‘Terabyte Triangle’ Aims For High-Speed Internet Access

Downtown Spokane is getting wired for the future.

Last September, the Fernwell Building became the first site in the downtown core to install high-speed Internet access with the goal of attracting software companies as tenants.

The plan to make downtown Spokane into a miniature Silicon Valley - labeled the “Terabyte Triangle”- was conceived by Steve Simmons, co-director of the software engineering laboratory at the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute (SIRTI).

Simmons and Lyle Anderson, SIRTI’s executive director, will answer questions about the “Terabyte Triangle” at the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly membership meeting. The meeting begins at 7:30 a.m. Friday at the Shilo Inn, 923 E. Third. For information, call 459-4111.

In other events this week:

Today

The Spokane Area Business Information Center is offering free classes by the Bremerton Electronic Commerce Resource Center on “Doing Business on the Internet.” Continuing Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information, call 353-2800.

U.S. congressional hearings begin on a bill to resolve who can and can’t join a credit union.

Tuesday

S.I. Ko, recipient of the Korean Presidential Award for Outstanding Business Practices and Kaiser Aluminum’s distributer in Korea, leads a discussion on the Korean financial situation and the potential for future business. The meeting will be held from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at SIRTI, 665 N. Riverpoint Drive. Call (509) 777-4279 to register.

The U.S. Labor Department releases fourth-quarter productivity totals.

Wednesday

The 28th Western Dairy Conference will be held through Friday at the Bay Resort in Silverdale Wash. The educational dairy program provides a forum for producers and processors. For information, call Debbie Becker (360) 412-0875.

Deadline for applying for the Leadership Spokane Class of 1999 is 4 p.m. at the Spokane Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call Judith at 459-4110.

The Washington Council on International Trade holds its general membership meeting and banquet at the Westin Hotel in Seattle and celebrates its 25th anniversary. The Economist magazine editor Bill Emmott will speak. Cost is $70 per person or $1,000 for corporate tables of 10. Call (206) 443-3826.

The Spokane County Association of Wheat Growers meets at 7 p.m. in St. John’s Hardware in Fairfield. Guest speaker is Washington State University Ag Economist Gayle Willette.

Boeing delivers its first two 767 AWACS planes to Japan.

Thursday

The U.S. Commerce Department releases retail sales results for February and trade figures for the fourth quarter.

Friday

The U.S. Commerce Department releases business inventories for January.

The U.S. Labor Department releases producer prices for February.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Measuring the Economy - Total employment

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ON THE SHELF Better Investing, February issue: The magazine explores “The Challenges and Rewards of Small-Cap Stocks” in a special report which concludes that “common sense analysis is worth its weight in gold.”

Favorite pastimes Videos remain a mainstay among leisure time pursuits of Americans, according to a 1997 study by VSM/Chilton Research Services. The totals reflect the percentage of all consumers in the last 30 days: 1. Rented a video - 49 percent. 2. Purchased a book - 41 percent. 3. (tie) Purchased music - 40 percent. 3. (tie) Saw a movie in a theater - 40 percent. 5. Purchased a video - 26 percent. 6. Attended a sporting event 23 percent. 7. Visited an amusement park 17 percent. 8. Logged on to online service - 15 percent.