Health & Home 08/07/2023

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023

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Finding Your Nook An artist’s touch revives a historic Spokane home PAGE 18

Giving Back PAGE 16 Four Volunteer Gigs SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

Boomtown PAGE 30 Road Tripping to Missoula

New Schools PAGE 46 Kid-Centric Is What’s Up

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FROM THE EDITOR SPOKANE • EASTERN WASHINGTON • NORTH IDAHO also at inlander.com/health&home

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1227 W. Summit Parkway, Spokane, Wash. 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634

HEALTH & HOME EDITOR Anne McGregor

Email Health & Home Editor Anne McGregor at annem@inlander.com.

HEALTH & HOME ART DIRECTOR Ali Blackwood

The conversation continues on the Inlander Facebook page, and stay in touch with us at Inlander.com/Health&Home.

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INLANDER ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Chey Scott CONTRIBUTORS Stacey Aggarwal, Eliza Billingham, Erick Doxey, Diane Holm, Young Kwak, Linda Martin, Will Maupin, Dan Nailen, Madison Pearson, Lisa Prins, Ellie Rothstrom, Summer Sandstrom, Samantha Wohlfeil ADVERTISING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Skip Mitchell SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Carolyn Padgham, Kristi Gotzian, Autumn Potts, Claire Price ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Tracy Menasco, Stephanie Grinols ADVERTISING OPERATIONS MANAGER Tamara McGregor EVENT & SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Kristina Smith ADVERTISING ASSISTANTS Raja Bejjani, Colleen Bell-Craig PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER Tom Stover

Getting Creative

BY ANNE McGREGOR

I

always admire the unique and endless expressions of creativity we get to feature in every single issue of Inlander Health & Home. From chefs to architects, and from interior designers to artists, we’re lucky to live in a region bursting with ideas.

In this issue, I had the delightful opportunity to tour the home of Candace and Mark Rowe (“A New Beginning,” page 18). Candace, a painter, has filled the historic house with color and character. It’s a bold (and fearless) statement — and a good reminder to think about creating the home that makes you happy.

In our Health section, we also take a look at some creative thinking about what we should consider “noise pollution” (“Listen Up!” page 8). Turns out, sounds don’t have to be loud to have an adverse effect on your health. But loud noise, even a single episode, can definitely damage your hearing — forever — and we have some expert advice on protecting your ears and dealing with changes in hearing.

And in Where to Give (page 36), we feature four nonprofits that aren’t asking you to get out your wallet; instead, they could really use you! So check out these opportunities to learn some new skills and make a real difference.

Cheers!

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Derrick King GRAPHIC DESIGNER Leslie Douglas

CONTRIBUTORS

CIRCULATION Frank DeCaro, Travis Beck BUSINESS MANAGER Dee Ann Cook CREDIT MANAGER Kristin Wagner PUBLISHER Ted S. McGregor Jr. GENERAL MANAGER Jeremy McGregor

Health & Home is published every other month and is available free at more than 500 locations across the Inland Northwest. One copy free per reader. Subscriptions are available at $2.50 per issue: call x213. Reaching Us: Editorial: x261; Circulation: x226; Advertising: x215. COPYRIGHT All contents copyrighted © Inland Publications, Inc. 2023. Health & Home is locally owned and has been published since 2004.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

ELIZA BILLINGHAM is a staff writer for the Inlander who reports on food, comedy, and anything else she can convince her editors is interesting. In this issue she writes about Dos Gordos Tacos & Tequila (page 38). “Talking to Chef Callahan helped me start to understand why restaurants are so important, for the people who eat in them and the people who work in them. Care is something that can be hard to quantify, but with food, you can taste it. I think that’s fascinating.”

DAN NAILEN is the former editor of the Inlander. His first journalism job was at the Missoula Independent, an alt-weekly that launched in 1991 that, sadly, was bought by Lee Enterprises, owner of the Missoula daily newspaper, then dismantled and shut down in 2018. Thankfully much of “old Missoula” remains, and Dan always enjoys visiting new spots between visits to old haunts (“Boomtown,” page 30).

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PG. 30 A BOOMTOWN GETAWAY FIND A BOOK

PG. 38 EAT TACOS FOR JOY • CHEF CJ’S RECIPE BREWING ON THE BLUFF

PG. 46 LEARNING ON THE JOB: GREG FORSYTH

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EVENTS

Festival Season

BY MADISON PEARSON Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival

Bluegrass music isn’t for everyone, but don’t knock it ’til you try it! This annual festival held at Medical Lake’s Waterfront Park is a three-day celebration of bluegrass musicians from Spokane, the region and across the country. Listen to the stylings of AJ Lee, Blue Summit, Hannah Siglin and more as you enjoy the scenic view of the lake and the fresh smell of pine trees wafting through the air. Aug. 11-13, times vary, $30$60, Waterfront Park, Medical Lake. bluewatersbluegrass.org

Tacos y Tequila Festival

Tacos and tequila, some would say, are a match made in heaven. At this third annual festival, tacos and tequila are in the spotlight, but so are the educational lives of Hispanic youth in Spokane. Your purchases of mouthwatering tacos and drinks galore will help add to scholarship funds for Hispanic youth sponsored by the Hispanic Business/Professionals Association. Along with the main attractions, you can also experience cultural performances and participate in related activities all day long. Aug 26-27 from 1-10 pm, free admission, Central Library. tacostequilaspokane.com

Schweitzer Fall Fest

Nothing better than a brew and view, am I right? At Schweitzer Mountain Resort’s annual Fall Fest, you’re invited to listen to live music, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and try out over 80 beers, ciders, seltzers and wines from across the region. The event also features a kid-friendly soda station where youngins are invited to mix flavors and create their own wild creations. Fall Fest marks the final weekend of summer operations at Schweitzer, so go explore while you can! Sept. 1-4, times vary, free, Schweitzer. schweitzer.com

Odessa Deutschesfest

Ready to party, ja? When Odessa was established in 1902, 80% of the community was made up of Germans coming from Russia. Now, that wave of immigration is commemorated by holding an annual Deutschesfest.

At the festival, attendees can expect traditional German food, live music, dancing and, of course, beer! This year marks 52 years of people from all over making the trek to Odessa for the festival, so add your name to the list and have a cabbage roll or two! Sept. 14-17, $5-$20, Odessa. www.deutschesfest.net

Spokane Greek Fest

Did you know that the Spokane Greek Festival has been happening annually for 87 years? If you’ve never attended, this is the year to do so. This year’s menu features Greek Fest staples like delicious gyros, loukoumades, baklava and a surprise, new-to-the-menu pastry that’s yet to be announced. To add to the festivities, this year’s fest also includes Greek music, dancing, a shop and much more. Sept. 22-24, free admission, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. spokanegreekfest.org

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Health& Home

RESTORATION

Cabin Kudos I

magine restoring a lake cabin that’s been closed up for at least 20 years.

That was the assignment Coeur d’Alene’s Verdis, a civil engineering and construction firm, was given at Idaho’s Heyburn State Park.

The Civilian Conservation Corps built ROCKY POINT LODGE in 1941 on the shore of the southern tip of Lake Coeur d’Alene. The design of the rustic structure had a lot going for it.

“I was so impressed with the logs, and the rocks are just beautiful,” says Verdis owner Sandy Young.

But sitting unused had taken a toll. The team had to deal with “20 years of guano and bat urine and literally hundreds of bats” in the building, says Young. After Coeur d’Alene’s Critter Gitter firm rid the building of bats (and sealed it up so they wouldn’t return), the building’s electrical, plumbing Sandy Young and mechanical systems were updated, and the historic finishes were preserved. The lodge was also made ADA accessible.

For their efforts in the restoration, in July the firm took home one of just 10 Orchid Awards recognizing positive contributions to historic preservation given by the Idaho Historic Preservation Council. (And a much better award than an Onion, given to projects that exhibit insensitivity to the state’s cultural history.)

Though the firm, which was named Idaho’s Woman-Owned Business of

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VERDIS the Year in 2022, handles about 70 projects a month — including work for the National Park Service, the City of Seattle and Seattle’s Pike Place Market — the Rocky Point Lodge project had a certain sweetness. “To think that gem sat there for 20 years untouched makes it even more special,” says Young.

Though Heyburn State Park officials say they don’t have a firm date at this time, the lodge, which features a kitchen and living room downstairs and bedrooms upstairs, will most likely be rentable in spring 2024.

— ANNE McGREGOR

NEW RELEASE

Fantasy Finale W

ith the August publication of THE PATTERN OF THE WORLD, Spokane author Jeremy TeGrotenhuis, under the pen name J.T. Greathouse, completes his fantasy Pact and Pattern trilogy. The British Fantasy Award-nominated Hand of the Sun King was released in mid-2021, followed by The Garden of Empire in summer 2022.

The series revolves around protagonist Wen Alder, a boy living in the Empire of Sien, on the island of Nayen — a fictional land loosely based on the actual geography, history and cultures of China. Alder’s bloodline descends from a powerful class of witches whose magic and culture have been stolen from them by the Empire. Alder still longs to harness the magical elements of his world, so he chooses a path that largely sees him obeying the Emperor’s rule in exchange for this knowledge.

This theme was directly informed

by TeGrotenhuis’ own undergraduate studies at Whitworth University focusing on history and philosophy.

