Nethercutt room dedicated at Gonzaga
Two names that are linked in Spokane’s political history – Nethercutt and Foley – were linked for scholars at a ceremony Tuesday at the Gonzaga University library.
The George R. Nethercutt Jr. Reading Room was dedicated in GU’s Ralph and Helen Higgins Foley Center, along with some 200 boxes of papers, documents and other mementoes from the former congressman’s 10 years in the House of Representatives.
Nethercutt, a Spokane lawyer, made history in 1994 when he upset Speaker of the House Tom Foley, the son of Ralph and Helen Foley. Nethercutt’s victory was seen as a bellwether of the Republican revolution that took over Congress that year.
Nethercutt served five more terms in the House before running unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2004; Tom Foley went on to serve as ambassador to Japan under the Clinton administration. Nethercutt donated his congressional papers to Gonzaga, his law school alma mater, in 2006, saying he hoped scholars and the public would find things of interest in them.
Veterans cemetery land turned over
The Washington state Board of Natural Resources turned over 80 acres of land southwest of Spokane to the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs for a veterans cemetery.
The Common School Trust land, valued at $270,000, one mile north of West Medical Lake on Espanola Road, will be used to fulfill a dream of area veterans to place a cemetery in Eastern Washington.
Earlier this year, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the legislation for the cemetery, which was approved in the last legislative session.
“We are happy it’s coming,” said Dick Hazelmyer, commander of VFW Post 51 in Spokane. “We’ve been working long years for this.”
The federal government will pay most of the $7.8 million cost of creating the cemetery, while the state will pay for operation and maintenance.
Groundbreaking is expected on Veterans Day 2008, and the cemetery is expected to be open a year later.
– Staff reports
Spokane
Spokane school chief will host chat today
Spokane Public Schools Superintendent Nancy Stowell will host her monthly online chat from noon to 1 p.m. today.
The public is invited to submit questions for the superintendent of Eastern Washington’s largest school district by visiting the district’s Web site at www.spokaneschools.org and clicking on “Chat with the Superintendent.”
Transcripts from previous chats – held the first Wednesday of each month – are available on the Web site.
– Sara Leaming