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Officials are scrambling to address the demands put on roads and water

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overnment officials in Idaho — a state famously averse to government in general — are trying to prepare for a steady stream of new arrivals. Idaho is the FASTEST-GROWING STATE in America, and Kootenai County, in particular, is outpacing the state as a whole.

“We’ve got to come to grips with the fact that we are growing,” a Kootenai County official overseeing development tells our staff reporter Wilson Criscione. “If we don’t do something now in the way of good planning practice, it will only be a matter of time before the thing that attracts people to the area is ruined.”

Of course, North Idaho is a long way from becoming Southern California, but the rapid growth — fueled in part by people fleeing the Golden State — is already putting pressure on highways and local water systems. Don’t miss Criscione’s excellent report on the future of the region beginning on page 22.

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WHAT ARTIST DID YOU LISTEN TO MOST IN 2019?

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SHANLEY SHOUPE-BROMMER Top 2019 — um — Lucy Dacus.

And what about that artist is most appealing to you?

Her voice, she’s got a great alto voice.

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As President Trump’s impeachment continues, Utah Sen. Mike Lee could be a canary in the coalmine

BY ROBERT HEROLD

I

was pleasantly shocked to hear Republican Sen. Mike Lee, the son of the late Solicitor General Rex Lee, denounce President Donald Trump’s recent incoherent ramble through the briar patch of reality. Mike Lee, until now, has been a reliable Trump foot soldier. Hopefully, he has determined to forget the partisan hackery promoted, even insisted on, by the likes of Mitch McConnell and now seeks to do the right thing.

Lee’s recent criticism was about the administration’s thin, evasive defense of the president’s order to kill Iran’s Qasem Soleimani and, by

extension, his incoherent plans for Iraq and the Middle East.

Lee has also backed a bipartisan Senate resolution to require Trump to seek congressional approval before taking any more military action against Iran.

Will Mike Lee break with his party leadership and actually vote to support the impeachment of Donald Trump?

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That’s now at least an open question. My hope — and perhaps it is a hope against hope — is that Mike Lee will now find the will to act more like his late and much-revered father.

I first met Rex Lee during my freshman year at BYU. I got to know Rex through our Provo neighbor, Terry Crapo. Rex took his law degree from the University of Chicago. Terry went off to Harvard. Both were brilliant — and nice guys to boot. Both were Mormons, and both were Republicans. Both also, I stress, were truly independent thinkers.

Rex clerked for Supreme Court Justice Byron White; in 1972, he helped create the BYU law school. He was widely admired, including by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who spoke at his funeral in 1996. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed him solicitor general, where Lee won 23 of 30 cases. During the course of his career, he argued more than 90 cases before the court and won most.

Mike Lee, until now, has been a reliable Trump foot soldier.

Rex wasn’t enough of a loyal foot soldier for Reagan’s Attorney General Ed Meese, however, who ordered that Rex Lee take up a case that Lee thought unworthy. Meese wouldn’t back off his insistence, and so Lee eventually resigned on principle with the explanation, “I’m the solicitor general, not the pamphleteer general.”

That was Rex Lee. We can hope that, now, it also describes his son, Mike Lee, whose criticism of the administration’s briefing and subsequent shifting stories about the new mess in the Middle East President Trump created — perhaps illegally — may be a start.

The challenge for Mike Lee, however, is that he would have to conduct himself as a true senator rather than a GOP loyalist. He would also have to be prepared to cross Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as well as annoy Trump. His father would have had no trouble answering that call.

I last saw Rex Lee at a lecture he gave as part of the William O. Douglas Lecture Series at Gonzaga University. Rex was a longtime friend of the late Father Pat Ford, who had invited Rex to deliver a speech here in Spokane. Rex, while very ill (he would live only a few more months), was still up to the challenge. In fact, Justice O’Connor recalled Rex bravely writing legal briefs from his hospital bed during his final days.

His speech that evening was both important and, as it has turned out, very timely here in 2020. Rex Lee spoke about the solemn duty Supreme Court justices had — how critical impartial justice is to the moral health of the republic, and how, if we lost that, we’d lose everything. n

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FROM THE VAULT JAN. 24, 2008: By the time we published this in-depth report on homelessness in Spokane — in the fourth issue of the year — three homeless people had died. A major part of the problem then, as it is now, was the scarcity of low-income housing.

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COMMENT | NEWSMAKERS

Q&A BROOKE MATSON The poet and executive director of Spark Central reflects on her writing and what’s in store for the nonprofit learning center

BY CHEY SCOTT

S

ince 2016, Brooke Matson has been executive director of Spark Central, the nonprofit literacy and learning center in Kendall Yards, and focused on serving the West Central community. When she’s not leading staff, volunteers or Spark’s board of directors, Matson is writing.

In early February, she’s celebrating the release of her second poetry anthology, In Accelerated Silence, which won the prestigious 2019 Jake Adam York Prize. We sat down with Matson to talk about goals for Spark, what inspires her poetry and more. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

been really enriching for us as an organization.

INLANDER: Tell us about your current focuses, both in writing and for Spark.

MATSON: My writing is always changing. The book that’s coming out has themes of science and grief woven together. It’s very philosophical, and that is the poetry I’m drawn to.

And as far as Spark goes, we’re really focusing on West Central neighborhood partnerships, particularly working with schools. We have the newspaper club at Holmes Elementary that we’ve really enjoyed doing, and we hope to do something with another elementary school this fall.

Where do you find inspiration for your poetry, and what themes does the new collection explore?

I tend to write about what’s on my mind. I did a lot of reading and learning about science in the last six years and when I was writing these poems, those were the metaphors that came out of it, and processing my own emotions. It’s a grief manuscript — it’s very emotional — but I wanted them to be very strong and solid poems. There are some questions of faith and doubt thrown in there, too. A lot of space metaphors like astrophysics and stuff like that. I guess now, looking back, I see that it’s very philosophical as a manuscript, but when I was writing, it didn’t feel that way.

What goals do you and Spark’s board and volunteers hope to accomplish this year?

I feel like we’re focusing on how we can do what we do best, better. We have an advisory board that has West Central families and community stakeholders advising our policies and practices, and that has been really enriching. We really want to work on getting more instructors, volunteers and workshop leaders who are people of color and represent different groups other than our mostly white staff.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your tenure as Spark’s executive director?

I’m really proud of the newspaper, The West Central Express, that we’re doing with Holmes. It’s a really great way to lift up new voices and have students comment and critique things that are going on in their school and community, and it builds writing and communications and teamwork skills that are so important.

And I’m really proud of the way we’ve focused on going out into the West Central neighborhood rather than expecting people to come to us. We’ve been really intentional with that and increased the number of programs we do offsite, and that has

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Back to your poetry, can you explain what this award represents, both in the poetry world and to you?

It’s to commemorate Jake Adam York, who was a great poet.

I think for me — you always worry, as a writer, whether you’re good enough or if your work resonates outside of yourself or your circle of writer friends — and this manuscript is really important for me to get published one way or another. I didn’t think it would win this big of a prize.

Tell us about the collection launch event in February. What can people expect?

It’s at the Spokane Civic Theatre. Because the poems are kind of intense, I wanted to not just do a typical reading. I wanted to do something more dramatic. Third Seven, [musician] Billy Mickelson, is accompanying me on cello between and during some of the poems. Billy will have his CDs, and of course there will be books.

Reflecting on the state of the arts in Spokane right now, what stands out to you most?

I’m excited that so many people are doing really innovative things. Spokane has always had a really tight arts community, and I hope we always keep that sense of community, but it’s always great to see the diversity of voices growing rapidly. I feel like that is a win for everybody. n In Accelerated Science: Performance & Book Release • Tue, Feb. 11 at 7:30 pm • Free • Spokane Civic Theatre • 1020 N. Howard St. • bit.ly/37zkx5P

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COMMENT | FROM READERS

Rep. Matt Shea was linked to “domestic terrorism” in a report commissioned by state lawmakers. DANIEL WALTERS PHOTO

Readers respond to an article first reported on Inlander.com about how the Spokane GOP’s recent statement on Rep. Matt Shea avoided talking about the Spokane Valley legislator entirely (1/20/20):

VICKI FORSLUND BORDIERI: Such cowards, obviously not just in D.C. This unethical, immoral behavior is why this party is next to dead.

FOR MORE

ANGELA LALONDE: This isn’t a surprise, any criticism of Trump or Shea means they’d lose the support of the rabid vocal minority that drives the GOP bus these days.

See the story on page 18.

JEREMY THORNTON: Takeaway: There’s plenty of room for the racists and the hate mongers in the Republican Party tent. You disagree? I must be a Marxist then. I love it when Republicans take extremist positions then accuse anyone speaking out as being extremist. Gas Lighting 101.

SHANE MABREY: Republicans are choosing the 45 option. Be careful bashing crazy and incompetent too early, voters might latch onto it and they need all the support they can get for their unpopular and unsuccessful ideas.

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KAREN MADSEN BLAINE: It is clear that local Republican Party worship power more than cleaning out radical extremism. … That spineless dance is appalling. n

Readers respond to an article about a new residential project located near the site of a tribal burial site (“Grounded in History,” 1/16/20)

DENNIS OCHS: What’s the issue? It says near, not on! If they wanted to build over a burial site, then I can understand the concern, but near?

JULIE BORDERS: I always wonder when this comes up, how would we feel if someone built over one of our cemeteries?

BILLIE JOHNSTONE: I pray to God this development doesn’t happen.

JANE GRIMM: So a cemetery, tribal cemetery and you still want to build!? Wow! No thank you, I’d be looking into a new property. n

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12 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

While Councilwoman Betsy Wilkerson is optimistic, she also expresses frustration with the state of Spokane. “I would have thought we would have been further along in a lot of the issues we’re facing. ... There’s a lot of talk with no action.”

DANIEL WALTERS PHOTO

CITY HALL

ACROSS THE AISLE With her recent appointment, Betsy Wilkerson promises to bring more representation and moderation to the Spokane City Council

A

long time ago, Betsy Wilkerson thought about running for public office — but her mentor changed her mind.

“I realized that I could have as much impact not being in office as being in office,” she concluded.

That mentor’s name, she says when asked, was Jim West. And he was the mayor of Spokane.

It was a curious pairing — the outed mayor of Spokane, under siege by accusations that he’d misused the power of his office to pursue sex with young men, and a middle-aged black woman, sitting together as buddies at a predominately black church. West had started attending church the Bethel AME in the wake of the scandal, and even though others raised their eyebrows, seeing cynical political calculation, Wilkerson believed he was genuine.

“I think he was looking at something, and he found it at Bethel,” Wilkerson says. “He was at church like we all are, trying to save our souls and do good.”

BY DANIEL WALTERS When West died from colon cancer surgery complications in 2006, Wilkerson spoke at his memorial service.

“Watching him go through his trials and tribulations was an inspiration to us,” Wilkerson said at his funeral, according to a Spokesman-Review account at the time.

Today, 14 years later, Wilkerson finally is in public office, beating out six other finalists to be appointed to the Spokane City Council’s District 2 seat that opened when Breean Beggs became council president. And her friendship with West offers a sort of preview of the sort of councilwoman she might be — a leader who reaches across the aisle, even literally, to seek out any perspective.

THE CONSENSUS CANDIDATE

Ultimately, the City Council vote in support of Wilkerson was unanimous. Even before applications were officially opened up for the position that Beggs was leaving, momentum had been building for Wilkerson.

In December, Sandy Williams, publisher of the Black Lens newspaper, had featured an interview with Wilkerson stressing that she would “add a unique perspective to Spokane’s current City Council.” Williams sent out emails to every City Council member recommending they appoint Wilkerson.

The two had been friends for years. Wilkerson leads the board of the Carl Maxey Center — a nonprofit aimed at creating a new space for Spokane’s African American community — and Williams serves as its executive director.

Wilkerson quickly began racking up support from equity groups like Spokane Community Against Racism and progressive groups like FUSE Washington. And it wasn’t just left-leaning organizations.

“I had quite a number of people from the greater business community reaching out and advocating for her,” conservative Councilman Michael Cathcart says. ...continued on next page

JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 13

NEWS | CITY HALL “CITY HALL,” CONTINUED...

Andrew Biviano, former chair of the Spokane County Democrats and an attorney at a law firm with Beggs, had planned on vying for the spot left open by his co-worker. But when he read about Wilkerson planning on running, he felt it would be foolish to try to compete with her.

“There was a coalescing around Betsy,” Biviano told the Inlander last month. “I thought, ‘I think I might choose her over me, too.’”

Wilkerson’s resume includes numerous volunteer positions across her more than 55 years in Spokane. Besides the Carl Maxey Center, she’s been on numerous nonprofit boards including the Innovia Foundation, Spokane Housing Ventures and the United Way of Spokane. In fact, in 2002, Wilkerson says, she was an ambassador for the American Heart Association’s “Go Red” campaign with local TV anchor Nadine Woodward.

Wilkerson is a single mom who owns her own business — an assisted-living facility for the mentally delayed — where she notes she’s on the “front line” of some of the biggest challenges in the city.

But when it comes to going deep on specific policies, Wilkerson is frank that she really only started to truly perk her ears up and seriously pay attention to city government during last November’s election.

When the Spokane Coalition of Color met with her to discuss her candidacy, she says, they peppered her with questions.

“You know, ‘What about this?’ Social justice. Homelessness, you name it,” Wilkerson says. “[On some issues] I said, ‘Hey guys, I don’t really know,’ but I will have to bone up on that.”

Wilkerson is OK with saying “I don’t know” and

readily describes herself as a “blank slate.”

“I’m a student,” Wilkerson says. “I am in serious learning mode. … I’m not coming into council with my own agenda.”

Indeed, depending on how Wilkerson evolves in office, she may pull the left-leaning council slightly back toward the center.

On the one hand, she calls herself a “bleeding heart social worker.”

On the other, she stresses that she’s “fiscally responsible.”

While answering questions on her application for her council appointment, she expressed caution about pushing landlord-tenant policy beyond Former Mayor Jim West state regulations, arguing that the city “does not have the resources or infrastructure to go beyond the Washington Tenant Act.” Cathcart notes that Wilkerson expressed more support for additional landlord-tenant legislation during last week’s in-person interviews with the candidates, but he still came away believing that, while they may disagree on one policy position or another, Wilkerson is a person he can find common ground with.

“She came across as a very moderate, thoughtful

individual,” Cathcart says. “She isn’t going to just support something because it fits something that someone left-ofcenter would support.”

He says that Williams came up to him after one meeting and specifically emphasized Wilkerson’s moderation.

“I told him that I am a pretty left-left leaning person,” Williams says. But Wilkerson, she says, is “more of a centrist person who is measured. She has that temperament I felt would be very valuable on the City Council.”

Williams argues that change requires both agitators like herself and more measured voices like Wilkerson.

“I don’t think you need someone who’s on the outside rattling cages to be on the City Council,” Williams says. “You need someone who can get in there and be a mediator and a conduit and a bridge between the community and the government.”

Wilkerson says she’s committed to remaining calm, even during heated council meetings.

So while Councilwoman Kate Burke has been more than willing to vehemently object to the actions of business groups, city staffers and even her council colleagues, Wilkerson, as a black woman, doesn’t believe she has the same luxury.

“You know, Kate is bold. It’s good, it’s her demeanor.

But if that was me, I would be labeled,” Wilkerson says.

“I’d be the ‘Angry Black Woman.’ … People would just label me based on something they’ve seen or something they’ve heard before they even know me.”

THE BLACK LENS

Wilkerson will be the first black woman on the Spokane City Council since Roberta Greene stepped down in 2003. That racial identity, Wilkerson believes, is a crucial part of her role as a councilwoman, a way to welcome in minorities who may not feel welcomed by a city govern-

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ment where few people look like them.

On Friday, she walked into City Hall to pick up her ID badge.

“You know what? I didn’t see one black person,” Wilkerson says. “I can handle that because I’ve been in that space a lot.

But if I was just an average citizen coming in who wanted to go upstairs and engage?”

In the last census, Spokane was 85 percent white — and only 2.2 percent black.

Wilkerson believes the city needs to seek out more diverse voices, by leaving the confines of City Hall and actually going out into the community. Wilkerson says she met with departing Human Resources Director Chris Cavanaugh and suggested a few changes: For example, when it comes time to hire summer employees for Riverfront Park, “why can’t we be deliberate and identify youths of color?” Wilkerson says.

“If you want to be a welcoming city, other folks can come here and see something other than white people,” she says.

Last week, one of the other candidates who applied for the council slot, Colville Tribe member Randy Ramos, wrote a Facebook post congratulating Wilkerson, but also expressing his deep frustration with the appointment process.

Considering the “track record of Spokane politics,” and the climate toward people of indigenous culture, it was “no surprise that we did not get the vote,” Ramos wrote, ending with a call for every indigneous person to run for city government.

Wilkerson says she recognizes that sort of frustration and wants to take efforts to represent the indigenous and other minority communities as well. In fact, she specifically wants to meet with Ramos and the five other City Council finalists, because she believes they can have an impact, even if they’re not in office.

“That is energy from the 2nd District that needs to be harnessed,” Wilkerson says. “These people have stepped up and put themselves out there.” n danielw@inlander.com

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JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 15

NEWS | BRIEFS

The Death of Plastic?

Olympia considers a ban on plastic bags

W

ashington lawmakers are again looking to ban single-use plastic bags statewide, with the state Senate passing Senate Bill 5323 to do just that

last week.

The bill, supported by grocery stores, retailers and environmentalists, would prohibit retailers from handing out plastic bags. Instead, they could provide paper or more durable reusable bags for an 8-cent fee, which is meant to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags or containers.

“We’ve reached crisis-level proportions of PLASTIC POLLUTION,” says Sen. Mona Das (D-Kent), one of the bill’s sponsors, in an announcement about the vote.

“Everyone has seen the horrifying photos and videos of animals choked by plastics, tangled in garbage, or whose bellies are full of waste.”

People who are using modern food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Women, Infants and Children (WIC) or the state Food Assistance Program wouldn’t have to pay the 8-cent fee for bags.

Already, 37 jurisdictions in the state have put their own plastic bag bans in place, which increased from 28 jurisdictions that had bans when the bill was heard on the Senate floor last year, according to legislative staff. The statewide bill was modeled on the local laws.

The bill has now been sent to the House Environment and Energy committee for consideration.

(SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

TRY, TRY AGAIN

The controversial topic of SEXUAL EDUCATION is back on the table in the Washington State Legislature. A year after a similar bill died, state lawmakers are trying again this session to pass a law that would mandate that all school districts teach comprehensive sexual education.