He also studied abroad in China for a semester.

“It was all stuff that we talked about in my senior seminar and

history class that I thought was super fascinating, so that was the germ of the novels,” he says. “I was like, ‘I want to write about a character who’s educated by the empire that conquered his homeland.’”

While the novels were inspired by China’s Ming dynasty, the otherworldly elements of Alder’s world will also feel familiar to fantasy fans. In Sien, the J.T. Greathouse witches among its different factions of ERICK DOXEY PHOTO people are able to control various elements of nature (some use fire; others wind, water, earth, etc.), communicate telepathically and even heal.

“I really like that kind of story dynamic where the main tension, like in The Hand of the Sun King, is a war between the empire and the rebellion, but there’s other things going on, external conflicts and external tensions,” TeGrotenhuis adds.

The Pattern of the World, he says, “is largely about when you realize a system that you rely upon, or that is sort of integral to your society, is inherently broken. And what do you do next?”

— CHEY SCOTT The Pattern of the World releases Aug. 3. Auntie’s Bookstore hosts a launch event with TeGrotenhuis on Fri, Aug. 18 at 7 pm.

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Health& Home

Listen Up Of course noise can be annoying, but it can also affect your well-being.

Luckily there are things you can do to protect yourself

H

By Madison Pearson

ave you ever woken up to the sound of your neighbor mowing the lawn? What about a train horn? Or maybe the roar of power tools from that construction site across the street?

Well, those noises may be doing more than just making you a bit disgruntled.

Erica Walker, a researcher at Brown University, has been digging into this subject for almost a decade now. Her own experience with sound inspired a lifetime of dedication to the topic.

“It started when I was working as an artist,” Walker says. “My apartment was my studio, so I was living and working in the same environment.”

Then a family with two young children moved into the upstairs apartment.

“It was horrible,” she says. “The kids ran around almost 24/7. I started collecting information on when the noise was happening, how loud it was and things like that so I could report it to my landlord. A close friend of mine encouraged me to get into the world of public health because they figured I might as well put all of this data collecting to good use and make some positive change out of my experience.”

Now Walker runs the Community Noise Lab out of Brown University’s School of Public Health, where she and a team of students explore the relationship between noise and health by working directly with communities to support their specific issues.

Her research has shown not only that noise is downright annoying, but that it can also affect your body in ways you might not realize.

NOISE AND YOUR BODY

That question may seem straightforward, but it can differ from person to person and from community to community. What qualifies as too much sound?

Walker defines noise as “unwanted sound.” Any unwanted sound qualifies, not just loud things.

Dogs barking incessantly in the background, trains rushing by in the early morning, your neighbor’s workout playlist blasting from a Bluetooth speaker, the construction of new homes in your general vicinity.

An invasion of sound can have a physical effect on you. “Think of it like your body entering fight-orflight mode. Your heart rate increases, you sweat, your stomach turns and your body starts releasing stress hormones,” Walker says.

Her team has noted health issues related to a sound-induced persistent state of fight or flight, such as cardiovascular problems and even the increased use of antidepressants. But she adds, excessive sound exposure “can knock out your hearing. That’s the side effect that most people think of.”

Jorgen Bang deals with hearing loss related to noise exposure daily as a hearing instrument specialist at Professional Hearing Healthcare in Spokane. He ...continued on next page

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023

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CHECK YOUR HEARING The World Health Organization offers a free hearing screening with the hearWHO app. Scan the QR code to learn more.

“LISTEN UP!,” CONTINUED... often works with people whose hearing was impacted by loud sounds such as gunfire or prolonged noise exposure in occupations like forestry or construction work.

“It doesn’t have to be continuous noise,” Bang says. “It can be one incident.

If somebody worked on a flight line, it could be one incident from a jet, but primarily it is years of exposure.”

If that period of prolonged exposure happens early in life, the side effects may be life-altering.

“If children experience prolonged noise exposure during speech development, they’re more likely to have speech delays,” says Walker. “[Speech delays] can lead to learning disruptions and disorders. It can completely derail their lives for many years to come.”

Noise exposure can also cause tinnitus (persistent ringing in the ears), and there have been reports that for those in the later stages of life, hearing loss is linked to cognitive decline and dementia.

Ray McNiven, a Spokane audiologist whose private practice is called Volume Hearing & Audiology, emphatically says that hearing loss does not cause dementia.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t a problem.

“We are actually seeing a lot of connections between hearing loss and cognitive decline. What it comes down to is engagement. Hearing loss is a communication barrier. If it is not addressed, over time people start to withdraw.”

In addition, the brain is always efficient — if there’s less stimulation coming in from the ears, the associated processing resources will be allocated elsewhere, creating a downward spiral.

PEACE AND QUIET

It’s not easy to outrun noise. There’s no clear escape route when your neighborhood is plagued with constant noise from cars or construction. But Walker says much of that unwanted noise could be managed better.

“Mitigating sound should be a priority when building communities, not an afterthought,” says Walker. “The noise issue I

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had [at my apartment] could’ve been avoided if there were better building codes. Noise from construction or heavy traffic can be easily avoided by buildings installing soundproof windows.”

Since most of us won’t be able to significantly adjust the soundscape of our environments, the next best thing is protecting your own ears.

Here’s a general rule of thumb: According to the National Center for Environmental Health, city traffic as well as gas-powered lawn mowers create around 80-85 decibels of sound. Hearing damage can occur after two hours of exposure to those levels of noise.

About 50 decibels is considered a safer zone.

For a quick fix, cheap foam earplugs may be able to block out nearly 30 decibels of sound.

Loop, a popular luxury earplug brand, offers up to 33 decibels of sound reduction. Earmuffs are designed to fit most people, but those who wear glasses or have beards may have a tough time fitting them to their heads as glasses and facial hair can create gaps in the ear muffs.

McNiven says he offers custom hearing protectors created from an ear mold that run about $175 to $200 and will last at least five years. These are easier to use than foam plugs — people are less-inclined to have to take them in and out frequently — and may even be comfortable enough to use for sleep.

What if you’d still like to hear some sounds — like people talking to you — just not the annoying or damaging ones?

Amplified hearing protection could be the answer. Rather than offering maximum

It could be one incident...

but primarily it is years of exposure.

...continued on next page

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How to Protect Your Hearing • Carry and use earplugs for noisy situations such as concerts, lawn mowing or leaf blowing, hunting or shooting, construction sites.

• Get your hearing checked every three years; annually if you work in a loud environment; anytime you notice a change in your hearing or if you develop tinnitus.

— THE HEARING HEALTH FOUNDATION

“LISTEN UP!,” CONTINUED... sound suppression, these devices filter selective sounds. They can be expensive — running about $1,500 for a set — and offer generalized or highly specific protection.

“Some are for motor sports, there are different types for hunting, whether they’re a bird hunter or elk hunter,” says McNiven.

A self-proclaimed “gigantic nerd,” McNiven says, “I actually modified a set of hearing aids — they function more like hearing protection. They allow everything to come in but it’s like turning the volume down to a comfortable level.”

WHAT’S THAT YOU SAID? The good and bad news for hearing loss is that it can be managed, but not fixed.

“Hearing aids are often lumped in with

glasses,” says McNiven. “You put on a pair of glasses and you literally correct your vision. Hearing aids don’t correct hearing loss.”

Think of sound as a continuum from low to high frequency, soft to loud. Hearing loss occurs in various ranges and is the result of nerve damage.

“I can’t return hearing back to normal, but I can retrain your brain,” says McNiven. Hearing aids work by moving sound from outside of the person’s audible range back into the range that still exists.

“It doesn’t sound ‘normal,’” says McNiven. “You’re remapping your world of sound. The outcomes are very good, hearing aids do work, but it’s not an instant fix. It’s more akin to therapy than it is to a correction.”

McNiven can also use hearing aids to help manage tinnitus. Studies show as many as 90 percent of people with chronic

tinnitus also have hearing loss and the ringing may be a side effect. Boosting sound in lost frequencies can often help. “We think the brain is looking for stimulation in the areas where there is hearing loss,” he says.

Hearing aids have come a long way in just the past 5 years — they can look just like ear buds or Airpods for those concerned with appearance. They now have rechargeable batteries, a feature that is not only more convenient but that also allows hearing aids to have increased processing power and to incorporate Bluetooth.

“The technology is pretty amazing.

These things know more about your acoustic environment than you do,” says McNiven, as he chatted on the phone through his hearing aid’s Bluetooth.

But he adds, “As much as I get a kick out of working with hearing aids, I’d rather protect hearing on the front end.”

Additional reporting by Anne McGregor

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gum, peanut butter or baked goods, the answer is a definite yes. In fact, there has never been a more important time to read the label.

What is Xylitol?

PETS

For Dog’s Sake: Read the Label Dog owners beware, this sugar alternative is toxic to dogs

BY LINDA MARTIN

M

ost animal owners are guilty when it comes to feeding people food to their dogs.

But can one treat really be harmful to your pet? If that treat contains a common sugar substitute found more and more in human foods like

Second to only cannabis, xylitol, a sugar alternative mostly extracted from birch trees, is a leading cause of intoxication cases in pets at Washington State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Once mostly found in sugar-free gum, animal emergencies involving the substance in recent years continue to rise as it is used as an ingredient in more human foods and dental products, largely because unlike sugar, the substance doesn’t cause tooth decay and has fewer calories.

