Inlander 02/20/2020

THREATENED HOW SCHOOLS DECIDE WHAT’S REAL PAGE 13

OPEN GOVERNMENT

THE HIGH COST OF HIDING PUBLIC RECORDS PAGE 20

NORTHWEST BACHFEST JOINED BY A GRAMMY-WINNING QUARTET PAGE 35

FEBRUARY 20-26, 2020 | BRAIN FOOD

Blueberry Duck Breast from the Davenport Grand’s Table 13

inlanderrestaurantweek

menus from all 100+ restaurants SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

Whatever it is, we’ll help you get there.

See how our Spokane banking team provided Dry Fly Distilling the high-touch service they deserve.

Hear more from Dry Fly and see other stories at watrust.com/awesomebusiness.

INSIDE

yeehaw!

COWBOY $

VOL. 27, NO. 19 | COVER PHOTO: YOUNG KWAK

COMMENT NEWS CULTURE RESTAURANT WEEK

5 13 25 28

FOOD FILM MUSIC EVENTS

30 33 37 42

I SAW YOU ADVICE GODDESS GREEN ZONE BULLETIN BOARD

44 46 48 53

12

LG

Order at PapaMurphys.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

F

or people who like to eat, INLANDER RESTAURANT WEEK has become the foodie equivalent of Bloomsday, Hoopfest and a deep run into March by the Zags — combined.

People mark their calendars, call their friends, size up the competition, make reservations, cheer, celebrate and, when it’s all over, they’re spent, satisfied and already looking to next year.

Restaurant Week is so big that the official event guide in the middle of this issue is fatter than the Inlander itself — with 72 pages chock-full of menus from all 100+ restaurants, chef profiles, drink highlights and recommendations for every eater at your table (from the adventurous to the nitpicky kiddos). Find the guide after page 28. Cheers!

— JACOB H. FRIES, Editor

20-5529-PRNT-COW12 ©2020 Papa Murphy’s International LLC

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WINNING THE INDIAN LOTTERY PAGE 6

THE RAVAGES OF TIME PAGE 29

#EatINW

NEW HOME FOR THE

WOLF LIKE ME PAGE 53

BLUES TRAVELER PAGE 37

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1227 WEST SUMMIT PARKWAY, SPOKANE, WA 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634 | EMAIL: INFO@INLANDER.COM THE INLANDER is a locally owned, independent newspaper founded on Oct. 20, 1993. It’s printed on newsprint that is at least 50 percent recycled; please recycle THE INLANDER after you’re done with it. One copy free per person per week; extra copies are $1 each (call x226). For ADVERTISING information, email advertising@inlander.com. To have a SUBSCRIPTION mailed to you, call x213 ($50 per year). To find one of our more than 1,000 NEWSRACKS where you can pick up a paper free every Thursday, call x226 or email frankd@inlander.com. THE INLANDER is a member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. All contents of this newspaper are protected by United States copyright law. © 2020, Inland Publications, Inc.

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 3

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BECCA HARDIE

I’m super against all the fad diets.

Why are you so opposed?

Because I think they’re just trends. Our bodies are pretty simple, you need carbs, fats and proteins.

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ANALIESE VANDERWYK

I haven’t.

Why not?

I just know that I couldn’t stick to it, so I don’t want to start something that I can’t stick to.

And balanced diets have always worked for me. Going to something that cuts out certain food groups never has appealed to me. I’ve done like no meat for Lent, for religious reasons, and that has never gone well.

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I just try to eat healthy all around and incorporate fruits and veggies and fiber and all that stuff. Maybe low sugar, but I’ll still indulge in packaged foods and all sorts of things.

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COMMENT | CULTURE

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Winning the Indian Lottery

CALEB WALSH ILLUSTRATION

On stolen land that is being still robbed

BY CMARIE FUHRMAN

“I

t was like winning the lotto,” the middleaged woman exclaimed from a DVD set on repeat in the lobby of the museum.

“We had been searching for days. … Then I looked under this overhang and there it was — a pot — in perfect condition!”

I looked past the monitor to a collection of pottery that was dated and numbered and housed in a temperature-controlled room meant to keep the clay earthenware from deteriorating.

You could type the number of a pot into a monitor and learn about each artifact: the approximate

year made, location found, and the name for the style of art colonial scientists had given it. I turned to go, and when I left the room, the lights shut off behind me.

