Bloglander

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Instead, the board produced a press release, titled “Press Release forJuly 18, 2013,” saying that “the details of Yvonne A.K. Johnson's departureare confidential and should remain so.” In fact, it goes even further, chidingJohnson for being openly sharing her concerns and opinions over her firing.

“We are saddened that Ms. Johnson has decided to air her grievances in apublic forum,” the release reads. It does not mention that at least three boardmembers have freely shared their grievances with the decision as well.

With the possibility of a legal battle looming — Johnson has retainedattorney Bob Dunn — more may come out eventually. But judging by historicalprecedent, there’s not much hope for more information. Instead, with rumor andspeculation unaddressed, plenty of questions remain:

1. Why was Yvonne A. K. Johnson fired as Executive Artistic Director?

2. Why was such short notice given for board members to vote on her firing?

3. Why were the votes firing Johnson collected over email instead of duringa board meeting?

4. Why did at least three board members say they didn’t know why they wereasked to make a decision on Johnson’s employment?

5. Who on the board voted to fire her?

6. Johnson claims she tallied 5 board members out of 10 that voted to keepher, and one who abstained. If she was wrong, who was she wrong about?

7. Board member Margot Ogden, an ardent supporter of Johnson, says she wasrecently made an “honorary board member,” which did not allow her a vote. Butshe says she asked to be reinstated, and then voted. Was her vote counted? 

8.  Board member Deena Caruso, an ardent supporter of Johnson, says she wastold Thursday couldn’t vote until she paid her dues. She says she paid her duesthe same day, and then voted. Was her vote counted?

9. Johnson and multiple board members say a decision had been made to find amediator to help Johnson and the board work through communication issues. A fewdays later, the board was asked whether she should be terminated. What happenedto the original plan?

10. Upon Johnson’s firing, Jim Ryan, a long-time critic of Johnson, wrotethat “this post was originally drafted for last Tuesday night, when we held acelebration at our home with some dear friends who have yearned for this day fora long time. (We planned it, under covert pretenses, to coincide with the boardmeeting at which she was supposed to be voted out.)” If she was supposed to havebeen fired on Tuesday, July 9, instead of Friday, July 12, what changed?

11. Did Ryan’s campaign against Johnson have any factor in her firing?

12. Did any of the other enemies Johnson made over the last 8.5 years haveanything to do with her firing?

13. Was there any financial or personal malfeasance on the part of Johnson alleged?

14. If the issues leading to her termination were serious enough to be ofcommunity concern, why hide them from the community?

15. If the issues leading to her termination were minor enough to not be ofcommunity concern, why terminate her position so suddenly?

16. Both Johnson and Ryan considered Civic Board President Larry Wooley to bea firm supporter of Johnson. Johnson says she invited Wooley over for ribeyesteaks. Ryan called him a “sycophantic board member… yipping at Yvonne A.K.Johnson's heels in exchange for being made to feel important in one way oranother… [who appeared] poised to help Yvonne A.K. Johnson consolidate her powerby continuing in the fine tradition of obsequious permissiveness.” Whatchanged?

17. Johnson recently lost a court battle against Ryan, and has been charged$10,000, plus attorney fees, for bringing a defamation suit against him. Shesays she discussed with the board whether the Civic or the Civic’s insurancecompany will pay those costs. Does that have anything to do with hertermination?

18.The Spokesman-Review writes that the board’s attorney ordered Johnsonto “immediately refrain from having any contact with any director, employee,donor or anyone else related’ to the theater.” Why limit Johnson’s freedom ofspeech in such a radical way?

19. Did some board members intentionally try to shift the makeup of the boardto make Johnson’s termination possible?

20. Why were several board members supportive of Johnson — Mike Muzatko,Margot Ogden and Deena Caruso — transparent with their opinions, while boardmembers opposed to Johnson remained quiet?

If anyone on the board would like to answer any of these questions, they canfeel free to call me or shoot me an email at DanielW@inlander.com.

Around here

Police say a 25-year-old pharmacy technician stole 100,000 pain pills from Providence. (SR)

Clay Starbuck was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his ex-wife. (KXLY) 

The EPA wants North Idaho cities to make improvements to their wastewater infrastructure to cut down on pollutants that end up in the Spokane River. (CdA Press)

Out there

Why the business community is cheering Detroit's bankruptcy. (Forbes)

Under the eye of military aircraft, thousands of Egyptians rallied for the reinstatement of ousted president Mohamed Morsi. (AJ)

Put on your best outfit. NASA is taking a big group portrait of the whole planet today. (Guardian) 

In the unlikely case that you haven’t already heard, the Blue Spark closed after 14 years as a staple of the downtown bar scene. The owner blames the vacant Ridpath and lack of police response to problems. (Spokane officials disputed this.) In any case, it’s a shame — we’d been big fans of the recent focus on local beer and especially the $2 local pints on Thursdays.

