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Tag: public event

Show Support for Spokane Arts (Mar 14)

Show Support for Spokane Arts (Mar 14)

Executive Director of Spokane Arts Laura Becker has put out a call for a public show of support during the City Council meeting on Monday, March 14.

Anyone interested in attending is encouraged to meet in the Chase Gallery outside the City Council Chambers (808 W Spokane Falls Blvd) at 5:30pm on that day in anticipation of a “packed house, standing room only” to demonstrate how much value the arts have in Spokane.

“Let’s be a vibrant force in the audience, a visual reminder of our strength and unity and a collective voice for our arts community,” she writes.

SpknArts

Two weeks ago, Becker and Spokane Arts Board Chair Brooke Kiener delivered a presentation to City Council regarding Spokane Arts activities and a proposed budget amendment to redirect 33% of the admissions tax to the organization in support of its operating budget and the implementation of a grants program beginning in 2017.

Here are the key points of their proposal:

  1. No new tax will be imposed. Admissions tax is a 5% fee on ticketed events, and non-profits can apply for an exemption per event up to $20,000. Right now these taxes go into the general fund, which is the current source of funding for Spokane Arts. However, the organization is subject to cuts every budget cycle. This would help stabilize funding from the City in the long-term.
  2. Currently the city is seeing an annual growth rate of over 3%. Because this is being considered so early in the budget cycle, the amount redirected to Spokane Arts would be factored into this net gain. No existing programs would be cut, and many local organizations would benefit.
  3. Over half of the funds would be used to support a grants program, which would be open to local arts, culture, and heritage organizations and small creative enterprises. Over $100,000 would be funneled back to the community every year.

This amendment is being introduced by Council President Ben Stuckart, who has long maintained that arts and culture play an integral role to our civic identity and economic prosperity. More information is available in this article from the Spokesman-Review.

As part of this drive, a limited run of Spokane Arts T-shirts and buttons that say “Spokane Arts: Art Means Business” will be distributed in advance of the meeting in the Chase Gallery. All participants are asked to wear something in the organization’s signature orange color.

If public art and citywide art projects currently seem very distant from Emerson-Garfield, keep in mind that the proposed revitalization of North Monroe (among many other things) could bring renewed art-related activity to our neighborhood in the near future.

You can find out more about the event and RSVP at the Facebook event page.

Celebration of Youth (Mar 4)

Celebration of Youth (Mar 4)

The West Central Community Center (1603 N Belt) is hosting Celebration of Youth: A Community Showcase tomorrow (March 4) starting at 6pm.

The Celebration of Youth is a community event and a free dinner showcasing local youth and their talents, skills, and leadership. Performances include music, arts, and spoken word pieces by the Music Innovates Program, The Community School’s Peer Assistance & Leadership Program, Youth for Christ’s Resiliency Project, and the West Central Youth Development Life Skills Program.

Celebration of Youth 2016

This year the WCCC is also presenting the First Annual Louise Stamper Excellence in Service Award to a youth in our community. The award commemorates the work and neighborhood advocacy of Louise Stamper, who passed away one year ago.

If you’re on Facebook, you can RSVP to the Celebration of Youth here.

Corbin Senior Center Movin’ & Groovin’ Fair (Mar 5)

Corbin Senior Center Movin’ & Groovin’ Fair (Mar 5)

The Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland) is holding its twelfth annual Movin’ and Groovin’ Fair this Saturday, March 5 from 8am to 2pm.

Admission is free to this all-ages event and fundraiser, which features free massages and health screenings, seminars and giveaways, as well as a raffle and an affordable ($6) lunch.

2016 Movin' & Groovin' Flyer

Around 75 vendors took part last year. They generally wind through the whole first floor and lower level of the center, and they represent services and businesses from all fields: home care, retirement living, legal services, computer assistance, moving services, hearing, energy savings. real-estate and financial planning, and lots more.

During this year’s event, the Corbin Senior Center will once again be offering half-price annual membership for new members. That’s just $13 for individual membership and $18 per couple! Membership gives you access to all the Corbin Senior Center’s facilities and first dibs on their tours and activities — plus a range of discounts at all these great area businesses. Anyone over the age of 18 can be a member.

Public Crime Strategy Meeting (Feb 17)

Public Crime Strategy Meeting (Feb 17)

The Spokane Police Department leadership team meets monthly to discuss the latest crime trends, significant arrests, and investigations. These meetings are called Compstat Meetings. Tomorrow (Wednesday, February 17) the public is invited to watch that process starting at 9:30am at the Fire Training Center (1618 N Rebecca).

During this Compstat briefing you will see SPD’s efforts to address crime, quality of life issues, and community outreach efforts made in the prior month. Also included in the presentation will be crime hot spots that were identified and efforts taken to address crime in those areas, significant arrests, and any other significant events or investigations that impacted Spokane in the previous month.

Public Compstat Meeting

The Precinct Captains, Investigative Captain, Assistant Chief, and other SPD leaders will be in attendance providing reviews of the past month’s crime trends. This is an excellent opportunity for our community to see firsthand what their Spokane Police do on a regular basis to keep citizens safe and to reduce crime in Spokane.

Please note that certain ongoing investigations may be left out of the presentation due to the sensitive nature of the information surrounding the event.

Compstat reports are posted on the City website every week for public viewing.

For more information, please contact Kathy Armstrong of the Spokane Police Department at (509) 835-4519 or via e-mail at karmstrong@spokanepolice.org.

Building Dreams Kickoff Breakfast (Feb 3)

Building Dreams Kickoff Breakfast (Feb 3)

Building Dreams is holding its annual Kickoff Breakfast on Wednesday, February 3 at 7:30am at the West Central Community Center (1603 N Belt).

This free breakfast is open to anyone who wants to know more about Building Dreams – Bright Futures for Our Kids, which is a multi-partner fundraiser for three important area community centers: Northeast Youth Center, East Central Community Center and West Central Community Center. The money raised goes directly to vital youth programs.

Building Dreams 2016

At the breakfast, you’ll learn what’s in store for the 2016 event and ways you or your organization can help support it through donations or by raising awareness. You’ll also hear from individuals and families whose lives have changed for the better as a result of these youth programs.

If you plan on attending the breakfast, please e-mail Kim Ferraro at kferraro@westcentralcc.org or call her on (509) 323-7480 by Monday, February 1. It’s important that she has an accurate gauge of attendance.

This year’s Building Dreams fundraiser event will be held at the Lincoln Center (1316 N Lincoln) on Sunday, April 3 at 6pm. The 2016 Dreambuilder Award recipient is Carla Altepeter, President and CEO of Numerica Credit Union.