Brian Burns hits the river. // Photo courtesy NWWA
It must be spring if the Northwest Whitewater Association has started up Friday Night Floats on the Spokane River. You need solid skills and you must RSVP. Here’s the scoop:
Friday Night Floats Start This Week, May 1:
The long-standing tradition of weekly floats on the lower Spokane
River begins again, weather & water conditions permitting. We meet at
the river access point downstream form the TJ Meenach Bridge starting
at 5 p.m. with shuttle at 5:30 and launch by 6.
You need SOLID CLASS III+ skills and proper safety and cold weather/
water gear to participate. We also MUST have RSVP’s from those who
plan to attend so that we can contact you should the float be
postponed or cancelled. Info: YeOldeRafterGuy@q.com or 509-220-8018.
The Saranac Building, 25 W Main, seen before renovation. // Photo courtesy of MetroSpokane blog.
Want some good sustainability news? The Saranac Building in downtown Spokane was just awarded LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of LEED. Congratulations to everyone involved in the building. Here’s the details in a press release from project architects Zeck Butler:
Saranac Building Awarded LEED® Green Building Certification
April 27, 2009, Spokane, Washington — Zeck Butler Architects, P.S. announced today that the Saranac Building Renovation in Spokane has been awarded LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building rating SystemTM is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings and LEED Platinum is the highest certification awarded. The Saranac Building is the first building is Eastern Washington to be awarded Platinum certification and one of only five in the State of Washington. (more…)
Hank over at the Shallow Cogitations just put up a great short video about Pedals2People’s West Central neighborhood bike tune-up this past weekend. If you like this please check out the rest of Hank’s blog. He’s one of the best blog-writers in town trains his psyche on all sorts of interesting subjects.
Think so? Well now you can prove it. The Commute Challenge is a part of next month’s Bike to Work Week and is open for registration now. Out There Monthly sponsors Spokane Bike to Work Week because we feel bike commuting is an excellent way to bridge the gap between recreational cycling and alternative transportation–among other things. Here’s the details:
Gather your co-workers, classmates, friends, neighbors or anyone else you know and form a team for the Commute Challenge presented by Group Health! Registration for the Commute Challenge during Bike To Work Week, May 10-16, is now open.
Even though this came from a trusted source, my first reaction was that this must be a hoax, but apparently it’s the real deal. Kayaker Tyler Bradt took his boat over the 180 foot drop of Palouse Falls on Tuesday and lived to tell about it. The interview above is with the director of the film in which footage of this amazing feet will appear. You can go to the LVM Video site for more info and hopefully an interview with Bradt himself soon. I though you’d have to be crazy to run Spokane Falls. Palouse Falls didn’t even enter into my imagination as being possible.
Why is Sandpoint beating us to this stuff? There is reportedly a new Waterkeeper organization in the works for Spokane, just hasn’t been announced yet. The Waterkeeper Alliance is a national organizartion championed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. If you saw Frontline last night on PBS you know how high the stakes are. Here’s the Sandpoint press release:
Sandpoint, ID – Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, a new non-profit organization located in Sandpoint Idaho, will respond to and investigate citizen concerns pertaining to water quality in Lake Pend Oreille and the surrounding waters. The water quality hotline number that citizens may report concerns to is 208.597.7188. (more…)
The New York Times Magazine had a fascinating article this weekend out Sandpoint’s Transition movement. Don’t know what the Transition Movement is? Well it’s a cheerful combination locally-based sustainable action and anticipation of a coming societal meltdown resulting from environmental destruction. I know what you are thinking, but don’t think anything until you had a chance to read the New York Times piece here.Spokane has it’s own Transition movement too.
Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure
Great event, great vibe, good short downtown loop through Brown’s Addition. I have to laugh at their poster this year–at this rate their sponsor logos are going to outnumber participants next year. Starts at the Opera House. This event allows late regsitration tomorrow and on the day of the race.
The Spokane River Run
Another great event–the premier trail running race in the area. Enjoy the terrific course at Riverside State Park during what looks to be great weather this weekend. They also have late registration for an extra $10.
I’d love to see someone figure how to do both these events. Do it and submit proof and I promise we’ll put it on the site.
