The Choices Come Down To This: High, Fly Balls Or High-Flying Planes

Fri., Aug. 18, 1995

Anne Windishar

You’ve got your pick between baseball and bombers this weekend. In fact, if you plan right, you can make both.

Gates open at 9 a.m. Saturday at Fairchild Air Force Base for Aerospace Day ‘95. The event, normally held once a year (and on a Sunday), attracts visitors from as far away as England who want to see the aerial demonstrations and static displays.

They won’t be disappointed this year.

The highlights include the Air Force Academy’s Wings of Blue parachute jump team and the demonstration team of an A-10, aka the Warthog.

Fairchild’s survival school’s UH-1 helicopter pilots will demonstrate para-drop and rescue operations.

Coast Guard fliers from North Bend will demonstrate a rescue operation with the HH-60 helicopter.

World War II warbirds such as the T-28 and the T-6 will provide a bit of nostalgia.

Some of the grounded planes are the F-117 Stealth Fighter, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, the B-52 Stratofortress and the KC-135 Stratotanker.

There’s more, and it’s free. Gates close at 5 p.m.

The Spokane Indians start an eightgame homestand tonight with “Sport” the Zany Mascot.

You may remember Sport as Philadelphia’s Philly Phanatic; he’s hit the road to fame, hoping to make a new name and lots of money.

He’s a big, bad, blue furball with a tendency toward pandemonium, so says his press info.

Here’s the line-up for the rest of the week. Saturday, NAPA Autocare Olympics; Sunday, Inland Empire Fire Prevention Night; Monday, no special promotion - just baseball; Tuesday, baseball bonanza night; Wednesday, baseball card night; Thursday, Let’s Make A Deal night; and Friday, 50-cent feast night.

All the games start at 7:05 p.m. except Sunday’s, which starts at 6:05 p.m. General admission tickets are $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for children, seniors and people with military identification; box seats are $5.50.

Want a pony?

The 13th Annual Wishing Star Gallop is Saturday at the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds, featuring a trade show, music and entertainment and a stallion services auction.

The trade show begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the entertainment - equestrian and otherwise - starting at 2 p.m. The auction begins at 5 p.m. with a stallion preview parade.

Proceeds go to the Wishing Star Foundation, which grants wishes to local children suffering from life-threatening diseases. Call 325-9803 for more information.

The return of the battle

The KidsWeek Battle of the Bands was rained out last week; it’s been rescheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday in the Clock Tower meadow in Riverfront Park.

Eight high school and junior high garage bands will compete for prizes and the people’s choice award. Should be noisy, at least.

Wear shoes

More than 15 artisans will show their works at Glass! Glass! Glass on the Grass! at Arbor Crest winery from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

It’s the second year for this specialized art show.

Glass works run from leaded, foiled, sandblasted, fused, casted, blown, painted and slumped. There’s no admission charge.

The winery is located at the Arbor Crest Cliff House, 4705 N. Fruithill Road.

Arts and crafts

Post Falls is holding its Festival of the Falls this weekend, with dozens of crafters, exhibits, food booths, art and kiddie rides.

It runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday in Falls Park.

Exhibitions and performances include: a tepee-raising ceremony by Calvin Nomee of the Flathead Tribe (9:30 a.m. Saturday); Die Dorfkapelle Oom-pah Band in the German beer garden (4 to 7 tonight); Owner/dog look-a-like contest (1:30 p.m. Saturday).

There’s more, of course, but that’s a sampling.

Notably, The Stories of Q’Emiln will be performed both nights at 7 p.m.

It’s a professional, original music production commissioned for the festival.

Plan ahead

Opera Buffs of Spokane, sponsored by Spokane Symphony Associates, presents a galaxy of new and rising stars from Uptown Opera’s September show, “The Tales of Hoffman.”

The cast will perform 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Rockwood Retirement Community Center.

It’s free to the public.

The American Association of Retired Persons is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Medicare with a ceremony from 10:30 am. to noon Wednesday at the Spokane Public Library.

Cake will be served and the future of Medicare will be discussed.

Everyone is welcome.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Getting out From the looks of the weather, there won’t be many weekends left to spend on the water so don’t waste a moment. There are plenty of ways of enjoying a day on the lake or river but for quiet moments, plan to paddle yourself. One of our favorite afternoon float trips is down the Little Spokane River. Put in your canoe or kayak just up the road from the State Fish Hatchery on Waikiki Road (take the turnoff to St. George school and watch for the sign to the put-in). You can take out either at the Indian rock paintings parking lot (allow about 1 hours to that point) or at the take-out near the confluence with the Spokane River (there are signs; allow about 3 hours to this take-out). Here’s a hint: be sure and leave a second vehicle at the take-out point so you have a way to drive back to the putin.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Getting out From the looks of the weather, there won’t be many weekends left to spend on the water so don’t waste a moment. There are plenty of ways of enjoying a day on the lake or river but for quiet moments, plan to paddle yourself. One of our favorite afternoon float trips is down the Little Spokane River. Put in your canoe or kayak just up the road from the State Fish Hatchery on Waikiki Road (take the turnoff to St. George school and watch for the sign to the put-in). You can take out either at the Indian rock paintings parking lot (allow about 1 hours to that point) or at the take-out near the confluence with the Spokane River (there are signs; allow about 3 hours to this take-out). Here’s a hint: be sure and leave a second vehicle at the take-out point so you have a way to drive back to the putin.