Historical rock festival at speedway causes delay, police chief announces jail…

In 1976, The Spokesman-Review reported on the challenges faced during the Nor’wester ’76 rock festival at the Speedway in Stateline. The event encountered last-minute financial issues that caused a delay in the opening, frustrating the crowd of 3,500 to 4,000 attendees. Headliners like Blue Oyster Cult refused to perform until they received their full payment, which was a result of a smaller than expected opening day crowd.

The delays continued as the company providing the sound system demanded payment and stopped the music until compensated. These setbacks led to a far-behind-schedule festival where Blue Oyster Cult didn’t start their performance until 2 a.m. The problems persisted as the crowd, filled with anticipatory energy, drank themselves to near exhaustion the night before the event.

The organizers still expressed confidence that everything would go smoothly, but subsequent reports revealed that more issues were arising. The tension of the waiting audience continued to build as they anticipated the music to resume. Despite the promoters’ optimism, it became apparent that the festival was facing significant challenges.

Looking back to 1926, another report highlighted the concerns raised by the Spokane police chief regarding the inadequate food provided to city jail prisoners. The chief condemned the quality of the meals, describing them as “dirty food and tainted and wormy meat.” The city’s commissioner of public safety echoed these sentiments, stating that the prisoners were being fed substandard food that he wouldn’t even offer to a dog.

The police chief emphasized that for the amount paid to the food provider, Cora Comers, the prisoners should be served excellent quality meals. The City Council responded by deciding to seek new bids for a food contract, taking a step towards ensuring that the prisoners received proper and satisfactory meals.

In conclusion, the historical accounts of the 1976 rock festival delays and the concerns raised over the quality of food for city jail prisoners shed light on the challenges faced in these respective events. Both instances required swift action and resolution to address the issues at hand, demonstrating the importance of effective planning and organization in event management and public welfare.