Mabel and Charlie Mitson, the last couple featured in the "War Bonds: Love Stories from the Greatest Generation," by Cindy Hval, both died in June, 18 days apart.
While organizers were planning a world's fair in the early 1970s, boosters were also pitching the idea of a natural downtown playground that would be left in its wake. That idea became Riverfront Park.
The PeopleforBikes ranking of cities' bicycle systems placed Spokane at 37th, noting the city had some ground to make up to ensure riders in all areas of the city had equal access to transit options. That's the goal of the city's amendments to its Master Bike Plan, which are currently open for comments and should come before the Spokane City Council by the end of the summer.
The organizers behind Referendum 90, which would repeal Washington's new sex education law, set a record in gathering signatures, collecting 264,637 with an all-volunteer effort in 90 days during a statewide shutdown sparked by a pandemic.
The unanimous Spokane City Council rejection of the contract proposed with the Police Guild was a victory for police accountability and for democracy itself.
Most of us prefer wearing our layers of mental or metaphorical masks. It may be even more tempting to do so as we wear literal masks to protect ourselves from the coronavirus. But unmasking leads to real spiritual growth.
While the city has a long list of transportation visions, ideas and plans it hopes to pursue, the Six Year Comprehensive Street Program is where projects go when the city intends to see them through and has at least some of the funding in hand to make that happen.
The virus threatening the health of the population is also threatening the health care system. In Spokane – where a large part of our population relies on government health insurance and a large part of our workforce is employed in health care – that means a lot of added pressure on hospitals that have already been losing money.
When the Legislature is in session, Olympia is often the state’s primary location for people to peaceably assemble – mostly – for redress of grievances. Even with the honorable lawmakers at home, the nationwide demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers brings out the local protesters.
Most of us understand that the coronavirus presents a health crisis, an economic crisis and a social crisis. But for those at the bottom of the economic scale, it could also turn into a legal crisis.
When the touchiest issue in American politics burst into literal flames after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Kitara Johnson could not stand by either. She is the mother of five, a U.S. Army veteran – and the catalyst for a Declare Yourself night on Tuesday, giving young people a microphone and an opportunity for their voices to be heard.