Earlier that week, my partner Caleb and I had walked a popular trail near Comb Ridge. Red rock.

Desert country. My matrilineal homelands. We had seen a dwelling, art, a granary. We had got-

SAY WHAT?

DO SOMETHING!

“One individual could accuse 20 people of sexual harassment, and you’d think it was an absolute epidemic, and in truth it was one person.”

CORONAVIRUS DISCUSSION: Join disease ecologist and EWU professor Krisztian Magori for a discussion about what the news cycle is getting right and wrong about coronavirus. Learn about viruses, why prevention is simpler than cures, and whether you should be wearing a mask.

This is the debut of the new Marmot Curiosity Café series. Wed, Feb. 26 from 6-7:30 pm. $15. Southside Community Center, 3151 E. 27th Ave. facebook.com/marmotpnw (800-838-3006)

Rowland Thompson, a lobbyist for the Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, speaking about changes to the state’s public records law and how exemptions, even wellintentioned ones, can make it harder to hold government accountable. Find that story on page 20.

ten off trail though and were tiptoeing through cryptobiotic soil, trying to hop from rock to rock or follow game trails, so as not to do more damage to this land whose protections are lost and won depending on who is in office and what resources (money) might be pulled from the land. I was in a sea of the protective soil when I saw the first potsherd, then another, and another. Each as brilliant as the first. This one with a basket design carved into it, that one with black thunderbolts. I picked them up, admired them, turned them back to the earth. I was so entranced with what I was seeing that I nearly walked into the steel post that was driven into the tender crust and field of potsherds. Texaco was welded down its length. And a number that somewhere, I’m sure, correlated to the site’s value.

The field of potsherds was a burial ground; the Texaco marker a gross and impudent headstone.

Caleb came up beside me and we talked about the enormous truck that would have driven back here. The artifacts crushed beneath its brutish wheels. The ground shaking as the drill bit spun. In the house dwelling we had just left, where children’s handprints were cast on red walls, I imagined mortar loosening.

One rock falling from the wall, then another. What did their exploration find? Another lotto?

The museum has a pamphlet to help visitors understand what they were seeing. “Our cultural inheritance,” it reads. It attempts to explain the meaning of petroglyphs and holds sketches of pottery. Lost in the text are the words of a Hopi elder that said when a pot cracked or lost usefulness it was shattered and returned to the earth that it came from to be born again. The field of potsherds was a burial ground; the Texaco marker a gross and impudent headstone.

“Bears Ears has always been protected,” the woman at the museum gift counter told me as she rang up my sale. “All the media attention has people coming in record numbers. You used to be able to walk out anywhere and see hundreds of potsherds.

Not anymore. People are filling their pockets with them.”

Outside, the sun was bright against snow that had fallen the night before. I looked south at the land we had come from, where my mother’s people had come from, land that was stolen and is robbed from still, bartered land, traded land, land hunted as if it is a game. n CMarie Fuhrman is the author of Camped Beneath the Dam: Poems (Floodgate 2020) and co-editor of Native Voices (Tupelo 2019). She has published poetry and nonfiction in multiple journals as well as several anthologies. She resides in the mountains of west-central Idaho.

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doubt How spotty detective work and careless prosecution may have put the wrong men behind bars PAGE 18

INLANDER SPECIAL REPORT BY JACOB H. FRIES

FEB. 18, 2010: In the 10 years after we examined a 2009 robbery case against three local men — Tyler Gassman, Paul Statler and Robert Larson — a lot has changed. The Innocence Project Northwest took up the case. A new trial was eventually granted, but rather than pursue it, Spokane County prosecutors dismissed all charges. Now free, the trio also received a $2.25 million settlement from the county after having spent four long years in prison.

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FINAL 2 WEEKS - CLOSES JANUARY 12 FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 7

COMMENT | NEWSMAKERS

Q&A ALYSSA PUKKILA The director of the Wired2Learn Academy in Post Falls talks about her school for children with learning disabilities

BY DEREK HARRISON

A

lyssa Pukkila has a lot of experience with dyslexic children. She was a private educational therapist helping kids with remediation of learning disabilities for 15 years in Post Falls. Her now 21-year-old son also has dyslexia.