Right now, not all school districts do that. Most districts provide some sex ed, most commonly in high school, but some do not teach certain topics that the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction recommends, including sexual orientation and gender roles, according to a survey done by OSPI. Other topics that count as “comprehensive” sexual education include curriculum that encourages healthy relationships, teaches kids how to identify sexual violence and emphasizes affirmative consent, which is defined as giving conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.

The bill, Senate Bill 5395, was reintroduced this month and would impose the requirement to begin in the 2021-22 school year. House Bill 2184 is similar but would have the requirement begin in the 2022-23 school year.

Both bills would allow school districts to choose or create their own curriculum, and both bills would allow parents to opt their children out of those classes.

The Legislature last year asked OSPI to convene a workgroup to weigh the challenges and benefits of requir-

“We’ve reached crisis-level proportions of plastic pollution,” says a lawmaker hoping to ban single-use plastic bags in Washington. ing sex ed. That workgroup found, among other things, that all students should have access to comprehensive sex ed, due in no small part to the “incredibly disturbing trend” in rising STD rates throughout the state, says Laurie Dils, the sexual health education program supervisor for OSPI. “Members of the group felt strongly that this is an equity issue, that every single student around the state deserves exactly the same access to medically accurate,

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THE COST OF PRISON

Over the past 25 years, spending on prisons in IDAHO increased by over 200 percent, ranking as one of the highest spikes in the nation, according to a new think tank analysis.

Idaho placed sixth nationwide behind states like Arkansas, Nebraska and West Virginia in state prison spending, according to a new report from the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy, a nonpartisan public policy research nonprofit based in Boise.

The spike, which vastly outpaced increases in Idaho’s spending on public schools and higher education, corresponds with growth in the state’s inmate population. Many state inmates are serving sentences in county jails and about 700 Idaho inmates are housed in private prisons in Texas due to overcrowding in Idaho prisons.

Idaho also imprisons its population at a higher rate than surrounding states, according to a 2018 policy brief from the center.

The report attributes the growth in the Idaho prison population to policies to lengthen prison terms adopted in the 1980s and ’90s, such as mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses and a requirement that Idaho inmates serve 100 percent of their fixed sentence. (Idaho, along with Nevada and New Hampshire, are the only states that have such a fixed sentence policy, per the report.)

Additionally, Idaho also has a three-strikes law that mandates that a third felony results in a minimum five-year prison term.

Prison admissions data also show that nonviolent offenders make up a significant proportion of Idahoans entering prison, the report found. Of the 4,700 people admitted to Idaho prisons over the course of 2019, 35 percent were admitted for drug possession and an estimated 4 percent for low-level property crimes.

The analysis comes on the heels of Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s request in his 2021 budget proposal for more funding for inmate beds in correctional facilities in both Idaho and other states.

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NEWS | POLITICS

The Shea-less Shea Statement Faced with the option of praising Matt Shea or burying him, the Spokane GOP chooses neither

BY DANIEL WALTERS

A

t the board meeting on the evening of Jan. 7, the It resulted in Washington state House Minority Leader Spokane County Republican Party has plenty to J.T. Wilcox booting Shea from the Republican Caucus talk about.

— a move U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers explicitly There’s a lengthy discussion about the cost-benefit endorsed. analysis of buying a new printer. The executive board But Shea and his supporters cried foul, arguing he endorses President Donald Trump for a second term. was a victim of a hit job from a biased investigator, and Board member Debbie Schupp is having her birthday Wilcox was playing right into Democrats’ hands. In some and brought orange cupcakes for everybody. counties, local GOP organizations issued condemnations Oh, and then there’s this item: The matter of the — not against Shea, but against Wilcox, arguing he’d elected state representative who was accused in an indedenied the representative his due process rights. pendent investigation of taking part in In Spokane, a number of local Repuban act of “domestic terrorism.” lican precinct committee officers were urgLETTERS The Spokane GOP had a binary ing the Spokane County Republican Party Send comments to choice to make: Were they with Washto do the same, passing around a proposed editor@inlander.com. ington state Rep. Matt Shea or against resolution calling the investigation “highly him? biased and demonstrably inaccurate” and Ultimately, they chose option C. claiming that Wilcox “effectively denied Representative The investigation into whether Shea, a Republican Shea the right to rebut the investigation’s findings and state rep from Spokane Valley, promoted or participated conclusions.” in political violence made international news when it But when it came time for the board to debate, the concluded that “Representative Shea presents a present audience members — including the Inlander reporter and growing threat of risk to others through political covering the event — were kicked out of the room for an violence,” in particular citing Shea’s alleged involvement “executive session.” Instead, the GOP debated the issue in the 2017 Malheur National Wildlife Refuge standoff. for nearly two hours behind closed doors.

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Ten days later, on Jan. 17, the Spokane County Republican Party quietly puts out a statement on Facebook in response to the Shea controversy, with the not-particularly-sensational title, “A Statement from the Spokane County Republican Party.”

“We didn’t even want to put Matt Shea’s name in it,” says Dan Daines, the Spokane GOP state committeeman.

“We want to talk about, ‘Here are the things we don’t believe in; here are the things we believe in.’”

The statement lays out a series of principles: On the one hand, the Spokane GOP “categorically rejects any attempts to use violence, coercion, or intimidation.”

On the other, the party condemns “attempts to broadly label active citizen groups as terrorist or the making of defamatory aspersions without evidence” and argues that “inflammatory public statements to the press and media do not constitute either fairness or due process.”

“As far as Matt Shea’s concerned, we’re not the judge of what happened, the voters will have to be,” Daines says.

For nearly a decade, the Spokane GOP has been divided by controversies about Shea. Time and again, Republican leaders have tried unsuccessfully to heal the party rift represented by the divide between Shea and

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DANIEL WALTERS PHOTO

Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich — each of whom has portrayed the other as dangerous.

And, in a way, the statement has united the two sides of the Shea debate, each of which accuses the statement of being mealymouthed.

“It was about as spineless as a jellyfish,” says Jay Pounder, a former Shea ally who was one of the biggest sources for the independent Rampart report linking Shea to terrorism. “It had about as much bite as a bowl of vanilla pudding.”

The view from Shea supporters was similarly savage.

“This is embarrassing,” writes Shea supporter Jaclyn Gallion on Facebook. “Was the Spokane GOP drunk when they wrote this?? What are they even trying to say?”

But Daines suggests the Spokane GOP is big enough to include both those who love Shea and condemn him.

“The party’s a big tent,” Daines says. “He has a lot of supporters and he has people who are not in support of him. ... The voters in the 4th [legislative district] are the ones who have to decide.” n

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NEWS | SPOKANE VALLEY

New Crew Spokane Valley’s new mayor and new majority on the City Council aim to set a more moderate and inclusive tone

BY JOSH KELETY

S

pokane Valley isn’t exactly known for political moderation. If anything, it’s known for the opposite.

Its elected city officials have flirted with the idea of splitting off Eastern Washington from the rest of the state and publicly opposed allowing transgender people to use their preferred bathrooms. Then there’s Rep. Matt Shea, a longstanding Republican Spokane Valley state lawmaker who was recently accused of engaging in “domestic terrorism,” according to a damning investigation.

So it was unusual when an established local lefty organizer testified before the Spokane Valley City Council at a Jan. 14 meeting, lauding its new leadership.

“I just wanted to say how pleased I am that we have new leadership and how excited I am to see the changes that will be coming forward,” said Jeff Beaulac, an organizer with the local criminal justice reform group I Did the Time and former campaign manager for Christopher Jackson, a left-leaning candidate who ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Spokane Valley City Council in 2017.

The “new leadership” that Beaulac was referring to was Spokane Valley’s new mayor, Ben Wick, and a new voting majority on the council — a result of last November’s election — that some consider more moderate and pragmatic than the previous majority. And while the changing of the guard likely won’t result in dramatic new policy changes, the new leadership is signaling that they aim to be more collaborative and inclusive than their predecessors.

“Some of the leadership in the past wasn’t as collaborative and that’s something we’re trying to change,” says Brandi Peetz, a Spokane Valley councilwoman and newly appointed deputy mayor. “I think this majority is going to work with other people.”

Dean Grafos, a former Spokane Valley mayor, agrees: “I think it’s going to go from the extreme to a common sense, middle-of-the road-type government.”

Currently, the council is stacked four to three in favor of the “moderates.” Wick, 37, was nominated to be mayor at a Jan. 7 council meeting and was unanimously approved, with the exception of Mayor Rod Higgins, who declined to vote. Similarly, most of the council approved Councilwoman Peetz, 33, as deputy mayor; Higgins and Woodard were the exceptions. Wick, the new mayor, was first elected to the City Council in 2011. He lost a re-election bid in 2015, only to go on to win another seat in 2017.

The 2019 election set the current power balance in motion: Peetz fended off a challenge from Michelle Rasmussen, a former assistant to the city manager.

Similarly, Tim Hattenburg, who has run for elected office as a Democrat before, won his race. But it wasn’t a total sweep. Arne Woodard, a longstanding hard conservative council member who made up the previous majority, won his re-election bid in last year’s election.

Both Hattenburg and Peetz were endorsed by Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, while Rasmussen, Tucker and Woodard were all backed by Shea. (All of Shea’s preferred candidates told the Inlander previously that they never sought his endorsement.) And in Spokane

20 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

Ben Wick, Spokane Valley’s new mayor, is the publisher of two community newspapers and works as an IT manager for Spokane Industries.

Valley politics, endorsements from both Shea and Knezovich are a decent measure of just how right-leaning a given candidate is.

The new majority is hesitant about giving itself political labels. Wick says that while the current council “probably got less conservative,” he would still put his majority “on the conservative side of things.”

But Woodard calls them “phony conservatives” who have “all gone far left now.”

“They lied. They were sold as conservatives, but they are not,” he says. “We have a progressive [council], not moderate. Everyone wants to say moderate.”

S

ome critics argue the previous council majority, which was led by Higgins, peddled in controversial conservative ideas and had little tolerance for dis-

sent.

“The past administration created an atmosphere of ‘we don’t want to hear from you unless you like everything we’re saying,’” says Diana Wilhite, a former Spokane Valley mayor who has run for office as a Republican. “It made for a very uncomfortable atmosphere in City Council chambers and people didn’t want to come.”

For instance, Higgins abruptly removed Wick from his posts on the Spokane Regional Transportation Council Board and the council’s Finance Committee. Wick says that he still doesn’t “fully know what the LETTERS cause was” for his Send comments to removal. editor@inlander.com.

Fast forward to this last year: In August, Higgins instituted a controversial policy for public comment at council meetings that revoked testimony entirely if anyone went over their three-minute time allotment.

(The move came after a man went beyond his three minutes while asking the council to take a stand on Shea and his ideas.) The former mayor also vigorously opposed a racial equity proposal pushed by Councilwoman Linda Thompson over the summer. (Higgins did not respond to multiple requests for comment.)

Wick says that one of his priorities for the new year is revisiting the council’s public comment policy.

“We, as elected officials in the city of Spokane Valley, represent the citizens. And we want to hear from them,” he says.

I

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

n Spokane Valley’s council-manager form of government, the mayor primarily runs meetings and makes appointments to council committees and regional boards.

Many point to Wick’s recent committee appointments, in which every council member has at least two assignments, as evidence of another way that he is operating as a fair operator. Previously, only a handful of council members had a disproportionate number of committee and board positions.

Thompson says she thought the assignments were an effort to sideline the minority.

“It was very frustrating to watch. One person had seven committees and one person had none, or one that met once a year. I think that isn’t utilizing the skills and talents we have,” she says.

Even Woodard agrees with the new majority that Wick was fair with his committee assignments: “To be honest, he did a really equitable job in committee assignments.”

Beaulac points to the fact that Wick, who has served as a Republican precinct committee officer, met recently with the Valley Indivisible Progressives, a liberal group, as evidence that he is more inclusive than his predecessor, Higgins.

“He’s very open, doesn’t have an ax to grind, and he tries to answer all the questions with the knowledge that he does have,” says Timothy Lape, founder of Valley Indivisible Progressives. “Rod has never shown up.”

On policy, Wick says it’s unlikely the new council will push any radical changes. He says he and the new majority intend to continue Spokane Valley’s position of fiscal conservatism. That doesn’t mean, however, that he’s opposed to looking at new initiatives to address pressing issues, such as using a new program approved by the Legislature last year that allows cities and counties to access a portion of state sales tax revenue to help finance affordable housing. Additionally, he’s interested in using surplus tax revenues that the previous majority stashed away to pay for road maintenance.

“We have less than 100 employees for the entire city.

I don’t foresee us running out to change that,” he says. “I think we buy in very strongly to that philosophy of utilizing the private enterprise wherever possible and keeping the overhead of our city down low.” n joshk@inlander.com

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JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 21

LAND RUSH

22 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

As Kootenai County grows, can it preserve what makes it attractive in the first place?

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

D

avid Callahan doesn’t come off as a guy who gets easily rattled.

It’s a good quality to have as the government official charged with overseeing development in Kootenai County, one of the fastest-growing areas in the country and a place that also happens to be famously anti-government. Whether he’s fielding complaints from citizens or chatting with elected leaders, Callahan looks unbothered. He stands taller than most. He speaks easily, with a slow Texas drawl that makes him sound a lot like Dr. Phil. His approach to land-use planning is beautiful in its simplicity: “We may disagree on what our gods demand of us, but we can still agree on where to put the stop sign.”

The thing that keeps him up at night? The sense that Kootenai County is soon going to reach a tipping point.

Idaho is growing faster than any state in the nation, and Kootenai County is growing at an even higher rate than the state as a whole. The county added roughly 26,000 people from 2008 through 2018, according to the Idaho Department of Labor. That’s a 19.1 percent increase, more than double the national rate.

Much of that growth has taken place in Coeur d’Alene, the largest city in the county with a population of roughly 53,000. Even more of it took place in Post Falls, which is projected to take over as the county’s largest city sometime this decade and reach 100,000 people by 2040 if the trend continues. But it’s also spilled Post Falls is on track to overtake into the unincorporated Coeur d’Alene as the largest city parts of the county, creepin Kootenai County sometime ing north up the Rathdrum in this decade. By 2040, it could Prairie in the form of what surpass 100,000. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO Callahan says are almost exclusively new singlefamily homes. And they’re often homes for people moving to North Idaho to escape congestion, to absorb the beauty of the lakes and the mountains and surround themselves with like-minded conservatives.

And with that comes a whole set of new problems to solve for a community planner like Callahan. Traffic congestion frustrates drivers. Questions about the availability of water bubble up. Residents resist growth, wanting to preserve the way things used to be, while others encourage it on the principle that the government shouldn’t

interfere in any way. And then, of course, there are still others who believe any government land-use plan is part of a global conspiracy.

It may have a distinct Idaho flavor, but it’s a story that Callahan, who grew up in Texas and was a city planner in Colorado, has seen before. Soon, the community will need to make difficult decisions. How will the county pay for the transportation improvements that are estimated to cost nearly $1 billion in the next 20 years just to keep traffic the way it is today? And at what point, Callahan asks, will the community think about rejecting sprawl and shifting growth into the cities, which are better equipped to handle it?

“As a community, we’ve got to come to grips with the fact that we are growing,” he says. “If we don’t do something now in the way of good planning practice, it will only be a matter of time before the thing that attracts people to the area is ruined.”

BOILING OVER

Tony Ambrosetti has lived in Kootenai County for more than 25 years. For most of that time, he’s lived in Pleasant View, an area of secluded fancy homes in the hills southwest of Post Falls, since retiring from the military.

He enjoys his chunk of property near the top of a hill surrounded by a thicket of trees. But in recent years, he and his Pleasant View neighbors have noticed a change. It’s not just that more people are discovering the area, buying property and subdividing the land. It’s that, simultaneously, their private water wells are starting to dry up.

The problem is they have to prove it. In the last year and a half, Ambrosetti and a group of a dozen people set out to understand the extent of the issue by surveying homeowners with private wells. He spoke to people who had to ration their water or haul it in on trucks. Last year, they asked Kootenai County Commissioners to consider a moratorium on subdivisions, until more was known about the water availability in the area. It took two meetings for all the neighbors to make their case, filling the room in their faded blue jeans, camouflage coats and cowboy hats. Ambrosetti, with his thick black mustache, shared a PowerPoint presentation earlier this month in which he revealed that 58 percent of the 76 neighbors surveyed either had dry wells or saw some decrease in the water available to use in their homes. It’s not a scientific study, Ambrosetti admits, but he argues

it should be enough for the county to put a hold on subdivisions in order to conduct a more scientific analysis of the water.

“We submit that the overall situation of Pleasant View residents takes precedence over individuals to subdivide,” Ambrosetti says.

These are the kind of issues Kootenai County is bound to run into. County commissioners are hosting more of these contentious meetings, with packed rooms divided over whether to support a particular development or prevent others. In December, for instance, a proposal to change the zoning code to allow a commercial project on Lake Coeur d’Alene’s Wolf Lodge Bay drew plenty of controversy before it was discovered that the property already had David Callahan, Kootenai County’s a commercial designation Community Development director and the public comment was for nothing. While some residents will be resistant to growth in the unincorporated county no matter what, there are often real questions — mostly about resources available and traffic — to be answered. And some of that conflict is driven by the type of person moving to the area and what they’re looking for.

“The people who are moving here are mostly retirees.

They spent their life in California or Colorado or Texas, they now have a million dollars after selling their home and they can build a half-million-dollar home here that’s twice the size,” Callahan says.

The stats suggest he’s on the right track: Of the roughly 80,000 people who moved to Idaho in 2018, more than a one-quarter came from California, and about 18 percent came from Washington, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Kootenai County added 15,000 people from 2015 to 2019, and two out of every five of those people were age 65 and older, says Sam Wolkenhauer, a regional economist for the Idaho Department of Labor.

As housing prices rise, so is the population’s median age and median income. ...continued on next page

JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 23

IDAHO

“LAND RUSH,” CONTINUED...

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24 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

In the unincorporated areas of the county, that means an influx of homes built on 5-acre lots following no particular pattern as to where they’re built, Callahan says. In 2019, the county approved 66 minor subdivisions, consisting of four or fewer lots, which is almost double what was approved the year prior. Besides Pleasant View, a few residents have complained that their private wells are running dry if not connected to the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.

But for Callahan, transportation is a bigger concern. Almost all of the county’s transportation is tied to single-family homes, and eventually “systems start to get overloaded,” Callahan says.

