Inlander 01/05/2017

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54 JANUARY 5-11, 2017 | YOU ARE WHAT YOU READ

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E M O C E W 16 PAGE 22

20 RESS

PROG EDITION

NEWS

Young Kwak’s photos of the year PAGE 18 ARTS

The passing of Steve Gibbs PAGE 33

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’ve long come to accept that progress isn’t linear; the world, humanity, America — we take deliberate steps toward a better, more just society, and then something suddenly pulls us off course. The past year certainly gave us evidence of that. It seems especially important, then, that we mark our steps forward, that we take notice and celebrate advancements in our community, and perhaps in that way we might guard against ill-advised detours. So here goes, our PROGRESS EDITION, in which we spotlight some noteworthy developments from the past year, across the arts, education, business and government. (Coverage begins on page 22.)

Also this week: We dive deep into hopes and predictions for the local music scene (page 40), and in News, staff reporter Wilson Criscione investigates why North Idaho College never questioned three students implicated in an alleged gang rape and instead scrutinized their accuser (page 13).

— JACOB H. FRIES, Editor

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BY TOM SIMPSON

A

ustin. Boulder. Durham-Chapel Hill. Do you ever wonder if the Spokane region could be mentioned in the same sentence as these hubs of innovation? I believe this is a realistic, achievable goal within the next 10 years.

Our community possesses many of the requisite assets, and I expect demand for them will be robust as other cities increasingly become labor, real estate and quality-of-life constrained.

But is this a goal we even aspire to? If so, how do we get there? Are we willing to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset of disruption, creativity, tenacity and risk-taking?

The Inlander asked that I address these questions and others as a monthly columnist. So what are my qualifications to write on such topics?

Y

ou could say it all really started for me when I ran into a couple of high school buddies up by Sears one day back in the 1980s. But first, let’s back up to the very beginning: Following graduation from Lewis and Clark High School, I attended the University of Washington, where I pursued a degree in business with a concentration in accounting. This was an academic decision, made impulsively when an upperclassman informed me he had accepted a position with a Big Eight accounting firm for $17,000 a year. That seemed like a very attractive sum back in 1980.

Following graduation, I took a job with Deloitte Haskins & Sells in Spokane. Soon, I had completed the CPA exam, got married, bought a house, secured a station wagon and became the proud owner of a dog. I was 23 years old.

On that fateful day, my wife and I got into the station wagon, with the dog, and set out to purchase a new washer and dryer at Sears.

Pulling into the parking lot, I saw a red Corvette with its top down, music blaring, a cooler in the back seat. Inside were two of my high school friends. I looked at them, they looked at me, and I thought to myself that perhaps I was taking life too seriously.

I reflected upon how I could diversify my own portfolio of skills and decided to pursue an MBA. In 1985, I enrolled at Wharton, where I was surrounded by people with prep-school pedigrees and Ivy League diplomas. Business school there in Philadelphia was survival of the fittest.

I elected to pursue investment banking and spent the summer between my first and second year working on Wall Street. It was a colorful era marked by junk bonds, hostile takeovers, leveraged buyouts and insider-trading scandals. I wanted to move back to Spokane, but the number of openings for investment bankers here was exactly zero.

Instead, I accepted a job with the investment banking firm of Dain Bosworth in Seattle. It was an amazing time to be in Seattle. Companies were

6 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

going public at a prolific rate, and Seattle was in the early stages of its incredible growth, with Microsoft, Starbucks and McCaw Cellular getting started. I had the opportunity to be involved with a wide variety of deals and to meet many of the most successful entrepreneurs and financiers in the region.

Yet Spokane still called to me. I learned that Spokane Capital Management, an angel fund formed in connection with Momentum, was seeking a new manager. I reached out to Dave Clack, then chairman, and in the summer of 1995 moved home to raise a new fund for the organization. Dave became my mentor, for which I will forever be grateful.

We wound up raising $172 million across three funds, and even opened an office in Seattle.

For the first five years, as markets were generous, our firm was at times the largest venture investor in Washington state. The next five years, however, were incredibly challenging. The tech bubble burst, there was 9/11, the venture market was overfunded and then Sarbanes-Oxley passed.

I learned the meaning of “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

T

he silver lining to that tough stretch was that I could turn my efforts to working with up-and-coming entrepreneurs in Spokane. I occasionally teach entrepreneurship at Gonzaga, I manage the Spokane Angel Alliance and I am co-founder of the Toolbox, an incubator for manufacturing startups. At Gonzaga, I met Josh and Sarah Neblett and collectively we started etailz, which subsequently grew to nearly 200 employees and was recently acquired by Trans World Entertainment Corporation.

It’s been over these past few years, witnessing the dynamic changes that have occurred in Spokane and observing national trends, that I have come to the believe our community has an opportunity to become hub of innovation like an Austin or a Boulder.

In the coming months, I’ll highlight local success stories to better understand the opportunities before us — and I’ll try to challenge our local conventional wisdom, with an eye toward what Spokane could look like in 2027.  Tom Simpson is an entrepreneur, angel investor and advisor to startups and other businesses in the Spokane region. His column will appear in this space the first Thursday of every month; you can reach him at tsimpson@inlander.com.

GET INVOLVED!

COMPLEMENTARY DENTURE CONSULTATION

INTRO TO ACTIVISM

As noted last week, we’re dedicating this space to civic events, goings-on and opportunities to get involved. And what better way to start that than with an event literally called “How To Get Involved.”

On Wednesday, Jan. 11, from 6 to 8 pm, meet in the Spokane Public Library (906 W. Main) to hear from people who are already involved, and find out how you can be too. Hear from current government officials, political campaign workers, political party staffers and local activists.

BUY BOOKS, PROMOTE SOCIAL JUSTICE

Social Justice Ministry at St. Joseph Church in Colbert is hosting its fifth usedbook sale, featuring a wide range of materials, from children’s books and nonfiction to bestsellers. Proceeds from the name-your-price book sale will go toward supporting a Mayan community in the highlands of Guatemala. In the past, those funds have been used to purchase medical equipment and support schools and preschools, says Patt Perlman, a parish member who coordinates the sale.

The two-day sale will begin Saturday, Jan. 14, from 9 am to 1 pm, and again from 5 to 7 pm. Sunday’s hours are 8 am to 1 pm. If you have books to donate, drop them off in the vestibule at St. Joseph Parish, 3720 E. Colbert Rd.

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MARCH MADNESS

On Jan. 21, the day after Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, demonstrators nationwide aim to organize a million women, men and children in Washington, D.C., to march from the Lincoln Memorial to the White House.

But D.C. is a bit of a trek, so LETTERS we’ve got you covered. Join others in Send comments to support of human rights, civil libereditor@inlander.com. ties, diversity and compassion at the Spokane Convention Center (334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.) at 11 am for the Eastern Washington/North Idaho version of this demonstration.

“This march is not a protest against Trump or the legitimacy of the election,” says Fontaine Pearson, one of the administrators of the national march. “But it is to shed light on women’s issues, including sexual assault and workplace discrimination.”

Seattle, Bellingham, Olympia and Whidbey Island will also host similar marches simultaneously.

On Jan. 15, the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (35 W. Main) hosts a sign-making event from 2 to 4 pm for the march. Bring your own materials (poster board, markers) or use theirs.

For more information about the Women’s March on Washington in Washington state, including how to register, volunteer and donate, visit womensmarchwastate.org. (COMPILED BY MITCH RYALS) JEN SORENSON CARTOON

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COMMENT | GUEST EDITORIAL have happened and will continue to happen here, even under the Trump administration.

Our governor is committed to action to address climate change, state lawmakers are working to change antiquated state laws that allow police use-of-force cases to avoid prosecution even in the most heinous situations, and our Human Rights Commission adopted strong regulations that protect the rights of transgender people.

The state Supreme Court recently acted to protect our environment by affirming in two separate cases that local development must mitigate impacts on both water quality and water quantity. Washington voters spoke loudly about their love of state public lands by electing an outspoken environmental advocate, Hilary Franz, as our state’s Lands Commissioner. These won’t change with the Trump administration.

Spokane has a longstanding policy of keeping our police out of federal immigration matters.

Not Backing Down

CALEB WALSH ILLUSTRATION

The Trump administration’s regressive policies won’t outweigh the progressive values embodied by our city and state

BY RICK EICHSTAEDT

N

ovember 7, to say the least, was a shock for those of us working on social and environmental justice issues. Trump won. The same Trump who ran on a platform of dismantling the EPA, repealing national health care, ending national efforts of police reform, cutting off funding from so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to assist in the deportation of undocumented people, and riling the so-called alt-right with their platform of hate and intoler-

ance. It is easy to see January 20th as the end of an era of hope and reform, with the departure of President Obama and the inauguration of Trump.

On November 8, while I was feeling the loss of hope and grieving the loss of what I saw as significant progress toward making our community more just for everyone, a friend and police reform advocate told me that this is the time for us to work even harder to make a difference, and not to lose sight of the change that will happen regardless of Trump. She reminded me that we are lucky to live in Washington state and the city of Spokane. Good things

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On a local level, Spokane has a longstanding policy of keeping our police out of federal immigration matters, and our city council has been a strong voice against the transport of climate-killing oil and coal through our community. Efforts are underway to give people a second chance and get back on their feet by “banning the box” — essentially taking questions about criminal background off of job applications. Spokane is a nationally recognized leader in its efforts to reform our local criminal justice system and in enacting meaningful independent oversight of its police. Our mayor and city council are committed to addressing the chronic problem of low-income housing, reforming the city’s sexual harassLETTERS ment policy (granted, Send comments to this took some legal editor@inlander.com. pressure), and addressing the gap in pay faced by women and minorities working for the city.

These won’t change with the Trump administration.

Yes, I am the first to admit that there will be struggles during the next four years. We cannot ignore the impacts that Trump policies will have on public lands, immigration, the environment and civil rights. Regardless, we must also be diligent in working to see the changes we believe in.  Rick Eichstaedt is an attorney and the executive director of the Center for Justice.

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COMMENT | FROM READERS

Washington’s Attorney General, Bob Ferguson

Reactions to last week’s story on Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s lawsuit against Comcast accusing the cable giant of misleading customers:

JADE D’VONNE: What about the gross overcharging of services after being told your services would be a certain price!?

TED HILL: Time to play what’s my bill this month!!?? I hate this company.

KIMBERLY BRUCE FULLENWIDER: I got rid [of] them years ago, been with DirecTV and love them.

KAREN KUHANECK RILEY: I have heard that their contract FINALLY expires with Spokane next year.

Let’s hope so.

JASON MICHAEL: They should let other internet companies in the area. Comcast knows they can get away with it. And CenturyLink is not competition, they suck as well ELIZABETH PARKER: I love this man. He is a SUPER consumer friendly elected official!!!! His office has helped me with several issues, from parking tickets at my old residence, to a big mistake made on my mortgage by the bank. His office takes their job seriously, and are quick and effective. Please, please, please use their consumer complaint process if you ever have problems with a business.

KEVIN BLATT: Comcast charged me a $180 installation fee to plug in my receiver. They told me I “needed” installation.

RANDALL BISHOP: Good... Seems like they add pay hikes when you are late, hoping you will think it is the late fee. I thought it was $5 late fee but I see my last one is $9.50.

I am ready to dump them after decade of use.

DEAN LAMBSON: I got fired from there two weeks after posting about this lawsuit when it was first filed.

LOL. I worked in sales there briefly and… it’s really bad on the inside.

JUDY CHAMPION: Yep… the most scandalous company out there. SO glad I DON’T have them anymore! 

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A freshman at North Idaho College and the three men she says raped her all lived in the school’s residence hall.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

EDUCATION

‘It Shouldn’t of Happened’ North Idaho College never questioned the men implicated in an alleged gang rape; instead, school officials scrutinized their accuser

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

O

n the morning of Nov. 17, 2013, a 17-year-old college freshman woke up confused on someone else’s couch, smelling beer and sweat and wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers shirt that wasn’t hers.

She felt physical pain like she’d never felt before.

She tried to piece together what had happened as she stumbled downstairs to gather her clothes, though she had little memory of the previous night. She remembered falling to the floor in front of a blue-eyed guy who had no clothes on. She remembered realizing that a different

guy was on top of her, and then asking if he was wearing a condom. She remembered a third guy against the wall, watching, asking for his turn.

R.R., identified here only by her initials, went back ...continued on next page

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to her residence hall at North Idaho College that morning stunned. At the time, she didn’t know what to call what had happened to her. She wasn’t yet ready to admit she had been raped, but texted her dorm’s resident assistant to report what she remembered — reluctantly, because she didn’t want anyone to get in trouble. “I’m not sure if I have the right to be upset,” she texted. “I don’t know why it bothers me.” The RA told her to go to urgent care and reported the conversation to her supervisor.

“It sounds stupid, but I kind of waited for somebody else to tell me that it was what it was.

Like a friend or something, but nobody did,” R.R. tells the Inlander, speaking out now that her 2016 lawsuit against NIC has been settled.

Under federal Title IX regulations, what she described to her RA that day would likely be considered sexual assault, since R.R. could not give consent due to incapacitation. And if a student describes anything that could fall under Title IX, then certain things are supposed to happen immediately:  The school’s Title IX coordinator should be informed;  An investigation should be launched;  Remedies should be provided to the involved students.

But none of that happened until long after the fact.

The reported rape took two months to reach NIC’s Title IX coordinator, and by then the three accused students had left the school. Because of that, a full investigation was never conducted, and the school didn’t take sufficient steps to prevent R.R. from seeing the three men in the weeks after the incident. And instead of any punishment for the men accused, the only student involved who felt any scrutiny from NIC was their accuser, R.R. “[School employees] should have known that this should have went to the Title IX coordinator.

Could they have handled it well, even without notifying him? Sure,” says Daniel Swinton, a managing partner for The NCHERM Group, which consults with schools about Title IX. “But it doesn’t sound like they did.”

It left R.R. feeling alienated. Instead of the alleged rapists being punished, she was the one who was disciplined after she acted out, angry because she felt the school did nothing. She spiraled into depression, her grades suffered, and she dropped out of NIC in spring 2015.

“I wouldn’t show up to class sometimes. I just didn’t care at all,” she says. “And I kind of felt resentful, in this mood where I was like, ‘Why am I going to classes when this school didn’t do anything for me?’”

maybe it was small enough that people would pay attention to her if she ever had any trouble.

“I made [NIC] fully aware of how vulnerable she is, and what she had struggled with,” Sonia tells the Inlander. “And I just thought she was going to be safe there, and that was not the case.”

At NIC, R.R. immediately found a best friend in Lindsay Snuffer, but Lindsay didn’t drink or go out to parties. R.R., however, went to a party her first weekend at school and blacked out from drinking alcohol. She followed Daniel Swinton, a Title IX that pattern week consultant, questioned NIC’s after week.

On Nov. 16, she handling of the rape allegations. went to a party alone, thinking she would meet the guy on the wrestling team she had been seeing. He never showed up.

“I was there without anybody to be like, ‘OK, let’s get you home,’” R.R. says. “So I was alone.”

That night, a Saturday, she started drinking Rolling Rock. Then vodka. Later, she would black out, come out of it, black out again, then come out of it again. She was in that state, she says, when the three guys she would later accuse of rape showed up to the party. She made out with one of them during the party — she remembers his bright red shirt — and when she realized what she was doing, she says that she pushed him away.

“If she stays, we’ll continue to be all over her, and very mindful of her behavior. If she doesn’t stay, then it will be one less resident we have to pay close attention to.”

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.R. had battled depression in high school, stemming in part, she says, from being molested once as a 10-year-old by a man she knew. By the time R.R. finished high school, her mom, Sonia, felt comfortable leaving her daughter at a smaller campus like NIC, thinking

That guy would later tell police that when he showed up to the party, someone told him that R.R. would be “willing to have sex with anyone.”

The next thing she knew, she was stumbling down the stairs, then waking up in the bathroom in the basement of the house. She didn’t know, initially, what happened after she fell to the floor in front of the guy with blue eyes. But she knew she was raped by the guy in the bright red shirt, the one who was told she’d have sex with anyone, and by the third guy who was watching and asking for his turn.

The next day, she was experiencing pain in her inner thighs and lower back. She asked the resident assistant who she first reported the incident to if she could have some ice. When the RA asked if the ice was for pain, the 17-year-old said it was for “drinks and stuff,” not wanting to get anyone in trouble.

Lindsay drove R.R. to urgent care. They gave her a morning-after pill, ran some blood tests and asked about her injuries. R.R. told them

that the night before, she had consensual sex.

“I didn’t want the police to be called. I didn’t want to make it a big scene or anything like that,” she says.

She told Lindsay what she remembered from the night before.

“I was her shoulder to cry on, and her person to talk to,” Lindsay says. “But I understood I could only help her so much.”

W

ithin days of the party, R.R. saw and made eye contact with the three guys. They lived in the same residence hall, and at night, she says she wondered where they

were.

Her grades suffered. Lindsay says that R.R. wouldn’t get out of bed until the afternoon. She drank a lot and talked about suicide.

Records that R.R. provided to the Inlander reveal duty logs kept by resident assistants. On Dec. 7, 2013, an RA noted that R.R. came home drunk and “crying about what happened on the 16th.” A week later, a duty log showed that R.R. was “talking about suicide,” and that “what happened in November on the 16th is really getting to her still.”

On Jan. 17, 2014, two months after the alleged gang rape, NIC’s Title IX coordinator Alex Harris was first told about the incident, school spokesman Tom Greene says. But the three guys left the school at the beginning of January, for reasons that had nothing to do with any Title IX investigation.

Ten days later, R.R.’s residence hall made her sign a behavior contract in order to stay there. Not drinking alcohol was a stipulation in the contract. But she was caught coming back to the hall drunk again, and her mom had to plead with the school to let R.R. stay in the dorm for the rest of the semester.

Paula Czirr, resident life director, Graydon Stanley, vice president of student services, and Harris discussed letting her stay. “I can go either way,” Czirr wrote in an email to other school officials. “If she stays, we’ll continue to be all over her, and very mindful of her behavior. If she doesn’t stay, then it will be one less resident we have to pay close attention to.”

They let her stay, but R.R. was still upset. She wrote graffiti on the dorm windows expressing her dissatisfaction with how she was treated, and she wrote an angry letter to the RA staff demanding an apology.

“There was no consequence for those students — just me,” she wrote. “You and your faculty have chosen me to keep an eye on and report on instead of three young men that will probably do it again because you didn’t do anything. I hope you think about that for the rest of your career and life.”

NIC officials involved in R.R.’s case refused to comment. But Tori Schuler, the resident assistant who R.R. first reported to, resists the notion that nobody tried to help R.R. She says that R.R. rejected help when it was offered to her, and that R.R. misinterpreted as punishment things that were meant to help her.

Swinton, the national Title IX consultant, says that R.R.’s behavior, to him, would indicate that she needed “additional assistance.” If Harris had been notified immediately, the school could have separated the three guys from R.R. so she didn’t encounter them, or implement a no-contact order. Or the school could have provided accommodations to help with her grades, he says.

“If [schools] leave it alone, most of the time the [criminal] courts won’t do much with it long term. And if they do, it’s going to take six to 18 months,” Swinton says. “So then, you end up with a victim who has dropped out of school, their grades are suffering, and they have a number of other issues.”

After the 2013-14 school year, R.R. asked Harris if she qualified to file for a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. Harris replied that it did fall under Title IX regulations, “thus its referral to my office and my subsequent investigation and remedies.”

Harris forwarded a copy of his response to Stanley, the VP of student services.

Stanley replied: “Thanks...good response...Could put you in line for a little merit increase!” ...continued on next page

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ithout the school investigating what actually happened on Nov. 16, R.R. took it upon herself.

“I wanted some validation,” she says.

