Grant makes return to TV in Wyoming
Tom Grant is now the news anchor at KTWO-TV in Casper, Wyo. That’s a surprising place to find this former KREM-2 reporter, KXLY-4 reporter, KAYU-28 reporter, Local Planet writer and Spokane mayoral candidate.
Surprising, because earlier this summer, Grant tentatively accepted a job to teach journalism and communications at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pa.
However, fate intervened in the form of Ava Becks, a former KXLY reporter-editor-producer, who now works as the news director at KTWO. She offered Grant a job in Wyoming.
“I prefer doing news to teaching news,” Grant said by phone from Casper. “Also, in Pennsylvania, it was only a one-year contract. This is a long-term contract.”
Grant anchors the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. news for this statewide news operation.
Becks was a candidate for Spokane City Council in 2003 and a political ally of Grant. Grant lost the mayoral race by fewer than 3,000 votes.
An arts confab
Keep an eye out for 700-plus arts executives, performers and artists in Spokane this week.
Beginning Tuesday, the Western Arts Alliance holds its annual booking conference at the Spokane Center.
“The WAA conference is really a marketplace for performance, where artists or their managers gather to do business with presenting organizations, such as universitities, local arts agencies, municipal auditoriums, etc.,” said Tom Iovanne, the alliance president, in a press release.
Gunther Schuller, Pulitzer Prize-winner, MacArthur “Genius” Grant winner and artistic director of Spokane’s Northwest Bach Festival, will deliver the keynote speech on Wednesday afternoon. There will also be 80 showcase performances, mostly for conference delegates.
Some of the performers, such as fiddler Natalie MacMaster, will also perform for the public while they’re in town. She’ll play a concert Friday at The Met, with tickets available through TicketsWest outlets (325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).
Arts cuts
The Spokane Arts Commission has announced a list of cutbacks to its programs, due to the fact that it is losing all but one position (that of director Karen Mobley) in the city’s recently announced budget cuts.
Programs to be eliminated include:
• The Find Art Campaign, which consists of the www.spokanearts.org Web site and publications.
• The print newsletter (the e-mail newsletter will continue).
• The Visual Arts Tour, the last of which will take place in October.
• Season Preview, the annual lineup of info booths at the Spokane Symphony’s Labor Day concert at Comstock Park.
• Raw Space, a community exhibit in conjunction with the winter Visual Arts Tour.
• Sponsorship of downtown murals.
• Art in the Airport and other exhibitions.
Are they gone for good? Well, other community organizations could step in and take them over. Call Mobley at 625-6050 if you want to help.
Congressional debate
KAYU-28 will host a debate between three U.S. Congressional candidates – Don Barbieri (D), Cathy McMorris (R) and Shaun Cross (R) – tonight at 6:30.
The broadcast will be repeated next Sunday at 10 p.m.
‘Health Matters’
Speaking of public service shows, KSPS-7 will present “Health Matters: Is My Child Learning Disabled?” on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Host Steve Becker and a panel of experts will answer phoned-in questions about this complicated subject.
The Piano Guy
Scott “The Piano Guy” Houston is coming to Spokane to give a live workshop at the KSPS-7 studios on Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m.
You might already be familiar with him from his PBS shows in which he promises to teach people to play the piano in three-and-a-half hours.
To register, or for more information, call 354-7800, ext. 7726.
Comstock reminder
Just a quick reminder about the big musical event on Monday: The Spokane Symphony’s free Labor Day concert, 6 p.m., Comstock Park on the South Hill. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and a picnic.