The Spovangelist

It really is stunning what Facebook can do. This was the most recent status update on a fan page called Spokane Aquarium:

“Getting closer to the 2,000th fan for the Spokane Aquarium in less than three weeks. Who will be the lucky 2000th?”

The aquarium concept is an informal proposal to the former YMCA building that has received little press. As the deadline approaches for spending Conservation Futures funds to tear down ($5.4 million of taxpayer money, thank you very much) and create an open space or re-develop the property, our elected officials are relatively silent on the idea as well.

Image courtesy of MetroSpokane.

A rally for the aquarium at Riverfront Park on March 27th hopes to create something substantive. It starts at 9:35am in front of C.I. Shenangians, then “fish heads” are planning to march to the old Y to let people know “We Want An Aquarium, And We Want It Now!”

By the time I finished writing this post, Spokane Aquarium had gained five new fans, inching closer to that lucky number. But the number of guests attending the rally: only 16. What does this arms length, self-promotion actually accomplish? That remains to be seen. Meanwhile the aquarium mania is mostly just fun and games without any detailed proposal to build financial support for the project.

A Spokane Aquarium is a big, beautiful idea and an admirable expression to the loss of faith of an anti-democratic process that got the old Y building ensnared in a financial nightmare. Yet the time spent on the page only makes the solution more elusive when a real community event is met with despondence. All it takes is a swift click of the mouse, after all.

• You can become a fan of the Spokane Aquarium and/or attend the rally here.
• There’s also an Inland Northwest Aquarium Society, but their site has not been updated in a year.

Tags:   Identity Crisis · Political Surprise · Spokane Pride5 Comments

As we’ve intimated before, Spokane is enjoying a boom in community-based performance art. This makes sense for a large town immured in a history of socioeconomic challenges. Since we don’t have much luxury in the way of high-falutin gallery art, our artists turn to the streets to make work that is meaningful and engaging to everyday folks.

When Naaman and Jillian of Black Rabbit Magic first unveiled MONTH in partnership with the Kolva-Sullivan gallery, I was automatically on board. Spend 24 hours doing whatever the heck I want in an interactive art exhibit? Yes please!

The basic premise of MONTH is that creative people from all over Spokane will each reside in the gallery for 24 hours, doing whatever it is they do from 5pm until 5pm the next day. This live exhibit will run from March 5th through March 26th, and will end with a blow-out closing party. Considering that around 200 were there for the opening, I’ve got a feeling that this one will be a zinger.

We will install a bed (should you need to rest), a few art supplies (but you are welcome to bring your own), and some kind of nourishment (likely campbell’s soup). You are only asked to artistically contribute to the space (however you see appropriate considering your area of expertise) and to respect the building and its tenants.

Remember the Spokane Blog Bible? Come and get yours during Mariah @ MONTH! (There are only about 50 left, available while supplies last.)

What would you do with 24 uninterrupted expressive art hours? I plan to:

1. Compost the food waste that other artists have been saving for me.
2. Build a number of worm composting chambers, for sale, of course!
3. Do some kind of collage installation with leftover outreach materials from various campaigns and projects I’ve worked on.
4. Compose a blog post live from the gallery!
5. Dink around with making some Spokane themed miniatures out of polymer clay. Marmots, milk bottles, lilac bunches, Expo icons, bull dogs and crosses come to mind…
6. Have my xylophone on hand to play. Not that I ever get to practice it, mind you, but since I own it I should share it!

So come on down and be a part of my performance. We can talk about “the community” we can talk local politics. Whatever. I hope to see you there!

• RSVP to pay me a visit on Facebook here.

Tags:   Breaking Boundaries · Creative Culture · Experimentation · Local ArtNo Comments.

Since 1985 Crosswalk has provided a safe place devoted to “breaking the cycle of youth homelessness”. Over time a suite of services have co-located in their facility, including an Early Head Start (EHS) program of Volunteers of America that keeps young parents in school by providing daytime care for their children. Prior to this arrangement, many moms would have to take their children to the other side of town to drop them off, go to class, and then leave class early to pick them up. Head Start at Crosswalk has been vital to GED success for many young local mothers.

After working with Crosswalk students on a film project I came to know several of them personally. One especially stood out to me. Jamie is a fighter like no other. She was married with a baby at 19, desperately needed a job, and knew McDonald’s would not fit the bill. Jamie relies on Head Start at Crosswalk so she can devote her attention to studying and is on target to graduate this year.

Unfortunately the Crosswalk-Head Start partnership is facing a substantial roadblock. Talk at the Institute for Extended Learning could move this chapter of Early Head Start much more than a crosswalk away. Three miles may seem diminutive to some, but for a teen mom without a car this will mean more time spent negotiating transportation and less time spent on school.

