While it has yet to reach the same level of mass hysteria wrought by “Hey Google, Pick Spokane”, another nationwide competition has taken hold in our town. This time the aim is to win $25,000 to support Unity in the Community, an annual celebration of diverse cultures and people in Spokane. For those of you [...]
Vote for Unity in the Community
August 10th, 2010 2 Comments
Tags: Breaking Boundaries · Community · Competition · Non-Profits · Spokane Pride · Videos
Power to the PCOs
August 9th, 2010 7 Comments
It is official. After a trip to the Spokane County Elections Office last week I am now registered as a write-in candidate for “PCO” in Precinct 3153. A “Precinct Committee Officer” is the lowest possible office anyone can run for – it is even more obscure than running for neighborhood council given that precincts are [...]
Tags: Competition · Political Surprise · Spokane Pride · Young People
Drive-Thru Stranglehold
June 16th, 2010 6 Comments
Everyone knows that “Video Killed the Radio Star,” but sometimes I wonder if all the drive-thru chains on 3rd are part of what is strangling a more vibrant food cart culture in Downtown Spokane. McDonald’s should change its slogan to “Killing Customers and the Competition since 1955.” At first it might seem a little lofty to [...]
Tags: Competition · Creative Culture · Local Food · Rants
U-District Retrospective
May 22nd, 2010 4 Comments
There is a lot of excitement over the new University District, but like a lot of things in this town it is kind of a kludge. As great as it would be there is no going back to create a longstanding Spokane State. Imagine what this place would be like if we could magically squeeze [...]
Tags: Competition · Nostalgia · Spokane Pride · Weird But True
Doomsday Hill Mural
May 2nd, 2010 1 Comment
I am a Bloomsday fanatic. Thanks to the strong sense of tradition and civic pride instilled in me by my mother, I have participated in Bloomsday every year of my life without exception. This year will be my 27th race, even though I’m only 26 years old. Figure that one out! Bloomsday spirit down in [...]
Tags: Community · Competition · Local Art · Spokane Pride · Sports Culture
Put a Lid On It
March 23rd, 2010 3 Comments
Our community communication outlets are all over this one. As you probably already know if you are reading RiverSpeak, the Arts Commission newsletter, Jon Snyder’s blog, or listening to KYRS, the City and the Art and Wastewater Departments have sponsored a design competition for people 18 and under that will resurface the way we look [...]
Tags: Competition · Identity Crisis · Local Art · Pretty Things · Young People
Hey Spokane, Fix the HotZone
March 22nd, 2010 11 Comments
It’s official, it’s a mania. What started as an earnest effort on behalf of the City and some key partners has finally hit the mass consciousness of everyday citizens in a mad dash to impress before Friday’s finish line. What is going on here? In case you live under a rock, Google is planning to [...]
Tags: Community · Competition · Identity Crisis · Spokane Pride · Sustainable Development · Videos
Seconds on Humble Pie
March 18th, 2010 2 Comments
I was surprised and honored to learn that I was voted Spokane’s 2nd best “Community Volunteer” today. It is a bit mind boggling since the title itself can mean a lot of different things to different people. It is always a gamble with the Best of categories. Some are here today gone tomorrow, others are [...]
Tags: Community · Competition · Local Art · Sports Culture
Prop. 4 Via Video
September 28th, 2009 13 Comments
There are so many layers and possible directions for talking about the Community Bill of Rights that no one forum can encompass all the opinions, points and perspectives that concerned citizens care to offer. The issues are so stirring that they have even begun to surface on other Spovangelist threads that have nothing to do [...]
Tags: Breaking Boundaries · Competition · Political Surprise · Videos
Where did we go wrong? *UNEDITED*
September 11th, 2009 28 Comments
You may remember this story from the Inlander. Some people were inspired by it. Others felt it was intellectual self-congratulation. While we are busy surviving the rigors of Sustainable September Spokane, we thought it might be fun to revisit the unedited version of the opening comments made by local environmental advocate Kitty Klitzke. “Kitty Ain’t [...]
Tags: Community · Competition · Identity Crisis · Sustainable Development