She went to Coeur d’Alene police in February 2014, three months after the alleged rape. She told them the details of what she remembered, and said she felt too drunk to say “no” to the men who she barely knew, if at all.

The detective on the case called the three men, and one of them said he didn’t know anything about what she was talking about and did not know the victim’s name. The detective left messages for the other two men, but couldn’t reach them. The detective inactivated the case in May 2015.

But R.R. investigated further. She added the guys on Facebook, hoping she could get them to admit to a crime. She messaged one of them, the one who wore the bright red shirt. He said they didn’t sleep together at first. Later, he said he was surprised that she messaged him because of what happened on their “last encounter.” He said she had performed oral sex, but denied they had intercourse.

R.R. took that information to Coeur d’Alene police. This time, in March 2016, a new detective, Jared Reneau, took over. Soon after, Reneau interviewed that same guy. He again denied any sexual contact, before eventually telling the same story he told R.R. The guy said he didn’t see

the other two men around R.R. that night, and wasn’t friends with them because he “didn’t like” how they “treated women when he was around them,” according to the police report.

That, Reneau tells the Inlander, raised a red flag.

R.R. texted one of the others, the blue-eyed guy she fell down in front of before blacking out.

For two years, she thought nothing happened between them, but he told her that they did have sexual contact. He said that R.R. and the guy with the red shirt did, in fact, have sex, that she was awake for it, but in his text message, he added that “it shouldn’t of happened :(” But Detective Reneau was unable to ask the guy about these texts. He lawyered up. So did the third guy, the one who R.R. says raped her after asking for a turn.

The fact that two of the men wouldn’t give statements seemed suspicious, Reneau says.

“If you didn’t do anything wrong, you don’t have anything to hide,” he says. “I don’t automatically assume somebody’s guilty [if they don’t talk to police], but I talk to a lot of people, and oftentimes when they’re telling the truth, they’re fairly willing to talk.”

Reneau described R.R. as “truthful and honest” and he found no inconsistencies in her story. He sent the case to the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office, which declined to prosecute it. Prosecutor Barry McHugh says it would be

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wrong to characterize the decision not to file charges as a statement that prosecutors do not believe this was rape, or that it happened differently than reported.

“The decision to decline reflects our evaluation of the evidence in considering our obligation to prove crimes beyond a reasonable doubt,” McHugh says.

G

reene, the NIC spokesman, points to the college’s new programs, procedures and policies in dealing with Title IX cases implemented since 2014, including more training for employees and new reporting mechanisms for victims.

That training includes guidelines for when school employees should notify Harris about possible sexual assault. Since 2013-14, there have been 13 Title IX investigations at NIC resulting in five suspensions, expulsions or terminations.

R.R. filed a lawsuit against NIC last fall. The school settled for $75,000, but NIC admitted no wrongdoing. R.R. says LETTERS she just wanted it to be over Send comments to and move on from her time in editor@inlander.com. college.

Her time at NIC still looms over her, though she can still recall the hope she felt when she first came to campus.

In one of her first college courses, her teacher asked a question about what the class wanted to get out of their time in college. She raised her hand, and her enthusiasm about being in college, and the time she would spend there, was obvious: “Everybody in the room was just kind of like, ‘Why is she so excited about college?”  wilsonc@inlander.com

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NEWS | DIGEST

PHOTO EYE BEST OF 2016 Over the course of a year, the Inlander’s staff photographer, Young Kwak, goes on hundreds of photo shoots, yielding thousands of images. This week, he picked some of his favorites from 2016; see even more at Inlander.com.

FROM THE TOP: The finish line at Bloomsday; a local bounty hunter; culinary students at Spokane Community College; local beekeepers; a Bernie Sanders supporter at Washington’s caucus in March; artist Annie Libertini.

18 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

NEWS | BRIEFS

Tests and Time In Washington, a psychiatrist could be held liable for the behavior of a patient who committed two murders; plus, rape kits in the Gem State continue to go untested

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A Spokane psychiatrist could be held responsible patient confidentiality, Sestero says. for a DOUBLE MURDER committed by one “I still feel strongly that Dr. Ashby did everyof his patients, according to a Washington State thing right and there was no foreseeing the horSupreme Court ruling. The 6-3 ruling could also rendous actions that Mr. DeMeerleer undertook,” have major implications for the future of mental Sestero says. “The interesting problem is that the health treatment statewide. mental health professional has to be able to know Jan DeMeerleer shot and killed his ex-fiancée, the unspoken thoughts of a patient at this point.

Rebecca Schiering, and one of her 9-year-old That’s an insurmountable challenge.” (MITCH sons in July 2010, shortly after she called off RYALS) their engagement. DeMeerleer tried to slash the throat of another of Schiering’s sons, but the boy got away. DeMeerleer, who was diagnosed with For victims of alleged sexual assault, the process bipolar disorder and previously had suicidal and of having DNA evidence collected from their homicidal thoughts, later took his own life. body or clothes can be invasive and last up to Schiering’s mother, Beverly Volk, sued Desix hours. When it’s over, victims often expect Meerleer’s psychiatrist, Howard Ashby, claiming the results of the sexual assault forensic exam, that he failed to adequately treat DeMeerleer and known as a RAPE KIT, to be tested so police neglected his duty to protect potential victims of can help identify potential serial predators. violence.

But in Idaho, law enforcement has failed to Ashby had been treating DeMeerleer on and submit nearly half of the rape kits to be tested at off since 2001. About three months before the all, according to a state audit. murder-suicide, DeMeerleer met with Ashby The Idaho State Police released the audit in following a dispute with Schiering. He expressed December in response to a law effective July 1, suicidal thoughts, but said he would not act on 2016, that required Idaho State Police Forensic them, according to court documents.

Services to provide a report of all untested rape “At this point it’s not a real clinical problem kits in the state to the Idaho legislature. Statebut we will keep an eye on it,” Ashby writes in wide, 541 kits identified in the 2016 survey have his notes. Ashby decided to continue with Denot been submitted to the lab.

Meerleer’s medication regimen, but did nothing The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office had else, court documents say, despite DeMeerleer’s 114 rape kits in its possession, but 69 kits have history of not taking his meds. gone untested, according to the audit. The Coeur In its ruling, the state’s high court rejected d’Alene Police Department had 62 kits, but 23 Ashby’s argument that state law shields mental have not been tested. health professionals from liability There are a few reasons unless they hear a threat against a some kits may have gone LETTERS specific person or place. DeMeeruntested, says Coeur d’Alene leer did not specifically threaten police spokesman Jared Reneau.

Send comments to Schiering or her children, and Law enforcement used to not editor@inlander.com. family and friends testified that automatically send kits to the they did not suspect he was state crime lab if the victim was capable of such crimes. anonymous, or if there was a “better piece of But Ashby’s “special relationship” with evidence” sent to the lab. For instance, of the DeMeerleer meant he had a duty to protect 23 rape kits that have not been tested in Coeur potential victims, the court ruled. d’Alene, 10 are no longer being investigated as In her majority opinion, Justice Mary a crime and 10 more were from anonymous Fairhurst acknowledges the difficulty of devictims, so the audit lists only three kits that still termining a patient’s propensity for violence. need to be tested by the lab (for the Kootenai However, when mental health professionals form County Sheriff’s Office, the number of kits “special relationship[s]” with patients, they have requiring testing is 53). a “duty of reasonable care to act consistent with Idaho state law enacted last year should the standards of the mental health profession and increase the number of kits submitted to the state to protect the foreseeable victims of his or her crime lab, Reneau says. Now, law enforcement patient,” she writes. agencies need approval from the county prosecuAshby’s attorney, Bob Sestero, says the ruling tor if they don’t think that a rape kit should be is overly broad and raises major issues for the tested, and they must document all rape kits. Refuture of patients’ rights and the underfunded neau expects, with the changes to state law, that mental health system. Psychiatrists looking to if an audit report is released next year, then the avoid potential legal action might be quicker to untested kits “will be a very, very small percentinvoluntarily commit a patient or violate doctorage.” (WILSON CRISCIONE)

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NEWS | EDUCATION

Spokane could see five new elementary schools in the coming years to alleviate crowding.

More Space Needed How Spokane and Central Valley schools plan to solve overcrowding

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

I

n 2003, Spokane Public Schools came up with a long-term plan to replace and modernize old schools.

But at the time, enrollment was on a downward trend — from 1998 until about two years ago, the enrollment dropped from 32,000 kids to 28,000.

That’s changed. Enrollment, in Spokane and particularly other local school districts, is increasing, says district associate superintendent Mark Anderson. Coupled with a mandate to meet a state initiative to lower class sizes in kindergarten through third grade, Spokane has had to adjust its plan and start preparing for its next bond measure, less than two years after the previous one.

“As you can see,” Anderson says, “we’ve started early.”

Most of the district’s elementary schools are nearing capacity, Anderson says. There are space challenges all over the district — the South Hill, up north and to the east.

And Spokane is not alone. The Central Valley School District is also trying to keep up with increased population growth that has led to overcrowding. In 2018, the district plans to ask voters to approve a bond for a new high school and middle school.

“Overcrowding is a significant issue,” says Brian Singer, co-chair of CV’s Capital Facilities Committee.

“It’s a reality for our community and how quickly it’s growing.”

For districts like Central Valley and Spokane Public Schools, major changes lie ahead, including an influx of new school buildings, boundary changes and, potentially, reconfigured grade levels.

20 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

S

erena McPherson has two kids at Moran Prairie Elementary School on the South Hill. In March, Anderson came to the school and told parents that Moran would be taking some kindergarteners from Mullan Road Elementary. With more multifamily apartment complexes popping up on the hill, Mullan Road was becoming overcrowded, Anderson explained.

McPherson and other parents were worried. They saw the other plots of land ready to be developed. They were concerned about the district’s long-term plan.

Would the overcrowding get worse?

“Parents were upset with the district because they felt like there was a lack of communication,” she says.

But the district alleviated some of those concerns.

Now, McPherson and other parents have joined a longrange growth planning committee considering options for what kind of new schools will be needed in the 2021 bond.

Anderson says meeting the voter-approved state initiative to lower class sizes in grades K-3 down to 17 students would, alone, require up to five new elementary schools. The planning committee McPherson is a part of is considering other options, such as altering attendance boundaries, or changing grade configurations so that sixth grade moves to the middle school level, instead of elementary. Yet that would still require that three new middle schools be built, Anderson says.

Something else could have helped Spokane handle overcrowding and reduce class sizes: A state grant that Spokane Public Schools applied for in 2016, specifically for districts to help lower class sizes. Central Valley was

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

awarded $20.9 million as part of the grant, and West Valley School District was awarded money too.

But Spokane was left out.

“We’re certainly irritated we didn’t get that money,” Anderson says. “And the reason why we didn’t is we’ve been successful in Spokane — the voters here have been willing to rebuild schools. So because of that, we had a lower need than Central Valley and West Valley, which hadn’t passed bonds for years.”

I

ndeed, Central Valley went nearly 20 years without passing a bond for facility upgrades. But after passing their most recent bond in 2015 — which paid for three new elementary schools, two new middle schools, and renovations and expansions for several other schools — the district is optimistic about passing the next one in 2018.

The $130 million bond proposal in 2018 would pay for a new high school, a new middle school, and a renovations to a current middle school. Like the 2015 bond, it won’t raise taxes for Valley residents. Instead, the 2018 bond would replace the tax rate of a previous bond that is set to expire.

Singer, co-chair of the district’s capital facilities committee, says people clearly see the need for a new high school. When Central Valley and University high schools were built, they were supposed to hold about 1,600 students each. Now, there are more than 4,200 high school students between the two schools, he says.

A new high school of roughly the same size as the other two would solve the problem of overcrowding at the secondary level and allow for future growth. Singer says the new school would be finished by 2021. It would be located at 16th Avenue and Henry Road, a vacant piece of land between Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake.

Singer, having been on the capital facilities committee when Central Valley couldn’t pass a bond, says he’s appreciative of the community’s support after passing the most recent bond that paid for new elementary schools: “Having them provide that trust in the district has made a huge difference.” n wilsonc@inlander.com

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we come? uW-Gonzaga partnership brings in more medical students; WSu's medical school is accredited After a years-long battle over which school — Washington State University or the University of Washington — would guide the future of medical education in Spokane, 2016 saw the two successfully go on their own paths.

In February, the UW and Gonzaga University announced a partnership that would bring in 60 new medical students to Spokane by fall — the largest-ever incoming class of medical students in Spokane.

WSU’s new medical school, meanwhile, was accredited in October 2016. The school announced that it would welcome 60 of its own

medical students by August 2017.

“This is a significant moment in Washington State University’s 126-year history,” said Kirk Schulz, who became WSU’s president earlier in 2016.

And the icy relationship between the UW-Gonzaga collaboration and WSU seems to have thawed.

“This is a wonderful step toward continued growth of health science education and related research for the Inland Northwest,” said GU president Thayne McCulloh about WSU’s accreditation. (WILSON CRISCIONE)

Spokane’s University District

22 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

PROGRESS EDITION

Mobius Science Center finds a home

For years, Mobius Science Center couldn’t find the right spot. In 2012, it opened downtown, in the middle of a retail sector. But that location had high rent, and downtown shoppers didn’t always want to stop in the museum between stores.

Mobius then moved to the Spokane Public Library, but the library couldn’t charge admission and Mobius couldn’t bring in revenue.

Then, finally, Avista came along. They let Mobius use its brick building on Post Street by Riverfront Park and the Avista substation.

The cost to Mobius? A dollar per year.

Mobius opened in that location in July 2016. And as CEO Phil Lindsey said at the time, he wanted to make a “big splash” when it reopened.

That meant bringing in the Bodies Human: Anatomy in Motion exhibit, a display of real human specimens that have been preserved.

The exhibit will run until Jan. 8. While an exhibit in its place hasn’t been announced yet, Lindsey hopes to have something fresh every six months. (WILSON CRISCIONE)

A rendering of the Spokane Tribe’s casino project on the West Plains.

Spokane Tribe gets green light for casino project

In 2016, the long-in-the-making plan for the Spokane Tribe of Indians to build an expansive gaming facility near Airway Heights on land that belongs to the tribe became a reality. Called the Spokane Tribe Economic Project (STEP), the effort was authorized by Gov. Jay Inslee (agreeing with a 2015 decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior) over the summer, and in November the tribe broke ground on an effort expected to cost about $400 million. The tribe says that STEP, which will cover a 145-acre space off of Highway 2, is estimated to generate 5,000 jobs, both during construction and during operation. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2017 and, in addition to a resort-style casino, is set to feature stores, a cultural center for the tribe, restaurants, commercial space, and police and fire stations. (MIKE BOOKEY)

24 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

Washington names first poet laureate from Eastern Washington

Tod Marshall’s way with words is no mystery to people living in the Inland Northwest. The prodigious poet, a Gonzaga professor, can often be seen and heard at events hosted by the school’s visiting-writer series he coordinates, emceeing Get Lit! sessions or at open-mic poetry events around town. Now the rest of Washington is learning about Marshall’s passion after he became the state’s first-ever poet laureate from Eastern Washington on Feb. 1, 2016. The role has Marshall hopscotching all over the state as he tries to bring poetry to underserved communities, especially those in rural and low-income areas where the humanities are often ignored. During his two-year term, he’s collecting original poems from Washington residents for a website and book he’ll create called Washington 129 — named for the fact that the state will be 129 years old at the end of his stint. (DAN NAILEN)

Spokane's NAACp expands its footprint in the community After its previous president, Rachel Dolezal, resigned amid revelations that she lied about her race, the Spokane chapter of the NAACP has looked for a way forward. In June, the organization’s gregarious vice president stepped up. In his six months in office, Phil Tyler has worked hard to breathe new life into the Spokane chapter. He regularly posts photos of meetings with other local leaders, and writes encouragingly about their efforts to champion social justice. He recently traveled to Olympia as an elector in the presidential election.

And as a former law enforcement officer, Tyler

straddles the line between police and the minority communities they’re often accused of disparaging and oppressing. Police reform built on constructive conversations, it seems, is high on Tyler’s agenda.

Recently, he wrote on Facebook, the NAACP had one of its most successful months of recruiting. Another of Tyler’s goals is attracting younger members.

“I have to create that Phil Tyler bridge,” he says. “It is my role, I believe, to allow all voices to be heard and to connect the younger and older members.” (MITCH RYALS)

Local real-estate market turns red-hot If you know anyone who tried to buy or rent a new pad this year, the scalding-hot real estate market was a constant theme. Home sales jumped nearly 20 percent between 2014 and 2015, and the only reason they slowed a bit in 2016 was a lack of inventory. That naturally increased home costs, as hopeful buyers repeatedly ran into bidding wars. The average closing price in March 2016 was 12 percent higher than in March 2015, and local realtors told the Inlander

about sellers getting upward of 10 offers the first day they put a property on the market, and many getting far more than the listed price. Renters likewise found themselves scurrying to secure new apartments among much competition; Spokane County saw only 1.3 percent vacancy rates in rental properties, while Kootenai County in Idaho was even tougher: 0.2 percent. It’s no surprise that developers are building new inventory throughout the area. (DAN NAILEN)

pullman engineering lab expands

Poet laureate Tod Marshall and his dog Teddy. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. started in a basement in Pullman. Now the company employs more than 4,300 people worldwide, a good portion of whom still work in Pullman. And the digital product manufacturer is looking to expand in the next few years. With the addition of two new buildings near its home campus,

Schweitzer is moving toward $1 billion in annual sales within the next few years, CEO Luis D’Acosta tells the Spokane Journal of Business.

The company is No. 19 on Fortune’s “20 Best Workplaces for Baby Boomers” and No. 91 on its list of “100 Best Workplaces for Millennials.”

(MITCH RYALS)

JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 25

PROGRESS EDITION

FROM LEFT: Jeff Ferguson, Alix Voorhees and Diane Covington.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Native art steps into the spotlight Chef Chad White of Zona Blanca.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

The Inland Northwest's dining scene continues to expand, with more trends and cultural options arriving

Over the past 12 months, we experienced yet another surge of new food options from local restaurant owners and chefs, offering diners who yearn to explore a variety of cuisines a long list of places to try. In the first half of 2016, we saw the former Spokane Country Club, under new ownership by the Kalispel Tribe, open its dining room to the public with the debut of 1898 PUBLIC HOUSE, an upscale gastropub. More adventurous debuts came throughout the summer, including another spot to slurp Japanese-style ramen, KING OF RAMEN. More new flavors arrived with Chef Chad White’s ceviche spot ZONA BLANCA. A popular local food truck and catering company brought a new place for mid-morning noshing with BRUNCHEONETTE on Broadway, and Tex-Mex arrived to River Park Square with TORTILLA UNION, owned by the local family who runs the Twigs chain. Wrapping up new dining debuts this year was Chef Jeremy Hansen’s new HOGWASH WHISKEY DEN and the upscale INLAND PACIFIC KITCHEN in the historic Washington Cracker Co. Building. Just before year’s end, we finally saw the return of the Garland District’s BROWN DERBY. Perhaps more so than in 2015, we also saw many restaurants relocate, expand with new locations, or change ownership. In January, longtime North Spokane establishment the S.S. BERYL changed hands; the local restaurateurs sought to revamp the outdated venue — since renamed THE BARREL — and its menu.

Across the other side of town, LAGUNA CAFE found new digs a little farther down on the South Hill, on 29th Avenue. New to the neighborhood near where Laguna used to be, POOLE’S PUBLIC HOUSE opened a second location on Regal. And after a devastating June fire at its North Nevada Street spot, ALLIE’S VEGAN PIZZERIA & CAFE reopened in October with a new, second location on the lower South Hill. In downtown Spokane, when ROCK CITY GRILL moved to the upper South Hill, another local eatery took advantage of the opening, and a second location of TOMATO STREET opened this past fall.

