Buzz Bin

by Inlander Staff


What a Name! -- Amid all our Spokane Indians coverage this week, one nugget jumped out at us. We know that Spokane's baseball team adopted the name "Indians" in the 1903 season. But it wasn't the team's name when they started that year. The reasons for the mid-season shift are lost in the mists of time, but the name they started the season with endures. They were called the Inlanders.





Good Buzz -- Readers of the Portland Oregonian were treated to a close-up look at our fine city last month. That's when travel writer Bridget Otto's story on Spokane ran in the Sunday, May 25, edition. Now travel writing is often glowing by design, but this write-up was downright radiant. Not surprisingly, Otto focused on the restored Davenport Hotel.


"The Davenport, which reopened last summer after being shuttered for 17 years, is the sexiest symbol of Spokane's revival," Otto wrote. "But in the past seven years, $1 billion in investments has been showered onto the downtown core."


Otto went on to mention the new MAC, River Park Square and Riverfront Park, along with a handful of eateries and entertainment venues. Sounds like a pretty cool place. If we didn't already live here, we might just visit!





Dueling Guitars -- Calling all singer/songwriters: Maryhill Winery wants you! As the newest outdoor concert venue along the banks of the Columbia River, the Maryhill Winery is staging a series of live shows this summer. But on Labor Day weekend, the Maryhill masterminds are going to turn over the stage to 40 regional musicians. Ten finalists from that batch will win cash prizes; the top performer will get to open for a headliner during the summer of 2004. To make the cut, submit two original songs to Maryhill Songwriter Competition, PO Box 1161, Goldendale, WA 98620. It costs $20 to enter, and entries must be postmarked by July 14.





Summer Guide Wrap-Up -- Thanks to all the local artists, young and old, who helped us count out 500 things to do in style last week. We particularly enjoyed Harold Balazs's take on No. 500, entitled "500 reasons (some of them very small) attacking the time to decide." In case you tried to take his work literally, he wrote us a note to explain: "Should some reader count the little 'reasons' and find there were more than 500, your response is they misidentified; some of them were not reasons. If they are short of 500, some were hiding behind others."


Also, in item No. 41 (Hang Out at Newman Lake), we wrote you had to haul in your supplies, but in fact the Cherokee Trading Post sells snacks, drinks, espresso, fishing tackle and licenses right on Newman Lake. n





Publication date: 06/19/03