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VOL. 31, NO. 13 | COVER ILLUSTRATION: DERRICK KING

COMMENT 5 8 NEWS COVER STORY 14 24 CULTURE

FOOD 28 SCREEN 30 MUSIC 32 EVENTS 36

38 I SAW YOU 40 GREEN ZONE BULLETIN BOARD 43

EDITOR’S NOTE

I

f there’s one word to describe the year behind us, it’s probably — unfortunately — war. The continued invasion of Ukraine. The ongoing brutality in Gaza. The cold civil war here in the U.S. that feels like it’s just heating up everyday, especially if you watch cable news.

Speaking of cable news and their corporate overlords, there’s plenty of other non-corporate and non-mainstream news you may not have heard about. Whether it’s the “forever chemicals” infiltrating our waterways, the longstanding institutional failure to protect Americans from toxic chemicals, the sham of environmental offsets, or the insidious power of fossil fuel companies, the assault on the natural world by unregulated industry and unfettered capitalism goes on. It’s clear that we are far from having a secure future. Of course, there are other stories in this year’s installment of PROJECT CENSORED. And there are more stories to come, as we preview in this week’s News section. The good news? You hold in your hands a free (non-corporate) locally owned weekly newspaper.

— NICHOLAS DESHAIS, editor

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EDITORIAL

WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH IN 2024?

CHRIS ASPENWALL

I’d like to get into medical school. I graduated [from college] last year and I’m currently applying. I have an interview with University of Washington next week.

Nicholas Deshais (x239) EDITOR

Chey Scott (x225) ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Seth Sommerfeld (x250)

Do you know what you’d like to go into in the medical field?

Primary care seems interesting, but I also want to just experience it and I’ll see what happens.

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STEPHANIE FOSBACK

I hope that I have a more sustainable work-life balance. I’m a physician.

What do you think that might look like as far as more balance for you?

More time with my family, and also more availability to my patients, so probably a little bit of both. That’s really what we’re trying to achieve every day.

KIMI EMERSON

A healthier lifestyle, making better choices.

What’s something fun that could help you feel like you’ve met that goal?

Probably just more walks… Oh, bike rides!

Going outside more.

Do you like going on the Chipman Trail?

I have a long time ago, but not recently.

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MAGNOLIA EMERSON

I have a fear of cutting my hair, so I’ve made a vow that I need to cut my hair next year.

Will you cut it yourself?

Yes, no one else will touch it. I cut other people’s hair for fun, like I cut my roommate’s hair. I’m just scared, but I have to cut a significant amount off. I might get bangs.

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Anything in particular you’re thinking of?

More outdoor adventures with my kiddos, less life logistics (laughs).

Do you like camping or hiking, or…?

Yes, all of the above; rafting, backpacking.

Frank DeCaro (x226) CIRCULATION MANAGER

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Got a genius idea for city leaders? Share it at betterwayspokane.com. ROB MILLER PHOTO

New Year, New Mayor It’s time to look the city of Spokane’s challenges straight in the eyes and find a better way

BY LISA BROWN

I

t was a hot day in June, and I was breaking in my new campaign sneakers knocking on doors near Corbin Park. This pair of shoes would eventually walk most neighborhoods in the city and stand at the doors of voters from Five Mile to Lincoln Heights. That day I heard from voters frustrated about rising homelessness and crime as well as runaway housing costs that were displacing seniors and preventing young families from moving home to Spokane.

These concerns would echo from every corner of the city and ultimately define my campaign.

One of the last voters I met that day was a woman making sandwiches for a nonprofit to distribute to residents living on our streets. We had a spirited conversation where she shared the same concerns about homelessness and

crime as her neighbors, but also embodied an optimism and belief that if we come together and each do our small part, we can make a difference on the issues challenging our community the most.

She is not alone.

Students, faith leaders and families throughout our city told me repeatedly that they are ready to contribute to creating a better Spokane. They are looking to the city to lead. I share their optimism for our community and believe that a better way is truly possible.

I am grateful Spokane voters have entrusted me as their next mayor to help deliver on that

positive vision at City Hall, and I am thankful to Mayor Nadine Woodward for graciously providing the support necessary to ensure a smooth transition.

I

n early December, I convened a transition team of nearly 100 residents to provide immediate and longer-term recommended actions to achieve my administration’s five broad goals: h Enhance public safety and improve the criminal justice system h Improve our health and housing options h Support our families, neighborhoods and diverse communities h Invest in our economy and workforce and small businesses h Build a resilient future to prepare and respond to natural disasters and climate change This team of community leaders, practitioners and individuals with lived experience include homeless service providers, criminal justice system professionals, educators, union members, builders, business owners and leaders from the arts community. This transition process also includes you. If you have an idea or suggestion to help our administration achieve these goals, share it with me and the transition team at betterwayspokane.com. The transition committees will share their recommended actions with me and the City Council in January.

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“Lean in… get involved. This is our ‘roll-up-our-sleeves’ moment. ” I enter city hall acknowledging that significant decisions loom on the horizon. We are facing a structural budget gap with expenses exceeding revenues and the city’s rainy-day reserves depleted. The homeless response system is inadequate to the need, and the cost of housing is burdening nearly a quarter of families in Spokane. Inadequate public safety staffing is leading to burnout, and response rates are not living up to the standards that neighborhoods expect. These deep, complex issues require focus, buy-in from affected communities and communication and cooperation between my administration and City Council.

I campaigned on addressing these problems, and this work begins on day one. However, there is also the need for city government to lead on issues like preparing our youngest Spokane residents for kindergarten through high-quality childcare and early learning, unleashing the full potential of our thriving arts scene and guiding the region’s response to climate change by meeting our own sustainability goals.

The to-do list is long, but the results of this work will make a difference in the lives of all Spokane residents for years to come.

T

he election season may be over, but I hope that you won’t stop paying attention. Lean in, make your voice heard, get involved. This is our “roll-up-our-sleeves” moment.

Whether it’s volunteering with a nonprofit, serving on a city board or commission, joining your neighborhood council or seeking employment with the City of Spokane, there’s a role for you to play in making our city a better place to call home.

An immediate need is for dozens of volunteers to join in the annual Point-in-Time count of our unhoused population. (Visit my.spokanecity/endinghomelessness/point-in-time-count to learn how to volunteer.) It is a count required by the federal government, but it is more than a count. Homeless individuals are interviewed and the information gathered helps us secure needed resources as well as make a plan to bring people inside.

As I begin this journey as your mayor, I feel just as energized and enthusiastic as I did on that hot day knocking on doors back in June. Even more, actually. Because since then I’ve come face to face with the beating heart of our community. I’ve been inspired and motivated by the amazing people who call this city home.

Your hope for the future is infectious. Your belief in our shared future is the secret ingredient to creating a better way. n Lisa Brown starts her tenure as mayor of Spokane this week.

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PREDICTIONS

The Year Ahead

This year will have plenty of ballots for voters to consider.

ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

More voting, a LGBTQ+ survey, dams and other things to expect in 2024

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL, NATE SANFORD AND COLTON RASANEN

I

f you thought last year was a lot, wait till you get a load of the year ahead.

Aside from a presidential race no one is looking forward to, a potentially competitive challenge to U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, ongoing wars in various parts of the globe, the increasing devastation wrought by climate change, the increasing gap between the rich and the poor, and the general distrust we Americans have for one another… let’s just say there’s a lot to prepare for this year.

MORE BALLOTS TO FILL OUT

Tired of elections? Too bad. Washington voters are going to have a lot of bubbles to fill in this year.

The first — Measure 1 — asks voters if they’re OK raising property taxes to fund libraries. If approved, the levy would raise $2.5 million annually for three years.

Next up is Measure 2, which would amend the city charter to change the way City Council district boundaries with the goal of removing City Council influence and perceptions of partisanship from the process. The ballot measure aims to avoid a repeat of last year’s contentious redistricting fiasco.

In August, Spokane voters will once again be asked if they want to raise property taxes. This time, the money would go toward the city’s parks department to fund three new parks, playgrounds, park rangers, maintenance and other expenses. The levy would raise $225 million over 20 years.

Spokane voters will also have a chance to choose Washington’s next governor in August.

Washington has a “top-two” primary system, which means all candidates in every race will appear on the ballot regardless of party affiliation. The top two will move on to the Nov. 5 general election.

As if the parks, library, redistricting and gubernato-

8 INLANDER JANUARY 4, 2024

rial votes weren’t enough to keep track of, 2024 is also a presidential election year. The current guy and the former guy. Or maybe someone else. Who knows! Anything could happen. (NS)

SCHOOLS ON THE BALLOT

There’s more! In February, schools across the Inland Northwest will be placing operational levies and bond measures on the ballot. These decisions come to voters every few years as local public schools hope to maintain funding for specific programs and look to address school infrastructure — in some cases that means building new schools, and in others it means modernizing current schools that may not be in the best shape. Below are a few to expect.

The Spokane Public Schools Board of Directors approved a $200 million bond measure and a $300 million three-year replacement levy to be sent to voters. The levy will maintain student programs that don’t get enough funding from state and federal funds like sports, clubs and intramural programs, according to SPS. The bonds will fund modernization efforts at some middle and high schools and the replacement of two elementary schools.

Unlike levies, which require a simple majority, bonds require 60% voter approval to pass.

Voters in the Central Valley School District can expect two separate levies on their ballots. One is a $137 million three-year educational programs and operations levy, and the other is a $47.5 million six-year capital safety, facilities and technology improvements levy.

The larger levy is around $45 million more than voters approved in 2021, so its fate is unclear. While the school board voted unanimously to put it on the ballot, some school board members worried it would be unappealing to voters experiencing economic strain.

The capital levy is similarly unclear as it has never

been placed on the district’s ballots before. With these funds, the district plans to complete necessary updates in aging schools and introduce more security measures like cameras and alarms.

The Mead School District will be asking its voters to approve a $91 million three-year replacement levy.

Like the other districts, this will help the district maintain funding for some of its programs. According to MSD data, this levy will amount to approximately 14% of the district’s annual operating budget. (CR)

LET’S SAY GAY

Newly released data from UCLA’s Williams Institute identified Washington as one of the gayest states in the nation — nearly 400,000 LGBTQ+ residents make up about 7% of the state’s entire population. This data, however, only looks at population totals and fails to dig any deeper.

Luckily, the Washington State LGBTQ Commission is on it.

Earlier this year, the commission approved a $500,000 award to a team led by Washington State University researcher Traci Gillig, so they could conduct a survey of the state’s LGBTQ+ community. This will be the first survey of its kind in the state and once it’s complete, Gillig plans to use the data to inform further research on the experiences of LGBTQ+ folks across the state, the WSU Insider reports.

Specific survey questions haven’t been nailed down yet, but researchers hope to collect data on health and safety concerns, geographical distribution and economic opportunities. Data collection is set to begin in 2024 with researchers planning to deliver results in 2025. Look forward to Inlander coverage this year on the survey and its potential impact throughout Washington. (CR) ...continued on page 10

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The future of North Idaho College has never been more uncertain than it was in 2023. Early in the year, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Communities issued what was essentially a final warning that stated the college was out of compliance with “eligibility requirements and standards related to its governance.” Then in July, the NWCCU extended that warning — called a show cause sanction — and provided the college with a list of concerns that would need to be addressed.

In November, the NWCCU published its first evaluation report with suboptimal results — namely due to the board of trustees. The commission’s litany is long: NIC still is paying for two presidents. Neither of NIC’s two pending lawsuits had been settled. But, since the report was published, one lawsuit — which saw former Coeur d’Alene City Attorney Mike Gridley challenge the validity of attorney Art Macomber and interim President Greg South’s contracts — has been settled and another has taken its place as President Nick Swayne sued the college again, this time for the release of his employment evaluation. Essentially, the college’s board has not addressed anything it’s been tasked with doing, leaving the NWCCU to conclude little to no progress had been made on its demands of NIC.

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Late last year, the Biden administration announced major new agreements with Pacific Northwest tribes meant to restore salmon runs throughout the Columbia-Snake River Basin.

In September, Biden directed federal agencies to prioritize the restoration of healthy salmon runs in the upper Columbia Basin, where dams installed over the last century have completely blocked salmon passage. The agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the Spokane Tribe of Indians includes $200 million over the next 20 years to continue restoration work.

Lower in the basin, groups have been calling for decades to remove the four lower Snake River dams to ease passage for salmon and other fish.

On Dec. 14, the Biden administration announced another agreement with the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, and the states of Oregon and Washington. Dubbed the “Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative,” the agreement (which addresses federal litigation) will invest $300 million in fish restoration over the next 10 years.

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Plus, the White House announced that the Department of Energy is committed to support one to three gigawatts of clean energy projects sponsored by tribes, bringing the overall investment up to $1 billion. That clean energy infrastructure could replace the dams’ power generation if Congress agrees to breach the lower Snake River dams.

The four dams collectively have the potential to generate about 3,500 megawatts of power, but actually produced up to 2,300 sustained megawatts during peak events like the 2021 heat dome, according to a 2022 study commissioned by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. There are 1,000 megawatts in a gigawatt.

Still, even with the major investments getting underway, the dams won’t be breached this year.

If Congress were to agree to remove the dams tomorrow, the multibillion-dollar effort would take several years to complete. Unfortunately, tribal fisheries programs and environmental groups have pointed out that the endangered fish runs don’t have much time left before they hit their breaking point. (SW)

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This year will likely be even more of a wildcard. The NWCCU has plans for two more visits — one this spring and one in the fall — and with the stagnant state of the first visit report, it’s even more unclear what the next one will look like.

Also, the board’s three-person far-right majority of Todd Banducci, Mike Waggoner and Greg McKenzie will all be up for election this year. The trio is almost always at odds with trustees Tarie Zimmerman and Brad Corkill, meaning only one trustee would need to be replaced to shift the board’s majority. (CR)

No need to use your inside voice.

PFAS CONTAMINATION

By now, many on the West Plains and throughout the Inland Northwest are at least somewhat familiar with the concerning chemicals in the family of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The chemicals have been found contaminating water supplies near Fairchild Air Force Base and Spokane International Airport, largely due to their use in firefighting foam that’s used to put out fuel fires. The suite of chemicals, which unfortunately persist in the environment due to their strong chemical bonds, are also used for a host of applications, from making furniture stain resistant to providing protective layers on food packaging to prevent grease leaking through. Because of the wide use of PFAS in everything from nonstick cookware to rain gear, most people have some amount of the chemicals in their blood. That’s concerning because some of the chemicals bioaccumulate (remaining in the body over time) and are believed to cause cancer and reproductive health issues.

Washington state has tasked its Department of Ecology with identifying safer alternatives that could be used for some products containing PFAS so the state can start banning the chemicals where possible. A draft report on the topic was released in December, and the first regulations are expected to be finalized

by June.