The average commute time for a worker in Kootenai County has shot up in the last several years, census data shows. People aren’t happy with the traffic now, Callahan says, and the estimated nearly $1 billion to maintain that level of service in the next 20 years means the county will need to “get creative” to find ways to meet that need.

One way to meet that need could be building where infrastructure is already in place. From an urban planning perspective, it’s easier, more sustainable and often cheaper to make transportation improvements when the growth is compact in urban areas, rather than spread out, says Alexandra Monjar, district council manager for the Urban Land Institute of Idaho. More density also is the best way to preserve the green space in North Idaho that everyone loves, she says.

But those principles, to some North Idaho

conspiracy theorists, sound a lot like Agenda 21, a decades-old voluntary action plan of the United Nations offering suggestions for sustainable development. The conspiracists are threatened by government land-use planning, seeing it as a plot to force them into cities and away from their rural way of life. Kootenai County Commissioner Bill Brooks says this idea is prevalent enough that when they interview people for the planning advisory board, he asks each one if they’ve ever heard of Agenda 21 as a way to determine if they believe in the conspiracy surrounding it.

“They’re chihuahuas with megaphones,” Brooks says. “I reject that kind of thinking totally.”

Still, Brooks has a background in real estate, and he’s a big proponent of growth as long as it’s guided and managed. He has a distaste for those who moved to the area and want to “freeze time,” so no one else can enjoy it.

So when an issue comes up like the Pleasant View neighbors claiming they’re running out of water, Brooks is in an interesting position. He hears arguments during public comment that this moratorium request on new subdivisions was a thinly veiled attempt to prevent others from enjoying the area. Others say it would be government overreach, setting a new precedent for property owners in the county. Still, initially, Brooks was in favor of the moratorium in order to prevent a possible situation where more people run out of water. But a week later, when the

commission took a vote, Brooks voted against it, feeling that the evidence presented was only anecdotal. The moratorium failed. Those who wish to subdivide only need to “demonstrate the likelihood” that new or existing wells provide sufficient water without impacting neighbors, and in some cases will need to do a hydrogeological analysis.

But Pleasant View neighbors like Ambrosetti were frustrated.

“I’m not trying to deny people what I have,” Ambrosetti says. “But we’re already behind the curve. We do not have a handle on the situation.”

UPWARD LIMITS

When Ron Jacobson moved to Post Falls with his wife in 1982, it was a small town of some 6,000 people where housing was cheap. Today, Jacobson is the mayor of the city, which is home to roughly 35,000 people. He’s told that number could triple in the next 20 years.

“I’m hoping that’s wrong,” Jacobson says.

Still, it’s something the city is planning for.

No city in North Idaho is growing like Post Falls is. As Coeur d’Alene runs out of space, Post Falls has plenty. The days of it being a bedroom community for Spokane and Coeur d’Alene seem to be numbered. Last year, Post Falls saw an explosion of new housing permits: 587 permits for new single-family residential units, which is more than double the count just five years earlier.

Also last year, the number of new multifamily

units matched that of single-family, which hadn’t happened in years prior.

Post Falls Community Development Director Bob Seale sees this as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity not only to decide what kind of city Post Falls wants to be, but also to take some Coeur d’Alene has mostly of the pressure off the run out of space to grow surrounding county. out, so it’s growing up.

“Watching singleERICK DOXEY PHOTO family subdivisions sprawling across the prairie, and farmlands slowly disappearing, I kind of look at it and I want to see a mixture of housing types … with potentially higher density than single-family homes.”

Higher density in the city will ensure the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer is protected, he says, since the city treats its wastewater before sending it back to the aquifer. He also echoes Callahan’s argument that it’s easier to plan for transportation in the city. And then, Seale says, there’s the simple fact that not everybody wants to own their own home. Maybe they want an apartment or condo so they don’t have to take care of a yard.

That’s easily where Seale sees the most pushback.

“The biggest pushback we get is on development projects that are strictly multifamily projects,” Seale says.

That’s why he’s looking at other regulations that encourage mixed developments. The city is in the process of updating its master plan, which was last updated in the mid-2000s. It includes plans to update zoning regulations to encourage taller, denser and more mixed housing types in certain areas. The city is also looking to create a new urban renewal district for downtown.

“We’re trying to balance the rights of those who live here now with the rights of those who want to live here, or those who want to develop their land so that others can come into the area,” Seale says.

Jacobson has mixed feelings about how the city is growing. He’d be happy if Post Falls stayed the way it is now, even if he knows that’s not possible. At times, his philosophy on growth differs from his own community planning department.

He’s more resistant to density in the city, specifically the “sheer number” of multifamily housing units coming in, though he finds himself reminding people that apartments don’t automatically equate to more crime.

“The fact that people live in apartments doesn’t make them lawbreakers,” Jacobson says.

He’d personally like to see the new development tilt towards the commercial — more new breweries and restaurants close by, for instance.

As for the idea that housing density is needed in the city to preserve the prairie outside city limits, Jacobson is dubious.

“I don’t believe that’s going to preserve the prairie. You’re going to have higher density and they’re still going to develop on the prairie,” he says.

Either way, Seale says they’re not anticipating the steady growth in Post Falls to slow down.

And for Seale, it’s his job to implement a vision matching that of the mayor and City Council and, ultimately, the people.

“I’m trying to balance all of that,” Seale says.

“My opinion may be different than theirs, but in ...continued on next page

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IDAHO

Regional planners say concentrating development in cities could preserve county land. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

“LAND RUSH,” CONTINUED...

WILL IT STOP?

the end, I’m working to implement their vision.”

Meanwhile, nearby Coeur d’Alene is in the midst of similar North Idaho may be growing steadily, but it’s not exactly growing pains — though at a more advanced stage. As it’s run overflowing with people. Its estimated population of 161,000 is out of space to grow outward, it’s starting to grow upwards. That miniscule compared to, say, Orange County in California, which means developers have started to take advantage of a law on the packs more than 3 million people into less space. books allowing them to double the number of residences per acre Still, more steady growth is inevitable in Kootenai County. allowed, from 17 to 34. In Post Falls, the community is concerned Wolkenhauer, the regional labor economist, says it’s possible it with any multifamily development, says Coeur d’Alene city planmight slow down, but he’s projecting a steady 2.2 percent annual ner Hilary Anderson, who used to have the same job in Post Falls. growth going forward — with retirees making up a significant In Coeur d’Alene, they are more open to it, although the idea portion of that. of doubling the density of a project makes residents That means ideological clashes are on squeamish. the horizon. There will be more debates over LETTERS “Those have become quite controversial,” Anderwhether to allow a new subdivision in the Send comments to son says. county, or a new apartment complex in the city. editor@inlander.com.

Terry Godbout, the creator of a Facebook page There will be those who want the government called “We the People of CDA,” created a change. out of the way, and those who ask the governorg petition to prevent developers from using that law, known as ment to protect their resources.

“R34.” He argues there should be more planning before allowing That’s what Callahan means when he repeats that Kootenai hundreds of apartments to go up “without thought to the traffic County will soon be at a “tipping point.” at certain times of the day, the gridlock.” But in general, he knows “My real singular concern is that we don’t become polardensification is necessary in Coeur d’Alene. ized here over land use,” he says. “I would hope that we can see “It’s kind of like, instead of doing things differently as we beyond our differences in how government ought to operate to grow, we’re going to have to do things differently in areas we’ve come together and find solutions for good land use planning.” already grown to,” Godbout says.

In other words, agree on where to put the stop sign. n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wilson Criscione writes about education and social services in the Inland Northwest in addition to chronicling the transformation in North Idaho. Though he lives in Spokane, North Idaho has a special place in his heart. It’s where he got married, where he visits his family and where he spends his favorite days — any time he can get to the lake. You can reach him at 325-0634 ext. 282 or wilsonc@inlander.com.

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The Inlander’s Best of the Inland Northwest Readers Poll is back for its 27th year. Yep, we’re the original readers poll around here, celebrating all that’s awesome about living in the Spokane/ Coeur d’Alene (and beyond) area. For 2020 we’ve got a great mix of classic questions — everything from Best Local Brewery to Best Athlete — and new ones —

v r Su FOOD

y e

Best Ramen

like Best Veggie Burger and Best Pet Groomer.

We’ve also got special categories just for our readers in the Palouse and Sandpoint areas. Remember that this readers poll celebrates our LOCAL excellence, so please VOTE LOCAL. Got that?

LOCAL, LOCAL LOCAL! This paper ballot must be postmarked by February 3rd. Online balloting — at BestOf.Inlander.com — ends TUESDAY, FEB. 11.

People

SHOPPING Best Gifts

Best Activist/Activist Group Best Hotel

Best Pho

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Best Local YouTube/Internet Star Best Pet Boutique Best Radio DJ or Team Best Jewelry

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Best Cannabis Brand

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Best Touring Broadway Musical of 2019-20

Best Breakfast around Sandpoint

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Best Eggs Benedict

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The Palouse

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Best Brewery around the Palouse Best Burger around the Palouse

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to the neighborhood!

We want you to share with us the reason you love to visit or live in one of these parts of the Inland Northwest. It can be a restaurant, a park, a bar, a shop or any fun, unique attraction.

Best Reason to Visit/Hang Out in Midtown Coeur dAlene Best Reason to Visit/Hang Out in Post Falls Best Reason to Visit/Hang Out in Spokane Valley

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Best Beer Bar Best Local Distillery Best Local Cidery Best Craft Cocktails Best Margarita Best Mixologist (Name and Location)

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THEATER

SINISTER LAUGHS A dark farce with operetta-style music, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder isn’t your average Broadway hit musical.

BY E.J. IANNELLI

A

Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder is no place for those of weaker constitution and who may be faint of heart. It says as much in its opening song.

One reason why sensitive souls might be better off departing is that this particular musical features death.

Lots of it. A reverend. A rich playboy and his mistress. A beekeeper. A philanthropist. A bodybuilder. An actress.

All from the same aristocratic family. With so many funerals in quick succession, the song that opens the second act is compelled to ask, “Why Are All the D’Ysquiths Dying?”

The answer to that question, as audiences will already know, is Monty Navarro.

“With his mother’s death, Monty finds out that he’s a member of the D’Ysquith family. He’s eighth in line to the inheritance, so he goes about killing everyone off to get to the top,” says Troy Nickerson. Monty proves himself to be opportunistic and ruthless, and he rises —

along with the body count — with remarkable speed from a lowly clerk to landed gentry.

Nickerson is directing the local premiere of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder on the Spokane Civic Theatre’s main stage, which is frequently home to showstoppers with large casts and even larger dance routines.

Although A Gentleman’s Guide won multiple awards for best musical after it debuted in 2013, it’s not your stereotypical Broadway blockbuster. It’s also a very different beast from the last show Nickerson directed on the same stage, Mary Poppins.

“Poppins was just so much more about the dance and tap numbers and flying. This show is definitely more character-driven. It’s more stylized movements,” he says.

And the music of A Gentleman’s Guide is “almost an opera” in how it’s written and sung. Some of the ensemble numbers call for five-part harmonies.

“The closest thing I can compare the lyrics in this

show to is Stephen Sondheim, which is notoriously difficult as far as words and rhythms go,” says Joseph Hall, a recent bioengineering grad who’s been cast as charming, sinister Monty. “But it’s also somewhat like the [Gilbert and Sullivan] show The Pirates of Penzance. There’s a song that’s just continuous words, and it’s almost complete muscle memory to get through it.”

The songs aren’t the only tricky part. A Gentleman’s Guide involves nonstop costume changes because the entire D’Ysquith family is played by a single actor — in this case, Todd Kehne. There will be as many as six dressers backstage helping with his transformations into characters like Reverend Lord Ezekial D’Ysquith and Lady Salome D’Ysquith Pumphrey.

“It’s a crazy show,” Nickerson says. “There are only 11 people but, boy, those 11 people do a lot of things.

The ensemble has 11 costume changes each, and I think Todd plays seven characters. The show just moves. I mean, it’s this constant whirlwind. It has that definite farcical sense about it.”

As Monty is in life, so he is in love. He finds himself moving between earnest Phoebe D’Ysquith (Lexie Lucassen) and haughty Sibella Hallward, played by Emily Jones, who comes to this production just after having wrapped up Venus in Fur at Stage Left.

“Everything that Monty does is to some extent calculated,” Hall says. “At the same time, he is a person. He’s subject to his own whims and desires, and to that end he makes decisions that are to his own detriment. But there is a comedic irony in that the hand of fate tends to take those decisions away from him.” ...continued on next page

Monty Navarro (Joseph Hall, center) has to juggle love with two women and murder. A lot of murder. MARLEE ANDREWS PHOTO

JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 29

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THEATER “SINISTER LAUGHS,” CONTINUED...

And while the show’s cast is relatively small for a main-stage musical, the set is anything but.

“The set that our set builder Denny [Taylor] has made is magnificent,” Hall says. “It’s the largest set I’ve seen from one of our local community theaters in a very long time. One of the cool things about it is that it’s so close to the audience.

It’s really intimate. I do a lot of narration where I’m talking about the internal struggles that Monty is facing, and it’s more like a conversation with the audience.”

MORE EVENTS Visit Inlander.com for complete listings of local events.

“Because I have this big, two-level set, I’ve had to force myself as a director to come up with reasons to use all the places in it,” Nickerson adds. “So that’s actually ended up being really cool.

Finding those ways to use the set and use it well has been challenging but also forced me to be a little more creative.”

Between its elaborate set, rapid-fire costume changes, demanding music and sly humor, Nickerson says that A Gentleman’s Guide has given him, his cast and his production team ample opportunity to stretch their wings.

“It’s a uniquely told story. It’s high-energy and it’s really fun. Yet it’s still smart. Even in the ridiculousness of the situations, it still gives you time to make these people real and have actual moments to establish relationships,” he says.

“Really, there isn’t another show like this show,” Hall says. “The humor is so unique. It’s dark and it’s niche, but it’s endearing in that way.” n A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder • Jan. 24-Feb. 23; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm • $35 • Spokane Civic Theatre • 1020 N. Howard St. • spokanecivictheatre.com • 325-2507

30 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

CULTURE | DIGEST

SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE If you want to be the face of Evian water, all you really need is a thirst for success. That’s what Fyre Festival organizer Andy King had when he was ready to blow a guy in exchange for a shipment of Evian water. A year ago, in the Netflix documentary Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, King revealed his willingness to do so in order to save the festival. Now, Evian is releasing a special bottle with the slogan, “So good, you’d do anything for it.” (WILSON CRISCIONE)

Marvelous Mission

H

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

onestly, I didn’t think I’d ever watch all the Marvel Universe movies.

Even now, after Endgame, they’re planning to release more. I rarely go see movies as it is, and the two or three times a year I go, I’ve got embarrassingly hipster preferences for Wes Anderson films or epic period pieces like Dunkirk.

But when cold weather and a Disney+ subscription aligned this month, I figured I’d give Marvel a go. I didn’t think I’d binge them in less than three weekends, and I definitely didn’t think I’d cry, but here we are.

THE BUZZ BIN

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Some noteworthy new music hits online and in stores Jan. 24. To wit: WOLF PARADE, Thin Mind. Their second album since reforming for 2017’s Cry Cry Cry, and first since multi-instrumentalist Dante DeCaro left the band.

PET SHOP BOYS, Hotspot. Never would have thought these synth-poppers would still be kicking in 2020, but here they are.

DIRTY SHIRLEY, Dirty Shirley. Been wondering what Spokane native/metal guitar marvel George Lynch has been up to? Creating this very ’80srock-sounding trio, apparently. (DAN NAILEN)

It’s not like I didn’t like superhero movies before. I liked Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man circa 2002-07. (Why’d they need a new one in 2017?) I loved X-Men, and as a teenager, I appreciated the broody D.C. antiheroes in Constantine and Batman Begins. I’d even seen Iron Man and Black Panther, but until this month, it felt like a lot to learn dozens of new characters.

But as soon as I started watching in timeline order (as dictated by a Reddit meme), Captain America and Captain Marvel successfully sucked me into the 22-movie adventure. Between Disney+, Netflix, and prior knowledge of major characters like the Hulk and Spider-Man, I made it through to Avengers: Endgame.

My way-behind-the-game takeaways.

1. Captain America is too pure for this world.

2. Thor is a giant douche until his third appearance.

Then you love him. Then they go too far and give him a dad bod for “laughs” and sympathy, and I’m not here for it. His brother Loki the trickster, on the other hand, is pretty perfectly balanced, repeatedly gaining your trust, then betraying it, as you know he will.

3. I didn’t realize Iron Man was kind of the biggest deal of them all. As a science lover, I appreciated that his genius helps the team match mystical, other-worldly forces.

4. Ant-Man sounds really dumb, but his abilities to go both big and subatomically small were actually cool.

5. Why did no one tell me Doctor Strange was an awesome, Inception-style cityscape-bending movie?

6. Lastly, when it comes to the Avengers movies, you really will laugh and cry. Despite living in a universe full of “ability”-man heroes, female heroes shine, too. You experience the real anguish and fear as the heroes face impossible odds to save the universe.

Some will sacrifice everything. But you walk away with the uniting feeling superheroes are meant to give us: If good people band together to root out evil, love and kindness prevail. n

RANGER DANGER! I don’t know what dark corner of the internet led me to rangerstranger.com, nevertheless I recently found myself a student of Ranger Garland Woodburn, absorbing his bizarre and unholy wisdom. Imagine the unhinged humor of Ren & Stimpy mixed with the violence of Metalocalypse all in the scenic Hackaneck National Park, and you get Ranger Stranger, a regularly updated webcomic. You will learn to love nature. Or else. (Also found on Instagram at @rangerstrangercomic.) (QUINN WELSCH)

BIG PROPS FOR A LITTLE SPACE USA Today gave Spokane’s Marmot Art Space some love in a recent article about finding cool art in unexpected places. Among a list of 10 “do-it-yourself type spaces, curator Jason Andrew said the diminutive Kendall Yards spot “has a polished vibe,” and is “a little more sophisticated” than some of the more rustic spots on the list. (DAN NAILEN)

GARTER BELTS, VEILS AND BLOOD The hilarious “elder millennial” comedian Iliza Shlesinger is back with Unveiled on Netflix, and the special is all about the wacky world of wedding traditions. You’ll laugh as she rips into the ultra bizarre — like who the hell came up with the weird garter belt thing where the husband removes the belt from your thigh with his teeth in front of your whole family? — while respecting that for weddings, it should be “to each their own.” As usual, she blends edgy feminist humor with physically hilarious acting and sound effects to get her points across. Throw this on next time you need a laugh. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 31

CULTURE | COMEDY

Storyteller By Default Bill Engvall’s had a long road of success since well before Blue Collar Comedy stardom

BY DAN NAILEN

I

t’s hard to believe, but 2020 marks 20 years since the first Blue Collar Comedy Tour barnstormed the country, making household names of Bill Engvall, Ron White, Larry the Cable Guy and ringleader Jeff Foxworthy.