Also taking advantage of an empty downtown spot, the BROOKLYN DELI moved less than a block from its old digs to the more visible corner of First and Monroe.

In Coeur d’Alene, the beloved former Spokane sushi spot SUSHI I reopened in the Riverstone shopping center. Crafted Tap House + Kitchen launched the adjacent VICTORY SPORTS HALL, and the fine dining spot Scratch rebranded as COLLECTIVE KITCHEN. (CHEY SCOTT)

26 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

One of the Inland Northwest’s best-kept secrets (and not in a good way) has long been the amount of powerful visual art, writing and other creations made by the region’s Native American residents. Often, these artists never are able to show their work away from the reservation.

Local photographer and Spokane tribal member Jeff Ferguson had this frustration in mind when he and a team of other artists and organizers came together to launch the first-ever One Heart Native Arts and Film Festival. The event featured screenings of movies by

Native American filmmakers, as well as a cast reunion of the beloved indie film Smoke Signals that brought its writer and Spokane/Coeur d’Alene tribal member Sherman Alexie to town. One Heart also brought to life an art exhibit of pieces in a variety of media.

For Ferguson, the festival was a way to begin the process of making Native art mainstream within the Spokane cultural landscape.

“Things aren’t where we want them to be right now, but I envision One Heart as a step toward creating a Native American arts scene that has surpassed

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Etailz, which started as a college project, sells for $75 million In one of the year’s highest-profile local business deals, Spokane online retailer etailz, Inc. sold to a New York company for $75 million in October. But the local ecommerce and technology business, which also operates three brick-and-mortar shops, isn’t moving. Buyer Trans World Entertainment Corp., an entertainment company that runs f.y.e. (For Your Entertainment) and Suncoast, chose to keep the etailz headquarters in Spokane under CEO and co-founder Josh Neblett’s management. What started as a business plan in 2008 while Neblett was a Gonzaga University student stunningly became the only Spokane-based company on Inc.’s Top 5,000 FastestGrowing Companies list in 2015. After this acquisition, etailz continues to run its five niche websites, which highlight many eco-friendly and top-of-the-line goods from thousands of manufacturers and distributors.

(LAURA JOHNSON)

anything that’s been done before,” says Ferguson, who made an impact of his own this year through his photos — some of which ran in the Inlander — from the Standing Rock protests in North Dakota.

The success of the One Heart festival extended beyond the two-day event, as Native artists from different tribes made connections, Ferguson says.

In addition, the non-Native community also was exposed to works that show art

by Native Americans as going beyond, as Ferguson put it, paintings of “headdresses and buffalo.” (MIKE BOOKEY)

Spokane Comedy Club co-owners Renee Fandt and her husband Kevin. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Budding stand-up scene lands big-name talent

As of March, the Lilac City has a whole lot more to laugh about. The Spokane Comedy Club moved in on Sprague Avenue, and with it a steady stream of gut-busting touring comedians including John Mulaney and Bob Saget, along with ample opportunities for hilarious local comedians. The city had comedy clubs in the past, but they all folded (including the 10-year-old Uncle D’s Comedy Underground, which closed in March). Comedy club co-owner Adam Norwest, who along with his parents (pictured) and wife also owns the Tacoma Comedy Club, says that touring comedians are loving Spokane crowds.

Spokane isn’t new to stand-up, but in the past couple of years, an interest in comedy has grown locally.

Open-mic nights and comedy events have multiplied around town, while big-name touring comedians consistently sell out local concert venues and arenas. Already on the area schedule for 2017 are Gilbert Gottfried, Brian Posehn, Caroline Rhea, Lewis Black, Howie Mandel and Louie Anderson. (LAURA JOHNSON)

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PROGRESS EDITION

q&A MARK rICHArD, DoWNToWN SpoKANE pArTNErSHIp prESIDENT

INLANDER: In the last year, how has the complexion of the downtown area changed?

MR: We have added and expanded several events that mix local talent with business; helping to increase the vibrancy and excitement downtown, such as Power Hour, Connect Downtown, amazing car shows, Chinese Lantern Festival and swing dancing and yoga in the city plaza at Huntington Park.

How have the additional parking spaces in the street by Main Market worked out?

It seems to be working very well. The combination of aesthetic improvements, more parking and expanded bike and pedestrian options has been very well received, and seems to be driving more commerce in that area.

Are you supportive of traffic calming efforts downtown?

In the right locations, yes.

How much did downtown construction hurt area businesses in the last year?

Unfortunately, it did impact businesses. The positive in all of this is the major improvement of our downtown infrastructure, and a key traffic route that will benefit downtown for decades to come.

What challenges will the Riverfront Park construction represent for DSP? Well, like the street projects, it presents short-term pain in exchange for long-term gain. But when it is completed, we will have brought this park into the 21st century and created attractions that will profoundly impact the downtown live, work and visit scene.

Are there any areas downtown where businesses need more support from the city?

The city is a great partner. They have been responsive to concerns raised during the Lincoln/Monroe construction process and are committed to improvement of processes.

They are partnering with us everywhere we turn.

We also believe, in talking with our business owners, that the city needs to refrain from additional employment regulations and social initiatives that adversely impact the confidence in our downtown business climate. (WILSON CRISCIONE)

28 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

Law enforcement finds some long-awaited stability

Two essential components of an effective law enforcement agency — leadership and oversight — have eluded the Spokane Police Department for some time. In 2012, the department hired Frank Straub, who despite the positive community relationships he helped establish, was shown the door as details trickled out of his abrasive management style amid allegations that he sexually harassed the department’s former spokeswoman.

After 13 months, several public forums, two rounds of interviews, thousands of dollars and the near obliteration of the relationship between the city council and the mayor, Craig Meidl was installed as Spokane’s new chief of police. Opting not to look outside the department, Mayor David Condon is hoping that the career Spokane cop with strong ties to the Otto Zehm police shooting in 2006 will bring stability to the

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

RICK SINGER PHOTO

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

FROM LEFT: Sharma Shields, S.M. Hulse, Shann Ray and Stephanie Oakes.

Accolades stack up for members of the region's flourishing literary community

Although many of the following names published their works more than a year ago, the annual awards circuit, like many other arts honors, always gets going a little later. Which is why Spokane author SHARMA SHIELDS, for example, wasn’t honored with the Washington State Book Award in fiction for her 2015 debut novel The Sasquatch Hunter’s Almanac until October of 2016. The odds that a Spokane writer would nab this particular honor were high: Three of the five finalists were from here; the others were S.M. HULSE and SHANN RAY. Hulse also was named one of two finalists for the prestigious 2016 PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Fiction for her January 2015 debut novel, Black River, which received numerous other recognitions. Ray amassed multiple honors for his 2015 Western novel American Copper, including from the American Library Association (ALA) and the Western Writers of America.

Also in the wake of a stunning 2015 debut, young adult author STEPHANIE OAKES was recognized this year for The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, presented with awards from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the ALA. (CHEY SCOTT)

Craig Meidl was first named police chief in August. department and build trust with the community. Meidl has pledged to do both.

“Trust is easily lost and slowly gained,” Meidl told the Inlander in August. “My executive staff and I will be making an effort to get out into the community as much as possible, hear their concerns, let them have unfettered access to us and just be honest about how we got here.”

As for oversight, it took 21 months, three rounds of interviews, a botched visa application process and thousands more dollars before the citizen ombudsman commission landed on former diplomat and Marine Corps provost marshal Bart Logue. From day one, Logue has began chipping away at the backlog of more than 100 internal affairs cases his office is required to review. He has also pushed for more transparency with body camera footage. With upcoming police union negotiations, and the possibility that the city will tweak the ordinance that defines the ombudsman’s role, Logue continues to test the bounds of his authority. (MITCH RYALS)

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Kalispel Tribe dives into luxury golf and dining

Anyone who’s visited Northern Quest Resort & Casino’s Masselow’s Steakhouse or Legends of Fire cigar bar knows that the Kalispel Tribe knows how to deliver luxury options for your dining and entertainment dollar. Viewed through that lens, the tribe’s purchase of the historic Spokane Country Club for roughly $3 million at the end of 2015 makes perfect sense, adding a dazzling golf course and clubhouse, originally opened in 1898, to the tribe’s holdings while also giving the public access to a part of Spokane history long closed off from non-club members.

The tribe renamed Spokane’s oldest golf course the Kalispel Golf and Country Club, and in addition to updating some infrastructure for duffers, the restaurants in the clubhouse were completely redone, including the gastropub 1898 Public House. With the change in ownership came a new logo reflective of renewal and rebirth in Native American culture: a frog.

(DAN NAILEN) n

JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 29

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30 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

The large-scale touring production of Pippin lands in Spokane next weekend.

THEATER

What Does the Fox Say? To play the lead in Pippin, Naysh Fox had to learn acrobatics and knife throwing — and he’s stoked

BY E.J. IANNELLI

N

aysh Fox sounds like a kid who can’t believe his luck.

Even at 26, the actor’s effervescent tenor and genuine sense of wonderment recall a young boy who’s just been handed the keys to his very own toy store.

And who can blame him, given that his latest gig is the lead in the musical Pippin?

Actually, to peg Pippin as a musical risks understatement.

While it has songs by Stephen Schwartz and Bob Fosse-inspired

choreography, the show has more in common with a Cirque du Soleil performance than Oklahoma! Its dazzling acrobatic routines, illusions and stunts have forced Fox, who’s been hailed as the proverbial “triple threat” (that is, a performer who can sing, dance and act with equal aplomb), to broaden his skill set even further. The rehearsal schedule alone is testament to how demanding Pippin can be. ...continued on next page

JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 31

CULTURE | THEATER

Naysh Fox (right) plays the title character in Pippin.

“WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY,” CONTINUED...

“We start at 9:30,” he says. “Then we do circuit training, where we go over to the acro[batic] space and do a regimen of sit-ups and pull-ups, spider crawls, things with TRX straps. We do that circuit about three times. Then we do a series of abs and some stretching. From 10 until 1, we’ll run a huge number, trying to make changes or see where our holes are. We come back at 2 o’clock after lunch, and it’s either running music or learning different acro tricks. We have an hour for dinner, and then from 7:30 to 8:30 it’s usually all the ensemble numbers, with singing, dancing and flipping.”

Sometimes more is revealed in the telling than the content: Fox is downright exuberant as he outlines what could pass for a theatrical boot camp. The basis for his exuberance is that Pippin has provided an opportunity to do things he thought were beyond his ability.

“They said, ‘You’re going to learn to play an instrument, and learn how to backflip, and how to knife-throw.’ I have to do a backflip in a twohigh, where I stand on another man’s shoulders and walk around. When I first watched it, I was nervous. Scared. Because it just wasn’t in my wheelhouse. But I’ve got to tell you, every time I have acro training, I really look forward to it. I’m now doing backflips and a free fall from the top of the stairs. It’s just incredible and amazing.”

Fox’s offstage mix of guilelessness and ebullience suits his role. Pippin is a whimsical playwithin-a-play that functions as a coming-of-age tale loosely set during the reign of Charlemagne, but with little heed for historical accuracy. As the title character, Fox becomes aware of a world that holds more than he’d previously imagined, and he begins to explore it in a search for identity and meaning.

32 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

“In its simplest context, it’s really just an everyman story. Pippin is coming home from university and just trying to figure out his purpose in life. He realizes that all this education and books aren’t for him.” So he tries his hand at domesticity. He tries his hand at WEEKEND war. He even C O U N T D OW N tries his hand Get the scoop on this at sex. “It goes weekend’s events with into this huge, our newsletter. Sign up at free-for-all orgy Inlander.com/newsletter. where this huge cage comes out on stage,” Fox says, laughing, “and he realizes, ‘This is not what I want.’”

“We’ve all gone through those things. Maybe not to that level, but we’ve all gone through that experience of, ‘OK, I’ve tried this, and it really wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.’ It’s someone trying to find complete fulfillment in life.”

Pippin, therefore, has an intimacy despite its spectacle. All the same, that spectacle — “flash and glamour,” in Fox’s words — is what has made it a favorite of audiences and a magical fount of possibility for its leading actor.

“It’s truly like nothing else that you’ve seen on Broadway,” Fox says. “Never have they integrated circus, acrobatics, traditional Fosse movement with crazy singing, all in one show.

And you see it all in the first number. And then it just gets bigger!”  Pippin • Jan. 12-15: Thu-Sat, 7:30 pm; Sat, 2 pm; Sun, 1 and 6:30 pm • $30-$70 • INB Performing Arts Center • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • inbpac.com • 279-7000

CULTURE | DIGEST

IN MEMORY STEVE GIBBS

I

The Art Spirit Gallery owner and founder Steve Gibbs passed away from ALS on New Year’s Eve at age 64. SARAH PHILP PHOTO

n early November, Steve Gibbs was honored with the Karen Mobley Arts Impact Award by Spokane Arts at the nonprofit’s annual costume ball. The assembled crowd of artists, arts patrons and gallery owners stood and gave Gibbs a standing ovation.

Gibbs, however, could not stand. He was seated in a wheelchair, the result of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which he’d been diagnosed with earlier in the year. That didn’t stop Gibbs from accepting the slew of congratulatory hugs that were to follow, with the same warm smile with which he had long greeted visitors to his Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene.

On New Year’s Eve, Gibbs’ smile faded, as the renowned arts ambassador passed away at age 64, just six months after his ALS diagnosis. Gibbs had retired last fall and made plans to pass on the gallery, which he owned for 20 years, but many in the arts community were nevertheless surprised by the speed at which the neuromuscular disease took his life.

Gibbs moved to Coeur d’Alene in the mid-1990s and soon met artist John Thamm, who had a studio space that soon

became the Art Spirit Gallery. During his time at Art Spirit, Gibbs told the Inlander in an interview in October, the gallery had sold more than $3.5 million in paintings, sculptures and other media, almost all of it created by Inland Northwest artists.

Gibbs often was the welcoming face at the front of the Art Spirit, and was keen on taking visitors into the gallery’s basement, which housed thousands of pieces that he kept in archives. Upon his retirement, Gibbs was confident that the Art Spirit would remain a bright spot in a growing Coeur d’Alene creative landscape.

“We have a very good crew in here that has been showing how well it can run with me stepping away,” he told us in October.

Gibbs also was instrumental in starting Coeur d’Alene’s Second Friday art walk, and was involved in a number of nonprofit boards in the area, as well as the Idaho Commission on the Arts.

A memorial for Gibbs will be held on a yet-to-be-determined date in February. Keep an eye on the Art Spirit Gallery Facebook page for details. In the meantime, the gallery opens a show of renowned Spokane artist Harold Balazs’ work on Jan. 13.

— MIKE BOOKEY

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

BY DAN NAILEN

ALBUM Hip-hop duo Run The Jewels became one of the most vital acts in modern music through their respective creative flows, their incendiary live shows and dedication to getting their music out to the masses by giving away their albums for free to fans paying attention. On Christmas Day, they surprise-dropped their new RUN THE JEWELS 3, a fine, politically charged addition to Killer Mike and El-P’s catalog still available for free download at runthejewels.com (accompanied by a hilarious video starring Portlandia’s Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen). Be sure to spin tunes like “Talk to Me,” “Don’t Get Captured” and “Hey Kids” at maximum volume.

COMIC STRIP Traditional and online media have plenty of “hot takes” on the impending Trump apocalypse, but no one is in better position to deliver funny and cutting perspective on the next president than Garry Trudeau and his decades-running DOONESBURY. Trudeau has been skewering Trump’s greed-obsessed personality — as well as his hair — since the ’80s, targeting the real-estate magnate mostly for how his business style tramples the rights of the little guy, a subject matter sure to remain relevant. Trudeau only does new strips on Sundays, and recent samples illustrate an artist newly inspired. Be sure to track down the Dec. 18 Doonesbury and its take on the White House press corps in the age of Trump.

DRINK You might think that a Utahbased distillery wouldn’t have much exciting to offer, given the teetotaling state’s reputation for being vehemently anti-booze (I’m from there, and the reputation is well-deserved, if a bit overblown). When you see one of the High West products at the bar — and you can see it many places in the Inland Northwest — give it a try. The distillery specializes in rye whiskeys, and my favorite is the HIGH WEST DOUBLE RYE!, a blend of a 2-year-old rye with a super-smooth 16-year-old that’s great by itself, or as the basis of an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. n

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Subscribe at Inlander.com/newsletter JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 33

CULTURE | THEATER

Ed Bryan (left) as Weller and Kathie Doyle-Lipe as Fonsia in the Civic’s production of The Gin Game.

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Batman, Superman, X-Men and much more.

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FIND THE HAPPY HOUR NEAREST YOU.

Where the Cards May Fall A production of The Gin Game is raising funds for the Civic while celebrating the power of live theater

BY E.J. IANNELLI

C

Food and Drink Specials • Times • Locations

INLANDER.COM/DRINKSPOTTER 34 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

ard games, much like chess, are often used as a kind of dramatic shorthand, a proxy battle between two adversaries with rules that we, the audience, already understand. When James Bond calmly fans out his winning hand to the obvious dismay of the evil mastermind, it’s not some incidental event during a more elaborate and high-stakes mission for MI6. It’s a symbolic victory that anticipates their final confrontation, telegraphing to us that 007 is suaver and savvier than the villain he’s facing.

Donald L. Coburn’s 1976 play The Gin Game is crafted around this idea of the card game as proxy battle. It doesn’t involve spies or gangsters, but rather two ordinary and lonely senior citizens, Weller Martin and Fonsia Dorsey, who’ve struck up a friendship of sorts in their nursing home. Over time, their cordial games of gin rummy become a means of personal domination and humiliation.

“It’s a metaphor for playing the game of life — who wins, who loses. But it certainly uses that [card] game to tell us about these people, their relationships with each other, and the way they’ve lived their lives,” says Jean Hardie, the director of a new staging of Coburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play at the Spokane Civic Theatre. It stars Kathie Doyle-Lipe as Fonsia and Ed Bryan as Weller.

Doyle-Lipe describes her character as a “very sweet, heartbroken lady,” albeit only “on the surface.”

“As she grows throughout this play, you realize that maybe some of these things that break your heart about her weren’t exactly put upon her,” she says. “She’s pretty wicked at times.

She’s made things difficult for her children, and she makes things difficult for Ed’s character.”

Fonsia’s opposite number has hidden complexities of his own. “Weller has high esteem for himself,” says Bryan. “He thinks he’s very accomplished in most everything, especially a gin game. But this gin game reflects what happened to him through his life. He built a business and lost it, got sick. Basically, he’s pretty down to the bottom of the line, but he doesn’t want to face that. By getting Kathie’s character to play gin with him, he can show her how good he is and manipulate her.”

Although Hardie has helped to guide the two actors in how they approach their characters and balance the play’s humor with its darker moments, she’s quick to note that “[t]his whole thing was Ed’s baby.”

“I’ve been working on this play for 30 years, for crying out loud,” he chuckles. “My daughter and I were sitting and watching PBS, and Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn were on there doing The Gin Game. We sat there and laughed and laughed, and had such a wonderful time that I said, ‘I have got to do that play sometime.’ And now I’ve gotten old enough that I can do it.”

The earliest version of this production began at the Woodland Theatre in Kettle Falls last spring. Doyle-Lipe later signed on when health problems prompted the actress playing Fonsia to bow out. After that, it saw a weekend run at Stage Left Theater in late June. The current four-day run is meant to raise funds for the Civic and celebrate the spirit in which the community theater was founded. Hardie says The Gin Game is “a good vehicle” to that end.