Where safer alternatives for specific products are available, the report suggests restricting the chemicals, such as in all apparel marketed to the public, from athleticwear to menstrual underwear. In other cases, such as with firefighting uniforms, the report suggests requiring manufacturers to simply disclose that the chemicals are being used, because for now there aren’t safer alternatives. (SW)

NEW POLLUTION

People have barely gotten past PCBs (the carcinogenic toxins that are polluting the Spokane River) to learn a little about PFAS in recent years. But if you haven’t picked up on it yet, the latest chemical that’s going to be targeted for pollution reduction is 6PPD-quinone.

What’s that, you say? “Can you stop spouting gibberish?

The alphabet soup is impossible to understand!”

Well, in a nutshell, this recently discovered bad stuff is formed from tire particles.

As you drive around, your tires start to wear down, and those little pieces that come off interact with the environment, ...continued on next page

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The bad news? The Seattle-area researchers who pinpointed the substance in 2020 found that it kills salmon in just hours. To help save fish, automobiles are going to need some new innovations. The Environmental Protection Agency announced in late 2023 that they will soon regulate 6PPD, a chemical that’s added to tires to, ironically, prevent them from wearing down, but which also degrades into the toxic substance 6PPDquinone. (SW)

NEW LEGISLATION

Here are a few pieces of legislation that local elected officials are planning to introduce in 2024.

Council member Zack Zappone says he’s planning to introduce an ordinance — tentatively titled “FamilyFriendly Beer Gardens” — that will basically make it easier for families to bring their kids with them when they visit outdoor beer gardens.

Newly elected Spokane City Council member Paul Dillon says one of the first ordinances he plans to introduce involves creating a process to remove harmful and racist statues on public property — specifically the downtown statue of 19th-century Navy officer John R. Monaghan in downtown Spokane, which has long been criticized by activists for its racist depictions of Samoan people.

The City Council passed an ordinance to create a process to review the statue this summer, but former Mayor Nadine Woodward vetoed it. Now that Mayor Lisa Brown is in office, Dillon thinks it’s time to try again.

12 INLANDER JANUARY 4, 2024

Mayor Lisa Brown. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO Council member Michael Cathcart says he’s planning to focus on reforms to processes at City Hall in 2024 — specifically when it comes to budgeting. He says he’s especially interested in looking at the idea of transitioning Spokane city government to a biennial budget system.

(NS)

FRESH FACES

Spokane City Hall has a lot of vacancies that will need to be filled in 2024.

The biggest and arguably most important position

is the District 2 City Council seat that was vacated by Betsy Wilkerson when she was elected City Council president.

Anyone who has lived in District 2 for more than a year is eligible to apply for the interim appointment, which will last until the next City Council election in November 2025.

Applications for the position close on Jan. 5. The six current council members will conduct interviews in mid-January and plan to vote on the winner by Jan. 22.

Brown will also have to choose a new police chief after former Chief Craig Meidl announced his resignation shortly after her election.

Brown says she’s still consulting with staff on “best practices on police chief searches and what they have looked like in other cities and timelines.” She says she plans to announce the search process soon.

There are a number of other Cabinet-level positions that Brown will have to fill next year. The directors of the city’s Neighborhoods Housing and Human Services Department and Community Housing and Human Services Department both resigned this fall. Finding new leadership for the historically high-turnover departments tasked with homelessness will likely be a challenge. (NS)

ONGOING CHALLENGES

Spokane’s 350-bed homeless shelter on Trent Avenue — also known as the Trent Resource and Assistance Center, or TRAC — will likely be an ongoing subject of debate and consternation in 2024.

“The issue of resolving where we’re headed with TRAC is one thing I’d like to get done early in the year,” Brown says.

During the campaign, Brown frequently criticized

the warehouse shelter as inefficient and inhumane. She said she wanted to wind it down and replace it with something better.

“I hope that we can come up with an alternative, but like I said, I have to get a team,” Brown says. “We have very many vacant positions at high levels at City Hall right now.”

A lack of wildfire infrastructure in Spokane’s Latah Valley will likely be an ongoing concern too. The city has asked the state to help chip in for a much-needed fire station, but it’s unclear if the money will be available during the state Legislature’s short session this year. Dillon says he’s still interested in exploring a potential development moratorium.

Cathcart notes that the budget the City Council passed this fall fails to address many of the city’s long-term financial problems and that sustainable budgeting will also be a key challenge in 2024.

Cathcart says he also hopes to see some of the longstanding communication challenges between the City Council and the mayoral administration addressed this year.

“If we can improve that, have strong communication and no surprises from either side, that would be fantastic,” Cathcart says. “If we’re not all working together, we’re not going to get anything done.”

Brown notes that, despite all the challenges, there’s still a lot to look forward to in 2024. The new Spokane Velocity soccer team. Gonzaga’s new designation as a regional tech hub.

And, of course, Expo ’74.

“There’s going to be some positive, interesting things to work on,” Brown says. (NS)

¿QUÉ DICES?

Probablemente no puede entender esta oración. Es importante tener materiales traducidos, especialmente en las oficinas del gobierno. Quizás Spokane County va a cambiar más este año.

(SW) n

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Abuse and Harm

BY PAUL ROSENBERG SENIOR EDITOR, PROJECT CENSORED ILLUSTRATIONS BY ANSON STEVENS-BOLLEN

Project Censored’s Top 10 stories of 2023 are dominated by environmental destruction and corporate malfeasance

“W

e have made the planet inhospitable to human life.” That’s what the lead researcher in Project Censored’s No. 1 story this year said. He wasn’t talking about the climate catastrophe. He was talking about so-called “forever chemicals,” perand polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), linked to prostate, kidney and testicular cancer and additional health risks, and the study he led found unsafe levels in rainwater worldwide.

Even though this story received some corporate media attention — in USA Today and the Discovery Channel — the starkly shocking bottom line clearly didn’t come through to the general public.

There’s a second story intertwined with the “forever chemicals” pervasive presence: the revelation that companies responsible for them have known about their dangers for decades, but kept those dangers hidden — just like fossil fuel companies and climate catastrophe. The intersection of environmental/public health and corporate criminality is typical of how certain long-standing patterns of censored news weave together across the years, even decades, and how the spotlight Project Censored shines on them helps to make sense of much more than the individual stories it highlights, as vitally important as they are in themselves.

The story’s dual themes — environmental harm and corporate abuse — so dominate the Top 10 story list that they send another message as well, a message about the fundamental mismatch between our needs as a species living on a finite planet and a rapacious economic system conceived in ignorance of that fact. The climate catastrophe is just the most extreme symptom of this mismatch — but it’s far from the only one. Corporate abuse figures into every story in the list — though sometimes deep in the background, as with their decades-long efforts to destroy unions in story number six. Environmental harms “only” show up in seven of the 10 stories.

There are still other patterns here, to be sure — and I encourage you to look for them yourself because seeing those patterns enriches your understanding of the world as it is, and as it’s being hidden from you. But this dominant pattern touches us all. The evidence is right there, in the stories themselves.

14 INLANDER JANUARY 4, 2024

Forever Chemicals Rainwater is “no longer safe to drink anywhere on

Earth,” Morgan McFall-Johnsen reported in Insider in August 2022, summing up the results of a global study of so-called “forever chemicals,” polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Researchers from Stockholm University and the Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics at ETH Zurich concluded that “in many areas inhabited by humans,” PFAS contamination levels in rainwater, surface water and soil “often greatly exceed” the strictest international guidelines for acceptable levels of perfluoroalkyl acids.

They’re called “forever chemicals” because they take so long to break down, “allowing them to build up in people, animals, and environments,” Insider reported. Prior research has linked these chemicals to prostate, kidney, and testicular cancer and additional health risks, including developmental delays in children, decreased fertility in women and men, reduced vaccine efficacy, and high cholesterol.

“PFAS were now ‘so persistent’ and ubiquitous that they will never disappear from the planet,” Lead researcher Ian Cousins, from Stockholm University, told Agence France-Presse. “We have made the planet inhospitable to human life by irreversibly contaminating it now so that nothing is clean anymore. And to the point that it’s not clean enough to be safe.”

The “good news” is that PFAS levels aren’t increasing in the environment. “What’s changed is the guidelines,” Cousins said. “They’ve gone down millions of times since the early 2000s, because we’ve learned more about the toxicity of these substances.”

There’s been limited corporate media coverage that rainwater isn’t safe to drink — specifically from USA Today, the Discovery Channel and Medical News Today. (See the Inlander’s coverage on page 11.) But the general public clearly hasn’t heard the news. However, there’s been more coverage of the series of lawsuits developing in response to PFAS. But the big-picture story surrounding them remains shockingly missing.

Big Tech and Big Brother “Google — one of the largest and most influential organiza-

tions in the modern world — is filled with ex-CIA agents,” Alan MacLeod reported for MintPress News in July 2022.

“An inordinate number of these recruits work in highly politically sensitive fields, wielding considerable control over how its products work and what the world sees on its screens and in its search results.”

But Google isn’t alone. Nor is the CIA. Former employees of US and Israeli intelligence agencies now hold senior positions at Google, Meta, Microsoft and other tech giants. A second report focused on employees from Israel’s Unit 8200, its equivalent of the CIA, which is “infamous for surveilling the indigenous Palestinian population,” MacLeod wrote. Using LinkedIn, he identified hundreds of such individuals from both agencies, providing specific information about dozens of them.

“The problem with former CIA agents becoming the arbiters of what is true and what is false and what should be promoted and what should be deleted is that they cut their teeth at a notorious organization whose job it was to inject lies and false information into the public discourse to further the goals of the national security state,” MacLeod wrote, citing the 1983 testimony of former CIA task force head John Stockwell, author of In Search of Enemies, in which he described the dissemination of propaganda as a “major function” of the agency.

“I had propagandists all over the world,” Stockwell wrote. “We pumped dozens of stories about Cuban atrocities, Cuban rapists [to the media]. … We didn’t know of one single atrocity committed by the Cubans. It was pure, raw, false propaganda to create an illusion of communists eating babies for breakfast.”

“None of this means that all or even any of the individuals are moles – or even anything but model employees today,” MacLeod noted later. But the sheer number of them “certainly causes concern.” ...continued on next page

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Project Censored

Rainforest Carbon Offsets ‘Worthless’ “The forest carbon offsets approved by the world’s

Unregulated Toxic Chemicals The United States is “a global laggard in chemical regulation,” ProPublica reported in December 2022, a result of chemical industry influence and acquiescence by the Environmental Protection Agency over a period of decades, according to reporters Neil Bedi, Sharon Lerner and Kathleen McGrory. A headline example: Asbestos, one of the most widely recognized toxic substances, is still legal in the U.S., more than 30 years after the EPA tried to have it banned.

Through interviews with environmental experts and analysis of a half century’s worth of legislation, lawsuits, EPA documents, oral histories, chemical databases, and regulatory records, ProPublica uncovered the longstanding institutional failure to protect Americans from toxic chemicals.

ProPublica identified five main reasons for failure, but chief among them is the fact that the chemical industry helped write the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. A top EPA official “joked the law was ‘written by industry’ and should have been named after the DuPont executive who went over the text line by line,” ProPublica reported. The law “allowed more than 60,000 chemicals to stay on the market without a review of their health risks” and required the EPA to always choose the “least burdensome” regulations. “These two words would doom American chemical regulation for decades.”

ProPublica also showed that the EPA employs industry-friendly scientists as regulators. “The EPA has a long history of hiring scientists and top officials from the companies they are supposed to regulate, allowing industry to sway the agency’s science from the inside,” ProPublica wrote. A prime example is Todd Stedeford. “A lawyer and toxicologist, Stedeford has been hired by the EPA on three separate occasions,” ProPublica noted. “During his two most recent periods of employment at the agency — from 2011 to 2017 and from 2019 to 2021 — he was hired by corporate employers who use or manufacture chemicals the EPA regulates.”

16 INLANDER JANUARY 4, 2024

Stalkerware and Abortion Bans Stalkerware — consisting of up to 200 surveillance

apps and services that provide secret access to people’s phones for a monthly fee — could become a significant legal threat to people seeking abortions, according to a pair of articles published in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion.

“Abortion medication is safe. But now that Roe is overturned, your data isn’t,” Rae Hodge wrote for the tech news site CNET just two days after the Dobbs decision overturned the nearly 50 year precedent. “Already, the digital trails of abortion seekers can become criminal evidence against them in some states where abortion[s] were previously prosecuted.

And the legal dangers may extend to abortion seekers in even more states.”

The next month, writing for Slate, University of Virginia law professor Danielle Keats Citron warned that “surveillance accomplished by individual privacy invaders will be a gold mine for prosecutors targeting both medical workers and pregnant people seeking abortions.”

Invaders only need a few minutes to access phones and passwords. “Once installed, cyberstalking apps silently record and upload phones’ activities to their servers,” Citron explained. “They enable privacy invaders to see our photos, videos, texts, calls, voice mails, searches, social media activities, locations — nothing is out of reach. From anywhere, individuals can activate a phone’s mic to listen to conversations within 15 feet of the phone,” even “conversations that pregnant people have with their health care providers — nurses, doctors, and insurance company employees.”

The Biden administration has proposed a new rule protecting “certain health data from being used to prosecute both clinicians and patients,” STAT reported in May 2023, but the current draft only applies “in states where abortion is legal.”

leading certifier and used by Disney, Shell, Gucci, and other big corporations are largely worthless and could make global heating worse, according to a new investigation,” the Guardian reported on Jan. 23, as part of joint nine-month reporting project with SourceMaterial and Die Zeit. “The analysis raises questions over the credits bought by a number of internationally renowned companies — some of them have labeled their products ‘carbon neutral’ or have told their consumers they can fly, buy new clothes or eat certain foods without making the climate crisis worse.”

About 90% of rainforest carbon offsets certified by Verra, the world’s largest offset certifier, do not reflect real reductions in emissions. Verra has issued more than 1 billion metric tons worth of carbon offsets and certifies three-fourths of all voluntary carbon offsets.

While Verra claimed to have certified 94.9 million credits, the actual benefits amounted to a much more modest 5.5 million credits. This was based on an analysis of the only three scientific studies to use robust, scientifically sound methods to assess the impact of carbon offsets on deforestation. The journalists also consulted with indigenous communities, industry insiders and scientists.

“The studies used different methods and time periods, looked at different ranges of projects, and the researchers said no modeling approach is ever perfect,” the Guardian wrote. “However, the data showed broad agreement on the lack of effectiveness of the projects compared with the Verra-approved predictions.”

Another study conducted by a team of scientists at the University of Cambridge found that in 32 of the 40 forest offset projects investigated, the claims concerning forest protection and emission reductions were overstated by an average of 400%.

While Verra criticized the studies’ methods and conclusions, an outside expert, Oxford ecoscience professor Yadvinder Singh Malhi, had two doctoral students check for errors, and they found none.

“I wish it were otherwise, but this report is pretty compelling,” he told the Guardian.

The investigations by the Guardian, Die Zeit and SourceMaterial appear to have made a difference. In March 2023, Verra announced that it would phase out its flawed rainforest offset program by mid-2025.

But they could only find one brief mention of the joint investigation in major U.S. newspapers, a Chicago Tribune op-ed.

Unions Won Big Unions won more than 70% of their certification elec-

tions in 2022, according to reporting by NPR and the Conversation, and workers of color were responsible for 100% of union growth, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute reported by Payday Report and the New Republic.