The success of the tour and its followups over the next six years — and affiliated movies and TV specials — proved that Americans beyond the South would go for the quartet’s “good ’ol boy” comedic stylings in much the same way they went for NASCAR and Popeye’s chicken.

“It put me on the map,” Engvall, 62, says now, calling the Inlander from a Southern California golf course. “It made me a household word. And just imagine being on the road with your three best friends, they’re paying you stupid money and you’re selling out arenas. And I did not let one minute go by that I didn’t appreciate it.”

At the same time, while his newfound stardom opened a lot of new career doors 25 years into doing stand-up comedy, being so strongly associated with the Blue Collar tour “was also a curse.”

“Hollywood has no imagination,” Engvall says, “so they just assumed that because we were on the Blue Collar thing, all we could do was redneck stuff. And I’m a very good actor, and I was probably the least redneck of all of us.”

That’s certainly apparent in Engvall’s comedy. Sure, he’s got a trace of twang in his voice from his Texas upbringing, but his act relies more on life with his family and storytelling than set-ups like Foxworthy’s “you might be a redneck if” schtick. His style earned Engvall the Best Male StandUp prize at the American Comedy Awards a full eight years before he hit the Blue Collar road. On Saturday, he’ll headline a show at the Coeur d’Alene Casino.

E

ngvall got his start in Dallas when he was a not-great college student who dropped out when he discovered “women and beer.” He worked as a deejay at a nightclub and the owners opened a comedy club down the street. Having grown up in a house where his father played Bob Newhart and Bill Cosby comedy albums, Engvall kind of figures comedy was “in his blood” thanks to his dad being funny himself.

One night Engvall and some buddies wandered down to the new comedy club where “we figured we’d go to amateur night and watch people suck it up.”

“After a couple rounds of liquid encouragement went through us, they talked

32 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

me into getting up on stage because I was always the guy [saying] ‘I’ll try anything,’” Engvall says. “And I started talking about being a deejay, and people were laughing!

I remember thinking, ‘This is really cool.’ I never thought you could do it for a living.”

That was the start of now more than four decades of making people laugh, but the seeds of his style were right there at the beginning. Telling stories about his life earned him bigger laughs than a typical set-up-punchline approach, and he’s been honing that style ever since, even though through the years he’d occasionally try to keep up with other comedians who worked in a more rapid-fire way than his longer stories.

“I finally have gotten smart enough or old enough to realize that ‘laugh every 15 seconds’ [style] was wearing me out,” Engvall says. “I finally just embraced being a storyteller and the shows have been so much more enjoyable.”

At this point, Engvall has pretty much checked off every box in a comic’s to-do list. He’s been headlining for years. He wrote an autobiography. He had a sitcom with his name in the title.

He’s hosted a podcast. Considering what’s next, Engvall says, isn’t easy.

“I say this with humility, but I’ve achieved every goal I set in front of me,” Engvall says. “I was just telling a friend yesterday, I don’t know what the next goal is — unless it’s Bill Engvall On Ice, and I don’t think anybody wants to see that. I’m actually at a point in my life where I don’t know what’s next.”

Is that exciting or scary?

“Both.” n Bill Engvall • Sat, Jan. 25 at 7 pm • $40-$60 • 18+ • Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel • 37914 S. Nukwalqw Rd., Worley, Idaho • cdacasino.com

ROUNDUP

Bloody Good

Build your own mary at 1898 Public House.

COURTESY PHOTO

Go big or go home at your next brunch outing with these seven bloody mary concoctions

BY INLANDER STAFF

W

hether you’re brunching with friends, nursing a night of overindulgence, or just really love mixing vodka, tomato juice, spices, pickled veggies and various other toppings, these locally created bloody marys should do the trick.

DOCKSIDE

115 S. Second St., Coeur d’Alene What we got: Bloody Boss, $35 This colossal drink is what happens when a bloody mary gets hungry. At 64 ounces, it’s served in a fishbowl-sized glass with no less than four skewers, not of greenery, but of gooey, grilled and savory goodies, like a sausage link, grilled cheese sandwich and ham slider. Crispy bacon peeks out from underneath the smorgasboard, which also includes shrimp, pickled asparagus and olives. The restaurant at the Coeur d’Alene Resort sells around 10-15 of these behemoths a week, says the resort’s Amy VanSickle. Whether it’s the vodka or the coma-inducing carbs, this drink might also have you considering making your trip to Dockside an impromptu overnighter.

(CARRIE SCOZZARO)

1898 PUBLIC HOUSE

2010 Waikiki Rd. What we got: Build-your-own Bloody Mary, $14 If you’ve been sleeping on 1898 Public House because it’s “too far” in its North Spokane location at the former Spokane Country Club, it’s time to get over it because you’re missing out on one of the best breakfasts in town, not to mention one excellent build-your-own bloody mary bar. The bar brings you a glass with a well vodka, and you go to town on a table full of tantalizing options, from the requisite asparagus spears and olives to the more exotic additions (grilled shrimp and house-cured candied bacon? Yes, please!). The house bloody mary mix is none too shabby, either. Drink that bad boy alongside a smoked brisket omelet or a smoked salmon omelet and your day is off to a great start. (DAN NAILEN)

INCREDIBURGER & EGGS

909 W. First Ave. What we got: Incredi-Mary, $6 It goes without saying that the burgers at Incrediburger are the star attraction, but the “beverages” section on their menu is hardly anything to sniff at. From boozy milkshakes to fruity mimosas, the downtown hangout puts a nice spin on breakfast drinks and classic diner staples. Their bloody mary, appropriately called the Incredi-Mary, is a delicious take on the Sunday brunch concoction: Served in a salt- and spice-rimmed pint glass and garnished with a dill pickle spear, a green olive and a slice of lime, it makes for an herby, slightly sweet, slightly spicy sip. Pair it, as I did, with their fried chicken sandwich, and presto — goodbye, hangover!

(NATHAN WEINBENDER)

PRESS

909 S. Grand Blvd.

What we got: Bloody Mary, $8 People love, love, love the Press bloody mary scene; it won the Inlander’s Best of the Inland Northwest poll for bloodys way back in 2014, and it’s been serving ’em up on weekends since long before that. After a brief pause, we’re happy to report the build-your-own action at the lower South Hill spot is back every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am-3 pm, and delicious as ever. Myriad hot sauces, horseradish options and flavor additions await after you choose either the spicy or standard mix and your vodka or gin. You’ll want your veggies, of course, and Press has them waiting for you — along with bacon from Remedy that really pulls the whole beverage together. (DAN NAILEN) ...continued on next page

JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 33

FOOD | ROUNDUP

ALSO TRY:

“BLOODY GOOD,” CONTINUED...

TEN/6

726 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene What we got: Bloody Red Gator, $9 Ten/6 doesn’t have a hard liquor license, so their version of a bloody mary is an innovative spin on their Louisiana-inspired menu. To their spicy, house-made mary mix they add dry, filtered sake for the beginnings of the Bloody Red Gator. The garden-y garnishes include lemon, lime, green olive, pickled okra, a house-made pickle, pepperoncini, celery, house-made andouille sausage and a mess o’ fried sweet onions. It’s topped with Red Gator mix for an added kick, y’all. Pair the Gator with Ten/6’s NOLA red beans and rice or the “Jazz Kitchen” hash with ham and collards and you’re set for the day. (CARRIE SCOZZARO)

BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE

24 W. Main Ave. What we got: Bloody Mary, $9 Boots Bakery isn’t the first place I think of when I consider bloody marys, but I was told they mix a good one, so I had to investigate. The Boots bloody has a sweeter, juicier taste than I’m used to in my bloodys, thanks to a base of “Very Veggie” organic tomato juice from R.W. Knudsen. The spicy kick is still there though, via wasabi powder and their house-made Worcestershire. It’s served in a tall glass and garnished with lemon, asparagus, pickle and olive (sorry, no oversized veggie burger on top). While Boots isn’t an ideal hangout for, say, watching the Super Bowl (no TVs), it is for reading a book whilst munching some vegan snacks. (QUINN WELSCH)

BOOMBOX PIZZA

221 N. Division St. What we got: There’s Something About Mary, $17 Boombox Pizza doesn’t mess around with its mary. The drink — voted the best in the region by Inlander readers in 2019’s Best Of poll — comes with a full slice of pepperoni pizza, a

Boombox Pizza’s mary monstrosity.

DEREK HARRISON PHOTO

skewer of Canadian bacon, pepperoni and salami; pickled asparagus, green beans, olives, celery and a sausage stick. That’s all on top of 32 ounces of blood-red liquid, containing two shots of vodka and the bar’s house bloody mix. The bartenders’ trick for making sure all that hot pizza cheese doesn’t slide into your drink is chilling hot slices for a minute or two before skewering it through the crust to become the pièce de résistance of this spectacularly over-the-top concoction. (CHEY SCOTT) n

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FOOD | OPENING

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Social Snacking The new Barnwood Social Kitchen & Tavern opens in Hillyard, offering burgers, beer and friendly neighborhood vibes

BY CHEY SCOTT

“B

eers, burgers, good times” is the tagline of Barnwood Social Kitchen & Tavern, the newest restaurant and bar from local restaurateurs Matt Goodwin and Jordan Tampien.

The spacious pub on a busy stretch of Market Street in East Spokane opened earlier this month, serving — as its motto suggests — laid back neighborhood vibes, drinks and eats similar to Goodwin’s Backyard Public House in West Central Spokane. (And yes, there’s barnwood on the walls.)

“The idea came from the Backyard project, where we found an underutilized space in an upand-coming, emerging area,” Goodwin explains. “[Barnwood] has a lot of the same qualities as Backyard in layout and design, and in kitchen and menu development. We thought we could strike lightning in a bottle twice, and help do in Hillyard what we did in West Central.”

The building most recently was home of the Thirsty Dog Saloon, and before had a long run as Whiskey Dick’s Pub. The new ownership duo did some light renovations, added more TVs for watching sports and plan to add a patio come spring. While the former establishments were 21-and-up, Barnwood’s main dining room is family-friendly until 9 pm. A rail separates the original horseshoe-shaped bar from all-ages seating.

“In talking to people in the neighborhood, [the bar] was their favorite part of the place and so we kept that the same, and it’s been a big hit,” Goodwin says.

Indulge in Barnwood’s mac and cheese egg rolls.

HECTOR AIZON PHOTO

Barnwood’s menu offers several burgers, along with sandwiches and wraps. Shareable appetizers, a few desserts, a kids menu, salads and the “Big Eats” entree section — mac and cheese, steak, lentil chili, fish and chips, and more — make up the rest of the menu.

Among its five burgers, the restaurant is making its own lentil patty for the vegetarian No Moo burger ($12.50). Diners abstaining from meat can swap that in for $4 extra onto any other burger, like the eponymous Barnwood Burner ($15.25), a one-third-pound beef patty topped with crispy onion strings, pepper jack, bacon, jalapenos and house-made garlic aioli.

Other handhelds include the grilled steak wrap ($13.25), fish tacos (three for $13.25), Philly cheesesteak ($13.25) and more. From the “snacks” section there’s pretzel bites ($9.25), finger steaks ($10.25) — breaded steak strips with horseradish aioli and balsamic reduction for dipping — and the indulgently delicious mac and cheese egg rolls ($7.25), served with a side of Sriracha ranch. Go all out and order deep-fried Oreos ($8.25) for dessert.

While similar in menu structure to sister restaurant the Backyard, Goodwin says the team collaborated to give Barnwood a culinary identity separate from the other eateries in his restaurant group. Those other restaurants, which he either owns solely or with partners, include Press, Remedy, Fast Eddies, Brick West Brewing Co., Volstead Act and Backyard.

Starting in February, Barnwood is kicking off its weekly social events: trivia on Wednesdays and bingo on Thursdays. Taco Tuesday and a Monday night burger special, similar to Backyard’s and running from 5 pm to close, are also part of the weekly rotation. Weekend brunch service is set to start in March.

Barnwood is also participating in Inlander Restaurant Week, Feb. 20-29, offering three courses for $22, including some of its regular menu staples.

“We’re really excited to be a part of the [Hillyard] neighborhood, with the North-South Freeway and other businesses moving in, all playing a part in helping the neighborhood become bigger and better than it already is,” Goodwin says. n cheys@inlander.com Barnwood Social Kitchen & Tavern • 3027 E. Liberty Ave. • Open Sun-Wed 11 am-midnight, Thu-Sat 11 am-1 am • facebook.com/ barnwoodsocial • 315-9855

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JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 35

PRETTY GOOD FELLAS Guy Ritchie returns to the London underworld with The Gentlemen, a genial, meta crime comedy

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

O

nce upon a time, in my review of 2008’s RocknRolla, I said that “Guy Ritchie would surprise us if he surprised us.” I was alluding to his then-seeming dedication to telling blackly comedic stories about modern-day London criminals. Clearly, though, this was not a steadfast dedication, given his subsequent attempts to turn a towering figure of myth into a Londinium street rat in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and his inexplicable (though perhaps blessed) lack of an attempt to deal with Aladdin as the street rat he has always been in the director’s live-action remake of the cartoon musical.

All of which is to say: Ritchie is back on the beat of modern-day London criminals with his latest, The Gentlemen. And not only is this a downright relief — surprises are sometimes overrated — but as Ritchie ups his game with the subgenre here, the result is a hilariously sublime example of the crime comedy as a mirror on the legit world, full of sufficiently advanced crime and criminals barely indistinguishable from legitimate business and entrepreneurs, and oozing with crackling cynicism about culture and politics at large.

Oh, and the movies themselves come in for a snarky smackdown. Laugh until you cry, film nerds!

Behold the ultimate unreliable narrator: oily, disgusting London journalist Fletcher, as gloriously embodied by Hugh Grant.

36 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

The Gentlemen is all about him trying to extort a boatload of cash from drug dealer and American abroad Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey), via his lieutenant and British lackey, Ray (Charlie Hunnam). It seems that a London tabloid has hired Fletcher to dig up dirt on Mickey, which Fletcher has accomplished — and then some! — but Fletcher is willing to hand it all over to Mickey and company in exchange for a very reasonable eight-figure honorarium.

And so The Gentlemen is nothing more and nothing less than Fletcher relating to Ray all the dirt he has on Mickey’s business, in feloniously delightful narrative form. But that means we THE GENTLEMEN never know which bits of it we should accept as acRated R curate and which bits are Directed by Guy Ritchie arrant nonsense whipped Starring Matthew McConaughey, up to sell newspapers and Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding generate online clicks (or, indeed, to beef up a movie). For Fletcher also has, at the ready, a screenplay about Mickey’s extralegal exploits, also available for sale to the highest bidder.

Is anything Fletcher relates — to Ray or to us — actually “true”? Or is it just fodder for the morons listening and watching… and paying? Are we not entertained?

Oh, but it all gets so much better.

We probably can take at face value the information that Mickey’s illicit drug business is entirely in marijuana, and that he is fielding buyout offers that take into consideration the fact that it’s all surely going to go legal soon.

The fine line between criminal and legit has never been quite this fine since the American prohibition of alcohol, and everyone here knows it. Did I mention there are Russians interested in Mickey’s enterprise?

And there is the real meta of The Gentlemen: Not the self-referential movie stuff but the bald, unapologetic fact that all of this is a metaphor for Brexit. With a sleazy faux-respectability that, perhaps, only the likes of McConaughey could bring, Mickey takes advantage of British aristocratic delusions about the nation’s place in the postcolonial world to further his business. And now Russians are honing in on it? At best, it’s another American (Jeremy Strong) who will be owning this big venture on British soil. Damn, this is some cold shit from a British filmmaker… but it ain’t inaccurate.

Still, never fear! There’s plenty of movie-movie distraction to be had. Here is new big-screen heartthrob Henry Golding (see: Last Christmas and Crazy Rich Asians) as a nasty, dumb comic-relief villain. Behold Colin Farrell defying expectations as a tough guy who [redacted].

It’s all just silly cinematic fun! Of course it is. n

FILM | SHORTS

OPENING FILMS THE GENTLEMEN

In Guy Ritchie’s latest heist comedy, a drug kingpin creates a bidding war amongst the well-dressed lowlifes who want to inherit his criminal empire. (MJ) Rated R

THE LAST FULL MEASURE

The true story of Air Force pilot William Pitsenbarger, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after

CRITICS’ SCORECARD THE INLANDER

the Vietnam War. The cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris and Christopher Plummer. (NW) Rated R

THE TURNING

Another adaptation of the Henry James ghost story The Turn of the Screw, about a governess who is put in charge of two very strange children. (NW) Rated PG-13

NOW PLAYING 1917

Sam Mendes’ WWI epic, which took the Golden Globe for best picture, is made to look like a single unbroken take, with a couple of WWI soldiers sent to deliver a message across enemy lines. (DH) Rated R

BAD BOYS FOR LIFE

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return for a third team-up, and here they’re partnered with a much younger crew to take down a Miami cartel. A decent action-comedy that could spawn a new franchise. (NW) Rated R

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

A lovely ode to the power of kindness, with an Esquire journalist learning to live more authentically after writing about none other than Mister Rogers.

Tom Hanks, Hollywood’s nicest man, plays the beloved TV personality. (MJ) Rated PG

BOMBSHELL

A mostly toothless but well-acted exposé in the Big Short mold, uncovering the sexual harassment allegations swirling around Fox News and former CEO Roger Ailes. Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie star.

