Inlander 02/08/2024

ABSENT

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE HASN’T RECOVERED PAGE 10

LOVE ME DO HOW TO CELEBRATE ST. VALENTINE’S PAGE 31

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All Creatures

GREAT & SMALL

We use them for food, service, companionship and competition — but what do animals really mean to us?

By Eliza Billingham page 20

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VOL. 31, NO. 18 | COVER PHOTO: ERICK DOXEY

COMMENT 5 10 NEWS COVER STORY 20 28 CULTURE

FOOD 34 SCREEN 40 MUSIC 42 EVENTS 46

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e like animals here at the Inlander.

There’s our annual Pet Issue. And Oslo, our new fluffy canine intern who comes to work every now and again with his human parents, Tamara and Jer. The snow white pigeon who recently hung around the Centennial Trail for a couple of weeks held our rapt attention. We celebrate marmot sightings, and ooohhh at the glimpse of the rare bald eagle winging above the Spokane River gorge.

This week, we report on the special relationships some of us have with animals. But this is decidedly not a pet issue. The animals featured here have a job to do. In ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, Eliza Billingham explores what it’s like to treat an animal “as a professional, or a competitor, or a method to sustain life.”

Because, let’s face it, we may cherish those loving relationships we have with our pets, but many other animals we interact with are put to work. So snuggle up with your favorite lap beast, and read about some of the other ways we get along with the creatures we call our companions.

— NICHOLAS DESHAIS, editor

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COMMENT STAFF DIRECTORY PHONE: 509-325-0634 Ted S. McGregor Jr. (tedm@inlander.com) PUBLISHER

Jer McGregor (x224) GENERAL MANAGER

EDITORIAL Nicholas Deshais (x239)

WHAT DOES THE PERFECT VALENTINE’S DAY LOOK LIKE TO YOU? ROBIN VELAZQUEZ

I’m planning to bring in some flowers and little vases [to my store Rejuvenate] and hand out gift certificates to random people just to see them smile. Making other people happy would be perfect for Valentine’s Day.

EDITOR

Chey Scott (x225) ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Seth Sommerfeld (x250) MUSIC & SCREEN EDITOR

Samantha Wohlfeil (x234) BREAKING NEWS EDITOR

Madison Pearson (x218) LISTINGS EDITOR

Eliza Billingham (x222), Colton Rasanen (x263) Nate Sanford (x282), Summer Sandstrom (x232) STAFF WRITERS

Chris Frisella COPY CHIEF

Young Kwak, Erick Doxey PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lucy Klebeck

MICHELLE PETRILLI

Dinner in, with my husband cooking and something chocolate and decadent. I’m 61 and I’ve been with my husband since I was 14 years old, so we’ve had a lot of Valentine’s dates together.

Is there some secret to such a lasting relationship?

You’ve just gotta be really forgiving, and keep on loving.

INTERN

Lawrence B.A. Hatter, E.J. Iannelli, Will Maupin, Carrie Shriver CONTRIBUTORS

ADVERTISING Skip Mitchell (x247) ADVERTISING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Carolyn Padgham (x214), Kristi Gotzian (x215), Autumn Potts (x251), Claire Price (x217) SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

KRISTA CUMMINGS

A nice slow morning, with some good breakfast and then a nice dinner. You could start the day with a little coffee shop date and then go get some nice Italian food for dinner.

Is Italian food the go to for a romantic dinner?

I think they definitely set the scene. We were actually talking about going to Italia Trattoria for Valentine’s Day.

Tracy Menasco (x260), Stephanie Grinols (x216), Meghan Fitzgerald (x241) ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Tamara McGregor (x233) ADVERTISING OPERATIONS MANAGER

PRODUCTION Ali Blackwood (x228) PRODUCTION TEAM MANAGER, CREATIVE, DIGITAL & MARKETING

SUZANNE NILES

I would travel back to Waikiki Beach, where [my husband and I] were sitting 46 years ago and he sang his proposal to me. The night he proposed we were at this beautiful restaurant right on the beach. I would want to go back and reenact that moment.

Tom Stover (x265) PRINT PRODUCTION & IT MANAGER

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CIRCULATION

DEBI ACKER

Just spending the evening with my husband and going out to dinner.

Where are y’all going on this perfect night?

Clinkerdagger. I love their food and their building, And, I love that you can see the falls from there. The atmosphere is just so romantic there.

Frank DeCaro (x226) CIRCULATION MANAGER

Travis Beck (x237) CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR

INTERVIEWS BY COLTON RASANEN 2/1/24, NORTH MONROE BUSINESS DISTRICT

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 5

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The Houthis aim to shut down one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

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Free Trade in the Crosshairs The bombing of Houthis in Yemen is reminiscent of the War of 1812, when America found itself in a situation it could not control

BY LAWRENCE B.A. HATTER

F

ollowing almost two months of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, U.S. and British forces have launched repeated strikes against Houthi rebel military sites in Yemen. Named for their founder Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi, the Yemen militia group are militant Islamists, who claim that their missile and drone strikes on merchant ships in the Red Sea are designed to support the Palestinian people during Israel’s invasion of Gaza. Though the Biden administration has largely been supportive of Israel’s military response to the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, the White House has framed the recent U.S.-led military strikes in

6 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Yemen as a defense of free trade, rather than as a new front in Israel’s war.

The Red Sea is part of one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, as it lies south of the Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. The Houthi campaign threatens to close this critical artery of international trade, which would have serious implications for the global economy because of the increased cost and significant delay of rerouting traffic around the cape peninsula of South Africa.

America has fought for the cause of free trade from its founding. But the War of 1812 reminds us that these conflicts can be unpredictable and ultimately self-defeating.

F

ree trade was one of the great promises of the American Revolution. Before independence, the British Empire had governed

colonial trade through the Trade and Navigation Acts passed by Parliament in the 17th century. Based on mercantilist principles of finite wealth, these rules restricted trade between Britain’s colonies and those of its European rivals, like France and Spain.

Britain did not want its colonies enriching the economies of its rivals. Independence freed the United States from these economic constraints.

Some of the Founders, notably Thomas Jefferson and his protégé James Madison, also believed that free trade could revolutionize world affairs by making war obsolete. If the nations of the world formed mutually beneficial trade ties between them, there would no longer be any need for countries to go to war.

Ironically, the United States went to war to realize its vision of a new era of global peace through free trade.

The United States fought for free trade in 1812. The fledgling republic found itself stuck in the middle of the titanic deathstruggle between Great Britain and Napoleonic France. While U.S. merchants had once successfully exploited their neutral status to capture trade from the two belligerent powers, both Britain and France soon tried to blockade one another into oblivion. U.S. merchants found themselves targeted by both navies, but after Britain’s decisive victory over the Franco-Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, the Royal Navy emerged as the chief antagonist of free trade. Jefferson tried to coerce the belligerent powers into respecting neutral trading rights through the Embargo and Nonintercourse Acts, but all this did was cause financial hardship in American port cities as ships were laid up and sailors unemployed.

“Ironically, the United States went to war to realize its vision of a new era of global peace through free trade.”

The United States went to war with the British Empire in 1812 with the rallying cry of “Free Trade and Sailors’ Rights.”

Britain was distracted by its struggle against Napoleon in Europe, but there were no easy victories for the United States. The U.S. Navy distinguished itself in small actions during the opening months of the war, but the American invasion of Canada proved disastrous. The war was a divisive conflict among the American people, who suffered the indignity of British troops capturing Washington, D.C., and burning the White House in 1814.

While Andrew Jackson’s victory at the Battle of New Orleans bolstered American morale, the public was overjoyed to learn that the battle took place after the war had already ended when news of peace arrived from the negotiations in Ghent, Belgium, in early 1815.

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he United States has a long history of supporting free trade for both ideological and economic reasons. But the War of 1812 reminds us that these conflicts can all too easily escalate, particularly in the context of a wider conflagration like the Napoleonic Wars in 1812 and the Israeli invasion of Gaza today.

The truth is that it wasn’t the War of 1812 that ended up protecting free trade, it was actually the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the extended period of peace that followed in Europe that meant that U.S. merchants no longer needed to fear the intervention of Britain or France in their business.

If the Biden administration wants to protect maritime shipping in the Red Sea, it would be better off helping to end the war in Gaza than launching ineffective strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. n Lawrence B.A. Hatter is an award-winning author and associate professor of early American history at Washington State University. These views are his own and do not reflect those of WSU.

Thirty works you’ve never seen, from the artist who transcended the bullshit.

FEBRUARY 3 — JUNE 3, 2024

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 7

COMMENT | READERS REACT CORRECTIONS About 4% of Washington residents are Black, according to the 2020 census. We got the number wrong in a September 2023 Green Zone column about the state’s social equity program. Our bad, but we swear we hadn’t ingested any cannabis when we wrote and edited it.

KOOL rocks the oldies on the right side of your dial. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DERRICK KING

Readers react to Carrie Shriver’s article about KOOL 107.1 FM, the region’s oldies station (“Oldies But a Goodie,” 1/25/2024):

8 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

TERI MCGINNIS: I listen every day! Also, I am a financial supporter. Gotta have my oldies!

STEVE SCHAEFER: Love KOOL 107.1. They are iconic. Very unique playlist.

DONNA DECKER: I never knew about this station, but I will for sure be listening! I love the oldies!

Great music, great memories.

DAX MARSHALL: Better than the garbage kids listen to today.

MARILYN LARSON: I love it too. It helps me cook, clean the kitchen, and not mind the work. I became a contributor also one time when they were having a pledge drive and I realized they need supporters to continue.

DANNY SALDANA: Back then we had artists write their own music, but now we got producers writing music for them. Music completely changed the era.

Spokane City Council member Paul Dillon used to be vice president of public affairs for the local Planned Parenthood. We got his former title wrong in a story covering his campaign. The mistake wasn’t planned, but it’s apparent that we should be more careful.

On Nov. 2 we misspelled the name of a Pennsylvania-based liberal political consulting group. It’s Bracken. Rhymes with “slacking (on copy editing).”

We misspelled Jonathan Middleton’s name once, and correctly twice, in a Nov. 30 story.

On Dec. 14 we mistakenly referred to the Spokane River’s key species as red brown trouts. It would be more concise to say maroon trouts or rust trouts, but that’s wrong too. They are red band trouts.

In our Jan. 18 issue, we misrepresented Benji Wade’s role in creating the name and crest of our soon-tobe soccer club, the Spokane Velocity. Wade was part of a team. Corrections 1, Inlander nil.

In our Feb. 1 issue we could’ve been clearer about how Anne-Claire Mitchell has worked with the MAC. She’s an independent curator who has worked with the MAC in the past.

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EDUCATION

Where Have All the Students Gone?

A post-pandemic drop in student attendance across Washington still has educators wondering how to get students back in class

BY COLTON RASANEN

K on.

ids these days just aren’t getting perfect attendance like they used to. We can add that to the list of things that COVID got its grubby hands

Before the pandemic, student attendance was at an all-time high in Washington. In the 2019-20 school year, fewer than 10% of students were chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 10% of the school year, which translates to about two days a month or 18 days a year.

At Spokane Public Schools, even fewer students missed school pre-pandemic, with just about 5% of them considered chronically absent.

Yet in the last four years, we’ve seen this record high

10 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

attendance turn into dismal lows, with regular attendance plummeting by about 21 percentage points.

In Washington, 30.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year. In other words, about 330,000 of the state’s nearly 1.1 million students missed too many days. That’s a slight improvement over the previous school year, when 32.8% of students were chronically absent, according to the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

There are many reasons why students may be absent, but the most common reasons across all grade levels are physical illness and mental health, according to Krissy Johnson, OSPI assistant director of attendance and engagement.

“Certainly after the pandemic we’ve seen families deal with an increase in illness,” Johnson says. “As a parent myself, I know I’m much more careful now.”

OSPI recently interviewed about 1,200 students about why they missed class. In these one-on-one conversations, 56% of the students said that they were absent because they were sick. (COVID accounted for about 31% of those absences.)

“When [students are] not in attendance it can signify that something is going on in their personal lives,” Johnson says.

Other than being sick, many students — particularly middle and high school students — said they were absent because they don’t feel like they have the support needed to succeed.

S

pokane Public Schools and the Central Valley School District are Spokane County’s largest districts, and both recorded a similar proportion of absentee students, with 28.7% and 30.7%, respectively, in the 2022-23 school year.

The West Valley School District sits between these two large districts. And even though it’s much smaller — with only about 3,500 students compared to SPS’ almost 29,500 students and CVSD’s 14,700 students — it has one of the worst recorded attendance rates in Eastern Washington.

According to OSPI data, the district recorded nearly 40% of its students being chronically absent in the 202223 school year. At West Valley High School the numbers are far worse with only 53.5% of its students regularly attending.

This was also one of the few districts statewide to

At Spokane’s Franklin Elementary School, 79% of students regularly attended class in the 2022-23 school year, down from the 98.7% recorded in 2019-20, the year the pandemic began. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

have its regular attendance continue to decrease, rather than the slight increase that was seen in schools across the state for the 2022-23 school year.

West Valley Superintendent Kyle Rydell, however, says the situation isn’t as dire as it appears. Due to staff turnover and reporting errors, he says the numbers reported to the state were incorrect.

In Washington, about 330,000 of the state’s nearly 1.1 million students were chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year.

While his administration team is still working to figure out exactly what the district’s attendance rate is, Rydell believes that his district’s regular attendance rate is in the 70-80% range — a marked improvement from the previous year, but still less than it was before the pandemic.

Even so, Rydell blames the lasting effects of a pandemic for the increased student absences.

“We were asking students and their families to stay home for long periods of time for quarantine,” he says. “I think we’re seeing the ripple effect of family members following quarantine protocols, and that’s what dropped a lot of attendance down.”

Many teachers in the district place their assignments and ...continued on page 12

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 11

NEWS | EDUCATION

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“WHERE HAVE ALL THE STUDENTS GONE?,” CONTINUED... lessons on sites like Google Classroom, so students can complete their assignments even if they’re sick and unable to come to school. But, this doesn’t make up for actual instruction time.

“It’s hard to get students caught back up because missing instruction is hard,” Rydell says. “There may be situations where there are unique circumstances, but we’re still trying to do everything we can to make sure kids are learning.”

Students in the West Valley School District aren’t allowed to attend class virtually like they could during the pandemic. So even though their assignments are online, if they don’t attend in person, they’re still missing class instruction.

S KSPS PBS Future Day is a FREE family event full of hands-on play designed to ignite curiosity about the world of work.

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o how do schools get more students to regularly attend class?

Educators have been asking this question since long before the pandemic, and they’ll probably still be asking it through the next one.

The answer for West Valley High School Principal Ryan Mulvey is pretty simple: reengage students in their education. This means that instead of trying to just get butts in seats, educators need to work to make sure their students feel some sort of agency in their education.

That’s why Mulvey started an initiative at West Valley High School called “Eagle Time,” a 30-minute period, three days a week. For those who may be struggling to stay caught up in a class, this is a time where they can get extra help.

Students who are caught up on all their work use this as time to connect with their teachers through non-curriculum classes.

Mulvey says these are often based on teachers’ personal interests.

For example, a recent offering saw students learning how to tie a

IDAHO, TOO

Absenteeism isn’t unique to Washington schools. Districts nationwide have been experiencing high levels of chronic absenteeism in recent years. In Idaho, 20.6% of students were chronically absent in 2022, which decreased to 17.1% in 2023.

In the Coeur d’Alene School District, 13.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2022 school year, according to the Idaho Department of Education. That increased to 22.2% of students in the 2023 school year — a 60% (or about 800 more students) jump in a single year.

Idaho only started collecting data on absenteeism last year, according to Valerie Steffen, accountability and reporting coordinator at the Idaho Department of Education, so there isn’t any way to compare these statistics to any year prior to the pandemic.

— COLTON RASANEN

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Franklin Elementary second grade teacher Nickalous Reykdal speaks to his students on Monday. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

fly for fishing, according to Mulvey.

“There are lots of different skills taught to students,” he says.

“They’re getting the opportunity to make that connection with an adult at school, and it’s helping us bring kids back to school.”

“More and more students are trying harder to stay current in their classrooms,” Mulvey continues.

Since implementing this initiative, Mulvey says more students than ever before are on track to graduate on time and the number of students who were failing one or more of their classes has decreased by half. (We won’t know until next year how this program affected attendance.)

Other school districts in the Inland Northwest are working with third-party organizations like Communities In Schools to address issues like chronic absenteeism along with other behavioral and academic problems.

Right now, Communities in Schools works with SPS, CVSD, Cheney Public Schools, East Valley School District and Medical Lake School District.

According to its program manager Alyssa Gonzalez, each school has its own site coordinator in an effort to further individualize the support they provide.

Gonzalez says it’s much easier to address absenteeism in elementary schools because it’s often not the child’s choice to miss school.

“We find that it’s not the student’s fault that they’re not in school,” Gonzalez explains. “Truly the biggest barrier is parents not having the ability to get students to school.”

So to address this they may implement programs like the Walking School Bus, which has one or more adults walking with a group of students so they can safely get to school in time for that first bell.

While working in middle and high schools, Gonzalez says the work is less about how to get students to school and more about how to get them interested in school. Part of that, she says, is addressed by finding mentors for these students.

“Mentorship is something we hear a lot about,” Gonzalez says. “Students knowing that there is a person there that truly cares about them is so important for them to engage more in school.”

Even with all the assistance that students are getting, attendance in the state has only increased by a few percentage points, leaving many to wonder if the numbers will ever rebound to their pre-pandemic totals.

Mulvey, however, thinks this framing of “getting back to normal” is actually harmful to the work that’s been done in schools.

“The pandemic wasn’t all bad,” he says. “We’ve learned a lot of lessons that will help our students succeed.” n coltonr@inlander.com

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NEWS | GOVERNMENT

Fighting a west Spokane wildfire in August 2023. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

Waiting on Relief Spokane County wildfire victims seek help from state, federal government as recovery continues

disaster and allow Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance to move forward.

Until it’s clear whether that federal relief is coming, it’s hard to move forward with other potential relief such as low-interest home loans from the Small Business Administration, says Medical Lake Mayor Terri Cooper.

Because there wasn’t enough damage to public infrastructure to automatically qualify the area for public assistance from FEMA (the threshold is about $37 million), Cooper says that both public and individual relief requested by Gov. Jay Inslee is waiting on a presidential declaration.

