LILACS to Macy’s for donating the Madonna and Christ Child holiday light display to the Downtown Spokane Partnership, so that it can be a part of our Christmases Future as well as our Christmases Past. As for the Christmas Present, there is some uncertainty as to where it will be hung, but we are hopeful that the new owners of the building will choose to let the display hang on that same downtown corner at Main and Wall Street that it was designed for.

LEMONS to Bloomsday protesters who foist gruesome photos on cheerful walkers. Some of the same protesters likely get up in arms over things like bikini baristas and complain that you can’t unsee them. We posit that the images they show of bloody fetuses are far more offensive. We don’t mind protesters at political rallies, but not at apolitical family fun festivals.

LILACS to Denny’s and Trader Joe’s. We know that no one in upper management from either chain will see this, and we normally are more into supporting locally owned businesses, but we love when anyone takes a leap of faith and builds on a main arterial that hasn’t had a lot of new activity on it in recent years. Further south, we endorse Jerry Dicker’s Carsuso, Qdoba, and Ruby Suites for revitalizing that end of the street, which seems to have led to Carl’s Jr going in where National Furniture’s showroom was as well as Blaze Pizza in the center that contains Chipotle.

LEMONS to the Spokane Park Board and the Riverfront Park Design Steering Committee for blowing through the design fees so fast that they are now dumping planned attractions such as the skate park on the north bank of the park, which was supposed to take the place of the dismantled skate park under the freeway. We love the park, but it seems lately that it’s been ready, fire, aim instead of ready, aim, fire. Further, they are announcing a sort of Farmer’s Market there two years after we proposed a Spokane Saturday Market to them, which they seemed excited about, but for which they suddenly quit returning phone calls. We know events and would have created something to rival Portland’s. Kendall Yards has now jumped on the concept, and bully for them!

LILACS to Dave Black for finding a potential buyer who is planning a Howard Johnson at the old Trade Winds Hotel on Third Avenue downtown. That unique curved building, built in 1962, would be stunning if the tiki/Polynesian/mid-century feel is preserved, and Howard Johnson is just the company to do it. Fingers crossed!

LILACS to Magic Lantern Theater for showing the kinds of films some of us grown-ups like to see. Remember when a movie could inspire you, enlighten you, change you, and make you see something in a new way? Or just make you laugh at the human condition? Movies are still being made without CGI, animation, bombs, explosions, constant chases, wars or fights. Although some smaller films make it to the multiplexes, blink and they are gone. Then they show up at the Magic Lantern, where you can count on seeing a story told on a human scale. Just saw “Hello, My Name is Doris” and loved it so much more than the recent spate of superhero movies that I’ve personally sworn off seeing them.