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The Slice: Darkness in the middle of town

We’re about a week away from the darkest day of the year.

So perhaps this is a good time to make a suggestion.

If you have trepidation about downtown Spokane and avoid this historic part of the city, maybe you ought to check it out early in the morning. That’s when I like it.

Come down. Take a walk. Look around. Have coffee.

There’s an energy, a sense of purpose. There are people on the move. People with places to go and things to do.

At this time of year, it’s dark when the city comes to life. Still, practically everybody gives off a “let’s do this” vibe.

Tenth floor office lights snap on. Fast-walking pedestrians tell someone on the phone that, no, they haven’t forgotten. And buses whoosh by, their eye-like headlights making them look like big benign bugs.

Then there’s the holiday vibe. Maybe without that, what I see each morning would just be a bunch of people trudging off to their jobs. It makes a difference.

Sure, there are vital scenes every day in other parts of town. There are all sorts of happenings that have nothing to do with the city center.

But I work downtown. It’s what I know.

I get to the newspaper after most of Spokane’s walking social problems have stumbled off to their dispirited lairs.

No, the predawn population doesn’t include concertgoers and couples on their way to a show or dinner. It’s just people heading to a bank or law office.

But they all have their stories, their own sets of worries and concerns.

And they aren’t likely to bother you.

A Slice rerun from 21 years ago: What would be the perfect New Year’s resolution for your fellow Inland Northwest residents?

The big problem with self-improvement is it tends to take a lot of work. On the other hand, suggesting ways other people might better themselves is easier and, frankly, a lot more fun.

Phone lines are open. Call now.

Warm-up question: You know the busts of local historic figures that adorn the S-R production building on the west side of Monroe? I’ll bet you have seen them. Well, has anyone ever tried to make snowpersons modeled after any of those community pioneers?

Today’s Slice question: Do you know some WSU people and GU people who really can’t stand each other because, well, you know?

Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Just because someone works for an unassailably good cause doesn’t mean that person can’t be a total tool.

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