Campaign ‘97

Candidate Q and A

Should Spokane School District officials take different steps to stop smoking by students on campus? asked of candidates for the District 81 school board.

Don Barlow: “We certainly should take a look at the problem. I think stress has a lot to do with it because many students use smoking to cut down on that. We should get together with the community and discuss the issue.”

Joanne McCann: “They should be firmer. Otherwise it gives the kids a double message - that it’s against the law but we’ll let you get away with it. If you believe in something, you have to have the courage of your convictions.”

Something to talk about

The Washington Council for Fair Elections is a new group that wants to talk about how to clean up elections, improve political discussion and develop strategies for political reform. If you want to talk about that, too, you might want to mark your calendar to stop by the Spokane Public Library, at 906 W. Main, on Nov. 3, for the local version of the town meetings they are holding around the state … That’s the day before this year’s election, so they won’t be able to do anything about the problems we can expect to see in the next three weeks. But there are only 366 days until the next election, so it’s not too early to start.

Web site of the week

At the risk of engaging in shameless promotion, we’ll plug the newspaper’s home page, Virtually Northwest (www.VirtuallyNW.com), and its Election Central … That’s where voters can find the full transcript of the debate between Mayor Jack Geraghty and challenger John Talbott, which is reported elsewhere in today’s newspaper.

Catch the candidates

Tonight: Discussion of the Lincoln Street bridge project, sponsored by the Citizens League of Greater Spokane. 7 p.m., the Met. Broadcast Tuesday at noon on KPBX radio.

Tonight: Broadcast of the mayoral debate between John Talbott and Jack Geraghty at The SpokesmanReview. 10 p.m., TVW on Cable Channel 5.

Monday: Sheriff’s Lt. Jim Finke announces a campaign for Spokane County sheriff as a Democrat. Noon, courthouse steps.

Wednesday: Spokane City Council candidates at a Citizens League forum. 6 p.m., City Council Chambers, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Broadcast Thursday at noon on KPBX radio.

Friday: City Council candidates Phyllis Holmes and Steve Thompson, at the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce forum. 7:30 a.m., 1020 W. Riverside, $2 for breakfast.

Friday: Council candidates Judith Gilmore, Rob Higgins, Cherie Rodgers and Barbara Lampert on “Spokane This Week.” 8:30 p.m., KSPS-TV, Channel 7.

, DataTimes MEMO: Campaign ‘97, published Sundays during election season, is compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports. Information about debates or political forums can be mailed to P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; or faxed to (509)459-5482; or e-mailed to jimc@spokesman.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports