The Slice: Old truck not quite the vision it once was

In one of the Spokane installments of “Antiques Roadshow,” an appraiser noted that a particular item would be more valuable if its owner could prove that it had been in a movie.

I wonder if that’s also true for old trucks.

If so, Hillyard’s Mark Holz might have something semi-special parked in his backyard. Though, you probably couldn’t tell just from looking.

Back in the mid-80s, Holz bought a 1968 Dodge from the film production company that had shot “Vision Quest” here in Spokane. The truck had a few moments of stars-conveying screen time in the film.

The rig has gone through some appearance changes over the years. But Holz swears it is the same truck that had a supporting role in the movie. In fact, he and his friends called it the Madonnamobile, though it didn’t actually have any scenes with the singer.

“It has the push-button transmission and a colony of yellow jackets in the summer,” said Karan Kees, Holz’s longtime companion.

But it runs, she said.

Which is more than you can say for a lot of things from that era.

“There are inserts and then there are inserts: A friend told me about an acquaintance of his who brought in the newspaper on one of those days when it was stuffed full of advertising circulars. He unfurled it and out scampered a mouse.

“Inland Northwest vs. Inland Empire: “I grew up in the Inland Empire and hope to die in the Inland Empire,” wrote Ira W. Gardner.

He blames the transition to “Inland Northwest” on developers marketing to Californians.

But Gary Smith prefers “Inland Northwest” and argues that it is more geographically descriptive.

“Sunday quiz winner: Quite a few readers knew that the connection between Samantha Stephens of “Bewitched” and Spokane is that the late actress Elizabeth Montgomery, who played Samantha, also portrayed the mother of the South Hill rapist in the 1991 TV movie, “Sins of the Mother.”

But I’m sending the notebook to Kevin Stopher of Greenacres because he said he used to think The Slice was lame but now reads this column faithfully.

I like people who can change their mind.

“Speaking of the South Hill: Do you say “South Hill” or “Sou Thill”?

“Two for Tuesday: 1. Ed Springer misses some of the cool building-top signs that used to dot Spokane’s skyline.

2. Emilie Hamilton wonders how many others remember when tourism officials tried to promote our area as “The Continental Crown.”

“Today’s Slice question: How many families who have dining room tables actually eat there?