The Slice: Maybe a lovebug left it for her

WSU architecture student Marisa Hagney, home in Spokane for part of the summer, had gone for a run and was stretching in Lincoln Park.

“I looked down and this is what I found – a three-leaf clover with a heart in the center,” she said.

She thought this was appropriate, as a three-leaf clover is sometimes said to represent faith, hope and love.

Maybe it was the work of a romantic insect. In any case, Hagney was excited about her find.

“I must have looked like a fool running all the way home, arms in front, with the clover in one hand and iPod in the other.”

Spokesanimals: If you wanted to sell Spokane as a regional travel destination, who would you turn to?

For the folks at the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau, the answer was clear: marmots.

Two talking marmots, Stan and Benny, are the furry stars of new TV commercials promoting Spokane in places such as Seattle, Portland, Boise, Tri-Cities, Missoula and Canada. The spots were produced by Klundt Hosmer and Corner Booth Media, along with the CVB.

They’ll run through the first week in September.

To check them out, go to www.youtube.com/user/VisitSpokane.

Please stop acting shocked: More famous people seem to be dying because there has never been a time when there were so many quasi-celebrities.

Warm-up questions: What’s the secret to making a child’s first haircut go smoothly? Was lemonade-stand hygiene better decades ago than today?

Today’s Slice question: Do college professors who usually insist on being addressed as “doctor” change their tune when in the presence of physicians?