Spokane

Spokane is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is the economic and cultural center of the Spokane metropolitan area, the SpokaneCoeur d'Alene combined statistical area, and the Inland Northwest. The first humans to live in the Spokane area were hunter-gatherers that lived off plentiful fish and game; early human remains have been dated to 8,000 to 13,000 years ago. The Spokane tribe, after which the city is named, are believed to be either their direct descendants, or descendants of people from the Great Plains. Spokane hosted the first environmentally themed World's fair at Expo '74. The Gonzaga Bulldogs collegiate basketball team competes at the Division I level. The city is home to the Riverfront and Manito parks, the Smithsonian-affiliated Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, the Davenport Hotel and the Fox and Bing Crosby theaters. As of 2010, Spokane's major daily newspaper, The Spokesman-Review, had a daily circulation of over 76,000. In the late 19th century, gold and silver were discovered in the Inlands. The local economy depended on mining, timber, and agriculture until the 1980s. Gonzaga University was established in 1887 by the Jesuits. The private Presbyterian Whitworth University was founded three years later and moved to north Spokane in 1914. Spokane's western suburb of Airway Heights is home. to Fairchild Air Force Base as well as two large casino hotels.

History

Spokane is the primary city name, but also Spokane Valley, Spokane Vly are acceptable city names or spellings, Manito on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Spokane. First humans to live in the Spokane area were hunter-gatherers that lived off plentiful fish and game; early human remains have been dated to 8,000 to 13,000 years ago. The Spokane tribe, after which the city is named, are believed to be either their direct descendants, or descendants of people from the Great Plains. Early in the 19th century, the Northwest Fur Company sent two white fur trappers west of the Rocky Mountains to search for fur. These were the first white men met by the Spokanes, who believed they were sacred, and set the trappers up in the Colville River valley for the winter. After the last campaign of the Yakima Indian War, the Coeur d'Alene War of 1858 was brought to a close by the actions of Col. George Wright, who won decisive victories against a confederation of tribes. The cessation of hostilities opened the inter-mountain valley of the Pacific Northwest to safe habitation by settlers. The first American settlers were J.J. Downing and S.R. Scranton, cattle ranchers who squatted and established a claim at Spokane Falls in 1871. In 1880, Fort Spokane was established by U.S. troops under Lt. Lt. Col. Henry C. Colleagues. The city came to be known as "Father Spokane" in 1880, and later as "Spokane" by the city's second mayor, C.W. "Bob" Smith.

Geography

Spokane is located on the Spokane River in eastern Washington at an elevation of 1,843 feet (562 m) above sea level. The city is in a transition area between the barren landscape of the Columbia Basin and the coniferous forests to the east. The area supports an abundance of wildlife in part because of its varied geology and natural history. The highest peak in Spokane County is Mount Spokane, on the eastern side of the Selkirk Mountains. The Canadian Rockies ecoregion supports 70 mammals, 16 reptiles and amphibians, 168 birds, and 41 fish species. There is a high concentration of raptors in the area, bald eagles are a common sight near Lake Coeur d'Alene in December and January when kokanee spawn. The most common fish present in area lakes is the Washington-native rainbow trout, which is the official fish of Washington state. As of June 2016, there are a recovery in the Inland Northwest of 16 wolf packs in Mount Spokane. In August 2016, photo evidence confirmed a solitary wolf pack in Mount. Spokane State Park. Spokane has a warm-summer humid continental climate (summer to winter) and a warm, humid continental continental climate. It is the only city in the U.S. with a temperature of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) The city has a total area of 60.02 square miles (155.45 km²), of which 59.25 squaremile (153.46 km²) is land and 0.77 square miles of water.

Government and politics

The City of Spokane operates under a mayorcouncil form of government, with executive and legislative branches that are elected in non-partisan elections. David Condon was elected mayor in November 2011 and took office on the last business day of the year. Spokane is the county seat of Spokane County, a position it wrested from Cheney in 1886. In the 2012 general election, Spokane County favored Mitt Romney for president over Barack Obama by 51.5 to 45.7 percent. On the state ballot, the county supported the legalization of recreational marijuana ballot measure by 52.2 to 47.9 percent. The crime rate per 1,000 people in the Spokane metropolitan area (Spokane County) was 64.8 in 2012, higher than the Washington state average of 38.3. Spokane had the fourth-highest rate of auto theft in the U.S. in 2010 and 2011, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Spokane native Tom Foley was a Democratic Speaker of the House and served as a representative of Washington's 5th district for 30 years, enjoying large support from Spokane, until his narrow defeat in the "Republican Revolution" of 1994. The city elected James Everett Chase as its first African-American mayor in 1981, and after his retirement, elected the city's first woman mayor, Vicki McNeil. The transition of the Spokane Police Department to a community-policing precinct model has helped curb crime rates since its introduction downtown, and has been expanded citywide. NeighborhoodScout describes Spokane as "Safer than 2% of U.S. Cities".