Seventy-one percent of Americans now support unions, according to Gallup — a level of support not seen since 1965. “Dismantling existing barriers to union organizing and collective bargaining is crucial to generating a more prosperous, equitable economy,” EPI concluded.

More than a quarter of 2022 union elections, 354, were held at Starbucks, Marick Masters explained in his January 2023 article for the Conversation. Workers at Starbucks prevailed in four out of every five elections.

Workers at Chipotle, Trader Joe’s and Apple unionized for the first time, while workers at Microsoft and Wells Fargo also had wins.

Union activity spikes during times of social unrest, Masters reported. Unionization rose from 7.6% to 19.2% from 1934 to 1939, during the Great Depression, and from 20% to 27% between 1941 and 1945, during World War II. Masters described the current wave of union activity as driven by record levels of economic inequality and continued mobilization of workers in “essential industries,” such as health care, food, and public safety, who were thrust into harm’s way during the global pandemic.

Despite these gains, the power of organized labor is nowhere close to what it once was. As Masters pointed out, more than a third of workers were unionized in the 1950s, whereas only a 10th were in 2021. Before the 1980s, there were typically more than 5,000 union elections in any given year, and as recently as 1980, there were 200 major work stoppages compared to just 20 in 2022, which was still 25% above the average over the past 16 years.

Corporate media coverage of the labor resurgence of 2022 was highly selective and, in some ways, misleading. There’ve been hundreds of articles on union organizing at Starbucks and Amazon and among graduate students, yet corporate coverage of current labor organizing often fails to address the outsized role played by workers of color in union growth. Nor has it placed recent union successes in the historical context of prolonged decline, largely due to private employers’ heavyhanded efforts to undermine organizing campaigns and labor laws that strongly favor employers. ...continued on next page

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Fossil Fuel Investors Block Climate Regulations “Litigation terrorism.” That’s what Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz called the practice of fossil fuel companies and investors suing governments in secretive private tribunals to thwart climate change policies.

Litigants claim climate change laws undermine their profits, and thus they must be compensated under what’s known as “investor-state dispute settlement,” or ISDS, legal actions, Rishika Pardikar reported for the Lever in June 2022, following a paper in Science by lead author Kyla Tienhaara the month before. It found that “global action on climate change could generate upward of $340 billion in legal claims from oil and gas investors,” which “is more than the total level of public climate finance globally in 2020 ($321 billion).”

A good portion threatens the global south.

“The five countries with the greatest potential losses from ISDS are Mozambique ($731 billion), Guyana ($5-21 billion), Venezuela ($3-21 billion), Russia ($2-16 billion), and the United Kingdom ($3-14 billion),” Tienhaara reported. “If countries decide to also cancel oil and gas projects that are currently under development, this could introduce substantial additional financial losses from ISDS claims.”

In December 2021, Lea Di Salvatore wrote a report for the International Institute for Sustainable Development stating that fossil fuel “investors succeeded in 72% of all cases,” winning an average over $600 million, “almost five times the amount awarded in non-fossil fuel cases.” In addition, secrecy is the rule: “54% of the concluded fossil fuel cases are confidential — while their existence is known, no case-related documents, such as awards or decisions, have been made public.”

While the Independent also reported on ISDS lawsuits, it only briefly touched on the concern that these lawsuits could prevent climate action. Beyond this handful of reports, the topic has received little coverage from major news outlets.

Oil and Gas Extraction Linked to Childhood Leukemia

Two epidemiological studies, from 2021 and 2022, provide new evidence that living near oil and gas extraction sites is hazardous to human health, especially for pregnant mothers and children, as reported by Nick Cunningham for DeSmog and Tom Perkins for the Guardian.

Based on 1996-2009 data for more than 2.8 million pregnant women in Texas, researchers from Oregon State University found that “for those pregnant women within one kilometer of drilling there’s about a 5% increase in odds of gestational hypertension, and 26% increase odds of eclampsia,” researcher Mary Willis told DeSmog. (Eclampsia is a rare but serious condition where high blood pressure results in seizures during pregnancy.) “So, it’s this really close range where we are seeing a potential impact right on women’s health.”

A second study on fracking, from Yale, found that “young children living (within 1.2 miles of) fracking wells at birth are up to three times more likely to later develop leukemia,” according to an August 2022 Guardian story. “Hundreds of chemicals linked to cancer and other health issues may be used in the [fracking] process, including heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, benzene and radioactive material.”

State and local governments have tried to create health buffer zones, but “the oil industry has consistently fought hard to block setback distance requirements,” DeSmog reported.

For example, “in 2018, the oil industry spent upwards of $40 million to defeat a Colorado ballot measure that would have imposed 2,500-foot setback requirements for drillers.” Regulations are so weak that “in Texas, drilling sites can be as close as 45 meters from residences,” Willis told them.

“Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced new proposed rules that would require 3,200-foot setbacks on new oil and gas drilling, which would be the strongest in the nation and aligns with the distance where Willis’s studies find the most serious risks for pregnancies,” DeSmog reported. “But those rules would not affect existing wells.”

No major U.S. newspapers appears to have covered either the OSU or the Yale study, although Smithsonian magazine, the Hill and WHYY, an NPR affiliate serving the Philadelphia region, covered the fracking study. ...continued on next page

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Project Censored

Deadly Decade for Environmental Activists At least 1,733 environmental activists were murdered between 2012 and 2021 — nearly one every two days across 10 years — according to the Global Witness study, Decade of Defiance. They were “killed by hitmen, organized crime groups and their own governments,” Patrick Greenfield reported for the Guardian, “with Brazil, Colombia, the Philippines, Mexico and Honduras the deadliest countries.”

“This has been going on for decades,” scientist, activist, and author Vandana Shiva wrote in a foreword to the report.

“The report shows Brazil has been the deadliest country for environmental defenders with 342 lethal attacks reported since 2012 with over 85% of killings within the Brazilian Amazon,” Stuti Mishra reported for the Independent. “Mexico and Honduras witnessed over 100 killings while Guatemala and India saw 80 and 79 respectively, remaining one of the most dangerous countries. The report also reports 12 mass killings, including three in India and four in Mexico.”

The killing of environmental activists has been concentrated in the Global South, and Indigenous land defenders are dispro-

portionately impacted. The Guardian reported that 39% of those killed were from Indigenous communities, despite that group constituting only 5% of the global population.

But “campaigners are hopeful that progress is being made,” the BBC reported, citing the sentencing of a former energy executive to 22 years in prison in Honduras for the murder of world-renowned activist Berta Cáceres in 2016, as well as promising international agreements. The Escazú agreement, the first environmental and human rights treaty for Latin America and the Caribbean “commits countries to prevent and investigate attacks on environmental defenders,” and went into force in 2021.

Mexico has ratified it, but “others including Brazil and Colombia have not” so far, the BBC said. There are also plans by the European Union to pass laws making companies responsible for human rights abuses in their supply chains.

“These are game-changing decisions that could make a real positive impact for environmental defenders,” Shruti Suresh of Global Witness told the BBC. “We should be optimistic. But it is going to be a difficult and challenging road ahead.”

Corporate Profits and Bonuses Hit Record High

“Corporate profits in the U.S. surged to an all-time record of $2 trillion in the second quarter of 2022 as companies continued jacking up prices, pushing inflation to a 40-year high to the detriment of workers and consumers,” Jake Johnson reported for Common Dreams in August 2022.

This followed Johnson’s reporting in March that the average bonus for Wall Street employees rose an astounding 1,743% between 1985 and 2021, according to an analysis

by Inequality.org of New York State Comptroller data.

Then, in December 2022, he reported that “earnings inequality in the United States has risen dramatically over the past four decades and continues to accelerate, with the top 0.1% seeing wage growth of 465% between 1979 and 2021 while the bottom 90% experienced just 29% growth during that same period,” according to research by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). As a result, the average incomes of the top 0.1% rose from 20 times that of the bottom 90% in 1979 to more than 90 times as much in 2021.

The fossil fuel industry has enjoyed especially lavish profits. Jessica Corbett reported in July 2022 for Common Dreams that the eight largest oil companies’ profits spiked a whopping 235% from the second quarter of 2021 to the second quarter of 2022, for a combined $52 billion profit, according to an analysis by Accountable.US. “Make no mistake; these profits mark a large transfer of wealth from working- and middle-class people to wealthy oil executives and shareholders,” Jordan Schreiber of Accountable.US told Corbett. “While many consumers were feeling the heavy burden of a life necessity suddenly doubling in price, oil executives were keeping prices high to maximize their profits.”

ExxonMobil profited $17.85 billion; Chevron, $11.62 billion; and Shell, $11.47 billion. Notably, in 2021-2022, the oil and gas industry spent more than $200 million lobbying Congress to oppose climate action. n Project Censored, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to media literacy and fighting censorship. Find out more at projectcensored.org.

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VISUAL ARTS

Transforming Form SFCC grad Quincey Miracle converts adverse childhood experiences into powerful sculptural work in a new exhibition

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

T

A 2015 graduate of Spokane Falls Community College’s visual arts program, Quincey Miracle returns home for their solo installation showcase “It’s Easy to Get Lost Here.” QUINCEY MIRACLE PHOTOS

he word “lost” can suggest leaving a prescribed path, but also something taken away, as in lost youth.

Conversely, loss can be purposeful — getting lost in one’s imagination — or even positive, as in letting go. Fittingly, Quincey Miracle’s new exhibition at Spokane Falls Community College, titled “It’s Easy to Get Lost Here,” is as open-ended as it is relatable by all.

Miracle revisits and re-represents adverse childhood experiences in their artwork as a way to “look back and trauma process a bit,” as well as connect with the viewer. Rather than focus on sexual orientation, says Miracle, their work is a dialogue about “non-binary experience and ways to fulfill yourself or find self-actualization amid a very gendered society.”

For the exhibition, which runs through Feb. 1, Miracle is transforming SFCC’s gallery from floor to ceiling. Their installation art, as this artform is known, goes beyond making sculptural objects, instead incorporating and responding to the unique qualities of each physical space — floor, walls, ceiling, lighting, etc. — with the viewer experience in mind.

“I’m really interested in blending kind of the interior/exterior,” Miracle says. “The shift between exterior and interior is really important when talking about non-binary identity because you have those very long-standing metaphors of the domestic — the interior being the feminine and the exterior being masculine.”

To instigate that shift, Miracle is installing plush green carpet reminding of both the internal comforts of home and lush grass. The gallery space will be populated with kid-centric structures from a little treehouse to a blanket fort, again juxtaposing the notion of interior and exterior space.

“I’m pulling a lot of nostalgic items from the ’80s, ’90s, 2000s because the point of me making these forts is kind of exploring my identity and how that was formulated through adolescence and safe spaces and places that I found solace or understanding or connection in growing up and dealing with, you know, grade school, puberty, etc.”

“It’s equally hopeful as depressing,” says Miracle, laughing. ...continued on page 26

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CULTURE | VISUAL ARTS “TRANSFORMING FORM,” CONTINUED...

M E S TAT E V I N E YA R D S & W I N E R Y

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iracle grew up in Spokane, where their mother encouraged their artistic and performative bent.

“I always had all of these kinds of concurrent, nerdier interests,” says Miracle, who was homeschooled. In addition to hanging out with kids in the drama club at Spokane’s John R. Rogers High School, Miracle was heavily involved, starting in 2012, with Spokane’s KuroNekoCon anime convention, including making props and costumes.

Miracle says they were into gymnastics as a child and had an interest in being in front of a crowd, although not on the theatrical stage.

“I wanted to make something between me and the audience there, something that was more real or maybe with more longevity,” says Miracle, who currently teaches sculpture at the University at Buffalo.

SFCC’s art program synthesized Miracle’s varied interests into a cohesive way of working, while providing a path forward personally.

“I was always building and tinkering with stuff, but I didn’t know that that could be art,” says Miracle, who initially attended SFCC to pursue painting.

In former SFCC sculpture instructor Bernadette Vielbig’s class, Miracle had an epiphany while doing an architectural assignment. Many students chose paint or fabric to finish their constructions, while Miracle recalls making a Frank Lloyd Wright-esque gingerbread house employ-

performance art can be more challenging to connect with than, say, a painting. It might come across as boring, weird, or too artsy, they say, yet that discomfort primes the viewer for a more empathic interaction with the artwork and — by extension — the artist.

“They’re already invested, they’re already interested [in the art], and then they realize ‘This is a lot more than I thought that it was,’ and then … they’re invested in what I have to share,” Miracle says.

“That might, I don’t know, maybe change somebody’s mind about their gay nephew,” Miracle says, adding “maybe it’ll just help them reflect on their own experiences.”

Miracle’s exhibition is fitting for SFCC in other ways, too.

“The art and artists selected for gallery programming reflect and support the student populations we serve and the artistic disciplines we teach,” says SFCC gallery director Cozette Phillips. “Our aim is to promote learning, dialogue, and critical thinking, challenge inequities, and to enrich the cultural vitality of the campus and community.”

“One of the themes of the college is to ‘celebrate the future now,’” Phillips continues.

She developed the 2023-24 gallery programming to celebrate the “breadth and variety” of SFCC’s Associates of Fine Arts graduates. The exhibition schedule was initially planned to coincide with the opening of the college’s new and

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“Rogue Terminal” is one of the artist’s childhood-inspired installations. QUINCEY MIRACLE PHOTO

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26 INLANDER JANUARY 4, 2024

ing graham crackers and frosting.

“And it was just probably the most fun that I’d ever had making art, and then I wanted to do more,” Miracle says.

In addition to the physical objects and spatial installations they create, Miracle also incorporates performance art, which might include scripted actions or spontaneous interactions with viewers.

“I could either be directly there and [the viewer] could feel my presence in the room, see my facial expressions, actually interact with me, or I could kind of, with much more heavy-handedness, put them through an experience … that would get them to a certain head space,” Miracle explains.

Miracle knows installation and especially

still unfinished Fine and Applied Arts Building, named Ssƛ̓x ̣etkʷ (Ska-hét) in the Salish language.

Miracle, who graduated from SFCC in 2015, was the first artist slated to show work there. Instead, the exhibition and arts classes will continue to be held in the existing, 93-year-old Building 6 through winter quarter.

“The latest update that I have received is that we will have spring quarter classes in [the new building], with the first day of classes on April 1,” Phillips says. n It’s Easy to Get Lost Here • Tue, Jan. 9-Thu, Feb. 1; open Mon-Fri from 8:30 am-3:30 pm • Free • SFCC Fine Arts Gallery, Bldg. 6 • 3410 W. Whistalks Way • spokanefalls.edu/gallery • 509-533-3710

CULTURE | FIRST FRIDAY

Rural Reflections

Clockwise from left: art by Pam Deutschman, Abbie Evans and Megan Perkins.

Four local artists captured the beauty and intricacies of farming through the use of various media

BY SUMMER SANDSTROM

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eemingly ordinary, farming can often be overlooked in our fast-paced, digital world. So for a new group show, four local artists aim to illuminate the beauty present within the rural landscapes of the Inland Northwest.