(NW) Rated R

DOLITTLE

Everything that’s old is new again, as Robert Downey Jr. plays yet another version of the whimsical veterinarian who can talk to the animals. (NW) Rated PG

FORD V. FERRARI

BAD BOYS FOR LIFE

59

JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL

58

JUST MERCY

68

LIKE A BOSS

32

LITTLE WOMEN

91

THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

54 WORTH $10

JUST MERCY

FROZEN II

HARRIET

Rian Johnson’s all-star whodunit centers on the death of a wealthy patriarch, and the craven relatives that would profit off his demise. As a mystery, it’s merely OK. As an evisceration of the one percent, it’s satisfying. (NW) Rated PG-13

JOJO RABBIT

Hacky sitcom jokes abound in this lame comedy about cosmetics entrepreneurs (Tiffany Haddish, Rose Byrne) whose friendship is tested when beauty magnate Salma Hayek invests in them. (NW) Rated R

The abolitionist Harriet Tubman finally gets a biopic deserving of her legacy, anchored by an electric performance by Cynthia Erivo. Old-fashioned filmmaking of the highest order. At the Magic Lantern. (MJ) Rated PG-13 In Taika Waititi’s WWII-set satire, a little boy with an imaginary friend who looks just like Hitler befriends the Jewish girl being hidden by his mother. Its juggling tones and bleak subject matter might not work for everyone. (ES) Rated PG-13

JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL

Another week, another unnecessary sequel. The teens from the first Jumanji return — with their grandpas this time — and leap back into the video game realm to rescue a missing friend. (MJ) Rated PG-13

(OUT OF 100)

79

Inspired by true events, a defense attorney (Michael B. Jordan) takes on the case of a convicted murderer (Jamie Foxx) railroaded by lawyers and attempts to exonerate him. A powerful statement on legal and racial injustice.

(MJ) Rated PG-13

Solid sequel to the Disney juggernaut, with Queen Elsa, Princess Anna and friends venturing into the wintry wilderness to save their kingdom from a mysterious force of the past. There’s no “Let It Go,” but it’s good enough. (NW) Rated PG

METACRITIC.COM

1917

DON’T MISS IT

From director James Mangold, a slick dramatization of the relationship between the Ford auto designer (Matt Damon) and the pro driver (Christian Bale) who set out to beat Ferrari in the ’66 24 Hours of Le Mans race. (ES) Rated PG-13

NEW YORK VARIETY (LOS ANGELES) TIMES

KNIVES OUT

LIKE A BOSS

LITTLE WOMEN

Louisa May Alcott’s literary classic about four sisters growing up during and after the Civil War gets a brilliant modernist twist courtesy of Greta Gerwig. A film that’s as timeless as it is timely. (MJ) Rated PG

PARASITE

Satire, slapstick and secrecy collide in Bong Joon-ho’s twisty, Palme d’Orwinning contraption, about a poor South Korean family that insinuates itself into the lives of an upper class clan.

WATCH IT AT HOME

SKIP IT

Surprises abound. At the Magic Lantern.

(NW) Rated R

SPIES IN DISGUISE

In this animated caper, a superstar secret agent (voiced by Will Smith) is accidentally turned into a pigeon and finds it’s the ultimate camouflage. (NW) Rated PG

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

The nine-episode saga goes out with a few big bangs and even more whimpers, as Rey and company jet across the galaxy to not only find the origins of her powers but stop Kylo Ren. (NW) Rated PG-13

UNCUT GEMS

Adam Sandler is getting raves for his star turn in the Safdie brothers’ nailbiting New York odyssey, a night in the life of a jeweler who makes one harebrained decision after another. (MJ) Rated R

UNDERWATER

Alien meets The Abyss meets Sphere in this sci-fi thriller, which finds a crew of deep-sea scientists trapped in their submersible and menaced by slimy creatures. (NW) Rated PG-13

WEATHERING WITH YOU

An animated fable from the director of the Japanese hit Your Name, about a teenage boy’s unlikely relationship with an orphaned girl who can control the weather. (NW) Rated PG-13 n

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JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 37

AWARDS

Grammy Guesses Our predictions and preferences for the winners of the year’s biggest music night

BY BEN SALMON Billie Eilish

T

he 62nd annual Grammy Awards will be handed out Sunday night (on CBS if you want to watch). Here are some predictions and wishes for the “big four” categories.

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Ariana Grande

Bon Iver, “Hey, Ma” Billie Eilish, “Bad Guy” Ariana Grande, “7 Rings” H.E.R., “Hard Place” Khalid, “Talk” Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road” Lizzo, “Truth Hurts” Post Malone and Swae Lee, “Sunflower” Will win: “Old Town Road.” This award is specifically for a song’s producers, recording engineers and mixers, which means it’s all about the sound as opposed to the songwriting.

Because that’s not exactly an intuitive concept, lazy Grammy voters may just choose the most popular song of the year, the record-breaking chart-topper “Old Town Road.” Others may reward the song’s novel fusion of banjo and bass. Either way, this seems like Lil Nas X’s category to lose, even in a strong field.

Should win: “Bad Guy.” “Old Town Road” may have been the dominant chart hit of 2019, but I’d argue the sound of 2019 can be heard in subterranean bass, dancing synths and naughty whispers of Eilish’s almost-as-ubiquitous “Bad Guy.” All those sonic whirligigs are the work of Billie’s producer and brother Finneas, and since Record of the Year primarily recognizes production, he — and they — should win it.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Tanya Tucker

Yola

38 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

Bon Iver, I,I Lana Del Rey, Norman F---ing Rockwell!

Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next H.E.R., I Used to Know Her Lil Nas X, 7 Lizzo, Cuz I Love You Vampire Weekend, Father of the Bride Will win: Billie Eilish. It’s tempting to predict a curveball here, since Grammy voters come up with at least one head-scratcher each year, and picking the fourth-best Vampire Weekend album over Eilish, Lizzo or Lana because “guitars!” seems very in character. But according to the organization that oversees the Grammys, there are 590 new voting members this year — part of an effort to diversify the voting bloc. If that worked, expect them to pick Eilish’s widely praised debut. If she wins, she’ll be the youngest artist ever to take home Album of the Year.

Should win: Ariana Grande. With all the personal and professional drama surrounding Ariana Grande over the past few years, don’t lose sight of her skills. She is a world-class singer, an underrated songwriter and an artist with a rock-

solid vision and the clout to turn that vision into reality. Top to bottom, Thank U, Next is a treasure chest of luxury-brand pop music that spills over with good beats, better hooks and undeniable swagger. It’s the best album in this bunch, and one of the best of 2019 in any genre.

SONG OF THE YEAR

Lady Gaga, “Always Remember Us This Way” Billie Eilish, “Bad Guy” Tanya Tucker, “Bring My Flowers Now” H.E.R., “Hard Place” Taylor Swift, “Lover” Lana Del Rey, “Norman F---ing Rockwell” Lewis Capaldi, “Someone You Loved” Lizzo, “Truth Hurts” Will win: Taylor Swift. A dedicated songwriting award seems like the best opportunity for voters to recognize 10-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift, who wasn’t nominated for Album of the Year for her seventh full-length, Lover. The album’s title track should rack up votes here for two reasons: 1) Its sound — a hazy combo of piano, guitar and drums — scans as more “serious songwriter-ly” than, say, the big pop productions of Eilish and Lizzo. And 2) there’s nothing wrong with songwriting by committee, but it’s hard not to notice that among the nominees in this category, “Lover” is the only one credited to a single person. That lines up nicely with our traditional idea of a songwriter.

Should win: Tanya Tucker. “Lover” is a fine choice, but if Grammy voters really want to reward the best song on this list, they’ll choose Tucker’s “Bring My Flowers Now,” a beautiful ballad that uses the country legend’s seasoned voice to communicate the wisdom and urgency that sets in during life’s later years. Written with white-hot roots-rocker Brandi Carlile, the song will resonate deeply with anyone who has lived long enough to understand the importance of love and relationships.

Bonus: Tucker has been nominated for 14 Grammys since 1972, but she’s never won. It’s time.

BEST NEW ARTIST

Black Pumas Billie Eilish Lil Nas X Lizzo Maggie Rogers Rosalía Tank and the Bangas Yola Will win: Billie Eilish. The three most-nominated artists of the year are also nominated for Best New Artist. It’ll definitely be one of them. The tea leaves here say Eilish ekes it out over Lizzo.

Should win: Yola. The British roots ’n’ soul singer’s debut solo full-length Walk Through Fire is a stunner. n

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Here in Eastern Washington, this program has preserved some of our most precious natural areas, such as the Little Spokane River and Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.

Vital funds should be permanenetly preserved for future generations. Our senators are fighting for us, but they need you to stand with them.

Call our SENATORS PATTY MURRAY & MARIA CANTWELL at (202) 224-3121 and tell them you support funding for public lands.

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JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 39

MUSIC | SOUNDTRACKS

Animated Tunes As the Spokane Symphony takes on Pixar, we revisit the best music in the studio’s library

BY ISAAC HANDELMAN

T

his weekend, the Spokane Symphony will tackle Pixar’s sonic catalog in what’s sure to be a spirit-raising multimedia event.

Now’s as good a time as ever to reflect on the swelling, evocative melodies that have helped define two-and-a-half decades of groundbreaking animated cinema. Here are some of Pixar’s most iconic compositions, in order of their release.

You may not know every title, but there’s a solid chance you’ve heard every tune.

“YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME”

BY RANDY NEWMAN, TOY STORY

If you had to choose one song to define Pixar, you’d be hard-pressed to pick anything other than this. Randy Newman’s jovial jingle about friendly commitment has become a key identifier of the Toy Story franchise and, by extension, of Pixar as a whole. In 1996, it lost the Best Original Song Oscar to none other than Disney’s Pocahontas (for “Colors of the Wind”). Few would argue that, 25 years on, Newman’s song is the one that endures.

“WHEN SHE LOVED ME” BY SARAH MCLACHLAN (COMPOSED BY RANDY NEWMAN), TOY STORY 2

“When She Loved Me” may be another Newman composition, but it’s miles away from the joyous “You’ve

40 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

Got a Friend in Me.” This tragic ballad is sung beautifully by Sarah McLachlan during Jesse’s flashback in Toy Story 2, and the sheer impact of the sequence makes one question how in the world this toy-riffic sequel was originally planned as direct-to-video. Held up against the considerable benchmark of heartbreaking Pixar movie moments, Jesse’s quiet reminiscence about love and loss with a past owner might just be second to none. Newman’s song is vital to the scene’s tremendous impact.

“IF I DIDN’T HAVE YOU” BY JOHN GOODMAN

AND BILLY CRYSTAL (COMPOSED BY RANDY NEWMAN), MONSTERS, INC.

Friendships like Mike and Sully’s don’t come around every day. Neither do songs like “If I Didn’t Have You,” another infectiously goodnatured Newman composition sung this time by stars Billy Crystal and John Goodman. As the credits roll on Pixar’s scream-fueled monster mash, the duo returns for one last toe-tapping ode to their unbreakable bond. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to take to the streets with someone as important to you as Sully is to Mike, arm in arm, belting out to the world: “I wouldn’t have nothin’ if I didn’t have you.”

COME “NEMO EGG (MAIN TITLE)” BY THOMAS NEWMAN, FINDING NEMO

This soft composition is most recognizable as the opening theme from Finding Nemo. In the wake of Marlin’s mate’s tragic death at the film’s opening, the clownfish father recovers the lone egg spared by his barracuda assailant. At this pivotal moment, Thomas Newman’s delicate song beckons viewers into the ocean’s beautiful, mysterious vastness and sets the stage for a tale of familial love that ranks right up there among the most elegant animated adventures ever to grace the screen.

“THE GLORY DAYS” BY MICHAEL GIACCHINO, THE INCREDIBLES

While clearly inspired by Lalo Schifrin’s iconic Mission: Impossible theme song, Michael Giacchino’s suave “The Glory Days” has become just as recognizable. Pixar’s bold reinvention of the espionage/superhero genre, The Incredibles is one of the studio’s most beloved properties. No matter how many times you revisit the story of the Parr family and their outlawed compatriots, it’s pointless to resist the excited smile that Giacchino’s theme evokes.

“WE BELONG TOGETHER” BY RANDY NEWMAN, TOY STORY 3

Toy Story 3 marked the end of Pixar’s first golden age and, fittingly, Randy Newman returned to lend his familiar sound to what many assumed would be the last hoorah for Woody, Buzz and the rest of the plastic gang. “We Belong Together” won the Oscar for Original Song in 2011, and deservedly so: Its upbeat refrain may not be revolutionary, but it’s difficult to imagine a more fitting sentiment of friendship and unity to cap off Pixar’s legendary start-of-the-millennium run. n

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r

Ask your average American to recall a time they bawled in a movie theater, and odds are their answer will be the montage at the beginning of Up. The sequence’s tremendous emotional impact is owed to many factors, one of which is Michael Giacchino’s beautiful, bittersweet musical accompaniment. The composition swells and settles alongside the peaks and troughs of Carl and Ellie’s life together — which viewers witness, (in)famously, in fourand-a-half immensely affecting minutes.

Su

“MARRIED LIFE” BY MICHAEL GIACCHINO, UP

BEST

ys ays...

Pixar in Concert • Sat, Jan. 25 at 7 pm and Sun, Jan. 26 at 3 pm • $20-$103 • All ages • Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox • 1001 W. Sprague • spokanesymphony.org • 624-1200

VOTE NOW! Turn to page 27 for the Official Ballot

bestof.inlander.com JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 41

MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

COUNTRY SAWYER BROWN

F

un fact: The country band Sawyer Brown first got national attention after they won the 1983 season of the competition show Star Search. But unlike so many of the folks who popped up on that showcase, Sawyer Brown actually parlayed the exposure into a long, prosperous career, producing traditional country sounds before leaning into the slick pop stylings of the ’90s, scoring No. 1 hits with “Some Girls Do” and “Thank God for You.” The lineup still features most of the band’s original members, who all got their start as Nashville utility players, and their chops will be on full display.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER Sawyer Brown • Thu, Jan. 30 at 7:30 pm • $39-$69 • All ages • Northern Quest Resort & Casino • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • 481-2100

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

Thursday, 01/23

A&P’S BAR AND GRILL, Open Mic Night with KC Carter J BABY BAR, BaLonely, Frosty Palms, Bitwvlf, Forester BERSERK, Vinyl Meltdown BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn J J BING CROSBY THEATER, Wynonna and the Big Noise J BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE, The Song Project BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS, Charles Swanson J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Open Jazz Jam with Erik Bowen THE CORK & TAP, Pamela Jean CRUISERS, Open Jam Night J HOUSE OF SOUL, Jazz Thursdays JOHN’S ALLEY, State of Krisis J KNITTING FACTORY, Black Tiger Sex Machine with Blanke & Vampa J LAGUNA CAFÉ, Just Plain Darin LION’S LAIR, Karaoke with Donny Duck LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, The Maple Bars, Marina Obscura MOOSE LOUNGE, Last Chance Band MOUNTAIN LAKES BREWING CO., Joel & Sarah Jean MY PLACE BAR & GRILL, DJ Dave THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler YAYA BREWING COMPANY, Jonathan Tibbetts ZOLA, Blake Braley Band

Friday, 01/24

219 LOUNGE, J Bosley Band 1210 TAVERN, Phil N the Prescriptions A&P’S BAR AND GRILL, DJ Shanner ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Common Ground Trio BARLOWS AT LIBERTY LAKE, The Kevin Shay Band

42 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

R&B DOWN NORTH

W

ith fat bass slaps and dextrous drum fills, the L.A.-based quartet Down North combines retro R&B with straight-ahead rock, culling influence from the Rolling Stones and Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as James Brown and Parliament. Their recent EP, No Retreat, Vol. 1, illustrates how they can be funky, sultry and raw all at once, and that frontman Anthony Briscoe’s fierce energy works just as well on wax as it does during the group’s live sets. Guided by his reliable backing band, you’ll be dancing yourself silly right along with him.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER Down North with Left Over Soul • Thu, Jan. 30 at 8 pm • $10 • 21+ • Lucky You Lounge • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • luckyyoulounge.com BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn BIGFOOT PUB, Nightshift BOLO’S, Rock Candy BOOMBOX PIZZA, Karaoke BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS, Diego Romero & the Detonators with Robin Barrett J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Colby Acuff Album Release THE BULL HEAD, Singlewide CHINOOK STEAK, PASTA AND SPIRITS (CDA CASINO), Kosh CORBY’S BAR, Karaoke COSMIC COWBOY GRILL, Son of Brad CRUISERS, Karaoke with Gary DI LUNA’S CAFE, Thom & Coley THE FISCHIN’ HOLE SALOON, Sidetrack J FORZA COFFEE CO. (VALLEY), Lucas McIntyre J HEARTWOOD CENTER, Lucas Brown and Baregrass HERITAGE BAR & KITCHEN, Kat Higgins THE HIDDEN MOTHER BREWERY, Shaiden Hutchman

HONEY EATERY AND SOCIAL CLUB, John Firshi HOUSE OF SOUL, Alive & Kicking IDAHO POUR AUTHORITY, The Locals J IRON GOAT BREWING CO., Erin Parkes IRON HORSE (COEUR D’ALENE), JamShack JOHN’S ALLEY, Jason Perry Trio KOOTENAI RIVER INN & CASINO, Truck Mills and Carl Rey LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Echo Elysium LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, DJ Night with ROSETHROW MARYHILL WINERY SPOKANE, Daniel Mark Faller MATCHWOOD BREWING CO., Spring Tonic MAX AT MIRABEAU, Kosta La Vista MULLIGAN’S BAR & GRILLE, Krista Hojem MY PLACE BAR & GRILL, DJ Dave NASHVILLE NORTH, Ladies Night with Luke Jaxon and DJ Tom

NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Karma’s Circle THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos OLD MILL BAR AND GRILL, Gil Rivas & Debrah Stark PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Mike Wagoner and Utah John THE PIN, Wreck Room Records Takeover at The Pin PRIME TYME BAR & GRILL, Backwoods Band THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler J SARANAC COMMONS, Kevin Partridge SILVER MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT, Tod Hornby (at Noah’s) SPOKANE EAGLES LODGE, Into the Drift STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, DJ Danger WHIM WINE BAR, Nick Grow ZOLA, DragonFly

Saturday, 01/25

219 LOUNGE, Uh Oh and the Oh Wells A&P’S BAR AND GRILL, DJ Kevin ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, One Street Over BARLOWS AT LIBERTY LAKE, The Kevin Shay Band BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn J THE BIG DIPPER, Tomorrows Bad Seeds, Tunnel Vision, The John Dank Show, Pacific Roots BIGFOOT PUB, Nightshift BLACK LABEL BREWING CO., Kevin Partridge, Carey Brazille, Blake Braley Band BOLO’S, Rock Candy BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS, Sammy Eubanks J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Dan Maher CHINOOK STEAK, PASTA AND SPIRITS (CDA CASINO), Kosh COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS, Nick Grow COSMIC COWBOY GRILL, Son of Brad GARLAND PUB, Working Spliffs HOGFISH, Wailing Aaron Jennings

MUSIC | VENUES IDAHO POUR AUTHORITY, Dustin Drennen IRON HORSE (COEUR D’ALENE), JamShack THE JACKSON ST. BAR & GRILL, Karaoke JOHN’S ALLEY, The Resolectrics LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Salsa Dance Party with Son Dulce; DJ Night with Storme MATCHWOOD BREWING CO., Ken Mayginnes MAX AT MIRABEAU, Kosta La Vista MICKDUFF’S BEER HALL, The DIGaddie NASHVILLE NORTH, Ladies Night with Luke Jaxon and DJ Tom THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Echo Elysium THE PIN, Oliver Spitts w/ CCB, Flynn, Me$ill, Brotha Nature, T23 POST FALLS BREWING COMPANY, Ron Greene THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler

GET LISTED!