For dogs though, and even your ferret, xylitol could be deadly — even in the amount found in a single stick of gum.

Just as in humans, dogs’ blood sugar is controlled by insulin released from the pancreas. In dogs, however, xylitol is absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly and can cause a fast release of insulin. This quick insulin boost can cause hypoglycemia, or a significant decrease in blood sugar as the insulin quickly breaks it down.

Symptoms of Xylitol Poisoning

Within an hour of ingesting xylitol, dogs with low blood sugar may become weak, lethargic and may vomit. They may stumble or appear to have a drunken gait as they walk. Dogs with low enough blood sugar may experience muscle tremors and seizures. If too much xylitol is ingested, dogs can develop liver damage in one to three days, which could lead to liver failure, and death.

Dogs suspected to have consumed xylitol should be taken to a veterinarian or emergency veterinary clinic as soon as possible.

There’s no antidote for xylitol, but veterinarians can offer supportive care that could save the animal. If caught early enough, veterinarians can induce vomiting to rid xylitol from the stomach before it is completely metabolized. If it is not noticed early enough, veterinarians will use an intravenous sugar solution known as dextrose to stabilize the animal’s blood sugar levels. Other foods may also increase blood sugar.

How to Avoid Xylitol Poisoning

As the substance takes more and more owners by surprise, now more than ever, it is critical that pet owners read the label before rewarding their companion with human food. When checking labels, keep in mind that xylitol may also be referred to as birch sugar or wood sugar.

Dog owners should also keep all human food up and away from dogs, and only toothpaste made for pets should be used to brush a cat or dog’s teeth — making sure these two things happen could make all the difference for your pet.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, dog owners should be especially cautious with these foods and food categories: • Breath mints • Baked goods • Chocolate bars • Cough syrup • Children’s and adult chewable vitamins • Mouthwash • Cake and pancake mixes • Toothpaste • Some peanut and nut butters • Sugar-free gum and candy • Over-the-counter medicines • Dietary supplements Linda Martin is an associate professor and the lead emergency and critical care specialist at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1990 from Colorado State University.

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Health& Home

SUPERFOOD

Berry Tasty — and Nutrient-Packed Whether you pick or purchase, berries are a delight

BY STACEY AGGARWAL

P

erhaps one of the best parts of late summer is the abundance of freshly ripened fruits and vegetables available in our area. One of the most power-packed types of seasonal fruits available at this time are berries.

Whether these come from your own garden, the local farmers’ market, the grocery store or the wilderness, late-summer berries are truly a treat.

RASPBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES

Raspberries and blackberries are both members of the Rubus genus. Both grow as an aggregate fruit, with each little bulb (technically called a drupelet) containing its own seed. Both raspberries and blackberries appear to have been consumed by humans since prehistoric times and have been widely used in Europe and the Americas for health and medicinal benefits. Now, these juicy little berries are widely cultivated for their sweet yet tart flavor, often prized in desserts or just eaten plain.

Physically, one of the easiest ways to distinguish blackberries from raspberries is that blackberries have a solid core, making the berries a bit firmer.

Conversely, raspberries have a hollow core and slightly softer flesh. Both have impressive levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. However, due to their deep, rich color, blackberries are higher in anthocyanins, an antioxidant that is potently anti-inflammatory. Both berries are rich in vitamin C, though blackberries are higher in vitamins A and K. Raspberries contain a slightly higher level of healthy fats. In terms of minerals, while blackberries are high in manganese, raspberries are higher in potassium.

WILD BERRIES

You can’t discuss late summer berries in the inland Northwest without including the famous huckleberry. These berries grow wild only in the Northwest at elevations above 2,000 feet. Huckleberries are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, known for benefits including reducing cholesterol, promoting heart health, and enforcing strong metabolism. They’re high in both vitamin C and

iron, a pair that improves iron absorption when taken together. Huckleberries are also packed with antioxidants, as well as vitamin A and B vitamins. These berries must be foraged, so you can either buy them at local farmers’ markets and some grocery stores or get out and pick them for yourself!

Thimbleberries are a lesser-known forageable native to the western states of North America. They are also a member of the Rubus genus, a cousin to raspberries and blackberries. Similar to raspberries, thimbleberries are a soft, hollow-core aggregate berry. In fact, they’re so soft that they’re too delicate to be collected and sold at markets, and instead are best eaten fresh off the bush or quickly made into a jam. Thimbleberries are wide and round, rather than elongated like a raspberry. You can find thimbleberries in the mountains, commonly in shady and moist areas. Thimbleberries are nutritionally similar to raspberries, being high in vitamins A, C, and B vitamins, as well as being very high in antioxidants and minerals. There are also some traditional medicinal uses of thimbleberries, including the treatment of scurvy, anemia and even certain skin conditions.

Stacey Aggarwal received a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Washington. She writes about biology, health and nutrition while running a lavender farm in North Idaho.

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15

WHERE TO GIVE

CANCER CAN’T

BY SUMMER SANDSTROM

W

hen Jonathan Van Keulen was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer called osteosarcoma in 2014, he saw an opportunity to help meet the important practical needs of adult cancer patients in the Inland Northwest.

Before his death in 2016, he and his wife, Becky, formed the nonprofit Cancer Can’t, which provides transportation, financial support and other help to cancer patients across the region.

While much of the organization’s work is centered in the Spokane area, Cancer Can’t assists patients as far east as Montana through its lodging and grant programs, says Emily Grankowski, the nonprofit’s director of outCANCER CAN’T reach.

To volunteer, email Transportaemily@cancercant.com tion is the orgaOr visit cancercant.com nization’s biggest program, with volunteers driving upward of 500 patients a month to and from their appointments across Spokane and north Idaho.

“These are patients that can’t drive themselves because of the doctor’s orders, they may just not be feeling well enough, or they may not have family in town,” Grankowski says.

With such a large number of individuals to transport, she says Cancer Can’t is

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF CANCER CAN’T

always looking for more volunteers.

To drive for its transportation program, volunteers must go through a background check and have both a car and a clean driving record. Drivers use an app to sign up for rides and can commit to as many as they want.

“It’s a really great volunteer program because you don’t have to have a set schedule,” Grankowski says. “You might volunteer one time one month, and then maybe the following month you can do it once a week — and it could be a different day, a different patient, a different time.”

Cancer Can’t also will pay for hotel rooms for patients staying in the region for treatment, and it’s the only regional nonprofit that also pays for rooms for family members or caregivers who want to visit

with patients.

If a patient needs financial assistance for things like medical bills, day care or medication, Cancer Can’t offers a grant program that distributes about $40,000 a year to a multitude of individuals.

Each year, Cancer Can’t throws an auction to raise funds for all of its programs. Its next one will be on Sept. 16 at the Spokane Convention Center, and Grankowski says the organization is always happy to receive silent auction items and sponsorships.

“We’re a small nonprofit in Spokane, but we’re doing so many great things in the community that really no one else is doing,” Grankowski says.

Pick up the Inlander’s Give Guide, on stands Aug. 24, to find more ways to give.

Enrolling New Patients • Birth to 21 Years Old

Cancer Can’t volunteers

MORE TO CHECK OUT Long Term Care Ombudsman

3102 W. Whistalks Way Everyone deserves to have their rights protected, and the Long Term Care Ombudsman works with SNAP in Spokane to visit those living in long term care facilities and ensure they’re treated justly and with care. After completing a four day training, ombudsmen spend four hours a week visiting residents at designated facilities, listening to their complaints and advocating for solutions on their behalf. With over 7,000 residents living in 387 long term care facilities across the state, the program has a high demand for volunteers to continue ensuring the wellbeing of long term care residents.

Apply to volunteer online at snapwa.org/long-term-care-ombudsman.

Jenn Kalisvaart, MD and Kim Resleff, ARNP are excited to welcome

Kaitlin Mallon, ARNP & Sara Streufert, PhD (Psychology) to Centennial Pediatrics of Spokane late this summer!

3010 S. Southeast Blvd, Ste A Spokane WA 99223 509-352-3777 centennialpedspokane.com

Spokane County Juvenile Courts

902 N. Adams Street In legal cases, sometimes the needs of children can get lost between other parental disputes, an issue that the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program aims to relieve. CASA’s are neutral parties presenting unbiased information and recommendations to the court to advocate on behalf of the child they’re representing. CASA volunteers must be over 21 and complete 30 hours of training to be considered for the program, where they then work with a staff supervisor and meet weekly with the child they’re representing. “[These kids] just need a voice,” says program director Mandy Cripps. “They need somebody to represent what’s in their best interest.”

To volunteer, complete an application at spokanecounty.org.

Washington State Archives

Sometimes volunteer opportunities don’t line up with daily schedules or aren’t easily accessible to some, but the Washington state Office of the Secretary of State is looking for volunteers to work remotely.

The state archives hold troves of records including marriage, birth and family history records, many of which need to be transcribed and indexed to make it easier for researchers and genealogists to access them. To volunteer as a scribe for the Historical Records Project, all you need is a computer and some free time to read through historic documents at your own pace. (SUMMER SANDSTROM) Sign up to volunteer at sos.wa.gov/archives/hrp.