This week’s Entree newsletter includes a preview of the new farmers market in the Emerson-Garfield neighborhood, which begins this Friday with food trucks along with the usual produce and farm goods. Check it out on Fridays from 3 to 7 pm at 806 W. Knox Ave. (Bookmark this link for our calendar listings of all the farmers markets in the region.)

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Two new home brew shops are opening soon: Nu Home Brew & Bottles in the Valley is already open, technically, with a grand opening scheduled for Aug. 7. Two Knights Homebrew in Post Falls is in the construction phase and hoping for a fall opening.

From this week’s news section: They’re not revealing exactly what restaurants just yet, but three of them will be built in Kendall Yards pretty soon, joining the existing Central Food. 

It's time for The Inlander's annual philanthropy issue — "Give Guide" — where we highlight people who are making things better here in the Inland Northwest. But we need your help.

We're in search of people to showcase in the issue, and for nominations for our annual Peirone Prize, a monetary award recognizing people who are passionate about generating change in our community.

From education, youth and social action to the environment, animals or community gardening, there are tons of areas where local people are working hard to make our world better. Tell us who they are, what they do and why they deserve our support!

We know people of all ages are working hard to make a difference, but we want to encourage young people to get involved and stay involved, so we're especially looking for people 35-ish and younger.

Last year's winners were Jamie Borgan, Kat Hall and Mary Charbonneau. In 2011, we recognized Bart Mihailovich, Amy Hendricks and Korrine Kreilkamp. 

Please send names of individuals you'd like to nominate, their ages if you know them, and a sentence or two explaining why you think they deserve recognition to giveguide@inlander.com by no later than next Thursday, August 1.

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Samuel Sargeant

Condos in Kendall Yards.

"Design, build, occupy" is the name of the game at Kendall Yards. With residential units — townhouses, apartments and single-family homes — at all levels of development this summer, big things will be happening in the next year or so. This week we wrote about the new Inlander building and talked to some other current residents. Here’s the full rundown of what's here and what's coming soon:

• 100 units are already sold and occupied, 20 units are sold and under construction.

• 85 units are under construction and expected to be occupy-able by 2014.

• A mixed-use (residential and retail) building is in design; construction will begin before summer’s end to make it occupy-able by spring 2014. The building will have 24 6,000-square foot retail spaces downstairs and a number of studio apartments upstairs.

• Phase 4 of residential design is underway, and will include 80 units – half will be under construction by fall, the other half before winter – ready for residents by 2014.

Developer Greenstone Homes CEO Jim Frank expects to have 200 units occupied by the end of this year.

“The market is responding really well,” he says. “The neighborhood is striking a chord with a lot of demographic groups.”

Frank says of the 100 current occupants, many are young people, downtown professionals, empty nesters, retirees and newlyweds.

In the business district of Kendall Yards, Greenstone is working on design for three restaurant buildings, each 2,500 square feet. The new restaurants will be announced within 60 days. All the restaurants will be locally owned and operated.

Greenstone is also working on leasing available spaces on the back end of the Spa Paradiso building.

Go here for more information.

Jacob Jones

Police Chief Frank Straub at SPD downtown substation.

With another downtown business blaming its closure on young loiterers and homeless people, Spokane Police Chief Frank Straub says local officers have worked to address concerns about troublemakers or problem areas. 

The Blue Spark, a 14-year fixture of the downtown bar scene, announced its sudden closure Monday. Owner Bernard McGuire cited threatening loiterers and vandalism as primary factors in the closure. 

Operating in the shadow of the long-vacant Ridpath Hotel, the Blue Spark complained of repeated damage, public urination and other disturbances near the bar. McGuire accused city officials of ignoring his concerns.

“The city has told us that unless someone is bleeding or dying, ‘don’t call us,’” he tells the Inlander. “They aren’t here to help us, that is the bottom line.”

Straub acknowledges the Ridpath has become a problem area, attracting vandalism and homeless groups to its darkened doorways. But he argues his officers have made regular efforts to patrol the area and respond to any reported issues.

