “Red Stone”.

“Shortly after I got into this business in 2000, I was working on the film ‘Band of Brothers’ and met Neal,” Terzieff said when calling from Los Angeles. “We’ve been close friends ever since, and I can tell him anything.

“When we were at a huskies basketball game (University of Washington), he talked about doing ‘Boon’ in Washington. I suggested he think about Spokane. I told him if it was my production I would be shooting in Spokane. “

Terzieff is still digesting the “boon” experience while waiting for a COVID-19 test before working on the next David O. Russell film, a star-laden production with Oscar winners Robert De Niro and Christian Bale and Oscar-nominated actress Margot Robbie.

“We had a great time, although we had to deal with all the restrictions,” said Terzieff. “We hung out at the Ruby Suites where we stayed. I wanted to do what I did when I did ‘Z Nation’ and take the whole stunt team to Churchill’s (Steakhouse), but I couldn’t.

“I told my crew that if they did a particularly good stunt I would take them to Frankie Doodles. But we had fun on site. When we were out there, it was a reminder of why we came to Spokane in the first place. “

The composer Stephen Endelman, who directed the soundtrack “Boon”, was impressed with the aesthetics of Spokane. “It’s so nice in Spokane,” Endelman said while calling from Los Angeles as well. “It’s a gem. I never got tired of looking at the waterfall. We all wondered and enjoyed looking at the view.

“It was so relaxing and wonderful with the color schemes and seeing things in Spokane that people don’t notice it every day because they live there. I noticed how beautiful the city is under the cloud cover. Spokane is such a flashy city. Making a movie has never been more enjoyable than in Spokane. “

That says a lot since Endelman worked on a number of productions like “De-Lovely”, “Home of the Brave” and “Jawbreaker”.

“Boon” director Derek Presley laughed as he looked back on his Spokane experience. “What I enjoyed the most was the reaction from the people who live there,” said Presley when calling from his home in Dallas. “When we were shooting in the Garland District and blocking the traffic, the people weren’t just good at it, they were great. People recognized Neal from ‘Yellowstone’ and yelled, ‘We love you’ and ‘Thank you for filming in our town.’

“The reception in Spokane was fantastic. People have been great with us since day 1. We were hoping for snow on day 1. When we were in Spokane in November, it was snowing. Nothing happened in the first two and a half weeks we were there in January, and then it finally started to snow. We were all ready then. “

Presley was not happy with the amenities at Ruby Suites and was happy with the dining options. “It was great to stay there. The Ruby Suites has a nice lounge and a screening room where we showed our daily newspapers, ”said Presley. “One of my favorite places was Shawn’s Irish Pub (Shawn O’Donnell’s American Grill and Irish Pub). I loved the chicken pot pie and fish and chips.

“I spent most of my money at Caruso (sandwiches and artisan pizza) where I couldn’t get enough of the Italian (stallion) sandwich and pizza. I gained a lot of weight in Spokane. The only regret was that the breakfast place (brunchonette) wasn’t open as it was when we were there in November (exploration spots). “

The McDonoughs – Neal, his producer Ruve, and their five children, ages 6-15 – had a blast. If they weren’t on set for 12 hours, they’d hang out on South Hill with their house guest and young actor Pat Monahan, lead singer of Train, or toboggan by the fire nearby.

“We had the best time in Spokane,” said Ruve McDonough. “There is no place like this.” Neal McDonough agreed with his wife’s feelings. “Spokane is such a unique city from the grounds to the people who live there. We definitely want to come back. “

March 4, 2021

The state of agriculture reflects our future in terms of food supply as well as international trade, technology, employment and environmental protection. With the continued mission of promoting and protecting our regional agribusiness sector, we hosted the first virtual Spokane Ag
Show February 23rd to 25th. 2021 marked the 44th year of the Spokane Ag Show, a reminder that in times of disconnection, innovation serves as a catalyst for connectivity and growth.

Industry-oriented exhibitors took part in the three-day fair and over 52 on-demand and live seminars were held. In total, the sessions were viewed over 9500 times by over 1,000 participants from across the northwest of the country and Canada. Session highlights included comprehensive weather reports, agricultural economic forecasts, valuable tax updates, and pesticide recertification courses. The recertification courses have been a valuable part of our COVID era as manufacturers have limited options to maintain their certification credits. On this occasion, we conducted 19 certification courses and verified 1,500 credits in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

The virtual platform also offered exhibitors visibility without geographical restrictions. They had easy-to-use pages that they could customize with branding and content, post videos, and host private events. In total, attendees contacted exhibitors directly over 1,600 times to provide customers and businesses with a connection point they may not have had.

While the fair is over, we are still presenting exhibitors and offering on-demand seminars. Participation is free and can be accessed via the link for participant registration at agshow.org. The success of this year’s virtual format will never replace a personal show. It is also evident that the pioneering landscape of our offerings has forever changed the way we serve our Ag industry for the better.

This press release was produced by Greater Spokane Inc. The views expressed are those of the author.