Father’s Day fete premature

Thank you for your article Sunday on the celebration that occurred in Spokane marking the 100th Father’s Day at the gravesite of Sonora Smart Dodd.

The citizens of Spokane will mark the centennial in 2010, 100 years from the first celebration here in 1910. Celebrating 2009 as the centennial seems a little like celebrating the bicentennial of this country in 1975 rather than 1976.

We regret that Mr. Bill Harrington and state Sen. James Kastama of Puyallup waited to notify a very few people in Spokane of their planned celebration until the Monday before their event. I take exception with their “wondering if Spokane has a hard time recognizing its own place in history.” Our differences come in knowing when to celebrate a 100th anniversary and when it’s a year early.

A committee is currently pulling together all of the pertinent historical information and interpretive sites for a proper 100th celebration of Sonora Smart Dodd and Spokane as the birthplace of Father’s Day in 2010. We know the citizens of Spokane will come on board next year and hope to create an event that will attract visitors from around the world.

Pam Scott

Communications manager,

Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau

Spokane