According to the Spokesman, teen mom Katelynn Capps said, “I definitely needed to go back to school, and there was no way I could do it if this place [Early Head Start] wasn’t here.” With Early Head Start, red lights turn in to diplomas for these low-income, hardworking parents. Kent Hoffman, a local psychotherapist and an enduring Crosswalk volunteer argues this:

“… Here’s my bottom line: When it comes to need, not all children are created equal. Some need modest help, some need even more. And then some require intense intervention. The parents and children who have benefited from the remarkable gift provided at Crosswalk EHS often fall into the third category. If Crosswalk EHS leaves downtown, where will they turn?”

There are few things I value more than education because it has the potential to decrease the appeal of crime and increase the quality of life for all people. We’re lucky Spokane has a place that supports students, including young moms. We’re even more lucky to have accessible childcare for low-income families. In Crosswalk EHS we are most fortunate to have these two supports working together to provide a comprehensive and effective service to the very people that need it the most.

Concerned about the fate of Crosswalk? The future of Early Head Start at Crosswalk will be discussed during the next gathering of the Head Start/Early Head Start Policy Council on March 9. The meeting is scheduled at 5:45 p.m. at the Hillyard Center, 4410 N. Market St. Can’t make the meeting? Send your input to Scott Morgan at: smorgan[at]iel[dot]spokane[dot]edu

Tags:   Community · Non-Profits · Young People4 Comments

Peaceful Valley is a gem but the secret is out and running up the hill. The scenic location and closeness to downtown are too much to resist for developers. For several decades, the neighborhood has resisted drastic changes and remained a sweetly paced, unique community in the heart of Spokane.

Our first Indians fished here, wood-frame homes designed by miners and loggers still make up the district, and today residents work hard to retain that integrity. The Peaceful Valley Charrette was a recent effort to involve the community in the design and planning process around the neighborhood’s parks.

Now the Riverview Condominium proposal looms, a creeping abstraction some neighbors say is equivalent to a solar eclipse. It is a monolithic juxtaposition in a neighborhood full of small charms and idiosyncrasies. Residents who had worked tirelessly to improve the neighborhood opposed the tower. So they sued and were called NIMBYs for their efforts. Then developer Mick McDowell filed a lawsuit against the city in an attempt to bypass the comprehensive plan and build the tower for less money closer to Peaceful Valley. It was part of this controversy that birthed the more controversial Proposition 4 – to give neighborhoods a stronger voice in the development process.

Image courtesy of Steven Meek Architects.

The City Design Review Board examined elements of the condo proposal at 1404 W. Riverside Avenue just east of the Maple Street Bridge and it sounded like the structure adhered to all downtown design guidelines, codes, and zoning regulations. The stars aligned for developers since the property is located in a special height district that allows a construction height of 150 feet off of Riverside Avenue and north of the street for 100 feet. The project includes:

• 18 floors of residential on top of a 3 floor parking garage.
• 60 total units.
• There will be approximately 93 parking stalls in the garage for a ratio of 1.55 stalls per unit.
• The site is approximately 96 feet wide and 212 feet long.

Still, a building permit application has yet to be submitted. It’s easy to look at McDowell with a jaundiced eye and not just with knee-jerk defiance to a new developer in an old neighborhood. This from McDowell in an interview with the Spokesman:

“I find the constant paralysis by analysis frustrating. I have never ever shied away from presenting my case to a jury of peers. If I have a disagreement with a neighbor and we both present our cases to the appropriate body, I will live with the decision that’s reached. But what drives me wild is when we have a holdup of the process by a minority. It drives me wild.”

Not exactly a display of the self-consciousness a concerned neighbor would hope for in the role of the development process. But if you build it, will they come?

Builder George Doran knows. He lost hundreds of thousands on his Peaceful Valley project, the Lina Marta Condos, located at 1405 W. Water Ave. And this was just a four-unit building! Word is that foreclosure awaits. “Maybe we went a little overboard for that area as it is right at the moment,” Doran said in a story, aptly titled Condo cooldown.

While we’re all for dense living and urban revival in old neighborhoods, the Riverview structure would be Spokane’s mammoth pink elephant, casting a shadow on century-old dwellings. Peaceful Valley residents cherish the unique and fragile – whether student murals on the Maple Street Bridge or renovating a dilapidated house – and they are deeply rooted in this place as the landscape continually threatens to change. Something important is at risk of being lost.

