TV anchors make reader feel at home

Reader Annette Barfield was visiting L.A. and had a disorienting experience. She turned on the news on KABC-7 early on a Saturday morning. The anchor was Rob Hayes, and the weathercaster was Christine Clayburg.

“I felt like I was back in Spokane instead of L.A.,” wrote Barfield.

That’s because both are former Spokane journalists. Hayes was a KHQ reporter and anchor from 1999 to 2004, and Clayburg was a KHQ weathercaster for several years until 2000.

Hayes is now a reporter and fill-in anchor at KABC, and Clayburg does weather on weekends.

Yup, that would be called “moving up.” L.A. is the nation’s No. 2 TV market. Spokane is No. 80.

KEWU is station of the year

KEWU-FM (89.5), the jazz station at Eastern Washington University, was just named Small Market Jazz Station of the Year by JazzWeek magazine.

That’s a big deal, because JazzWeek is the top industry magazine of jazz radio. KEWU was one of the smaller stations up for the award.

In addition, KEWU programmer Elizabeth Farriss was named Jazz Programmer of the Year.

KEWU-FM is a public, noncommercial station with a relatively low profile in the Spokane radio market. Yet it has been a godsend for the region’s jazz lovers since 1986. That’s when it switched to jazz (classic and contemporary) and increased its signal to a peppy 10,000 watts.

Free Spokane Symphony concert

You don’t have to wait until Labor Day to hear the Spokane Symphony for free: The orchestra will be playing outdoors at Riverfront Park, July 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Associate conductor Morihiko Nakahara will conduct music ranging from the James Bond movie themes to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. In between, you’ll hear some Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Copland.

This is the first time in 10 years the symphony has played a free Riverfront Park concert, and we have a lawyer’s convention to thank for it.

The concert is sponsored by members of Spokane’s legal community as part of the 2005 Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference meeting, which will be at the Spokane Convention Center.

So, there will be plenty of lawyers in attendance. But don’t let that keep you away. The concert in the Lilac Bowl is open to the public.

Symphony Summer Soiree

Here’s another symphony-related event: The Second Annual Summer Soiree at Beacon Hill, Thursday, 6 to 9:30 p.m.

This is a food and wine-tasting event sponsored by the Spokane Symphony Associates featuring a silent auction and Caribbean inspired music by Moko Jumbie.

Tickets are $35 each, available by calling 458-8733 or 326-3136. Beacon Hill is a party/event site at 4848 E. Wellesley Ave.

Opera under the stars

Here’s another outdoor music event: “A Hot August Night” sponsored by the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene Opera, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m., at Mirabeau Meadows at Mirabeau Point (just north of the Valley YMCA).

This concert will feature selections from opera, operetta and musical theater. Ballet Spokane will also perform dance numbers.

And it’s all free to the public.

Another Pig Out booking

Another national act has been added to the Pig Out in the Park free concert schedule: Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen.

Cleary’s a New Orleans piano man (by way of his native Britain). He has been a key member of Bonnie Raitt’s live band for years, and he was prominent in the Martin Scorsese PBS documentary, “The Blues.” He’s a master of boogie-woogie, barrelhouse, funk and blues.

He and his band will play free on Sept. 1, 8 p.m.

Pig Out is the annual food-and-music fair held every Labor Day weekend at Riverfront Park.

Featured at the Fox

The soon-to-be-refurbished Fox Theater, Sprague and Monroe, will host a series of musical acts this month.

Here’s a rundown of the schedule:

Trailer Park Girls, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.: Satirical boomer pop.

Spokane Folklore Society, 5 to 10 p.m.: A showcase of live folk music, including Dan Maher, Brad Keeler, the Celtic Knots and the Blue Ribbon Tea Co.

Windsong, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.: Musical theater and light opera performed by Max Mendez, Andrea Lutchendorf, Carolyn Jess and Larry Jess.

The Fox will also host an ongoing series of visual art exhibits.

Playwright’s Forum winners

Here are the winners of Spokane Civic Theatre’s Playwright’s Forum Festival, held last month at the Firth Chew Studio Theatre.

Adjudicator’s Choice: “Members of the Club,” by Carl L. Williams, of Houston, Texas. This award included a $100 honorarium.

Audience Choice: “My Trivial Life,” by Matthew Harget of Chattaroy. This award was based on audience votes.