Demographics

At the 2010 census, there were 208,916 people, 87,271 households, and 49,204 families residing in the city. 5.0% of residents were of Hispanics or Latinos heritage, of any race. The city has hosted an annual multicultural celebration, Unity in the Community, since 1995. People from countries in the former Soviet Union (especially Russians and Ukrainians) form a comparatively large demographic in Spokane and Spokane County. Spokane, like Washington and the Pacific Northwest region as a whole, is part of the Unchurched Belt, a region characterized by low church membership rates and religious participation. Spokane was once home to a sizable Asian community, mostly Japanese, centered in a district called Chinatown until 1974. As of the 2018 census estimates, the Spokane metropolitan area had a population of 573,493, east of the Coeur d'Alene coast. The Emanu-El congregation erected the first synagogue in Spokane on September 14, 1892, and the city's first mosque opened in 2009 as the Spokane Islamic Center. According to the 2000 Census, the number of people of Russian or Ukrainian ancestry in Spokane County was reported to be 7,700 (4,900 residing in Spokane), amounting to two percent of the county. The Pacific Islander ethnic group is estimated to be the third-largest minority group in the county, after the Russian and Ukrainian community and the Chinese community. The Spokane Washington Temple, established in 1999, serves Latter-day Saints from the east ofthe county.

Cityscape

Spokane's neighborhoods range from the Victorian-style South Hill and Browne's Addition, to the Davenport District of Downtown. Spokane's neighborhoods are gaining attention for their history, as illustrated by the city being home to 18 recognized National Register Historical Districts. Most of Spokane's notable buildings and landmarks are in the Riverside neighborhood and the downtown commercial district, where many of the buildings were rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1889 in the Romanesque Revival style. The tallest building in the city is the Spokane County Courthouse in West Central (the building on the seal of Spokane County), which is 288 feet (88 meters) tall. The city's most notable architect is Kirtland Kelsey Cutter, who designed many of Spokane’s most notable buildings. The most notable modernist architect is Warren C. Heylman, who helped give the city a great breadth of mid-century architecture. Spokane is home to the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, which houses the Northwest Center for the Arts and the Northwest Institute of the Arts, which was founded by the National Gallery of Art in 1913. The National Museum of the Pacific Northwest is located in downtown Spokane and is the only museum of its kind in the U.S. It is located on the edge of the National Park Service grounds, and is open to the public. The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm and is free to the general public. For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.

Economy

Spokane's economy has diversified to include other industries, including the high-tech and biotech sectors. As the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest, as well as parts of southern British Columbia and Alberta, Spokane serves as a commercial, manufacturing, transportation, medical, shopping, and entertainment hub. Spokane was ranked the #1 "Worst City For Jobs" in America in both 2012 and 2015, while also ranking #4 in 2014. Forbes named Spokane the "Scam Capital of America" in 2009 due to widespread business fraud. As of 2013, the top five employers in Spokane are the State of Washington, Spokane Public Schools, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital, the 92d Air Refueling Wing, and Spokane County. The leading industries in Spokane for the employed population 16 years and older were educational services, health care, and social assistance (26.5 percent), retail trade (12.7 percent), and arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation food services (10.4 percent) In 2017, the SpokaneSpokane Valley MSA had a gross metropolitan product of $25.5 billion while the Coeur d'Alene metropolitan area was $5.93 billion. In 2014, economic development in the Spokane area primarily focuses on promoting the following industries: manufacturing (especially aerospace services), information services, clean technology, finance and insurance. To aid economic development, the eastern branch of Innovate Washington, a state-supported business incubator, was placed in the city.

