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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

From Main Street To Mean Street

By day, Spokane’s East Sprague neighborhood shows flashes of its exuberant youth.

Bargain hunters converge on the once-thriving avenue, looking for antiques, handmade sausage or a reliable used Ford.

On Sundays, the pews at St. Ann’s Catholic Church still fill. Afterward, the descendants of Italian immigrants linger to trade gossip - repeating their grandparents’ ritual.

When night falls, the isolated neighborhood - sandwiched between Interstate 90 and the railroad tracks, downtown and the Valley - is eerily transformed.

Elderly residents and families are chased indoors by drug peddlers, prostitutes and a motorized parade of their customers.

Now, there’s something even more sinister to fear. A serial killer who preys on prostitutes has turned East Sprague into a hunting ground.

Despite these threats, signs of a revival are brewing. Residents fed up with crime are demanding the city clean up the area.

Read about the neighborhood’s history and its struggle in “Shadow over Sprague,” a special six-page report that begins on page A-19.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color Photos

MEMO: See Special Section, “Shadow over Sprague”

See Special Section, “Shadow over Sprague”