“You could go see this play every night and see a different performance,” she says. “Where do the cards land on the floor, and how does that change things? A moment gets played differently, possibly because of how the audience reacts. It’s not fixed. And that is the magic of live theater.” n The Gin Game • Jan. 5-8: Thu & Fri, 7:30 pm; Sat & Sun, 2 pm • $20 • Firth J. Chew Studio at Spokane Civic Theatre • 1020 N. Howard • spokanecivictheatre.com • 325-2507

Turn to Teach Batch Bakeshop isn’t closing — it’s just bringing baking to the people

BY CARA STRICKLAND

W

Batch Bakeshop owner Mika Maloney YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

hen Mika Maloney transitioned from a shared kitchen into her own space for Batch Bakeshop two years ago, she had a lot of ideas for using the building.

“I always wanted it to be this flexible space. I knew I would want to do classes and events,” she says. “I was also interested in adding a retail component, a place for people to come in.”

For the past two years, Batch has done the latter, but not the former. This month, that changed. Although Batch will continue in the current location, it will no longer keep regular storefront hours.

“Once we hit the two-year mark, I started to feel more confident in knowing what is and isn’t important to me,” says Maloney. “It was hard to be honest about this with myself because it sounds so darn cute, but having a storefront where people can come in on a regular basis and get a cup of coffee and a baked good sounds nice, but it’s not a thing that I love, and so cutting back on that became pretty clearly the way to make room for other stuff that was more exciting and interesting.”

Maloney is jumping into her new projects with both feet. The “Eat Dessert First” cookbook club, scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month, will mainly be a demonstration class, pulling out Maloney’s favorite recipes, or ones that might be particularly challenging.

The $60 class fee includes the cookbook (there are discounts for purchasing in quantities of six and 12 months).

Although the focus will be on desserts, half of the year’s cookbooks will focus on baking (this year’s selections include Genevieve Ko’s Better Baking, Uri Scheft’s Breaking Breads, and perhaps especially exciting for fans of The Great British Baking Show, former contestant Chetna Makan’s The Cardamom Trail, among others). The other months will be more general cookbooks like Jessica Koslow’s Everything I Want to Eat and Martha Stewart’s Vegetables. Maloney

is planning to offer an online community to alumni from the classes, where they can troubleshoot recipes and share successes.

For those who want to get even cozier with the kitchen, Maloney is planning six hands-on workshops for the year, focused around somewhat seasonal themes. On January 9, she kicks them off with a “healthy snacks and power treats” class that will cover date and nut energy bites, chocolate-coconut truffles, honey cayenne turmeric syrup and carrot-apple bran muffins. Other classes this year will focus on brunch, decorating cakes with natural materials, fruitcakes, pie crusts and edible gifts. Each hands-on class will run you approximately $40, and participants will leave with a big batch of whatever they make in the class.

Although food is an important passion in Maloney’s life, she’s also hoping to tap into her interests in art and crafting for some evening workshops.

“I have this Pinterest board of stuff I want to make that should be easily accomplished projects, but I never get to do any of them,” she says. “I want to attend a class where I’m spending 30 or 40 bucks and I get a kit of stuff that’s ready for me to make. I think there’s some appeal, similar to painting and wine classes, in that it’s a creative outlet and a different way to go out with friends.”

Maloney will facilitate some of the classes (Easter baskets, herbal-infused oils and smudge sticks are already on the calendar) and will also invite other experts to lead workshops. While she’s hoping to be able to serve alcohol in the next year (and make it a component of her classes), she also wants to make sure some classes are alcohol-free, to give people an enjoyable environment that isn’t focused on drinking.

Although the storefront is no longer open, Maloney doesn’t see that as a failure.

“I do feel like people might interpret this as this big thing, but for me there were all these different things that we were trying and doing, and this was never meant to be the big focus,” she says. “For me, closing that aspect of it to free up more capacity for the other things doesn’t feel like a loss.”  Register for Batch’s classes and workshops at batch-bakeshop.com/classes.

JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 35

FOOD | UPDATE

Sip and Nosh Bistango Martini Lounge now offers a full menu to pair with its handcrafted cocktails

BY LAURA JOHNSON

O

The skewer trio is just one of the new menu items at Bistango Maritini Lounge. HECTOR AIZON PHOTO

ver the 11 years that Reema Shaver has owned and operated Bistango Martini Lounge, she heard one resounding request from her customers. People wanted food options, something more than the limited smallplate items her original menu carried.

Over the past year and a half, Shaver has rolled out a new menu, offering items that are far more filling.

“Without calling them dinner, per se, these are good hearty meals,” Shaver says, quick to point out that she doesn’t consider her place a restaurant. “We’re still a lounge. And people come here because of that comfortable upscale atmosphere.”

The dark and twinkling space already had a full kitchen in the back, so adding items to the menu, including a steak dinner (offered for $12 on Thursdays), ahi tuna ($18), salads ($8), fish and chips ($12), calamari ($12) and more wasn’t too much of a stretch. Yet keeping with what works for the business has remained a priority.

“When I opened there wasn’t a martini lounge like this in Spokane,” Shaver says. “And in that time, while we’ve added things to the menu, our concept hasn’t changed.”

In the kitchen, where Shaver cooks twice a week, sauces and marinades are

made from scratch, as are breaded items.

The skewer trio ($18), which includes beef sirloin, chicken breast and tiger prawns, served with rice pilaf and greens, shows off attention to detail with a juicy sear.

At its downtown location for more than a decade, Shaver says people are still stumbling upon her small operation.

“They tell me they didn’t know we were here,” she says. “We actually won the Inlander Best Of poll for Best New Nightspot two years in a row (2006 and 2007), because people didn’t know about us.”

Still, Shaver has plenty of repeat customers and regulars coming through her door these days, many of whom she knows by name.

Through the years, three cocktails have risen to the top as favorites: the Huckleberry martini, Mexico/Salsa martini and the classic mojito (for which Shaver grows her own mint).

More recently, the lounge has updated its wine list, but the beer selection is still minimal, offering only bottles and cans.

“I’m always learning with this,” Shaver says. “There’s always something new that people like to see.” n Bistango Martini Lounge • 108 N. Post • Open daily from 3 pm • bistangolounge.com • 624-8464

FOOD | SAMPLER

THAI BANGKOK THAI 1003 E. Trent | 325-8370 1325 S. Grand Blvd. | 838-8424 101 N. Argonne Rd., Suite. E, Spokane Valley | 315-9943 Bangkok Thai serves authentic, gourmet Thai food with an atmosphere to match. With curry, duck, chicken, veggies and seafood all on the menu, Bangkok Thai has anything you could want from a Thai restaurant. The pineapple chicken, served in a half pineapple shell with breaded chicken and sautéed pineapple chunks, onion, cashew nuts and bell peppers, has no competition in Spokane; it’s a little bit pricey, but totally worth it. Although the restaurant has other spots in the region, the East Trent location has the added bonuses of a killer lunch buffet and hard-to-beat views of the river.

36 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

LINNIE’S THAI 1301 W. Third | 838-0626 The menu here is classic Thai — curries, satay, rice and noodle dishes. Linnie’s has been open for more than 25 years, and the staff is quick to say that they’re the best Thai in town. Known for their fantastic pad Thai and their famous housemade peanut sauce, Linnie’s serves many dishes that can be prepared gluten-free or vegetarian.

End the meal with a dish of ice cream and sticky black rice.

OUR THAI HOUSE 1415 N. Hamilton | 487-4237 At Our Thai House, a wooden spirit house greets you at the door and a large painting of the Buddha adorns the back wall. Head chef and coowner Phonthip Tungkana cooks up a wide range of items including som tum (papaya salad), cashew chicken, noodle dishes like pad Thai and cur-

ries. All dishes on the menu can be ordered at your desired spiciness level: mild, medium, hot, very hot or extra hot. Wash it down with Thai iced tea or coffee, or an imported Singha beer.

THAI BAMBOO 5406 N. Division | 777-8424 2926 E. 29th | 232-8424 12722 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley | 444-8424 2010 N. 4th St., Coeur d’Alene | 208-667-5300 An Inland Northwest staple, Thai Bamboo has four locations in the Inland Northwest. Their largest eatery is on North Division, where you’ll find an interior filled with gold- and jewel-toned statues, sequined dragon wall hangings and chandeliers with tropical birds. In the main dining area, the sky-blue ceiling is equipped with thousands of lights, fiber-optic stars and lasers. After the restaurant closes

The Division Street Thai Bamboo offers spicy curry and a dynamic interior. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO in the evening, the pocket doors to the lounge slide open to create a nightclub with music, and a light show that gives the illusion of dancing under the stars.

THAI GINGER 300 S. Grand Ave., Pullman | 334-0477 If you don’t mind a lack of atmosphere

for the sake of brilliant food, then start your voyage to Thai Ginger in Pullman. The curry and tom yum soups are served in flaming bowls, and the peanut sauce is so delicious that its memory will haunt you for days. And the proportions are big enough that you’ll likely have enough left over for another meal. n

Crucial Stuff Hidden Figures rights wrongs both cinematic and historic

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

O

nce upon a time, such as during the early even more absurd obstacles than any white boy with a years of America’s space program, “compocket protector. It’s disgraceful that it has taken this puter” meant “person who does manual long to come along. Now that it’s here, Hidden Figures is calculations.” This was considered rather menial labor, cause for celebration. particularly when a woman did it... and lots of women Empire’s Taraji P. Henson is marvelous as Johnson, did it. Though these women were as smart and eduwho does a lot of standing at blackboards chalking out cated as the men they worked alongside, and often did calculations and making that genuinely thrilling, and much the same work as those men, they were paid less, not only because — geeky squee! — she’s trying to invent in money and respect, than men (who held titles such the math needed to put a spaceship into orbit and as “engineer”). return it safely to the Earth’s surface. She allows us to Anything done by black women was, obviously, feel the gears turning in her head as she works, and we barely worth mentioning. And “barely mentioned at share how transporting it is for her to escape into the all” has, outrageously, been the fate of numbers, when so much of her day is so many black women who were esHIDDEN FIGURES spent merely convincing all the white sential to the U.S. space program. You men around her that she can do the Directed by Theodore Melfi know Alan Shepard (first American in job. Director Theodore Melfi wrings a Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia space) and John Glenn (first American lot of wry humor out of simple visual Spencer and Janelle Monáe to orbit Earth). But you’ve probably moments, as when Johnson hesitates never heard of Katherine Johnson, Dorwhile typing up a report for reasons othy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, who were pioneers that have everything to do with her agitating for validain — respectively — mathematics, computer programtion of her work. Melfi also makes sly visual allusions ming and engineering at NASA, without whom those to iconic moments from The Right Stuff: Johnson does astronauts would never have flown. a lot of running around NASA’s Langley, Virginia, Hidden Figures is the it’s-about-damn-time true story campus à la Jeff Goldblum in that other film, though that fixes that wrong and corrects the notion that the for wildly different reasons. only people who had the Right Stuff in the moonshot Melfi’s use of the “victory walk,” which Right effort were white and male. This is no dry history lesStuff director Philip Kaufman all but invented, has son, but an often funny, ultimately feelthe always wonderful good triumph of geeks who faced Octavia Spencer as

Vaughan leading her “colored computers” to the plum new assignment at NASA that she has made happen.

It’s clearly meant to elevate these women (and rightly so) to a realm as rarefied as the one the Mercury 7 astronauts have enjoyed, thanks in part to Kaufman’s visual iconography. Melfi may be the first filmmaker to have truly recaptured that power, with characters who have actually earned the right to be proud of their achievements. It’s a glorious moment in the film.

And then there’s Jackson, whom Janelle Monáe make the spikiest of the three as she faces an actual legal battle to get into NASA’s engineering training program. And so Hidden Figures makes up for another omission of cinema: we’ve barely seen onscreen the realities of life under segregation, a shameful period of the nation’s history that demands much more examination in pop culture. Here, through the interconnected stories of all three women, we feel the weight of the ignominy of separate public facilities, and the pressure to not complain about it all, lest one be tagged as a troublemaker. (Johnson does finally snap, in a scene that is devastating.)

Some white folks do get woke, but they are not the focus of the story: they are merely listening to the voices and experiences of black women being heard, really heard, at long last. Ttherein lies the beauty of Hidden Figures. This shouldn’t be a rarity! This is a hugely entertaining movie; it’s also an important and necessary one. 

FILM | SHORTS more times to tell Conor stories that will have some bearing on Conor’s situation.

(MJ) Rated PG-13

HIDDEN FIGURES

OPENING FILMS A MONSTER CALLS

A 12-year-old boy named Conor (Lewis MacDougall) is struggling with a mother dying of cancer (Felicity Jones), an absent father (Toby Kebbell) and an icy grandmother (Sigourney Weaver). On top of all that, he’s also regularly bullied

Underworld: Blood Wars

You’ve probably never heard of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, who were pioneers in — respectively — mathematics, computer programming and engineering at NASA, without whom those astronauts would never have flown. The three black women helped the space agency through its first manned space flight, as documented in this historical drama. (MJ) Rated PG

UNDERWORLD: BLOOD WARS

at school. And then, late one night, the ancient, creepy yew tree in the churchyard that Conor can see from his bedroom window uproots itself and saunters over to talk to him. The Monster (the voice of Liam Neeson) promises to return three

Kate Beckinsale returns to her role as Selene, the vampire and werewolf hunter that she introduced to the series in 2003.

This time, she’s trying to protect her daughter’s life while also attempting to end the war between the lycans and the vampires. (MB) Rated R

NOW PLAYING 20TH CENTURY WOMEN

Annette Bening stars as a single mom in sunny SoCal in 1979 in this comedy/ drama by director Mike Mills (Beginners). Struggling to raise her teenage son, manage a boarding house and have some semblance of her own life, she recruits some of her tenants, ranging from a punk-rock girl (Greta Gerwig) to the house handyman (Billy Crudup) and one of her son’s school peers (Elle Fanning) for advice and guidance for her boy. (DN) Rated R

ALLIED

Two assassins (Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard) meet in North Africa in 1942, each attempting to kill the same Nazi official. They fall in love, move to London, and attempt to settle down and live a life of normalcy. But when you’re on the brink of another war and you’ve known all along that the one you love is a coldblooded killer, how can you be sure they won’t turn on you? (HM) Rated R

ASSASSIN’S CREED

You can tell just by the powerhouse cast that this is not your typical cheesy video game adaptation, as Michael Fassbender takes on the role of Callum Lynch, a tough dude who — through some scifi technology wonders — taps into the memories of his ancestors, in this case a 15th century assassin, and brings those old-world skills to the modern world to take down some oppressive bad guys.

Joining Fassbender in the time-traveling frenzy is Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling and Michael K. Williams, better known as legendary badass Omar from The Wire. (DN) Rated PG-13

CERTAIN WOMEN

Written and directed by Kelly Reichardt and set in modern small-town Montana, this drama displays the intersecting lives of three independent women. Lawyer Laura Wells (Laura Dern) deals with sexism in the office and an unruly, disgruntled male client. Gina Lewis (Michelle Williams), a wife and mother, is trying to build her family’s new house from the ground up, despite her husband’s

38 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

constant undermining of her. Beth Travis (Kristen Stewart), a young law teacher working multiple jobs, relates to a curious female ranch hand who stumbles into a class Beth is teaching. (EG) Rated R

COLLATERAL BEAUTY

Collateral Beauty tells the story of a once charismatic man (Will Smith) who loses his young daughter and retreats into himself in grief. In order to cope, he writes abstract letters to Love, Time, and Death; much to his surprise, and disdain, they show up in his life personified. The cast includes Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Michael Pena, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, and more. (HM) Rated PG-13

EAGLE HUNTRESS

Aisholphan is a 13-year-old girl living as part of a nomadic Kazakh tribe who wants to be the first woman in her family to learn how to hunt with an eagle, which is a tradition to her people. This uplifting documentary takes a look into a unique culture while telling an inspiring story. At AMC (MB) Rated G

EDGE OF SEVENTEEN

Nadine is a high school junior who must deal with her hotshot older brother, Darian, and her overbearing, emotionally unstable mother (Kyra Sedgwick). Nadine’s lone ray of hope in this teenage wasteland is her best (and literally only) friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). But when a hungover Nadine stumbles in on Krista and her bro hooking up, her whole world becomes a fog of crushing loneliness. (SS) Rated R

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

J.K. Rowling’s fanciful picture depicts magical creatures roaming throughout 1926 New York City. This is the consequence of unregistered wizard Newt Scamander letting them escape. Scamander travels the Wizarding World collecting magical creatures and keeping them in a magical case that allows them to roam in their habitats. Scamander’s arrival in America disrupts the secret magical society there and challenges societal norms regarding magical and non-magical peo-

ple. (EG) Rated PG–13

INFERNO

Tom Hanks plays Robert Langdon, a symbologist who must follow a complicated series of clues related to medieval poet Dante in order to solve a dastardly worldwide conspiracy plot. Based on the novel written by Dan Brown, this film is directed by Academy Award winner Ron Howard. (EG) Rated PG-13

JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK

Tom Cruise plays investigator Jack Reacher in this sequel to the 2012 original. After learning that a colleague has been arrested on charges of espionage, Reacher sets out to prove her innocence.

(EG) Rated PG-13

LA LA LAND

When jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) first see each other, their attraction is more than magnetic — it can bend time and space. The leads help the musical construction make sense; these two are so head over heels for each other that of course everything stops for a songand-dance number now and again. (PC) Rated PG-13

LOVING

Writer-director Jeff Nichols tells a story, and an important story in American history: the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia that rendered states’ anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional, and affirmed the marriage of a white Virginia man, Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton), to his “colored” wife, Mildred (Ruth Negga). On a certain level, though, Loving is about people who find that they have no choice but to insert their lives into something bigger, even when it might seem simpler and easier not to fight. (SR) Rated PG-13

A MAN CALLED OVE

Ove, the curmudgeon in this Swedish import, walks around with the puckered face of a man who’s seemingly spent a lifetime sucking on lemons, a true crank after the death of his wife. But the Swed-

CRITICS’ SCORECARD THE INLANDER

NEW YORK TIMES

VARIETY

(LOS ANGELES)

METACRITIC.COM (OUT OF 100)

Moonlight

99

Manchester by the Sea

96

La La Land

93

Loving

79

Hidden Figures

74

Rogue One

65

Passengers

42

DON’T MISS IT

WORTH $10

WATCH IT AT HOME

SKIP IT

ish film has a charming upside, even if there are dark elements surrounding Ove. At Magic Lantern (SD) Rated PG-13

to terms with his sexuality. At Magic Lantern (MB) Rated R

MANCHESTER

BY THE SEA

In the latest from Tom Ford (A Single Man) comes this psychological thriller about a woman (Amy Adams) whose ex-husband (Jake Gyllenhaal) sends her a novel he’s written that’s dedicated to her. The problem is that it’s a revenge tale and brings her back to the awful thing she did that ended their marriage.

(MB) Rated R

Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is a handyman in several Boston-area apartment buildings, who gets news from his coastal Massachusetts hometown of Manchester-by-the-Sea that his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), has finally succumbed to a long battle with heart disease. What he does not expect upon his return — to a place filled with ghosts, and where everyone speaks his name like he’s a local boogeyman — is that Joe has named Lee as the guardian for Joe’s 16-year-old son Patrick (Lucas Hedges), forcing Lee to confront a past that has left him broken.

Rated R

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

When outcast Florida teen Jacob (Asa Butterfield) goes to check on his beloved grandpa (Terence Stamp), he finds the old man dying and sees monsters nearby.

Based on his cryptic dying words, Jacob follows the path of his granddad’s fantastical bedtime stories about his time at Miss Peregrine’s (a wonderfully stern Eva Green) orphanage. (MJ) Rated PG-13

MISS SLOANE

Jessica Chastain plays Elizabeth Sloane, a renowned lobbyist in D.C. with a track record of success and a history of cunning on behalf of her corporate clients. When she is asked to take on the gun lobby, she risks her career and the safety of the people she cares about. (HM) Rated R

MOANA

Moana is driven to find out what lies beyond the reefs off her beautiful South Pacific island paradise, reefs beyond which her people are forbidden to venture.