Do you • Parkinson’s Disease (PD) • Essential Tremor or a loved • Huntington’s Disease one have: • Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Please call: 509-960-2818 to learn more about our clinical research trials

contact@inwresearch.com • www.inwresearch.com AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023

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The Rowes remodeled the kitchen of their 1909 home to include a custom breakfast nook. Note the fish-shaped leg with flower inset.

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An artist’s touch revives a historic Spokane home story by Anne McGregor

E

A New

Beginning

photos by Camren Ebat Inside Spokane

veryone has a list of priorities when searching for a new home: a desirable city near work or family; two or more bedrooms; a chef’s kitchen; a fenced yard for the dog. When Candace and Mark Rowe were planning a move from the Bay Area, their priority list included a place near lots of fly fishing locations for Mark. For Candace, a watercolor artist, the requirement was a little more unusual.

“I always wanted a house with an inglenook,” she laughs. “I fell in love with inglenooks when I went on a tour of an old house in Flagstaff. And so we were only looking at houses with inglenooks.”

Yes, there’s a filter for inglenooks, which are essentially cozy little walk-in seating areas around a fireplace.

And believe it or not, after narrowing their search to four suitable cities, Mark Rowe found a house in one of them — Spokane — that he thought was a perfect fit for both of them. “He kept sending me this link,” says Candace, who was skeptical.

“Like, number one? It’s pink… He finally wore me down.”

They planned a trip to Spokane, but just before they arrived, the house sold.

Though they did look at other homes on their visit, they didn’t find one that fit their criteria. “We just went back home and were sad,” says Candace, though on the plus side, they had fallen for their prospective new hometown. “We loved Spokane. We just loved it.” Mark asked their Realtor, Melissa Murphy, to let them know if by some chance the house was ever for sale again.

Just a few months later, Murphy phoned with surprising news. The home’s new owners needed to move, and fast.

They had another house in mind to buy.

Murphy arranged a video tour. The Rowes bought the house without ever having set foot in it. ...continued on next page

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023

19

The living room fireplace, with its cozy inglenook, required careful renovation to be serviceable.

The new kitchen footprint created room for a pantry, lined with art by Neicy Frey.

Ready, Set, Renovate When they did at last get inside, they found their new dream home needed work.

For starters, not one of those inglenooks was accompanied by a fireplace that actually functioned.

After getting the fireplaces working — a complex project involving spraying a coating used on pizza ovens into the home’s fire boxes and chimneys — the couple turned to the kitchen. Since nothing in the kitchen was even close to original, the Rowes set about entirely reworking it in a style more in keeping with the home’s Arts and Crafts heritage.

Inspired by a dark green Motawi tile

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called “tapestry,” Candace planned a bold kitchen design featuring vibrant green and blue cabinetry, with a combination of natural woodwork set against painted trim for the numerous windows, and a floor crafted from octagon tiles arrayed in a subtle flower pattern.

The focal point for the space is the backsplash of the range, which incorporates a grid of the kaleidoscopic “tapestry” tiles surrounded by field tiles in blue and green.

The custom copper range hood’s burnished orange tones complement the surrounding blue and green hues, with the copper repeated in the handles and knobs on the range.

The backsplash features Motawi tile, while painted cabinetry and trim are paired with natural finishes.

For the cupboards, stained glass door inserts are modeled after the originals in the largest of the home’s inglenooks.

“Whenever we did something, we tried to make it tie into something that was already existing in the house,” says Candace.

Perhaps it’s not surprising, given her fondness for nooks, that a breakfast nook was on the to-do list. Nestled in a south-facing alcove, the newly crafted nook looks as though it’s been a part of the house since its construction. Gracious arched woodwork and practical built-in shelving frame the walnut table-for-two. A closer look reveals the table’s leg features the gentle curves of

The Jones House

Built for his own family home by architect Alfred Jones in 1909, the Jones House was listed on Spokane’s Historic Register in 1991. Though now considered to be a somewhat eclectic example of the Arts and Crafts style, Jones himself referred to it as “Old English style” in a Spokesman-Review story when the home was built. By 1919, the Roman Catholic Church in Spokane had bought the home, which housed bishops until 1968, when it returned to private ownership.

Fresh, affordable style found locally.

Candace Rowe calls this bedroom, with its custom built-in headboard and nightstands, the dragonfly guest room. a fish with a cutout flower inlay. “A fish for Mark and a flower for me,” says Rowe.

In the living room, a classic Arts and Crafts fireplace juts into the space with its original green tile surround intact. One of the home’s inglenooks is tucked in beside it.

The room’s curly birch woodwork — columns, paneled half walls, and even the box beams on the ceiling — had survived more than 100 years without being painted over. But dealing with the wallpapered areas adjacent to the paneling was problematic. Removing the wallpaper could have potentially damaged the woodwork, so instead it was painstakingly skimmed over with plaster and then painted. Fortunately, furnishing the room was easy, as the couple’s couch and loveseat from their previous home were a natural fit.

...continued on next page

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“A NEW BEGINNING,” CONTINUED...

Reclaimed Space

KITCHEN: Passive 50%, Kendal Green, Deep Sea Dive LIVING ROOM: Anjou Pear BAR: Rockwood Blue Green, Roycroft Bottle Green WOOD SCREEN GUESTROOM: Roycroft Rose DRAGONFLY GUESTROOM: Aquaverde BATHROOM: Verdant

The downstairs bar features extensive custom woodwork; a new tile floor honors the home’s history.

Much of the most serious restoration work for the home took place in the basement, where the Rowes were able to eliminate previous moisture issues and create a bar area, two bedrooms, a bathroom, laundry room and music room.

Lowering the basement floor created surprisingly high ceilings and ample natural light. Making the space feel authentic to the rest of the home was key, and getting the woodwork right was important. A new bar area anchors the space.

“This is my husband’s dream come true.

His bar,” says Candace. “We drove up to Addy [Washington] and found the slab for the bar top… And then Tom [Moore] the carpenter built this whole thing.”

Additional carpentry included encasing a metal structural pole in wood, the design an exacting replica of the columns upstairs in the living room. Box beams were added to the ceiling, and the wood was meticulously contoured to hug the fireplace rocks. A comfy sofa and antique butcher block coffee table provide a spot for watching TV.

...continued on page 24

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“A NEW BEGINNING,” CONTINUED...

The Crew CONTRACTOR: Authentic Restoration Services

CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS: Salvaged Designs CARPENTER: Tom Moore

A flowery, hand-painted mural adds flair to the downstairs bath.

LANDSCAPING: Alderwood

What Are You Building?

Nearby, Candace took charge of the bathroom. Inspired by a scene of Princess Diana’s turquoise-tiled bathroom in the 2021 film Spencer, she grabbed screenshots to guide her design.

“I did find the exact wallpaper that they used in the film. But it’s floor-to-ceiling, so if you were to cut it down, there would just be these gigantic flowers,” Candace says.

So she painted a mural herself, featuring equally colorful but more diminutive flowers and birds. The mural was then coated in a moisture-resistant finish.

Other elements in the bathroom were vintage finds on Etsy or eBay, all with Candace’s attention to detail. “The toilet paper holder is the exact toilet paper holder that’s original to the house and the other bathrooms upstairs. I found one — one — on the entire internet.”

Down the hall, peeking into a salmon pink bedroom reveals another mural, this time featuring herons, by Candace. The bed’s headboard is a hand-carved, hand-painted four-panel

Share your project photos & you could win a GMG Pellet Grill!

Total Home Building Source 24

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A hand-carved, four-panel screen makes a unique headboard in a fanciful pink guest bedroom. wood screen room divider. “I came across it when I was researching chinoiserie, and became obsessed with finding that exact screen for the heron bedroom,” says Candace.

Throughout the home, Candace’s eye for design and color are evident. But behind it all is the courage of an artist. “You have to not doubt yourself. Which is hard,” she says. “Sometimes you have to be kind of rigid and just stick to your guns.”

After two years of renovation, the house is complete, and the couple has settled into their new neighborhood, with the goal of staying put.

“We just knew we wanted to make the house what we wanted. We weren’t going to worry about if anybody would ever want to buy it,” Candace says. “It’s fun because it’s really us… We could never get back what we’ve put into it; we just filled the home with what made us happy.”

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Brass handles and a smooth finish give white GE appliances an updated style. GE APPLIANCES PHOTO

From Functional to Fancy Customized appliances offer new options for homeowners to express themselves

BY ELLIE ROTHSTROM

A

A retro-inspired Elmira Stove Works refrigerator.

ELMIRA STOVE WORKS PHOTO

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s every homeowner knows, the kitchen is the heart of the home. Custom cabinetry, creative backsplashes and countless options for counter surfaces offer a multitude of ways to create a unique look. But don’t underestimate the intriguing — and functional — contributions appliances can make. From glass-paneled refrigerators and colorful customizable ranges to hidden dishwashers, appliances can lend a special flair to the kitchen.

Though stainless steel still dominates the appliance market, due to its versatility and classic look, Steve Ellis from Fred’s Appliances says several brands offer nontraditional options for consumers wishing to brighten up their homes.

Speciality brands such as Smeg and Elmira Stove Works have offered retro, unique and colorful designs for years. Also unique but much less retro, Samsung’s Bespoke line features glass-paneled refrigerators in a variety of colors — buyers can get all one color or mix and match to suit their desired color palette. GE Cafe also offers a selection of

finishes from matte white to matte black, as well as bronze, brushed copper and pewter handles for a variety of custom arrangements.

