Hall Of Fame Settles Into Home At Arena

The Inland Northwest Hall of Fame officially moves into its new digs at the Spokane Arena today.

Six new members will place their memorabilia in the southwest corner cubicles at the Arena followed by a luncheon at the Ridpath Hotel.

The class of 1995 includes:

Olympic gold medalist rifle shooter Launi Meili of Cheney and Whitworth College and St. Louis Cardinals pitching standout Ray Washburn of Burbank, Wash.

High school basketball and football coaches Elmer Jordan of Coeur d’Alene and Gene Smith of Reardan.

University of Idaho football and basketball broadcaster Bob Curtis of Garfield, Wash., and basketball coach, college administrator and softball standout Hank Coplen of Spokane.

In addition, boxing coach Tom Lefebvre and the late Gus Bouten, local contractor and three-time owner of Spokane hockey teams, will be added to the Scroll of Honor.

Induction ceremonies, open to the public, begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Arena. A no-host reception and noon luncheon will follow at the Ridpath.

Hall of Fame chairman Jon Heimbigner of the sponsoring Greater Spokane Sports Association said memorabilia has been cleaned and restored for the move.

The 32-year-old Hall of Fame was previously housed at the Coliseum. Heimbigner said Rosauers Employee Owned Supermarkets and the Spokane Facilities District funded the construction of the new Hall of Fame.

The Hall has 98 members and 24 on the Scroll of Honor.

, DataTimes