Being one of the younger folks in the newsroom had its perks last week as I helped our business reporter locate those mosquito boxes in downtown Spokane. Since he’s 50+, my young ears could detect the whining noises. I took photos of the boxes so you know what you’re looking for.

They’re located at:

  • Wall and Sprague near Domini’s
  • Post and Sprague near Whitestone Winery
  • Howard and Sprague near Downtown Grocery, Modern Apothecary and Pistole

Read Tom Sowa’s story “Frustrated by loitering crowds, building owners turn to technology”. And you can hear the audio for yourself and test your ears. 

I quit my job and ran away to St. Louis with my man. I didn’t know much about the city except what I’ve heard. It’s the home of the Cardinals, Scott Joplin, Chuck Berry, toasted raviloi and the bastard child of pizza.

It has one hell of a view. The top of the gateway arches about 630 feet in the air through a caustrophobic tram.

We pressed together in a pod with a couple from Denmark who have been married for 41 years. Not only that, they’ve got every Canadian province and American state under their belt. I can only count twelve states I’ve visited. I’ve got a long way to go.

A documentary took a gamble in the 60s to tape the engineering marvel that is the arches. Its tight shots of working men and pounding hammers won itself an Academy Award.You can watch “Monument to a Dream” before you make the trek up the steel structure.

Its timely music by Robert Wykes was plucked from local talents. At the time, he was a music professor at Washington University in the Clayton neighborhood which is like the U-District of Seattle mixed with Capital Hill.

“I don’t suppose you’ve seen any turkeys running around?” I asked a panhandler earlier this month while on the search for a downtown Spokane turkey. Downtown Spokane | KXLY We drove by the statue hoping to spot the majestic bird perched on top of Lincoln’s hatless head, but alas the turkey was missing. We then asked a nearby panhandler if he had seen the turkey. He confirmed the spotting and said the bird went that way. While on Saturday’s Flickr Reunion Photoroll, we ran into the same panhandler. He was pushing around his shopping cart. I didn’t get his name, but he was telling us how to photograph a comedian. I immediately recognized him and asked him about the turkey. He said there were some street kids terrorizing the turkey, but a parking enforcement guy chased them off yelling at them to leave the turkey alone. The man said the turkey looked hungry, so he gave her a doughnut. That’s when I showed up and asked, “I don’t suppose you’ve seen any turkeys running around?” He gave me a sleepy look and said, “Yup. That way,” pointing toward the Spokane River.
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“I don’t suppose you’ve seen any turkeys running around?” I asked a panhandler earlier this month while on the search for a downtown Spokane turkey.

Downtown Spokane | KXLY

We drove by the statue hoping to spot the majestic bird perched on top of Lincoln’s hatless head, but alas the turkey was missing. We then asked a nearby panhandler if he had seen the turkey. He confirmed the spotting and said the bird went that way.

While on Saturday’s Flickr Reunion Photoroll, we ran into the same panhandler. He was pushing around his shopping cart. I didn’t get his name, but he was telling us how to photograph a comedian.

I immediately recognized him and asked him about the turkey.

He said there were some street kids terrorizing the turkey, but a parking enforcement guy chased them off yelling at them to leave the turkey alone.

The man said the turkey looked hungry, so he gave her a doughnut. That’s when I showed up and asked, “I don’t suppose you’ve seen any turkeys running around?”

He gave me a sleepy look and said, “Yup. That way,” pointing toward the Spokane River.

Dead Body Disrupts Fly Fishing Adventure

We’ve heard stories of unsuspecting fisherman finding quality catches in the Spokane River, but there’s a strange cultural stigma against fishing in the river especially in the core area around downtown Spokane.

That’s when we read in a recent press release from Spokane Police concerning a completely different subject.

Crews Recover Body From Spokane Riverbank | KXLY

A fly fisherman spotted a below the Spokane Club along the south bank of the river below the Monroe Street Bridge at 3 p.m. Police officers were able to get within a short distance of where the fisherman saw the person and confirmed it was a body.

Fly fishing? Below the Spokane Club? Is this a thing? 

It’s too bad their A River Runs Through It moment was disrupted by a dead body.

Councilman Test Drives “Hell No” On Unsuspecting Reporter

Downtown Spokane | KXLY

All attending members of Spokane City Council voted no on the resolution that would approve Brad Thoma’s settlement against the City of Spokane and Anne Kirkpatrick. It was confirmed on city council’s agenda this afternoon after much confusion and controversy.

I found Council Councilman Mike Fagan chatting up George McGrath out in the lobby where he gave me a few minutes to talk about tonight’s meeting and how he plans to vote.

In a brief moment he said he couldn’t speak for others but he planned to say not only no, but “HELL NO!” 

He confided saying he wasn’t sure if he was going to say that on TV. 

As the meeting went on, I wondered if he would actually say that. The mood felt right, so why not? And he did. The tiny crowd went wild. I threw a fist pump only because I knew it would make for great TV. 

After the meeting, I asked Fagan: “Did you test that “HELL NO” out on me in the lobby?” He smirked and said maybe, calling our moment a dry-run. 

He only did it because Councilman Steve Salvatori also said hell. 

I get the feeling this will be a similar pattern for the next two years of city council meetings for me. 

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