This month, Terrain Gallery is displaying “Listening for an Echo,” a collection of art from Karen Mobley, Megan Perkins, Abbie Evans and Pam Deutschman.

Various mediums are featured, with Mobley and Perkins primarily showcasing watercolor paintings, and Evans and Deutschman contributing photography.

“I think it’s kind of neat to have a combination of photographers and painters because usually those two mediums are fairly siloed,” Perkins says. “We’ll have painters in general and then photographers over here, but to have them together I think is really interesting.”

The show came about after Deutschman began photographing scenes at her partner’s family farm. Upon realizing that she had a body of work she wanted to display, she reached out to Mobley to organize a group show centered around farming and rural scenes.

Mobley, a longtime leader in the local art community (she served as director of Spokane Arts from 1997 to 2012) then put out a call to fellow local artists. She thought both Perkins’ and Evans’ art would capture the theme of the collection she and Deutschman wanted to create.

Evans took an interest in Mobley and Deutschman’s idea, and reached out. This is Evans’ first show, and it features a different type of photography than what she

normally shoots.

“Creative portraiture is my first love,” she says. “I love to tell stories of people who are maybe traditionally underrepresented, and I also like to tell stories that are ancient and rooted in myth and the occult.”

But Evans says she’s long been fascinated by farms and viewed this show both as a way to experiment with a different style of photography and to learn about farmers’ stories firsthand.

“I just really wanted to learn,” she says.

“I wanted to look at new organic practices.

I wanted to look at farms that were embracing old ways and maybe learning from some older wisdom that maybe a lot of us have forgotten about. I was just interested to see what’s out there.”

Deutschman, who’s earned both Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees in photography, also has a background in fashion design and often uses other mediums alongside her photography.

For this show, she’s sewing together photos captured on her iPhone, creating what’s reminiscent of a patchwork quilt using photographs rather than fabric.

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one of the artists are hanging their own work in the gallery — that’s a task Terrain’s Carl Richardson will undertake — but Deutschman is building ledges and glass encasements to add an additional visual element to her photography.

While some may be displayed on the walls or stacked like quilts in the gallery, Deutschman says she hopes the pieces weave together various elements and scenes to tell a story and honor the history of past

generations of farmers who cared for the land, as well as to highlight the challenges and intensive labor that often come with farmwork.

“We have an idea of what ranch life and farm life is like,” she says. “And it’s part of it, it’s a facet, but we don’t see all those other layers.”

Perkins often paints scenes of places, as seen in her 2018 “Artist’s Eye on Spokane” series, for which she painted every week for a year, capturing various scenes throughout the city.

“She’s been documenting everything — I mean, city scenes, farm scenes, barns, all those kinds of things,” Mobley says of Perkins. “She personally has an affinity, I think, for the agricultural land.”

Perkins grew up on the west side of Washington state, enveloped in a suburban landscape. When she moved to Spokane for college, she was exposed to her in-laws’ rural environment. “[My husband’s] parents live up a little further north of Mead, and they had sort of like a little hobby barn,” she says. “If you’ve ever been to a house in the country, whether it’s a working farm or hobby farm, there’s collapsed cars, there’s weird barn equipment… It’s just interesting to me because I don’t really know what most of it is, so I see creatures out of farm equipment.”

While Mobley will primarily have watercolors on display for the show, she’s also showing some oil paintings and wood burnings featuring landscapes of the Palouse.

“I think we’re looking at this from a kind of romanticized point of view, we’re not really talking about the industry,” she says. “We’re all kind of touching on some of the same kinds of imagery and some of the same kinds of ideas, but it’s a little bit of a reverberation rather than a straight on, ‘These are pictures of farms.’” n Listening for an Echo • Jan. 5-27, open Thu-Sat from 4-7 pm; First Friday reception Fri, Jan. 5 from 5-8 pm • Terrain Gallery • 628 N. Monroe St. • terrainspokane.com

JANUARY 4, 2024 INLANDER 27

Fresh fruit and veggies are the colorful base of Lennon’s Thai papaya salad. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS

COOKING

A TASTE OF HOME Suwanee Lennon of the Thai cooking blog Simply Suwanee uses recipes and spices to connect East and West

BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM

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n a small Asian market in the middle of Wisconsin, a young Thai girl wandered through the aisles. She couldn’t read the signs because she didn’t know any English, but she picked out a few familiar items and handed them to the white woman who was with her.

They took the ingredients home, and the young girl tried to cook something with them.

“Nothing is good when you’re 13,” laughs Suwanee Lennon, who was that girl who came to the Midwest from Thailand when she was barely a teenager.

“I brought noodles home, and then I didn’t have sauces, I didn’t have oil. You learn as you go.”

Learn she did. Decades later, Lennon is the author of Simply Suwanee, a food blog dedicated to authentic Thai food, as well as a professional photographer, cooking demonstrator, public speaker and entrepreneur. The daughter of an American soldier and Thai mother, Lennon was raised by her aunt in a leprosy village in northeast Thailand until she was adopted by an American woman when she was 13.

Lennon now lives in Spokane and celebrates both her cultures by teaching Thai cooking techniques to an American audience. She gives classes online and, more

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recently, during public library events. This Sunday, Jan. 7, Lennon is telling her story, sharing photographs and giving samples of her favorite recipes at the Spokane Public Library’s South Hill branch.

Last year, Lennon went back to her hometown in Isan, Thailand, with extra funds to feed the elders of her community. She ended up feeding the entire village for two days. Lennon decided to make a yearly commitment, returning to her roots every spring to feed the people who raised her. At Sunday’s event, she’s selling her line of original Thai spice blends for home cooks and amateur chefs, with all proceeds funding the meals she’ll make for her village this spring.

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oday, once leprosy undergoes treatment, it’s no longer contagious. But that wasn’t the case in the 1950s and ’60s when a leprosy epidemic broke out in Thailand. To contain the spread, the government designated specific areas as “leprosy colonies,” places for the infected to stay away from a healthy public.

Lennon’s aunt and uncle both had leprosy and lived in a secluded village near the Cambodian border. People with leprosy from all over the region came to live there.

By the time her aunt and uncle agreed to raise her, they weren’t at risk of spreading the disease, though the cultural stigma and prejudice against them remained. Their village formed a tight community, using food to help bridge language and culture barriers.

“The food was very diverse and fusion,” Lennon says. “A lot of Laotian influence, also Khmer, and some Burmese, and different regions of Thailand, too. Food was very simple, but also very flavorful, because it was so rural and poor that we had to be creative with our food.”

As a young child in Thailand, it was Lennon’s job to get up and make rice every morning. When she came to the U.S., she didn’t know how to make anything else.

But she quickly became homesick for the powerful spices that she took for granted in Thailand. It took her years to find the ingredients and re-create the flavors she knew as a child.

Lennon did eventually come to love pizza and other typical American teenager snacks, but she never forgot Asia. She spent a semester of college studying abroad in Thailand, working with the leprosy doctor who introduced her to her American mother years before. After she graduated, her husband, an Air Force pilot, was as-

FOOD | TO-GO BOX

Around the World in 80 Plates One food writer’s yearlong quest to find 80 foods and drinks representing 80 cities

BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM Suwanee Lennon started her cooking blog in 2019 to share her Thai heritage with the world. signed to Okinawa, Japan. Lennon started working for a military magazine as a graphic designer and fell in love with photography.

“It’s my way of expressing and communicating myself,” Lennon says. “When I came to America, I didn’t speak English. And as I went along, I just felt like I couldn’t communicate as well as I wanted to. I’ve always been using art of some sort to express my thoughts and feelings.”

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or years, Lennon spent time as a contract photographer. But in 2019, with her family more permanently settled in Spokane, she started Simply Suwanee, her cooking blog. It was a creative career that allowed her to be home with her two children and reconnect with her roots.

“I was doing wedding and portrait photography, but I just felt like there’s no Thai piece in there, and that piece of me was buried and wanted to come out so bad,” she says. “So the Thai food blog was like, ‘OK, this is a great opportunity for me to learn more about my Thai culture, my Thai food, Thai history, and to share all of that and just an opportunity for myself to grow.’”

Follow Suwanee Lennon’s Thai cooking blog at simplysuwanee.com Lennon has a love-hate relationship with the word “authentic.” On her blog, she’s clear about the ingredients that will make Thai food taste best and doesn’t recommend substitutions. But that often means recipe followers need to shop local Asian markets and sometimes search online for hard-to-get ingredients like cilantro roots, galangal, or kaffir lime leaves. Even then, tropical plants and herbs might only be available frozen, losing flavor and nuance in the freezing process.

If you can’t go into your backyard to pick fresh herbs, mangoes, jackfruit and dragon fruit, like Lennon could growing up, can you make truly authentic Thai food? “[Sometimes] I feel like I’m pushing too many hard ingredients or hard recipes or too time-consuming recipes,” Lennon says. “I want to know what my audience wants — do they

want easy? But I also don’t want to sacrifice flavors and authenticity.”

The best two ingredients for a beginner Thai cook to have on hand are lime juice and fish sauce, Lennon says. It’s an unstoppable combo for salty, sweet, sour and umami. Looking for a recipe to start with? Try larb, a salad with ground meat and fresh herbs, or green papaya salad, the unofficial “official” dish of Thailand, at least according to Lennon.

She’s also not afraid to amp up traditional American dishes with Asian flavors. Her kids love her potato wedges, slices thick and air fried with both a homemade curry blend and five spice blend. At one library presentation last year, Lennon taught her audience how to toast and grind spices to make their own mixtures. But if you don’t want to search for a dozen different spices and try to hit the perfect balance, Lennon sells her own expertly crafted blends at every demonstration.

Lennon came up with the idea to sell her own spice line when she visited her home village last April. With the little extra money she brought, her extended Thai family worked together to create cooking kits for boat noodles and fish curry that were simple and soft enough for the elderly to eat.

“I was just so blown away by how far money and supplies could go in Thailand. I just took that as a sign [that] I’m going to keep this going,” she says.

Her spices allow Lennon to share her expertise and feed the people she loves. Once Lennon finally found the flavors that made her feel at home, she realized that home wasn’t limited to one place anymore.

“Food definitely is the link between the two cultures,” Lennon says. “In my own experience, I feel like it’s a blessing that I have known both sides.” n Growing Up in a Leprosy Colony • Sun, Jan. 7 from 1-2 pm • Free • South Hill Library • 3324 S. Perry St. • spokanelibrary.org • 509-444-5300

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grew up in a Chicago suburb that is over 80% white. It’s continually mocked by surrounding ’burbs for its lack of diversity, which is probably merited.

But if you’re looking for Burmese food, you won’t find it anywhere in downtown Chicago. You won’t find it in Aurora or Bolingbrook or any of the far more diverse neighborhoods in Chicagoland. The only Burmese restaurant in Illinois is in li’l ol’ Wheaton, my hometown.

Oh, and Yelp ranked it the second best restaurant in the entire Midwest, in case you’re quick to assume it’s not any good.

Food can totally change our perception of a place. A single restaurant can help us see our neighbors better.

With this in mind, I’ve created a new yearlong project here at the Inlander. My New Year’s resolution is to find 80 food and drink items in the Inland Northwest that come from 80 different cities around the world. I’m calling the project “Around the World in 80 Plates.”

The number 80 is purely arbitrary, borrowed from Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, but it seems like a reasonable challenge. Also, I’m using “plates” very loosely, mostly because it rhymes. Any dish, snack, ingredient or drink counts. I created this, so I get to make the rules. Don’t come at me on a technicality.

I feel like I’m joining an epic tradition of female adventurers.

In 1889, badass journalist Nellie Bly (look her up) tested Verne’s fictional quest for the New York World. She finished the journey in only 72 days and wrote her own best seller about it. On May 4, 2023, Great British Bake Off finalist Ruby Bhogal started her Instagram series “Around the World in 80 Cakes,” baking and eating the top-rated cakes from around the globe.

I’m not promising to produce a novel or a triple-decker dessert. But I will post updates every week on Inlander.com for the adventurous palates who want to learn more about their city, or the doubters who want to watch me fail. For those counting, I am aware I have to find more than one item a week to wrap this up by the end of December. But I’ve got Nellie and Ruby to inspire me if the going gets tough.

And YOU! If you have any ideas of where I should look, what I should taste or who I should meet, let’s be in touch. If you want to cook an heirloom recipe for me, my inbox (elizab@inlander.com) is open and the phone lines are clear. This is intended to celebrate our community, and that means I want you to be a part of it. Plus, sign up for our Entree newsletter (go to Inlander.com/newsletters) if you want to keep track of where the project takes us each week.

I filled up on kaw pyan-gyaw (Burmese crispy spring rolls) and nangyi dok (Burmese udon noodles) when I visited Wheaton for Christmas. Now I’m back in Spokane, hungry and inspired to discover the unexpected feasts of the Inland Northwest. Strap yourselves in for a whirlwind tour across the globe, all from your favorite chair and computer screen. Away we go! n

JANUARY 4, 2024 INLANDER 29

Movies like Elemental had us getting out of our seats... and heading for the exit.

YEAR IN REVIEW

The Worst Movies of 2023 Before heading into a new cinematic year, our critics take shots at some of their least favorite films served up last year

BY SETH SOMMERFELD, JOSH BELL, CHASE HUTCHINSON, NATHAN WEINBENDER, MARYANN JOHANSON, JASON BAXTER ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

Obviously, Marvel Studios is experiencing a bit of a downturn. The big screen nadir — creatively, albeit not financially — is surely Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania.

Which is a shame, because the first two installments in the Peyton Reed-helmed trilogy were perfectly decent popcorn entertainment. Why the studio thought this was the film to tee-up their next big phase of storytelling is beyond me — the first two Ant-Man movies worked because, like their lead character, they were modest in their aspiration and scale. The script from Jeff Loveness (one of many Rick and Morty scribes Marvel has cribbed) is overly ambitious and almost as muddled as the muchdenigrated CGI (the flat backgrounds, bad comping and Corey Stoll’s garish cyborg M.O.D.O.K. haunt me to this day). This film’s legacy will probably go down as the breaking point for the Marvel CGI team electing to unionize. They deserved more equitable working conditions, and we deserved a better movie. (JBax)

ELEMENTAL

In a way, Pixar is a victim of its own success. The animation studio had one of the more unimpeachable runs of

30 INLANDER JANUARY 4, 2024

films for the first two decades of its existence, so the bar for each new film is crazy high. That said, few (if any) Pixar films feel like a complete whiff in the way that Elemental does. Creating a story around a city of anthropomorphic elements (fire, water, earth, air) seems like an amazing base on which to build, but the filmmakers don’t come anywhere close to maximizing it in the way that a film like Zootopia had a blast with an animal world. Even more damning is the fact that this is a romantic comedy and the lead fire gal and water guy had zero chemistry (I had no idea one could botch animated chemistry like this!). If you find both leads annoying and you don’t care if they get together, that’s a problem. When you add in that Elementals’ takeaway theme — racism is bad — is so blunt and ham-handed that a 7-year-old would roll their eyes at it, you’ve got a movie that deserves to be extinguished. (SS)

THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER

David Gordon Green’s recently resurrected Halloween trilogy was uneven and divisive, a case of diminishing returns that nonetheless contained a few intriguing ideas.

