In Brief

by Cara Gardner


Coffee Talk -- SPOKANE -- According to the Department of Health, the average person sees about 2,000 media images a day. That statistic got Mike Beegle, a 2001 Chase Youth Scholar, thinking. Beegle, who now attends the Loyola Marymount School of Film and Television in Los Angeles, decided to create media about media. He's on a mission to get people to think critically about the impact of media on our lives.


"My whole belief is that getting people to be aware of the media needs to come through consumer responsibility, not media responsibility," Beegle says, explaining that because we live in a media-saturated world, we need an ongoing dialogue about the meaning behind images and advertising.


In addition to making World of Accessories, Defining Beauty along with another documentary, The Heisenberg Project, Beegle has visited several area high schools to discuss media literacy with students. Now he's organizing three coffee shop forums for the public to discuss some of the ideas from his films.


"It's not until the community is talking and being involved that anything can be done," Beegle says.





The first forum is on Tuesday, June 15, at the Spike Coffeehouse (122 S. Monroe St.) from 7-9 pm; the second is on Wednesday, June 16, at the Rocket (726 E. 43rd Ave.), from 7-9 pm; the final forum is on Thursday, June 17, at the Shop (924 S. Perry St.), from 3:30-5:30 pm. The events are free and open to the public.





Pedal for Patients -- SPOKANE -- When Larry Halverson's fianc & eacute;e died from breast cancer when she was 26, he decided to honor her by helping other cancer patients in the Inland Northwest. He founded the Loreen Miller Memorial Bike Ride, now in its 11th year. The event, which will take place this Sunday, June 13, generates money to help cancer patients afford prescriptions, groceries, transportation and other living expenses.


"All proceeds go toward cancer patients in the Inland Northwest," says Heidi Cook, executive director for Cancer Patient Care, which sponsors the bike ride. The event features rides of 12, 35 and 65 miles as options. Though the early registration deadline has passed, tickets for the ride are still available. Ride participants will get T-shirts, a barbecue lunch and enjoy family entertainment throughout the day. On Saturday evening, June 12, Cancer Patient Care will host a carbo-load dinner at Mount Spokane High School with celebrity guest Frankie Andreu, who holds the record for racing in the Tour de France nine consecutive years.


"In his 12-year professional racing career, he was the U.S. Postal Service team race director for a couple of years," Cook says. Andreu will present a slide show of his experiences in the Tour de France and talk about the world of professional cycling.





Tickets for the Loreen Miller Memorial Bike Ride are $45; the carbo-load dinner is $30 for one or $50 for two; barbecue lunch tickets without the bike ride are $12. All tickets can be purchased at the door, at the Cancer Patient Care center (1507 E. Sprague Ave.; 456-0446) or online at www.cancerpatientcare.org.





Cleansing Waters -- OLYMPIA, Wash. -- About 700 of Washington state's lakes, rivers and streams are polluted, according to standards set by the federal Clean Water Act. The Department of Ecology has cleanup plans for about 270 of those waters and wants the public to help determine which bodies of water should be cleaned up first.


"There are about 10 projects being considered," says Ron McBride, water cleanup coordinator for Ecology. "[In Central and Eastern Washington] they include: the Selah Ditch, the Upper Yakima River, the Palouse River and Newman Lake."


Ecology says further studies are required on some of these waters before cleanup can begin.


"We're going through some resource issues," says McBride, regarding why more bodies of water cannot be included. "We're proposing to start [cleanups] in our next fiscal year, which begins in July."


McBride has only received a few comments from the public so far. All comments must be received by June 24.


"If they want to suggest some other water body, that's fine too," McBride says.





Public comments regarding Ecology's list of impaired waters and their cleanup plans should be directed to [email protected]. Call (360) 407-6469 or fax (360) 407-6426.





Publication date: 06/10/04