“One of my favorites, if you’re doing high-end, is True Refrigeration,” says Ellis. “With those guys you can do brass hinges, copper hinges, with pewter fronts on them — I mean there’s some really, really custom stuff that you can do. And Blue Star is another company you can do that with gas ranges,” he adds.

Ellis says over the years the team at Fred’s Appliances has helped buyers with a lot of customized refrigerators, even including a chalkboard finish for children to write on. One of his most impressive recent designs — and a dream setup for busy parents — featured an entire wall of built-in column refrigeration, with a 36-inch refrigerator, freezer and wine cooler.

Dishwashers that open with a drop-down door can be outfitted with panels to blend in with cabinetry. Or drawer dishwashers can offer a clever solution to unobtrusively hide rows of dirty dishes.

A windowed-door is a feature of True Refrigeration. TRUE REFRIGERATION PHOTO Range hoods are another area of the kitchen where design may specify something that blends in or a dramatic custom treatment that will serve as the kitchen’s focal point. No matter the design, Ellis says it’s possible to find the “guts” to make a hood functional. “I did a house, actually it was a lake house… and we did this liner, but it was the bow of a boat,” says Ellis.

Not only are companies producing new options in aesthetically pleasing

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Samsung’s Bespoke Line offers colorful, glass-paneled refrigerators. SAMSUNG PHOTO and customizable appliances, there are also advances in function for early-adopter consumers. LG now offers a range with a three-part stove top, featuring induction, gas, electric and a sous vide machine all in one. Appliances may also feature remote connectivity. “People can use it from their phones, I can preheat my oven, all that kinda stuff. Which is pretty awesome, but there are more things to fail,” says Ellis.

He’s developed a general rule of thumb: “The smarter the appliances, the more chance of failure for sure. The dumber they are, the longer they typically last,” says Ellis. “But I love the technology and what you can do. I have a steam oven in my house, and I love it.”

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27

DIY WITH DIANE

Chic Shed A backyard shed isn’t just for garden tools — it can also be an artistic refuge STORY & CRAFT BY DIANE HOLM • PHOTOS BY LISA PRINS

D

uring cool summer mornings you can find me tucked away in my shed. I’ll load up my paint brush with watercolors and work on some kind of imaginary art while soft music is playing in the background.

When I bought my house, which was built in

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1907, I knew immediately the small carriage house was bursting with potential. Transforming it into a unique and beautiful space was important. I also wanted it to serve a dual function — as a place of inspiration and creativity just for me, but also as a place to host a few guests since it is situated near

my outdoor covered patio. I also wanted to honor my home’s long history with some nods to the past.

I think the best kind of decorating — and one that may be overlooked — is making something out of inexpensive items. I created a unique backdrop for my shed by covering the walls with pages from old books. (No classics were harmed in this project!) Shelves were easy to create by fitting pieces of twoby-fours between the shed’s framing. Having a tidy space for my art supplies helps free my mind from mundane chores like finding the right color or a particular brush.

There’s plenty of room at the back of the shed for a potting area and storage of smaller garden implements.

The finishing touch was the adorable screen door I found at a group sale. Thankfully this treasure hunting girl’s dream fit — barely — into my SUV. I drove gingerly, and we made it home. Phew!

Once it was installed, I thought it would be fun to gussy it up a bit with colorful flowers, giving it a festive feel, appropriate to the start of its new life as a fresh welcoming statement piece.

I encourage you to beautify a little space of your own to enjoy in the early hours of the morning or at the end of a busy day!

Come see Spokane’s Finest Garden Center

DIY Crepe Paper Flowers Handmade gifts and crafts are such a delight to create. There is something extra special about giving and receiving a gift that’s been made with love.

SUPPLIES

• For flower petals, crepe paper • For leaves, colored paper and newsprint (your old Inlander works great!)

• Cardstock or thin cardboard, cut in a circle • Hot glue and hot glue gun • Scissors (pinking shears optional)

PUTTING IT TOGETHER Starting at the outer edge of your cardstock circle, glue the largest petals around the edge.

Add progressively shorter petals in concentric circles.

When your petals are covering the whole circle, add a dollop of glue in the center and poke the center piece into it — like you’re putting a cherry on top!

Gently expand the petals by pulling them out like an accordion, to create curved forms.

Planters Gardening Outdoor Decor Unique Gifts Outdoor Plants Houseplants Classes Gift Cards 10120 N Division

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INSTRUCTIONS

FLOWER CENTERS For a fluffy center, create a fringe using a small length of crepe paper folded in half lengthwise. Then cut tiny slits along one edge. Roll the slip into a cylinder.

To make stamen as seen in flowers like crocuses, use a slightly wider length of crepe paper and cut the fringes a bit farther apart. Then twist each fringe between your fingers.

PETALS The shape of the petals is up to you!

Do be aware that you’ll want to orient your petal so that the grain of the paper allows the cut paper petal to widen outward instead of lengthwise — like an accordion.

Have fun experimenting with different shapes and colors.

Make a bunch of petals that range in length.

LEAVES Cut petal shapes from card stock and book pages. I even added some leaves cut from the newsprint — get creative! Pinking shears add an interesting texture.

Glue the petals on the back of the cardstock circle so that they stick out from under the petals.

Y

ou can use these flowers for so many things. Glue to a headband or hat. Add a pin to the back of one to create a fun accessory. They are also a great addition to a wrapped gift, tied on the stem of a bottle of wine or plopped on top of a jar of homemade jam.

— DIANE HOLM AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023

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Catch a Grizzly football game at The Missoula Club, treat yourself to pastries at Bernice’s Bakery or nosh on some fast-casual fare from Five on Black Brazilian Grill while you’re in downtown Missoula.

Boomtown Missoula retains its charm through rapid evolution STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAN NAILEN

W

hen I moved to Missoula 30 years ago, the western Montana city was a mix of transplanted outdoors enthusiasts, college students and native (and Native) Montanans all enjoying life in a politically progressive town that we all considered one of America’s best-kept secrets.

Suffice to say, the secret is out. Between the fictional Montana popularized by Yellowstone, and the all-too-real population boom led by folks fleeing the big city for a better quality of life, Missoula is barely recognizable, physically at least, from the version

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I fell in love with in the early ’90s. Thankfully, Missoula retains some of its funky magic among its new buildings, and being only three hours east of Spokane when the weather’s good, it’s an ideal spot for an overnight getaway or long weekend.

Late summer and early fall is the best time to explore Missoula, as winters can be harsh and last until nearly July (I’m only slightly exaggerating). The weather is never better than late summer, and visitors should aim to find a place to stay within walking distance of HIGGINS AVENUE, a downtown north-south stretch that holds

a pleasing blend of old and new among its restaurants, bars and shopping outlets.

There is plenty to draw you away from downtown, from concerts at the KETTLEHOUSE AMPHITHEATER a few miles east of town to biking, hiking and ziplining at SNOWBOWL ski resort just north a bit. But you can stay on or around Higgins — in a hotel, motel or Airbnb — and never need your car between when you pull into Missoula and when you leave.

At the north end of Higgins every Saturday morning through October, you’ll find the MISSOULA FARMERS MARKET,

SEPTEMBER 24

STREET OF DREAMS. AVENUES OF HOPE. Join us for the inaugural running of The Boulevard Race! The 4-mile run/walk will travel along Spokane’s best downtown streets and by your favorite city landmarks, all while raising money for the fight against cancer. now in its 51st year. Grab a cup of coffee from BREAK ESPRESSO nearby and enjoy an impressive blend of produce, baked goods and organic meats while live bands provide a soundtrack. If arts and crafts is more your scene, the MISSOULA PEOPLE’S MARKET is open concurrently with the farmers market just a few blocks south, where local makers have offered an array of clothing, candles, soaps and more since 1998.

Strolling south toward the Clark Fork River that runs through downtown, the architecture retains the vibes of old Missoula, but there are a slew of new hotels and high-end shopping spots — not to mention breweries and recreational cannabis shops — that make it clear this town is experiencing a new era.

That sense is certainly captured in the culinary scene. Three decades ago, you never would have found a place like the excellent fast-casual Brazilian outpost FIVE ON BLACK, or the upscale Mexican spot THE CAMINO, offering a slew of mezcal and tequila cocktails alongside its ceviche, tostadas and tacos. For breakfast, two Missoula staples that have been around for decades will satisfy your morning needs. BERNICE’S BAKERY, just to the south of the Clark Fork about a block off Higgins, has the best coffee in town and a stunning array of pastries, croissants and quiches if lighter ...continued on next page

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Paddlers take on Brennan’s Wave at Caras Park.

Rockin' Rudy's features clothing, gifts and records.

The newly redesigned Missoula Public Library

“BOOMTOWN,” CONTINUED... fare is your thing. The CATALYST, on the other hand, is perfect for those who love a hearty start to the day, offering buckwheat waffles, chilaquiles (a Mexican breakfast casserole) and giant omelets.

Pro tip: Be sure to get a side of the green chile pepperjack potato casserole no matter what you choose for breakfast.

