Lee Williams, a member of the Browne's Addition Neighborhood Council and co-chair of the Friends of Coeur d'Alene Park advocacy group, came into the KPBX studio to chat with E.J. Iannelli about a benefit concert at Coeur d'Alene Park this weekend.
Along with many other community events, the park has been the site of the Browne’s Addition Summer Concert series for the last 26 years. This benefit concert is an extension of the 2023 season.
The concert will feature the local rock-oriented group The Rising. The three-piece cover band consists of KHQ anchor Sean Owsley, Mike Lynch and Shane Chamberlain.
Williams provided a brief history of Coeur d'Alene Park, which is not only the oldest park in Spokane but one of the oldest parks in the nation. It was established in 1891 with land ceded to the city by two wealthy real estate developers, J.J. Browne and A.M. Cannon, who wanted their own property to be more appealing.
As the park has aged and the needs of its residents have changed, the Browne's Addition Neighborhood Council and Friends of Coeur d'Alene Park are looking to the community to source supplemental funding for much-needed park improvements. Those will include replacing the wood playground, upgrading the restrooms and creating a curved pathway with exercise stations around the park.
The benefit concert with The Rising takes place this Sunday (Sept. 10) at 4pm in Coeur d'Alene Park. For more information, e-mail brownescouncil@gmail.com or visit the Friends of Coeur d'Alene Park website.