“Because we didn’t meet those automatic thresholds, it has to go in as a special request,” Cooper says. “Our losses were all homes. … Usually the public assistance then triggers the individual assistance. We haven’t received either of those.”

Individuals have already had to shell out money to test for asbestos and get certified contractors to clear debris. Cooper says Medical Lake also rallied volunteers to clear tens of thousands of damaged trees that could have cost each homeowner thousands of dollars to remove. Everything down to the foundation and the soil underneath burned homes needs to be replaced, she says.

While Spokane County will reimburse homeowners for the asbestos tests with some money provided by the state, it’s unclear how much federal money might be able to reimburse the extensive cleanup that’s already been done.

The long wait to learn whether federal relief is coming has frustrated those leading the recovery process, and it’s a familiar situation.

U

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

I

t’s been almost half a year since devastating wildfires swept through the Medical Lake area and Elk on the same day, destroying more than 360 structures and killing two people in Spokane County.

While about half of the people who lost their homes have already filed plans to rebuild, the other half are still working through the process.

State and federal resources are available, but recovery has been stalled somewhat as emergency managers wait to learn whether President Joe Biden will declare the fires a

.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, introduced the MALDEN (Making Aid for Local Disasters Equal Now) Act last week to address those wait times. Named for the Palouse town of Malden that was almost totally destroyed by the Babb Road Fire in 2020, the act is companion legislation to a House bill by the same name introduced late last year by U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. The legislation intends to speed up decision making at the federal level and would require FEMA to provide caseworkers for rural individuals impacted by a disaster even if individual assistance is denied.

McMorris Rodgers met with Spokane County commissioners and state and local emergency managers to discuss the federal holdup on Jan. 24 during a wildfire roundtable.

“This becomes an issue. It became an issue following Malden and again, it’s becoming an issue here where we’re in this waiting period,” McMorris Rodgers told the roundtable.

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“The MALDEN Act would provide, even before all of these assessments and emergency declarations, that FEMA would bring in the caseworker to help from the very beginning. … They would be able to help a local community and the state work through the processes.”

Mayor Cooper says she’d also like to see Washington put long-term recovery groups in place so that communities can better respond in the immediate aftermath of an emergency and make dollars go further. State Rep. Mike Volz, R-Spokane, has introduced a bill to do just that (House Bill 1952).

“Washington has a well-coordinated emergency response system. As the decisions come down and money flows, it’s very coordinated, it’s practiced,” Cooper says. “When we get to this recovery work, we don’t have that model. We need a streamlined chain of command and efficient way to get resources.”

She’d like to see the state prefund that recovery, so teams could go to communities affected by disasters and immediately help them set up their own nonprofit long-term recovery groups.

“Right now, trying to navigate that [system], it’s clunky and disconnected, and it causes frustration,” Cooper says. “We need public dollars to clean up the mess. That should happen in the first three to four weeks, not five months later like we’re seeing.

There are properties that haven’t even been touched yet because they didn’t have the money, weren’t insured, or with insurance, by the time they paid out, there was nothing left.”

Many homeowners still have to make mortgage payments on homes that no longer exist, in addition to figuring out how to build again. With the cost of homes increasing so much in the last five or six years, most who had insurance were underinsured, Cooper says.

“It’s important to understand that this was the highest number of primary residence losses in a single fire in the state of Washington history,” Cooper says. “We really need a ‘Yes.’” n samanthaw@inlander.com

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 15

NEWS | PUBLIC SAFETY

A

n Inlander records request revealed just two examples of people being cited for being in parks after hours. (It’s unclear why the third citation Singley mentioned wasn’t included.)

The first arrest to take place under the new law happened in October.

Around 6:30 am, half an hour after Shadle Park opened, a man walking his dog told an officer on patrol that he had been startled by a man sleeping along the pathway in the park.

The officer found the man sleeping in a sleeping bag and asked him to leave.

An Inlander records request revealed that just two people have been arrested under the law.

Riverfront Park closes at midnight, but other city parks are off limits after 10 pm. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

Dark Parks Six months after it passed, Spokane’s new law criminalizing being in parks after hours results in few arrests

BY NATE SANFORD

L

ast summer, Spokane enacted a controversial law that made being in city parks after hours a misdemeanor enforceable with arrest.

The tougher penalties were put in place after the city’s police department and parks department raised concerns about an uptick in violent and disruptive behavior caused by large groups hanging out in parks after hours.

Police Capt. Thomas Hendren, who helped create the law, said at the time that tougher penalties were necessary because people often ignored officer’s’ requests to leave parks because they knew there wouldn’t be any consequences.

But many other people had concerns about the proposed law.

Breean Beggs, who was the City Council president at the time, worried that the law could be unconstitutional and could lead to biased enforcement and be used to justify an arrest that otherwise wouldn’t have happened.

Others worried about what would happen to early morning dog walkers or people who travel through parks on their way home from a late-night shift.

Police said the goal wasn’t to arrest a bunch of people, and that they would give warnings and use discretion. Hendren told skeptical council members that the goal of the law was deterrence — not to “stack up a bunch of stats.”

After significant debate, the law passed in July 2023 with a narrow 4-3 vote. The law applies to Riverfront Park, which is closed from midnight to 6 am, and all other city parks, which are closed from 10 pm to 6 am.

After a period of outreach and education, police began enforcing the law in September.

16 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Six months after it passed, the law doesn’t appear to have prompted a sweeping crackdown on late-night strollers.

On Monday, police Maj. David Singley told council members that only three people have been cited under the law. The low number of citations, Singley said, is intentional.

“Once the ordinance was implemented, our officers really focused on public education, making contact, giving warnings,” Singly said.

In summer 2022, Spokane parks saw three afterhours shootings that resulted in nine victims struck by gunfire. One 16-year-old victim was shot twice — once in June at Dwight Merkel Sports Complex in the Northwest Neighborhood, and then again two months later in West Central’s Dutch Jake’s Park.

Singley said city parks haven’t had any shootings with a victim since the law was passed, and that he thinks the new law is a “large part of the reason.”

Singley said the law also seems to have prompted a decrease in other types of late-night crime and disorder in parks, though he didn’t have specific data available.

Council President Betsy Wilkerson said she was glad to see the drop in shootings but expressed skepticism about the correlation with other types of crime.

“I’m glad anecdotally you made the correlation, but that’s a big leap,” Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson said more specific data is necessary to see if the law is working as intended, or if it’s acting as a “barrier to others in the community who want to be in the park after hours.”

“In my experience when the police approach a person violating park rules and offer for them to leave [versus] being arrested they almost always leave right away,” the officer wrote in his report. “I figured I could just warn him quickly and he would leave.”

The man did not leave. After asking several more times, the officer decided to detain him.

In his report, the officer said the man refused to give his hands when asked, and began resisting and rolling around in his sleeping bag while the officer tried to handcuff him. The struggle pushed the handcuff tightly against the man’s wrist bone, causing it to bleed.

The man was eventually handcuffed and taken to jail, where a nurse cleaned the cuts on his wrists. He was ordered to appear in court for resisting arrest.

In his report, the officer said he intended to cite the man for violating the city’s law against sleeping in parks.

But the charge wasn’t showing up in the department’s computer system, so the officer chose the closest charge, which was being in parks after hours.

T

he second arrest happened in December, shortly before 4 am, when an officer noticed a man hanging out in East Central’s Chief Garry Park.

The officer asked the man why he was in the park that late, and the 27-year-old replied that he was charging his phone.

The officer told the man that the park was closed and that he needed to identify himself. The man repeatedly gave a name that didn’t show up in the system, so the officer decided to arrest him for trespassing in the park after hours and providing false information.

In his report, the officer said the man began to “violently resist” and tried to run away while being escorted to the patrol car.

“No, no, I don’t want to go to jail,” the suspect yelled, according to the report.

Other officers showed up to help. One brought a “WRAP” — a restraint device used by police to immobilize uncooperative suspects by binding their arms and legs. The City Council approved the department’s purchase of 40 such devices for $76,300 last May. After restraining the man with the WRAP, police took him to Spokane County Jail. He was given a $536 infraction for being in the park after hours, and an order to appear in court for resisting arrest and giving a false name to police. n nates@inlander.com

NEWS | PUBLIC SAFETY

Filling the Ranks After a lengthy struggle to hire, the Spokane Police Department is almost back to full staffing

BY NATE SANFORD

A

fter a yearslong struggle to recruit and retain officers, the Spokane Police Department has 350 sworn officers — just two shy of its budgeted number.

In its monthly report to the City Council, the department wrote that despite a challenging three years for police recruitment and retention nationwide, the department is now “as close to fully staffing our 352 budgeted positions as we have been in years.”

“The success is not an accident,” the report said. “We have made recruiting and training a priority, dedicating a sergeant to both hiring and training, while incorporating a full-time recruiting employee.”

The new staffing numbers mark a dramatic shift from this summer, when interim Police Chief Justin Lundgren, an assistant chief at the time, reported that 70 positions were either vacant or unable to be assigned because of training, injuries or other reasons. Lundgren added that the department had lost 91 officers since 2020.

“This gives us some hope. It gives us a path forward to start to recruit.”

“We are really hurting,” Dave Duncan, the Spokane Police Guild president, said at the time. “We are in the middle of a staffing crisis that I think is much worse than people know.”

In late June, the City Council put aside concerns about the city’s limited finances and approved a four-year contract with the department that included significant pay increases and enhanced benefits for officers. Duncan thanked council members for approving the contract and said it would help the department’s recruitment efforts.

“This gives us some hope,” Duncan said. “It gives us a path forward to start to recruit.”

The 2024 budget adopted by the City Council last November sets aside $85 million from the city’s general fund for police — more than any other department.

Despite being on the cusp of full staffing, the department says Spokane police are still spread too thin.

In its monthly update, the department said that despite calls for service increasing by about 14% over the past two years, it is still 200 officers short of the national average. (According to the FBI, the national average is about 2.3 officers per 1,000 residents; Spokane has 1.5.)

Of the department’s 350 officers, nine are currently on paid administrative leave after shooting and killing a man in Spokane’s Cliff/ Cannon Neighborhood last week.

Officers were called to the scene after a passer-by reported that the man was armed, and had given him a suicide note and threated to kill him. Police say the nine officers opened fire because the man pointed a gun at them.

It’s standard protocol for officers who shot someone to be placed on administrative leave. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting. Once the investigation is finished, it will be sent to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office for review. n nates@inlander.com

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18 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

NEWS | BRIEFS

Come Together Brown wants a bigger say for Spokane. Plus, schools are on the ballot, and so is gerrymandering.

BY INLANDER STAFF

REPRESENT!

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown says “regional cooperation” is going to be a big focus of her new administration. “We have a set of issues between the city and county that have been unresolved for a period of time,” Brown says.

During her first month in office, Brown has sent several letters firmly asking the Spokane County commissioners to give the city of Spokane more representation on various intergovernmental agencies. In a recent letter to the commissioners, Brown argued that the city needs to be better represented on the Spokane Regional Health District Board. The board used to have three seats set aside for elected officials from the city of Spokane. In 2021, the county reduced it to one seat set aside for an elected official from a city or town in Spokane County. The commissioners still have three seats — a point many city officials have expressed frustration over in recent years. At the start of this year, the commissioners chose to appoint Spokane City Council member Michael Cathcart to fill the city/town seat. In her letter, Brown told the commissioners that, while she’s confident in Cathcart’s abilities, she still thinks the city should have a say in which of its elected leaders sits on the board. County Commissioner Mary Kuney replied to Brown with a letter that largely boiled down to: Thanks for the feedback, we’ll think about it. (NATE SANFORD)

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TAX ASK

On Tuesday, Spokane County Voters will have one last chance to make their voices heard about the many tax asks on the Feb. 13 special election ballot — which are primarily for public school districts, with a few propositions for fire districts and the Spokane Public Library. And many of these school districts have more than one proposition to vote on. Between the educational levies that pay for specific curriculum and extracurriculars, capital levies that pay to improve school infrastructure like added security and technology, and the bonds that will pay to rebuild or modernize aging schools, there’s more than $1 billion on the ballot. While a levy only needs a simple majority to be approved, bonds require at least 60% of the vote to pass. Spokane Public Schools will be asking its voters to approve a three-year, $297 million levy and a six-year $200 million bond. Meanwhile, the Central Valley School District will be asking its voters to approve two levies, one a three-year, $137 million educational levy and another six-year $47.5 million capital levy. Visit Inlander.com for info. (COLTON RASANEN)

POLITICAL MAPMAKING

Spokane has a special election coming up on Feb. 13. In addition to a school and library levy, Spokane voters are being asked to consider a ballot measure that aims to make the process of drawing City Council district boundaries more fair and equitable. The borders of Spokane’s three City Council districts are adjusted by a committee every decade to keep populations mostly equal.

In 2022, the process of redrawing boundaries was clouded by a legal dispute and accusations of partisan gerrymandering. Measure 2 aims to prevent a repeat of the controversy by limiting elected officials’ influence over how maps are drawn. The measure would expand the city’s Redistricting Commission from three members to seven, prohibit council members from modifying maps and require a more thorough public engagement process. If the City Council can’t agree on the map submitted by the commission, a judge steps in. The measure has bipartisan support: Council members Michael Cathcart, a conservative, and Zack Zappone, a liberal, co-wrote the “argument for” text that appears on the voters guide. They say Measure 2 is a step toward a redistricting process rooted in “fairness, inclusivity, and transparency.” The “argument against” section is empty because nobody volunteered to write it.

(NATE SANFORD) n

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 19

ANIMALS

BEASTIE BUDS

CIRCLE OF LIFE

From the doorway, you can see the ewes grazing. The barn loft to the left is filled with a winter’s worth of hay. The freezer to the right is filled with racks of ribs. Tess Hahn, the shepherdess, stands between.

Everything has its season, she says, something she learned from years of studying wu xing and traditional Chinese medicine.

Her real job at Bah Bah Blacktail Farm, Hahn says, is farming the sun. The light feeds the grass, which feeds the sheep. Humans can’t eat sunlight or grass, but they can eat the sheep that eat the grass that eats the sunlight. Growing sheep means maximizing grass production, nurturing the land that nurtures the sheep, and shepherding people into that circle of interdependence. Hahn does it all.

Hahn loves her sheep. She drags sleds of hay through thigh high snowdrifts and scrapes out frozen food troughs to make sure they eat.

She calls them each by name. Her lambing shed is full of pedigrees and carefully charted birthing stats. She knows when to give pregnant mothers the best hay. She lists on a whiteboard the five things that sheep need to be happy: food, water, safety, salt and friends.

“My agreement with them is that I take care of them all their life,” Hahn says. Taking care of them for their whole life includes giving the sheep what she views as an ethical end of life, too.

BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM Hahn is deeply studied in connections between brain, body, life and emotions. She’s been a licensed acupuncturist for four decades, y first 18 years saw a lot of pets — a cat, a dog, two plus chair of the Idaho Board of Acupuncture and commissioner for rabbits, some fish, a frog and a snake. We also ate meat, the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental which meant there was always part of a cow, pig or Medicine. She’s been putting hair-thin needles into minuscule nerve chicken in the fridge. Even in the suburbs, feral cats were familiar clusters for most of her life, and training others to do it, too. In other until the coyotes came into town and the city put poison out. I words, she has very good aim. rode my friend’s horse when she offered. My mom set out bird For Hahn, the hardest part of slaughtering a sheep is the decision feeders but bemoaned the bunnies born in her rhubarb patch. My beforehand. She weighs the decision carefully. In Daoism, Hahn says, brothers targeted squirrels with their BB guns until my mom told the goal is to live united with the flow of nature. It is unethical to inthem they had to eat whatever they killed. flict pain on a sentient being. But it’s also unethical to allow something Animals are a constant part of most of our lives. Some are dangerous or contrary to that flow to continue. food, others friends, and some become foe. (I’ll never go camping Hahn raises sheep mostly to sell as livestock to small homesteadagain without a bear cannister.) Humans have been forging differers. She chose Katahdin sheep for their hardiness, parasite resistance ent connections with animals for as far back as historical records and good mothering instincts. They have hair instead of wool so they go. Cave drawings depict hunters and hunted. Some researchers don’t need to be sheared. They can maintain a good body link the development of civilization with the domestication of composition on grass, hay and foraging. Katahdins are dogs. especially good at helping a homestead get into The stories you’re about to read go beyond the relationthe rhythm of the natural world. They help ship between owner and pet — the most common way we know take care of the land without demanding creatures outside of our own species. Instead, they explore what too much from the landowner. it’s like to treat an animal as a professional, or a competitor, or But sometimes, a sheep goes awry. a method to sustain life. The stories aren’t exhaustive — they’re Maybe a ram is too aggressive and mammal-centric, and don’t draw from factory farming or dangerous to be around. Maybe a ewe feedlots. They’re just five real people with the real anican’t birth or mother like she’s supmals they interact with every day. Because sometimes, posed to. Hahn won’t sell an unhelpsomething so ancient and commonplace deserves a ful sheep to a homesteader, nor is she closer look. willing to pass on undesirable genes.

On her farm, a sheep is either good or delicious. If it’s not good for someone’s land, it ought to be good for their table.

Such is the circle of life.

Once she makes a decision to kill one of her sheep, the hard part is over. Hahn carries out her plan efficiently and compassionately.

She leads a sheep through this doorway, a sheep that willingly follows her thanks to her familiar voice and pocket of snacks. Both sheep and shepherdess are relaxed as Hahn takes out a small gun from her pocket. While the sheep is munching, she puts a bullet in the walnut sized area of the brain that immediately kills the sheep.

No adrenaline floods the sheep’s muscles before harvest. There is no struggle and no pain. To Hahn, it is the most natural, and only ethical, way to kill. She keeps her promise to her sheep, she puts food on the table, and wu xing — the phases of life Tessa Hahn tends to her sheep from birth to death in North Idaho. ELIZA BILLINGHAM PHOTO — keeps cycling as it ought.

How humans relate to those that bleat, bark and buck

M

20 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

“

Everybody has down days, especially living in a senior apartment complex.

I just think whether it be a cat or a dog, they’re just good companions.

They’re there for you.

”

Shadow prefers to stay on Linda Brown’s lap. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

LOVE AND KAOS

Kaos and Desiree are both in sweatshirts. They’re hairless Chinese crested dogs, and Northwest winters are a bit cold if you don’t have any hair. Shadow, a chihuahua, at least has a full coat of fur to protect him.