“I understand his frustration with the Ridpath and the people that are hanging around there,” he says of McGuire. “But I think his statements, that the police department is not responsive, I’m not sure that’s really accurate.”

Department records list 23 calls involving the Blue Spark this year. Officers responded to 91 percent of those calls. Straub says downtown officers also conducted proactive walk-through patrols on a regular basis. 

Records also show 50 calls to the Ridpath property with officers responding to 92 percent of those calls.

Straub says the legal issues surrounding the possession of the Ridpath have made it difficult to hold the owners accountable for building maintenance, nearby vandalism and sidewalk upkeep.

“The Ridpath again is not just a police problem, right?” he says. “It’s kind of a community problem.”

Downtown businesses have previously complained about street kids and panhandlers driving away business. Beignets restaurant closed last fall, blaming loiterers for deterring customers.

Earlier this year, several frustrated downtown businesses installed Mosquito noisemakers that emit a high-pitched tone to irritate and drive off young loiterers.

“We have to figure out as a community, how do we allow people, who look and act differently than we do, to use this space,” Straub said last month at the opening of a new substation. “How do we establish a norm of what we as a community expect for behavior in our downtown space?”

When speaking Wednesday on a new downtown quality of life initiative, Mayor David Condon said many city departments have been coming together to make Spokane a safer and more beautiful city.

He noted part of the mission will involve targeting problem areas or eyesores such as the Ridpath, which can attract illegal activity.

“It’s the broken-window syndrome,” he says, explaining such areas create an environment for public safety or nuisance problems.  

Mark Richard, president of the Downtown Spokane Partnership, says some businesses have voiced concerns about homeless loiterers, but overall crime and safety in downtown has improved.

“We certainly believe downtown is safe,” he says. “We want people to feel safe.”

Richards notes establishments next door to Beignets and the Blue Spark have not reported trouble attracting customers. He says he hasn’t ever operated a bar or restaurant, but it’s a “hard business.”

The Ridpath remains a high priority for the downtown business community, he says. The group has worked with the police department to power wash the sidewalks and clean the area around the hotel.

Richard says he has also contacted the building’s investors about installing additional lighting or putting up window facades to improve the appearance of the structure.

Any solution will probably involve a balance of enforcement and extending social services, he says. Officers should deter illegal activity while community groups work to connect people to shelters or other programs.

Bridget Cannon, youth programs director with Volunteers of America, says she had not heard of any problems with young loiterers in the area. The program operates a youth shelter one block away from the Blue Spark.

“Nobody ever registered any complaints with us,” she says.

Cannon and other local homeless shelter officials say any group, homeless or otherwise, may have a few people who cause problems. But it’s unfair to blame an entire population for a few bad apples.

“So what do you do?” Cannon asks. “Kick everybody out of downtown?"

Chey Scott contributed to this report. 

Around here

The expansion of SCRAPS to take over animal control for the city next year will add 25 jobs to the organization. (SR) 

Police say a mobile home fire yesterday in Chattaroy was the result of domestic violence. They say a man released propane gas and ignited it while a woman was inside. (KXLY)

Authorities say the man who was found with a severed penis in Clarkston suffered mental health issues and the injury was self-inflicted. (KHQ) 

Out there

The ACLU is challenging police use of license plate readers, saying they're being used to track citizens and form a "single, high-resolution image of our lives." (AP)

The military judge hearing the case of Bradley Manning, who is accused of leaking secret U.S. documents to Wikileaks, denied a motion to dismiss the charge of "aiding the enemy." Press freedom advocates worry the decision could set a precedent to treat all leak cases as treason. (WashPo) 

The Netflix original series 'House of Cards' was nominated for an Emmy, marking the first time a show not aired on broadcast or cable TV has been nominated. (USA Today) 

Meanwhile, at the Vatican

The powers that be say you can earn yourself some time off purgatory for following Pope Francis on Twitter. So get to it (His account is right here). 

Local pride is buzzing through Spokane with the news of native singer-songwriter Cami Bradley’s success on America’s Got Talent. She sang and played the piano in a soulful performance of “Summertime,” which aired last night on the popular reality TV show. The panel of judges gave her the green light to advance to the next round of competition.

Bradley’s first audition (and debut to national television) featured her unique version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and earned her first pass through the competition. Heidi Klum said she “absolutely loved it,” and Howie Mandel agreed, “I really think that you are a star.”

