Navy Week anchors in Spokane

Break out the hornpipes and trim the mizzenmast. It’s Navy Week in Spokane.

While that doesn’t mean a battleship or a nuclear submarine is going to be cruising up the river, the U.S. Navy will have a bigger presence in Spokane than usual. Along with the Blue Angels, which will fly at Fairchild Air Force Base’s Skyfest this weekend, Spokane will also see appearances by the commander of the Navy’s Northwest region, the Navy Band Northwest and a sailor who was a finalist on “American Idol.”

Navy Week isn’t a set period on the calendar each year. Rather, it’s a time the service selects to raise its profile in communities that don’t normally have a big Navy presence. The Blue Angels’ appearance at Skyfest led to the declaration of a Navy Week locally.

Rear Adm. James Symonds, the region commander, will make the rounds at various civic and business organizations to talk about where the Navy strategy fits into the effort to make the world a safer place. He’ll tour the Washington State University-Spokane Applied Sciences Lab this afternoon, throw out the first pitch at the Indians game tonight, get a proclamation from Mayor Mary Verner Thursday and meet new recruits Friday.

Musician 3rd Class Phil Stacey, a sailor perhaps better known as an “American Idol contestant,” will visit children at local hospitals.

The Navy Band Northwest will play a free concert tonight at 6 p.m. outside Avista Stadium for fans arriving for the game. They have another concert from 10:30 a.m. to noon Thursday in Riverfront Park. The park concert was originally scheduled to coincide with a flyover by the Blue Angels as they arrived at Fairchild, but the aerial team’s schedule changed to come in today. As a result, the concert couldn’t be rescheduled and special permission for a flyover couldn’t be obtained from the Secretary of the Navy.

The aerial team scheduled VIP rides today for what the Navy calls “centers of influence.” The designated VIPs include WSU President Elson Floyd, University of Montana President George Dennison and Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few. The team also is scheduled to practice Friday afternoon.