Tags:   Community · Identity Crisis · Political Surprise · Sustainable Development12 Comments

People want to know, “Where did you come up with the ‘Shrinking Violets’?” Strangely, it was a T-shirt that inspired the name. From the insignia on an old NOW shirt we built an organization full of creative and enthusiastic people. Today we have launched our very own Violet’s Tee.

After all, Spokane is a T-shirt kind of town. Whether they are vintage Bloomsday Tees or modern and funny, Spokane likes to wear things on its sleeve. The Violet’s Tee isn’t just any old shirt, however. These puppies were hand printed on organic cotton and bamboo by our friends over at Blue Button Apparel. From the designer:

It begins with a quest for community, grit and optimism. We arrived through friends, through Facebook, through artsy events and accidental encounters. We were weary and restless. Talented and troubled. What we found was brilliant, a destiny manifest. This is OUR city and it is beautiful. Cheers to our hometown, our heart town, and to the lovely ladies (and lady lovers) of Spokane, Washington.

A limited number of these commemorative Violet Tees will be sold at the Shrinking Violets Birthday Bash this Saturday, and additional orders can be taken at that time. See you at Silver Auctions!

Tags:   Creative Culture · Local Fashion · Spokane PrideNo Comments.

Just one year ago a handful of Spovangelites cemented my resolve to start a (mostly) young women’s group called the Spokane Shrinking Violet Society. It is startling what has grown in its place since that time. Hundreds of participants, dozens of lifelong friendships, and nearly 80 events later, we have firmly established what we set out to create: a micro-community, a social co-op, a whatever YOU want it to be, fill-in-the-blank here.

We’ve pumped thousands of dollars back into Spokane’s own local economy, preferencing businesses with sustainable and socially responsible practices. We swapped closets, made our own deodorant, and helped to inspire and support new community groups. We even went on a retreat and drafted a mission statement:

The Shrinking Violet Society is a dynamic social co-op of fresh-minded individuals sustaining creative endeavors. We are dedicated to:

• Promoting Localism
• Building Intentional Friendships
• Affirming Sass & Independence
• Nurturing Artistic Abundance
• Circulating Our Passion

At its core, the Shrinking Violets are a group of people learning to genuinely trust and value each other. Slowing down and taking time to be accountable and present with anyone who seeks out their company. In our crazy-making world this is often easier said than done. But something about the resolve of this group makes it possible. There are no committees, no obligations, and no structure that binds the organization together. It is simply a longing for a functional community in which to contribute and become enriched.

You are invited to celebrate this venture with the Shrinking Violets at our first annual Birthday Bash. Tickets can be purchased online and RSVPs can be made here and on Facebook. Think of it as Spokane’s own Ladyfest.

The event will feature an art show, local vendor fair with over 30 businesses, nonprofits and artisans represented, live entertainment, free child care and delicious home made cupcakes, all in the funky warehouse space at Silver Auctions. We hope you will be able to join us for this special occasion!

Tags:   Community · Local Art · Local Fashion · Local Music · Non-Profits · Spokane Pride · Sustainable Development · Young People4 Comments

The first recorded gathering of voters in America took place in Dorchester, MA in 1633.  The gist of this was that the townsmen agreed to meet at regular intervals to see to the “good and well ordering of the affairs of the Plantation.”

While Spokane is a ways away from the plantation model, the function remains in town hall meetings that provide citizens a way to speak with their representatives directly. Spokane has been notorious for rolling out the contentious carpet when its political talent comes home to listen. Town halls in the 509 have had a particularly bad case of the usual suspects showing up to ensure their pleas are heard. I think it’s high time for everyday Spokanites to pipe up and represent whatever it is that they may believe in!

6th District Senator, Chris Marr
Cartoon compliments of the Fuse 2008 Sizzle Awards.
(You can check out the 2009 Sizzles here.)

Feeling inspired? You have not one, but two opportunities to speak with Senator Chris Marr this Saturday, February 20th. According to Chris, “This will be a critical time as the Legislature will be just three weeks from its scheduled adjournment. Lawmakers will be on the cusp of making many critical decisions. We need to hear from you before we do so.”

First Town Hall, 10am-12pm
Northwood Middle School, 13120 N. Pittsburg St.

Second Town Hall, 2pm-4pm
Hamblen Elementary School, 2121 E. Thurston Ave.

Got somethin’ to say? Marr is layin’ the law of the land, and you can help! Tops on the agenda are whether or not to seek alternative revenue sources to lessen the impact of deep cuts to state and social services, and what this might look like. One idea among many is to rescind the state sales tax exemption for out of state shoppers to the tune of $33 million in new revenue a year. What are your preferred ideas for grappling with the state’s budget deficit?

