MetroSpokane

Mannequins protest condo development

Via the Fresh Abundance blog, we caught wind of an odd, but peaceful protest taking place near the Cathedral Pointe condominiums on the South Hill.  An adjacent neighbor has placed multiple mannequins of varying shapes, sizes, and stages of pregnancy directly across the street from the development.  No worries, as all the mannequins are dressed in outfits, some have masks, and at least one is brandishing an automatic weapon.  At first glance it looks like a small anarchist mannequin parade is taking place.

Protests abound...

Friday evening had us walking downtown enjoying the start of the weekend.  Out in front of Riverpark Square a good-sized group of individuals had gathered to silently protest the opening of 'Tropic Thunder' and its liberal use of a particular word.  Interest piqued, we snagged a ticket for the late showing, and liked it.

Public Meeting: Sprague/Appleway Revitalization

Fast on the heels of last week's comment-o-rama, comes the news that the Spokane Valley is having a Public Meeting regarding the transportation/revitalization plans for the proposed city center and Sprague/Appleway corridor.  The meeting takes place on Tuesday, August 19th at CenterPlace, 2426 North Discovery Place in the Spokane Valley.

The transportation plan is proposing a revamping of Sprague and Appleway from one-way couplets to create two, two-ways for large portions of the six-mile corridor.  The addition of a true city-center is also being proposed.  If you've been paying attention as the plan has been developed over the past year it's provoked ample discussion about the future of our neighboring city.  Some like the status-quo of Sprague Avenue, while others feel it's high time it becomes more than what it currently is.

Front Yard Gardens Sprouting Up on the South Hill

On the heels of our past posts about edible estates, it seems several vegetable gardens have sprung up in front yards throughout the South Hill lately.  Whether it's due to a hankering for fresh veggies and (we hope) pesticide-free produce or it's simple economics in the face of four dollar gas and increased food prices that come with it, it appears that some in Spokane have jumped on the bandwagon and started small plots in their front yards.

ZOLA Gets a cage

A tipster with his iPhone handy snapped the above pic and sent it our way. The restauranteers over at ZOLA are expanding their seating options out onto the sidewalk.  Our vision of downtown Spokane, hell even the neighborhood business districts, has about ten times the outdoor seating we currently carry. 

Edible Estates - West Central version

Following our earlier post on the movement towards edible estates, we happened by this front yard over in the West Central neighborhood.  This has to be the premier example in Spokane of what can be done in an area many would consider a small unusable space.  They've made use of nearly ever square foot and have even spilled over into the planting strip.  Fruit trees abound, strawberry plants, and the soil is rich.  One downside for those in newer developments is that the strict covenants buyers often enter into will not allow such a use.  Too bad really.  Just another reason to luv older Spokane nabes.

• Kitchen Gardeners International - [website]

Eat your grass strip...

If you're fortunate enough to have a grass strip on the other side of the sidewalk in your neighborhood (assuming you have a sidewalk), consider it excess room for growing veggies.  We're not certain, but that's what this looks like is being done in front of this home in an older neighborhood here in town.  It's a very well crafted and sturdy raised bed with some chicken-wire over the top. 

The idea of turning boring sod over into productive use for food is nothing new.  "From The Back Kitchen" posted on rural sprawl a few weeks back.  It's a timely topic given the rapid in food prices we're experiencing.  A little extra food security, self-sufficiency, and reducing the cost of your monthly food bill are all good things.  We'll be watching this little experiment over the summer to see how it progresses.

• Eat your lawn - How to build your own edible estate [Gardenlab]
• Edible Estates [website]

Credit Union, Bike sharing, and Vancouver BC

Chances are you've never heard of Vancity.  They're a highly progressive credit union in Canada.  In fact they're the largest credit union in Canada, and they run their business with an eye on the triple-bottom line:  Financial, Social, and Environmental performance.

Picket line in action at Prium's Wells Fargo

A roving correspondent shot these pics and sent them our way the other day.  The first fleeting thought we had was of some fringe group of radical empty-nesters protesting Prium for putting the 153 S. Wall condos on hold.  A closer look at their logo revealed carpenters or somebody upset at Prium for using non-union labor for a job.  Bummer...

• Wall St. Bonus Project [MetroSpokane]
• Prium Lofts - 90 Units of urban love [MetroSpokane]

Psychogeography - Deconstructing your neighborhood...

We like this little video homage someone put together showing downtown at night.  It's looking at our city through a slightly different lens than usual, focusing more on those side areas just off the side of the road.  Whether the person who made it realized it or not they've done a nice job at capturing the practice of psychogeography.