Quotes & amp;amp; Notes

by Inlander Staff
A Fitting Name -- Wells & amp; Company will celebrate its restoration of two historic Spokane buildings at a dedication ceremony this week. The buildings, formerly known as the Display Block, will be renamed the Freeman Center after Clarence Freeman, a well-known African-American Spokane resident and activist who was born in a home close to where the buildings now stand. The Freeman Center is located at Second and Lincoln, across from Steam Plant Square.


The project opened up about 61,500 square feet and has been in the works for more than two years. The Freeman Center will provide office and retail space, including fully wired high-tech telecommunications and state-of-the-art Internet connectivity.





Christmas in July -- We all know that some people leave their Christmas lights up on their houses all year long, and we also know what we think and say about those people as we drive by their houses in the middle of June. Well, here's a new line to add to the conversation: "What's good enough for the city of Spokane is good enough for the people who live here."


Huh?


When was the last time you took a good look at the official Christmas tree downtown? Yes, that's right, it's still got its lights on and here we are... in the middle of June.





A New Low -- The initiative process that has long crippled California (and has migrated to Washington) has perhaps hit a new low in the Golden State. Now an initiative is being mounted to recall Gov. Gray Davis, not for any particular crime -- it's just because some folks don't like him. Paid signature-gatherers are expected to collect enough to get the issue on the ballot. Who's paying for all this? Republican Darrell Issa, who parlayed his car alarm business into a congressional seat. His $700,000 tab is actually money well spent. You see, he wants Davis's job, and why spend millions on a real election when you can just buy a spot on the ballot instead?





Moving Ahead -- What started in 1998 as a foil to the efforts to impeach President Clinton has blossomed into a full-blown political movement. MoveOn (online at moveon.org) now claims 1.4 million members, and its Web-based power was illustrated earlier this week when it held an online primary to determine the best candidate to lead the Democrats against George W. Bush in 2004. There was no word by press time on who came out on top, but with nine candidates it could be an important milestone. Not only will the winner potentially win over a bunch of volunteers, but real money is on the line, too. In 2002, MoveOn raised $4.1 million for congressional candidates.





Publication date: 06/26/03