CARAS PARK abuts the Clark Fork River and hosts a number of community events several nights a week while also housing the city’s carousel. On Aug. 25-26, Caras hosts the RIVER CITY ROOTS FESTIVAL, a free folk and bluegrass extravaganza this year headlined by Mississippi blues legend Super Chikan (Aug. 25)

and bluegrass royalty the Travelin’ McCourys (Aug. 26). On Sept.

9, the MAVERICK BREWFEST raises money for youth sports in town while offering samples of Montana’s vast array of microbreweries. Even when there’s nothing official happening in Caras, you can be sure there will be boaters in the river riding “BRENNAN’S WAVE,” constructed in 2001 in honor of a world-class local kayaker who died while paddling in Chile. Watching these river surfers take turns playing in the wave is a soothing-yet-exciting experience even for those of us who like to keep ourselves on shore.

In September, the University of Montana Grizzlies’ home foot...continued on page 34

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Members Zac T. & Hannah H. Paid for participation.

“They are banking with— and for—the community.”

See what it means to belong to BECU. All Pacific NW residents are eligible to join.

becu.org/community Federally insured by NCUA

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023

33

“BOOMTOWN,” CONTINUED...

Try a cone of huckleberry ice cream at the Big Dipper.

ball games draw more than 25,000 fans to campus, and tailgating along the Clark Fork is an experience unlike any other in the Big Sky Conference. There are Griz games Sept. 2, Sept. 16 and Sept. 30 this fall, and a pop in at the MISSOULA CLUB downtown is a must for even casual football fans.

Cheap drinks and historic photos of the teams of yesteryear fill this spot that seems trapped in time.

If you don’t care about football and need to fill your time while your friends or family are at the game, shopping on the “hip strip” stretch of Higgins and in the nearby neighborhood offers plenty of options. ROCKIN’ RUDY’S has evolved from a record store into a massive emporium full of hip clothing, gag gifts, cool toys and, yes, records. Be sure to stop for a cone at BIG DIPPER ICE CREAM between shops. NOTEWORTHY PAPER & PRESS offers playful notecards and stationary reflecting the owners’ love of art, literature and the outdoors, and nearby SHAKESPEARE & CO. bookstore hosts

Reason #1 to Choose Fairwood Retirement Village Nothing can compare to our beautiful greenspaces!

Call 509.467.2365 for a tour or to request information.

Watch our guided video tour at www.fairwoodretirement.com Located at 312 W Hastings Rd Spokane WA, Off Highway 395 in Beautiful North Spokane

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Browse a selection of notecards and stationery at Noteworthy Paper & Press. a steady stream of author events. Missoula is a literary town, and the recently redesigned MISSOULA PUBLIC LIBRARY is worth a stop. And Sept. 6-9 the library will host the MONTANA BOOK FESTIVAL, an event that in recent years has seen appearances by James Lee Burke, Jane Smiley, Rick Bass and more.

Missoula might be unrecognizable if you haven’t visited in a while, but happily it’s still full of people thrilled to be living in one of the most beautiful areas of the country, and that infectious positivity rubs off on visitors pretty quickly. It’s certainly worth a three-hour drive to experience.

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WHERE TO SHOP

AUNTIE’S BOOKSTORE

BY SUMMER SANDSTROM

S

ince 1978, Auntie’s Bookstore has been a landmark literary destination for locals and visitors in Spokane’s downtown core.

With a wide selection of literature from local and regional authors and other publications spanning across a myriad of genres, the independent bookstore strives to constantly provide the region something new and enriching to pick up and read.

Auntie’s Bookstore also has a used book section upstairs, where you can buy from their selection or bring in your own previously read items anytime Sunday through Thursday from noon to 5 pm.

“It’s been open for about a year, but a lot of people still don’t know about that,” says Teri Ness, Auntie’s Bookstores events coordinator.

Each month, they hold a variety of events and opportunities, such as their nine

book clubs, frequent book readings and signings, and storytimes for young bibliophiles.

Recently, they began holding Mermaid Storytime events for kids to come hang out with local finned friends from the Spokane Merfolk Pod as they read children’s books.

Auntie’s Bookstore’s events highlight many local authors, such AUNTIE’S as their BOOKSTORE employee J.T. Great402 W. Main Ave. house who auntiesbooks.com is releasing The Pattern of the World, the final addition to his Pact and Pattern trilogy (for more info, see page 7, “Fantasy Finale”), which follows a young boy in the Empire of Sien as he harnesses his magical abilities and works to fight against the oppressive systems in the realm.

With thousands of books lining its

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

shelves, Auntie’s Bookstore’s tries to bring in a variety of recent publications each season, such as Lora Senf’s novels The Clackity and The Nighthouse Keeper, her new novel that will be released in October.

Auntie’s carries a plethora of wildlife and nature focused books, such as Around the Ocean in 80 Fish and Other Sea Life by Helen Scales, an illustrated book detailing sea creatures and their stories, and What an Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackerman, which explores the history and lives of the curious birds.

Ness runs the monthly science and nature book club which meets the first Tuesday of the month and will be reading Fen, Bog and Swamp by Annie Proulx, which details climate change and its impacts on wetlands.

“We just have so many different kinds of reading materials here,” she says. “We just have a very wide variety of topics, genres, formats, and it’s cool to just come in here and look around.”

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MORE TO CHECK OUT local and regional history books with options from local authors, used paperbacks, and children’s books. Plus, they have a wide selection of fun knickknacks and eclectic collections of music, so you’ll be sure to find something you can’t find at other stores while perusing the aisles.

WISHING TREE BOOKS PHOTO

WISHING TREE BOOKS 1410 E. 11th Avenue

While driving through the Perry District, a lilac house with a bright red door is bound to catch your eye. Inside lies Wishing Tree Books and their unique selection of children’s books and gifts, with shelves lined with young adult literature and adult fiction and nonfiction farther back in the store. They put on a variety of events, including toddler and preschooler storytimes, meet-and-greets to engage with the community, and an upcoming discussion with Kate Lebo and Alexis M. Smith about writing and publishing in the region. Looking for something new to read? Check out children’s book Plants to the Rescue! by Vikram Baliga for an illustrative deep dive into climate change, or Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef for a captivating fantastical read.

CORNER DOOR FOUNTAIN AND BOOKS 3301 N. Argonne Road, Millwood

It’s no surprise that a bookstore with an old-timey feel and a soda fountain standing toward the front of the store would be located in the Millwood Historic District. And with ice cream and a variety of food options, you can grab a bite to eat while reading through your newly purchased literature. Equally fitting, Corner Door Fountain and Books primarily sells

The Well-Read Moose ALYCIA LOVELL PHOTO

THE WELL-READ MOOSE 2048 N. Main Street, Coeur d’Alene

With thousands of books spanning from New York Times bestsellers to classic and timeless stories, plus a variety of unique and local finds, you’ll be sure to find something you enjoy at The Well~Read Moose.

The bookstore sends out a monthly newsletter listing new arrivals and upcoming events, such as Daniel James Brown’s discussion of his book Facing the Mountain or William Kent Krueger’s discussion of his book The River We Remember on Sept. 14. Plus, you can join one of their monthly book groups, which meet either in the mornings or evenings.

You can also sign up for subscription boxes with staff selected books and items curated to your personal taste. (SUMMER SANDSTROM)

The Wyeths | Three Generations Works from the Bank of America Collection

Through August 20 N. C. Wyeth (American, 1882–1945), Eight Bells 1937 (detail ) Oil on hardboard

This exhibition has been loaned through the Bank of America Art in our Communities® program. © 2023 Bank of America Corporation.

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Eat Tacos for Joy

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Dos Gordos’ boisterous take on Mexican food might change your life STORY BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM PHOTOS BY YOUNG KWAK

kitchen to make sure the french fries are prepped, the tomatoes are fresh, and the pork shoulder is marinated long enough.

Eating at Dos Gordos is an opportunity to experience what caring about others tastes like. But be careful: Actually tasting your food can change your life.

“I don’t know how to teach someone to taste food,” Callahan says. “I think you just have to have something good enough that you’re like, ‘Oh, man.’ I’ve seen people eat food that I’ve made. I’ve watched their first bite. And I’ve seen that look where they go…”

Callahan mimics an ecstatic moment, glancing upward then closing his eyes, shaking his head, and leaning forward on his hands like a moment of prayer.

Chef CJ Callahan

C

hef CJ Callahan’s first specialty was cinnamon toast. He was 9 years old, cooking for his sisters while his mom served tables at a seafood restaurant in Arkansas.

Take a piece of white bread. Spread evenly with butter. Layer carefully with sugar first, then cinnamon (never mixed).

Put it under the broiler. Watch out because the back burns hot — rotate the toast after four minutes to ensure it browns evenly.

Make every piece look the same. Make your sisters very happy.

Though his repertoire has expanded, Callahan never lost his meticulous, almost obsessive, care for food and people. Previously the executive chef at Hogwash Whiskey Den in downtown Spokane, Callahan now heads Dos Gordos Tacos and Tequila, a Mexican-esque destination for carnitas and margaritas in Spokane’s northern Wandermere neighborhood. His mission is simple: Get people to “eat for joy.”

“Some people just eat to survive,” Callahan says. “Very few people taste their food and think about it. So much blandness exists, [but] when they experience real flavor, they don’t want anything else.”