Last year when The Inlander interviewed her, Bradley seemed only vaguely interested in musical fame. While her recent success may change her mind about pushing her musical career into the limelight, it’s always been more about the music than the recognition for Bradley.

In April this year she successfully funded the release concert for her album SEAS by crowdsourcing $3,500 on Kickstarter, which she performed at the Bing Crosby Theater in May. She has done many small shows in Spokane, but singing for a national audience is a brand-new experience.

The 25-year-old singer-songwriter is also a photographer who specializes in weddings and portraits. While she admits music is still her passion, the camera provides her another mode of expression and connection to others. When she’s not singing or snapping pics, she’s also the music director at Life Center Church in Spokane.

This girl has obviously got a few backup plans in case the reality TV route doesn’t boost her to musical stardom, but Spokane will be rooting on its jazzy hometown chanteuse.

Around here

Spokane County Commissioners are backtracking on their plans to expand the urban growth area. (SR)

Mount Spokane gets a new chairlift; environmentalists worry. (KREM)

Lightning struck the state of Washington almost 500 times last night, but authorities say they haven't received any reports of wildfires. (KXLY)

City Councilman Mike Fagan is working on an ordinance targeting bikini baristas. (Bloglander) 

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Out there

Dozens of Indian children are sick and 22 are dead after eating a tainted school meal. (BBC)

Rolling Stone put a stylized image of Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its cover, sparking anger online. (USA Today)

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finally has a leader, giving it some teeth to oversee lending practices. (NYT) 

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Fagan is working on an ordinance that would add a new section to city code defining "unlawful public exposure," after he says he received constituent complaints about coffee stands where baristas were wearing "flesh colored pasties and a G-string." He says he'll take it to a full Council vote within a few weeks.

Sexy espresso stands are a growing trend, most with baristas who wear bikinis or lingerie but might have one day of the week like "Topless Tuesday" when they wear even less. Earlier this year, Kitsap County commissioners began requiring adult espresso stands to install fences or landscaping that prevents passersby from seeing inside. In Snohomish County, police say some of the stands were operating as fronts for prostitution.

"I'm not trying to be a prude," Fagan, a self-proclaimed "free-market guy," says. "I'm not saying we need to put a hammer down on bikinis and lingerie, but can we present ourselves in better taste?"

The new "unlawful public exposure" violation, classified as a misdemeanor, would be defined as:

Coffee stands (or any other businesses) that wish to continue operating with maximum exposure could do so by moving to an area of the city zoned for adult entertainment. 

Fagan says "unlawful public exposure" is both distasteful and a health and safety hazard. But the state health code, which the Spokane Regional Health District uses to inspect food and beverage establishments, says simply: "Food employees shall wear clean outer clothing to prevent contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens and single-service and single-use articles."

"Our only concern is if a business or someone handling food is specifically in violation of the [state] food code," says SRHD spokesperson Kim Papich. "There's no wiggle room. It's pretty black and white what we're looking for."

Tastefulness, of course, is more subjective. Fagan told a Public Safety Committee meeting Monday he doesn't think the stands "depict a Spokane value."

Council President Ben Stuckart interrupted: "I'd say Walmart doesn't either," he said, "but it's the market."

Fagan says he's ordered coffee from both XXXtreme Espresso (whose baristas are pictured above in a photo from their Facebook page) and Big Shots Espresso (which seems to have even more of a penchant for pasties) to see for himself.

"I do have my punch cards," he told the Public Safety Committee. "I can tell you unequivocally we've definitely confirmed the constituent's claims."

Sarah Birnel, who opened the first location of XXXtreme Espresso in December and just opened the third one Monday, says while her baristas mostly wear lingerie, you'll find pasties on "Topless Tuesdays." Birnel calls the potential ordinance "spooky."

"I'm really scared," she says. "I don't want any restrictions. Topless Tuesday with pasties is the busiest day. This is going to dramatically affect our business."

Birnel says she understands her business offends some people, so she does her best to make sure the stands' signs make it obvious what customers should expect. Still, some people who aren't prepared for scantily-clad baristas are surprised and angry, she says.

To the ultimatum to move to an adult-business-zoned area, Birnel says, "It does seem fair. I hate to say it." Still, she plans to consult an attorney if the ordinance passes, in search of some recourse.

"I really don't want to offend anybody and I hate the fact that I do," she says, "but I'm not willing to not follow through with what I want to do because it'll offend somebody."

Here's the full draft ordinance:

Strip down with more City Hall Eyeball right here.