The Slice Fashion Hardly A Formality
Keith Hegg was wearing a suit when he went to pick up his daughter after her gymnastics class.
An 8-year-old girl at the studio saw him and said he looked like a president or a mayor. Hegg asked why. He was told it was because of the “tuxedo” he had on.
Hegg suggested this might be a statement about Spokane’s casual fashion sense. And he’s right. Based on what they see, some kids around here probably think anything fancier than a sweatshirt and a ballcap constitutes formal attire.
Readers’ nominees for the title “Least arrogant doctor in the Inland Northwest” include: Gary Noland, Timothy Gardner, Ward Chow, Walter Balek, Karen Higgins, Kevin Sweeny, Charlie Smick, Michael Parisot, Stephan King, Floyd McCaffree, Gilbert Smith, James Brasch, Jon Cutting, Laurie Bell, Robert Riggs, Michael Cunningham, Mariah Schimpf, William Tubbs, W.R. Leachman, Gene Grossmann, Mary Badger, Stacie Bering, Mike Kody, Gary Craig, Thomas Osten, Michael Kwasman, Steve Puffer, E. R. W. Fox, Tammy Ellingsen, Fred Viren, Timothy Lovell, Jim Bingham, Randy Cummins, Tom Koeske, Dean Hill, Susan Coffin and Nick Curalli.
Friendly whole-hand gesture: “Here in Odessa, we wave at all drivers of all cars, pickups, trucks, combines, et cetera,” wrote Laura Estes.
So we wonder. Is that true in all Inland Northwest small towns or just in places where they eat a lot of German sausage?
More favorite stores: Coeur d’Alene’s Gratia Griffith praised the Camera Corral.
Helen Rydell touted South Regal Lumber. And Ronda Dodge gave a thumbs-up to the Safeway at Evergreen and Sprague, partly because of the way that store’s employees treat her children.
Scenes from America: There are pictures of Rick and Lynn Parnell’s tractor all over the world. That’s because the Parnells, who live north of Spokane, have hosted many foreign exchange students over the years and all of them get their photograph taken while riding it.
Warm-up question suggested by a reader named Janet: What’s the most out-of-date bumper sticker you’ve seen lately? (She spotted a Gulf War sticker not long ago.)
Today’s Slice question (for parents): Where did your child throw a tantrum that you will never forget?
, DataTimes MEMO: The Slice appears Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098. Where should we direct a friend’s mom who wants to learn to play mah-jongg?