This day in history: What would become The Walk in the Wild Zoo encountered an early bureaucratic stumbling block

From 1975: The Walk in the Wild Zoo asked Spokane County for $20,000 to help plan a “first-class” zoo – but, the county said, not so fast.

“We’re having enough problems now maintaining our parks without making promises to support a zoo,” a county commissioner said.

He said he was “personally supportive” of the new zoo, but the county could not afford anything at present, and could not be under any obligation to support it in the future.

The commissioner said he thought a countywide advisory vote should be placed on the ballot to gauge public opinion on the zoo.

The president of the Inland Empire Zoological Society said the county’s refusal to pledge $20,000 put in jeopardy a matching grant from a private donor.

From 1925: The civic stadium at Glover Field was in such bad shape that the annual track and field meet between the city’s two high schools was canceled.

A recent inspection had shown a number of safety problems in the bleachers, which had not yet been addressed. However, it appeared that there was an even bigger issue: the dressing rooms.

“The dressing rooms at the stadium are the big fly in the ointment this year,” the North Central High School track coach said.

A city engineer was asked to assess the condition of the dressing rooms and “would not say they are safe.”

“In face of this information, I could not take the boys there,” the Lewis and Clark High School coach said.

Glover Field, in Peaceful Valley, was renamed Redband Park in 2018.