Culture

Spokane's main art districts are located in the Davenport Arts District, the Garland Business District, and East Sprague. The First Friday Artwalk, which occurs the first Friday of every month, is dedicated to local vendors and performers. Spokane was awarded the All-America City Award by the National Civic League in 1974, 2004, and 2015. Spokane is known as the birthplace of the national movement started by Sonora Smart Dodd that led to the proposal and the establishment of Father's Day as a national holiday in the U.S. The Spokane Symphony presents a full season of classical music, and the Spokane Jazz Orchestra, a fullSeason of jazz music. The Mobius Science Center and the related Mobius Kid's Museum in downtown Spokane seek to generate interest in science, technology, engineering, and math among the youth in a hands-on experience. Spokane's unofficial nickname, the "Lilac City", refers to a flowering shrub area in the early 20th century. In June the city hosts a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, among the largest of its kind in the world. The Lilac Bloomsday Run, held in the spring on the first Sunday of May, is a 7.46-mile (12.01 km) race for competitive runners as well as walkers. Also in May is the Lilac Festival which honors the military, celebrates youth, and showcases the region. In November the Spokane Gay & Lesbian Film Festival features contemporary, contemporary, and international films.

Education

Spokane Public Schools (District 81) is the largest public school system in Spokane, and the second-largest in the state. Other public school districts in the Spokane area include the Mead School District in north Spokane County, outside city limits. Gonzaga University and Whitworth were founded by the Italian-born priest Joseph Cataldo and the Jesuits in 1887. Eastern Washington University (EWU) and Washington State University (WSU) have operations at the Riverpoint Campus in the University District, just adjacent to downtown and across the Spokane River from the Gonzaga campus. An international branch campus of the Mukogawa Women's University, the Fort Wright Institute, is located in Spokane. The Spokane Public Library system comprises a downtown library overlooking the Spokane Falls and five branch libraries. Special collections focus on Inland Pacific Northwest history and include reference books, periodicals, maps, photographs, and other archival materials and government documents. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane manages ten such schools in & around the area. Spokane is one of the larger cities in the U.S. to lack a main campus of a state-supported university within its city limits, with EWU located 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Spokane in nearby Cheney, and WSU is located 65 miles (105 km) to the south in Pullman. There is also a four-year medical school branch affiliated with the University of Washington's WWAMI program. It had 2,500 students studying in 53 different undergraduate and degree programs as of 2011.

Sports

Spokane is close to dozens of lakes and rivers for outdoor sports and recreation. Professional and semi-professional sports teams include the Spokane Indians in Minor League Baseball and the Spokane Chiefs in junior ice hockey. Collegiate sports in Spokane focus on the local teams such as the Gonzaga Bulldogs who compete in the NCAA's Division I West Coast Conference and the Whitworth Pirates playing in the Division III Northwest Conference. In the years since the Spokane Arena opened, it has played host to several major sporting events. The first major event was the 1998 Memorial Cup, the championship game of the Canadian Hockey League. Four years later in 2002, the city hosted the 2002 Skate America figure skating competition and then the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Spokane later hosted the 2010 U.S. Figure skating Championships ending eighteen days before the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. The 2016 Team Challenge Cup was held in the Spokane arena. The Spokane Arena is the city's premier sports venue. It is located in the suburb of Spokane Valley and has a capacity of 6,803 seats. The city is home to the Washington State Cougars, the Eastern Washington Eagles, and the Idaho Vandals. It also hosts the National Invitational Skiing Championships, which are held every year in the summer. It was the site of the first U.N. Winter Games in 1998 and has been host to the Winter Olympics since 1998. It has also hosted the World Series of Ice Hockey, which began in 1998.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Spokane, Spokane County, Washington = 77. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 38. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 21. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Spokane = 3.1 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 228,989 individuals with a median age of 36.2 age the population grows by 2.43% in Spokane, Spokane County, Washington population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,300 residents per square mile of area (1,300/km²). There are average 2.32 people per household in the 83,553 households with an average household income of $40,569 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.80% of the available work force and has dropped -3.67% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.86%. The number of physicians in Spokane per 100,000 population = 247.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Spokane = 17.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 10.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 89. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 171. 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 23.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 74, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Spokane, Spokane County, Washington which are owned by the occupant = 54.12%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 51 years with median home cost = $147,710 and home appreciation of -4.62%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $12.89 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,388 per student. There are 16.2 students for each teacher in the school, 427 students for each Librarian and 443 students for each Counselor. 9.78% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 16.19% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 9.25% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).