Not that they’re in any actual danger of being cold.

The three dogs have one of the best places in Spokane to sleep. Every night, they nestle next to their owner, Linda Kaye Brown, on a soft armchair with plenty of blankets.

The tiny dogs snooze happily. But perhaps Brown is the happiest of all.

Brown is a senior citizen living in the Clare View senior apartments on the Palouse Highway on Spokane’s South Hill. She’s had dogs almost her entire life, and they’ve only become more important to her as she’s aged.

As everyone does, Brown experienced loss in her life.

But her losses have been more extreme than some — losing a fiance, a husband, a home. Just last year, she lost the dog who was one of her only constants for a decade and a half. Still, the warm bodies and soft noses that snuggle into her sides every night are a comfort she doesn’t want to live without. Now, she doesn’t have to, thanks in part to new services that help seniors take care of their pets.

Those pets, in turn, help take care of our seniors.

Brown is a recipient of Meals on Wheels, a nonprofit service that ensures seniors are getting hot, healthy meals.

A new added benefit is their Nose to Toes program, which offers mobile veterinary services, too. In partner-

ship with SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.S., vets come to seniors’ homes to do basic medical care, wellness exams, nail trimmings, and microchips, or they provide transportation to a SpokAnimal clinic if further attention is needed.

Meals on Wheels and SpokAnimal are partnering because they believe holistic care for seniors includes caring for their pets. According to some studies, senior pet owners are less likely to report loneliness, depression and anxiety. Some pet owners have lower blood pressure, lower heart rates and faster recovery from stress. The American Heart Association says that dog owners of any age may be less at risk of heart disease.

Sometimes Brown doesn’t want to get out of bed or go outside or eat very much.

“I used to cook and bake all the time, but I haven’t even done cookies or banana bread for over a year,” she says. “It’s not that I can’t. It’s just my depression.”

But Brown never loses the motivation to feed her dogs well — treats that are pure meat, and no cheap kibble with soy, grains or peas. She used to show various breeds in dog shows around the country, from sturdy Airedale terriers to the fragile-looking Chinese crested dogs, so she knows what her dogs need. When Brown adopted Shadow, he was 7 pounds overweight, which is quite a chunk of chub for a chihuahua. It took six months for Brown to get him down to a healthy weight.

She’s now refocusing on her own nutrition goals,

which she hopes will help alleviate back and ankle pain.

She needs to be able to bend down to pick up after her dogs when they all go outside. Most days, she takes them out to the courtyard, where she usually sees other neighbors. She knows the woman who lives across from her thanks to the cat that sits in her window. Many of the residents at Clare View have pets, and Brown encourages everyone at any age to have at least one.

“I hope people would have [pets] before they get to my age,” Brown says. “Everybody has down days, especially living in a senior apartment complex. I just think whether it be a cat or a dog, they’re just good companions. They’re there for you.”

Kaos and Desiree lived with Brown when she was homeless. They know when she’s feeling anxious, Brown says. Tufted ears and skinny legs rush to her if she’s feeling flustered or upset. The pair always stick nearby, even if they’re off leash. Shadow, true to his name, barely ever ventures out from behind her legs.

When meals are eaten, walks are over and the chill of evening settles around the building, Kaos climbs into the armchair on one side of Brown, Shadow on the other, and Desiree curls up on Brown’s lap. The dogs are there as she falls asleep, and they’ll be there the moment she wakes up. Together, the four friends keep each other warm, well-fed and loved. ...continued on next page

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 21

ANIMALS “BEASTIE BUDS” CONTINUED...

LET’S DANCE

Dakota Louis lowers himself slowly onto the back of Black Ice. Louis has been riding bulls for 13 years, with 10 first-place finishes.

It’s the first competition for Black Ice. Their names flash across the big screen on Jan. 13 at the Spokane Arena — Dakota Louis vs.

Black Ice — like two boxers in a boxing match. This is Professional Bull Riding, the top sport for elite human and bovine athletes.

Black Ice shoves his 2,000 pounds of muscle against the side of the chute, making it hard for Louis to get his feet set. Louis tries to ease him over so he can throw his leg over the bull’s right side. But it’s hard to get a ton of muscle to do anything it doesn’t want to do. The game is already on.

Sport animals often compete against each other — racehorses race other horses, agility dogs compete against other canines.

People are around, but they’re not competing against the animals.

A human sprinter racing an Arabian thoroughbred would have no chance.

Only rare occasions feature a man versus beast competition. (Bull riding currently only allows men to compete.) While common rodeo events like calf roping or mutton busting seem to give humans an advantage, bull riding is the exact opposite — the only one risking limb and life is the bull rider. A bean pole of an 18-year-old can’t do much to hurt a 2,000-pound bucking bull.

Louis isn’t 18 anymore, but the 31-year-old cowboy from Billings, Montana, has an advantage teenagers don’t. He’s had over a decade to sharpen his mental toughness — his brazen confidence that he’s a better athlete than the bovine underneath him.

“When I’m getting on a bull, in my own game plan mindset, I’m the best that there ever was in that exact moment, and that bull has no chance of bucking me off,” he says. “You can’t really think about what you’re gonna do because them bulls, they’re so fast and they’re so smart that it’s more of a reaction. I tell people it’s kind of like dancing. You gotta get in timing and get in the rhythm and it’s fun. But if you get out of rhythm and out of timing and out of tune, that might be a little bit rough.”

Louis and Black Ice are released from the chute moments after Louis gets his body centered over the bull. Black Ice spins immediately, sending snot and saliva flying and back legs flailing through the air. His goal is to get Louis off as quickly as possible.

Louis’ goal is to hold on for eight seconds. But as a true competitor, Louis doesn’t want Black Ice to make it easy on him. Bull riding is scored out of 100 points, 50 for the rider and 50 for the bull. The harder the ride is, the more points the bull gets, and the more overall points available for the ride.

“I want them to compete at their absolute best, too, so they can score their half,” Louis says. “It’s a mutual respect really.”

As for the bull, Louis thinks he’s having the time of his life. This is what the bull was bred for. This is how he has fun. Again, you can’t really get 2,000 pounds of muscle to do anything it doesn’t want to do. It’s a misconception that they get bulls to buck by tying a rope around their balls. The flank rope around the bull’s waist just helps him extend his back legs a bit farther, “kind of like a weight lifter having a back brace to lift more weight,” Louis says.

“That’s one thing about our sport — the contractors that we have, they absolutely love their animals,” Louis says. “PBR bulls get taken care of better than most people.”

In less than three seconds, the whole thing is over. The rookie bests the veteran, and Louis is on the ground after only 2.58 seconds. As soon as Louis is down, Black Ice stops bucking and takes a trot around the arena instead, staring defiantly at the crowd. He takes in the moment before heading to his exit on his own.

Louis stays in the ring until Black Ice is finished. It’s just good sportsmanship. Then Louis limps off the dirt, already preparing to face another opponent next weekend. He needs to regain the confidence to stare a ton of pulsing muscle in the eyes and say, “Let’s dance.” ...continued on page 24

22 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

“ Dakota Louis ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

When I’m getting on a bull …

I’m the best that there ever was in that exact moment, and that bull has no chance of bucking me off.

”

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BLO OMSDAYRUN.ORG $28 ENTRY FEE A fallen bull rider at the Spokane Arena on Jan. 13. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 23

ANIMALS “BEASTIE BUDS” CONTINUED...

ANCIENT TOOLS

A few weeks ago, Ciro was strangled unconscious. The K9 was doing his job, holding a suspect in place until an officer could safely arrest them. Sometimes, holding a suspect in place means keeping them occupied and distracted. In this case, the suspect was distracted by strangling Ciro.

Spokane Police officer Brian Blankenstein, Ciro’s handler, successfully took the suspect into custody without deploying any more weapons. Ciro (pronounced like “zero,” but with an “s”) regained consciousness and went back to work. The only change in his demeanor was Ciro being a little more clingy with Blankenstein’s toddlers at home.

Ultimately, police dogs are tools, or special equipment, deployed when it’s too dangerous to deploy human officers, Blankenstein says. But when Ciro is lying in bed with his two little kids for a bedtime story, it’s hard for Blankenstein to separate the piece of equipment from the cuddle puddle.

Dogs were the first species domesticated by humans, though theories differ as to when. A grave in modern-day Israel dated to 12,000 BCE contained a human skeleton with its hand resting on a puppy skeleton. Working dogs and war dogs have been around almost as long as people have been working and waging war. Blankenstein feels like he’s carrying on one of humanity’s most ancient traditions.

On this night, Blankenstein and Ciro are playing fetch (surely an ancient game). The obstacle course next to the Spokane Police Academy is snowy and muddy, thanks

to a winter that can’t make up its mind. Ciro is half German shepherd and half Belgian Malinois, a dog sport breed known for its athleticism. Ciro darts after the tennis ball, a gray-brown blur in the evening fog.

Without raising his voice, Blankenstein speaks a simple command. “Lehni.”

From yards away, Ciro freezes, looks back and cocks his head at Blankenstein.

He crouches a bit, but not all the way. He’s being stubborn.

“Lehni,” Blankenstein repeats.

Lehni is the Czech command for “down,” as in, lay down. (Most police dogs come from Central or Eastern Europe, and many police use Czech commands.) Ciro doesn’t want to lay down on the wet snow. But he realizes Blankenstein is serious, and he obeys. When Blankenstein releases him, Ciro immediately pops up and dives nose first after the ball.

If a police dog is a tool, then the most crucial calibration is drive. Police dogs need to be motivated by work, not by violence. An aggressive dog puts everyone in danger, including the handler. A police dog needs to know, understand and love their job, which is to stop violence before it happens.

They need an internal switch that can flip from rest to work as soon as a call comes in.

They need to be driven enough

Ciro and his “dad,” Spokane Police officer Brian Blankenstein. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

24 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

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A handler needs to train the dog into this unwavering obedience without breaking its drive and enthusiasm. Blankenstein says a handler and their dog need an overwhelming amount of trust within a hierarchical order — the handler is the alpha, he says, and the dog must do what the alpha commands. But that’s the only time the officer uses the term alpha. Blankenstein usually just refers to himself as Ciro’s “dad.”

It can be hard for “dad” to send Ciro straight into situations where Ciro will probably get hurt, like searching for an armed, hidden suspect. But at the end of the day, Ciro isn’t his son. He’s a very expensive, highly trained, very loved piece of equipment.

And it’s Ciro’s job to keep everyone safe — officer, community and even suspect.

As a distraction and a buffer between police and suspect, dogs keep humans farther apart during tense situations. More distance generally means less force, Blankenstein says. Ciro, he says, helped de-escalate two or three situations that could’ve led to officer-involved shootings if he hadn’t been there. And dog bites, though awful, are generally less harmful than gunshot wounds.

Spokane police dogs don’t bite often — last year, they bit 14 suspects, 6% of the people they came in contact with.

Not all police dogs are as cuddly as Ciro is. Or, it turns out, as old. After almost nine years of service, Ciro is coming up for retirement this month. Blankenstein has pictures on his phone of a full Belgian Malinois puppy, Maverick, who will be his next partner. He’s getting ready to start this relationship all over again.

But Ciro isn’t going anywhere. He gets to spend the rest of his days at home with the toddlers, with the switch flipped off for good. He won’t be a tool or a piece of equipment or the first line of defense. He’ll just be a pillow. A best friend. A good boy. A family dog. ...continued on next page

They need to be driven enough to prioritize work over self-preservation and obedient enough to put themselves in harm’s way, even to the point of death.

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 25

ANIMALS “BEASTIE BUDS” CONTINUED...

HEARTBEATS

Doc is blonde, about 6 feet tall, with deep brown eyes and a steady gaze. He has years of experience observing clients. The people he works with say that he has an uncanny ability to ignore what someone is saying and perceive what they’re feeling instead. He’s looking at me sideways, seemingly unconvinced by the words coming out of my mouth. I thought I was being articulate, elegant even. Then, Doc goes over and poops in the corner.

Because Doc is a horse.

Doc is a dappled palomino at Second Chance Ranch, a nonprofit horse sanctuary run by Katie Merwick 20 minutes south of downtown Spokane just off U.S. Route 195. On Paradise Road, a herd of 40 retired sport horses graze about 30 acres of woods and hillside, a true oasis for animals often recovering from injury or abandonment.

For their whole lives, these sport horses were trained to communicate with people — jumping, lunging or pirouetting at the slightest command. They often come to Merwick injured or no longer able to compete at the highest level, but still super responsive to people.

Merwick does everything she can to restore them to health. Vets. Hay. Finding grants to pay for vets and hay.

Plus, constant interaction. She visits the herd every day, bringing treats, acknowledging the name and personality of each. One horse likes to undo jacket zippers, another will nudge a spot where someone’s in pain. One horse even smiles when he hears someone say hello.

Horses can feel your heartbeat from 4 feet away, Merwick says. As herd and prey animals, horses are sensitive to what others around them are feeling. What’s more, horses may be able to sync their heartbeats together, she says, not only with each other, but with humans, too. The steady heartbeat of a horse can calm a nearby human.

Merwick also mentions electromagnetic fields and energy radiating from a horse heart, and how it can elevate and regulate human energy. Maybe there is a reason why there

are so many horse girls in the world.

A lot of this communication is physical and experiential. But if you can read a horse’s physical reaction to the person nearby, it might help you articulate what that person is feeling.

That’s the role of Jennifer Hammond, a Gestalt coach partnering with Merwick and the horses at Second Chance. Gestalt is a holistic approach to psychology, and Hammond uses horses to help her read what someone is experiencing physically. Horses don’t care what you think, she says, they only care how you feel. If you’re feeling good, they’ll want to be near you. If not, they’ll stay away.

Horses become a pretty nifty lie detector for a coach who is otherwise reliant on what you tell them.

Before I meet Doc, I talk with Hammond about my family. She asks me to imagine my 12-year-old self. My initial reaction? No way. I don’t need to do that. My inner child is fine. But I’m generally a polite person, so I stuff down the tension and start talking. I think I’m doing pretty well, if I do say so myself.

I finally get into the stall with Doc. It’s vulnerable, being so close to a huge, beautiful animal. Hammond asks me to ground myself and imagine what it would feel like to feel in harmony with my family.

To my surprise, I can’t. I’m upset, more upset than I thought I’d be, either with my family or this whole exercise. Am I really being so avoidant and dismissive?

Apparently, Doc thinks so. His back is completely turned. I try to feel harmonious and lovely so he’ll come over to me, but I realize I’m all twisted inside. Long moments go by as my internal embarrassment and frustration rises. I start speaking again, still calm and insightful, but Hammond reads Doc’s body language toward me and says, “You’re not feeling it, are you?”

Why didn’t Doc come to me? Maybe Doc really was feeling my bad vibes. Or maybe I just didn’t have any treats in my pocket. Either way, thanks to him and Hammond, I learned plenty of new (and not so great) things about myself.

If Doc was perturbed by my inner angst, he wasn’t judgmental at all. I ended the session stroking his back, rubbing his neck, finally draping my chest across his shoulder. I could feel his heartbeat, and he could feel mine. I hugged him, and felt a little better. n

Doc vibing out with Jennifer Hammond. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

26 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

I finally get into the stall with Doc. It’s vulnerable, being so close to a huge, beautiful animal.

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 27

Reinaldo Gil Zambrano has put down strong roots in the arts community. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS

VISUAL ARTS

Spokane printmaker Reinaldo Gil Zambrano tells multicultural stories in new solo exhibition at the MAC

BY MADISON PEARSON

R

einaldo Gil Zambrano is many things: a husband, a business owner, a printmaker, an artist and a teacher.

Above all of these roles, though, he’s a storyteller.

In “Pulling Roots,” his latest exhibition on display through April 20 at the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Zambrano showcases over 20 pieces that come together to form a narrative about his family, nomadic upbringing and the nuanced concept of identity.

Zambrano was born in Caracas, Venezuela, a place that defines much of his sense of self and inspires his art.

“Because I’ve been moving so much since I was 16

28 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

years old, I’ve been able to use printmaking as a selfexplorative research channel,” Zambrano says. “Through it, I realized that there is a universal idea of what home is: the people around you. It’s the people that offer you this warmth and love and the ability to continue growing.”

When he was 16, Zambrano left Venezuela for Costa Rica to study at the United World College. After his time there, his studies took him to Caldwell, Idaho, to pursue his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the College of Idaho. He then went back to Venezuela for a short period, then returned to Idaho for his Master in Fine Arts at the University of Idaho in Moscow.

For the past five years, Zambrano and his wife have called Spokane home.

Since relocating to the Lilac City, Zambrano has managed to firmly cement himself in the creative world of the Inland Northwest by co-owning the Spokane Print and Publishing Center and founding Spokane Print Fest, an annual celebration of the local print community each spring. He’s also an essential member of the team who brought the Rocky Mountain Print Alliance’s conference to Spokane last fall and shares his knowledge with Gonzaga University students as an assistant professor of printmaking.

Zambrano’s work can be seen on buildings in downtown Spokane (including the MacDaddy’s mural on the north side of River Park Square), inside restaurants like Kendall Yards’ Baba, on T-shirts and in the homes of plenty of locals who purchase his prints.

“I’ve been able to find that warmth and those people in Spokane, and I’m proud to call it my home,” he says.

“But I also have this attachment to Venezuela because my family lives there.”

Through the use of iconography and portraits of family members, Zambrano has been able to create pieces for “Pulling Roots” that he hopes target memories and particular archetypes. His unique style is apparent throughout all of the work, continuing past narratives and pulling them into others through his use of bold lines, fine details and contrast.

Many pieces in the show explore roles that people assume within different cultural environments, social themes, rituals and traditions. The artist blends his life experiences, pop culture, politics and hints of magical realism to tell stories of identity, cultural and physical borders, and more.

One piece titled “Madres/Mothers” pays tribute to the female figures in Zambrano’s life who sustain his family.

“It’s a portrayal of my grandma and my mom,” he says. “You can see that they are holding this three-dimensional object, a cube that looks like a room. Their hands surround it, and they’re crafting, or shaping, this cube into a home.”

The room depicted is one that Zambrano shared with his brother growing up. One side of the print features orchids, his grandmother’s favorite flower, which was always around the house during his childhood. Parallel to the orchids is a hummingbird, which Zambrano says represents knowledge.

Z

ambrano works mostly in relief printing, but the show features installation work as well as prints and several matrices, the object from which a print design is transferred.

Zambrano’s matrices are wood blocks.