What makes her special is how she will achieve this: she is chosen by the ocean itself, as a reward for a kind act toward a sea creature, to take on a quest involving a long and dangerous journey that will, hopefully, save her island and her people.

(MJ) Rated PG-13

MOONLIGHT

Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, the film follows the life of Chiron, beginning as a 9-year-old drug dealer in Miami, as he grows up struggling to come

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS

PASSENGERS

The starship Avalon rockets to a distant planet, carrying more than 5,000 comatose earthlings. At the end of its decadeslong flight, Avalon will rouse the humans from their suspended animation, but then Jim (Chris Pratt) is roused from his cryogenic slumber about 90 years too soon, and for the first half-hour of the film, he’s the only living human being for light years in every direction. Eventually, a young woman named Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) wakes up, too, and they need to figure out what’s gone wrong. (PC) Rated PG-13

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY

Set before A New Hope, Rogue One follows Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the daughter of Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen).

When Rebel intelligence soldier Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) rescues Jyn from prison, she becomes part of the mission to find out if there is any way to stop the new project that her father designed — the Death Star. Rated PG-13

SING

Here’s a tale of theatrical impresario Buster Moon (voice of Matthew McConaughey), a koala, who in a last-ditch attempt to save his grand but failing theater, decides to put on a voice-talent show, open to anyone. This brings animals of all shapes and sizes to work up routines to perform. (MB) Rated PG

WHY HIM?

Bryan Cranston plays a dad who joins his family on a trip to visit his adult daughter’s bad boy tech industry billionaire boyfriend (James Franco). Soon, he realizes that the ridiculously rich and ridiculously behaved d-bag is about to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage. This does not please the dad. (MB) Rated R 

FILM | REVIEW

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LOVING (116 MIN) FRI/SAT: 2:45 SUN: 12:45 TUES-THURS: 2:45

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THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (85 MIN) FRI/SAT: 5:00 SUN: 3:00 TUES-THURS: 5:00 MOONLIGHT (106 MIN) FRI/SAT: 7:00 SUN: 5:00 TUES-THURS: 6:45 A MAN CALLED OVE (112 MIN) FRI/SAT: 6:15 SUN: 4:15 TUES-THURS: 4:15 SEED: THE UNTOLD STORY SUN: 7:00

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Lewis MacDougall delivers a breakout performance as a boy who suddenly encounters a monster.

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A Monster Calls is a beautiful and unique story about children

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

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HIDDEN FIGURES

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UNDERWORLD: BLOOD WARS

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SING

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ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY

B

e warned. Yes, A Monster Calls is a fairy Director J.A. Bayona renders the Monster’s tale, but more of the Grimm (and grim) stories as gorgeously animated mini-movies, sort: no happy ending, no heroes or ominous ink-and-watercolor drawings come to villains, just a lot of hard truths about life and life. They may spring from the mind of Conor, human nature. This is a film about fear and an imaginative boy who loves to draw, a talent rage and abandonment and shame and grief, passed on to him by his mom. Or they may exist about how love can be painful, about the terror in a realm of their own, and perhaps the Monster of learning that we exist at the mercy of time is indeed real, not a dreamed-up product of and fate. This is a fantasy overtly about fantasy Conor’s misery. as the place where we can examine the things Perhaps the most astonishing thing about too terrifying to face in the real world. This is A Monster Calls is that it explores an emotional fantasy verging into horror. The monster who reality that few of us would like to confront: calls is Death, and his visits are the anger of children. Conor nightmares. seethes with rage, and it’s A MONSTER CALLS Those visits may literally startling to see it depicted Rated PG-13 be nightmares for 12-year-old onscreen. (Young MacDouDirected by J.A. Bayona Conor (Lewis MacDougall), gall is very convincing and Starring Lewis MacDougall, Liam Neeson his way of processing the awful completely harrowing indulgstuff he is coping with: the ing Conor’s fury.) Some of lingering wasting away of his mother (Felicity Conor’s story is about him realizing that he’s not Jones), who is dying of cancer; the absence of his the only one whose feelings matter. But this film father (Toby Kebbell) after his parents’ divorce; is also an unsettling reminder that our popular the impending implementation of the plan for culture too often ignores the darker emotions of Conor to move into the unfriendly home of his children, that we grown-ups sometimes pretend icy grandmother (Sigourney Weaver). On top of that children’s emotions don’t matter (or, worse, all that, he’s also regularly bullied at school. And don’t exist). then, late one night, the ancient, creepy yew tree I sobbed harder through its finale than I in the churchyard that Conor can see from his have in a long time at a movie, at how wise and bedroom window uproots itself and saunters over perceptive it is about what it means to be brave, to talk to him. The Monster (the voice of Liam and how difficult it can be to admit what you’re Neeson) promises to return three more times to feeling. I love how it embraces the power of stotell Conor stories that, it will transpire, will have ries — such as the ones the Monster tells Conor — some bearing on Conor’s situation, and not only as “wild creatures” that somehow simultaneously because they will mirror Conor’s own tale. They challenge us and tame us. With precisely the will be dark fables, wretched and unexpected, opposite of an easy and happy ending, A Monster yet exquisitely perfect little nuggets of the human Calls is immensely satisfying. Movies like this one experience as untidy and unfair. are the reason that movies exist. n

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MOANA

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PASSENGERS

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WHY HIM?

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SING

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PASSENGERS

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ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY

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COLLATERAL BEAUTY

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WHY HIM?

R Daily (1:40) (4:10) 6:40 9:10 Fri-Sun (11:10)

FENCES

PG-13 Daily (12:20) (3:20) 6:20 9:20

MOANA

PG Daily (1:10) (3:40) 6:10 8:40 Fri-Sun (10:40)

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM PG-13 (3:00) 6:10 Fri-Sun (11:45)

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JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 39 VillageCentre_010517_4V_EW.pdf

The Future Sounds Like...

What is to be, and what could be, for the local music scene in 2017

BY LAURA JOHNSON AND DAN NAILEN

I

n last week’s issue we explored our favorite shows from the past year, and this time around we’re looking into the area’s upcoming shows, as well as suggesting some ways to improve our small but mighty local scene. We even offered up a list of awesome touring acts we’d like see play locally. Cheers to another year.

WHAT’S ALREADY PLANNED

ELTON JOHN AT SPOKANE ARENA March 5 | $49/$79/$159 Why this matters: Let’s face it, 2016 was awful to modern pop legends, taking out David Bowie, Prince and George Michael, among others. The fact that 69-year-old Elton John survived his own hard-partying past and last year’s diabolical spree of mortality to hit the road for another tour is reason enough to celebrate with him at his second Spokane Arena gig in less than three years. Regular visits from the man behind “Your Song,” “Philadelphia Freedom” and “The Bitch Is Back” should be embraced while we still can see the man. (DAN NAILEN)

40 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

Wayne Coyne and his Flaming Lips would play well in Spokane.

LOCAL NATIVES AT THE KNITTING FACTORY April 12 | $25 Why this matters: Sometimes it feels like Spokane is caught in a rut with its bigger shows. Yes, our clubs bring a steady diet of new talent to town, but the larger venues are often full of the sounds of yesteryear, or yet another Tech N9ne gig. Local Natives’ visit is a sign that things might be shifting, as the Los Angeles band with heavy buzz thanks to their stellar third album, Sunlit Youth, arrives to headline the Knitting Factory, Spokane’s biggest venue outside the Arena and Northern Quest Resort & Casino.

The band’s new music delves into world-music sounds discovered on their globetrotting tours, somewhat reminiscent of Vampire Weekend’s vibe, and should make for a fine dance party fit for the big room. (DN) FRANK OCEAN AT SASQUATCH! MUSIC FESTIVAL May 26-28 | $295 early bird Why this matters: In order to combat waning ticket

GEORGE SALISBURY PHOTO

sales, the once mighty Sasquatch!

Music Festival is trying a new tactic. For Sasquatch! 2017, promoters have already announced a few key developments that have the power to reignite people’s interest in the annual Memorial Day weekend event at the Gorge Amphitheatre. Not only has R&B superstar Frank Ocean been announced as the main headliner, the festival is only three days instead of the usual four — which, as I’ve stated for years, is the best decision ever. That means the shows will run Friday through Sunday, giving festivalgoers the entirety of Monday, Memorial Day, to recover, pack and head on their merry way. (LAURA JOHNSON) TINNABULATION MUSIC FESTIVAL Sept. 8-10 | $150 for a three-day pass Why this matters: Spokane has hosted all sorts of music, arts and food festivals, and even a World’s Fair, but we haven’t had anything quite like the Tinnabulation Music Festival. Next September, the new festival’s organizers plan to bring in a handful of national touring acts

to Riverfront Park and the Spokane Convention Center, along with regional and local talent to fill out a lineup of more than 50 bands. The music and arts festival will run the weekend following Pig Out in the Park.While the park will be under construction, city officials and event promoters have already agreed to do all they can to make the festival work. (LJ)

SUGGESTIONS FOR A NEW YEAR IN THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE

COMPILED FROM LOCAL MUSICIANS, VENUE OWNERS AND PROMOTERS MORE DIVERSE CONCERT LINEUPS: Ryan Levey, music promoter and booker One of the most fascinating features of music is the endless amount of styles that can be heard. I love it when there are mixed-genre bills for local concerts that show the listener a wider array of talent. It’s fun to see more than one style of representation of music in one night, and I think it also helps bridge new listeners to a crowd of bands and artists for a particular genre that they might never have explored before.

MORE AFFORDABLE MUSIC REHEARSAL SPACE: Mike “Sug” Tschirgi, drummer for Itchy Kitty, Cursive Wires and Karrie O’Neill; touring with modern country artist Jeremy McComb This would benefit all practicing musicians/bands. In my exploration, there is one rehearsal room for rent in town. Not one facility, or one complex, but one ROOM. Bands need a place to make noise, write songs together, bond and run the set without distractions or time limits. Most bands rehearse in the proverbial basement or garage. If you’re lucky, your band has a stable, flexible situation. If you’re not, you rehearse when and where you can. Too many times this leads to a habit of “rehearsing at soundcheck” or worse, “we’ll practice that song at the show.”

Dedicated bands will always find a way... but an affordable option for rehearsal space would surely help bands focus more energy on music and less energy on logistics.

MORE COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Marc Fechter, owner of the Palomino and Perfechter Productions Artists spend hours and hours writing songs and preparing for shows. Let’s compensate them by purchasing their merchandise and paying to see them perform. Sometimes our community lacks support for bands and artists they haven’t heard of. Which is sad, because there is a lot of talent that comes through Spokane and no audience to support them. Let’s make it cool to pay for music again and attend local shows!

THE BANDS WE WANT TO SEE

All of these bands are either on tour next year or releasing new albums, which means it’s highly likely that they’ll announce tour dates soon. They are all bands the Inlander music department deems worthy of the Spokane market. They’ll sell well and raise our profile on the national touring scene. Here we go!

• Metallica: This seasoned act would sell out the Spokane Arena faster than one of Lars Ulrich’s drumbeats.

• Van Halen: Another classic band with plenty of clout to sell out the Arena.

• Ryan Adams: One of those headliners who could easily bring people flocking to the INB Performing Arts Center or the Knitting Factory.

• The Flaming Lips: Our dream would be to see them in a smaller space (perhaps the Pin!?) but the underutilized Star Theatre at Spokane Arena is perfect.

• St. Vincent: Annie Clark is a festival charmer; perhaps Tinnabulation?

• HAIM: We can’t wait for these California sisters’ newest album to arrive. Hopefully, they can show up at a festival or Knitting Factory-type setting.

• Depeche Mode: This 1980s English electronic act would slay at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino.

• Northwest bands/artists we’d love to see at Tinnabulation: The Decemberists, Modest Mouse, Sleater-Kinney, Japandroids and Father John Misty. n

JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 41

MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

INDIE KYLE MORTON

T

his January, Kyle Morton takes a break from his 11-piece pop orchestra Typhoon — he’s the main singer and songwriter — to head out on a solo tour. After releasing his first solo full-length What Will Destroy You in September, his Spokane stop will feature much of that album’s sparse tunes, along with Typhoon favorites and songs from the band’s upcoming full-length record. In 2014, the most recent time that Morton came through town, he worried about his band playing the Bartlett’s small stage: “If someone hits another person in the eyeball with their bow or smashes a foot in a cymbal, we would just continue,” he told the Inlander. Now that he’ll be solo up there, he can spread out to his heart’s content.

— LAURA JOHNSON Kyle Morton • Tue, Jan. 10, at 8 pm • $12/$15 day of • All-ages • The Bartlett • 228 W. Sprague • thebartlettspokane.com • 747-2174

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

Thursday, 01/05

BARLOWS AT LIBERTY LAKE, Sunny Nights Duo J THE BARTLETT, Songwriter’s Night with Parc Crecelius BEEROCRACY, Open Mic BOOMERS CLASSIC ROCK BAR & GRILL, Randy Campbell acoustic show J BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE, The Song Project J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Open Jazz Jam with Erik Bowen BUCKHORN INN, The Spokane River Band J CHAPS, Spare Parts COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, PJ Destiny CRAVE, DJ Freaky Fred FEDORA PUB & GRILLE, Echo Elysium FIZZIE MULLIGANS, Kicho THE JACKSON ST., DJ Dave J LAGUNA CAFÉ, Just Plain Darin MICKDUFF’S BEER HALL, Benny Baker J MONARCH MOUNTAIN COFFEE, Open Mic hosted by Scott Reid O’SHAYS IRISH PUB & EATERY, Open mic with Adrian and Leo THE OBSERVATORY, Vinyl Meltdown J THE PALOMINO, Open Mic THE RESERVE, Safar with Belly Dancers THE RESERVE, Liquid with DJ Funk RIVELLE’S RIVER GRILL, Truck Mills and special guests Jam Night ZOLA, Framing Fables

Friday, 01/06

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Fireside Concert Series with Just Plain Darin BABY BAR, DJ Unifest J THE BARTLETT, “Brown Friday” with Kevin Brown & the Beloved Country, the Caleb Brown Jazz

42 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

AMERICANA JOSEPH HEIN

J

oseph Hein’s album AM Gold is completely golden, full of shimmery AM radio country and R&B music of old. The singer-songwriter from Albion, Washington (population 574, a few miles northwest of Pullman), released the record in October, and its lush, distorted arrangements — inspired by his travels between Western and Eastern Washington — should keep you feeling warm until spring. His tunes, no matter how happy or sad in content, create a dreamy, meandering scenescape, perfect for an aural getaway.

Friday night, Spokane’s music lovers have the opportunity to hear these Americana delights as Hein and his backing band head to the Observatory.

— LAURA JOHNSON Joseph Hein with Lucas Brookbank Brown and Fancy Boy • Fri, Jan. 6, at 9 pm • $5 • 21+ • The Observatory • 15 S. Howard • observatoryspokane.com • 598-8933

Quartet BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn BIG BARN BREWING CO., Rebekah Rolland Trio Concert THE BIG DIPPER, CloZee & Psymbionic, Brainfunk, Vaporizing Dreams, Radikill BLACK DIAMOND, DJ Sterling BOLO’S, YESTERDAYSCAKE J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Heather and the Soul Motions COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Kosh, The Cronkites CURLEY’S, Nightshift FEDORA PUB & GRILLE, Ray Vasquez FIZZIE MULLIGANS, Slow Burn HILLS’ RESTAURANT & LOUNGE, Front Porch Trio IDAHO POUR AUTHORITY, John Hastings

THE JACKSON ST., Nathan Chartrey and Jason McKinney acoustic MICKDUFF’S BEER HALL, Devon Wade MOOSE LOUNGE, Riverboat Dave & the Furtraders MULLIGAN’S BAR & GRILLE, Ron Greene NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, DJ Patrick J THE OBSERVATORY, Joseph Hein (See story above), Lucas Brookbank Brown, Fancy Boy THE PALOMINO, Smilin Rick’s Five Band Circus with Helldorado, Dogtown, Thunder Knife, Vial 8 PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Arvid Lundin and Deep Roots PEND OREILLE PLAYHOUSE, Open Mic THE RESERVE, Bossame feat. Haley Young

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler SOULFUL SOUPS & SPIRITS, Songs in the Shape of Bones with Particlehead SPOKANE VALLEY EAGLES, Stagecoach West J THE PIN!, Itt’s Cuzzen VICTORY SPORTS HALL, Ron Greene ZOLA, Chris Rieser and the Nerve

Saturday, 01/07

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Fireside Concert Series with Truck Mills & Craig Catlett BABY BAR, No Cash Value, Lucky Chase J THE BARTLETT, T.S. The Solution with Lou Era, Willie B the MC,

Coaster J BEEROCRACY, Gorilla Rabbit Chicken, BaLonely, Violet Catastrophe BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn BLACK DIAMOND, Nicolas DJ Stud BOLO’S, YESTERDAYSCAKE J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Saticoy Girls COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Kosh, The Cronkites CURLEY’S, Nightshift ENGLISH SETTER BREWING, Marco Polo Collective FIZZIE MULLIGANS, Slow Burn J HUCKLEBERRY’S NATURAL MARKET, Just Plain Darin IDAHO POUR AUTHORITY, Justin Lantrip THE JACKSON ST., DJ Dave JOHN’S ALLEY, Joseph Hein

LA ROSA CLUB, Open Jam MICKDUFF’S BEER HALL, Scotia Road MOOSE LOUNGE, Riverboat Dave & the Furtraders MULLIGAN’S BAR & GRILLE, Rusty Jackson NASHVILLE NORTH, Luke Jaxon with DJ Tom NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, DJ Patrick J THE OBSERVATORY, The South Hill, The Tourist Union, Perfect Mess THE PALOMINO, DJ Perfecther ‘80s and ‘90s party THE RESERVE, Champagne Jam THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler THE SHOP, Zach Lombardo J THE PIN!, “Onesie Party” presented

by Kona Bass Productions ZOLA, Chris Rieser and the Nerve

Wednesday, 01/11

Sunday, 01/08

THE PALOMINO, Resurgence, Charlie Drown, Nogunaso, Thunder Knife, Heart Avail, Ragtag Romantics, Jan. 12 THE PIN!, This Wild Life, Royal Teeth, Jan. 12 CHATEAU RIVE, An Evening With Wylie & The Wild West, Jan. 12 THE OBSERVATORY, Resurrection Records Spin & Swap, Jan. 12 THE BIG DIPPER, GS3, Jan. 13 THE BARTLETT, Robbie Walden Band, the Pearls, Jan. 13 THE OBSERVATORY, The Drip CD Release! w/ East Sherman, Xingaia, Askevault, Jan. 13 THE BIG DIPPER, Standing Rock Benefit Concert with River City Roots, Atlas Hugged, DustyKix, Brotha Nature, Hey is for Horses!, Jan. 14 THE BARTLETT, Baloney, Cabbage Patch Cigs, Jan. 14 KNITTING FACTORY, Hell’s Belles, Evan Egerer, Elephant Gun Riot, Jan. 14 KNITTING FACTORY, Chevelle, Black Map, Dinosaur, Pile-Up, Jan. 17 KNITTING FACTORY, The Nixon Rodeo, Project Kings, Wasted Breath, Itchy Kitty, Jan. 20 THE BARTLETT, The Round No. 25 feat. Communist Daughter, Lauren Gilmore, Isaac Grambo, Ben Cartwright, Jan. 20 THE OBSERVATORY, World’s Finest, Hey! Is for Horses, Jan. 20 THE BIG DIPPER, Blackwater Prophet album fundraiser, Von the Baptist, Deer, Jan. 21 THE BARTLETT, Danny Barnes, Jan. 21 KNITTING FACTORY, Excision, Cookie Monsta, Barely Alive, Dion Timmer, Jan. 22 THE OBSERVATORY, Choir Boy, Water Monster, Local Pavlov, Jan. 22 THE PIN!, Armed for Apocalypse, Witchburn, Deathbed Confessions, Withheld Judgement, Vultra, Jan. 23 THE BIG DIPPER, Supervillian, Duke Evers, Griffey, the South Hill, Jan. 26 THE BARTLETT, Young in the City, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Jan. 26 KNITTING FACTORY, GA’s Too Broke to Rock feat. Starset, Jan. 26 THE OBSERVATORY, Fat Lady, Nat

J THE BARTLETT, Trace Bundy CHECKERBOARD BAR, Bearded Scooter Gang, Pale People DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS, Jam Night with VooDoo Church LINGER LONGER LOUNGE, Open jam

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NASHVILLE NORTH, Luke Jaxon with DJ Tom O’DOHERTY’S IRISH GRILLE, Live Irish Music ZOLA, Blake Braley Band

Monday, 01/09

J CALYPSOS COFFEE & CREAMERY, Open Mic EICHARDT’S, Monday Night Jam with Truck Mills RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic with MJ The In-Human Beatbox SOULFUL SOUPS & SPIRITS, DJ Lydellski ZOLA, Kellen Rowe

Tuesday, 01/10

BABY BAR, Open mic J THE BARTLETT, Kyle Morton (of Typhoon) (See story on facing page), Anthony D’Amato THE JACKSON ST., DJ Dave LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Turntable Tuesday MICKDUFF’S BEER HALL, Open mic night MIK’S, DJ Brentano J MOSCOW FOOD CO-OP, The Free Range Children RED ROOM LOUNGE, Tuesday Takeover w/ Storme THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Jam night with Gil Rivas THE PIN!, Emily Davis and the Murder Police, Rylei Franks THE VENUE, T.A.S.T.Y with DJs Freaky Fred, Beauflexx ZOLA, 5 Second Rule

J BABY BAR, Heebie Jeebies, Outercourse, Empty Eyes GENO’S TRADITIONAL FOOD & ALES, Open Mic with T & T THE JACKSON ST., Steve Livingston acoustic LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Carey Brazil LUCKY’S IRISH PUB, DJ D3VIN3 J NO-LI BREWHOUSE, Winter Fest Small Batch Release Party with Just Plain Darin RED ROOM LOUNGE, Hip Hop Is A Culture THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Piano Bar with Christan Raxter THE PIN!, DJ Freaky Fred THE ROADHOUSE, Open mic with Johnny Qlueless ZOLA, The Bossame

THE BARTLETT, Dead Horses, Feb. 9 NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Roots and Boots feat. Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin, Terri Clark, Feb. 9 SPOKANE FALLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE, SFCC Jazz: The Mike Stern Band, Feb. 10 THE BARTLETT, Sallie Ford, Jenn Champion, Feb. 15 CHATEAU RIVE, An Evening With Taylor Hicks, Feb. 17, 7:30 pm.

THE BARTLETT, Jerry Joseph and the Jackmormons, Feb. 22 CHATEAU RIVE, An Evening With Hot Tuna Acoustic, Feb. 25 INB PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles, Feb. 26

Park & the Tunnels of Love, Jan. 27 THE BIG DIPPER, Rekoil with Earthlink, Kapture and Brainfunk, Jan. 27 THE BIG DIPPER, Bullets or Balloons CD Release, Boat Race Weekend, Fun Ladies, Jan. 28 NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Sawyer Brown, Jan. 28 KNITTING FACTORY, Iration, Jan. 29 THE OBSERVATORY, Ramona, Boat Race Weekend, Lucky Chase, Wake Up Flora, Feb. 3 THE BIG DIPPER, Ayron Jones and the Way, Cattywomp, Zack Quintana, Jan. 4 THE BIG DIPPER, Pigeons Playing ping Pong, Jan. 8

Coming Up ...

CONCERT SPONSOREDofBYDr. MAXINE • In Memory Emil KOPCZYNSKI W. Deeg •

Celebrate America’s vibrant musical voices Eckart Preu conductor with the Spokane Symphony Mateusz Wolski violin

JAN 28/8PM

FEBRUARY 4 • 7:30PM 1925 CLASSIC FLICK in association with

SILENT FILM WITH LIVE SCORE WITH

CONCERT SPONSORED BY:

SPOKANE SYMPHONY RICK FRIEND, PIANO

(509) 624-1200 • SpokaneSymphony.org Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox

MUSIC | VENUES 315 MARTINIS & TAPAS • 315 E. Wallace, CdA • 208-667-9660 ARBOR CREST • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. • 927-9463 BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 847-1234 BARLOWS • 1428 N Liberty Lake Rd, Liberty Lake • 924-1446 THE BARTLETT • 228 W. Sprague Ave. • 747-2174 THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington St. • 863-8098 BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 467-9638 BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 227-7638 BLACK DIAMOND • 9614 E. Sprague • 891-8357 BOLO’S• 116 S. Best Rd. • 891-8995 BOOMERS • 18219 E. Appleway Ave. • 755-7486 BOOTS • 24 W. Main Ave. • 703-7223 BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main, Moscow • 208-882-5216 BUCKHORN INN • 13311 Sunset Hwy.• 244-3991 CALYPSOS • 116 E Lakeside Ave., CdA • 208665-0591 THE CELLAR • 317 E. Sherman, CdA • 208-6649463 CHAPS • 4237 Cheney-Spokane Rd. • 624-4182 CHATEAU RIVE • 621 W. Mallon Ave. • 795-2030 CHECKERBOARD BAR • 1716 E. Sprague • 535-4007 COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw Rd., Worley • 800-523-2464 COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, CdA • 208-664-2336 CRAFTED TAP HOUSE • 523 Sherman Ave., CdA • 208-292-4813 CRAVE• 401 W. Riverside Suite 101. • 321-7480 CRUISERS • 6105 W Seltice Way, Post Falls • (208) 773-4706 CURLEY’S • 26433 W. Hwy. 53 • 208-773-5816 DALEY’S • 6412 E. Trent • 535-9309 EICHARDT’S • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208263-4005 FEDORA PUB • 1726 W. Kathleen, CdA • 208765-8888 FIZZIE MULLIGANS • 331 W. Hastings Rd. • 466-5354 FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague • 624-1200 HOGFISH • 1920 E. Sherman, CdA • 208-667-1896 IRON HORSE • 407 E. Sherman Ave., CdA • 208-667-7314 THE JACKSON ST. • 2436 N. Astor • 315-8497 JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. 6th, Moscow • 208-8837662 KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 244-3279 LAGUNA CAFÉ • 2013 E. 29th • 448-0887 THE LANTERN TAP HOUSE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 315-9531 THE LARIAT • 11820 N Market St, Mead • 4669918 LA ROSA CLUB • 105 S. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-255-2100 LEFTBANK WINE BAR • 108 N. Washington • 315-8623 LOON LAKE SALOON • 3996 Hwy. 292 • 233-2738 LUCKY’S IRISH PUB • 408 W. Sprague Ave. • 747-2605 MAX AT MIRABEAU • 1100 N. Sullivan Rd. • 924-9000 MICKDUFF’S• 312 N First Ave., Sandpoint • (208) 255-4351 MONARCH MOUNTAIN COFFEE • 208 N 4th Ave, Sandpoint • (208) 265-9382 MOOSE LOUNGE • 401 E. Sherman • 208-6647901 MOOTSY’S • 406 W. Sprague • 838-1570 MULLIGAN’S • 506 Appleway Ave., CdA • (208) 765-3200 x310 NASHVILLE NORTH • 6361 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-457-9128 NECTAR• 120 N. Stevens St. • 869-1572 NORTHERN QUEST • 100 N. Hayford • 242-7000 NYNE • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 474-1621 THE OBSERVATORY• 15 S Howard • 598-8933 O’SHAY’S • 313 E. CdA Lake Dr. • 208-667-4666 THE PALOMINO • 6425 N Lidgerwood St • 242-8907 PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545 THE PIN! • 412 W. Sprague • 368-4077 RED LION RIVER INN • 700 N. Division St. • 326-5577 RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague Ave. • 838-7613 REPUBLIC BREWING • 26 Clark Ave. • 775-2700 THE RESERVE • 120 N. Wall • 598-8783 THE RIDLER PIANO BAR • 718 W. Riverside . • 822-7938 RIVELLE’S• 2360 N Old Mill Loop, CdA • (208) 930-0381 THE ROADHOUSE • 20 N. Raymond • 413-1894 SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 209 E. Lakeside Ave. • 208-664-8008 THE SHOP • 924 S. Perry St. • 534-1647 SOULFUL SOUPS & SPIRITS • 117 N. Howard St. • 459-1190 SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon • 279-7000 TIMBER GASTRO PUB •1610 E Schneidmiller, Post Falls • 208-262-9593 THE VENUE • 23 E. Lincoln Rd. • 703-7474 ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 624-2416

JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 43

COMMUNITY SWAP ’N’ SHOP

Get a start on your New Year’s resolutions to get organized and read more books by heading to Auntie’s with a bag of books in tow. Book lovers, and those simply looking to refresh their literature collections, are asked to bring a maximum of five books to swap out for new titles brought by other participants. Use this opportunity to share some of your favorite titles with others, and perhaps even meet some new members for your own book club. Those who do attend should note that Auntie’s isn’t accepting any used books for store credit during this first-ever book swap event.

— CHEY SCOTT Spokane Book Swap • Wed, Jan. 11, from 7-8 pm • Free • Auntie’s Bookstore • 402 W. Main • auntiesbooks.com • 838-0206

BENEFIT HORRIBLE PEOPLE DOING GOOD

Do you love dirty jokes, offensive humor, and possibly embarrassing yourself around strangers, all for a good cause? Join OutSpokane at nYne for four 20-minute rounds of Cards Against Humanity, the raunchy and sometimes disgusting card game for adults (the event is 18+). If you don’t know how to play, don’t worry; it’s easy and organizers will teach you. Even if you don’t catch on quickly, a cash bar for those 21 and over will get the room’s creativity flowing fast. All proceeds from this event will support OutSpokane’s 2017 Pride Parade and Rainbow Festival in June.

— HAYLEE MILLIKAN Cards Against Humanity Fundraiser • Wed, Jan. 11, from 7-9 pm • $10 donation • Ages 18+ • nYne Bar & Bistro • 232 W. Sprague • bit.ly/CAHatNyne

44 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

WORDS RELEVANT HISTORY

The first event in a new lecture series that happens to be thematically aligned with the Inlander’s recent “Spokane Scandals” cover feature — our Dec. 22 issue offers a look back at some of the most controversial events in our city’s history — the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture is bringing in local historians to share a look into other moments of the past that rattled Spokane’s status quo. First up is a review of birth control pioneer Margaret Sanger’s visit here in 1916, when she shared her vision for safe and legal contraception with thousands. By doing so, she risked arrest and prosecution; this talk discusses why Sanger came to Spokane and what transpired after that visit.

— CHEY SCOTT Margaret Sanger and Birth Control Advocacy in Early Urban Spokane • Wed, Jan. 11, from 6:30-8 pm • $10 suggested donation • The MAC • 2316 W. First • northwestmuseum.org

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FOOD & DRINK POULTRY PAIRING

Sometimes the most brilliant ideas are deceptively simple. Consider, for example, Chef Adam Hegsted’s new monthly dining series at his Wandering Table, Fried Chicken & Beer Night. I’m a sucker for fried chicken, and Hegsted (pictured above) knows his way around some fried bird. Add in three pints of beer from a rotating cast of local breweries, including River City Brewing for this inaugural edition, and you have the makings of a memorable dining and drinking experience on the second Wednesday of each month.

— DAN NAILEN Fried Chicken & Beer Night • Wed, Jan. 11, at 6 pm • $35 per person, includes tax and tip • The Wandering Table • 1242 W. Summit Pkwy. • thewanderingtable.com • 443-4410

JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 45

W I SAW U YOU

RS RS

right words in your presence. You give this man a polar feeling of fear and love. If I had the courage to summon the right words, then this feeling would not manifest. And this anonamous letter of fear and love would not be.If I could put these moments in a bottle I would. Find me again! bag

CHEERS

CHEERS JEERS

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? Every time there is new snow fall, my neighbor goes out with his snow blower and clears the sidewalk in front of both his house and mine.. This weekend we had quite a bit of snow and I think I shoveled my (large) driveway a total of four times! There was a large amount to clear on Christmas Eve and I was worried I wouldn’t finish before my guests arrived-that is until my neighbor came out with his snow blower and helped me finish! Cheers to you for being so thoughtful and kind!

&

I SAW YOU LB THE UNICORN My unicorn we have been texting many hours a day for awhile now and it is amazing. Every time we chat it puts a huge smile on my face and no matter my mood it instantly becomes great. We are spending New Years eve together and I am hoping for a New Years kiss and I will be asking you on our first official date at that time. Hoping for a yes.

IT WAS ONLY A FREE COFFEE, BUT... ... your kind gesture, I think, made the world a little bit better. At times it seems like everybody out there thinks of themselves as “the only person that matters.” You see this with posts online where people will badmouth folks online (anonymously, of course) sometimes even straight up lying about details so that they can inflict the maximum amount of ‘hurt’ on their perceived enemy. This kind of stuff, along with all the hate and vitriol I hear in the news makes me wonder if a decent and civil society is becoming “out of style.” So it is with much pleasure, hope and humility that I’m typing up this message.

On Tuesday, Dec. 27 at the Starbucks on Hawthorne Rd. a kind person purchased my coffee for me. The barista said it was because “the guy said he cut you off, so he bought your coffee.” Well, truth be told, I was driving probably faster than I should have (given the road conditions) and the person that ‘cut me off’ had the right-ofway. So actually, I should have bought the coffee. I just wanted to send this out to whoever purchased my beverage to let them know that I really appreciated the gesture and it has motivated me to spread the good will. Thank you for your kindness and even more, thank you for providing evidence that there are people who are aware of the fact that their actions affect other people. Maybe if enough people develop this understanding, we can reverse the “selfie-ish” culture that seems to pervade our everyday lives.

5K RESOLUTION RUN BIOLOGIST Thanks for taking some time to chat after the 5k Resolution run. Sorry we didn’t have more time to talk. Maybe we can fix that before you head back to your field work and research. Drop me a line at wrench_wa@ earthlink.net. Let me know where your field work and research are taking place, and what it is you’re researching, so I know it’s you.

PROMISE Promise…was your name, LobsterMania…your game. Late, late 12/29/16 at Northern Quest. I wanted to thank you for the most pleasant 40 minutes I’ve spent with a stranger in a long, long time. You reminded me that real people still exist and that chivalry isn’t dead after all. Love, Your O.C. Friend

YOU SAW ME OUT OF AFRICA You came to me in a white legacy and brought me hope in the depths of my dark legacy. With cliches dribbling from my mouth and a profound loss of the

TOM GREEN Cheers to the comedy club who kicked out a large man who was heckling one of the greatest entertainers of our time, Tom Green. Why would he do that!? I wanted to punch him in the face myself, but I felt better when Tom Green yelled at him to shut the f up, and although he ended his sentence right there... bar security quickly and quietly finished everyone’s thoughts by giving him the boot. Every 10 minutes or so he had something stupid to say in a

“

sick attempt at trying to prove how rough and tough he was I guess. My lady wouldn’t even have sex with me that night because she said he was so disgusting it would take a few hours to forget about what happened. It was only a shot or two but that’s all it took to fire up Mr. MotorMouth (I was close-by). Actually, he’s annoying sober no doubt. The show was fantastic by the way.

Why am I even talking about this!? Don’t let one IDIOT ruin it for all of us... so come back Mr. Tom Green! I know it would be better next time.

NORTHERN QUEST CASINO You have the friendliest staff; the funnest games; the best payouts of any Casino we have ever been. It’s these three reasons that we keep coming back. So thank you for an enjoyable time always. We look forward to our monthly trip out just to have fun and see friendly faces, warm smiles and even to have a little chat or two with those who walk around keeping an eye on things. We feel loved and protected at Northern Quest.

It doesn’t matter that a new casino is opening close by. You have us as patrons FOR LIFE. And a shout out to security guard Jim with a friendly smile and who says hi to us whenever he sees us out there. Thank you, Northern Quest, for everything!

SHANEESE Happy new year sweetheart.

Thank you for making 2016 so incredible. I cant wait for all the adventures our big little family will share together. You’re an incredible woman and I’m lucky to have you in my life. I love and appreciate you. — Raw

JEERS SHE CAN JEER PORN IF SHE WANTS! Hey, it’s her marriage, not yours, and it’s about what she wants or does not want in her marriage. Same for any woman. Some couple may like porn, great. Nice mini-psychology session from anonymous person in the Inlander, who can make up whatever they want about projecting. You, are not respecting that she doesn’t like porn. It’s very condescending not to mention pretentious to tell someone if they don’t like porn they need to be enlightened. That’s patently ridiculous. So is telling her it’s her own insecurities, or that she needs to read a book about self help or self esteem.

Putting on someone else that just because other couples do it she should too, is also balderdash. A lot of people feel it violates the intimacy of a partnership, and feel that it’s the same as cheating. And respecting those feelings, having trust are part of any

South Hill/Latah 509-838-0896 Liberty Lake 509-755-3333 Post Falls 208-773-2499

46 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

RE: JEERS TO THE ENGINEERS It sounds like the problem isn’t that there is a bicycle

”

lane “blocking” yours and 90 others homes, but that you have to many cars blocking your home. If you think bicycles and the lanes they ride on are the problem and not your cars that take up so much space, are hardly ever filled to capacity, spit out toxins and rip up the roads, then I don’t know what to tell you. This city has a great bus system and with prop one passed it’ll only get better. It’s only $45 a month for a bus pass. I’ve been doing it for a year and found it convenient, healthy (walking), close by and stress-free that I sold my car.

Stop pointing the blame at others when the problems you’re having are being created by yourself. 

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS L A M A R

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I M A M

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U D S W H A S O A T M A R O Z M I P A U N M E M P F O R C H A N O W I E E R K A T S E E Y A T B Y L O Y A P U L T E E S T

A T H N E S K E T A E S E L H I S M I A T E T M A R E M A N O W E N Y O G A O K A T G E T I N E

A Z A L E A

F E E L S F I I N S E R S T M E R A I M

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B O O N

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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.

D I N E- I N • TA K E O U T • CAT ER I N G

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long-lasting relationship that is healthy.

So if she feels her trust is violated, or her intimate connection, and needs her mate to respect that, it’s not okay to try and coerce her into porn watching through shaming her by telling her she need to like porn too, like other couples, or she needs mental help. That is sheer bullshit.

Maybe if enough people develop this understanding, we can reverse the “selfie-ish” culture that seems to pervade our everyday lives.

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.

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.”

RESOLUTION: Do more of what makes you happy

APPLE CRISP Cheers and Happy New Year to the ladies at the N. Division Onion who treated me to apple crisp! What a surprise to find you had graciously (and unknowingly) indulged me in my New Year’s ritual = First Night in downtown, then apple crisp at the Onion on the way home. I do a similar surprise at the Ice Palace and pay for someone’s skating at First Night — how fun to be on the receiving end...... Thank you for your kindness!

Sandwiches • Entrees • Salads 2118 N Ruby St. A, Spokane (509) 474-0499 • mykabobhouse.net

W E D E L I V ER

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY FUNDRAISER Bring your competitive nature, your friends, and (most importantly) a sense of humor. Includes four 20-minute rounds, and up to 30 players. Ages 18+ only. Proceeds benefit OutSpokane’s 2017 Pride Parade. Jan. 11, 7-9 pm. $10$20. nYne, 232 W. Sprague. nynebar.com BOOK SALE BENEFIT The Social Justice Ministry offers hundreds of used books for sale for a free-will offering. All proceeds support mission work in Guatemala. Jan. 14, from 9 am-1 pm and 5-7 pm; Jan. 15, from 8 am-1 pm. Donations accepted. St. Joseph’s Church (Colbert), 3720 E. Colbert Rd. (464-1497)

COMEDY

2.0PEN MIC Local comedy night hosted

by Ken McComb. Thursdays, from 8-10 pm. Free. The District Bar, 916 W. First.

(244-3279) GUFFAW YOURSELF! Open mic comedy night hosted by Casey Strain; Thursdays at 10 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. (509-847-1234) CHOOSE TO LOSE Join the Blue Door Players for a wacky, all-improvised Game Show — to win, you have to lose and the loser is the winner! (P.S. there will be prizes.) Fridays, through Feb. 10, at 8 pm. $7. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (747-7045) STAND-UP COMEDY Live comedy featuring established and up-and-coming local comedians. Fridays at 8 pm. No cover. Red Dragon Chinese, 1406 W. Third Ave. reddragondelivery.com

SAFARI Fast-paced, short-form improv games based on audience suggestions.

(Recommended for ages 16+) Saturdays at 8 pm, through Dec. 17. $7. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (747-7045) SPOKANE COMEDY’S STANDUP SHOWDOWN Comedians get a topic and have four minutes to perform; the crowd then votes for a winner. Tuesdays, from 8-10 pm. Free. The Observatory, 15 S. Howard. observatoryspokane.com (598-8933) OPEN MIC A free open mic night every Wednesday, starting at 8 pm. Doors open at 7 pm. Free. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com HOWIE MANDEL The award-winning comedian performs for two shows, at 4 pm and 7 pm. Jan. 22. $45/$55/$75.

Northern Quest Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com (509-242-7000)

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY OPEN DANCE An all-ages dance, offering all types of music and styles od dance. Thursdays, at 7 pm. $5.

Western Dance Center, 1901 N. Sullivan Rd. squaredancespokane.org (979-2607) LOST EGYPT: ANCIENT SECRETS, MODERN SCIENCE Explore ancient Egypt with hands-on activities, human and animal mummies and real Egyptian artifacts. Through Jan. 8; open Tue-Sun, 10 am-5 pm (until 8 pm on Wed; half-price admission on Tue). $5-$10/admission.

Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org TRIVIA CONTEST Teams answer a variety of questions as a fun way to improve their knowledge, support local business

and interact with other members of the community. At the Colfax Golf Club; also includes a spaghetti dinner. Jan. 5, 6 pm.

Free. (397-4366) FAMILY DANCE AND POTLUCK Easy-tolearn line, circle, contra, and folk dances are taught by Susan Dankovich, accompanied by live music. No partners or experience required. Potluck at 6:30 pm with dance starting at 7. First Friday of the month, from 6:30-8 pm. Free, donations accepted. Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 127 E. 12th Ave. (533-9955) CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING Boy Scout Troop 400 recycles natural Christmas trees at CVHS and U-High. Home pickup also available. Proceeds support the troop’s outdoor activities, service projects, leadership training and more.

Drop-off open Sat-Sun, Through Jan. 8, from 9 am-3 pm. $5-$10 suggested donation. troop400.net/trees STAR WARS MEMORIAL CELEBRATION Come celebrate, remember Carrie Fisher and Kenny Baker, play games, watch a movie, view the toy exhibit and donate items for Second Harvest. Jan. 7, 8-11 pm.

Free. Jedi Alliance, 2024 E. Boone. bit. ly/2hMBgbp BASIC BEGINNINGS IN GENEAOLOGY Join Donna Potter Phillips, President of the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society, who shares how to find answers to your family’s ancestry. Jan. 10, 1 pm.

Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St. spokanelibrary.org (444-5331) CLIMATE CHANGE, WICKED SOLUTIONS FOR A WICKED PROBLEM Dr. Peter Haug discusses the clear trends that are occurring with climate change including where we are now; where we seem to

WEDDING GROUP

be going; and why this is a “wicked problem.” Community input and discussion encouraged; attendees can also bring a sack lunch. Jan. 11, 12-1 pm. Free. Colfax Library, 102 S. Main St. whitco.lib.wa.us HOW TO GET INVOLVED Local advocacy group Politicking in the Park hosts a series of workshops to hear from local activists, people involved in local government, campaigns and political parties; along with those who’ve run for office.

Speakers are announced as soon as they are confirmed as well as the venue. Jan. 11, 6-8 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main Ave. bit.ly/2iwbvjE SPOKANE CONTRA DANCE Spokane Folklore Society’s weekly dance, with band Red Herring and Caller Susan Dankovich. This is a community dance; no experience needed, all are welcome, and it is fun for all ages. Jan. 11, 7:30-9:30 pm. $5/$7. Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. spokanefolklore.org (598-9111) MISSION AVE PROJECT COMMUNITY MEETING Learn more about and share questions and comments on the upcoming Mission Ave Improvement Project.

Jan. 12, 5:30-7 pm. Free. Greenacres Christian Church, 18010 E. Mission. spokanevalley.org/publicworks (921-1000) DROP IN & SCIENCE FOR KIDS! Spark’s resident mad scientist shares experiments that let us learn a little more about the world around us, from the gross to the glorious, inspiring the scientist in each of us to new experiments. No registration required. Jan. 14 and Feb. 18, from 3-5 pm. No cost. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org FORT PARTY FOR KIDS Team up with friends to build the fort of your dreams

before transforming your new dwelling into a colorful light party using glow-inthe-dark and light-up toys. Register online, for grades K-3. Jan. 14, 10 am-noon.

Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org (279-0299) HEALTH AND FITNESS EXPO The weekend-long wellness expo includes fitness class demos, equipment and apparel retail, classes and seminars, samples, a wine bar and more. Jan. 14-15, Sat from 10 am-6 pm and Sun from 10 am-4 pm. $4 admission for kids ages 6-12. $8/ weekend admission. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. spokanehealthfitexpo.com (477-1766) ZENTANGLE WITH KATIE FREY Using simple shapes combined with organic and geometric designs, learn the basics of a Zentangle tile, create Zentangle inspired cards, or try something more advanced. All levels welcome. Jan. 14, 2-4 pm. $10. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. auntiesbooks.com (838-0206) DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CELEBRATIONS Come to reflect and honor on one of the most culturally important figures of the 20th century. Listen to Rev. Percy “Happy” Watkins recite Dr. King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech from 1963. At Providence Holy Family Hospital (5633 N. Lidgerwood), noon-1 pm, and at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center (101 W. Eighth), from 3-4 pm. Jan. 16, 12-1 pm. Free. phc.org (474-3081) A MILLION REFUGEES IN YOUR HANDS Omak physician Bill Dienst shares his experiences caring for overwhelming numbers of refugees stranded in Greece, Lesbos and Macedonia. Jan. 18, 7 pm. Free.

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RELATIONSHIPS

Advice Goddess WOOD I LIE TO YOU?

My girlfriend found a certain little blue pill in my jeans pocket, and her feelings were hurt. I explained that I’m as into her as ever; I just need a little extra help because I’m getting older. However, she’s taking this personally. How do I reassure her?

—Rhymes With Niagara Back in seventh grade, erections were easy to get — especially when you were standing in front of the class giving AMY ALKON your oral report on Harriet Tubman.

A penis is generally at its peppiest when a man’s in his teens and 20s (before genes and/or years of bad living narrow the arteries from superhighways to single-file footpaths). That’s because erections are blood flow-powered — ultimately, anyway. They start in the brain in response to a thought or something from the environment — like being touched or seeing the hot neighbor bending over in yoga pants.

Nitric oxide gets released and starts a chemical reaction that relaxes smooth muscle in the penis, allowing blood vessels to dilate: “Open up! Party time!” Then, sex researcher Dr. Robert Kolodny explains, “an increased amount of blood flows into the penis, where it is trapped in three spongy cylinders that run the length of the organ. The resulting fluid pressure is what causes the penis to increase in size … and to become rigid.”

There’s an elastic fibrous membrane — the tunica albuginea — that keeps the blood in the penis. And this thing being leaky — kind of like a submarine hatch with a bad seal — is just one of the things (along with narrowed arteries, anxiety, endocrine problems, smoking, and diabetes, among others) that can cause a penis to stay floppy or get wilty.

Using a pharmaceutical erection helper is basically like calling in a plumber when the shower pressure isn’t what it used to be. It doesn’t make a man the least bit more attracted to a woman or more into sex than he’d otherwise be. It just relaxes the smooth muscle and increases blood flow, making the, um, cadet more likely to report for duty.

Explain all of this to your girlfriend. Then tell her how beautiful and sexy you find her, and tell her again. And keep telling her — with regularity. Men don’t quite understand how much this means to a woman. When a woman believes her man finds her attractive, it helps her feel loved and secure. That reassurance — combined with being clued in on the mechanics of the manpart — should help your girlfriend understand that there’s no reason to take your pill popping personally. The pipes just need a little help; it isn’t the penis version of “Groundhog Day” — with the little feller peeking out, deciding the landscape is hopeless, and going back into hiding.

FLACCID TRIP

In “senior dating,” how, and how soon, do you suggest I disclose my ED? I’m 77, and this woman I’m seeing is 60ish.

—Man Of Yore When I was 13, I could read a book from across the room. These days, it’s sometimes hard to make out the words on those ginormous highway signs unless I let my Leader Dog take the wheel.

Lucky for me, nobody snickers that I’m less of a woman because I have less-thanperfect eyesight. And it’s pretty stupid that we attach that baggage to the aging penis.

We don’t expect a 1939 Studebaker to drive like a 2016 BMW. (And hey…where’s the backup camera on this thing?!)

To say you aren’t alone is something of an understatement. In reviewing survey data from men 75 or older, UCLA urology professor Christopher Saigal found that 77.5 percent reported experiencing some degree of erectile dysfunction — the inability to “get and keep an erection adequate for satisfactory intercourse.” And 47.5 percent have a complete inability to achieve liftoff. (P.S. This isn’t exactly a secret to women who date 70-something men.)

Unfortunately, the reality for aging penises goes poorly with the ridiculous belief many people have that intercourse is the only “real” sex. However, sex therapist Dr. Marty Klein observes that ultimately, “what most people say they want from sex is some combination of pleasure and closeness.” You can give that to a woman — even if, at 77, everything on you is stiff but the one part you’d like to be.

That’s what you need to convey. But don’t sit there in the bright lights of the diner and be all, “Let’s talk about my penis…” Wait till there’s a makeout moment, and after you kiss a bit, pause the action. In telling her, consider that you set the tone for whether your situation is some shameful thing or “just one of those things.” Humor tends to express the latter pretty well -- like “I have a pet name for my penis. It’s Rip Van Winkle, because he’s been out cold since the Bush administration.” n ©2016, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

48 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

EVENTS | CALENDAR WHO PUT THE MICRO IN AGGRESSION? In honor of preparing students to examine social justice issues and concerns, the MOSAIC Center presents a discussion on the definition, creator, and mannerisms in which microaggressions presents itself in our daily lives. Jan. 19, 11:30 am-12:30 pm. Free.

Spokane Falls Community College, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr. spokanefalls. edu (533-3152) DROP IN & GEEK OUT Check out Spark Central’s collection of robotics toys, programming kits, and software, and connect with fellow aspiring geeks.

Jan. 21, 3-5 pm. No cost. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org (279-0299) WOMEN’S MARCH ON SPOKANE Citizens of Central and Eastern Washington, N. Idaho, Western Montana, and British Columbia are invited to gather in Spokane and join communities nationwide as part a day long coordinated Women’s March, which will begin in Washington D.C. Activities begin at 11 am with a rally at the Convention Center, featuring inspirational speakers from human rights, justice, and women’s advocacy groups, as well as musical entertainment. A peaceful march begins at 1 pm, followed by a volunteer fair at the Center. Jan. 21, 11 am-4 pm.

Free. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. WomensMarchOnSpokane.org (279-7000) DROP IN & CODE Explore the world of coding using game-based lessons on Code.org and Scratch. For grades 3 and up. Jan. 25, 3:30-5:30 pm. No cost.

Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org (279-0299) INTERSECTION OF WHAT? A PRESENTATION ON INTERSECTIONALITY A presentation asking “what is intersectionality and how does this term show up in our daily lives?” Jan. 25, 11:30 am-12:30 pm. Free. Spokane Falls Community College, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr. spokanefalls.edu (533-3152) WVOLC OPEN HOUSE Come for a day of crafts and learning about winter birds and their habitat. All are invited to come meet the raptors, then stay to play. Jan. 28, 10 am-2 pm. $5 suggested donation. West Valley Outdoor Learning Center, 8706 E. Upriver Drive. facebook.com/westvalleyoutdoorlearningcenter (340-1028)

FILM

DOCTOR STRANGE Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Showing Jan. 5-8, times vary. $3-$6. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208882-4127) SEED: THE UNTOLD STORY A film following seed keepers protecting our 12,000 year-old food legacy. Jan. 6-8, at 7 pm. $4-$7. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org (208-255-7801) SEED: THE UNTOLD STORY The awardwinning documentary follows passionate seed keepers protecting our 12,000 year-old food legacy. In the last century, 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared. Jan. 1 and 8 at 7 pm. $9. Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main Ave. magiclanternonmain.com (509-209-2383) EXPLORING THE ART AND INDUSTRY

OF FILM A three-session course led by EWU professor Adam Boyd exploring the many facets of film production.

Jan. 11, 18 and 25, from 6-8 pm. $50.

Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org (456-3931) NEW YORK FILM CRITICS SERIES: THE BOOK OF LOVE A pre-release screening of the new film starring Maisie Williams, Jason Sudeikis, Jessica Biel, Paul Reiser and others. The first-ever live, national in-theater screening series is moderated by Peter Travers and Alison Bailes. Jan. 12, 7:30 pm. $6-$13. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (227-7404) AN EVENING WITH VIGGO MORTENSEN The Sandpoint premiere of “Captain Fantastic,” filmed in the Pacific Northwest, featuring a Q&A with the film’s lead actor Viggo Mortensen.

Benefits Panhandle Community Radio and Team Autism 24/7. Jan. 13 and 14, 7:30 pm. $15. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org (208-255-7801) STAGE TO SCREEN: THE DEEP BLUE SEA Carrie Cracknell directs Terence Rattigan’s devastating masterpiece, a stunning portrait of Hester Collyer, (played by Helen McCrory), a woman caught between two worlds and devastated by irrevocable choices. Jan. 15, 2 pm. $17. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (509-227-7404) NIC DISABILITY AWARENESS FILM FESTIVAL The festival hosts screenings of a different film(s) each month, from September through April. See website for film titles and descriptions. Jan. 18, Feb. 15, March 15 and April 19, all showings at noon. Free. North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Ave. bit.ly/1SiBHKi BANFF MOUTAIN FILM FESTIVAL The festival showcases a collection of mountain films on adventure, culture, sport and environment. Some films have adult content. Tickets available at door or Eichardt’s, Burger Express (Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry), Outdoor Experience, and Alpine Shop. Jan. 19-21, at 7 pm. $16. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. .facebook.com/BanffMountainFilmFestivalSandpointIdaho/ (208-255-7801) SPOKANE JEWISH CULTURAL FILM FESTIVAL Since the mid-2000s, this festival has screened international films that share Jewish life and culture with the community. This year’s three films offer glimpses into the diversity of Jewish experiences in Israel and around the world. Jan. 19 and 21 at 7 pm, Jan. 22 at 2 pm. In the Hemmingson Center. $7-$10; passes/$18-$28. Gonzaga University, 502 E. Boone Ave. sajfs.org/ our-programs/sjcff. (747-7394) MONDAY NIGHT MOVIE: BLADE RUNNER A screening of this sci-fi classic, starring Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, an ex-cop and a “blade runner,” responsible for assassinating the replicants. Jan. 23, 7-9 pm. $3-$10. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. friendsofthebing.org (534-5805)

FOOD

HOW TO MAKE SUSHI AT HOME Instructor Alex Austin teaches the basics of sushi making; from cooking the rice to the endless possibilities you can create. Jan. 5, 5:30 pm. $49. Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (328-3335)

SCOTCH AND CIGARS Select a flight of whiskey, scotch or bourbon paired with a recommended cigar from Cigar Train during an event on the headed, outdoor patio. Thursdays, from 6-10 pm. $15-$25. Prohibition Gastropub, 1914 N. Monroe. facebook.com/Prohibition.

Gastropub.Spokane1 (474-9040) THURSDAY WINE SOCIAL The weekly complimentary wine tasting event features different wine themes and samples of the shop’s gourmet goods.

Thursdays, from 4-6 pm. Free. Gourmet Way, 8222 N. Government Way. gourmetwayhayden.com(208-762-1333) CLASSIC DESSERTS CULINARY CLASS Chef Mark Steinmetz teaches how to make an array of desserts, including burnt cream, chocolate mousse and fresh strawberries and cream. Jan. 8, 2 pm. $39. Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (328-3335) ROASTED CHILI SALMON In this class Chef David shows how to prepare a fresh Chipotle-Pepita Salsa using smoked jalapeño peppers paired with fresh tomatoes, garlic, lime juice and toasted green pumpkin seeds. Jan. 9, 5:30 pm. $49. Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (328-3335) ARTISAN PIZZA AT HOME In this hands-on class, learn how to make dough, sauce, and the types of cheese, toppings and other ingredients to create your own artisan pizza at home.

Jan. 10, 5:30 pm. $45. Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine. com (328-3335) ARBOR CREST + CLOVER WINE DINNER A special six-course dinner, with wine pairings from Arbor Crest. Jan. 11, 5 pm. $95/person. Clover, 913 E. Sharp Ave. cloverspokane.com (509-4872937) FRIED CHICKEN & BEER NIGHT A new, monthly event by Chef Adam Hegsted, offering fried chicken and three pints of local beer from River City Brewing.

Future events scheduled for the second Wednesday of the month. Jan. 11, 6 pm. $35. The Wandering Table, 1242 W. Summit Pkwy. thewanderingtable. com (509-443-4410) GUILTLESS CREAM SOUPS The soups in this class are full of vegetables like beets, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes and squash. Chef Jamie also shares techniques and ingredients to create smooth and creamy soup bases, without any dairy. Jan. 11, 5:30 pm. $39.

Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (328-3335) CHILE RELLENOS The word relleno means stuffed, and there are many varieties of chilies to fill with different fillings and batters. Chef Vira shares her family’s best chilies rellenos recipe.

Jan. 12, 5 pm. $39. Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (328-3335) INVEG POTLUCK Join the local group for a community potluck on the third Sunday of each month, offering delicious food and time to connect with others. After each potluck is a featured guest speaker on topics such as sprouting, nutrition, animal rights, cooking, and more. Please bring a plant-based dish to share (no honey, eggs, meat or dairy). Free. Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. inveg.org/monthly-potlucks.html TOFU TRANSFORMATION Cooking with tofu doesn’t need to be intimidating or complicated. This hands-on class

is full of information and techniques to preparing tofu perfectly every time. Jan. 18, 5:30 pm. $45. Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon. thekitchenengine.com

MUSIC

CELLOBRATION SPOKANE: BACH AND THE BEATLES! Hear more than 40 cellos perform music of Bach and the Beatles at this annual concert. At the Music Building Recital Hall. Jan. 7. Free, donations accepted. Eastern Washington University, 526 Fifth St. (359-2241) MET OPERA LIVE: NABUCCO The legendary Plácido Domingo brings another new baritone role to the Met under the baton of his longtime collaborator James Levine. 3 hours 5 min run time. Jan. 7, 10 am. $15-$20. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org/hdlive (208-882-4127) CELLO CONCERT FEAT. KEVIN HEKMATPANAH Enjoy an afternoon of music with Spokane Symphony cellist Kevin Hekmatpanah. Jan. 9, 1:30 pm. Free.

Touchmark South Hill, 2929 S. Waterford Dr. (536-2929) GIRLS ROCK LAB JAM SESSION Kids of all musical abilities are invited to jam with their friends and experiment with sound in an encouraging environment.

Register online. For grades 3-7. Jan. 10, 6-8 pm. No cost. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main. spark-central.org RESURRECTION RECORDS SPIN & SWAP The Observatory hosts its first Spin & Swap. Everyone is encouraged to bring their crates of records to sell, swap and even spin on the house player. Resurrection will be raffling off merch and vinyl for $1 an entry. Jan. 12, 8 pm-2 am. Free.

The Observatory, 15 S. Howard. observatoryspokane.com (598-8933) BEER CHOIR! The Palouse Two Rivers Beer Choir convenes at Riverport Brewing Co. Come raise a glass and raise your voice to sing in the new year! Riverport Brewing Co., 150 Ninth, Clarkston. Jan. 18, 7-8 pm. Free. palousechoralsociety.org SPOKANE SYMPHONY CLASSICS: AMERICAN VOICES Celebrate America’s vibrant musical voice in the fifth Classics Series concert, with music by Joplin, Ellington and Gershwin and more. Jan. 21 at 8 pm, Jan. 22 at 3 pm. $15-$54. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. foxtheaterspokane.com

SPORTS

GONZAGA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL The lady Zags take on San Francisco for a regular season matchup. Jan. 5, 6 pm. $3-$10. McCarthey Athletic Center, 801 N Cincinnati. gozags.com (509-313-6000) SPOKANE SIZZLER The adult, co-ed volleyball tournament returns, hosting up to 64 six-person teams, with a beer garden, music and more. Jan. 6-8. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanesizzler.com (279-7000) SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. KOOTENAY ICE Regular season hockey match. Jan. 7, 7:05 pm. $10-$23. Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, 720 W. Mallon. spokanearena.com (509-324-7000) SPOKANE BADMINTON CLUB Meets Sundays, from 4:30-7:30 pm, and Wednesdays, from 7-10 pm. $5+/visit.

West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt St. spokanebadminton.com SPOKANE CHIEFS Regular season hockey match vs. the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Jan. 8, 5:05 pm. $10-$23. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com

SPOKANE TABLE TENNIS CLUB The club meets Wednesday, from 6-9:30 pm and Sunday, from 1-4 pm. $2/visit. Southside Senior & Community Center, 3151 E. 27th Ave. (509-535-0803) WEST CENTRAL TABLE TENNIS The local ping-pong club hosts open drop-in sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday, from 6:30-9:30 pm at the Girl Scouts Center. Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and N. Idaho, 1404 N. Ash St. westcentraltabletennis.com (342-9322) SNOWSHOEING DEMO Spokane Parks and Rec presents this informational meeting and demo about snowshoeing.

Afterward, sign-up for a snowshoeing expedition to Manito Park, Liberty Lake, or Mt. Spokane that includes equipment.

Jan. 11, 1-3:30 pm. Free. Touchmark South Hill, 2929 S. Waterford Dr. (536-2929) WRANGLER ROUGHSTOCK RODEO Presented by the General Store, new this year is bareback riding, saddle bronc riding and bull riding. Jan. 13-14, at 8 pm. $10-$75. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com (279-7000) BASKETBALL CAMP FOR KIDS WITH DISABILITIES A free camp with the coaches and players of the Moscow Shark AAU basketball team. For girls and boys under 18; no experience necessary. Meet at the LDS Church - Moscow, 1657 S. Blaine. Jan. 14, 9:30 am-noon. Free. familiestogether.org (208-874-7891) WINTERFEST A celebration of skiing and snow, with events for all ages and ski abilities at the Mt. Spokane Cross-Country Ski Park. Events include Donut Dash relay sprint, free demos, clinics for backcountry skiing, skijoring and waxing and more. NOTE: Sno-Park pass is required to park in the State Parks for WinterFest.

Single-day passes must be accompanied by a State Parks Discovery Pass. Jan. 15, 9 am-3 pm. $5. Mt. Spokane State Park, 26107 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr. spokanenordic.org/winterfest (979-6401)

THEATER

BEST OF BROADWAY: COSTUMES An exhibition of costumes in celebration of WestCoast Entertainment’s 30th anniversary season, featuring pieces used in touring Broadway musicals including Cats, Annie, The Lion King and more.

Through Feb. 19. Museum open Tue-Sun, 10 am-5 pm (to 8 pm Wed; half-price on Tue). $5-$10/admission. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931) THE GIN GAME For one weekend only, Spokane Civic Theatre presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by D.L. Coburn in the Firth J. Chew Studio Theatre. Jan. 5-6, 7:30 pm and Jan. 7-8 at 2 pm. $20.

Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com (325-2507) PIPPIN Full of acrobatics, magical feats and soaring songs from the composer of Wicked, this new production is the winner of four 2013 Tony Awards. Jan. 12-15; show times vary. $32.50-$72.50. INB Performing Arts Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. wcebroadway.com (777-6253) DISGRACED The 2013 Pulitzer Prize winning play examines questions of identity and religion in the contemporary world, with an accent on the incendiary topic of how radical Islam and the terrorism it inspires have affected the public discourse.

Jan. 13-29, Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $10. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. spokanestageleft.org

VISUAL ARTS

SMALL ARTWORKS INVITATIONAL The annual show features 200+ new artworks by 32 regional artists that are all smaller than 12-inches by 12-inches. Dec. 2-Jan. 7; gallery open daily from 11 am-6 pm (except 12/25-26). Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. theartspiritgallery.com (208-765-6006) MOSCOW FIRST THURSDAY The city of Moscow’s monthly community arts celebration, featuring art displays around the downtown area, live music and more.

Monthly on the first Thursday, from 5-8 pm. See Facebook page for complete details. facebook.com/moscowfirsthursday ON THE ROAD AGAIN Palouse backroads and byways en plein air is the winter exhibit theme, featuring six artists who’ve named themselves “Group Six” who display paintings of local scenery in watercolor, pastel and oil. Jan. 5-Feb. 26; Thu-Sun, 10 am-4 pm. Opening reception Jan. 8, 1-3 pm. Dahmen Barn, 419 N. Park Way. artisanbarn.org (509-229-3414) RUBY PALMER: SUBJECT TO CHANGE A collaborative installation. Jan. 4-Feb. 2, open Mon-Fri, 8:30 am-3:30 pm or by appt. In the SFCC Art Gallery, Bldg. 6.

Free. Spokane Falls Community College, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr. spokanefalls.edu (533-3746) POSITIVE CONTACT:::: Hannah Thompson and Arvid Tomayko come together in this work using their bodies as conductive material with in an installation of fabric sculptures reactive to touch and light through the use of a light reactive Theremin. Jan. 6, 5-8 pm. Free. Richmond Gallery, 228 W. Sprague. (230-5718) WEIRD SCIENCE: JUSTIN GIBBENS & RENEE ADAMS In this show, Gibbens’ work is inspired by natural history and the animal denizens of our planet, while Adams’ mixed-media work is influenced by the flora and fauna around her home.

In the Boswell Corner Gallery. Through Feb. 3; Mon-Thu, 10 am-4 pm; Fri, 10 am2:30 pm. Free. North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Ave. nic.edu (208-769-3276) ARTS BUZZ A time to learn what arts and culture-related activities are in the works for the Cd’A area. Held on the first Friday of each month, at 9 am, in the chamber’s conference room. Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce, 1031 N. Academic Wy. artsincda.org (208-664-3194) DROP IN & DRAW Adults and teens are invited to drop in and draw with us on Fridays. Niah Ferlito provides a friendly atmosphere in which to explore artistic imaginations and the art supplies to do so. Fridays, from 4-5:30 pm. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkwestcentral.org FIRST [SECOND] FRIDAY Art galleries and businesses across downtown Spokane and beyond host monthly receptions to showcase new displays of art.

NOTE: For January, many galleries host new art begining on Jan. 6, but most venues will have receptions again on Jan. 13. Inlander.com/FirstFriday or downtownspokane.net RALLY The Terrain Gallery offers another chance to make art and to see all the art that has been submitted/created at the previous two RALLY events. Jan. 6, 6-8 pm. Free. Terrain, 304 W. Pacific. terrainspokane.com TENACITY FOR THE WIN An interactive art experience at Startup Spokane with music by Dj Eph.Tea.Kay and special guests. Light refreshments, healing, and

tarot sessions also provided. Jan. 6, 6-9 pm. Free. Startup Spokane Central, 610 W. Second. (202-9368) RURAL ALLIANCE HIGH SCHOOL ART SHOW An exhibit showcasing paintings, drawings, pottery, collage, and sculpture created by local high school students from Tekoa, Rosalia, Garfield/ Palouse, Oakesdale, and St. John/Endicott. Open daily during library hours, Jan. 7-13. Opening reception Jan. 9, from 5-6 pm. Free. Colfax Library, 102 S. Main St. whitco.lib.wa.us (509-397-4366) CHURRO KNOW MY LIFE: THE ART OF JAKE PRENDEZ The gallery hosts Jake Prendez’s exhibit “Churro Know My Life,” Jan. 9-Feb 13; open Mon-Fri, noon-5 pm.

Free. EWU Downtown Student Gallery, 404 Second St. facebook.com/ewu SECOND FRIDAY ARTWALK Coeur d’Alene’s monthly celebration of local art, with local galleries around downtown hosting artist receptions, live music and original art. Second Friday of the month, from 5-8 pm. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene. artsincda.org (208-415-0116) HAROLD BALAZS AND FRIENDS PANEL A four-person panel of Harold’s friends and colleagues answer questions and talk about the history of his experience in the arts. Harold will also be present. Jan. 14, 1-2 pm. Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. (208-765-6006) HAROLD BALAZS: ONE MORE TIME Since the 1950s, the work of Mead artist Harold Balazs has been displayed in galleries, homes, churches, colleges, banks, and public spaces around the nation. At age 88, the longtime artist continues to create. “One More Time” features 100+ pieces representing every decade of Balazs’ work. Enamels, paintings, drawings, mixed media assemblages, and more are included. Jan. 13-Feb. 4; gallery open Tue-Sat, 11 am-6 pm. Opening reception Jan. 13, from 5-8 pm. Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman. (208-765-6006)

WORDS

THE GARDENER’S GARDEN: 700 YEARS OF HISTORY Writer and horticultural expert Chris Woods hosts an illustrated lecture, “The Gardener’s Garden – 700 Years of History.” Jan. 5, 6:30-9 pm.

Free. CenterPlace Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place Dr. tieg.org (535-8434) FROM HIGHGATE TO HANFORD Local authors Margaret Verhoe and Rita Seedorf talk about their collaborative writing process and their recently released postWorld War II novel, “Letters from a Wary Watcher” at the January meeting of Spokane Authors and Self Publishers. SASP meets at 2:30 pm the first Thursday of each month. Guests and members must purchase lunch to attend. Jan. 5, 2-4:30 pm. Golden Corral Buffet, 7117 N. Division. spokaneauthors.org (863-5536) JACK CASTLE WRITING WORKSHOPS As the library prepares for the 28th annual Writers Competition, the author leads a series of workshops designed to help writers get their work published.

Meets Thursdays at 7 pm, Jan. 5-26. Free.

Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315) 3 MINUTE MIC Auntie’s first Friday poetry open mic, with poet Kat Smith as the “Remember the Word” featured reader.

Jan. 6, 8-9:30 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. auntiesbooks.com THE INKLINGS: TEEN WRITERS’ GROUP Take your creative writing to the next level with support from other teen writers and published local authors. You bring

the ideas and we’ll bring the snacks. For grades 8-12; meets the first Saturday of the month, from 3:45-5 pm. No cost.

Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org (270-0299) SCABLANDS BOOKS READING The boutique press founded by Spokane author Sharma Shields hosts a reading of new works by Simeon Mills, Ellen Welcker and Tim Greenup. Jan. 7, 7 pm. Free.

Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. bit. ly/2i0nkPn (509-838-0206) SIGNING: SHERI LEWIS WOHL The local writer reads from her new urban fantasy/ paranormal novel, “Twisted Screams.”

Sheri also signs copies of her Golden Crown Literary Award-winning book, “Twisted Whispers.” Jan. 7, 1:30-3:30 pm.

Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com (838-0206) SIGNING: MEAGEN SCRIBNER The local writer signs copies of her fantasy novel “Dark Dynasty: Torment Thy Name is Bernadette.” Jan. 8, 1:30-3:30 pm. Free.

Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com (509-838-0206) BROKEN MIC Spokane Poetry Slam’s longest-running, weekly open mic reading series, open to all readers and all-ages. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First. spokanepoetryslam. org (509-847-1234) SPOKANE BOOK SWAP Bring a maximum of five books in and swap them for new titles at Auntie’s first ever book swap.

Jan. 11, 7-8 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. (509-838-0206) READING: ANDY BROWN The Air Force law enforcement veteran’s book shares lessons learned from the fatal tragedies in 1994 at Fairchild Air Force Base, the heroic actions of others and his experience with the effects of trauma. Jan. 12, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. auntiesbooks.com (838-0206) WRITING WORKSHOP WITH SHARMA SHIELDS A workshop for poets, writers and comics of all skill levels who plan to submit pieces for the third edition of Lilac City Fairy Tales. Award-winning author Sharma Shields jumpstarts your creative process with prompts and inspiration around the theme “Weird Sisters.”

(Think: witches, hags, the fates, siblings, and power!) She’ll also review submission details for the third edition of the Lilac City Fairy Tales anthology. Register online. Jan. 12, 6:30-8:30 pm. $10. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org (279-0299) SPOKANE POETRY SLAM Competitive performance poetry in a “head-to-head” format; winner gets a $50 prize. Held the third Monday of the month at 8 pm; doors open at 7 pm. $5. The Bartlett, 228 W. Sprague. spokanepoetryslam.org SILENT READING PARTY Calling all introverts, bookworms, and bibliomaniacs: Prepare to zip your lips and delve into the magic of words. Live music and wine will accompany the sweet, sweet silence. Jan. 17, 7-9 pm. No cost. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org BEFORE OUTLANDER: SCOTTISH POETRY AND CULTURE AFTER THE ‘45 Join us for a discussion of Scottish literature after the events portrayed in “Outlander” and a reading of some of Robert Burns’ best poetry. Jan. 18, 7-8 pm. Free.

Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com (509-838-0206) n

JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 49

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The U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, even compiled a report this past November, the first of its kind, addressing the crisis, its consequences and the potential pathways to prevention and treatment. Like all matters political and social, Americans are, unsurprisingly, divided here too.

As reported in the Spokesman-Review, the Spokane County Behavioral Health Advisory Board’s approach to addiction, called opioid agonist therapy (OAT), is par for the course in contemporary mental health care: fighting fire with fire. The board is pushing for $724,000 in state funds to fund a pilot treatment program using a synthetic drug called Suboxone, or “Box” as it’s sometimes known on the street. Like methadone, Suboxone is itself an opioid, albeit one with more subtle effects than the narcotics it is designed to replace. Despite its good intentions, it is frequently abused.

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If a better way existed, a way to curb the cycle of dependency, would the medical and mental health communities endorse it? Proponents of a particular natural medicine hope so.

A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia found cannabis to be a promising alternative in the treatment of opiate addiction. The plant is not an inherently addictive substance, has never been directly linked to an overdose and originated, of course, in the lab of Mother Nature, not those of Pfizer or Teva.

“Research suggests that people may be using cannabis as an exit drug to reduce use of substances that are potentially more harmful, such as opioid pain medication,” said Zach Walsh, who led the study.

Studies by the University of California, Irvine, and the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine have even found lower opioid-related death rates, by an average of 25 percent, in states with medical marijuana programs.

Even so, data from the Washington State Department of Health revealed a 78 percent increase in opioid overdose deaths in Spokane County from 2014 to 2015. Every generation has its social pariahs, but today’s have found an escape hatch that frequently leads to a lethal conclusion. An official on the Spokane County Behavioral Health Advisory Board sees addicts as “the ones who are contributing to all the problems that society looks at.” But what if their suffering is instead a symptom of a more profound sickness in contemporary American life? n

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ZDATE, 2016 INLANDER 53

Snow Removal Blues

Snow plows clean up Spokane’s Browne’s Addition neighborhood last week.

Spokane does have a plan, even if it’s not a magic wand

BY LAURA JOHNSON

I

heard a snowplow on my street last week. The scrapchloride deicer with a rust inhibitor. (Salt, which is much ing of the blade moving along the road surprised me. cheaper, causes far more erosion.)

Fresh flakes had only fallen that morning. Was the Neighborhood residents should never expect to see truck in my lower South Hill neighborhood on purpose? entirely clear roads, Serbousek says. Even in a Stage 2 Was the driver lost? event, a thin layer of packed snow is always left behind.

After living here for more than three years, I’d gotten When a particular spot proves pesky, trucks lay down used to unplowed streets. Yet, having sand — never chemicals — on noncome from the blizzard-prone Midwest, arterial streets.

SNOW CONTACTS I’ve always wondered about the city A snow removal budget of — Check on Spokane’s snowplow of Spokane’s snow removal strategies. $750,000 this season means that the progress at my.spokanecity.org.

Sometimes they’re a mystery. city can’t afford to deice every area — For those financially or physically road when it only snows a few inches, unable to remove snow or ice, call 2-1as it did last week.

1 (or 1-866-904-9060) for assistance Last week, the city declared a Stage 2 — Spokane city snow hotline: snow event, which occurs only when 6 625-7737 Julie Happy, the city’s Communicainches or more piles up. Only then are tions Manager of Business and Develneighborhoods tackled, hence my lower — Report a Spokane snow concern: 755-CITY (2489) oper Services, points out that Spokane South Hill drive-by. In a Stage 1 snow — Coeur d’Alene Street Department has about 2,200 lane miles to plow. event, drivers in residential areas are snowline: (208) 769-2233 “That’s like driving from here to generally left to fend for themselves.

Detroit, and we make every effort to Spokane Streets Director Mark Serattend to every mile,” she says. bousek says that arterials (high-capacity Serbousek confirms that when necessary his 46 plows urban roads) are the No. 1 priority. These streets are are out 24 hours a day, seven days a week. not only plowed, they’re deiced using mag (magnesium)

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54 INLANDER JANUARY 5, 2017

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“As soon as snow hits, we’re out,” he says.

While it takes an estimated four days to plow all of Spokane — which averages about 47 inches of snow every winter — last week took a little longer, as snowplow drivers went back over half the residential areas when it snowed again. The delays brought in complaints.

Residents who’d already shoveled their front sidewalks, only to them it filled up again by snowplows, also weren’t pleased.

“We did put more snow through their walkways.

We’re mindful of that, but if we don’t do that, then we get complaints of going too slow,” Serbousek says. “We’re doomed no matter which way we go. We have to create balance.”

Serbousek says that residents have to work with the city. That means slowing down early at intersections, and moving parked cars when plows need to come through.

“We’re going to continue doing the best job we can,” Serbousek says. “We’re trying to have a good partnership. We rely on Spokane citizens as much as they rely on us.”

FUTURE SNOW

For people like me, who prefer that snow stays in the mountains, none of this will get any easier. The Pacific Northwest, thanks to La Niña, is predicted to get slammed with colder temperatures and even more of the white stuff this winter, says meteorologist Bryce Williams of the National Weather Service in Spokane.

“It’s going to be very cold and dry,” Williams says.

“And we’re thinking about the next three months here, so it’s not as cut and dry, there is variability, but that means colder than normal.”

“That sounds terrible,” I tell him.

“It is terrible,” he says. n

JANUARY 5, 2017 INLANDER 55

Scot Bruce

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