Tags:   Political Surprise · Social Observations4 Comments

No matter how public or private the writer, blogging  is a fundamentally social activity. Many of our most popular posting ideas come directly from you, the reader, and that is one reason why the Spovangelist is now on Facebook.

With the new layout, navigating to your favorite pages can be a bit of a hassle. One strategy to bypass the distraction is to bookmark me here:

http://www.facebook.com/thespovangelist

Design by Gaia Borgias Brown

As a (currently) lone blogger who works (nearly) full time, I often suffer from “blogstapation” – the inability to publish articles in a timely fashion. For every hundred posts out there on the internet, another hundred sit stacking up in my drafts que.

To alleviate this problem, I’ll be using the Spovangelist Facebook page as an informal beta testing ground. This just means I’ll be posting links to topics of potential interest and will gauge the response. If there are a lot of “likes” and comments, a blog post will follow. If there isn’t much activity, the topic will remain undrafted for good. Who knew Facebook could function as a laxative?

Conversely, I’ll use the Facebook page to remind fans to visit the “real” website with little addendums to published posts.  Right now it is at 676 fans and counting, needless to say I don’t have that many email subscribers. Unlike the vast majority of pages, the Spovangelist default view is set to display your links, uploads and comments in hopes that the page will become a true community forum.

Happy Facebooking!

Tags:   Community · Experimentation · Local Media · Social ObservationsNo Comments.

Recession be damned. Young entrepreneurs in Spokane are taking the opportunity to switch gears, plan smart, and open up the small businesses they’ve always dreamed of running.  And why not? Retail space is plentiful and relatively affordable in downtown Spokane, offering a variety of price points that make starting a new business a bit less risky of an adventure.

You’ve probably heard that Spokane has weathered the economic downturn relatively well. Partly because we never had that much hot air to loose in the first place, and partly because of our relatively diversified economic base.

We’ve noticed more and more twenty-somethings returning home after getting priced out of the larger cities they stayed in after college. This is a great opportunity for our community to “capture” these people for good so Spokane can come out swinging as the economy eventually recovers.

Increasingly, people will be moving to Spokane because it is the ideal place to live the kind of lifestyle they want to live, as opposed to just a cheap place to tide over the economic storm. Spokane will offer an atmosphere where people can launch new careers instead of just taking the first “easy” bread and butter gig that comes their way. Just. You. Wait.

The first of two new stores I’ve been thrilled to discover over the past few weeks is Fringe and Fray. It is like Spokane’s very own mini upscale Buffalo Exchange, without the grunginess and holier-than-thou hipster attitudes. This elegant little store features men’s clothing as well as women’s, which is unique among independent boutiques in our town. Aside from the great mix of vintage and modern styles, accessories, footwear, denim, jewelry, jackets and more, the prices are unbeatable. I expect that they may eventually go up a bit as the store tests what our market will bear, so go in now (1325 W 1st Ave, Suite 102) for affordable duds you won’t believe.

Second hand is not only the economical thing to do, it is environmentally friendly as well. While much of what is in the store currently comes from the owners’ personal collections, they offer in store credit for high quality items that fit their aesthetic. Seller be aware, they do not offer a donation service for items they decide not to take, so be prepared to pack/bike out some of what you bring in.

If buying second hand clothing could be likened to preserving foods so you can enjoy them longer, then buying fabric to make something yourself is like buying in bulk. Don’t know how to make dresses and hand bags and don’t want to take the time to learn? No problem, owner Ari has dozens of handmade options for your purchasing pleasure, and will do custom orders as well.

Buttercuppity was online well before they opened their storefront in Steamplant Square (159 S. Lincoln, Suite 165), and appear to have a strong local following. Going into the store to gaze at all the beautiful bright patterns is enough to cure anyone’s seasonal affective disorder. I’m impressed by the personable outreach efforts of this small business, and am looking forward to sewing projects yet to come!

• Fringe and Fray on Facebook – They actually post special deals here!
• Buttercuppity on Facebook – Great sense of humor.

Tags:   Creative Culture · Local Fashion · Pretty Things · Sustainable Development · Young People4 Comments

Spokane is beautiful, don’t you ever forget it.

Can you name every mural in this video? Do you recognize all the different neighborhoods? I love how uniquely Spokane this is, yet the pavilion and clock tower are nowhere in sight.

How cool is it that this band held their last CD release party at a grange out in Colville? I want to go!

• Spokane “The Band”
• Ghost Mice by The Finger
• Riverfront Park by Ajax Starglider

Tags:   Local Music · Pretty Things · Videos6 Comments