Reinaldo Gil Zambrano: Pulling Roots • Feb. 10-April 20; Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm • $8$12 (members and ages 5 and under free) • Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture • 2316 W. First Ave. • northwestmuseum.org • 509-456-3931

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“It shows off these pillar figures that were the support and the base of this place where we were able to grow as a family,” he says.

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“Madres/Mothers” is a homage to the artist’s family matriarchs.

The prints range in size from about 16 by 20 inches all the way up to 5 by 4 feet. The installation aspect of the exhibition spans an entire wall in the gallery, coming in at over 7 feet in length.

“People might think that the smaller pieces would be faster to make than the bigger ones,” he says. “But I feel more comfortable carving big.”

The printing process can sometimes take an entire day as Zambrano makes multiple prints to achieve the most ideal outcome.

“A piece can take me a week or a month depending on what I’m trying to do,” he says.

“Once you pull the print for the first time you notice things you need to tweak. So you make adjustments to the ink, the matrix or the pressure or even the type of paper to get exactly what you want.”

Zambrano says the beauty of printmaking lies in the fact that every print is unique.

Printmaking is an art based on democratic multiples, meaning that the art or message can be replicated easily for an extremely cheap price and distributed widely, something that Zambrano thinks is extremely important.

“It’s not like a machine that’s going to make everything perfect,” he says. “Printmakers are the illustrators, the carvers and the painters in this case. Not only is printmaking for the masses, but it’s also highly collaborative. The process involves a lot of people. Sometimes you’re going to be carving or prepping a matrix by yourself, but then to get the community to see and react to the work, you need help from the many.”

The installation wall featured in the exhibit invites viewers to interact with the art and one another, and to create within the space as well, bringing the communal aspect of printmaking into Zambrano’s show.

“We can celebrate the things we have in common as human beings and pay tribute to the fact that we are so connected,” Zambrano says. “Let’s celebrate together despite the cultural differences we have.” n

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 29

CULTURE | THEATER

Showing at the Seams The die-hard Monty Python fans in Aspire’s Spamalot are relishing its overthe-top Broadway riffs — and closure

Monty Python’s legendary characters have arrived in the Lake City. COURTESY ASPIRE CDA

BY E.J. IANNELLI

W

hen audiences walk into the Kroc Center to take in Aspire Community Theatre’s new production of Spamalot, the Monty Pythonesque sendup of musical theater and Arthurian legend, it might seem like the show has spilled out from behind the curtain.

“We want the viewer to walk in and be like, ‘Oh, we’re being transported into medieval times, into Camelot,’” says scenic co-designer Wendy Inman.

“We’re creating a facade out of foam and wood, and when we’re done with it, hopefully it’ll look like we built a castle stone by stone with mortar and the whole bit,” says her counterpart, Greg Washington. “I’ve always liked the idea of creating an immersive experience — think of shows like Cats on Broadway, where they have garbage cans in the house, and you feel like you’re in it.”

Once the curtain rises, the duo is also making use of high-tech projections and the theater’s updated fly system to move set elements in and out of the scene at a speed that keeps up with the fast-paced comedy.

“Basically,” Washington says, “there’s a one-liner like, ‘Remember, boys, what happens in Camelot, stays in Camelot.’ And then, boom, within a couple seconds we have to turn this medieval setting into a Vegas-style setting.”

As he and Inman work to envelop the audience in the musical’s fictional world, its director, Tracey Benson, is simultaneously trying to make sure that some of the production’s framework “shows at the seams.” That might seem like an odd goal in the world of theater, where suspension of disbelief is so pivotal to the experience. But revealing the show’s inner workings feeds into Spamalot’s sense of self-awareness.

“One of the biggest things for me is that this production is by and large poking fun at Broadway. It’s a satire in a satire in a satire,” she says. “And so it has all of the hallmarks of breaking the fourth wall, where we’re not trying to present anything as 100% realism. Yes, we’re

30 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

inviting the audience to be a part of it, but we’re also always reminding them that they’re watching a Broadway production.”

T

he authentic yet absurdist set design certainly isn’t the only way that Spamalot indulges in meta commentary. The core plot has been adapted — or, as the full title unabashedly states, “(Lovingly) Ripped off” — from the 1975 cult film Monty Python and the Holy Grail to create something that’s more in keeping with the aspirational, feel-good narratives we traditionally associate with Broadway.

“There’s this through-line of finding your grail,” Benson says. “It’s really all about finding what moves you, what your passion is.”

Spamalot’s Sir Robin (played here by Jeffrey Parsons), distinguished in the film for his lack of bravery, now has song-and-dance ambitions instead. And the musical also introduces an entirely new principal character, the Lady of the Lake.

“When they were turning this movie into a musical, she brought the Broadway,” says Emma Hoit, who plays the Lady of the Lake. “She’s a diva. She’s showbiz. She’s fabulous. She’s sparkly. And she won’t let anyone else be the lead of a song. I’m actually dipping the male characters at multiple points in the show.”

The Lady of the Lake embodies some of the musical’s meta qualities with the self-referential second-act song, “Whatever Happened to My Part?”

“It’s a lot of fun. In that song she’s complaining about how she hasn’t been on stage,” Hoit says. “I get to be angry and a little bit crazy because she just wants to be the star.”

Yet, however unwillingly, the Lady of the Lake still has to share the spotlight with King Arthur, played by Thomas Gandy.

“I feel like King Arthur is a sane man in an insane world. He’s the voice of reason when people get too ri-

diculous. But, at the same time, he can be bombastic and overblown. When it serves his kingly ego, he’s OK with the ridiculousness,” he says.

As an example, Gandy cites the quest party’s arrival in Camelot. In the Holy Grail film, Arthur is notably unimpressed with the Knights of the Round Table’s raucous kickline number and turns away before he’s even entered the castle. Whereas in Spamalot, “there’s an even bigger musical number, and instead of passing it off as too silly, he takes part in it because it serves his grandiose image of himself.”

Like Benson, whose Monty Python fandom helped compel her into the director’s chair, Gandy is an aficionado of Holy Grail as well as the other Python material from which Spamalot lovingly pilfers, like Life of Brian (1979). And, as he notes, there’s no shortage of quotable lines, hummable songs and favorite characters from those works, such as his faithful companion Patsy (James Wigdahl), the Knights Who Say Ni or the killer rabbit.

More than a tribute to classic Monty Python, though, he describes Spamalot as a love letter — albeit a madcap, irreverent one — to the very genre it calls home.

“There’s Liza Minnelli stuff, Patti LuPone stuff, Barbra Streisand stuff” embedded in the show itself, and choreographer Jasmine Inman has gone one step further to include “Easter eggs” from Grease, West Side Story and Cats.

“It’s like kitchen sink-ing. If it exists on the stage, it’s shoehorned somewhere into this show. But what you gain is something that the film sorely lacks. If you recall, Holy Grail famously ends with the police arresting the knights and turning off the camera,” he says.

“Because this is a musical, we give our audience the ending that the movie never got.” n Spamalot • Feb. 8-18; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm • $22-$28 • Kroc Center • 1765 W. Golf Course Rd., Coeur d’Alene • aspirecda.com • 208-696-4228

CULTURE | VALENTINE’S DAY

Open Thu-Tue, times vary, $38/person, Think Tank Escape Rooms, 327 W. Third Ave., thinktankescaperooms.com

VALENTINE CRAFT & HOT CHOCOLATE BAR

Dancing with the Stars stars Sandor and Parissa share the romance of tango at the Fox. COURTESY PHOTO

Be My Valentine Make sweet memories with loved ones this month while partaking in these local events

BY CARRIE SHRIVER

W

hen most people think of Valentine’s Day they think of celebrating romantic love. But even the ancient Greeks recognized love comes in different types, including love of family (storge) and friends (philia).

Valentine’s Day’s origins aren’t related to romance, either — instead its roots are a Christian Feast Day, but an annual religious holiday dedicated to St. Valentine.

Many stories and legends surround the various martyrs named Valentine, but it’s believed the day was named for a third-century priest who was jailed for ministering to Christians persecuted by the Roman Empire. Later legends link the holiday to love.

One St. Valentine performed weddings for Christian soldiers, which was especially scandalous because the Roman emperor had banned them from marrying.

In the 18th century, Valentine’s Day bloomed into the traditions celebrated today. Couples declared their love for each other through flowers, confections and handmade greeting cards otherwise known as valentines.

Whether you’re celebrating a new or vintage romance, your love of family, or showing your best friends how much you care, consider these adventurous, creative and perhaps even unusual suggestions.

GHOSTS OF SPOKANE’S HAPPY, FRUSTRATED & CRUEL LOVE AFFAIRS! Pull up a chair and hold on to your hat as you delve into the history of some of Spokane’s past couples. These tales may delight, shock and raise shivers as you’re

guided through a pictorial history. Afterward, indulge in a ghost hunt and attempt to locate traces of the spirits from one of the stories.

“Corbin Mansion is the site of one of our really cruel, terrible love affairs,” says tour leader Chet Caskey, a local historian and ghostologist.

Feb. 9 from 7-9:30 pm, $22, Corbin Art Center, 507 W. Seventh Ave., spokanerec.org

WANTON DESTRUCTION A swinging hammer and smashing glass.

Debris underfoot, delivering a satisfying crunch with every step. Cheaper than an hour of professional couple’s therapy, and without the normal flinching when you’ve accidentally broken something you really like. At first glance, this is a strange suggestion for some Valentine fun, but Rage Xscape offers a couples package. So if you and your love would relish some guilt-free destruction, or you want to grab your best friend for some heartbreak therapy, give it a try.

Open Thu-Sun from noon-10 pm, $65/two, Rage Xscape, 122 S. Division St., ragexscape.com

SPACE MISSION: GUARDIAN Three… two… one… Blast off!

Prepare for an adventure to save humanity from a deadly pathogen. You and your team are on a mission to an abandoned space station that you’ll need to stabilize before searching for an antiserum that could save the human race. But you only have 75 minutes to find it, and the clock is ticking.

Take a break from plucking flower petals and instead make a unique bouquet. Turn book pages into roses (a great present for a bookworm), and assemble your bouquet while enjoying some hot cocoa. “[It’s a] pretty casual, fun space for people to come in and hang out and do some crafting,” says Olivia Cretella, Coeur d’Alene Library’s adult programming specialist.

Feb. 14 at 1 pm, Free, Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave., cdalibrary.org

TANGO & TAPAS Savor dinner, a live show and a dancing lesson during an ideal romantic evening or a playful event with friends. Chefs from Feast World Kitchen prepare tapas to tingle your taste buds. The Spokane Symphony accompanies Sandor and Parissa, dancers known from appearances on Dancing with the Stars, as they demonstrate their tango skills. After the concert grab your partner and learn to tango with instruction from the dancers themselves.

Feb. 14 at 6 pm, $99-$145, The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave, foxtheaterspokane.org

CULTURED SEA GLASS TREE Let your creativity flow into your hands as you wrap glass in wire and create a piece of art. Go with friends or make some new ones in this class. Whether you keep the finished piece for yourself or gift it, there’s nothing like creating something from scratch, in this case, a tree made from recycled glass and wire.

“It’s absolutely a blast,” says instructor Amy Gurel.

Feb. 14 from 11 am-2 pm and Feb. 17 from 12:30-3:30 pm, $75, Corbin Art Center, 507 W. Seventh Ave., spokanerec.org

CROSS-COUNTRY MOONLIGHT SKI & DINNER Enjoy the rush of crisp pine-scented air, the slide of snow under your skis, the sparkle of stars and a nearly full moon. Whether you go solo or with friends, this is an outdoor adventure (previous cross-country experience is recommended) to fill the senses.

After exploring the woods you’re treated to a fireplace and homemade dinner by Greenbluff Fresh Catering.

“If you’re lucky, you get a really good moon. The weather doesn’t always cooperate, so the moon is never promised, but it’s hoped for,” says Andy Fuzak, outdoor recreation program supervisor. n Feb. 24 from 6-9 pm, $79, Mount Spokane State Park, Selkirk Nordic Lodge, spokanerec.org

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 31

CULTURE | DIGEST

THE BUZZ BIN

Heartbreaker is much more than a tattoo studio. SUMMER SANDSTROM PHOTOS

Breaking Free Heartbreaker Tattoo & Artist Co-op brings together artists across various disciplines in a fun, colorful environment

GET SCHOOLED! Local poet Maya Jewell Zeller has accomplished a lot. She’s taught poetry to almost every age and has released several poetry collections. Just last year she released out takes/glove box, a collection exploring themes of motherhood and mental health, which won the New American Poetry Prize. Zeller hasn’t slowed down. Her latest project is the textbook Advanced Poetry: A Writer’s Guide and Anthology in collaboration with former Spokanite, fellow poet and current University of Minnesota creative writing professor Kathryn Nuernberger. The textbook is aimed at practiced poets and focuses on innovation as well as breaking established boundaries. If you’re interested in learning more about poetry or you’re a poetry teacher yourself, it’s available to preorder from Bloomsbury starting Jan. 25. (MADISON PEARSON)

BY SUMMER SANDSTROM

N

eon pink signs sit in the windows of Heartbreaker Tattoo & Artist Co-op, which is a vivid space itself with bright pink and teal walls adorned with paintings, tie-dyed shirts and various other artistic creations.

Ilia Lyons and her husband, Aaron, opened Heartbreaker Tattoo & Artist Co-op in December and celebrated the venue’s grand opening at the end of January.

Ilia Lyons says she long dreamed of opening a tiedye shop, but also loves tattoos and decided to create a space that showcases an array of art from regional artists. Heartbreaker Tattoo & Artist Co-op, located in a corner space at 830 W. Sprague Ave., currently has five tattoo artists and one piercer on staff, and a total of 16 co-op members who sell their work in the shop.

“It’s local artists and they are able to have their works for sale in this retail space,” Lyons says. “They have the option to come in and work in the co-op and that affects their commission percentage, but I also have some artists who don’t live in town and they just have their things here in the shop. It’s very flexible, and I hope it gives everybody the opportunity to do what they want with their time here.”

The co-op consists of artists who work across a range of media, such as painting, tie dye, beadwork and printmaking.

“We have [Emma Claire who] makes handmade journals,” Lyons says. “She uses traditional bookbinding techniques, and she has a woodworking shop so she makes all the tools by hand that you need to make the books. It’s all done by hand, and it just blows my mind.”

Another of the shop’s artists is Trevon Walton, an artist who creates abstract fluid paintings from blacklight reactive paint. Lyons says there are blacklights hung in the shop so that at night the whole space glows.

“We aren’t picky about who we take,” Lyons says about the co-op’s members. “As long as we have physical space here in the shop and we can work together to fit it, we’ll get it in here and we’ll figure out how to work with you instead of it being exclusive in any way. We try to include everybody.”

32 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

H

eartbreaker Tattoo & Artist Co-op has already begun participating in Spokane’s First Friday showcase, including hosting live art demon-

strations.

OEnone Shore, one of the co-op’s painters, held a live painting session during January’s event. Her art, displayed on the studio’s back wall, illustrates fantastical and whimsical scenes using bright colors.

“A lot of what I paint is fantasy landscapes, just somewhere that I envision in my head that is like the perfect place,” Shore says. “Like, I want to hang out right there in this beautiful grassy hill sunset watching the dragons fly by. It’s all just very wishful, whimsical and colorful fantasy.”

Lyons says Heartbreaker’s future First Friday events will continue to include live artist demonstrations, as well as some tattoo and piercing deals.

On Valentine’s Day, Heartbreaker Tattoo & Artist Co-op is running a couples flash tattoo sale and co-op artist Iris Everbloom will be drawing live caricatures all day.

Lyons also says that a few of their artists, like mandala painter Jacqueline Schofield, are hoping to start teaching classes in the coming months.

Heartbreaker also sells physical art by some of its tattoo artists. Moreover, some co-op artists have even become interested in learning how to tattoo.

“One of the goals I had for the shop as well was to highlight and elevate tattooing as a legitimate art form,” Lyons says. “We have this artist co-op and a lot of people consider that art but don’t necessarily consider [tattooing] to be art and it fully is.”

Overall, Lyons hopes that Heartbreaker Tattoo & Artists Co-op inspires people to be creative while also continuing to support the broader arts community in Spokane.

“We have just so many artists here in this town,” she says. “Anything we can do to band together and have some fun is just great.” n Heartbreaker Tattoo & Artist Co-op • 830 W. Sprague Ave. • Open Wed-Sun 10 am-6 pm • heartbreakerspokane.com • 509-990-7234

LOVE, YELP Yelp trolling can be the bane of a restaurant’s existence. But every once in a while, a good review is a much appreciated pick-me-up.

And what’s a better review than making it to Yelp’s Top 100 U.S. Restaurants list? The popular restaurant review site listed Coeur d’Alene’s Izzy’s Comfort Kitchen as the 35th best U.S. restaurant this year. It’s the southern-style kitchen’s second time on the list, up from 43rd place last year. According to Yelp, the most photographed dishes are Mama’s pot roast, the peach bourbon BBQ burger, and the apple whiskey chicken sandwich. Owners Reannan and Jason Keene have also homed in on the perfect fried green tomatoes, at least according to reviewer Kim M. from Liberty Lake.

With over 270 five-star reviews — and at least one wishing they could award six — trust the internet community on this one: It’s good. (ELIZA BILLINGHAM) THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on Feb. 9.

CHELSEA WOLFE, SHE REACHES OUT TO SHE OUT TO SHE The queen of doom folk futhers explores the blacked-out corners of her post-metal and industrial soundscape on her extremely hard-to-say seventh LP. DUCKS LTD., HARM’S WAY The breezy feel of Toronto indie rock duo Duck’s Ltd.’s sound belies the lyrical focus on the struggle to make it through the days in a world overwrought with suffering.

YELLOWCARD + HAMMOCK, A HOPEFUL SIGN Post-rock duo Hammock reimagines the catalog of the violininfused pop punk band Yellowcard as calming ambient tracks.

(SETH SOMMERFELD)

Showcasing the rich and diverse flavors of Washington State wine with passion, patience and balance.

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 33

TRENDS

MENU MEMORIES

How Inland Northwest menus have changed in the past 10 years, and what that says about us

BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM

M

enus are usually the first interaction a diner has with a restaurant. They used to be posted on windows to draw passers-by in. Today, they’re posted on websites to draw hungry diners scrolling Google. At the table, trifolds, fresh sheets, clipboards, cardstock and QR codes all tell you what to expect from your meal — not only from the food, but also from the vibes and even values of the eatery.

