Today on Inland Journal, our final conversation with David Condon while he serves as mayor of Spokane and a look at a new KSPS documentary that tells the story of three photographers who worked in Spokane and the Okanogan Valley during the early 20th century.
David Condon is leaving as mayor after eight years. He was the first person to be re-elected to the office in quite awhile. He leaves the city in good financial shape with an economy that continues to grow. The city has taken on and nearly finished a huge public works project designed to improve the quality of the Spokane River. Riverfront Park is in the last stages of an expensive remodel. The University District is growing with a bright future. The West Plains is experiencing a huge buildout and a new public development authority is in the works for economically-challenged areas in northeast Spokane. On the other hand, there are issues with homelessness that many other American cities are grappling with and a housing shortage that could continue to drive up prices.
With all of that as context, we meet Condon for our final bi-monthly interview. Outside his office on an easel is a display that outlines the 100-day transition to the new mayor-elect. We started by asking how that transition is going.
He’ll make way for the new mayor-elect on December 30.
_______________________________________________
Tonight [Thursday], KSPS Public Television airs a new documentary called “Capturing History.” It’s about three early 20th century photographers whose pictures tell us a lot about our collective history in Spokane and in the Okanogan Valley. We talked with the documentary’s producer, Mary DeCesare, its executive producer, Jim Zimmer, and the narrator, photographer Don Hamilton, about who these photographers were and the importance of their work.
KSPS will air “Capturing History” tonight at 7. If you’re not able to see it or record it then, you can stream it at the KSPS website.
Inland Journal covers local public affairs and other things that interest us. You can subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, NPR One or Google Play or hear it at the Spokane Public Radio website.