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

SILVER FOX, The Wild Card Band SILVER MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT, Just Plain Darin (at Noah’s) STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, DJ Danger THE VIKING, VooDoo Church of Blues WESTWOOD BREWING CO., Eric Neuhausser WHIM WINE BAR, Kari Marguerite ZOLA, DragonFly

Sunday, 01/26

CHEAP SHOTS, Rev. Yo’s VooDoo Church of Blues Jam CRAVE, DJ Dave GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Karaoke HOGFISH, Open Mic IRON HORSE (VALLEY), Kosh J KNITTING FACTORY, The Green, Ka’ikena Scanlan LINGER LONGER LOUNGE, Open Jam MARYHILL WINERY, Maxie Ray Mills THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos O’DOHERTY’S IRISH GRILLE, Traditional Irish Music PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Piano Sunday with Dwayne Parsons RED ROOM LOUNGE, Jason Perry Trio J SOUTH HILL GRILL, Just Plain Darin ZOLA, Glass Honey

Monday, 01/27

THE BULL HEAD, Songsmith Series J CALYPSOS COFFEE ROASTERS, Open Mic COSMIC COWBOY, Eric Neuhausser

CRAVE, DJ Dave EICHARDT’S PUB, Jam with Truck Mills THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic with Lucas Brookbank Brown ZOLA, Perfect Mess

Tuesday, 01/28

219 LOUNGE, Karaoke with DJ Pat BOOMBOX PIZZA, Karaoke CRAVE, DJ Dave GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Karaoke J KNITTING FACTORY, Jauz with Habstrakt & Tynan LITZ’S BAR & GRILL, The ShuffleDawgs Blues Power Happy Hour THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL, Open Mic Jam THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Country Swing Dancing THE ROXIE, Open Mic/Jam SWEET LOU’S RESTAURANT AND TAP HOUSE, Pamela Benton THE VIKING, Songsmith Series feat.

Echo Elysium ZOLA, Desperate 8s

Wednesday, 01/29 219 LOUNGE, Truck Mills & Denis Zwang BABY BAR, William Russell Wallace, Feral Anthem, Jacob Jones BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn J BLACK DIAMOND, Jeff Hubbard CRUISERS, Open Jam Night

GENO’S TRADITIONAL FOOD & ALES, Open Mic J THE GRAIN SHED, Ben Stuart IRON HORSE (COEUR D’ALENE), Open Jam IRON HORSE (VALLEY), Kicho LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Carey Brazil LUCKY’S IRISH PUB, DJ D3VIN3 MAD BOMBER BREWING COMPANY, Sam McCue THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Dwayne Parsons J THE PIN, Dissolution: Execute.

Project2020 ft. Bodhi, DJ Killmore, Lunagoth, DJ Doktor Reaktor, Gothnitsja POOLE’S PUBLIC HOUSE (SOUTH HILL), Just Plain Darin J RED DRAGON CHINESE, Tommy G RED ROOM LOUNGE, Blowin’ Kegs Jam Session THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler SOULFUL SOUPS & SPIRITS, Open Mic STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, Sara Brown

Coming Up ...

J LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Down North (see facing page) with Left Over Soul; Datenite & Tyler Alai (basement), Jan. 30 J J NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO, Sawyer Brown (see facing page), Jan. 30

219 LOUNGE • 219 N. First, Sandpoint • 208-2639934 A&P’S BAR & GRILL • 222 N. First, Sandpoint • 208-263-2313 ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill • 927-9463 BABY BAR • 827 W. First • 847-1234 BARLOWS • 1428 N. Liberty Lake • 924-1446 BEEROCRACY • 911 W. Garland BERSERK • 125 S. Stevens • 714-9512 THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington • 863-8098 BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division • 467-9638 BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague • 227-7638 BLACK DIAMOND • 9614 E. Sprague • 891-8357 BOLO’S • 116 S. Best • 891-8995 BOOMERS • 18219 E. Appleway. • 755-7486 BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE • 24 W. Main • 703-7223 BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS • 39 W. Pacific • 838-7815 BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main, Moscow • 208-882-5216 THE BULL HEAD • 10211 S. Electric • 838-9717 CALYPSOS COFFEE & CREAMERY • 116 E. Lakeside, CdA • 208-665-0591 CHEAP SHOTS • 6412 E. Trent • 535-9309 COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw, Worley • 800-523-2464 COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, CdA • 208-664-2336 COSMIC COWBOY GRILL • 412 W. Haycraft, CdA • 208-277-0000 CRAFTED TAP HOUSE • 523 Sherman Ave., CdA • 208-292-4813 CRAVE• 401 W. Riverside • 321-7480 CRUISERS • 6105 W Seltice, Post Falls • 208-7734706 CURLEY’S • 26433 W. Hwy. 53 • 208-773-5816 EICHARDT’S PUB • 212 Cedar, Sandpoint • 208-263-4005 FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS • 334 W. Spokane Falls • 279-7000 FIZZIE MULLIGANS • 331 W. Hastings • 466-5354 FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague • 624-1200 THE HIVE • 207 N. First, Sandpoint • 208-457-2392 HOGFISH • 1920 E. Sherman, CdA • 208-667-1896 HONEY EATERY & SOCIAL CLUB • 317 E. Sherman, CdA • 208-930-1514 HOUSE OF SOUL • 25 E. Lincoln • 598-8783 IRON GOAT BREWING • 1302 W. 2nd • 474-0722 IRON HORSE BAR • 407 E. Sherman, CdA • 208667-7314 IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL • 11105 E. Sprague, CdA • 509-926-8411 JACKSON ST. BAR & GRILL • 2436 N. Astor • 315-8497 JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. Sixth, Moscow • 208-883-7662 KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague • 244-3279 LAGUNA CAFÉ • 2013 E. 29th • 448-0887 THE LANTERN TAP HOUSE • 1004 S. Perry • 315-9531 LEFTBANK WINE BAR • 108 N. Washington • 315-8623 LION’S LAIR • 205 W. Riverside • 456-5678 LUCKY YOU LOUNGE • 1801 W. Sunset LUCKY’S IRISH PUB • 408 W. Sprague • 747-2605 MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy, Ste. 100 • 443-3832 MAX AT MIRABEAU • 1100 N. Sullivan • 924-9000 MICKDUFF’S • 312 N. First, Sandpoint • 208-255-4351 MONARCH MOUNTAIN COFFEE • 208 N 4th Ave, Sandpoint • 208-265-9382 MOOSE LOUNGE • 401 E. Sherman • 208-664-7901 MOOTSY’S • 406 W. Sprague • 838-1570 MULLIGAN’S • 506 Appleway Ave., CdA • 208- 7653200 ext. 310 NASHVILLE NORTH • 6361 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-457-9128 NORTHERN QUEST RESORT • 100 N. Hayford, Airway Heights • 242-7000 THE NYC PIANO BAR • 313 Sherman, CdA • 208930-1504 NYNE • 232 W. Sprague • 474-1621 O’SHAY’S • 313 E. CdA Lake Dr. • 208-667-4666 PACIFIC PIZZA • 2001 W. Pacific • 443-5467 PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545 THE PIN • 412 W. Sprague • 385-1449 POST FALLS BREWING CO. • 112 N. Spokane, Post Falls • 208-773-7301 RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL • 10325 N. Government Way, Hayden • 208-635-5874 RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague • 838-7613 REPUBLIC BREWING • 26 Clark Ave. • 775-2700 RIDLER PIANO BAR • 718 W. Riverside • 822-7938 SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 209 E. Lakeside • 208-664-8008 THE SHOP • 924 S. Perry St. • 534-1647 SOULFUL SOUPS & SPIRITS • 117 N. Howard • 459-1190 SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon • 279-7000 STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON • 12303 E. Trent • 862-4852 ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 624-2416

JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 43

KEELIN ELIZABETH PHOTO

WORDS PEER POETS

Shakespeare and Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes. Poetry immortalized these names, and this month Eastern Washington high school students are bringing these famous poets to life again at the downtown Spokane Library.

With a mission to build and support local arts and culture, Spokane Arts is championing young creators this month in the Poetry Out Loud Regional Final. The competition tests the students’ understanding, memorization and performance of great poetry, with local author Stephanie Oakes and Spokane’s current poet laureate Chris Cook among the judges deciding which Inland Northwest native goes on to represent the east side of the mountains at the state final.

— MACIE WHITE Regional Poetry Out Loud Final • Thu, Jan. 30 at 7 pm • Free • Downtown Spokane Library • 906 W. Main • poetryoutloud.org

44 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

COMEDY SWISS ARMY MAN

COMEDY TRIBUTE TO TONY

Jubal Fresh Comedy Tour • Fri, Jan. 24 at 7 pm • $27-$47 • 18+ • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague • bingcrosbytheater.com • 227-7638

Tony’s Tribute Show • Mon, Jan. 27 at 7 pm • Free • 21+ • Spokane Comedy Club • 315 W. Sprague • spokanecomedyclub.com • 318-9998

Jubal Fresh is probably best known as half of the Brooke & Jubal in the Morning radio show based in Seattle and syndicated across the country to more than 50 cities, but the Wyoming-born comedian is much more than a jolt of comic energy to go with your morning commute. He hosts a couple of podcasts, including Fresh Till’ Death with his wife Alex, worked on a sports show for a bit, writes gags for radio stations across the country, and is a graffiti artist as well.

He’s been doing stand-up for more than 15 years, and no doubt will bring his wide range of life experiences — including growing up in Wyoming with a name like Jubal — to the stage in Spokane.

— DAN NAILEN

The news of local comedian Tony Russell’s death was met with an outpouring from the local comedy scene, as fellow performers and friends shared stories about what a funny and generous guy he was. On Monday night, some of Russell’s comedy pals are gathering at the Spokane Comedy Club, where Russell was both a regular performer and an employee, to pay tribute to him, and hopefully do some healing in the form of laughter. The show is followed by a silent auction, with proceeds going toward Russell’s family and to local suicide prevention charities. Admission is free, but you’ll need to make reservations for your seats on the club’s website.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER

GET LISTED!

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

SPEAKER SERIES

STAGE DOWN ON THE CORNER

Never one to shy away from thought-provoking content, Stage Left Theater is set to present a staged reading of Antoinette Nwandu’s drama Pass Over, an examination of contemporary racial strife by way of Waiting for Godot.

The play focuses on two young black men who spend much of their time hanging on a street corner and discussing their circumstances in life, all while a white police officer menaces them from afar. Since premiering in 2017, Pass Over has courted as much controversy — a review in the Chicago Sun-Times accused the play of racism toward white people — as acclaim: One of its performances was filmed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee, and it’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Regardless of your feelings, it should inspire spirited discussion after it’s over.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER

WHEN WOMEN RULED THE WORLD

FERNANDO G. BAPTISTA

Pass Over • Mon, Jan. 27 at 7 pm • $5 • All ages • Stage Left Theater • 108 W. Third • spokanestageleft.org • 838-9727

KARA COONEY EGYPTOLOGIST

A new interactive installation by Laboratory Spokane resident artist Daniel Shieh asks viewers to set aside their unconscious biases of each other in an unexpected way. Participants in the three-minute experience, hosted this weekend at Kolva-Sullivan Gallery downtown, enter a completely dark room together, wearing special goggles that illuminate only their eyes, and earplugs so they can’t hear each other speak. Inside the room, participants then interact solely through their eyes. Because of this unique setup, who each participant sees around them in the dark room is a mystery. “The act of looking at another person, often charged with unequal power dynamic, is stripped of its power and replaced with a sense of mutual discovery,” the artist notes.

— CHEY SCOTT Daniel Shieh: Gazing • Thu, Jan. 23 through Sun, Jan. 26 from 5-8 pm • Free; registration required • Kolva-Sullivan Gallery • 115 S. Adams St. • Register via email to kryston@laboratoryspokane.com

MIKEL HEALEY

VISUAL ARTS SILENT LOOKS

PRESENTED BY

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13 7:00 PM FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

WESTCOAST ENTERTAINMENT

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 45

focused on your eyes than the beer. I did get the Pilsner! I wanted to say more, but you were with a friend. Can I buy you a beer? spokanefella@gmail.com

I SAW YOU PAINFULLY COLD AT THE CO OP Hey there! I saw you Tuesday night at the Main Market Co-Op. I was at the salad bar getting my spinach on and you mentioned how cold it was outside. I was, unfortunately, sick and shy. I am not sick very often, but I’m shy all the time.

Except here, apparently. If you see this, feel free to respond, if you feel like?

ACTUALLY I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU Define to soon: I try to focus on what is important in the here and now. Yes, I did see you quite a few months ago while I was trying get a few things done, the man I was accompanied by is my son. The balance of my world has been taken, I’m trying to do what I can to figure out what works best for me and rebalancing. There really is no better time than the present to say something if you see me while you’re out and about, or I’m out and about because you never know when that chance is going to be gone. That missed chance really is quickly approaching. I don’t write in here or really any columns, and if you reply I probably won’t post again. I read these and am probably very wrong about any of these being about me, but it should help out the person you are sending all of these out to.

BREWERY GIRL I saw you at one of Spokane’s newest breweries. I asked what you recommended and I was more

YOU GOT ME LAUGHING We had a brief back-and-forth conversation Saturday morning in the cramped SRHD rotunda.

You made the lengthy, unpleasant wait far less stressful by responding to my anxiety induced gibbering. You were sitting to my right on the next couch over.

I was the short girl in the green coat, blue jeans, black boots. Even though you were wearing headphones you were sweet enough to converse with me, even getting me to laugh several times.

Ultimately, the only thing I asked you about was your number in line which I was kicking myself over after I left not even knowing your name. I’m hoping to see you again before this even gets published (IF it gets published). Sadly, I trust whatever small amount of social grace I have to shine through far more reliably from a keyboard so if you happen to read this and feel up to emailing me maybe we could hang out sometime: fregolisfingers@gmail.com I SAW YOU IN THE COLD I saw you marching in the cold and snow in the Women’s March on Saturday, Jan. 18th and in the Martin Luther King March on Monday, Jan. 20th. You: Taking responsibility as a patriotic American. Me: Knowing our government is formed “By the People.” Our eyes, swelled with tears, locked and we knew this was important.

I want to see you again! Meet me at the voting booth (or at the post office, your choice) on November 3, 2020?

CHEESE CRISPS AND A HAPPY WISH I saw you at Costco on Saturday. Thank you for picking up my dropped phone. I took your compliment and cheese crisp suggestions to heart. Your smile sure brightened my day.

SHOPPING FOR SOUP & GETTING SMILES I saw you at Trader Joe’s on the Northside last week. You were dancing and singing, complementing the entire crew. I hope to someday be able

to look at the ordinary with positive eyes, optimism and thankfulness like that which you displayed. Hope you enjoyed the new soups!

“

thoroughly unnoticed by the vast majority of the public... but, Spokane has some ROUGH local business owners. And yes, this sucks. Not only to be announcing (for some of you the first time ever)

best. CLEARLY the Inlander wants to influence the public also. By your selective — as seen this last week — publishing you printed one more wiener telling him to step down instead of reminding

Our eyes, swelled with tears, locked and we knew this was important.

CHEERS

JOB WELL DONE A giant cheer to all the hardworking folks who managed a full city plow in two and a half days. You folks are my winter heros for sure. I’m so glad the city finally decided to begin plowing when a snow event begins not when there are 4 inches on the road and everything is a mess. Well done to you all.

PAML Thank you to the gentleman from PAML who pushed my car when I got stuck on ice leaving Sacred Heart. I wanted to stop and thank you but was afraid I’d get stuck again. Sorry for leaving you in a cloud of smoke. I can’t thank you enough. You’re my hero!!

WITNESS FOR SNOW PLOW ACCIDENT To the amazing stranger in Cheney that helped me get my car out of the middle of the intersection on Highway 904 and Betz Road after a snow plow came into my lane and ran me into a pole. I was anxious and late and wasn’t thinking but I would appreciate it so much if you could provide me with your contact info to be a witness, unfortunately I only have liability and the car no longer runs, so winning the case would be my only chance for a running car. b.medusae@gmail.com

JEERS NOT SO FORTUNATE Albeit, probably

but also for the employees that work for these local businesses, with careless owners. Specifically, a new business that has gotten oh so much positive attention lately. I am here to say though however: Treating your employees as if they’re robots I hope makes all the ghosts in the basement haunt your conscience for years to come.

DELUSIONAL SACRED HEART CO-WORKERS You didn’t win, It wasn’t a good deal. Sacred Heart had the best negotiators money could buy and the union’s negotiators were played like a fiddle. Record profits, awards and executive bonuses and you thought it was appropriate to humor them when they said they couldn’t afford raises or safe staffing levels. The raise is a joke and the bonus is just a depressing reminder that this is the first job I’ve had where I didn’t get an annual bonus. I’ve given five years of my life to this hospital and what do I have to show for it? Just a concussion, MRSA and an EBT card so I can actually feed my family.

THIS IS FOR THE INLANDER STAFF I wrote a supportive piece on the importance of voting that including the support for the first amendment. It also “called out” (you may to look that up as to its meaning) the unsavory wannaby (sp?) influencers in Spokane that want to force Rep. Shea out of Olympia.

Something I strongly believe the VOTERS should do if they believe that’s what’s

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS N B A M V P S

S I X Y E A R

T H L O C O O A T H C A

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.”

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”

the voters they need to make important decisions and VOTE! Which in the grand scheme of things takes what is suppose to be impartial reporting into joining the “Fake Press.” I can imagine ALL of your Spokane Smug Faces thinking how you publish this amazing paper. Well at least you believe it and since you CENSOR by your selective reporting you can make ANYONE look bad and you look good.