Green’s first crack at an Exorcist reboot, meanwhile, contains no ideas — good, bad or otherwise. Of all its sins, perhaps the most damning is that it’s ungodly boring. The

Exorcist: Believer follows the blueprint of the 1973 original, except it gives us two possessed little girls instead of one, and the characters don’t behave like they’re enduring an exorcism but rather the tired machinations of an exorcism movie. Green ends Believer on a righteous, borderline idealistic tone, which simply doesn’t work. And what he does to the great Ellen Burstyn, reprising her role as Chris MacNeil, would be sacrilegious were it not so dumb. The Exorcist II: The Heretic is no longer the worst Exorcist sequel. (NW)

EXPEND4BLES

The idea of a bunch of 1980s action stars teaming up for a hyper-violent supergroup is fun in theory, but these movies have always been grim, tedious slogs through the genre’s worst tendencies. The belated fourth entry barely has any classic action stars left, with even franchise mastermind Sylvester Stallone offscreen most of the time.

Instead, the replacement players grind their way through a haphazard, forgettable plot, filled with poorly staged action and atrocious special effects. At least Stallone and fellow series veteran Jason Statham have charisma and screen presence, whereas watching 50 Cent and Randy Couture “act” in a scene together is like whatever the opposite of a master class is. (JB)

SCREEN | REVIEW

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ALSO OPENING NIGHT SWIM

Jaws made hordes of folks afraid to swim at the beach. But at least you’re safe swimming in the pool in your backyard, right? Right? Well not in the latest Blumhouse film, which revolves around a family moving into a new house with a haunted swimming pool.

Rated PG-13

The Exorcist: Believer was as tough to watch as this picture suggests.

FAST X

The inexplicable critical acclaim for certain entries in the interminable Fast and Furious franchise finally broke down with this bloated, incoherent 10th installment, which drags on for nearly two and a half hours only to end literally in the middle of a scene. The massive cast of characters has grown so unwieldy that they’ve all melded into one indistinguishable mush of “family,” as Vin Diesel’s insufferable protagonist Dom Toretto is constantly blabbering about. The chaotic action scenes no longer even remotely resemble reality, and Dom and his associates have become essentially invulnerable superhumans. Jason Momoa’s addition as the latest villain with a nonsensical diabolical plan barely even registers, and he’s likely to randomly switch sides by the unavoidable next movie anyway. (JB)

THE FLASH

All the worst aspects of late-stage superhero cinema — all in one place! Time travel, multiverses and dead mothers? Check. The Flash is crammed with charmless, empty, inorganic cartoonish-CGI action bombast. That’s a given. But it also features the tedious paradox of constantly trying to up the ante while being ultra aware of the fact that nothing and no one is ever truly in danger. So we get things like the grotesque spectacle of a hospital nursery full of babies flying out the windows of a collapsing skyscraper… and is (disgustingly) played for laughs. Because the film knows — and we know that the film knows — that Our Hero will save them all. Oh, people can still die, but only across the multiverse — where cheap emotion can be mined by killing alternate versions of characters who live merrily on in other realities.

Throw in an embarrassing return of Michael Keaton as Batman and other tired callbacks, and this is the apotheosis of everything that has gone wrong with comic book movies. (MJ)

OLD DADS

With Old Dads, the otherwise talented Bill Burr proves that not every comedian can or should direct a movie. Built around a trio of middleaged guys trying to raise their kids and fight back against a changing world, it only gestures at self-awareness while leaning into full “old man yells at cloud” territory. To even call Old Dads a movie feels like a gross overstatement as it hardly meets the requirements to be considered one. Instead, it is like a series of recycled stand-up bits that Burr has already done better before. Here, he just bombs over and over. As it turns out, creating a film where the majority of the other characters exist only to set up the same series of punchlines over and over can get old quite fast. This may work on stage, but it doesn’t in a film that is somehow below two hours while seeming to run for an eternity. As a comedian, Burr remains a dynamic stage presence and he has even given good acting performances elsewhere. One can only hope we get more of that guy and less of whatever the hell this was. (CH)

PRISCILLA

Maybe stop making movies about Elvis and his family? Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 Elvis was all pizzazz and no substance. Sofia Coppola’s biopic of Priscilla Presley takes the opposite tonal approach to

end up at the same hollow place. While going for a more subdued, artful tone, there’s none there. The titular Priscilla has no interesting characteristics, and the filmmaking isn’t as artful as it seems to think it is. Pricilla lacks any message or takeaway beyond, “Having a crappy famous husband kinda sucks, right?” But even that’s barely earned because (apart from once suggesting she might get a part-time job in high school) Pricsilla never expresses any real ambition for agency, she primarily just wants more attention from her man. The film — much like its protagonist — has absolutely nothing to say. (SS)

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RENFIELD

At some point in Renfield’s decadelong gestation from concept to screen, it must have been good. It’s predicated on a funny idea: Count Dracula’s eternal manservant Renfield finds solace and strength in a support group for people in toxic relationships and finally decides to sever ties with his boss. And then you’ve got Nicolas Cage literally vamping as Drac — how could you go wrong? Unfortunately, Renfield completely misses its own point and busies itself with a lame storyline involving Awkwafina as a cop investigating the crime family that killed her father. Who cares? The movie looks and feels like it was chopped up and hastily reassembled in an attempt to appeal to the broadest possible audience. All we can do is watch as all potential for a wild, entertaining horror comedy is drained like blood from a corpse, until all that’s left is a lifeless husk. (NW)

SALTBURN

For all the ways Emerald Fennell’s faux thriller Saltburn is trying to trick you into thinking it has something more on its mind, this ruse is soon revealed to have nothing else behind it. Following a young college student who gets whisked away to a world of immense wealth beyond his dreams, it soon turns itself in circles before baring its ass in all the wrong ways. Living in the shadow of The Talented Mr. Ripley, it desperately reaches for sunlight but is never able to find anything illuminating of its own. Much like Fennell’s previous feature, Promising Young Woman, Saltburn shoots itself directly in the foot and renders its already-empty provocations that much more inert. What it then says about class is off-key at best and regressive at worst. That its defenders will say it isn’t trying to really comment on anything of substance would be one thing if it wasn’t so boring. To take it at all seriously in either regard is to see how vacuous it truly is. (CH)

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TALK TO ME

The strength of the A24 studios brand is commendable, but there’s danger in taking it as an imprimatur of quality. I know I’m in the minority with this thought, but the Australian teen horror flick Talk to Me was perhaps the most overhyped film of 2023. Some critics were calling it “the new Get Out,” but the predictable plotting and easy scares don’t put it anywhere close to the same level as Jordan Peele’s modern classic. Unenlivening and passe, it was neither scary nor surprising. I’m all for young directors getting a shot at the big leagues, so here’s hoping Danny and Michael Philippou knock it out of the park next time. But you don’t have to give them a hand for this one. (JBax) n

THE NIGHT MAYORS • JANUARY 4 • ZOLA

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BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE Want to get more people to support live music?

Start concerts earlier.

BY SETH SOMMERFELD

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here are many things that can be truly maddening about going to concerts in our modern age.

Sound engineers who mix singers’ voices so they’re inaudible buried in the mix? Frustrating incompetence.

People holding up their phones to shoot video during the whole show? A pox on our digital age.

Bands with young fans playing 21+ venues? Thickheadedly exclusionary.

Shows with more than two opening acts? There’s this concept called overkill, and your bill with six acts instantly diminishes any interest I’d have in attending.

Venues taking merch cuts from artists? Malicious thievery.

People pushing their way closer to the stage or generally not having a sense of others’ space? Just pure assholery.

32 INLANDER JANUARY 4, 2024

Ticket fees that cost more than the actual ticket?

Makes me want to try Ticketmaster executives at the Hague.

Online tickets getting scooped up by resellers? Another added charge in said Hague case.

But the most easily fixable thing about the modern concert-going experience that, by and large, promoters and venues stubbornly refuse to acknowledge?

Concerts start too late.

I’m not saying this from a grumpy “Old Man Yells at Cloud” mindset, but an altruistic one. As a notorious night owl who usually doesn’t go to bed till at least 2 am, I’m rarely tired or dragging as concerts crawl into latenight hours. But that’s not the case for 99.9% of concertgoing folks I’ve interacted with over the years.

Sure, there’s a youthful sweetspot when basically nobody cares when a concert starts. But then most people

turn 25 or so, start to have “real” lives, and the prospect of a late night devoted to live music seems evermore daunting.

From an attendee perspective, there are many things that can suck as a show drags into the late night hours.

First and most obviously — people get tired. Even if your favorite band is playing an epic marathon set, if you’re used to going to sleep at normal hours, your mental engagement isn’t going to be in peak form as the minutes tick away. And that’s before even getting into the issues of potentially having to hire a babysitter if you have kids (and worrying about things going late) or dealing with drunk folks getting more rowdy as the night progresses.

But those are all issues to deal with at concerts. The bigger issue is how late start times actually depress attendance at shows.

HAYDEN

SPOKANE

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Save the Date!

dry chorizo, olive, potato, roasted chile, garlic/chile oil, balsamic

In case you missed it, here are some big Inland Northwest concerts already announced for this year Jan. 18: Parker McCollum at Spokane Arena Jan. 21: Bryan Adams at Spokane Arena Jan. 23: Plain White Ts at Knitting Factory Jan. 29: Pink Martini at the Fox Jan 29: G3 at First Interstate Center for the Arts Jan. 31: Slothrust at District Bar Feb. 12: Postmodern Jukebox at the Fox Feb. 18: Dropkick Murphys at Spokane Tribe Casino Feb 18: Silversun Pickups at Knitting Factory Feb. 22: TobyMac at Spokane Arena Feb. 23: Sarah Jarosz at Knitting Factory Feb. 28: Beartooth at Knitting Factory March 7: Jess Williamson at District Bar March 8 & 9: Zeds Dead at Knitting Factory March 14: Blake Shelton at Spokane Arena March 15: Brandon Lake at Spokane Arena March 21: GWAR at Knitting Factory

B

ack when I was still organizing and playing shows, my emails with venues and promoters would often go something like this.

“Can we please start the concert at like 7 pm instead of 9 pm? I know for a fact we could get more people to come to an earlier show, because I’ve literally had people tell me that they won’t come because it’s too late.”

“No.” “Why? Like, we would make you more money if we started earlier.”

“We start shows at 9 pm.”

It got to the point where I was nearly having concerts canceled because I’d vigorously push against their idiotic, opaque business practices.

I’m sure there’s some internal rationale behind such decisions, but there was never any satisfying explanation.

The bottom line is: More people would go to shows if they started earlier. If more people go to the show, that’s more paying customers. If there are more paying customers, there will be more people to buy drinks and merchandise. Literally everyone would make more money.

If you loathe economics being brought into the live music equation, then this logical progression might be more up your alley: More people would go to shows if they started earlier. If more people go to shows, the scene is healthier — locals

March 24: Melissa Etheridge at Northern Quest Resort & Casino March 27: Danny Brown at Knitting Factory April 6: MercyMe at Spokane Arena April 26: Cody Johnson at Spokane Arena May 12: Needtobreathe at Northern Quest Resort & Casino May 15: Boyz II Men at Northern Quest Resort & Casino May 25 & 26: Illenium at Gorge Amphitheatre May 31: Red Hot Chili Peppers at Gorge Amphitheatre June 6: Taking Back Sunday at Knitting Factory June 29: Noah Kahan at Gorge Amphitheatre July 14: Blink-182 at Gorge Amphitheatre Aug. 13: Sammy Hagar at Northern Quest Resort & Casino Aug. 23: Tyler Childers at Gorge Amphitheatre Sept. 14: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard at Gorge Amphitheatre

make more playing shows, and touring bands are more likely to return. If the scene is healthier, more venues can open or stay open. If there are more venues, there are more spots for a variety of musical artists to take the stage. If there are more venues, more artists and more people going to concerts? Well congrats, you now have a thriving music scene!

While earlier evening start times on the weekdays are essential to get many busy folks to more concerts, there’s also a chance to go really early on the weekends. The few times I’ve gone to shows that start at like 5 pm on a Saturday, it’s been a joy. Everyone’s energetic, the performers seem fresher, and by the time things get done, you’ve still got the whole night left for more fun activities (heck, you could even go to another concert!).

And while of course some concerts should be held later (beyond outdoor festivals, ravers don’t exactly want the beats to be dropping when it’s still light outside the venue), a communal push for earlier shows could be a shot in the arm for the entire music industry.

While I can’t force this New Year’s resolution upon the venue and booking power brokers, I dearly wish that I could. If we soft-standardized door times for 6 pm and shows to start at 6:30 or 7 pm, we’d be living in a world of even more shared musical bliss. n

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ALSO INSIDE: Health • 10

The Healing Power of VR

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Everybody Loves Pie!

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

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Giving Back PAGE 16 Four Volunteer Gigs

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Boomtown PAGE 30 Road Tripping to Missoula

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

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JANUARY 4, 2024 INLANDER 33

MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

FOLK ROCK DANTÉ D’ANGELO

T

he start of the year tends to be a barren wasteland when it comes to the concertgoing slate, but grabbing a stiff drink and warming up with the tunes of Bourbon Roulette’s Danté D’Angelo might make the start of the year more bearable. The frontman of the Coeur d’Alene trio can get plenty fiery (as the band’s 2023 single “Bullet for the Devil” showcases), but he doesn’t settle into a single sound, mixing folk, jazz, funk and blues. D’Angelo crosses the border to play the Big Dipper with fellow CDA’ers Juvenilia and Bailey Allen Baker (whose Grab a Bucket was one of 2023’s standout local releases).

— SETH SOMMERFELD Danté D’Angelo, Juvenilia, Bailey Allen Baker • Fri, Jan. 5 at 7:30 pm • $15 • All ages • The Big Dipper • 171 S. Washington St. • thebigdipperspokane.com

J = THE INLANDER RECOMMENDS THIS SHOW J = ALL AGES SHOW

Thursday, 1/4

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Riley Anderson CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Thursday Night Jam CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin RED ROOM LOUNGE, Hip-Hop Night ZOLA, The Night Mayors

NÜ METAL SUGAR: THE NU-METAL PARTY F

or those unaware, there’s been somewhat of a nü metal revival the past couple years.

