Waterford folks help GIs call home
Residents and employees of a Spokane retirement community are making it a little easier for service men and women overseas to call home during the holidays.
Representatives of the Waterford on South Hill donated more than $1,000 to the Family Support Center at Fairchild Air Force Base during a ceremony at the center on Tuesday. The gift will be used to purchase phone cards for deployed Fairchild personnel.
“All the people living at the Waterford have experienced war in one way or another, and we were anxious to do something to help our men and women in Iraq,” said Martha Lu Butler, a Waterford resident who came up with the idea for the early Veterans Day gift.
Many of the 500 people who live or work at the Waterford are either veterans themselves or have had loved ones who served in the military, according to a statement from the donors, several of whom attended Tuesday’s ceremony on the base.
Jeff Blair, Waterford executive director presented the check for $1,035 to Chief Master Sgt. Mark Luzader, 92nd Air Refueling Wing command chief, on Tuesday afternoon.
“Our residents represent a generation who understand the sacrifices made by our military,” Blair said, adding that they continue to demonstrate “what it means to be leaders in our nation.”
He said their interest in getting involved in the “Call Home Campaign” inspired the Waterford staff to join in the fund-raising effort.
“Anything we can do to boost the morale of families missing one another, especially over the holidays, is a good thing,” Butler said.
Man arrested at airport with gun, knife
A man was arrested at the Spokane International Airport on Monday morning after he tried to pass through a security checkpoint with a gun, an illegal knife, methamphetamine, marijuana and two glass pipes.
Airport police officers arrested 49-year-old Corey D. Branch, who said he lives in Spangle.
Branch had checked two pieces of luggage and some of the drug items were in the bags, Spokane police spokesman Dick Cottam said in a press release. The weapons, including an illegal “butterfly” type knife, were found when he walked through the security checkpoint in Concourse C.
Branch was booked into the Spokane County Jail for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and on drug possession, Cottam said.
Fox to close Nov. 22 for renovations
The Fox Theater will shut down on Nov. 22 for long-awaited renovations, according to the Fox’s board of directors.
Preparation will begin soon and construction will begin early next year. This 1931 Art Deco theater will reopen in fall 2007 as a regional performing arts center and the new home of the Spokane Symphony.
Four days of “farewell” events will begin with a public open house and tours between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Nov. 19 and 20.
The Light Up the Fox Benefit Gala, featuring opera star Thomas Hampson, will take place on Nov. 21, 7 p.m., with tickets available through TicketsWest outlets (800) 325-SEAT or www.ticketswest.com.
The Lights Out closing ceremony, featuring Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, will take place at 11:30 a.m., Nov. 22. This will be the last public event before construction begins.
The Fox still has a long way to go before reaching its fund-raising goals. About $16 million of the $28 million cost has been raised. Fundraising will continue during construction, said Fox development director Betsy Godlewski.
High tea, fashion show tickets on sale
Corporate tables and individual tickets are available for Season of Style, a high tea and fashion show to be held 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mirabeau Park Hotel.
The fund-raiser will benefit Spokane Valley Community Center, which provides food, clothing and emergency assistance to low-income families living in Spokane Valley.
Tea, scones and gourmet finger foods will be served, and models will showcase holiday fashions. Tickets cost $27 each.
A gift gallery featuring items from 30 vendors and 15 nonprofits will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $2.
Mirabeau Park Hotel is located at 1100 N. Sullivan Road. For information, call 927-1153.
Venues switched for tonight’s concerts
Concertgoers tonight will have to adjust their itineraries.
Staind, originally scheduled to play at the Spokane Convention Center, will perform at the Big Easy Concert House, 919 W. Sprague Ave., at 7:30 p.m.
The Blues Traveler show scheduled for the Big Easy subsequently will move next door to The Met, 901 W. Sprague Ave., and will kick off at 8 p.m.
Bravo Entertainment, which booked both shows, was forced to shift the locations because of “certain production reasons,” marketing manager Molly King said. Bravo would not elaborate on what those reasons were.
“The Met is a fine establishment and being able to see a band like Staind in such an intimate venue like the Big Easy is a rare (and awesome) opportunity,” King said via e-mail.
All previously purchased tickets will be honored. As of Tuesday afternoon, about 200 tickets remained for the Staind concert, and Blues Traveler had a limited amount of tickets available through TicketsWest, (800) 325-SEAT or www.ticketswest.com.
Drilling in refuge topic for Colville discussion
Proposed oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will be the topic at a community discussion in Colville next week at the community college theater.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Scott Price, a biology instructor at the college, will talk about his trips to the Alaska refuge. Afterward, there will be a discussion about the pros and cons of opening up the wilderness for oil drilling. The event is organized by the Friends of the Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge, along with the WSU Learning Center and Institute for Extended Learning.
Admission is free. The Colville Community College is at 985 S. Elm St.