That’s fine. Your paper has become a bird cage liner and NOT worth reading.

Do I support Shea? NO! Does he have a right to speak? YES! Do you have the right to censor? NO! You’re supposed to be impartial show both sides but this is such a chicken shit city I understand you have to kowtow to the powers that be. I won’t be back. n

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

T A B L E S A W B I K R A M

O R I E L P E A D O U S E

P M E O O A P O N L S E A S P I S E N T E T O D E R R Y F R A L O R E R C E

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

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.

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EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

UNEMPLOYMENT LAW PROJECT BENEFIT A celebration of the nonprofit’s work with music, drinks and appetizers, and a silent auction to benefit Unemployment Law Project. Jan. 23, 5 pm. $20-$30. Community Building, 35 W. Main Ave. community-building.org LAUGH NO MATTER WHAT An annual fundraiser for our local Planned Parenthood, featuring snarky, provocative and fearless comedy and musical-satire with the all-women’s troupe, Broad Comedy. Jan. 25, 8 pm. $30. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (227-7404) MAC MOVEMENT CARNIVAL Local artists and organizations offer games, crafts, dancing, a cake walk, prizes, beverages, treats and more. Entry is a $5 donation, or any new/gently used chalk, pastels, and charcoal, or thee canned food items. Jan. 25, 6-10 pm.

Spitfire Collective, 304 E. Third Ave. facebook.com/Spitfirecollective/ TACKLE HUNGER SPOKANE Fortyseven percent of children in Spokane County struggle with hunger. Be a “Hunger Hero” by joining MOD Pizza and Generosity Feeds for a Meal Creation Event to create 10,000 meals to fight child hunger locally. Jan. 25, 10 am. Free. Salvation Army Spokane, 222 E. Indiana. salvationarmyspokane.org WHITMAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION DINNER & AUCTION Dust off your boots and dress up for an elegant evening filled with good friends, fine food and fun. Nationally acclaimed auctioneer Butch Booker calls bids for fine jewelry, NCAA tickets, WSU game tickets, trips and much more. Jan. 25, 6 pm. $63.99. Hill Ray Plaza, 801 S Vista Point Dr., Colfax. (509-397-3172) PAINT FOR PUPS Eat, drink, paint and meet new people at this two-part event to support Adopt Don’t Shop Rescue. Jan. 26, Feb, 23, March 22 and April 26 at 1 pm. $25. Logan Tavern, 1305 N. Hamilton. facebook.com/TheLoganTavern (474-0584) HARRY POTTER TRIVIA FUNDRAISER Gather a team of four and prepare for the ultimate battle of wizarding wits. This annual fundraiser supports EWU’s Get Lit! Programs. Offering three sessions: 11:30 am, 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm. Open to all ages; those 12 and over must have a ticket. Feb. 2, 11:30 am. $8/person. inside.ewu.edu/getlit

COMEDY

2.0PEN MIC Local comedy night hosted by Ken McComb. Thursdays, from 8-10 pm. Free. The District Bar, 916 W. First Ave. (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) JP SEARS Sears is a YouTuber, comedian, emotional healing coach, author, speaker, world traveler and curious student of life. 23-25 at 7:30 pm; Jan. 25 at 10 pm. SOLD OUT. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. (318-9998) GREG MORTON Known as the ultimate stand-up act at clubs, colleges and theatres across the world, Morton has shared the stage with legends including Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Sinbad, Howie Mandel and more. Jan. 24-25 at 8 pm. $28-$35. Bridge Press

Cellars, 39 W. Pacific Ave. bridgepresscellars.com (838-7815) THE RANT The BDT take pet peeves, annoying habits and exasperating events that derail your day and turn them into laughs. Fridays in January at 7:30 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com SAFARI The BDT’s version of “Whose Line,” a fast-paced, short-form show that’s generally game-based and relies on audience suggestions to fuel each scene. 16+. Saturdays at 7:30 pm. $8.

Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (747-7045) AFTER DARK A mature (16+) version of the BDT’s fan-favorite show formats, games and experimental improv. First/last Saturdays at 9:30 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (747-7045) BILL ENGVALL The comedian, actor and writer best known for his work on Blue Collar Comedy Tour and Them Idiots Whirled Tour, returns to Coeur d’Alene Casino. Jan. 25, 7-10 pm. $40+. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com/event/billengvall-2020/ (800-523-2464) THE DOPE SHOW! Comedians joke, then toke, the joke some more. Last Sunday at 8 pm. $8-$14. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com TONY’S TRIBUTE SHOW Send the late local comedian Tony Russell off with a bash as he’s remembered through comedy and music. Jan. 27, 7 pm.

Free. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com MICHELLE WOLF Wolf debuted her first hour-long special on HBO in 2017, which tackled topics from feminism and the environment and more of life’s everyday absurdities. Jan. 30-Feb 1 at 7:30 pm; Feb. 1 at 10 pm. $28+. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (318-9998) PHILLIP KOPCZYNSKI The local comedian placed second at the 2018 Seattle International Comedy Competition and has performed in bars, clubs, wineries, and theaters across the U.S. Jan. 30, 7:30 pm. $6.24-$11.49. Kenworthy, 508 S Main St. kenworthy.org

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COMMUNITY

MLK COMMUNITY CELEBRATION W. Kamau Bell is the keynote speaker for WSU’s 33rd Annual MLK Community Celebration. Bell is a sociopolitical comedian and the host of the Emmy Award-winning CNN docu-series “United Shades of America” with W. Kamau Bell. Jan. 23, 6:30-8:30 pm.

Free. WSU, Pullman, CUB Ballwoom. mlk.wsu.edu (335-2517) MT. ST. HELENS: CRITICAL MEMORY An exhibit commemorating the 40th anniversary of the eruption on May 18, 1980 of Mount St. Helens, which remains the most destructive volcanic event in U.S. history. Through July; Tue-Sun 10 am-5 pm; third Thursdays until 8 pm. Tues.-10 am-5 pm through July 31. $5-$10. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org SENIOR RESOURCE FAIR Seniors and/ or their caregivers/family members can compare active adult retirement communities, home health services, home care agencies and more. Jan. 23, 11 am-3 pm. Free. Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Dr., CdA. (208-704-2790)

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FEBRUARY 20-29 iNLANDERRESTAURANTWEEK.COM JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 47

IDAHO

Gone Viral Yep, Idaho, cannabis is coming

BY WILL MAUPIN

T

o Idaho lawmakers, marijuana may as well be an invasive species. The state is surrounded on all sides and, despite their best efforts, it’s making its

way in.

Last week the Associated Press reported that Oregon’s recreational marijuana market is booming along the Idaho border. It’s a story of regional importance that appeared in news outlets from Coeur d’Alene to Portland, as well as far-flung Youngstown, Ohio, and nationally thanks to ABC, Fox News and others.

Its viral nature was spurred by the story’s lede, which stated sales along the state line are 420 percent higher than the statewide average and the comical final sentence explaining that “420 is a colloquial term referencing marijuana or cannabis consumption.”

It’s not the first such story, however. In October, in this very section of the Inlander, we reported on a similar trend here in Washington. It likely won’t be the last, either.

The Gem State is surrounded.

Both of Idaho’s neighbors to the west have legalized recreational marijuana. Nevada, to the south, and Canada, to the north, have as well. Montana has a legal medical marijuana market and Wyoming allows for CBD treatments. Even the conservative religious state of Utah saw a ballot measure pass in 2018 legalizing medical marijuana.

Idaho remains steadfast in its opposition to the weed’s spread. And now America is taking notice.

The state Senate expected this day would come. In 2013, with the passing of Senate Concurrent Resolution 112, Idaho legislators stated their opposition to all forms of marijuana legalization. The text of that resolution states, “drug legalization laws in neighboring states have already adversely impacted Idaho through cultural ac-

NEW

DAVID KING PHOTO

ceptance of drug use that reduces the perception of harm among children and increases drug use.”

How will a viral story like this impact Idaho’s stance?

Could it force lawmakers to reconsider things? After all, the world of weed has changed considerably since 2013.

There has been a cultural acceptance of marijuana use.

It’s happened among Idahoans, who now spend money out of state in order to get it. It’s happened nationally, with people across America laughing at a serious news story about the number 420.

Lawmakers can issue statements against the drug and governors can veto bills — as Butch Otter did in 2015 to keep CBD oil out of the hands of children with epilepsy — but marijuana is making its way into the Gem State regardless. And now everybody knows it. n

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NOTE TO READERS Be aware of the differences in the law between Idaho and Washington. It is illegal to possess, sell or transport cannabis in the State of Idaho. Possessing up to an ounce is a misdemeanor and can get you a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine; more than three ounces is a felony that can carry a fiveyear sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.

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

EVENTS | CALENDAR

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ALTERNATIVES TO CABLE TV & SATELLITE Many people are choosing nontraditional ways of getting their entertainment. Come learn how you, too, can save money and still watch TV. Jan. 25, 1-2:30 pm. Free. Hillyard Library, 4005 N. Cook St. (509-444-5300) CHINESE NEW YEAR FAMILY FUN Join us to learn about Chinese New Year, make a craft and enjoy a snack. Children under 6 should be accompanied by a caregiver. Jan. 25, 3-4 pm. Free. Hillyard Library, 4005 N. Cook St. (444-5300) COMMUNITY DANCE Sandpoint’s USA Dance Club celebrates its anniversary with a night club two-step lesson followed by general dancing, refreshments and door prizes until 10 pm. Jan. 25, 7-10 pm. $5-$9. Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 S. First Ave. (208-263-3317) EASTERN WASHINGTON LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE This year’s theme is “Making It Happen.” The conference includes presentations on tenants’ rights, housing and homelessness, gun violence, and other issues coming before the state legislature, plus workshops on shareholder advocacy, homelessness, climate change, racism, the census and refugees. Jan. 25, 8:30 am-3:30 pm. $15-$20. Spokane Valley United Methodist, 115 N. Raymond Rd. (535-4112) FRIENDS OF THE SPOKANE VALLEY LIBRARY BOOK SALE Proceeds support library programs, activities and services. Pre-sale 8:30-9:30 am ($10) followed by regular sale. Jan. 25, 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main. scldfriends.org INTRO TO LETTERPRESS: BROADSIDE POSTERS Learn the basics of typesetting and letterpress printing as you design a custom broadside poster. Jan. 25, 2 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Print & Publishing Center, 1925 N. Ash St. facebook. com/spokaneprint/ LION DANCE Join the SPL and Lion Dance Spokane for this joyous event on Chinese New Year’s Day welcoming the Year of the Rat. Jan. 25, 1-2 pm. Free. To Be Continued: A Spokane Public Library, 4750 N. Division St., Suite 1074. spokanelibrary.org (444-5300) LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION On the first day of Lunar New Year, the Spokane Chinese Association hosts a celebration including a culture fair, storytelling and performances. This year’s theme is “Descendants of the Dragon in Spokane: Our Culture, Our Stories.”

Sponsored by Spokane Arts, Jilin Sister City, and Kumon Spokane. Jan. 25, 1-6 pm. Free and open to the public. University High School, 12320 E. 32nd Ave. (926-6981) MAGIC THE GATHERING: LEARN TO PLAY Get a free deck and learn the most popular card game in the world during this weekly session, Saturdays from 1-2 pm. Free. The Comic Book Shop (NorthTown), 4750 N. Division. thecomicbookshop.net MORAN PRAIRIE LIBRARY BOOK SALE Proceeds benefit library programs and services. Jan. 25, 9 am-4 pm. Free.

Moran Prairie Library, 6004 S. Regal St. (509-893-8343) NO WAR, NO RACIST ISLAMOPHOBIA: MARCH & TEACH-IN Gather at the corner of Division and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive to march downtown and end with a short rally and teach-in at the.

Hosted by PJALS. Jan. 25, noon. Free.

Downtown Spokane. bit.ly/36fwSei SEED SWAP Learn about seed sav-

ing, and take home seed varieties that you won’t find anywhere else and that are well-adapted to our growing conditions. Jan. 25, 1-3 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315) SPELLING BEE The top three winners from each category face off against winners from the Athol, Rathdrum and Spirit Lake Libraries on Feb. 1 to win the District Champion title! Categories are youth (grades 4-8) and adult (grades 9 and up). Jan. 25, 1-3 pm. Free. Post Falls Library, 821 N. Spokane St. (208773-1506) DIGGING DEEPER INTO TAROT Courtney Weber presents an in-depth workshop on tarot. Bring your tarot decks and learn some of her techniques. Her book, “Tarot for One,” is also available for purchase. Jan. 26, 1-5 pm. $15 donation. Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main. (893-8400) WIDE OPEN: PANEL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ISRAEL Panel participants vary, but represent a range of political perspectives on the history and current events of Israel. Moderated by Rabbi Tamar Malino and Education Director Iris Berenstein. Jan. 26 and March 15 from 10 am-noon. Free. Temple Beth Shalom, 1322 E. 30th Ave. (747-3304) NERD CRAFT NIGHT SCHOOL: COMICS CRAFT Dive into the process of completing a comics page for publication.

Bring your own artwork to be completed or work on one of our comics pages.

All materials provided. 14+. Meets Jan. 27-28 from 6:30-9:30 pm. $30. Spokane Print & Publishing Center, 1925 N. Ash St. facebook.com/spokaneprint/ DOLLARS & SENSE: GIVE YOURSELF A RAISE Discover how to succeed with your budget and avoid money troubles.

Learn how to take control of your money, make achievable goals, and recognize predators. Jan. 29, 6-8 pm. Free.

Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main. scld.org/events (509-893-8400) DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Dungeon Master Dan Black leads an Adventurers Guild of character-driven, familyfriendly quests. For teens and adults.

Bring your dice. Free; no registration required. Meets Wed from 4:30-7:30 pm.

Free. Post Falls Library, 821 N. Spokane St. (208-773-1506) SPOKANE REGIONAL MENTAL HEALTH COURT: COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR The Spokane Regional Mental Health Court hosts this event on the second floor of the Public Safety Building every Wednesday from 9 amnoon. Individuals with court proceedings are welcome to meet with community agencies to obtain resources to assist in overcoming their personal and legal challenges. 9 am-noon. Free.

Spokane County Public Works Building, 1100 W. Mallon Ave. spokanecounty.org THE “HAVES” & “HAVE-NOTS” OF BIG TECH The “digital divide” is the separation between those with and without access to technology because of their socioeconomic status. Different regulatory schemes stand to expand the digital divide into other sectors of the virtuous cycle. Luke Batty, J.D. discusses these issues and more. Jan. 30, 7-8 pm.

Free. Gonzaga Hemmingson Center, 702 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu (313-6942) COLLEGE FINANCIAL PLANNING NIGHT This workshop covers the FAFSA form and other important information to understand in order to maximize the amount of financial aid your stu-

dent is eligible for. Jan. 30, 7 pm. Free.

Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main.

(893-8400) FOOD SUMMIT 2020: GROWING COMMUNITY SELF-RELIANCE Listen to presentations, participate in community round tables, enjoy local food tastings and help create a vision and actionable steps for growing our local food system.

Jan. 31, 9 am. $15-$25. Latah County Fairgrounds, 1021 Harold St., Moscow. pcfoodcoaltion.org KOOTENAI COUNTY SHERIFF CANDIDATE MEET & GREET Five people are running for Kootenai County Sheriff in 2020. Come meet the candidates, ask questions and register to vote. Calypsos is NOT formally endorsing any candidate, but simply giving the community a platform to inform themselves on an upcoming county-wide election. Feb. 1, 1-3 pm. Free. Calypsos Coffee Roasters, 116 E. Lakeside Ave. (208-665-0591)

FILM

COPYCAT CINEMA 2020 Join the Kenworthy, PACT EMS, and Idaho Central Credit Union for the first annual preOscars film competition. Jan. 23, 7 pm. $5; $20/family. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127) JOJO RABBIT Writer/director Taika Waititi brings his style of humor and pathos to this WWII satire that follows a lonely German boy whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his mother is hiding a young Jewish girl. PG-13. Jan. 23-26; times vary. $5$8. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org THE LIGHTHOUSE Director Robert Eggers presents a hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. Rated R. Jan. 23-26, times vary. $5-$8. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org (208-255-7801) WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL The 17th annual festival returns to Moscow with a selection of conservation films to inspire. Presented by the Idaho Chapter Sierra Club, the films combine cinematography and storytelling to inform and ignite solutions to ensure the conservation of wild and scenic places we all love. Proceeds benefit the Sierra Club’s Idaho Chapter. Jan. 24, 6 pm. $10/$15.

The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-384-1023) PARASITE Showing in the Little Theater, Parasite won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and is nominated for six Oscars including Best Feature Film. Rated R. Jan. 30-Feb. 2; times vary. $5-$8. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org OSCAR SHORTS See the 2020 Oscar nominated shorts in action, animation and documentary categories. Not rated.

Jan. 31-Feb. 2; times vary. $8-$22. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org

FOOD

COMMUNITY COOKING CLASS: WARM WINTER RECIPES Make one-pot chili and baked apples. This class is designed to teach families with limited resources how to cook nutritious meals on a budget. Registration required. Jan. 21 at 5:30 pm, Jan. 23 at 11:45 am. Free. Second Harvest Food Bank, 1234 E. Front Ave. secondharvestkitchen.org/ INSTANT POT COOKING Instant Pot maven Meegan Ware shares basic tips

for pressure cooking, how to create at least two recipes and hands out additional recipes. Jan. 23, 7-8 pm. Free.

Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main. scld.org/events (509-893-8400) ROBERT BURNS SCOTCH WHISKY TASTING An evening of prizes, music, food, some of Burn’s famous quotes, and fine samplings of Scotch. Reservations required. Jan. 23, 6 pm. $50. 315 Cuisine, 315 Wallace Ave. greenbriarcatering.com/315-cuisine SCOTCH & CIGARS Select a flight of whiskey, scotch or bourbon paired with a recommended cigar during an event on the outdoor patio. Thursdays, 6-10 pm. $15-$25. Prohibition Gastropub, 1914 N. Monroe. (474-9040) WINE EDUCATION CLASS: FRANCE RHONE VALLEY Discuss the grape that goes into making these deliciously friendly wines and look at how these very same grape varietals fare in Washington soils. Light snacks served. Jan. 23, 6:30 pm. $25. Petunias Marketplace, 2010 N. Madison. petuniasmarket.com GHANIAN NIGHT Inland Curry’s international dinner series continues with a celebration of Ghanaian food and culture with guest cooks. Jan. 25, 6 pm. $6.24-$27.24. Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. inlandcurry.com COMMUNITY COOKING CLASS: HEALTHY APPETIZERS & SMALL BITES Get ready to wow friends and family at your Super Bowl watch party, or any other gathering, with these small bites.