Essentially, many of the people who were kids during the late ’90s/early ’00s boom of rap-rock and dirty mainstream metal, but left the genre behind because it seemed embarrassing to enjoy as 20-somethings, have now returned to their angsty roots (also, a ton of Gen Z kids who were too young to enjoy it at the time revel in its anger-releasing qualities). Enter TSN Parties — the same organization that organizes The Taylor Party (a touring Taylor Swift DJ night) — to give nü metalheads their own DJ night in the form of Sugar: The Nu-Metal Party. While these nostalgia dance trips aren’t for everyone (see: me), if you’ve got a Limp Bizkit, Korn, Linkin Park or Staind shirt buried in your dresser collecting dust, now’s the time to bust it out.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Friday, 1/5

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Michael Vallee J J THE BIG DIPPER, Danté D’Angelo, Juvenilia, Bailey Allen Baker BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Rock Candy CHINOOK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Jason Evans J THE DISTRICT BAR, Sugar: The Nu-Metal Party J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), LakeTown Sound PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Mike Wagoner RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Just Plain Darin THE 1313 CLUB, Son of Brad

Saturday, 1/6

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Kaitlyn Wiens BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Rock Candy J CAFE COCO, B

34 INLANDER JANUARY 4, 2024

Sugar: The Nu-Metal Party • Fri, Jan. 5 at 9 pm • $20 • 21+ • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com CHALICE BREWING CO., Son of Brad CHINOOK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Jason Evans NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), LakeTown Sound NOAH’S CANTEEN, Sam Leyde PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Zach Simms RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs SPOKANE VALLEY EAGLES, Ben Klein: Elvis Birthday Show J WESTERN PLEASURE GUEST RANCH, Just Plain Darin ZOLA, Blake Braley

Sunday, 1/7 HOGFISH, Open Mic

J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin

Coming Up ...

Monday, 1/8

J J CENTRAL LIBRARY, Heat Speak: de bouquet ok Album Release Show with Traesti Darling, Jan. 12, 6:30-9 pm.

J THE BIG DIPPER, Tomb Ripper, Xingaia, Bonemass, Torn Open, Jan. 13, 7:30 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Dirtwire, Jan. 13, 8 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Kaivon, Jan. 17, 8 pm.

J RELIC SMOKEHOUSE & PUB, Pamela Benton: StringzOnFire!, Jan. 18, 6-8 pm.

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Inland Empire Blues Society Monthly Boogie, Third Thurs. of every month, 6:30-10:30 pm.

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night

Tuesday, 1/9 LITZ’S PUB & EATERY, Shuffle Dawgs

Wednesday, 1/10 THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Larry Dalke RED ROOM LOUNGE, The Roomates J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents ZOLA, Brittany’s House

SPOKANE ARENA, Parker McCollum, Larry Fleet, King Calaway, Jan. 18, 7:30-9:30 pm.

J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Hinder, Jan. 18, 7:30 pm.

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Heat Speak, Jan. 19, 5-8 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Hell’s Belles, Jan. 19, 8 pm.

J THE BIG DIPPER, The Red Books, No Soap Radio, Sing Chuck Sing!, Jan. 20, 7:30 pm.

J SPOKANE ARENA, Bryan Adams, Dave Stewart’s Eurythmics Songbook, Jan. 21, 7:30 pm.

THE DISTRICT BAR, Madeline Hawthorne, Jan. 21, 8 pm.

MUSIC | VENUES J KNITTING FACTORY, Plain White T’s, Jan. 23, 8 pm.

J J HEARTWOOD CENTER, Heat Speak: de bouquet ok’ Album Release Show with Mama Llama, Jan. 27, 6:30-9 pm.

J THE BIG DIPPER, Apex Predator: Jesus Wept Album Release Show with Room 13, Psychic Death, Jan. 28, 7:30 pm.

J FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER, G3 Reunion Tour, Jan. 29, 7 pm.

J THE FOX THEATER, Pink Martini, Jan. 29, 7:30 pm.

FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER, Johnny Cash: The Official Concert Experience, Jan. 30, 7-10 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, The Elovaters, Swayze, Claire Wrights, Jan. 31, 8 pm.

J THE DISTRICT BAR, Slothrust, Weekend Friends, Jan. 31, 9 pm.

J THE BIG DIPPER, Classics From The Casket: GRYN, Element X, Knothead, Dirty Savage, Hench The Entertainer, King Scrub, Mr. ERB, MCHOR, Ginjabred, Feb. 2, 7:30 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Fooz Fighters, Feb. 2, 8 pm.

J THE BIG DIPPER, Digress, St4t1k, A Ron Gubbe, Yung Kanari, Apollo, taki.taki, Feb. 3, 7:30 pm.

THE DISTRICT BAR, Cris Jacobs, Feb. 4, 8 pm.

THE DISTRICT BAR, Moontricks, Feb. 8, 9 pm.

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Dead Poet, Feb. 10, 7:30 pm.

THE DISTRICT BAR, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Feb. 10, 9 pm.

J J THE FOX THEATER, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, Feb. 12, 7:30 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Magic City Hippies, Feb. 13, 7:30 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Fit for a King, The Devil Wears Prada, Feb. 14, 7 pm.

THE DISTRICT BAR, Summer Sweeney, Erin Enderlin, Feb. 14, 9 pm.

NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Gin Blossoms, Feb. 15, 7:30 pm.

J J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise, The Scratch, Feb. 18, 7 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Silversun Pickups, Hello Mary, Feb. 18, 8 pm.

J SPOKANE ARENA, TobyMac, Cory Asbury, Mac Powell, Tasha Layton, Jon Reddick, Terrian, Feb. 22, 7-9 pm.

J THE FOX THEATER, Healing Harmonies: Eli Young Band, Ryder Grimes, Feb. 23, 7:30 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Sarah Jarosz, Feb. 23, 8 pm.

219 LOUNGE • 219 N. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-263-5673 ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-927-9463 BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 509-847-1234 BARRISTER WINERY • 1213 W. Railroad Ave. • 509-465-3591 BEE’S KNEES WHISKY BAR • 1324 W. Lancaster Rd.., Hayden • 208-758-0558 BERSERK • 125 S. Stevens St. • 509-315-5101 THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington St. • 509-863-8098 BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 509-467-9638 BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-227-7638 BLACK DIAMOND • 9614 E. Sprague Ave. • 509891-8357 BOLO’S BAR & GRILL • 116 S. Best Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-891-8995 BOOMERS CLASSIC ROCK BAR • 18219 E. Appleway Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-368-9847 BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main St., Moscow • 208-596-0887 THE BULL HEAD • 10211 S. Electric St., Four Lakes • 509-838-9717 CHAN’S RED DRAGON • 1406 W. Third Ave. • 509-838-6688 COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw St., Worley • 800-523-2464 COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-2336 CRUISERS BAR & GRILL • 6105 W Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-446-7154 CURLEY’S HAUSER JUNCTION • 26433 W. Hwy. 53, Post Falls • 208-773-5816 THE DISTRICT BAR • 916 W. 1st Ave. • 509-244-3279 EICHARDT’S PUB • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-263-4005 FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • 509-279-7000 FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-624-1200 IRON HORSE • 407 E. Sherman, Coeur d’Alene • 208-667-7314 IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL • 11105 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-926-8411 JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. Sixth St., Moscow • 208-883-7662 KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-244-3279 LEFTBANK WINE BAR • 108 N. Washington St. • 509-315-8623 MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy. • 509-443-3832 THE MASON JAR • 101 F St., Cheney • 509-359-8052 MAX AT MIRABEAU • 1100 N. Sullivan Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-922-6252 MILLIE’S • 28441 Hwy 57, Priest Lake • 208-443-0510 MOOSE LOUNGE • 401 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-7901 MOOTSY’S • 406 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-838-1570 NASHVILLE NORTH • 6361 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-457-9128 NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • 877-871-6772 NYNE BAR & BISTRO • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-474-1621 PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545 THE PODIUM • 511 W. Dean Ave. • 509-279-7000 POST FALLS BREWING CO. • 112 N. Spokane St., Post Falls • 208-773-7301 RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL • 10325 N. Government Way, Hayden • 208-635-5874 RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-838-7613 THE RIDLER PIANO BAR • 718 W. Riverside Ave. • 509-822-7938 SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 208-664-8008 SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • 509-279-7000 SOUTH PERRY LANTERN • 12303 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-473-9098 STEAM PLANT • 159 S. Lincoln St. • 509-777-3900 STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON • 12303 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-862-4852 TRANCHE • 705 Berney Dr., Wall Walla • 509-526-3500 ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 509-624-2416

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REMEMBERING McCUDDIN CELEBRATING AN ARTIST’S LIFE PAGE 16

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HE’S A RAMBLIN’ MAN MATT MITCHELL’S MOVING MUSIC PAGE 28

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100 consecutive months of skiing… and counting PAGE 20

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EWU’s Cooper Kupp hits the Super Bowl PAGE 32

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Treats from Emma Rue's in downtown Spokane

JANUARY 4, 2024 INLANDER 35

DANCE FANTASTIC FLAMENCO

Join Spokane’s Quiero Flamenco for a powerful and expressive performance, during which its dancers are accompanied on stage by a number of guest musicians and dancers. While the word “tablao” refers to the wooden stage on which flamenco is performed, this style of flamenco performance takes place in a smaller, more intimate space than a main stage. Quiero Flamenco is joined by dancer and musician Jose Moreno, musicians Jed Miley and Daniel Azcarate, and dancer Amelia Moore. Together they’ll all showcase the ever-changing nature of flamenco.

— SUMMER SANDSTROM Tablao Flamenco • Thu, Jan. 11 at 8 pm • $30 • All ages • Overbluff Cellars • 304 W. Pacific Ave. • quieroflamenco.com

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Submit events online at Inlander.com/getlisted or email relevant details to getlisted@inlander.com. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.

WORDS ELEGANT ENTRIES

I vividly remember an elementary school field trip to the historic Campbell House, back in the late ’90s. When the docent pointed out the gold leaf-gilded wallpaper inside the stately Victorian Era mansion-turned-museum, my young mind could barely comprehend such wealth and elegance! Fascinating facts like this about the interior features of elegant homes are the topic of Spokane Preservation Advocates’ first installment of its 2024 winter lecture series, presented by historic preservation expert Cindy BlueBlanton. Specifically, she’ll be delving into architectural trends popular from 1891 to 1918, when early Spokane was booming and many mining and rail magnates built their opulent homes across the growing city, from Browne’s Addition to the South Hill. While seating for this event is limited to 50, there’s also an option to sign up to stream the lecture via Zoom.

— CHEY SCOTT Spokane’s Age of Elegance: Beyond the Vestibule • Thu, Jan. 11 from 5:30-7 pm • Free • Liberty Park Library • 402 S. Pittsburgh St. • spokanepreservation.org

36 INLANDER JANUARY 4, 2024

SPORTS A SLAMMIN’ NEW YEAR

For pro wrestling fans, the start of a new year is always a thrill because of the late January tradition that is WWE’s Royal Rumble.

The event’s two namesake matches cram the top male and female superstars into one ring, where the last competitor standing gets a world title shot at WrestleMania. It’s a thrilling, tone-setting spectacle that maps out what the year in the world’s biggest wrestling promotion will look like. The road to the Royal Rumble stop in Spokane for a non-televised house show — performers can often let loose and have more fun than during tightly scripted TV segments — which is billed as featuring some of the best wrestlers alive: Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Becky Lynch, Gunther, LA Knight, Iyo Sky, and more (card subject to change). The in-ring action should be enough to heat up a cold early January night.

— SETH SOMMERFELD WWE SuperShow • Sat, Jan. 6 at 7:30 pm • $20-$115 • All ages • Spokane Arena • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • spokanearena.com

S P O K A N E ’ S

New Orleans E X P E R I E N C E

Vieux Carre brings a unique New Orleans inspired menu to the heart of downtown Spokane

THEATER TURN BACK TIME

To kick off our entrance into a new year, the Civic’s latest production instead turns back the clock. Adapted for Broadway by Steven Sondheim and George Furth in 1981 (upon its premiere, the show was considered a flop), Merrily We Roll Along follows three friends over the course of 20 years and all life’s ups and downs. The twist? The curtain rises at the end of the timeline, when the trio are middle-aged, unfolding in reverse to when they were still young and full of optimism. The story largely examines how the older we get, the easier it often becomes to downgrade or even let go of our big dreams. At the same time, maybe we let our ethics and personal morals slip a little. This next main stage show, directed by Jean Hardie, is a short run — just three performances total — so don’t sleep on it.

— CHEY SCOTT Merrily We Roll Along • Fri, Jan. 5 and Sat, Jan. 6 at 7:30 pm; Sun, Jan. 7 at 2 pm • $15-$38 • Spokane Civic Theatre • 1020 N. Howard St. • spokanecivictheatre.com • 509-325-2507

Crawfish, Hushpuppies, Gumbo, Sticky Ribs, Etouffee, Beignets!

Signiture cocktails & a wine list for every palate

vieuxcarrespokane.com | 509.495.1400 | 1403 w broadway ave | spokane

Breathin’ easy

‘cause we have our vaccines!

VISUAL ARTS FIRST FIRST FRIDAY

After the busy-ness of the holiday season, some people look forward to slowing down in January. That being said, there are fewer First Friday happenings for the first month of 2024, but the shows being put on are well worth a chilly night out on the town. Opening in the Liberty Gallery above Auntie’s Bookstore is a showcase of paintings created by 22 members of the Spokane Watercolor Society. All of the paintings are done using watercolors, but they’re all visually different and stunning in their own right. New kids on the block Heartbreaker Tattoo & Artist Co-op are participating in their first-ever First Friday event with live painting by Spokane artist OEnone Shore and specials on tattoos. You can also head over to Craftsman Cellars for a glass of wine and a gander at E.L. Stewart’s abstract paintings of trees. And, read more on page 27 about Terrain Gallery’s January showcase.

— MADISON PEARSON First Friday • Fri, Jan. 5 from 5-8 pm • Free • Locations vary • downtownspokane.org/first-friday

RSV, Flu & COVID-19

srhd.org/breathineasy

RSV, Flu & COVID-19 JANUARY 4, 2024 INLANDER 37

silver 4runner, I was in silver Escape. Went into store to look for an Angel for the top of my Christmas tree. You also came to the ornament section. I thought you were a Very Pretty Woman and Loved your Beautiful hair! I didn’t find Angel ornament, so I left. I wished I would have spoke to You, now I Believe I Saw an Angel... You! If you read this, Please respond. I would Love a second chance meeting!

DAMN! I WISH I WAS YOUR LOVER.. Wait, I know red chairs. A local brewery by chance?

INLAND PACIFIC KITCHEN… We spoke, you were next to me at the bar… wished I noticed you sooner. I asked about your camo bag. I left with a friend at the same time you did and missed an opportunity to inquire more about you. Wanna hang out?

I SAW YOU RE: IN MY DREAMS I’ll never stop thinking about you.

RE: RED CURLY BEAUTIFUL HAIR... TB? Yeah I don’t think you are who I’m talking about.

She knows I think her hair is beautiful, and I’m 100% sure she’s not waiting for me either. I’m talking about A.A. and no not the meeting.

DAMN! I WISH I WAS YOUR LOVER… The red chairs? I’m wondering if we have already reconnected. I have recently reconnected with the person I wrote this about. It was a brief reconnection; I’d love to have more time with you, or more instances with you. Is it you?