Arts and Culture Editor Chey Scott spent some early years at the Inlander as a food writer. In the late 2010s, she collected menus from new and existing spots around town and, thankfully, saved them. A manila folder on her bookshelf became a tiny time capsule of the Spokane restaurant scene, and a great boon to a new food writer.

A walk down menu memory lane reminds the Inland Northwest what we’ve lost and what has remained the same. With over 800 restaurants in the area and about 60 menus in our time capsule, there are sure to be exceptions to the patterns we found. But the New York Times recently tried to analyze the whole country’s dining scene with 121 menus total, so I’d venture to say that our ratio is a little bit better.

WHAT WE’VE LOST

HUGE MENUS

We all like options, but… 92 of them? Unfolding a giant pre-pandemic menu from MAX at Mirabeau unleashed almost 100 appetizers, entrees and desserts at me, not counting drinks. A smaller but just as dizzying Europa

34 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

menu crammed 62 items front and back on a piece of yellow computer paper.

Although these stalwart establishments may be able to keep up with their neverending entrees, most newer restaurants started trending the opposite. Menus across Spokane started shrinking as chefs focused on fewer, quality over quantity regular offerings. Jeremy Hansen’s Biscuit Wizard offered just biscuits — although that might have been too small, as it closed in 2019. Seems like menus somewhere in the middle hit just right.

LUNCH SPECIALS UNDER $10

Yes, we all know dining out is getting more expensive.

But seeing a 2017 lunch special at Phonthip Thai for $9.95 was like rediscovering a favorite childhood toy.

Sometimes it seems like life will never be that good again.

In our time capsule, plenty of decent lunch and dinner entrees were at or under $15. Like the Oaxacan black beans and eggs at Mizuna with mole and corn tortillas for $14.95 in 2019, fettuccine alfredo at the Beryl (before it became the Barrel Steak and Seafood House in 2016) for $10, and the Student Loan grilled cheese at Perry Street Brewing for $5 flat.

Now it’s hard to find a lunch special under $15.

Plenty of factors are at play, like rising food costs, rising minimum wage, higher rents, plus fees and taxes. But plenty of people still have student loans — any chance we could get some of those cheap student loan sandwiches back?

SINGLE-USE MENUS

If COVID hadn’t killed this, the environmentalists probably would have. It seems like a stellar idea — individual single-use paper menus with a check box next to each item, so guests can check off exactly what they want, and servers can drop it off at the kitchen. TT’s Brewery and BBQ surely wasn’t the only spot to implement a trendy new ordering style in the late ’10s. Cut down on mistakes and save servers’ sanity? Sign me up!

Well, maybe. Passing around communal pens and handing off the piece of paper someone just used to cover their cough probably wasn’t the move during a global pandemic. Plus, ink and paper ain’t cheap. I think there are plenty of good reasons why this style of menu didn’t stick around long in Spokane. And plenty of good trees that are thankful, too.

FONTS

For a futuristic look, or perhaps ease of reading, higher end menus started dropping serifs — the little bits of typeface that decorate the ends of letters in fonts like

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Times New Roman or Garamond. If you’re not a nerd who’s already embroiled in the serif vs. sans serif debate, think of dropping serifs as a prophecy of what was about to come: an overreliance on online menus, which are predominantly sans serif.

Serifs were usually used on menus at family-style restaurants or classic American steakhouses. Trendy, cutting edge places, or at least places trying to be cutting edge, ditched the extra clutter. A nod to digital life, sans serif menus seem to pander to the crowd surfing their phones for a hot new experience to out-Instagram their friends.

FULL SHEET TRAYS OF FOOD

Specific menu items come and go, which means we get to return to familiar places and have new experiences. Sometimes, though, the past knows best. Like the $8 sheet tray of chocolate chip pancakes for brunch at North Hill on Garland from 2018. I personally think we should go back to serving entire sheet trays of food. Especially pancakes.

Just a thought.

WHAT WE HAVEN’T LOST

CAESAR SALADS

This was my first observation, and the first for the NYT analysts, too — the Caesar salad is unkillable. Classic Caesars. Grilled Caesars. Caesars with optional crab. It’s so uncontested, it’s sometimes the only option for salad.

It’s been on almost every menu I’ve seen. It doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon.

I get that the dressing is a perfect lesson in emulsification and one of the only ways people will eat anchovies. But, seriously? Can’t we get something other than Romaine doused in lactose, gluten and sodium? Salads should get the chance to be fun and creative, too. I’m calling Brutus.

SIGNAL INGREDIENTS

“Virtue signaling” is a term for saying or doing something that acts as shorthand to let other people know you’re part of a certain group, like putting a sign in your lawn or using a hashtag on social media. After going through some menus, I think there’s such a thing as ingredient signaling, too — ingredients that make the foodies raise their eyebrows and think they’re about to get something high end and unique.

Pork belly, Ahi tuna and rye flour started to seem like “signal ingredients” after being featured again and again in dishes that were experimental or trendy. I’m not mad about it — they’re definitely delicious, and I’m all for ...continued on page 36

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 35

(CIRCLE CHOICE OF MEAT. IF ANY) TURKEY+ S5

PULLED PORK + S5

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BRISKET+Sl

SO-VAL HANDHELDS

□

□

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0 KNIGHTSWICH S11

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“MENU MEMORIES,” CONTINUED...

7a-fa (509) 123-4567

supporting good protein and dark grains. But considering how often they’re actually used, they may not signal “incrowd” as much as we think.

SHARING

Appetizers. Small Plates. Lil Bites. Tapas. There’s plenty of ways to name the tiny dishes that always start off a good evening. But by far, Spokane menu designers prefer the nickname “shareables.” It’s endearing, I think, to assume I’m gonna order chips and guac and not keep the whole thing to myself. Or maybe I’m surrounded by people who do genuinely love ordering for the table. Either way, it’s lovely to be in a city so focused on sharing.

Let’s never change.

TRYING NOT TO SAY “SANDWICH”

Look, I get that you want your restaurant to be unique.

And I appreciate that you want your language to be

precise. But please, don’t make things more complicated than they need to be.

Inland Northwest menus have tried for years, and are still trying, to come up with new ways to describe sandwiches for no apparent reason. Handhelds? Maybe.

On A Bun? Stretching it. Between Bread? Meats in the Middle? There’s just no need. For the love of all portable foods, just call them sandwiches and move on. If you have a list of sandwiches and a wrap sneaks in there, I’m not going to be upset. I get the gist.

MENUS!

Despite plenty of places around the country setting tables with QR codes, the Inland Northwest has remained staunchly attached to old-fashioned, analog menus. I think that says something about our commitment to quality service and personal touch. I get to keep stuffing our time capsule because our cities value the unique, the tactile, the communal. That’s a great legacy to leave behind. n

Join us for OUR 51ST ANNUAL WEIRD WONDERFUL WINTER CARNIVAL

February 16-25,

featured events:

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Let it Glow at Schweitzer February 18

PRESIDENTS’ DAY WEEKEND AT SCHWEITZER. All carnival action moves onto the mountain with skiing, riding, snowshoe hikes and more, capped by the Coca Cola Let it Glow night parade and fireworks at 6 p.m.

MONDAY, FEB 19 - FRIDAY, FEB 23

THE GREAT WINTER CARNIVAL CHILI COOKOFF. Sample fine chili from local cooks 3-5 p.m. and vote on your favorites, at Pierce Auto Center.

IN TOWN AND ON THE MOUNTAIN. Activities galore with live music around town, activities at Schweitzer and more.

LIVE MUSIC WITH PAPER FLOWERS @ THE HIVE. Multi-media concert and show reprising Fleetwood Mac’s heyday, 7-11 p.m. at The Hive downtown.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24

PRESIDENTS’ DAY WEEKEND AT SCHWEITZER. Mountain activities all day, with snow bar, summit snowshoe hike, tubing, twilight skiing and more.

PEGGY REICH PIANO RECITAL. Acclaimed visiting artist plays at the Music Conservatory, 7-9 p.m.

SLEIGH RIDE, DINNER & CONCERT @ WESTERN PLEASURE. Rides at 5 or 6 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m.

Reserve in advance!

36 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18

PARADE OF LIGHTS kicks off the carnival with the small-but-select parade through downtown @ 5:30 p.m. Afterwards, enjoy drink, dining, music and more downtown. Sponsored by Ting.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17

FOR MORE FESTIVAL INFO OR LODGING OPTIONS GO TO

2024

CARNIVAL EVENTS AT SCHWEITZER. Ski and ride, including twilight hours 3-7 p.m., plus all-day activities including tubing, live music and a hosted moonlight snowshoe hike.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25 EICHARDT’S K9 KEG PULL. It’s the capstone of Winter Carnival, as dogs and owners race down a snowy course downtown beginning 11 a.m. Dogs pull appropriately sized kegs – for a St. Bernard, that’s a full-size keg, but for a chihuahua it’s a beer can – as they race the clock for best time and prizes. It’s heart-warming fun!

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 37

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ALSO OPENING LISA FRANKENSTEIN

Writer Diablo Cody (Jennifer’s Body) returns to the horror comedy realm with this tale of an ’80s goth girl who reanimates a Victorian corpse and begins rebuilding him into her perfect boyfriend… which may require other people’s parts… Rated PG-13

OUT OF DARKNESS

Set in 43,000 BCE, this Stone Age survival horror film finds a pack of nomadic hunters who become the hunted when night falls and they realize they’re the ones being stalked. Rated R

Indigenous identity is explored in SpIFF’s Headdress.

A WHIFF OF SPIFF Highlighting the standout films from the 2024 Spokane International Film Festival

BY SETH SOMMERFELD, SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL, COLTON RASANEN AND ELIZA BILLINGHAM

S

pokane International Film Festival turns 25 this year, and you’re all invited to come to its birthday party!

No seriously, actually come out.

After years of virtual-heavy festivals in the wake of the pandemic, SpIFF is trying to return to in-person screenings in a big way.

Everything is blown out for this 25th anniversary SpIFF, which runs from Feb. 9-16. Last year there were 12 features — this year there are 19. The number of shorts has increased over 2023 from 44 to 57. In recent years there have been about 10 to 15 visiting filmmakers at the festival. This year? That number is above 40.

But most crucially, there are 30 in-person screenings this year, starting with the opening night Best of the Northwest shorts program at the Bing Crosby Theater on Feb. 9, with all subsequent screenings at the Magic Lantern. That’s a huge leap from just 10 screenings in 2023.

“This is really our year to see if people are ready to come back out,” says SpIFF Director Peter Porter. “We’ll at least celebrate the 25th. And we’ll see what the future holds. Because it’s quite a bit of work, so if it works, and it’s great, then we’ll need to recruit some more support.

And if not, then we’ll just scale it back again.”

With that in mind, here are some of the most noteworthy films SpIFF 2024 has to offer.

FEATURES

DARUMA

Shot partially in the Inland Northwest with the local crew that worked on Z Nation, this dramedy feature follows Patrick (Tobias Forrest), a wheelchair-bound vet

40 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

who’s let his life descend into a mess. He’s a strip-club obsessed borderline alcoholic who struggles to keep a job and lashes out with rage at the world. Things change quickly when child protective services show up telling him he has a 4-year-old daughter and that her mother died, so he must care for the girl or she’ll go into the foster system. While the filmmakers make Patrick so unlikeable that it’s hard to fully buy his telegraphed redemptive arc (thankfully some characters call him on this), Daruma is a caring film that touches on more humor and heart when it becomes a road trip film with Patrick, his adorable daughter, and his cranky double amputee neighbor halfway through the runtime.

Tue, Feb. 13 at 6:30 pm. (SS)

PUNDERNEATH IT ALL

Do you ever feel PUNished for your love of wordplay?

Do you ever PUNder if somewhere there’s a space free of eyerolls and groans? Somewhere where your humor would be appreciated, celebrated and PUNderstood?

The documentary Punderneath It All explores the nationwide phenomenon of pun slams, comedy competitions where PUNdamonium reigns supreme. Crisscross the country from breweries in Seattle, comedy clubs in Austin and the Punderground in our very own Spokane to meet a group of people who definitely intend their puns. Turns out comedic competition isn’t all PUN and games — rules get stricter, tensions rise and puns take on politics. The film will definitely make you reconsider whether puns are the lowest form of humor. I say, let the PUN shine! Sat., Feb. 10 at 7 pm and 8:30 pm (EB)

RICHLAND

“Plutonium is the fruit of the tree. And we have eaten of the fruit.” A choir sings in Richland, Washington, a town originally built by the U.S. government to house employees making weapon-grade plutonium at the Hanford nuclear site. This documentary intersperses archival footage, interviews of Richland residents, written word and visual poetry to draw up a portrait of a place embedded in pride, guilt and dust. The death and devastation brought by exposure to plutonium are complicated by the pride of serving the country, the grief of warfare and the guilt of environmental destruction.

From bowling alleys to church choirs, alphabet homes to school mascots, reminders of the atom are everywhere. “We were just taught to be proud of the area,” one resident says. “We did an amazing, terrible thing.

But people drop the terrible.” Sun, Feb. 11 at 11 am. (EB)

SHORTS

A BEAR NAMED WOJTEK

One of the most famous soldiers in Polish military history is Corporal Wojtek. He earned his stripes during 1944’s Battle of Monte Cassino. Oh, also Wojtek is literally a Serbian brown bear. The improbable true story gets told in a family-friendly manner with beautiful impressionistic animation in this 28-minute short that goes down smooth. Screening as part of the Animation Showcase on Sat, Feb. 10 at 11 am. (SS)

CHIMERA

In this snapshot of a not-so-distant, digitally enhanced

              

SPOKANE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 9/9-9/15

Get tix: spokanefilmfestival.org/schedule               

Leering abounds in the Spokane short The Good Neighbors. future where screentime is monitored and restricted, we follow Mick (Grasie Mercedes) as she struggles with the grief of a past relationship by recreating her ex-girlfriend in virtual reality. Meanwhile, she’s letting her current relationship — her closest connection to reality — fall by the wayside as grief turns to obsession. Imagine a Black Mirror: San Junipero-esque vibe without any of its succinct resolution, further tying this short to the real world where we’re often left without any satisfying conclusions. Screening as a part of Queer Lives: Queer Shorts on Sun, Feb. 11 at 7 pm. (CR)

brought to life in the form of a talking felt puppet of one of her dilators for… down there. Screening as part of Best of the Northwest on Fri, Feb. 9 at 7 pm. (SS)

MARIA SCHNEIDER, 1983

THE GOOD NEIGHBORS

This Spokane short is a comedic treat, following a mother and her adult son trying to figure out the best course of action when they peer out the window and notice that there happens to be some unexpected nudity in their neighbor’s yard. Screening as part of Best of the Northwest on Fri, Feb. 9 at 7 pm. (SS)

A seasoned French actress sits for an interview, her back against a mirrored wall. In long shots with plenty of silence, she smokes, sips espresso, fiddles with her earrings. She’s elegant, depressed, articulate but restrained. She doesn’t take many roles anymore. She doesn’t want to talk about her debut performance with Marlon Brando. She wants to talk about power and art and painting. Instead, she’s haunted by a film she did when she was 19. In three interviews over the course of this short doc, an attentive listener will hear the details of Maria Schneider’s story and her struggle for power slightly change. But her experience remains true, constant and universal to this day. Screening as a part of Women’s World: World Shorts on Sun, Feb. 11 at 4 pm. (EB)

HEADDRESS

NIGHT STAND

This quirky short takes you through the internal dialogue of queer Native American Taietsarón:sere “Tai” Leclaire — the film’s director, screenwriter and main character — as the various pieces of his personality try to figure out how to react to a white woman wearing a Native headdress to a festival. The funny character traits listed for each version of Tai go blazing by on the screen, but watch closely and you’ll catch some of the best pieces of humor in the short. From Goth Tai who is the “Oldest Identity” to Queer Tai who “still hasn’t seen Moonlight” to Bougie Tai who “pronounces ‘Ibiza’ exactly how you think he does,” the pieces of Tai’s personality bicker over the best response. Screening as part of Through Indigenous Eyes on Sat, Feb. 10 at 1:30 pm and as part of Queer Lives on Sun, Feb. 11 at 7 pm. (SW)

IMPENETRABLE

Am I saying that Geena Pietromonaco is Seattle’s Phoebe WallerBridge? That seems like extremely high praise… but maybe? She writes, directs and stars in the very amusing comedic short about a woman suffering from a medical condition that makes her vagina… well… the title says it all. Pietromonaco manages to be both vulnerable and hilarious as she tries to overcome her issues by slightly awkwardly hooking up with a guy she meets at the club. Oh, and guiding her on the journey: a manifestation of her subconscious

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Did I mention Geena Pietromonaco kills it at this year’s SpIFF? (I literally did.) In another romcom short crackling with comedic energy, she plays a young woman who awakens in a strange bed after a hookup and begins anxiously trying to figure out how to make this relationship stick while her would-be beau still sleeps. Hijinks with a dog, lack of food at said dude’s abode, and getting locked out very finely capture the anxiety of wanting to make a romantic fling into something more while everything goes awry. (Bonus local points for Gonzaga theater grad Taylor Roel Pedroza playing the apple of her eye.) Screening as part of PNW Makers on Sat, Feb. 10 at 4 pm. (SS)

THINGS LONG LEFT UNSAID

The documentary Things Long Left Unsaid serves as a personal essay

by Spokane filmmaker Antonia Thornton. In it, she wrestles with struggles of being Black in Spokane through the lens of her sometimes distant and now-departed father. It’s a moving and reflective mediation on loss and feeling out of place. Screening as part of PNW Makers on Sat, Feb. 10 at 4 pm. (SS) n Spokane International Film Festival 2024 • Feb. 9-16 • $15-$25 per screening • Locations vary • spokanefilmfestival.org • For more reviews, visit Inlander.com/screen

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 41

Tango Volcado is ready to make Feb. 14 spicy at the Fox. DANNY CORDERO PHOTO

WORLD MUSIC

It Takes Four to Tango Local quartet Tango Volcado discusses the allure of its musical style before its Valentine’s Day show with the Spokane Symphony

BY SETH SOMMERFELD

I

t’s easy to envision tango. Two dancers draped over one another, nose to nose, intertwining legs, quick stepping, spinning, dipping and almost pulsating with unbridled sensuality. It’s just about the steamiest thing you can watch without venturing into NSFW territory.