This class is designed to teach families with limited resources how to cook nutritious meals on a budget. Registration required. Jan. 28 at 5:30 pm and Jan. 30 at 11:45 am. Free. Second Harvest Food Bank, 1234 E. Front Ave. secondharvestkitchen.org/ (534-6678) INSTANT POT COOKING Instant Pot maven Meegan Ware shares basic tips for pressure cooking. Jan. 29, 6-7 pm.

Free. Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley Ave. scld.org/events WINE WEDNESDAY DINNER SERIES Nectar’s popular dinner is an educational and delicious way to explore culinary creations from around the world.

Wednesdays at 6 pm. $25-$140. Nectar Catering & Events, 120 N. Stevens. nectartastingroom.com ALL*STAR APPETIZERS Join Chef Brandon Dallara of Red Rock Catering and learn how to create appetizers for upcoming Super Bowl gatherings. Jan. 30, 5:30-7:30 pm. $25. Second Harvest Food Bank, 1234 E. Front Ave. secondharvestkitchen.org

MUSIC

AUDITORIUM CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES: PACIFICA QUARTET The series presents concerts by some of the world’s finest performers in classrooms and communities around the Palouse.

Jan. 23, 7:30 pm. $10-$25. University of Idaho Administration Building, 851 Campus Dr. uidaho.edu/class/acms/ BOGDAN OTA: REVERIE The European piano sensation’s classical crossover and symphonic albums were acclaimed by critics. Jan. 24, 3-4:30 pm. $20. Music City, 1322 N. Monroe. (625-6200) CONTRA DANCE A community style of dancing, led by Susan Dankovich with live music by Red Herring. No experience necessary; all ages. Jan. 24, 7 pm. $5. North Spokane Dance Center, 7424 N. Freya. squaredancespokane.org

JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 51

RELATIONSHIPS

Advice Goddess I HAVE A GLEAM...

I’m a straight woman, and at my recent birthday party, several people remarked about this other woman, also straight, “Whoa, is she infatuated with you, or what?”

Straight women getting intense girl crushes on me has actually been a pattern in my life. Weird. A friend says I have “charisma” but couldn’t really explain what that is.

—Mysteriously Popular Charisma is human magnetism. If you’re a mugger with charisma, you don’t even have to hold people up at gunpoint. They just come over and offer you their wallet.

Charisma can seem mysterious and magical — like psychological catnip for humans — but organizational psychologist Ronald Riggio explains that it comes out of a “constellation of ... social and emotional skills” that allow a person to “inspire others at a deep emotional level.”

This charisma skill set includes being gifted at talking, listening, connecting, and reading the room. When charismatic people talk, they grab others’ attention and emotions by being “real” — spontaneous and genuine. They’re usually great listeners, making people feel heard and understood. And they tend to be powerful public speakers, converting masses of people into followers with their voice, words, and presence.

Take Martin Luther King Jr., booming out — almost singing — “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” That idea gets its mojo sucked out if it’s delivered by some nervous little pastor, mumbling, “Uh...I hope my kids can someday live in a country where people understand that skin color isn’t what’s really important.”

Though people with charisma are psychologically captivating, a person doesn’t have to be physically attractive to have it. Among world leaders considered charismatic, Mahatma Gandhi had a little round head hijacked by a giant mustachioed schnoz, and Golda Meir, the former prime minister of Israel, looked like she killed a small animal with matted fur and wore it as a hairdo.

Charisma might seem like the personality version of latte foam — nice but unnecessary for human functioning. However, research by evolutionary psychologist Allen Grabo suggests that we evolved to have “psychological mechanisms which enable an individual — the potential follower — to make automatic, rapid and reasonably accurate assessments” of others’ leadership potential. Getting behind an effective leader would’ve allowed ancestral humans “to coordinate effectively and efficiently” for hunting, warfare, and other “recurrent” challenges so they could survive and pass on their genes.

Even people without much charisma can benefit by borrowing from the skill set of the charismatic. (Who among us couldn’t do with being a more attentive listener?) But lucky you; you have a social superpower — the power to charm the masses into following your lead. Hopefully, you’ll use it to do good, like by being a Pied Piper for kindness, as opposed to, say, starting a high-end travel business-slash-death cult: “Cyanide-tinis on the Lido Deck at 5!”

AMY ALKON

SPURNER PHONE

My boyfriend of nine years often doesn’t reply to my texts and emails. He says that we talk daily, and whatever’s in my message could be discussed then. Well, it hurts my feelings to get zero response. Not even an emoji. —Increasingly Angry Communicating with a man should not compare unfavorably with yelling into a manhole. (Shout “Hello?” into the sewer and you’ll at least get the courtesy of a faint “hellooo” or two back.)

An email to your boyfriend is not just an email. It’s what marriage researchers John Gottman and Janice Driver call a “bid for connection” — one of many small attempts people in relationships make to get their partner’s attention, affection, or emotional support. In response, their partner could ignore the bid (“turn away”), express irritation (“turn against”), or reply lovingly (“turn toward”) — even just with a smile, a nod, or a hug.

In Gottman and Driver’s research, newlywed couples who had “turned toward” each other 86% of the time, on average, were still married six years later. The couples who ended up divorced had a 33% turn-toward rate. On a bleak note, Gottman writes, “I think that you can sometimes actually see people crumple physically when their partner has turned away from their bid for connection.”

Explain the “bid for connection” thing to your boyfriend. Tell him you’re just looking for some tiny loving reply to your texts and emails — even an emoji or two. He’s human, so he might sometimes let a message slip by unanswered. But if he mostly responds, you’ll mostly feel loved instead of “increasingly angry” that messaging him feels like grabbing a handful of words and hurling them into the void. (Of course, in space, no one can hear you scream, but here on Earth, the neighbors tend to call the cops 10 minutes into a blowout.) n ©2020, 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)

52 INLANDER JANUARY 23, 2020

EVENTS | CALENDAR FACULTY ARTIST SERIES: CANTIAMO! A Triangle of Love: Robert, Clara and Johannes celebrate the love and friendship between the Romantic era composers Robert and Clara Schumann with Johannes Brahms. Jan. 24, 7:309:30 pm. Free/$10. Bryan Hall Theatre (WSU), 605 Veterans Way. (335-7696) KPBX KIDS’ CONCERT: ZONKY JAZZ BAND The band plays music from the 1920s including by from Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Ella Fitzgerald. Jan. 25, 1 pm. Free. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave. spokanepublicradio.org THE MOUNTAIN DEW BOYS A bluegrass tribute to Hank Williams. Jan. 25, 6:30 pm. $7. Green Bluff Grange, 9809 Green Bluff Rd. greenbluffgrowers.com PIXAR IN CONCERT WITH THE SPOKANE SYMPHONY This multimedia family show features montages of memorable clips from Pixar’s 14 films, including Cars, WALL•E, Ratatouille, A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and Brave, all accompanied by live symphony orchestra. Jan. 25 at 7 pm and Jan. 26 at 3 pm. $20-$103. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. foxtheaterspokane.org GONZAGA FACULTY CELLO RECITAL: KEVIN HEKMATPANAH A celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday, featuring the complete sonatas and variations for cello and piano, performed by Kevin Hekmatpanah and Archie Chen. Jan. 26 at 7 pm and March 22 at 4 pm. Free and open to the public. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/mwpac (313-6733) CONTRA DANCE The Spokane Folklore Society’s weekly dance, with Crooked Kilt playing the tunes and caller Mitchell Frye leading the dance moves. Jan. 29, 7:30 pm. $6-$7, students under 18 free.

Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. spokanefolklore.org GERRY MULLIGAN’S ALL STARS Enjoy the music of Gerry Mulligan, performed by the musicians who worked with him.

Jan. 30, 6:30-8:30 pm. $12-$18. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FEST The festival rolls into Coeur d’Alene with mountain culture, adventure and sport.

Jan. 24-25 at 7 pm; Jan. 26 at 6 pm. $20. Schuler Performing Arts Center, 1000 W. Garden Ave. (208-769-7780) BIKE MAINTENANCE 101 This workshop helps you learn to catch potential problems before they develop into safety hazards, and covers the A-B-C’s of basic bike maintenance: air, brakes and chain. Jan. 24, 7 pm. Free. Wheel Sport South, 3020 S. Grand Bvld. wheelsportbikes.com (509-326-3977) GREAT TO SKATE An open house in honor of National Skating Month, where members of Lilac City Figure Skating answer questions and help you discover the magic of skating. Jan. 25, 11:45 am-1:15 pm. Free. Eagles IceA-Rena, 6321 N. Addison St. lcfsc.org/ great2skate/ (599-3974) JAN-YOU SEE IT? OPEN HOUSE This month’s open house is focused on optical illusions and light. Have fun with light bending prisms, optical illusion books, mirror games, and a scavenger hunt. Jan. 25, 10 am-2 pm. $5 suggested donation. West Valley Outdoor

Learning Center, 8706 E. Upriver Drive.

(509-340-1028) PBR PENDELTON WHISKY VELOCITY TOUR: SPOKANE CLASSIC For the first time in a half-decade, Spokane hosts the PBR (Professional Bull Riders), America’s original extreme sport. Jan. 25, 7 pm. $17-$152. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com THE PATH TO BECOMING AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION PADDLER Dan Henderson, head coach of the Cascade Canoe & Kayak Racing Team, shares what it takes to be on the path to become an Olympic Champion Paddler. Jan. 27, 7-9 pm. Free. Mountain Gear Corporate Offices, 6021 E. Mansfield Ave. sckc.ws FLY FISHING FILM TOUR The 14th annual festival features exclusive shorts from coast to coast and beyond. Jan. 28, 7 pm. $18. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. bingcrosbytheater.com TUBE CLINIC A hands on clinic using your own bike to learn how to replace your tire and/or tube. Jan. 29, Feb. 12 and Feb. 26 at 5 pm. Free. Wheel Sport North, 9501 N. Newport Hwy. wheelsportbikes.com

THEATER

ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE A musical comedy featuring original songs and beloved Jimmy Buffett classics.

Jan. 21-26; times vary. $52-$100. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane. com (800-325-7328) FUN HOME When her father dies unexpectedly, graphic novelist Alison dives deep into her past to tell the story of the volatile, brilliant, one-of-a-kind man. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Feb. 2. $23-$25. Lake City Playhouse, 1320 E. Garden Ave. facebook.com/lakecityplayhouse/ MANDELSTAM Osip Mandelstam was a great Russian poet who was persecuted and sent to Siberia for writing a poem about Stalin’s mustache. Nigro’s dark comedy pulls us into the world of despotism, following Mandelstam into a nightmarish world. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. through Jan. 26. $15-$25.

Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. spokanestageleft.org (838-9727) PRESENT LAUGHTER Present Laughter premiered in the early years of WWII, just as formerly privileged lives were threatened with fundamental social change. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Feb. 2. $15-$25. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com (325-2507) A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER When low-born Monty Navarro finds out he’s eighth in line for an earldom in the D’Ysquith family, he figures his chances of outliving his predecessors are slight and sets off down a far more ghoulish path. Jan. 24-Feb. 23; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $10-$35. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard. spokanecivictheatre.com THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES This smash off-Broadway hit takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom. Includes dinner by Mangia Catering. Jan. 24-26 at 6 pm. $60. Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. (208-660-2958) THE THREE MUSKETEERS Enjoy this adaptation of Alexander Dumas’ classic story of three swordsmen plus one young man who dreams to become one

of them. Jan. 24-Feb. 9; Fri at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $12-$16. Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. spokanechildrenstheatre.org (328-4886) MET LIVE IN HD: AKHNATEN Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo headlines American composer Philip Glass’s transcendent contemporary creation. Jan. 25 at 9:55 am; Jan. 27 encore at 6:30 pm. $15-$20. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127) PASS OVER A reading of Antoinette Nwandu’s examination of contemporary racial strife, as part The Folio Program. Jan. 27, 7 pm. $5. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third. spokanestageleft.org

VISUAL ARTS

DANIEL SHIEH: GAZING A 3-minute immersive experience inside a completely dark room. Before entering, participants put on earplugs and goggles that illuminate their eyes. Inside, they walk freely in darkness and silence, seeing each other solely as floating pairs of eyes. Jan. 23-26, 5-8 pm. Free.

Kolva-Sullivan Gallery, 115 S. Adams St. kolva-sullivangallery.com/ HONEST MYTH A mischievous yet mysterious show featuring artist and sculptor Chris Bivins. Through Feb. 15; TueSat from 11 am-6 pm. Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman. theartspiritgallery.com NONTRADITIONAL PRINTMAKING TECHNIQUES In this workshop, students work with paint, Styrofoam, brayers and pens. Ages 10+ Jan. 25, 9 am-noon. $40. Spokane Art School, 811 W. Garland Ave. spokaeartschool.net FAMILY DINNER: OPEN STUDIO, POTLUCK & RAFFLE The Richmond Art Collective’s quarterly potluck and open studio event. See what member artists are working on and learn more about the RAC. Event is free; visitors are asked to bring something to share. Jan. 26, 6-9 pm. Free. Richmond Art Collective, 228 W. Sprague. (805-895-1419)

WORDS

PUNDERGROUND The top three improvised punners, plus an audiencevoted MVP get punny prizes. Sign ups start at 7, show at 7:30. Jan. 23, 7-9 pm.

Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org BROKEN MIC Spokane Poetry Slam’s longest-running, weekly open mic series. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm; sign-ups at 6:15 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit.ly/2ZAbugD (847-1234) MY SOUL IS FILLED WITH JOY: A HOLOCAUST STORY A multimedia, multi-generational interactive story of family, survival, love and luck. The award-winning book tells the story of author Karen Treiger’s in-laws, Holocaust survivors Sam and Ester Goldberg. Jan. 29, 5 pm. $6.24. Southside Community Center, 3151 E. 27th Ave. sssac.org (535-0803) FROM MEXICAN TO MEXICAN-AMERICAN: A FAMILY IMMIGRATION STORY Based on professor Carlos Gil’s book, “We Became Mexican-American: How Our Immigrant Family Survived to Pursue the American Dream,” this talk explores Mexican immigration by spotlighting his own family’s experience in southern California. Jan. 30, noon. Free.

Foley Speakers Room, Bryan Hall, WSU Pullman. humanities.org (335-3477) n

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JANUARY 23, 2020 INLANDER 53

COEUR D ’ ALENE

cda4.fun for more events, things to do & places to stay.

Your Everyday Getaway Escape to Coeur d’Alene this week and find live music, boat cruises, ski hills, hundreds of shops... and that’s on Wednesday! Check out our online calendar and plan your Tuesday or Wednesday or any day! There’s always something fun going on.

More Than Full

Come hungry and thirsty, leave sated and smiling at the third annual Food and Wine Festival

G

o for the food, stay for the wine. Or vice versa. There’s plenty of both at the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s third annual FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL, Friday, Feb. 7-9.

coeurdalene.org

Start the weekend with a twilight tasting, 6-10 pm on Friday inside the resort’s convention center ($69). Sample from gourmet small plates, listen to live music and share the bounty of such wineries as Barrister, Bontzu Cellars, Goose Ridge, J. Lohr, L’Ecole, Maryhill and Seven Hills ($69).

Or ride the elevator up to Beverly’s and enjoy a three-hour, oh-so-elegant wine pairing dinner — only 50 tickets available — prepared by Beverly’s award-winning executive chef, Jim Barrett ($225).

Saturday gives you many, many options.

Take a wine pairing class with the actual winemaker, who will share their suggestions for the perfect pairing and all the details on how they make their amazing wine ($35).

Classes are Saturday, 10-11 am and 11:30 am12:30 pm.

Lunch on Saturday is lakeside with two options, both 1-3 pm ($69). Cedars has teamed up with local Coeur d’Alene fave, Coeur d’Alene Cellars to bring you a winepaired lunch while Beverly’s is joined by Barrister Winery from Spokane. What a great opportunity to hear from both the winemakers and the culinary team.

Saturday evening is going to be a tough choice. Do you head to the Hagadone C O E U R

D ’A L E N E

Upcoming Events

COEUR D’ALENE

The Marvelous Wonderettes

Coeur d’Alene Symphony

This smash off-Broadway hit presented

by CDA Summer Theatre takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where we meet Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! Tickets $60 and include dinner and

Maestro Jan Pellant and the Coeur d’Alene Symphony present the wonderful children’s story of Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev, narrated by Stephen Shortridge, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. $20 adults, $15

JANUARY 24-26

dessert; 7 pm, North Idaho College Schuler Performing Arts Center.

JANUARY 24-25

senior, $10 youth; Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 2 pm; pre-concert lecture begins 45 minutes prior to each performance.

Event Center — gorgeous views all year long — for the Lakeside Dinner Experience?

It’s a combination cruise, cocktail hour, live entertainment and a fabulous dinner amongst wine-tasting tables representing Forgeron, J. Lohr and Sheridan Vineyard ($125). Or do you head to the seventh floor — all the lake glitters below you before your eyes — where Beverly’s welcomes you and an intimate group of other wine-and-food enthusiasts to enjoy a memorable wine dinner featuring the incomparable L’Ecole ($125)?

Sunday the festivities come to a close with a three-hour grand tasting with up to a dozen wineries, including Seven Hills, Thurston Wolfe, Palencia, Camas Prairie and Reininger, as well as chef demonstrations from such culinary celebrities as Bravo TV’s Top Chef, Chad White and Ricky Webster, winner of Hallmark Channel’s Christmas Cookie Matchup. ($52).

And if you follow food, you know that Isabel Laessig is a star in the blogosphere with her heartwarming Family Foodie blog and most recent push to resurrect the traditional Sunday supper. Check the resort website for details and where and how to hear Laessig speak.

Also, look for great overnight packages on cdaresort.com for both Friday night’s twilight tasting (starting at $269) or Saturday’s Lakeside Dinner Experience ($369).

HOT WINTER NIGHTS THROUGH FEBRUARY

Bask in the frosted views of a wintery Lake Coeur d’Alene, surrounded by radiant white twinkle lights and toasty warming fires when the Coeur d’Alene Resort turns its outdoor infinity pool into a giant hot tub. Warming tent access and winter-themed cocktails add to the amenities. Overnight packages start at $199.

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