The Third Annual SpokeFest is on September 12th from noon to 4pm. Starting in Spokane’s downtown and finishing at SpokeFair on the Post Street Bridge and next to Riverfront Park, SpokeFest riders will travel along some of the region’s most memorable roads. The event was developed with the non-bicycle enthusiast in mind just as much as experienced cyclists. Anyone interested in riding a bicycle and families going out on a group ride for the first time are welcome. The route was carefully chosen to be interesting, beautiful and challenging, but not so challenging that first-timers can’t make it. It’s a bit different from last year with four routes for 2010:

-The Classic River Loop : This 21-mile route covers some of Spokane’s most beautiful riding, including the Aubrey L. White Parkway, Riverside State Park and a finish atop of the Spokane Falls.
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The second year of Spokane’s Sustainable September series of events and activities will kick off next week. The annual month-long celebration is dedicated to promoting sustainability in the Spokane community with discussion, activities, presentations, and tours designed to build community and increase awareness so that Spokane can become more environmentally and economically resilient.

Led by Community Minded Enterprises, Sustainable September works to bring a diverse variety of environmental and community building non-profits in our area together and highlight their efforts. This year Sustainable September is building on partnerships including The Lands Council, the Community Building, LaunchPad INW, Avista, the Sierra Club, and the Northwest Eco-Building Guild.

There are so many awesome events for the month, it would be difficult to list them all here but stay tuned with the sustainableseptemberspokane.org/calendar.

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The Council took action to approve a multi-family housing tax break for 8 new units of market-rate housing on 5th avenue near the U-district. The multi-family housing tax break is a state program that helps cities encourage more dense housing in targeted areas–in Spokane’s case near downtown or near centers and corridors. The program is a great benefit to Spokane as it helps guide development to areas where city services are much cheaper to provide thereby saving money for all citizens through efficiency. It is also just a tax break on the buildings not the land so the city still sees some tax benefit even before the 8-year tax break expires. The Council heard that we are seeing more of these projects come on line and more are market rate in addition to low income housing. Both are good trends in my mind. Read the rest of this entry »

The Spokane Arts Commission has a cool mural project this summer. They’re working on Lincoln St. downtown this week with at-risk youth and have finished up at 4th and Sunset Avenue and 4th and Monroe Avenue. Thanks to the Inland Northwest Community Foundation, Rotary 21, Inland Northwest Labor Council, the Downtown Spokane Partnership, the Police Department and from a large number of individuals who gave paint brushes, trash bags, and lots of time. Check out more photos after the jump.

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Neighborhoods Matter, a new program at the Spokane Regional Health District, is planning to work collaboratively with neighborhood and community partners to address issues that negatively impact the health of vulnerable populations. The program will also work to inform the public of these issues and to influence or develop policies that address them. On Monday at the East Central Community Center, 500 S. Stone, from 11:30am to 1:30pm, the Spokane Regional Health District’s Jennifer Hansen will explain what it means that East Central has received a ‘Neighborhoods Matter’ designation, which will lead to enhanced maternal health services and other programs becoming available.

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