And while most people can conjure a visual in their heads when they hear “tango,” being able to quickly recall the sound of tango doesn’t come as naturally for most.

Spokane quartet Tango Volcado is all about making tango’s soundscape more prevalent throughout the city.

The group specializes in nuevo tango, the Argentine subgenre that blends traditional tango with elements of jazz and a dash of classical music. Formed in 2009, Tango Volcado currently consists of Eugene Jablonsky on upright bass, Patricia Bartell on accordion, Tana BachmanBland on violin, and Jody Graves on piano. Tango Volcado isn’t any of their primary gigs: Bachman-Bland is a former Spokane Symphony member who freelances for Broadway shows and other bands while also supplementally teaching at Mead High School; Graves is a traveling performer and professor at Eastern; Jablonsky plays with Spokane Jazz Orchestra and is also a former Spokane Symphony member; and beyond being an award-winning accordionist, Bartell is a businesswoman who just released her own motivational business book, From Crutches to Crushing It: A Journey from Pain to Power. And while

42 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

they all have other endeavors, the joy of playing tango provides a special spark.

That spark — as well as many other sparks — will be on display when Tango Volcado joins the Spokane Symphony for the special “Tangos & Tapas” Valentine’s Day show at the Fox. Not only will Tango Volcado and the symphony play pieces on their own and collaboratively, but the romantically inclined event will also feature preshow Latin tapas courtesy of Feast World Kitchen chefs, routines from world-renowned mononym tango dancers Sandor and Parissa, and post-show tango lessons from the pair with accompaniment by Tango Volcado.

T

here are a variety of musical characteristics that make tango instantly stand out, but the core of the genre’s signature sound is the rhythm. Typically played in 2/4 or 4/4 time, tango leans heavily on syncopated (offbeat) rhythms with staccato notes. (For the more music theory inclined, tango uses a duple meter — where there are two beats per measure.) To simplify that — the rhythmic patterning of the music gives tango numbers that signature propulsive passion.

“The notes are literally a dance,” says BachmanBland. “They are sometimes so raw, that it really does touch our base human parts of us.”

Tango blends together a variety of world music

flavors including Eastern European folk styles like polka and mazurka, Spanish flamenco and contradanza, and rhythmic underpinnings from African music. The melding in part explains the instrumentation of tango, which traditionally includes the bandoneon — though Tango Volcado’s Bartell goes with the bandoneon’s larger cousin, the accordion. She greatly appreciates the genre’s ability to expand people’s perception of her instrument.

“I think the accordion has been so stereotyped — especially in the U.S. with polkas,” says Bartell. “So when we get into tangos, it’s got a totally different feel — so many different colors.”

The thing about tango music that absolutely thrills the members of Tango Volcado is the freedom of the music. Tango might not be as free-flowing as jazz, but there’s certainly far less adherence to structure than playing a classical symphonic piece. Tango encourages the musicians to be creative in the moment and play off one another.

“Tango challenges me to become an even better musician. Sometimes in the moment in a performance something happens that you didn’t plan, and next thing you know, you’re smiling and you’re looking at your colleagues like that just happened,” says Bachman-Bland. “I just get so giddy. It’s so fun. It’s so energizing. It’s beautiful. It hits all of those emotions.”

“It’s freeing. It stretches me, but working with these amazing musicians,” adds Graves. “There’s so much opportunity for being creative. You have a map with the score we have, but if you actually knew how to follow it — we’re not playing everything on that map.”

“It’s so much improv. The notes are just a suggestion or suggestion,” says Bartell. “It reminds me of the traffic lights in the Philippines or Uganda — they’re just a suggestion.”

D N FI R U YO

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Beyond the joyful interplay that happens on-stage, the other thing that makes playing tango such a rush is the audience response. Like the music itself, it’s energetic to say the least.

“When you’re a classically trained musician, especially being a symphony player, you’re taught there’s a wall between you and the audience. You’re not there to be calling attention to yourself.

It’s about the music,” says Bachman-Bland. “So for me, [Tango Volcado] has broken me out of that — it’s OK to have personality on stage. It’s OK to smile at your audience. It’s OK to laugh with them and make jokes. It allows us freedom to discover more of who we actually are musically.”

And tango’s breakdown of the wall between performers and the audience transcends cultures.

“I remember playing a tango once in the Middle East — in Ramallah in the West Bank — on a tour I was doing with the U.S. State Department,” Graves says. “Played this tango — ‘Oblivion,’ one of the pieces we’re doing at this [Spokane Symphony] concert — and the room of Middle Eastern people were just enamored with it. At the end they said, ‘Can you play it again?’ So there’s a connection, viscerally.”

So what exactly is it that people are responding to in tango music? Well… let’s say there’s a reason that Tango Volcado’s show with the Spokane Symphony is a Valentine’s Day affair. Tango is — to put it bluntly — extremely sexy music. It’s music that still can push the edges of what feels acceptable in many cultures. It feels hot, sensual and borderline taboo.

“The relationship with tango for every single human being is it’s raw. It’s emotional,” says Bachman-Bland. “It was actually forbidden [in some places]. The intimacy between the dancers… it can get naughty.”

“And when you see the dancers who are coming from San Francisco [for the Spokane Symphony concert] — I got to work with him last year in a different tango setting — they’re phenomenal. They’re so beautiful together, and so on the edge of super intimacy,” Bachman-Bland says with a laugh. “Seeing them dance will make you... feel things.”

W

hile Tango Volcado is far from a full-time gig and can be hard to schedule due to each of the four members’ other commitments, their collective love for the music keeps them coming back. The group hopes to make another album in the not-too-distant future and will be performing as a featured act at Washington State Music Teachers Association Conference held at Gonzaga this June. But for now, “Tangos & Tapas” with the Spokane Symphony is the focus.

Bachman-Bland says that her former symphony colleagues are “itching” to let their proverbial hair down and play some tango.

That said, she recognizes it may be a tougher task than normal for Spokane Symphony’s assistant conductor, Shira SamuelsShragg, since the main melody in tango doesn’t always hit on the beat. But that change of pace will hopefully be appealing to the Spokane Symphony’s typical patrons.

“I want to create more of a reason for audience members to want to come back to the symphony, and create more of an intimate, human connection with them,” says Bachman-Bland.

The “Tangos & Tapas” concert will feature Tango Volcado playing Astor Piazzolla’s “Oblivion” and Piazzolla’s “Libertango,” the symphony doing a host of romantic numbers including Tchaikovsky’s “Fantasy Overture” from Romeo and Juliet and selections of the scores from La La Land, Westside Story and Love Actually, and both ensembles coming together for Piazzolla’s “Milonga del Angel” and Matos Rodríguez’s “La Cumparsita.” For those who think the symphony is too stuffy, programs like “Tangos & Tapas” should dispel that stereotype.

“If you’ve got a concert where you’re playing a Brahms and this and that... then you throw in some tangos? Your audiences are loving this stuff,” adds Graves.

It’s one thing to be able to envision tango. It’s another thing to be able to conjure the music in your head. But to fully understand tango — well, you just have to experience the passion in person. n Tango & Tapas: Valentine’s Day with Spokane Symphony • Wed, Feb. 14 at 7 pm • $99-$145 • The Fox Theater • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • foxtheaterspokane.com • 509-624-1200

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 43

MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

HIP-HOP SNOTTY NOSE REZ KIDS

H

ailing from the very remote Kitamaat Village in British Columbia, the Haisla hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids show out for the First Nations. The combo of Darren “Young D” Metz and Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce churn out effortlessly smooth rhymes with strong melodic underpinning while rapping about their cultural identity.

Whether they’re being more seriously reflective (“Warriors”) or going for more of a party vibe (“Boujee Natives”), Snotty Nose Rez Kids never lose sense of the flow. With local standout Jang the Goon opening the show, this has the potential to be the best Spokane hip-hop show of the winter.

— SETH SOMMERFELD Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Jang the Goon • Sat, Feb. 10 at 9 pm • $20 • 21+ • District Bar • 916 W. First Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com

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

ROCK GIN BLOSSOMS

T

Thursday, 2/8

he Gin Blossoms are a textbook example of our collective cultural memory being faulty. While largely considered a one-hit wonder known for 1993’s “Hey Jealousy,” the band actually had four other singles that charted as high or higher on the Billboard 100: “Til I Hear It From You,” “Follow You Down,” “Allison Road” and “Found Out About You.” The group’s excellent sense of pop rock melodicism led them to score multiple platinum albums.

The narrative is simply off. After a late ’90s breakup, Gin Blossoms have been going steady since 2001, which very few of their contemporaries can claim. So take another shot of Gin… it may be more familiar and sweeter than you even recall.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Hoodoo Udu CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Thursday Night Jam CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds THE DISTRICT BAR, Moontricks, Will Evans J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin RED ROOM LOUNGE, Hip-Hop Night ZOLA, The Night Mayors

Friday, 2/9

BARRISTER WINERY, The Rising J THE BIG DIPPER, Where?, Black Locust, Inside Slurs THE BULL HEAD, Sunshower CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Side Step CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Max Malone CDA TAPHOUSE UNCHAINED, Wiebe Jammin’ J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire IOLITE LOUNGE, Kyle Richard PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Ron Keiper Trio RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Just Plain Darin ZOLA, Brittany’s House

Saturday, 2/10

J THE BIG DIPPER, Paloma, The Ongoing Concept, Vika And The Velvets

44 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Gin Blossoms • Thu, Feb. 15 at 7:30 pm • $59-$205 • All ages • Northern Quest Resort & Casino • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • northernquest.com

J CAFE COCO, B CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Eternal Jones CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Max Malone J THE DISTRICT BAR, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Jang the Goon EICHARDT’S PUB, John Firshi FOXHOLE BAR & GRILL, Son of Brad PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Mike and Shanna RED ROOM LOUNGE, Dead Poet J J REVIVAL TEA COMPANY, Revival Live is for Lovers J SNOW EATER BREWING CO., Just Plain Darin

SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Soul Proprietor, Rob Vaughn ZOLA, Blake Braley

Sunday, 2/11 HOGFISH, Open Mic J SOUTH HILL GRILL, Just Plain Darin

Monday, 2/12 EICHARDT’S PUB, Monday Night Blues Jam with John Firshi RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night J J THE FOX THEATER, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox

Tuesday, 2/13

J KNITTING FACTORY, Magic City Hippies, The Palms, Josh Fudge LITZ’S PUB & EATERY, Shuffle Dawgs ZOLA, Jerry Lee and the Groove

LYYV ENTERTAINMENT, Blue Lyyte Party RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Lounge Jam J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents ZOLA, Aspen Kye

Wednesday, 2/14

Coming Up ...

THE DISTRICT BAR, Summer Sweeney, Erin Enderlin THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic J J THE FOX THEATER, Tangos & Tapas: Spokane Symphony with Tango Volcado J KNITTING FACTORY, Fit for a King, The Devil Wears Prada

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

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

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

J J THE BIG DIPPER, Matt Mitchell Music Co., The Holy Broke, Feb. 22, 7:30 pm.

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

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 45

MUSIC FAMILIAR, BUT DIFFERENT

There’s nothing quite like a Postmodern Jukebox show. If you’ve never been, allow me to give you a rundown: Founded by jazz pianist Scott Bradlee, the band reinvents popular songs in the light of older “pop” music genres, mostly early 20th-century forms like swing and jazz. The band consists of a rotating cast of singers and musicians who often invite guest vocalists to perform with them. The group went viral on YouTube in 2012 for their jazzy rendition of Macklemore and Spokane native Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop.” From there, it’s been over a decade of swingin’ and boppin’. Musical highlights from this recent tour include covers of “Thriller” by Michael Jackson and a rendition of the ever-popular “Dancing Queen”

by ABBA. No matter your music taste, there’s something for everyone at a PMJ show.

— MADISON PEARSON Postmodern Jukebox • Mon, Feb. 12 at 7:30 pm • $35-$188 • The Fox Theater • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • foxtheaterspokane. org • 509-624-1200

46 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

BENEFIT TOLKIEN TIME

FOOD BELLE NUIT

LOTR Trivia Fundraiser • Sun, Feb. 11 from 12-2 pm • $10 • Iron Goat Brewing Co. • 1302 W. Second Ave. • eventbrite.com/e/lotrtrivia-fundraiser-tickets-801830475537

Sacha’s Supper Club: Paris After Dark • Sat, Feb. 10 at 6:30 pm • $125-$225 • Historic Davenport Hotel • 10 S. Post St. • davenporthotelcollection.com

If you’re someone who reads the Lord of the Rings trilogy hobbitually, then this fundraiser for the GetLit! Festival is right up your alley. Get together with your ragtag bunch of friends (I suggest a few hobbits, an elf and maybe an old wizard dude for a full team of four) and show off your LOTR knowledge while raising money for EWU’s annual literary festival. (Note: The trivia is based on the books, not the films!) While answering questions, enjoy specialty food from Iron Goat Brewing including a mocktail called the Miruvor. Winners will receive an Iron Goat appetizer and a prize pack from the GetLit! crew that includes books, T-shirts, stickers and more. Just be sure to keep your answers out of the hands of a certain thief who resides in a cave in the Misty Mountains…

— MADISON PEARSON

A night Coco Chanel would dream of: Travel to midcentury Paris for a glitzy, glamorous evening of supper and song. The educational nonprofit Sacha’s Supper Club hosts “Paris After Dark” in the Marie Antoinette Ballroom at the Historic Davenport Hotel. Bring out your pearls, bowties and berets for an immersive and effortlessly elegant evening. After an indulgent three-course dinner of lobster bisque, coq au vin vol au vent and mousse au chocolat, dance the evening away to Paris Chanson’s sultry French soundings, with additional vocalists Veronique Forget and Sacha Boutros. Listen to the unwinding story of a century of French song. Give into nostalgia and spend an evening luxuriating in the house of Dior. When the sun comes up, you may never want to say au revoir.

— ELIZA BILLINGHAM

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.

COMMUNITY YEAR OF THE DRAGON

Ring in the Year of the Dragon this Lunar New Year! The global holiday takes place on the second new moon after the winter solstice (typically landing in late January or early February) and is celebrated by about 2 billion people every year. The Year of the Dragon is believed to be one of the most important signs within the 12-year lunar cycle and signifies a time of great transformation. To celebrate, the Shadle Park Library is hosting a series of cultural and educational events to kick off the 15-day celebration. Starting with a children’s story time at 10 am, there will also be dance performances by the Spokane Chinese Association, a cooking demonstration on shaobing (a type of flatbread), and K-Pop centered activities. Attendees can also enter a raffle with gift certificates to local Asian grocery stores, restaurants and more.

— LUCY KLEBECK Lunar New Year Events • Sat, Feb. 10 at 10 am • All ages • Free • Shadle Park Library • 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. • spokanelibrary.org • 509-444-5300

FILM JOIN THE CULT!

It’s hard to define what makes a cult classic movie, because everyone approaches the topic differently. A film can gain a cult following because it’s a hidden gem or because it bombed at the box office but is great or so weird and transgressive that it only appeals to a niche audience or because it’s so bad that it becomes funny. These are the movies championed by the Palouse Cult Film Revival. Since 2018, the organization has been screening their favorites at the Kenworthy in Moscow, and they’ve got a full array of offerings this month. On Feb. 14, PCFR screens the only widely released NC-17 film, the much-maligned 1995 erotic drama Showgirls. (Warning: Make sure you know the quirks of your date before making this a Valentine’s Day plan.) That’s followed by a Feb. 21 screening of the obscure horror comedy Killer Nerd and a Feb. 24 screening of the legendarily awful The Room with actor Greg Sestero (“Oh hi Mark”) in attendance.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

*APY = annual percentage yield. Insured by NCUA. Rates are accurate as of 2/8/2024 and are subject to change. Early withdrawal penalties apply. Membership fee and restrictions may apply. Rate shown includes a 0.25% APR bonus for members who have or establish monthly direct deposit of $200 or more to a Horizon Credit Union checking account. APY without the bonus = 5.16%. Maximum deposit of $1M per individual.

Palouse Cult Film Revival: Showgirls • Wed, Feb. 14 at 7 pm • $8 • Rated NC-17 • Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre • 508 S. Main St., Moscow • palousecultfilms.org

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 47

to see us waiting to cross, crossing, trying to cross, etc. Please acknowledge that you see us. Waiting for the next light, so a pedestrian, bike, stroller, runner, wheelchair or whoever is crossing, is worth the safety it requires. Are we all really in that big of a hurry? Does it really matter whose fault it was when someone is in the street hanging on to life? Wait until it is safe.

CHEERS

I SAW YOU STAR I saw you twinkling from afar.

NEW BAR OWNER Hey V. How is that new ownership going? Heard your friend tried to sell you a bar she didn’t own! Karma.

GIRL IN THE RED FORD You driving down the Palouse Highway — sweet smile and long blond hair flowing in the wind. I turned and saw you when you honked at me while I was on the tractor. There was no way I could catch you on the tractor, and then you were gone. Please come by again, only this time slow down so we have some time to get to know each other. I wrote you a little poem so maybe you’ll honk again… When you drive by, You look pretty classy. Why don’t you slow down, I’d like to check your chassis.

COST ANALYSIS Which is more expensive?

Using your vehicle headlights in conditions of poor visibility, like fog? Or doing jail time and being sued for all that you own because you caused a serious accident?

YOU SAW ME A PIED To my fellow pedestrians. It is our responsibility to be seen at corners/ crosswalks before we cross. Please confirm, visually with the drivers, stopped, that they see you. Be big. Wave your arms, wear reflective, bright colors. Phones away. The green light with the person symbol to go is the deadliest, scariest combination on a signal ever. Make certain you are seen. Don’t presume. Drivers: It is your responsibility

GONZAGA BASKETBALL It’s nice to see Zags women’s basketball team get some more recognition that they deserve. For years, it’s been all about men’s basketball, which was nice when they were a Cinderella team but has gotten really old recently. Since the men’s team may not even be good enough to make it to the NCAA tournament this year, it will be a great year to follow and support the women’s team. Great job, team! Great coaches too!

GREAT PICK, SPOKANE Spokane, thank you for electing a competent mayor. Mayor Brown is making all the right moves. TV personalities don’t really know much about policy, as demonstrated by The Apprentice, but they are good at getting people to dislike each other.

SPOKANE SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERS The SPS schools have some great programs, despite always having budget struggles that come with paying for great programs.

It’s hard to build and manage a huge organization and they’re doing well. While I feel that art should get a bit more money and football a bit less, mature adults recognize that we live in a pluralistic society and our taxes sometimes don’t always go to exactly what we want. We appreciate what you do. Keep fighting the good fight.

Our kids in your programs want you to keep classrooms and libraries from being places of division, suspicion, and closedmindedness. Spokane is a diverse city and our kids should experience how wonderful the real world is. Keep teaching big ideas and visions for a better future alongside the basics of reading, writing, arithmetic, and science literacy. Education is the basis of modern civilization and without generations of school teachers & administrators we wouldn’t have the comforts we enjoy today.

SHOPPING CART GARBAGE To the grocers who employ geo-fenced shopping cart brakes. Sure must make it harder for some people to transport their worldly belongings

to eventually be dumped on the hillsides.

Now if we could just get the churches, nonprofits and street corner donators from distributing all of that crap to the needy.

Perhaps the churches or nonprofits should be required to radio-tag their merchandise so that city fines could be issued when their junk is identified in the wild.

“

groups, addiction recover programs, employment services, youth activities, musical performances, cultural events, Bible study groups, immigration services, socials and more. It may not be practical to turn a church into a volunteer-run homeless shelter, especially on short notice.

”

Are we all really in that big of a hurry?

STA I live across a busy street on a bus route. STA consistently comes by and cleans up the bus stops. Ugh, and some of the messes they have to clean up :/ I feel awful. However, thanks for keeping the street and bus stop looking clean daily!

RE: HOSPITAL CHEATER Sounds like that hospital cheater needs a reality check. He needs to stop looking and to be happy in the relationship he’s in, and be glad he has someone in his older years. Grass isn’t always greener in someone’s else’s yard.

GOOD NEIGHBOR Cheers to the person I see walking their dogs near Doomsday Hill and picking up garbage. I’ve even seen them pick up other people’s dog poop! Thank you for making our city cleaner. You are a true dog sh** hero.

MY TAXES FOR WAR Since October 2023 thousands of Palestinian children have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. provides $4 billion per year to Israel in aid. My tax dollars. I think I’m going to puke.

SHAME ON YOU, SPOKANE! I was downtown having lunch. I parked in a handicap spot and hung my placard on the mirror. I returned to find a parking enforcement officer writing a ticket. She said the placard wasn’t mine. I said I do have my own, and I can show it to you now. She said here’s your $450 ticket. I went to court, and the entire room was filled with elderly disabled people in walkers and wheelchairs all with a placard violation of some sort. There is no judge present. Two young ladies enter and sit in front. We’re told they will be calling our names, and they may possibly reduce our fines to a lesser amount.

I’m the second person called. She asks how I plan to pay her. I asked her if she was licensed to legally convict me of this offense.

She said no. I replied that’s what I thought.

So take this ticket have it signed by a judge with jurisdiction and have it stamped as dismissed. I took my DISMISSAL and boogied out. Go pick on someone else. Sickening!

KUDOS TO MAYOR BROWN Kudos to Mayor Brown’s enormous transition team for developing a very, very ambitious list of priority recommendations for her first 100 days. However, it seems the Spokane River, the city’s crown jewel, has been overlooked.

The river is relied upon for safe and healthy recreation, and, for some, sustenance via fishing. It is about time the administration does something about contamination of the river, allowing humans to safely consume the fish from the river once again.

JEERS J & J Congratulations on you “J” for cheating on your husband. And, yes, congratulations to you too, cheating husband whose name also begins with “J” for being a crappy liar.

You two dumpsters deserve each other.

SHAME ON YOU, SKI RESORT Drove over two hours based on your blatantly inaccurate snow reports. Twenty-eight inches reported at the lodge and 40-plus at the summit? Nope, dirt and most trails closed. Not cool and you didn’t own up or acknowledge the inaccuracies you are reporting on your website and to the local

RE: WHAT’S A CHURCH FOR ANYWAY? So glad you asked. Outside of religious services, churches host weddings, funerals, baptisms, christenings, confessions, book clubs, indoor sports, coming of age celebrations, food banks, marriage counseling, senior services, English classes, children’s play

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.

news. I have seen this happening all season.

Bad weather or not, make your reports accurate. Shame on you and buyer beware!

RE: CHURCHES AND THE HOMELESS So let me get this straight. Your defense of a church who proudly thumps its chest about how its adherents should “love thy neighbor as thyself,” “do unto others as you would have done unto you,” and “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven” is that it would have possibly cost too much and maybe have damaged your building?

It sounds like you value your tax-exempt sanctuary over the lives of your neighbors who were in danger on your doorstep. I agree that taking care of the unhoused is difficult. Our cities, states and nation MUST do more to give people an on ramp to stable and healthy lives because a philosophy of rugged individualism is causing suffering for too many of us. I work toward a whole society that helps everyone, not just the ones a church deigns to help when it’s convenient.

POOR TEXAS They can’t defend themselves.

The 16,500 National Guardsmen and the 6,000-plus gun stores aren’t enough. The governor of Florida is sending troops across three states to bolster them. He has to do something dramatic after being vixen slapped by Mickey Mouse!

DO NOTHING-ERS To those who do not respond to property crime reports and who now refuse to enforce any traffic laws because they didn’t get the raise they requested. In my experience the best way to recieve a raise is to do a good job. That being said, my question is why there are hundreds if not thousands of people driving around with expired or no plates on their uninsured vehicles in Spokane. This leaves the law-abiding taxpaying public to pick up the slack (i.e., all of us have to have insurance against uninsured motorists) to protect ourselves from the law breakers!

My advice is if you want more money, start doing the job you are paid for. n

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

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W I N T E R

Monthly in the Inlander

S E R I E S

October – February

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT CINN-A-GRAMS Surprise a loved one with a box of cinnamon rolls, a Valentine’s mug, an assortment of goodies and a personal message delivered to them. Through Feb. 14. Proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels Spokane. $40. mowspokane.org DISNEY CLASSICS Disney classic songs performed by local musicians. Proceeds benefit the Chewelah Center for the Arts. Includes coffee and snacks. Feb. 9, 7-9 pm. $20. Chewelah Center for the Arts, 405 N. Third St. chewelahcenterforthearts.com (509-936-9333) LEADERSHIP LIGHTS THE WAY GALA This gala benefitting Leadership Spokane features silent and online auctions. Feb. 10, 6-9 pm. $125. Northern Quest, 100 N. Hayford Rd. leadershipspokane.org (509-321-3639) GETLIT! LORD OF THE RINGS TRIVIA FUNDRAISER Answer trivia about the Lord of the Rings trilogy in teams. Proceeds benefit EWU’s GetLit! Festival.

Feb. 11, 12-2 pm. $10. Iron Goat Brewing Co., 1302 W. Second Ave. inside.ewu. edu/getlit (509-474-0722) THE BASH A fundraiser for Emerge, an arts nonprofit in Coeur d’Alene, featuring art, auctions, raffles, art demonstrations, a coursed dinner and more. Feb. 16, 5-9:30 pm. $95. Honey Eatery and Social Club, 317 Sherman Ave. emergecda.com (208-930-1876)

COMEDY ART MEETS COMEDY A show based on art in the gallery, hosted by Audreana Camm. Comics include Beth Brese, Josh Teaford, Josiah Carlson and Rocki Martin.

Featured art by Kodi McQuillen, Robin Dyer, Clancie Pleasants, John Thamm, Rick Davis and Roch Fautch. Feb. 9, 7-9 pm. $5. Shotgun Studios, 1625 W. Water. shotgunstudiosspokane.com EDDIE GRIFFIN Griffin is an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for portraying Eddie Sherman in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie. Feb. 10, 8 pm. $35-$85. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org SAFARI The Blue Door Theatre’s version of Whose Line during which comics improv short comedy skits from audience suggestions. Fridays at 7:30 pm through Dec. 28. $9. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar St. bluedoortheatre.com OPEN MIC MONDAY Hosted by local comedian Anthony Singleton, this open mic welcomes artists and entertainers of all genres and ages. Every first and fourth Monday of the month from 7-9 pm. Free. Lyyv Entertainment, 8712 E. Sprague Ave. lyyv.tv IMPROV CHARACTERS & NARRATIVES In this eight-week course, participants dive into the art of creating compelling characters with unique quirks, motivations, and personalities.

Jan. 9-Feb. 27, Tue from 7-9 pm. $200.

Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar St. spokaneschoolofimprov.org DAVID SPADE Spade is an actor, comedian and TV host most well-known for his tenure on Saturday Night Live. Feb. 16, 7-9 pm. $42-$75. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. firstinterstatecenter.org BLACK HISTORY COMEDY SHOWCASE This comedy showcase celebrates Black History Month by highlighting regional Black comics includng Anthony Single-

ton, Charles Hall Jr. and Darryl Burns.

Feb. 17, 7-9:30 pm. $10-$15. The Goody Bar and Grill, 8714 E. Sprague Ave. lyyv. tv (509-557-3999)

COMMUNITY CANDLELIGHT SPA & WELLNESS SOIRÉE This self-care-driven event features a variety of experiences like massages, permanent jewelry, henna tattoos, palm reading and artisans selling handmade luxury items. Feb. 9, 6-9 pm. Free admission. The Lotus Spokane, 3026 E. Fifth Ave. flourishbotanicals.com (509-991-9201) POP-UP PICKENS VALENTINE’S SHOW A vendor fair of handmade, vintage and innovative products. Feb. 9, 3-8 pm and Feb. 10, 12-6 pm. Free.

Players & Spectators, 12828 E. Sprague Ave. facebook.com/RiverCityUpcycling QUESTMAS VILLAGE This outdoor family-friendly experience features large displays, an rink, photo backdrops and more. Mon-Thu from 4-9 pm and Fri-Sun from 12-9 pm. Free. Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com ROLE-PLAYING GAME DROP IN Improve your RPG skills by watching and participating in games. Fridays from 4-8 pm and Saturdays from 1-5 pm.

Free. RPG Community Center, 101 N. Stone St. rpgcenter.org CELESTIAL MASQUERADE A day full of shopping from a vendor hall, food and dancing before Valentine’s Day. Hosted by KuroNekoCon Spokane. Feb. 10, 3-10 pm. $45-$200. DoubleTree by Hilton City Center, 322 N. Spokane Falls Ct. kuronekocon.com (509-455-9600) CREATE A DISH GARDEN OR TERRARIUM Create a dish garden or terrarium with Ritters’ expert designers. Attendees pay for their chosen container, plants and other materials used. Feb. 10, 2-3 pm. $10. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com EXPERIENCE VIRTUAL REALITY Immerse yourself in virtual reality through the Oculus Quest 2 headset. Choose from a variety of experiences for a 20-minute visit. Registration required.

Feb. 10, March 19, April 16 and May 21, 2-5 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 22 N. Herald Rd. scld.org K-POP: SHOW OFF YOUR STARDOM Make accessories like bracelets, necklaces and pins inspired by K-pop music and fashion. Feb. 10, 1-2 pm. Free.

Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5390) LGBTQ+ SENIORS POTLUCK Celebrate the sixth year of the local group. Bring a dish (preferably something other than sweets). RSVP via email. Feb. 10, 12-1:30 pm. Free. Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W. Whistalks Way. lgbtqseniorsoftheinlandnorthwest.com PODCAST PUBLISHING Learn the essentials for podcasting in a home recording studio or at the library. Feb. 10, 4:30-5:30 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 22 N. Herald Rd. scld.org SONS OF NORWAY CRAFT & CULTURE FAIR A fair featuring vendors with handmade items, craft demos, Norwegian food and entertainment. Feb. 10, 9 am-3 pm. Free. Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth. son-cda.com DATING DOS & DON’TS / HOW TO ENTER & EXIT CONVERSATIONS A discussion on the nature of friendships and romantic relationships. Learn tips

and tools and practice starting and navigating conversations. Feb. 14, 11:30 am-12:30 pm & 1:30-2:30 pm. Free.

Spokane Falls Community College, 3410 W. Whistalks Way. sfcc.spokane.edu HEARTBREAKER VALENTINE’S SOCIAL Live portraits and caricatures as well as discounts on couples tattoos and piercings. Feb. 14, 12-10 pm. Free.

Heartbreaker Tattoo & Artist Co-op, 830 W. Sprague. heartbreakerspokane.com MANY SPIRITS COMMUNITY A space for two-spirit and indigiqueer people to spend time together. Tea, hot chocolate and some art supplies provided. Feel free to bring creative projects. 4-7 pm.

Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spectrumcenterspokane.org

ST. MARK’S LUTHERAN CHURCH 24TH AND GRAND BLVD

FILM EXPO ‘74: FILMS FROM THE VAULT A selection of recently digitized film footage from the 1974 World’s Fair hosted in Spokane. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Sep. 8. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org SPOKANE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL A festival featuring international films that share Jewish life and culture with the Inland Northwest. Feb. 3-4. Online Jan. 28-Feb. 8; times vary. $10-$65.

Gonzaga University Jepson Center, 502 E. Boone Ave. sajfs.org SPOKANE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL A small, selective offering of world-class films, features, documentaries and shorts made around the world in the past year that haven’t yet been commercially released for wide distribution. Many events feature guest filmmakers and performers to meet audiences, share their own stories and more. Feb. 9-16. See website for full schedule. $99-$149. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. spokanefilmfestival.org (509-227-7404) EXPERIENCE PALESTINE FILM FESTIVAL This festival showcaseS Palestine’s culture and history via a selection of films. Feb. 11 and 18, 4-6 pm. By donation. Unitarian Universalist, 4340 W. Whistalks Way. (509-325-6283) BARRY LYNDON Stanley Kubrick’s film in which a likeable Irishman changes into a conniving, manipulative rogue.

Feb. 13, 6:30-9:30 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org PALOUSE CULT FILM REVIVAL: SHOWGIRLS A mysterious young women hitches a ride to Las Vegas, begins working as a strip club dancer and sets about clawing her way to the top of the Vegas showgirls. Feb. 14, 7-9 pm. $8-$50. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. palousecultfilms.org BLACK HISTORY MONTH: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MALCOLM X An encore screening of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X and an in-person discussion with Met Opera performer and music scholar Dr. Makeda Hampton. Feb. 15, 6 pm. $15-$20. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2023

FREE OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2021

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2023

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Open Invitation HOME IMPROVEMENT A Spokane Valley designer shares her tips and tricks with the world • PG. 20

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Worthy Nonprofits

Finding Your Nook

PG. 18

Buzzy Boutiques PG. 32

Fresh Restaurants PG. 40

A nature-minded home is infused with the art of two Spokane legends Page 20

ALSO INSIDE: Health • 10

The Healing Power of VR

Food • 34

Everybody Loves Pie!

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

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Giving Back PAGE 16 Four Volunteer Gigs

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Boomtown PAGE 30 Road Tripping to Missoula

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

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Living Well in the

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Inland Northwest

FOOD & DRINK BEVERLY’S SWEETHEART COUPLES DINNERS A romantic evening of food, wine pairings and views of Lake Coeur d’Alene. Feb. 9, 10 and 14 from 5-7 pm and 7:30-9:30 pm. $75. Beverly’s, 115 S. Second St. beverlycda.com

To advertise in the next issue, contact: advertising@inlander.com 509.325.0634 ext. 247

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 49

EVENTS | CALENDAR LOVE’S CONFECTIONARY VALENTINE’S DESSERT CLASS Learn how to make macaroons, chocolate-dipped strawberries, cookies, chocolate truffles and more in this hands-on class. Feb. 10, 1-3 pm. $75. Beverly’s, 115 S. Second St. beverlyscda.com (208-292-5678) THE CHOCOLATE AFFAIR Wander through downtown businesses and sample an assortment of locally hand-crafted sweet treats as they become pop-up chocolate shops. Feb. 10, 3-7 pm. $20$35. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. cdadowntown.com (208-415-0116) THE MOST POPULAR STREET FOOD OF CHINA: SHAOBING A chef demonstrates how to make shaobing, a sesame flatbread sandwich. Feb. 10, 11:30 am-1 pm.

Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5390) MURDER MYSTERY DINNER Participate in solving a hands-on, immersive murder mystery while enjoying a three-course meal. Feb. 10, 6 pm. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commellini.com WORLD COOKING IN SPANISH: PUERTO RICAN FOOD Chef Wilma Cartagena from Feast World Kitchen demonstrates the preparation of a traditional Puerto Rican dish in an online presentation while you follow along in your home kitchen.

Feb. 13, 6:30-7:30 pm. Free. scld.org PRIDE VALENTINES DAY DINNER & DANCE A celebration for singles, couples and everyone in between. This event features an Italian-themed dinner, door prizes and games in a welcoming and accepting environment that embraces diverse relationships. Feb. 14, 5-8 pm. $25. nYne Bar & Bistro, 232 W. Sprague Ave. spokanepride.org (509-760-4676) VALENTINE’S DAY WINE & DANCING A night of wine, snacks, dance lessons, social dancing and live music by the River Street Latin Band. Feb. 14, 7-10 pm. $20.

Terra Blanca Winery, 926 W. Sprague. bit. ly/TerraBlancaValentines VALENTINE’S DINNER A four-course meal featuring steak and seafood dishes with an expert’s wine pairings. Feb. 14, 6-8 pm. $110-$115. Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. arborcrest.com COCKTAILS WITH LOVE Renée Cebula from Raising the Bar teaches how to make three classic cocktails while giving a detailed history of each. Feb. 16, 6-8:30 pm. $85. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commelliniestate.com NORTH IDAHO WINE SOCIETY: J BOOKWALTER WINERY Taste 6 to 7 wines from J Bookwalter Winery with paired appetizers, a wine raffle and door prize entry for all who attend. Feb. 16, 6:30-9 pm. $30-$35. Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Dr. northidahowinesociety.org (208-667-4628) ASIAN GROCERY STORE TOUR Community educator Juan Juan Moses hosts an educational field trip to Canaan Buffet.

Feb. 17, 12-1 pm. Free. spokanelibrary.org VALENTINE SWEET HEART DINNER A traditional German dinner consisting of ham, potatoes and red cabbage prepared by Elke Griffith and her sisters. Call for reservations. Feb. 17, 5:30-11 pm. $20.

German American Hall, 25 W. Third Ave. facebook.com/GASSpokane

MUSIC FACULTY ARTIST SERIES: DARRYL SINGLETON The artist performs a percussion concert with various collaborating artists.