C

allahan is Mexican and Irish, an Arkansas native with over a decade of experience in downtown Chicago, trained to cook at a Holiday Inn buffet and a premier Belgian-inspired kitchen.

When One Tree Hard Cider decided to open Dos Gordos, they asked Callahan to design its menu around tacos. The chef promised the food would be just as deliciously confused as he is.

In a brick strip mall between a tanning salon and a physical therapy clinic, Callahan is cooking up a whole new experience.

Fried chicken in a tortilla. Tens of bottles of top shelf tequila and mezcal, but also a kids’ menu. Carnitas, chorizo and pico de gallo, but also rendered duck fat, roasted fingerling potatoes, and mushroom conserva (a type of pickled mushrooms).

“There’s so many ways to lean into the flavors and the cuisine that are nontraditional but motherf---ing delicious,” he says.

“In the South, we have comfort food. No matter what techniques you use, the food makes you satisfied.”

For Callahan, the best way to make food satisfying is to satisfy the people making it.

M

ost people who eat for joy have had a conversion experience like this. Callahan’s was as that 9-year-old boy in Arkansas, who took a break from cinnamon toast when his mom brought home dinner from the restaurant. “​​My mom let me eat steak and shrimp,” he says. “But she wouldn’t let me cook it over medium. She’s like, ‘It has to be medium or less — all the flavor is lost when you cook it.’ At the time, I was like, ‘I don’t know why but OK.’ It was juicy. It was delicious. She gave me what in Arkansas was probably a bougie palate for a 9-year-old.”

Callahan’s mom would also bring home food from a local Mexican place called Chiquitas. His favorite dish was the “Chiquita Chilada,” a soft tortilla enchilada smothered in cheese sauce and childhood nostalgia.

“To this day, when I go to Arkansas,

I want that comfort, that feeling to be expressed on a menu.

“It translates to people for me, because I’ve lived away from my family for so long,” he says. “There’s no substitute for family, but I sought family within the workplace. My kitchen staff is always the tightest knit group I can form. I want them to know that when they come to work — work is a way to get away from this bullshit life.”

Someone who is well cared for will care about their job. They’ll take the extra time to dredge the fried chicken by hand.

They won’t serve burnt elotes, the famous Mexican street corn. They’ll stay in the

I eat there three times every trip,” Callahan says. “I want that comfort, that feeling to be expressed on a menu.”

So far, it seems like people are starting to feel the love. Despite the new concept and the funky location, Callahan is already recognizing regulars in his dining room.

“That means a lot,” he says. “It means that people are recognizing the quality, recognizing the care or recognizing what we’re doing. And they want to be a part of it. They want to come in and support us and eat a really good meal.”

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023

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TRY IT YOURSELF

Duck Fat Carnitas

A NOTE FROM CHEF CALLAHAN: Carnitas, or ‘little meats,’ are a staple in Mexican cuisine. There are various cooking techniques, depending on where you’re eating them. For the most part, carnitas are braised, slow roasted, or stewed in lard. At Dos Gordos we do them a little bit differently. We use two types of fat to cook ours — pork fat and the difference maker, rendered duck fat. (Hence the name, “Dos Gordos,” which literally means “two fats.”) Duck fat can be found at most grocery stores.

This is a super easy recipe, and carnitas can be eaten in tacos, burritos, on nachos, or with eggs.

All they need is your favorite hot sauce and some good cherry tomato pico de gallo. I like to cure the pork overnight, but in a pinch it can just be generously seasoned.

INGREDIENTS: • 5 pounds pork butt or shoulder, cut into 3 inch cubes • 1 cup kosher salt • 1 cup sugar • ¼ cup ground black pepper • 1 cinnamon stick • 1 bay leaf • 1 orange, halved • 1 white onion, halved • 4 cups duck fat, pork fat, bacon fat, or whatever fat you want to cover the pork • Cheese cloth

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DIRECTIONS: 1. Combine the salt, sugar, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Toss the cubed pork into the bowl and mix around just enough to have the cure stick to the pork. Place in a pan and refrigerate overnight.

3. Melt fat in a large pot. Cut your orange in half and squeeze the juice into the fat. Place cinnamon, bay leaf, orange and onion in cheesecloth and wrap up into a sachet.

4. Add cured pork to the fat, along with your flavorful sachet.

5. Bring fat and pork to a little roll and turn down to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 2½ hours.

6. After 2½ hours, increase the heat slightly to brown the pork a little and finish cooking for another 1½ hours or until the pork is completely tender.

7. Remove the pork from the fat and serve how you wish.

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CHEF’S NOTE: “I recommend a hot sauce — as spicy as you can handle — to cut into the fattiness of the pork and the brightness of the pico. We use a salsa de arbol.”

— RECIPE COURTESY OF DOS GORDOS CHEF CJ CALLAHAN

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41

Brewing on the Bluff Wildland Cooperative brings environmentally conscious beer, and more, to Green Bluff

BY WILL MAUPIN

N

Michael Townshend and Vanessa Swenson operate Wildland Cooperative. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS

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ot yet 2 years old, Wildland Cooperative may seem like a newcomer to Green Bluff, but the people behind this brewery, winery, farm and market have deep roots in the community.

Brewing at Wildland Cooperative is done by Michael Townshend, while his wife, Vanessa Swenson, handles the more customer-facing aspects of the business. The two previously managed the Townshend Cellars tasting room on the property, which was originally founded by Michael’s father.

Mount Spokane dominates the view through the large glass windows of their newly remodeled taproom, which feels appropriate for the couple who first met just down the hill at Mt. Spokane High School.

“We’re very fortunate to be on Green Bluff, to be able to live on Green Bluff and to work on Green Bluff. It really is a privilege. We want to try to honor the land a lot and give back to the community in a way if we can,” says Townshend.

Aspects of how they are honoring the land and community are reflected in the name itself. Wildland Cooperative is worker-owned, and their farming practices are no-till and organic.

For their small-batch beers, Townshend uses ingredients from LINC Malt, another local cooperative. For the strawberry kettle sour that was on tap earlier this summer, the strawberries came from another Green Bluff grower, Walters’ Fruit Ranch. The fresh hop beer set for this fall will feature hops grown right behind the taproom.

There is a seven-barrel brewing system in the works, but for now, Wildland Cooperative’s beers are brewed on a truly micro level with a one-barrel system. While it may lack size, it allows for constant experimentation.

“To be honest, [we’re] just throwing anything at the wall right now,” says Townshend. “I’m doing a kettle sour series. It’s strawberry for now, and I just pressed a bunch of pie cherries because I’m going to do a cherry sour next. When there’s seasonal fruit from other farms up here, we’re trying to use local fruit and ingredients wherever possible. A raspberry wheat. Something peach in the future.”

For the less adventurous palates, old standbys like pale ales, ambers and IPAs are in the regular rotation as well.

The taproom also offers wine by Townshend Cellars but with varieties exclusive to Wildland Cooperative. As part of their environmentally conscious approach to business, they offer growler, or “wowler,” fills of their wines.

“We do a pretty significant savings when you fill up your wowler, because the whole idea is to reuse it many, many times. And it saves us from having to buy bottles and corks and then have to throw it all away,” says Townshend.

T

he local focus extends beyond their beverage offerings as well.

Just inside the taproom entrance is a small market area stocked with artisan-made goods from T-shirts and jewelry to craft salts and spices and even prints from local artists like Swenson.

“Vanessa’s an artist, and she sells it from here,” Townshend says.

“One of the things we really wanted to do is highlight local artists up here and do our best to provide really fair commission rates.”

THE DAILY BEAST

THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL

Like the rest of the Green Bluff community, business at Wildland Cooperative is heavily influenced by the seasons and the ability of customers to make the trip up from Spokane. The tasting room is open Friday through Sunday from May through December. While that may seem late into the winter, well past the fall harvest rush that brings the largest crowds of the year to the area, there’s still reason to make the trip up at that time.

On top of everything else they have going on, Wildland Cooperative operates a 20-acre Christmas tree farm on the property.

“One thing I’ve had to learn is to adjust to the seasonality of a farm business. You have to just change your whole perception about what work is and when work is. Right now, it’s summertime. A lot of people are going to the lake all the time. Well, I’m going out pulling weeds and mowing,” Townshend says with a laugh. “Which I love because it’s on land that I love and I get to be in a beautiful spot.”

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023

43

WHERE TO DINE

SORELLA STORY BY CHEY SCOTT | PHOTOS BY YOUNG KWAK

A

fter nearly two decades in the hospitality industry, Lauren Blumenthal knows the way a restaurant makes guests feel is as crucial as how good the food is. So for Sorella, the restaurant she opened in Kendall Yards this spring, Blumenthal envisioned a space that’s chic and moody, but also relaxed and modern.

It’s a setting that elegantly complements the traditional Italian fare served there. While an opulent color palette of deep teal and gold give Sorella a high-end feel, homier touches include a massive gallery wall and vintage silverware and dishes used for service. The restaurant’s design was brought to life with the help of designer Deanna Goguen of Designology Luxury Interiors.

