Spokane nabs bragging rights with All-America city status

The Lilac City has a new name. And it has a nice ring to it.

Spokane now can answer to the call of All-America City.

The announcement that Spokane was one of 10 cities to be recognized as an All-America was made Saturday in Atlanta by the National Civic League.

Hilary Kraus
Staff writer

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/local/story.asp?ID=10483

"We’ll be able to tell the world, ‘We’re an All-American City,’ " Spokane Mayor Jim West said from Atlanta. "It’s the kind of thing that you get to go out and brag about."

Spokane was one of more than 600 communities that expressed interest in the program and 48 that completed the application process. The awards program, which was organized in 1949, is the nation’s longest running civic-recognition program. The National Civic League, based in Denver, is a 109-year-old nonprofit organization with the goal of strengthening democratic institutions.

The only other time Spokane was named All-America City was in 1974, the year of the Expo. Coeur d’Alene won the honor in 1990. The other Western cities named to the 2004 list were Stockton, Calif., and Cottage Grove, Ore.

Thirty cities were selected finalists and competed in Atlanta this weekend. A delegation from each finalist community presented examples of community programs and solutions to a 10-person jury. The presentations addressed a wide range of social and community issues, including crime, education, poverty, housing and race relations.

West, elected mayor in November 2003, said Spokane’s delegation of 13 people got creative and presented an infomercial. He said the three areas that the impressed the panel were Spokane’s downtown renovation, its efforts in economic development and the youth empowerment program, which focuses on Rogers High School.

"We did a skit," West said, who didn’t stretch as an actor and played the role of mayor. "It was about Spokane in a box. If you had all the stuff Spokane had, you’d be a successful city, too."

Ben Cabildo, executive director of African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American Business and Professional Association, was a member of the delegation.

"In the question and answer today, they asked us how we are dealing with diversity," West said Saturday. "Ben gave a great presentation about how his organization is working in the community to bring businesses forward and helping start minority businesses and keep them going."

Students Danielle Hutchens and Matthew Wright and counselor Lisa Mattson represented Rogers High School. Others in the delegation were Adam Thielen of the Chase Youth Commision and Teen Advisory Council; Mary Ann Ulik of Downtown Spokane Partnership; John Brewer of the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau; Maggie Bergin of the Economic Development Council; Ed Clark of Clark Co.; Miss Spokane Rochelle Rock; and Cody George and Garv Brakel of the city of Spokane.

"It’s not enough for us to stand up and say we’re doing good. We need other people to recognize what we are doing and that recognition gives us a sense of pride," West said.