CARRIE MY DARLING I would never have guessed you’d be someone for me when I saw you three years before we met. It has only been two months, but I knew the moment we met that you’re the one. That first meeting when I said I wanted you to be my girlfriend. I was surprised when I said I love you for the first time because I hadn’t planned on saying it and you said you loved me too. You are dream, a gift, a goddess, a unicorn. You speak to me in song lyrics and write me poetry. I’ll always turn up the stereo and play your favorite songs loud while you sing along. You intoxicate me when you kiss me goodnight, and your cuddles keep me so warm. You are so amazing to me, and I can’t believe you are mine.

ANGEL IN MY DREAMS I saw you and your son at Super 1 Foods in Hayden on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 8 am. You were in

RE: IN MY DREAMS When you think about me, is it a good thing or a bad thing. For me it’s both.

THANK YOU AND FAREWELL! Just want to say a sincere thank you and farewell to the former chief. We’ll never be able to find another chief to serve wealthy business owners with such dedication.

CHEERS LABORERS The first article I read this week is about a local baker. He’s struggling to profit from the labor of his employees. Cry me a river. The second a Costa Vida closes suddenly and final paychecks bounce.

Never be loyal to an employer. You are just a number to them. Keep the resume up to date. Always be looking ahead. Remember you’re paid by the hour, no reason to work faster. Slow down. Encourage your co-workers to slow down. Stop doing everything you can to benefit employers that would discard you in an instant.

CHEERS TO NADINE WOODWARD Kudos to Nadine Woodward for acknowledging defeat and allowing the transfer of power.

She resisted the urge to cast doubt on the election and attempt to cling to power.

It didn’t matter that some in her party would likely support this tactic. Even if she proved none of her claims in court.

Even if her lackeys paid millions of dollars for defamation and her lawyers pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from such falsehoods. She perhaps knew many voters wouldn’t support such a huge fib, disregarding the threat it poses to

democracy because of their other priorities.

Like minimizing taxes, policing trans kids’ use of bathrooms and dictating what women do with their bodies. Instead, Ms. Woodward did the honorable thing and allowed democracy to continue.

“

Black man who tried to sue for his freedom.

The decision was considered by many legal scholars to be the worst ever rendered by the Supreme Court and has been widely denounced, both for how obviously racist the decision was and its crucial role in the

the body after death from a cardiac event, I couldn’t agree more. Any dog breed can act aggressively and dangerously. Based on the callousness of your retorts, here is hoping that if your dogs do turn aggressive, it’s only on you. Not others. The poor child

Be careful who you refer to as an “idiot” start of the Civil War four years later. It was known as the court’s greatest self-inflicted wound. It was overturned by the 13th and 14th amendments in 1865/1866, which abolished slavery and declared all persons born in the United States to be citizens of the United States.

JEERS

RE: DANGEROUS BREED IGNORANCE JEERS You ask if people in this city are really that ignorant and then you refer to the writer as an idiot. I think you made your own point. As evidenced by you, people in this city really are ignorant, and you seem to be at the top of the list when it comes to stupidity. Look in the mirror and see the ignorance. The writer wasn’t an idiot, but the responders were indeed idiotic. Speak up, Spokane? Do you think you’re a city full of idiots as the jeers say you are?

OBEY THE LAW Dear Spokane Jerk: There is a leash law for a reason! When you’re walking your dog (or usually the other way around), keep your dog on a tight leash.

When I’m passing by it, I have no idea if it’s friendly or if it’s going to bite. You may like your dog, but I don’t! Next time I see your dog off leash, I’m reporting it.

RE: DOG AGGRESSION To the person who wrote that their little dog was more aggressive than their pitbulls, your answer is so intelligent. In the hospitals we typically see a lot more severe injuries from little dogs than pitbulls. The little dogs are so much stronger and have much larger teeth. Be careful who you refer to as an “idiot” because your points were amazingly idiotic. Borrowing the phrasing of others: “Spokane: near nature — near idiots.”

RE: CAR DAMAGE It’s time that all large grocery store chain public parking lots have cameras in them that video the entire space.

When cars are damaged by others and they drive off, the video should be shared with law enforcement, and those responsible should be prosecuted as well as held accountable for the damage they incur upon others. Here is wishing those who did the damage end up paying for it in some other way. You can’t go through life being an ass and not expect it to catch up with you someday.

RE: FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS Wow! You sound so wise with your sanctimonious verbiage! How can I learn from you? Did you have to spend a lot of time at university to learn all that? I can’t even spell kollege.

You sure made a lot of assumptions about the author. But by all means, thank you for your moral lesson about how lucky we all are to live in the United States. I don’t think everyone agrees with you. It seems like there have been more than a few problems in this country in recent years.

UBER CHEAPSKATE I drove 25 miles round trip to bring you pancakes at 2 am, which I was more than happy to do for the expected fare of $12. Your food was delivered early, sealed, in perfect condition, and doubledchecked for accuracy. I waited an hour for the entire fare to clear, only to find you cowardly removed the tip, leaving me with a measley $4.31 for my time. If you don’t want to tip, fine, be honest about it! Shame on your parents for raising a no class jerk!

Go get your own damn pancakes next time!

NIKKI HALEY ON SLAVERY Dred Scott v.

Sandford in 1857 was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that ruled that Black people were not American citizens and could not sue in a court of law. The court ruled against Dred Scott, an enslaved

RE: DANGEROUS BREED To those who objected to the post written by the person concerned about the loss of two lives, one due to the mauling of a child, and the other being a postmortem predation of

SOUND OFF 1. Visit Inlander.com/isawyou by 3 pm Monday. 2. Pick a category (I Saw You, You Saw Me, Cheers or Jeers). 3.

”

didn’t deserve to be killed. That dog had never had a history of aggressive behavior either. But you are right, Spokane does have a lot of ignorance... from people like you.

BOO NETWORK COMMERCIALS The greed of big business: four 10-minute commercials in one hour holding the viewers hostage. I wanted to watch the Rose Bowl parade on New Year’s Day, but it became so frustrating I turned it off & did my laundry. This stringent action by NBC, ABC & CBS has now blatantly forced Netflix to demand $3.00 more than their regular monthly fee to watch without commercials. WHAT? Unless 1 million or more viewers tell the greedy companies that we will tape our favorite shows & skim through without watching the commercials that they force upon us, it will only get worse. Let’s start here in Spokane. We will get results if we stand up for ourselves.

CHIEFS GAME To the parents of the two girls screaming “Go, Chiefs, go” the entire game on Saturday. I understand it’s a game and kids get excited to be there, however that doesn’t give them the right to scream throughout the entire game.

The last quarter my friends and I were covering our ears and had to move a few seats down. Please be more respectful of the people around you, not everyone thinks your children screaming is acceptable in public. n

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS G A B E C A S T A A H A S A R I E L P O L K U N E S R E A C T R O L Y M Y R A H O P I H O P M A N I M A N A F A R E L A T E I D I V E R G E A I D A V I M E O U M N O U S M A I C A N G O E I T H E R W A Y P Y R O N I E L S S E C T W I S E I D E A L O B A M A Z O N E T S A B A R I B A R R A N I R A N R E I G N C E N T E N I D E A Z Y E E A T S O A T S S L A T S T E N T D D A Y

NOTE: I Saw You/Cheers & Jeers is for adults 18 or older. The Inlander reserves the right to edit or reject any posting at any time at its sole discretion and assumes no responsibility for the content.

Provide basic info: your name and email (so we know you’re real). 4. To connect via I Saw You, provide a non-identifying email to be included with your submission — like “petals327@yahoo.com,” not “j.smith@comcast.net.”

NOVEMBER 3-9, 2022 | SHREDDING THE GNAR

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W I N T E R

Monthly in the Inlander

S E R I E S

October – February

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

HOLIDAY FOOD FUNDRAISER FOR NORTHWEST HARVEST FOOD BANK Bring perishable food donations to participating businesses. In addition to food donations, 10% of the proceeds from Brick West’s Out Cold IPA, wherever it’s sold, will go to Northwest Harvest. See website for full details. Daily hrough Jan. 19. Free. khq.com/giving (509-279-2982)

COMEDY

COEUR COMEDY: JEFF CAPRI Jeff Capri’s uses observational and physical comedy to make every performance unique. Opening is Yang Vigilan. Jan. 4, 7-9 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com NEW TALENT TUESDAYS Watch comedians of all skill levels work out jokes together. Tuesdays at 7 pm (doors at 6 pm). Free. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com OPEN MIC STAND-UP Wednesdays at 7:30 pm. See website for advance signup details. Free. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub. com (509-318-9998) ISMO ISMO is a Finnish comic who was voted “Funniest Person in the World”

by Laugh Factory. Jan. 13, 7:30-9:30 pm. $42-$52. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com

COMMUNITY

QUESTMAS VILLAGE This outdoor family-friendly winter experience features large displays, a synthetic ice rink, photo backdrops and more. Mon-Thu from 4-9 pm and Fri-Sun from 12-9 pm through Feb. 18. Free. Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com (509-242-7000) CRIBBAGE TOURNAMENT A cribbage tournament aimed at players of all skill levels. Jan. 5, 6-9 pm. Free. Millwood Masonic Center, 3219 N. Argonne Rd. millwoodmasoniccenter.com BEARGRASS MENDING CIRCLE Bring your mending projects and work on them in community with other menders.

Hand-mending projects recommended.

BYO supplies. All levels welcome. Jan. 6, 10:30 am-noon. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. beargrassmending.com/ mendingcircle (509-444-5300) DROP IN & RPG Stop by and explore the world of role playing games. Build a shared narrative using cooperative problem solving, exploration, imagination and rich social interaction. Ages 5-105.

First and third Saturdays of the month from 1-3:45 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org INDOOR PLANT SWAP Add variety to your indoor garden! Bring an indoor plant to share, and pick up one left by other houseplant enthusiasts. Jan. 6, 1-4 pm. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. scld.org GENEALOGY DROP-IN SESSIONS Get help researching the story of your family. Come into the library to learn about our genealogy resources and work with experienced genealogy enthusiasts to learn how to fill out your family tree. Jan. 9, 5:30-7:30 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 22 N. Herald Rd. scld.org COFFEE & CONVERSATION This event aims to help people feel seen and heard within the community. The conversation is free form and the event includes low-

key activities like coloring, puzzles and more. Every Wed from 10:30 am-noon.

10:30 am-noon. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org MANY SPIRITS COMMUNITY A space for two-spirit and indigiqueer people to spend time together. Tea, hot chocolate and some art supplies are provided. BYO creative projects. Wednesdays from 4-7 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spectrumcenterspokane.org PAGE 42 FREE BOOK FAIR Over 17,000 books are available for free for readers of all ages. Jan. 12, 3-7 pm and Jan. 13, 10 am-7 pm. Free. Northeast Community Center, 4001 N. Cook St. Page42bookstore.com (509-202-2551) WINTERFEST This holiday celebration features a light parade, snow sculptures, kids’ activities and more. Jan. 12, 6 pm and Jan. 13, 9 am-3 pm. Free. Republic, Washington. republicchamber.org NEW YEAR SELF-CARE RETREAT During this three-hour self-care retreat, the presenters from TERRA lead physical, cognitive and spiritual techniques aimed to connect participants with their values, needs and limits. Programming also available in Spanish. Jan. 13, 10:30 am-1:30 pm. Free. Moran Prairie Library, 6004 S. Regal St. scld.org (893-8340)

FILM

THE AFRICAN QUEEN Executive Director Colin Mannex will open the event with a brief history of KPAC. Everyone will receive a complimentary small popcorn, courtesy of Milburn’s granddaughter, Kimberly Kenworthy Manaut, who is sponsoring this event. Jan. 4, 7-9 pm.

Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127) TOY STORY WEEK An entire week of the Toy Story movies show in sequential order. Jan. 2-5; daily at 1 pm and 4 pm.

Through Jan. 5, 1-3 & 4-6 pm. See website for a more detailed schedule. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main. kenworthy.org AMERICAN PSYCHO A wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies. Jan. 10, 7-9 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

FOOD & DRINK

KITCHEN COOKING CLASS: LASAGNA Commellini Estate’s Executive Chef, Frank, teaches students how to make lasagna in this hands-on cooking class.

The class culminates in a meal served family style. Jan. 4, 6:30-9:30 pm. $85.

Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commellini.com (509-466-0667) WEST END WINTER ALE TRAIL Visit each west end downtown Spokane brewery, buy a beer and scan the QR code to be entered to win prizes. Participating breweries include Humble Abode, Whistle Punk, Golden Handle, Brick West, Grain Shed Taproom and Iron Goat.

Through Jan. 7. Brick West Brewing Co., 1318 W. First Ave. bit.ly/AleTrail2023 ADULT COOKING CLASS: THREE MEALS In this adult only class, learn how to create chicken picatta, keto red pepper salmon and Chinese five spice pork, Jan. 6, 6:30-8:30 am. $75. Modernist Cooks, 1014 N. Pines Rd. modernistcooks.org

NOVA KAINE’S DON’T TELL MAMA CABARET & DRAG BRUNCH Various Inland Northwest drag performers take the stage and perform pieces choreographed

by Troy Nickerson. First and third Sunday of every month at 11 am. Free. Highball, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com FIN TO FORK: A CULINARY TRILOGY COOKING CLASS A three-course culinary experience where guests will learn to make a harvest salad, classic creme brulee and crab-stuffed salmon paired with various accouterments and a beurre blanc sauce. Jan. 12, 6-8 pm. $85. Beverly’s, 115 S. Second St. beverlyscda.com

MUSIC

THOMAS PLETSCHER Jazz pianist Thomas Pletscher performs repertoire from the Great American Songbook, as well as jazz arrangements of pop songs.

Jan. 4, 6-9 pm. Free. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. davenporthotelcollection.com (800-899-1482) BEN KLEIN: ELVIS BIRTHDAY SHOW Elvis impersonator Ben Klein and family perform the King’s greatest hits in honor of his birthday. Call for tickets. Jan. 6, 6 pm. $15-$25. Spokane Valley Eagles, 16801 E. Sprague Ave. (509-868-4671) FESTIVAL OF CAROLS The Cathedral Choir, Schola Cantorum, Diocesan Youth Choir and instrumentalists present music and scripture. Jan. 7, 2:30-3:30 pm. Free.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, 1115 W. Riverside Ave. spokanecathedral.com THE HISTORY OF ROCK & ROLL The Rusty Jackson Band, Mel Dalton and Tom Richards perform hits of the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Jan. 12, 6-8:30 pm. $15-$25.

Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Dr. fb.me/e/bkXMcsFhn (208-262-1655)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

APPRECIATION OF BONSAI Marty Weiser, President, Inland Empire Bonsai Society, speaks about the ancient origins of creating miniature bonsai trees in China and Japan. Jan. 4, 4-6 pm. Free.

Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. tieg.org (509-535-8434) MT. SPOKANE NIGHT SKIING Ski after the sun sets under the lights at Mt. Spokane. Wed-Fri from 3-9 pm through March 16. $40-$80. Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. mtspokane.com (509-238-2220) YOUTH WINTER ADVENTURES Over winter break, learn how to cross country ski and snowshoe at Mt. Spokane State Park. Also learn how to build snow shelters, search for animal tracks and how to move around a snowy landscape. Fee includes guides, snowshoes, cross country skiing equipment, trail fees, instruction and transportation. Jan. 4, 9 am-4 pm. $149. Northeast Community Center, 4001 N. Cook. spokanerec.org (509-487-1603) DJ NIGHT ON THE ICE Skate around the Numerica Skate Ribbon with tunes provided by DJ A1. Fri from 6-9 pmthrough Jan. 26. $6.95-$9.95. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.org (509-625-6600) LOOKOUT PASS JUNIOR RACE SERIES A ski racing opportunity for experienced and new racers. First session includes coaching; subsequent sessions include timed runs. Fri from 5-7 pm through Jan. 26. $35-$45. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Rd. schweitzer.com

COACHES CORNER Coaches from Spokane Figure Skating Club offer valuable tips and guidance to emerging skaters.

Sat from 11 am-1 pm through Jan. 27. $6.95-$9.95. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.org (509-625-6600) CROSS COUNTRY SKI LESSONS Learn to cross-country ski and tour the trails of 49 Degrees North Nordic Area. Instruction includes basics of equipment, ski area rules, etiquette and techniques . Ages 13+. Jan. 6, 10 am-2 pm. $67. 49 Degrees North, 3311 Flowery Trail. spokanecity.org HOUSEPLANT MASTERY SERIES Learn all of the strategies to maintaining the health of your houseplants. The classes go over plant selection, light and water needs, soil and pot selection and much more. Jan. 6-27, Sat from 2-3 pm. $10$30. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com (509 467-5258) WWE SUPERSHOW This show features WWE wrestlers such as Cody Rhodes, Seth “Freakin” Rollins, La Knight, ‘The Ring General’ Gunther, Bobby Lashley, The New Day, Becky Lynch, Carlito, Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky and many more. Jan. 6, 7:30 pm. $20-$115. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon. spokanearena.com ALL ABOUT CITRUS Learn all about how to care for citrus plants and tips and tricks for growing them. Jan. 7, 2-3 pm. $10. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com (509 467-5258) JACKASS DAY Celebrate Silver Mountain’s roots with $20 lift tickets and a retro theme. Jan. 11. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave., Kellogg. silvermt.com NATIONAL RV SHOW This show features deals, discounts, advice from RV experts, parts and accessories dealers, live music and much more. Jan. 11-15. Free. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. nationalrvshow.com BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL A collection of outdoor adventure, environmental and cultural films. Jan. 12 and Jan. 13, 7 pm. $25-$45. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.com (509-624-1200) CROSS COUNTRY SKI LESSONS Learn the basics of cross-country skiing. Fee includes a day long ski equipment rental and two hours of instruction. Jan. 13-14, 10 am-noon. $77. Selkirk Lodge, N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. spokanecity.org PBR: PENDLETON WHISKY VELOCITY TOUR This show features young, emerging bull riding talent alongside some of the superstars of the sport. Jan. 13, 7-9 pm. $17-$107. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com SNOWSHOES & BREWS MOUNT SPOKANE TOUR WITH TRANSPORTATION: A tour through the woods of Mount Spokane State Park. Following the tour, the group heads to Big Barn Brewery on Green Bluff to learn about their locally crafted beer. Jan. 13 and Feb. 17, 9 am2:30 pm. $53. Yoke’s Fresh Market, 14202 N. Market St. spokanerec.org

THEATER & DANCE

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG This playtravels backwards in time to navigate the bumpy history among three friends – Franklin, Charlie and Mary – who begin careers in show business together.

Jan. 5-7; Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $15-$38. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com

MET LIVE IN HD: NABUCCO Ancient Babylon comes to life in this classic Met staging of biblical proportions. Jan. 6, 9:55 am. $15-$20. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127) ARGENTINE TANGO SOCIAL DANCE CLASSES Learn to dance the Argentine Tango social dance. Classes use weekly step sequence topics to focus on fundamental skills. Open to all levels; drop-ins welcome. Mondays from 5:15-6:45 pm. $15. The Clutch Tango Dance Studio, 1507 E. Sprague Ave. tangomind.com DIAMOND SQUARES DANCE LESSONS This lesson is essentially “Simon Says” set to music. Partner suggested, but not required. Jan. 8, 7-9 pm. $10. Western Dance Center, 1901 N. Sullivan Rd. SquareDanceSpokane.org RAMBLERS SQUARE DANCE LESSONS This lesson is essentially “Simon Says” set to music. Partner suggested but not required. Jan. 9, 6:30-7:30 pm. $10. North Spokane Dance Center, 7424 N. Freya St. SquareDanceSpokane.org TABLAO FLAMENCO SPOKANE Dancers and musicians come together for an evening of flamenco dance highlighting the improvisational communication between dancers and musicians. Guests include Jose Moreno, Jed Miley, Amelia Moore and Daniel Azcarate. Jan. 11, 8-10 pm. $30. Overbluff Cellars, 304 W. Pacific. quieroflamenco.com (509-991-4781) ACCELERATED SQUARE DANCE LESSONS This eight week dance class is essentially “Simon Says” set to music. Partner suggested but not required. Jan. 13, 10 am-1 pm. $10. Western Dance Center, 1901 N. Sullivan Rd. SquareDanceSpokane.org (509-329-8825)

VISUAL ARTS

10TH ANNUAL CUP OF JOY An exhibit of over 150 ceramic cups made by local, regional and national artists. Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm through Jan. 13. Free.

Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio.net (509-863-9904) DRAWING FUNDAMENTALS CLASS Artist Marlene Laurich leads students in line, shape, form and space drawing techniques. Fridays from 3-4:30 pm.

Free. Create Arts Center, 900 Fourth St. createarts.org (509-447-9277) EWU FACULTY ART EXHIBITION The exhibition includes a diverse array of artistic styles in a wide variety of media including, but not limited to painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, photography, video, digital art and augmented reality.

Mon-Fri from 9 am-6 pm through Jan. 18.

Free. EWU Gallery of Art, 140 Art Building. ewu.edu/cahss (509-359-2494) JUAQUETTA HOLCOMB Pottery Place Plus’s January guest artist uses local wool to make hand-spun yarn, hats, shawls and more. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through Jan. 31. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington St. potteryplaceplus. com (509-327-6920) FRANK S. MATSURA: NATIVE AMERICAN PORTRAITS FROM A NORTHWEST BORDERLAND This show features images from the studio archive of Washington-based Japanese photographer Frank Sakae Matsura (b. 1873) which explore Indigenous representation through an artistic lens. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through June 9. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)

JANUARY 4, 2024 INLANDER 39

NEWS

In Store for 2024 What to watch for in the world of cannabis in the new year

BY WILL MAUPIN

40 INLANDER JANUARY 4, 2024

I

n a mature market like Washington’s, which will celebrate 10 years of legal sales on July 8, there’s not much room for major change in 2024. Instead, observers should be on the lookout for tweaks to the way the state manages the cannabis industry.

Consumers could finally see the impact of Washington’s cannabis social equity program, an effort to expand opportunity in the cannabis industry for groups and communities disproportionately impacted by prohibition.

This past fall, 40-plus applicants were informed by the state that they had been awarded a cannabis license as part of the program. The state is now considering expanding the program, with public comment open until Feb. 4.

Broader change could come across the nation and at the federal level.

Legalization is set to appear on the ballot in 2024 in three states: Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Florida looks to be the most likely of the three to join the legal club. A December poll from the University of North Florida found that 67% of voters intend to vote for legalization.

At the federal level, the Biden administration has an opportunity to make the most drastic change to cannabis policy in over five decades. Unlike in years past, there’s real reason to believe it might happen in 2024.

In September 2022, the Biden White House announced its intention to review cannabis’ position on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. In August 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services announced it had completed the review, recommending that cannabis be moved from the ultra-strict Schedule I to the more loosely regulated Schedule III. That doesn’t mean the Biden administration is eyeing legalization, but rather something closer to decriminalization. Currently, cannabis sits alongside fully illegal drugs like heroin and LSD on Schedule I. Should cannabis be moved to Schedule III, it would be regulated similarly to anabolic steroids and low-level, opiate-based pain relievers like Tylenol with codeine.

Beyond the HHS recommendation in response to the Biden administration’s call for a review, there’s a more cynical reason to believe the White House may push forward with such a move: Biden is running for reelection in 2024.

Cannabis has proven to be a strong motivator to bring people to the ballot box, especially younger voters.

Scanning over recent headlines, voter apathy appears to be on the rise and a serious issue for Biden. It would not be crazy for the president to look to cannabis for some election magic. n

JANUARY 4, 2024 INLANDER 41

GREEN ZONE

BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.

NOTE TO READERS

EVENTS | CALENDAR

Be aware of the differences in the law between Idaho and Washington. It is illegal to possess, sell or transport cannabis in the State of Idaho.

Possessing up to an ounce is a misdemeanor and can get you a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine; more than three ounces is a felony that can carry a five-year sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.

GORDON WILSON: EMERITUS A selection of works created over the last 50 years by the Whitworth Professor Emeritus of Art & Design. Mon-Fri from 10 am-4:30 pm, Sat from 10 am-2 pm through Jan. 24. Free. Bryan Oliver Gallery, Whitworth, 300 W. Hawthorne Ave. whitworth.edu (509-777-3258) HERE IN A HOMEMADE FOREST: COMMON READING CONNECTIONS EXHIBITION Inspired by WSU’s 202324 Common Reading Book, Braiding Sweetgrass, this exhibition highlights crucial themes through the lens of art, inviting visitors into a conversation about prioritizing a reciprocal relationship with the land, with each other and with other living beings. Tue-Sat from 10 am-4 pm through March 2. Free.

Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson. museum.wsu.edu JEFFREY GIBSON: THEY TEACH LOVE This exhibition combines various art mediums such as sculpture, painting and video with the artist’s American Indian cultural background by adorning objects with beadwork, jingles, fringe and sinew. Tue-Sat from 10 am-4 pm through March 9. Free.

Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson. museum.wsu.edu NANCY ROTHWELL: FREEDOM AND JOY IN THE PALOUSE This exhibit showcases how the artist’s color palette and content shifted after moving from western to eastern Washington.

Mon-Sat from 10 am-6 pm through Jan. 31. Free. The Center, 104 S. Main St. whitcolib.org NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE FACULTY EXHIBITION NIC faculty members display recent works. Mon-Thu from 10 am-4 pm, Fri from 10 am-2:30 pm. through Jan. 26. Free. Boswell Corner Gallery at NIC, 1000 W. Garden Ave. nic.edu/cornergallery SPOKANE WATERCOLOR SOCIETY MEMBER’S SHOW This show features paintings created by 22 members of the Spokane Watercolor Society using water soluble painting media. First Friday reception: Fri, Jan. 5 from 5-8 pm. Regular gallery hours: Daily from 11 am-7 pm through Feb. 23. Free. Liberty Building, 203 N. Washington St. spokanelibertybuilding.com THAT, THROUGH WHICH WE SEE...

DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW A group show by Kay O’Rourke, Alex Biggs, Dan McCann, Larry Ellingson, Wendy Franklund Miller, Roger Ralston and MB, showing paintings, collages, assemblages, boxes and clay. Fri-Sat from 11 am-3 pm through Jan. 10. Free.

Kolva-Sullivan Gallery, 115 S. Adams St. kolva.comcastbiz.net E.L. STEWART Stewart showcases a mix from her “Tree” series which prominently features abstract paintings of trees. First Friday: Fri, Jan. 5 from 5-8 pm, features Laddie Ray Melvin singing original songs on acoustic guitar. Jan. 5-31; Thu-Sat from 3-7 pm, Sun from 12-4 pm. Free. Craftsman Cellars, 1194 W. Summit Pkwy. facebook.com/Craftsmanwines FIRST FRIDAY Art galleries and businesses across downtown Spokane and beyond host monthly receptions to showcase new displays of art. Jan. 5 from 5-8 pm. Details at firstfridayspokane.org.

FIRST FRIDAYS WITH POAC First Friday arts events in Sandpoint, organized by the Pend Oreille Arts Council.

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Oreille Arts Council Gallery, 110 Main St. artinsandpoint.org (208-263-6139) FRIENDS OF SARANAC ART PROJECT Participating Saranac members invited artists to exhibit at the gallery. First Friday: Fri, Jan. 5 from 5-8 pm. Regular gallery hours: Jan. 5-27, Fri-Sat from 12-8 pm. Free. Saranac Art Projects, 25 W. Main Ave. sapgallery.com HEARTBREAKER TATTOO STUDIO FIRST FRIDAY Live painting by Spokane artist OEnone Shore and specials on flash tattoos. Jan. 5, 1-8 pm. Free.

Heartbreaker Tattoo & Artist Co-op, 830 W. Sprague. heratbreakerspokane.com LISTENING FOR AN ECHO: SOMETHING ABOUT FARMING Pam Deutschman, Abbie Evans, Megan Perkins and Karen Mobley explore the intricacies of farming through visual dialogue. Jan. 5-27, Thu-Sat from 5-8 pm. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe St. terrainspokane.com MARGUERITE FINCH Finch is a fine art instructor and displays sculptural works in this exhibition. Jan. 5-27, FriSat from 12-8 pm. Free. Saranac Art Projects, 25 W. Main. sapgallery.com DOG SCULPTURE CLASS This sculpture class focuses on exploration with clay and trying to capture the pose and swag of your favorite dog. Ages 12+.

Jan. 6, 10 am-12:30 pm. $65. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave. spokaneartschool.net STYLIZING ANY ANIMAL WITH ANDI KEATING Using several methods, learn to apply these methods to find your unique way of drawing recognizable animals without the box of accurate anatomy. Ages 11+. Jan. 6, 11 am-3 pm. $53. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net QUINCEY MIRACLE Miracle’s artwork uses architectural space and personal archives to explore the nature of nonbinary transition. Jan. 9-Feb. 1, Mon-Fri from 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Free. Spokane Falls Community College, 3410 W. Whistalks Way. sfcc.spokane.edu BOOK ARTS: CLAMSHELL BOX Learn how to make a clamshell box using your own tarot deck or other set of playing cards with Mel Antuna Hewitt.

Jan. 13, 9 am-2 pm. $80. Spokane Print & Publishing Center, 1921 N. Ash. spokaneprint.org

WORDS

SPOKANE’S AGE OF ELEGANCE: BEYOND THE VESTIBULE 1891-1918 Cindy Blue-Blanton discusses what was trending in interiors and architecture in Spokane between the years 1891-1918.

Jan. 11, 5:30 pm. Free. Liberty Park Library, 402 S. Pittsburgh. spokanepreservation.org 3 MINUTE MIC Auntie’s long-running first Friday poetry open mic. Readers may share up to 3 minutes’ of poetry.

Jan. 5, 7-8 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. auntiesbooks.com BROKEN MIC Spokane Poetry Slam’s longest-running, weekly open mic reading series. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm; sign-ups at 6 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit.ly/2ZAbugD POETRY AFTER DARK EWU MFA students lead discussions about craft elements, style and form in poetry. Second and fourth Wed. of every month, 7-8 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org n

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