Crafting Sorella’s menu was a collaboration between Blumenthal and executive chef Justin Klauba, whose resume includes Honey Eatery & Social Club in Coeur d’Alene. Klauba’s fine-tuning resulted in a concise but varied collection of traditional appetizers courses — whipped ricotta, a salumi selection and bone marrow with black garlic — followed by salads, handmade pasta and protein-centric entrees. Among the eight different pasta dishes is an inky black nero, SORELLA zesty limone and the spicy-as-you-like 1122 W. Summit Parkway vodka sauce. Heartier entrees include sorellaspokane.com osso buco, veal or chicken parmigiana, and a porterhouse steak that serves two.

Sorella’s wine list includes more than 65 bottles, with the majority imported from Italy.

“Obviously there are amazing Washington and Oregon producers, but I wanted to stick to wines that I really like on a personal level, and I wanted to use it as an opportunity to introduce people around here to Italian wine,” Blumenthal says.

With that in mind, she added a QR code on the wine list that diners can scan for personal recommendations.

Even though “a varietal may sound foreign to you, it’s just like these other things that you may enjoy,” she says. “Knowledge is power, and I just want people to learn, whether they’re an employee or a guest.”

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Health& Home

MORE TO CHECK OUT BRGR HOUSE

411 N. Nettleton Street Previously the chef and owner of Park Lodge Restaurant, Philip Stanton has replaced the fine dining concept with his newest innovation, BRGR House. The new, more approachable eatery offers only burgers and fries, plus the obligatory beers and cocktails.

Far from limiting themselves, Stanton sees this as the perfect step for his team’s passion for creativity and excellence, plus his neighborhood’s love for quality and sustainability.

His chefs use an open flame Argentinian grill, fueled by apple and cherry wood. The menu design still relies on boxes of seasonal produce and minimally processed meats. Stanton grows his own herbs in a garden right off the patio, including a pineapple sage plant that’s over five years old.

Thick classic burgers and small but mighty smash burgers are served with different combos of cheese, veggies and the house’s secret “brgr sauce.”

Stanton may have found the way to combine his passion and creativity with a relaxed, low-barrier experience. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM)

OVER 800 WHISKEYS ON THE WALL

A TRULY UNIQUE WHISKEY & RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE

SHELBY’S BURGERS

4241 Cheney Spokane Road Susan Shelby, owner of Latah Bistro, Latah Latte, and Wine & Taps, now opens Shelby’s Burgers, an authentic, retro smashburger dive.

After two years of scouring LA for the best smashburger secrets, Shelby opened her roller-derby-chic diner on June 12, offering a sassy, saucy, fast-casual dining experience to Eagle Ridge and beyond.

The smash burgers are “laces-out,” meaning the patty is so paper-thin that the lacey edges caramelize on the hot griddle.

In true diner fashion, Shelby’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a few non-burger options for each, like eggs and bacon, ERICK DOXEY PHOTO plant-based “chicken” or hot dogs. T-shirts and stickers with edgy vintage vibes, like a 1950s housewife smeared with ketchup saying “Don’t tell my husband,” or a girl with a burger peeking out from her skirt stamped “Hot Buns,” are also available for purchase. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM)

ZOZO’S SANDWICH HOUSE

2501 N. Monroe Street While they love traveling to do things, Jen Hesseltine and her husband, Aaron, also love to travel to eat things, especially sandwiches.

From Philadelphia’s cheesesteaks and roast pork, to chicken cutlets in New York and the Chicago beef, delicious deli offerings have been some of the highlights of their trips. So it made sense to emulate that style when they opened Zozo’s Sandwich House (named for their dog, Zoey) in the old Azars building on Monroe this spring. “We knew there was a niche for it,” Hesseltine says.

They roast some of their own meats, including the beef for their signature Monroe St. Dip and the Zozo’s Cheesesteak, which also features house-made cheese whiz. Staff also hand bread every pork and chicken cutlet, while the other premium meats and cheeses come from Boar’s Head. Most of Zozo’s bread is baked locally by Yoke’s, and the soups and sides are made fresh, including the popular dill pickle pasta salad, which features a creamy dressing with finely chopped pickles and chunks of cheddar. Open from 8 am to 3 pm, they recently added all-day breakfast options to the mix. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

Check Out Our Whiskey Club 524 W Main Ave, Downtown Spokane thepurgatory.com

SPOKANE’S BEST WINE BAR

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45

G

reg Forsyth is eager to talk about the new Carla Peperzak Middle School. It’s mid-July, and the site is abuzz with workers both inside and out. The school’s Palouse-inspired golden brick design can catch visitors off-guard as it seamlessly emerges from the landscape just off 63rd and Regal on the South Hill.

There’s still plenty that needs to be done outside; inside, bundles of wiring are still visible. Floors have yet to be laid. Roughed in plywood surfaces are plentiful. Nonetheless, an open design flooded with natural light featuring breathtaking views from all those windows is taking shape.

With the school set to open in weeks, Forsyth, the district’s director of capital projects, is standing in the unfinished entry space, wearing the still-mandatory hard hat and fluorescent yellow vest. He is calm, smiling even.

“As we say, the students will come, we will be open and education will happen.”

F

Greg Forsyth is in charge of numerous Spokane Public Schools building projects. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS

Learning on the Job Spokane Public School’s Greg Forsyth works to ensure the district’s new building’s inspire learning within

BY ANNE McGREGOR 46

Health& Home

orsyth’s steady demeanor is perhaps a bit surprising: He’s overseeing not just the construction at Peperzak, but also the brand new Sacajawea Middle School that is rapidly rising behind its freshly demolished old building, also on track to open in a few weeks. Then there are the two schools currently in the design phase.

And the construction of downtown’s new ONE Spokane stadium is also scheduled to open later this fall. Oh, and about $6 million of seasonal work is also underway.

For Forsyth, the projects are a reflection not only of thoughtful design and careful workmanship, but also, taken as a whole, an expression of the district’s commitment to students. How education happens in these new schools is something he’s steadfastly worked to advance.

Forsyth wasn’t always in the construction business. After attending WSU, he started his career as a math teacher at Lewis and Clark, but after six years he left to work with his wife’s family business.

Fifteen years later, he returned to education, teaching at Rogers, a high school with ample family connections. His dad graduated from Rogers and taught there — the baseball field is even named after him. Later, Forsyth’s daughter also taught at Rogers, marking three generations.

After voters passed a school bond in 2003, as a Rogers teacher Forsyth got involved in the design of the school’s new building. That ultimately led to his role as director of capital projects.

“Every day, people ask me, ‘How did you end up doing this?’ I can’t answer it,”

The wheat-hued brick exterior and metal accents of Carla Peperzak Middle School were inspired by the building site’s expansive views of Palouse farms and wheatfields. he says. “I feel fortunate. I feel I get to work with great people that care about student learning, student success and relationships, [who] worry about kids, worry about families. And we look for opportunities to make those things better.”

Though he’s reticent to talk about himself — he likes to spend time with family, takes part in competitive walking and facilitates a few classes at church — he is laser-focused when describing the collaborative process involved in the construction of school buildings. Teachers, district administrators, design teams — Integrus architecture at Peperzak — and parents all contributed ideas to the project plans. There’s one other group he wanted to reach out to for help with middle schools: the students.

“We spoke to kids. We asked them some questions. ‘Do you like to play?’ ‘Yes, we do.’ They’re 12 years old, right? They still want to play. Now they don’t want to play necessarily on some of the toys that ENHANCED ASSISTED LIVING HOME HEALTH CARE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

they played on at five years old. So they look a little different.”

Thus, a playground, notable for its extra-springy surface and rugged, larger-scale equipment, rises up right in front of Peperzak.

Then he says they asked current middle schoolers: “‘What in this school is yours?’”

The only thing kids could come up with was their backpacks.

That was a problem. “We needed to create some ownership, and we want them to love and grow in this school. So you’ll see kid-centered areas within this building that allow kids to gather in groups and build relationships — with adults and with each other.”

For example, the “nutrition commons” opens onto a sensory courtyard. “It’s for some of our special needs students — and for every student— but it was built with those students in mind. We want everyone to have learning spaces and everyone to

have adaptable learning. And so this is something that’s been built into the last four of our middle schools. I’m really proud of it. I think it shows our outreach and our growth in understanding and learning.”

Nearby is the “learning stair,” where students can sit for lunch. “They’ll be able to eat on that stair — which if you know kids, they like to sit on the floor.” Then it’s an easy stroll to the library – now called a “learning commons.”

“So our libraries are a little different now,” says Forsyth. “They don’t have any walls.” There’s also no checkout counter.

It’s on the honor system. “If someone takes a book, I guarantee we’re okay with that,” says Forsyth, noting the library, which will have about 7,000 books, is also in a partnership with Spokane Public Libraries, offering access to many thousands of books.

Choir and band rooms, career tech education spaces, a woodshop and maker space all feature interior windows so kids passing by might be inspired to give these new things a whirl.

“We want our middle schoolers to experience all different aspects of learning,” says Forsyth, “so when they go to high school, they’ll be aware of more choices.”

A

s tradesmen and women quietly go about their work in the building, Forsyth reflects: “One of the things that I’m really excited about is we’ve worked with these contractors for 20 years, and I’ve seen people go from carpenter to carpenter foreman to superintendents…

We hire very qualified people. We expect excellence, and they are.

“These buildings are a compilation of a lot of people’s efforts and a lot of good ideas, a lot of different thought processes,” he continues. “I enjoy the fact that I understand how schools work. And I’ve been able to experience that on multiple levels along the way.”

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