Spokane, Wash. / Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Page 9
EXPO ’74: READERS REMEMBER
MEMORIES
hogging all of it. summer of Expo ’74 and my parents bought me both a bus pass and a season pass. It was Margaret Shields, Liberty Lake: Working Continued from K8 the perfect age as I really enjoyed going to the downtown durning the 1950s and having to fair. I counted the number of times I stood in walk to my car after 9 p.m. under the train particular to just me. It’s the opening day line to see the Imax movie “Man Belongs to tracks was a scary ordeal. Downtown Spokane along with 80,000 other people, with the Earth” – it was 13 times over the season. I have was not a pretty place and where were the world looking on and President Nixon giving a memories of the Soviet Union pavilion, falls? Then Expo appeared and so did our river speech just a few months prior to his Australian Pavilion, The Book of Mormon and and the falls, plus the resignation as a result of I want to say the Iran Pavilion. I saw Bill world joined in. What Watergate. My grandpa Cosby and Marcel Marceau perform at the excitement and what a was a conductor for the new Opera House. beautiful city. When I Great Northern and we I also have memories of the Indian culture heard a pass cost $50 I use to drop him off at the display over on the north side of the fair. I thought I would use it depot where the would visit that area quite often over the only several times but we Clocktower still summer. Of course I would also visit the rides! used it several times a stands. So for me to have I have a memory of a very tall Ferris wheel and week. Daytime, and what experienced that can remember going on it both day and night. fun at night. My favorite transformation while Every entrance to the fair was designated by memories are being able watching the opening day a colorful butterfly. There was a red, yellow to show off Spokane to festivities was a strong and lilac one and probably some other colors out-of-town family and memory. To many today too. I usually entered at the red entrance. I friends. My parents loved it’s just the Clocktower also rode the gondola many times during the it. To this day whenever I but for me I’m still fair. I remember one of the popular toys was am in the city park I am standing inside the train the invisible dog on a leash. I watched people taken back to when the depot with trains coming Margaret Shields spend their money on that all summer long. area was dark, and then and going. Hard to Expo appeared and now a beautiful park for all believe it's been 40 years. Laurie Giles Suess, Colfax: I worked at to enjoy. the Ford Pavilion during Expo ’74. Our Dan Mullenix, Spokane: I was a junior at pavilion was located close to where the red University High School and our choir Joan Tracy, Cheney: During the summer wagon is today. Great memories of working at performed at the opening ceremonies for of 1974 our daughter, Jean, worked as a then-President Nixon. (Not that I was a good Expo ’74. waitress at the Davenport Hotel coffee shop. singer. I took choir thinking it be an easy A.) Jim Stefanoff, Spokane: My brother She often finished work at 11 p.m. so my We were practicing days before on the floating husband and I bought season tickets to Expo. David Stefanoff and other Explorer Scouts stage when I noticed they had just started up We got to the Expo grounds before 11 p.m. so were helping to coordinate liftoff of the the chairlift that ran from one end of the park that we could find a place to sit near the river manned hot air balloons partaking in the to other. I thought how cool it would be to be and watch the fireworks, which happened opening ceremony. The plan was for these to one of the first on the lift. My friend Greg and every night at that all take off at once at I were in the back row of the choir so we time. The fireworks the moment the fair climbed off the stage and ran to the beginning opened, along with were preceded by of the chairlift. Not thinking this through too thousands of small music from Handel's well, (as a typical high schooler) the lift went helium balloons. My Water Music. We right over the top where the choir was brother and two hot noticed that when the practicing. As we came into view, suddenly my air balloons were music began the fellow classmates were pointing upwards at us stationed on the roof ducks, which were and laughing. At that point, our choir of what is now the paddling peacefully instructor looked up and saw Greg and I River Park Square in the river, moved passing over the top. Although he may have parking garage. In rapidly upriver, away been laughing on the inside, he sure wasn't on final preparation for from the fireworks. the outside. He just stood there shaking his launch the balloon They had learned head. Yes, we may have gotten in a little pilots were making that the music meant trouble, but we still got to sing on opening day. adjustments to their that soon a loud noise balloon’s air, when would be coming. Sheldon Engstrom, Spokane: I was 10 Laurie Giles Suess one of the pilots years old when Expo opened so my favorite Shari Davis, accidentally part of the World’s Fair was a visit from the Spokane: I do not overfilled or overheated his balloon, causing it president and the chairlift ride that went remember exactly who got me into Expo the to lift too hard for the volunteers holding the across the park. My sister and I enjoyed many day before it opened but it was a connection anchor ropes, and they let go. The result was rides on that chairlift and just plain enjoyed through my dad’s business at the time. I that the balloon took off, and when the other going to the fair. Our family had season passes remember going in by the way of the bridge pilot saw that balloon going up, he lifted off as (my sister still has hers) and all of us enjoyed onto Canada Island. We got to ride the Sky well ... and then when the other balloon pilots going to the fair. To this day I still cannot Ride. who were located on other roofs around the believe how many people were in Riverfront I also attended Expo the next day for the park saw those two going up, they went also. Park on that opening day so many years ago. It opening ceremonies and watched Richard That is why the opening photos of the fair was nice seeing our little corner of the world Nixon speak. There were doves let off at the show the hot air balloons up prematurely. get some attention instead of just Seattle end of the speech. I was 11 years old the