Feb. 9, 7:30-9 pm. free. Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center, 405 SE Spokane St. mu-

50 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

sic.wsu.edu (509-335-7696) STUDENT RECITAL: SAMUEL LOOMIS Saxophonist Samuel Loomis performs his senior recital. Feb. 9, 3:10-4 pm. Free.

Bryan Hall Theatre (WSU), 605 Veterans Way. music.wsu.edu (509-335-7696) BRAHMS VIOLIN SONATAS FOR CELLO & PIANO The Brahms Violin Sonatas transcribed for Cello and Piano featuring Kevin Hekmatpanah on cello and YunJung Park on piano. Feb. 10, 4-5:30 pm.

Free. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/ mwpac (509-313-2787) YOU OUGHTA KNOW: EFFECTIVE MUSIC & SHOW PROMOTION A panel and discussion featuring music industry pros talking about how to effectively promote music and live shows. Feb. 11, 2-4 pm.

Free. Washington Cracker Co. Building, 304 W. Pacific Ave. haveuheardlive.com FAT TUESDAY JAZZ MASS Fat Tuesday with a jazz mass written Dan Keberle.

Music by Jazz Prophets Jazz Band and the Chancel Choir. Feb. 13, noon. By donation. St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 316 E. 24th Ave. stmarks-spokane.org WSU GUEST ARTIST: EVAN MITCHELL This concert is sponsored by Allegro, a program aimed at bringing worldrenowned guest artists to schools to perform and work one-on-one with students. This show features Mitchell on piano. Feb. 13, 7:30-9 pm. Free. Kimbrough Music Building (WSU), WSU Pullman. music.wsu.edu (509-335-7696) SINGING VALENTINES Send a Singing Valentine from the Lilac City Voice Barbershop Chorus. Quartets go to a home, school or business and perform two songs. Feb. 14, 8 am-8 pm. $50. lilaccityvoices.org (509-994-3016) TANGO & TAPAS: VALENTINE’S DAY WITH THE SPOKANE SYMPHONY Internationally-acclaimed dancers Sandor and Parissa perform along with the Spokane Symphony to romantic and upbeat classics Feb. 14, 7 pm. $99-$145. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org (509-624-1200)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. TRI-CITY AMERICANS Promos include Coeur d’Alene Casino Bingo Night (Feb. 9), Numerica Hockey Helmet Bank Giveaway (Feb. 17) and more. Feb. 9, 7:05 pm, Feb. 17, 6:05 pm. $13-$32. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com (279-7000) BEGINNING BEEKEEPING Learn the ins and outs of bees and beekeeping. Fee includes beekeeping manual, WASBA certification, 2024 West Plains Beekeepers Association membership and 2024 Washington State Beekeepers Association. Feb. 10 and Feb. 17, 10:30 am-2:30 pm. $50. Cheney Library, 610 First St. wpbeekeepers.org (801-923-3797) WILDERNESS FIRST AID TRAINING A course covering patient assessment, musculoskeletal injuries and splinting, anaphylaxis and epinephrine administration, would care and management as well as backcountry medical emergencies. Feb. 10-11 and 17-19, daily from 8 am-5 pm. $700-$750. Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, 26010 S. Smith Rd. longleafmedical.com (235-4723) SNOWSHOE TOUR Tour the trails of 49 Degrees North while a guide instructs you how to better control your snowshoes. Ages 16+. Feb. 11 and March 2, 10

am-2 pm. $53. 49 Degrees North, 3311 Flowery Trail Rd. spokanecity.org CHEAP SKATE TUESDAYS Free skate rentals provided with each paid admission. Tue from 11 am-8 pm through Feb. 27. $6.95-$9.95. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. riverfrontspokane.org (509-625-6600) SPOKANE AUDUBON: MANAGING CATS TO PROTECT BIRDS The American Bird Conservancy’s “Cats Indoors” program director Grant Sizemore provides information about indoor management benefits to cats and their humans.

Reach out via email for Zoom link. Feb. 14, 7-8:30 pm. Free. audubonspokane.org

THEATER & DANCE AMADEUS While chasing fame and fortune, Antonio Salieri becomes obsessed with the rowdy young prodigy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who is determined to make a splash. Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. (Sat, Feb. 10 performance at 2 pm.) through Feb. 25. $15-$38. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com (509-325-2507) ANASTASIA Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya embarks on an epic adventure to help her find home, love and family. Feb 8-18; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 1:30 pm. $30. Regional Theatre of the Palouse, 122 N. Grand Ave. rtoptheatre.org FUN HOME Moving between past and present, Alison relives her unique childhood, a growing understanding of her own sexuality and questions about her father’s hidden desires. Thu-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Feb. 18. $30-$35.

Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. stagelefttheater.org MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and features beautiful show girls, cows, killer rabbits and French people. Feb. 8-18; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $22-$28. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. aspirecda.com GO, DOG. GO! This dynamic theatrical adaptation of the beloved book by P.D. Eastman combines music, movement and rhythmic language into a colorful kaleidoscope of very busy dogs. Feb. 2-11; Fri-Sat at 6:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $5-$25.

Hartung Theater, 625 Stadium Dr. uidaho. edu/theatre (208-885-6465) SALSA DANCING Lessons and social dancing. No partner required. Advanced class at 7 pm, beginner at 8:30, social dancing at 9:30. Feb. 9, 7-11 pm. $10-$20.

Millwood Masonic Center, 3219 N. Argonne Rd. millwoodmasoniccenter.com DRAGON DANCE, CHINESE FOLK DANCE & SHAOLIN STYLE KUNG FU The Spokane Chinese Association presents its dragon dance, folk dance, and a youth demonstration. Feb. 10, 11-11:30 am. Free.

Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5390) SACHA’S SUPPER CLUB: PARIS AFTER DARK This Paris-themed party features a three-course French meal and a music and dance show. Feb. 10, 6 pm. $125$225. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. davenporthotelcollection.com

VISUAL ARTS SARAH THOMPSON MOORE: OUTSIDEIN Moore is a sculpture artist who pri-

marily focuses on large, site-specific installations. This exhibition features a sampling of smaller works. Feb. 6-March.

22; Mon-Fri from 10 am-4:30 pm, Sat from 10 am-2 pm. Free. Bryan Oliver Gallery, Whitworth, 300 W. Hawthorne Ave. whitworth.edu (509-777-3258) ANEW Paintings by artists Meidi Karampour, Joel Stehr and Denny Driver. Feb. 3-25, Wed-Sun from 11 am-6 pm. Free.

The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. theartspiritgallery.com (208-765-6006) LORETTA ETCHISON & MELISSA ISAACSON Etchison creates wool felted purses and decorates them with needle felting.

Isaacson is a painter aiming to capture the essence of place in her work. Feb. 1-29, daily from 11 am-7 pm. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington St. potteryplaceplus.com (509-327-6920) FIGURE FUSION A group show featuring the works of Hara Alison, Sundhu Surapaneni, Katelyn Reed and Kayleigh Lang.

Feb. 2-23, Mon-Fri from 8 am-5 pm. Free.

Chase Gallery, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanearts.org (509-321-9416) HAROLD BALAZS: LEAVING MARKS This exhibition celebrates Balazs’ regional impact through 30 new additions to the museum’s permanent collection.

Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through June 3. $8-$12. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931) HONEST PORTRAYAL This show features two- and three-dimensional and text-based artworks by 55 artists in the Moscow region. Mon-Fri from 8 am-5 pm through April 5. Free. Third Street Gallery, City Hall, 206 E. Third St. ci.moscow. id.us/230/Third-Street-Gallery JESSICA L. BRYANT Bryant showcases recent watercolor paintings. Feb. 6-March 22; Mon-Thu from 10 am-4 pm, Fri from 10 am-2:30 pm. Free. Boswell Corner Gallery at NIC, 1000 W. Garden Ave., Building 22. nic.edu/cornergallery JO FYFE: ARTIST, TEACHER, FRIEND A tribute to Jo Fyfe, her creative spirit, dedication to teaching and in recognition of her many accomplishments in the Spokane art community. Wed-Sat from 11 am-5 pm through Feb. 29. Free. New Moon Art Gallery, 1326 E. Sprague Ave. manicmoonandmore.com MATT LOME: REALITY & FANTASY Lome showcases illustrative paintings that are both realistic and whimsical. Mon-Fri from 10 am-5 pm through Feb. 23. Free.

Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net SPENCER JOHNSON: THE WAYS IN WHICH WE LIVE Johnson creates stone sculptures celebrating the timeless allure of stone in a contemporary context. ThuSat from 4-7 pm through Feb. 24. Free.

Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe. terrainspokane.com SPOKANE WATERCOLOR SOCIETY MEMBER’S SHOW This show features paintings by 22 members of the society.

Daily from 11 am-7 pm through Feb. 23.

Free. Liberty Building, 203 N. Washington. spokanelibertybuilding.com 2024 REGIONAL STUDENT INVITATIONAL ART EXHIBITION This exhibit features student art works from Gonzaga, EWU, Whitworth, Spokane Falls Community College and North Idaho College.

Fri from 4-7 pm, Sat from 10 am-3 pm through March 1. Free. Gonzaga University Urban Arts Center, 125 S. Stevens St. gonzaga.edu/gonzaga-university-urbanarts-center (509-313-6686) SHELLY GILMORE: I’LL FLY AWAY The Moscow artist creates art out of re-

claimed and discarded automotive, farm and industrial pieces. Feb. 9-March 31, Thu-Sun from 10 am-4 pm. Free. Dahmen Barn, 419 N. Park Way. artisanbarn.org MARIAH BOYLE & DAN MCCANN The two aranac Art Project members exhibit new artwork. Fri-Sat from 12-8 pm through Feb. 25. Free. Saranac Art Projects, 25 W. Main Ave. sapgallery.org PAINTING WITH WORDS An immersive painting, drawing, and writing workshop that focuses on exploring your own visual language through guided activities and customizing a sketch book (provided).

Presented by Noelle Bowden. Feb. 10, 1-3 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300) REINALDO GIL ZAMBRANO: PULLING ROOTS Through relief printmaking techniques, Zambrano explores domestic rituals and social themes common to people across borders. Feb. 10-April 20, Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org SECOND SATURDAY A showcase of various art media to view and purchase. Feb. 10, 12-5 pm. Free. Chrysalis Gallery, 911 S. Monroe. theartchrysalis.com CHALLENGING STEREOTYPE: REWORKING AUNT JEMIMA This art history lecture focuses on African American artists who challenged stereotypes by creating new narratives for Aunt Jemima.

Feb. 11, 2-3 pm. Free. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org SETH COLLIER & JOELLEN WANG: COST OF LIVING Both artists use urban resources to respond to the extractive systems and cultural excesses which produce them. Feb. 13-March 7, Mon-Fri from 8:30 am-3:30 pm. Free. SFCC, 3410 W. Whistalks Way. sfcc.spokane.edu

WORDS TESSA BAILY: SPICE, SPIRIT, AND SWOON The NYT bestselling author talks about the launch of her new sports romance duology. Register to attend. Feb. 8, 5-6 pm. Free. libraryc.org/scld/38517 WANDERMERE: LEGACY ON THE SPOKANE RIVER Teacher and historian Ty Brown discusses the history of his family and the Wandermere Golf Course, founded in 1930 by his great-grandparents. Feb. 8, 5:30-7 pm. Free. Liberty Park Library, 402 S. Pittsburgh. spokanelibrary.org AMY BLEU: IN MY SECRET LIFE A signing of Bleu’s novel following the adventures of a freelance art and fashion model. Feb. 10, 6 pm. Free. Barnes & Noble, 4750 N. Division. amybleuarts.com JOHN O’CONNOR: THE SECRET HISTORY OF BIGFOOT O’Connor searches to answer to the question: Real or not, why do we want to believe? Feb. 13, 6 pm.

Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com PEOPLE OF THE MOVEMENT Learn about the Civil Rights Movement through song and oral interpretation. Presented

by Sara Lee Williams. Feb. 13, 6:30-7:30 pm. Free. Moran Prairie Library, 6004 S. Regal St. scld.org (893-8340) MONTANA V. HELD: MONTANA YOUTH USE THE COURTS TO FIGHT FOR A LIVABLE CLIMATE Hear from the lawyers who won the first youth climate case to go to trial in U.S. history, Barbara Chillott and Melissa Hornbein. Feb. 14, 5 pm.

Free. Gonzaga University Hemmingson Center, 702 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/ climate-institute (509-313-6942) n

LEGISLATION

Grow Your Own Olympia considers allowing Washingtonians to cultivate cannabis

BY WILL MAUPIN

A

mong the states that have legalized recreational cannabis, Washington was a pioneer. Back in 2012, the Evergreen State was the first to move forward with legalization, along with Colorado.

Over a decade later, Washington is now playing catch up.

Since Washington and Colorado broke down the doors in 2012, 24 of 50 states have now legalized recreational cannabis. Of those 24, only five still prohibit home-grow. Washington is one of those five. That’s right, the first state to legalize cannabis is one of the few that still criminalizes growing your own.

Lawmakers in Olympia, once on the vanguard, now have a chance to bring the state in line with other cannabis-friendly states. State legislators this session

Only five states prohibit growing cannabis at home, including Washington. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO will consider if Washington will allow cannabis to be grown at home by consumers with House Bill 2194. If passed by the Legislature, adults in Washington state would be allowed to grow up to four cannabis plants in their residence — with as many as 10 plants allowed per household.

Think of it as treating cannabis like home brew.

As it stands now, of-age Washingtonians can produce a reasonable amount of beer through clandestine home brewing without any sort of license. You may not be able to turn it around to compete with AnheuserBusch on the open market, but you can brew enough to satisfy yourself.

When it comes to cannabis, that’s currently illegal.

Colorado opened its legal market well over a year

before Washington did, despite voters in the two states passing legalization measures on the same November election night in 2012. The fact that Washington still refuses to allow home-grow is a vestige of the cautious approach from over a decade past.

Medical cannabis patients have been allowed to grow up to six plants for years now, but the recreational market has been treated separately.

If HB 2194 is passed, the state’s relatively newer recreational rules would start to catch up with its medical regulations.

HB 2194 advanced out of the House Committee on Regulated Substances and Gaming by a 7-4 vote late last month. State Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane, is the only local, east side legislator to sponsor the bill. n

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 51

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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 five-year sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.

52 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

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FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 53

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lower grades 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.

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Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

54 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

AND YOU SAY? Now that marijuana is legal for those 21 and over, it’s more important than ever to talk with your kids.

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• Community • Film • Food & Drink

LOCAL, INDEPENDENT AND FREE SINCE 1993!

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Mutual of Omaha Mortgage, Inc., NMLS ID 1025894. FL Mortgage Lender Servicer License MLD1827. ID Mortgage Broker/Lender License MBL-2081025894. WA Consumer Loan Company License CL-1025894. These materials are not from, or approved by HUD or FHA. Licensing information: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org #1101691001

• Visual Arts • Words • Etc.

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A weekly email for food lovers

BUYING Estate Contents / Household Goods See abesdiscount.com or 509-939-9996 1

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1. It features a lion seen before some features 2. Manhattan eatery featured in the opening scene of “Manhattan” 3. Surgeons’ blades 4. H.S. class with book reports 5. Biblical kingdom near Moab 6. Former Biden White House press secretary Jen 7. Fjord, e.g.

8. “Hip Hop Is Dead” rapper 9. Place to be pampered 10. Following 11. What’s left 12. Shrunken body of water at the edge of Kazakhstan 13. 24/7

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67. Belgian surrealist Magritte 68. “Coming to America” prince

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36. “Shark Tank” shark 39. Henry ____ 42. Goals 43. Premium-seating areas 47. Calligraphy supply 48. Proactiv target 49. Andromeda, e.g.

50. With 60-Across, popular arcade game with a floor pad (and a hint to solving this puzzle’s circled letters) 54. “College GameDay” network 55. Flip ____ (decide by chance) 56. “Are you ____ out?”

58. Progressive agent played by Stephanie Courtney 59. Congress passes them 60. See 50-Across 63. Egyptian fertility goddess 64. Opposite of da 65. Like someone who reads the dictionary for fun, say 66. Justice Dept. figure

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1. Free-for-all 6. ATM codes 10. “Reading Lolita in Tehran” setting 14. Thyroid, e.g.

15. Onesie closer 16. Nephew of Caligula 17. Fruity chip dip 19. Catcher of counterfeiters, in old lingo 20. New driver’s acquisition: Abbr.

21. Apt name for a karaoke devotee 22. Newborn horses 23. Long, single take, in filmmaking 25. How some drinks are ordered 28. Pass with flying colors 30. “Meant 2 tell u ...”

31. Opposite of paleo32. Davis who delivers the line “Always do the right thing” in “Do the Right Thing” 33. “I Got You Babe” label 35. “Hop to it!”

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18. Dancer/YouTube star JoJo ____ 22. “Victory!,” in internet shorthand 24. Maguire’s “Spider-Man” director 26. Howard and Morehouse, for two: Abbr.

27. Short gamut 29. Read Across America org.

33. Japanese breed 34. “31 Days of Oscar” network 35. Color-changing lizard

37. “Kills bugs dead” brand 38. In the style of 39. Southern city with an onion museum 40. Plastered?

41. “You don’t have to remind me” 44. Certain stovetop hazard 45. Go “Boom!”

46. Instance, for example 48. Aim of some meditation 49. Rocky subj.?

51. Grammy-winning gospel singer Houston 52. David of “The Pink Panther” 53. Benjamin 57. Words before tab or

temperature 60. Time off, in military shorthand 61. Place for a pirate’s patch 62. Drug in William Shatner books

FEBRUARY 8, 2024 INLANDER 55

WINNING IS JUST THE BEGINNING!

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You could score a big screen TV, an autographed collector item, or $150 Extra Play Cash!

Huddle up to your favorite video gaming machine and play with your Coeur Rewards card to receive one entry for every 100 points earned on the day of the drawing.

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THURSDAYS IN FEBRUARY 6 – 8 PM 29 WINNERS OF $300 EXTRA PLAY CASH ON EACH PROMOTION DATE

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Leapfrog into winnings! Hop on your favorite video gaming machine and play with your Coeur Rewards card for a chance to win on Thursdays in February from 6 – 8 PM.

THURSDAY, JUNE 13 TH 7 PM | $60 & UP

See the Coeur Rewards booth, CDA Casino app or cdacasino.com for more details.

W E LC O M E H O M E .

56 INLANDER FEBRUARY 8, 2024

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