Pukkila says she knows from firsthand experience that traditional schools can struggle to help children with dyslexia and dysgraphia.

That’s what led her to open the Wired2Learn Academy in the fall of 2018. The Wired2Learn Academy is a school just for kids with learning issues, and works with third through 12th-grade students.

A school like this doesn’t come cheap. It’s a $20,000 per year tuition. She acknowledges not many parents can just drop $20,000 per year on a child’s education. That’s where the Wired2Learn Foundation, launched last year, hopes to eventually help.

We sat down with Pukkila to talk about the Wired2Learn Academy and her goal with the school. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

INLANDER: Can you give us a quick summary of what the Wired2Learn Academy is all about?

PUKKILA: We’re the first day-school in the state of Idaho to serve just children with learning disabilities. We have a three-legged approach. We do cognitive rehabilitation. So working on those areas of the brain that are causing the learning disabilities, then we do skill-based remediation similar to what I did when I was an educational therapist. So we’ll pull up kids for really good researchedbased intervention for their specific needs. And then the academic portion is covered in project-based learning.

What does the campus look like?

How many students do you have?

We have 21 children with one adult student who just comes in for the cognitive classroom, and we are on 4-1/2 acres right off of Highway 41 in Post Falls. That was important to me because the amount of nature immersion that kids need is really important. Everything that we do there is based on what the brain needs. We really know that kids need time off, especially when they’re training like this. They need to have a moment where they’re not

thinking about that stuff, and being outside and digging in the dirt and climbing trees is really important. It’s also important just for their sensory well-being.

How big is your staff?

There’s three of us.

What are the backgrounds of the other two staff members and what responsibilities do each of you have?

Tracie Schmidt works in the cognitive rehabilitation classroom, she’s been teaching for 20 years. Caelyn Caulfield does skill-based remediation, or what we call clinical remediation. She’s also in charge of just the emotional well-being of our students. She has a bachelor’s in psychology. That’s why she’s well suited for that area. Then I have a master’s in psychology and I teach project-based learning. That person needs to be sort of like a jack of all trades.

I know the academy is less than two years old, but have you had any graduates?

Not yet. The way our cognitive rehabilitation program works, for a typical child with a learning issue, it takes about three to four years of work to bring them to a level where they’re considered neurotypical, or like their peers. Where the brain areas are functioning just like their peers. The idea is that they go through that cognitive rehabilitation program, that intense program, and then if they wanted to leave the school, they get to walk away without a learning disability, If they stick with the Wired2Learn Academy, do they graduate with a diploma that they could then take to further their education? How does that work?

I am not accredited. The academy is not accredited.

They can graduate from us, it’s just like graduating from another private school that’s not accredited. The University of Idaho will accept them — most of our universities now accept diplomas from private schools that aren’t accredited. It’s very similar to homeschooling, but they’ll have a transcript. They’ll be able to show, “This is what I’ve done.” n

BEER FOR BRAINS On Saturday, Feb. 22., the Wired2Learn

DEREK HARRISON PHOTO

Foundation is hosting a rare beer festival at the Innovation Collective in Coeur d’Alene. Breweries like Founders, Stone, Belching Beaver and Grand Teton have donated specialty beers to the event. The free-flowing ale will be paired with food from Honey Eatery and Social Club and Collective Kitchen.

Attendees also get a customized beer glass and an event T-shirt. Individual tickets are available at $100, couples at $185. More info and tickets can be found at w2lfoundation.com.

Thanks for

Voting!

GET THE RESULTS ON INLANDER STANDS

march 19th

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CAMERA READY

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 9

M A R T I N

W O L D S O N

T H E A T E R

A T

T H E

F O X

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Spokane Symphony Movies & Music

BACK TO THE FUTURE IN CONCERT

SPOKANE YOUTH SYMPHONY 70 YEARS OF VIRTUOSITY

Spokane Symphony Masterworks

Fox Presents

Saturday, Feb. 29, 8pm Sunday, March 1, 3pm

Wednesday, March 18, 7:30pm

WSU SCHOOL OF MUSIC CONCERT

STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE IN CONCERT

Friday, Feb. 21, 8pm

APPALACHIAN SPRING

Tuesday, March 3, 7:30pm

MULTICARE: HEART STRINGS ACOUSTIC STORYTELLING CONCERT

Thursday, March 5, 7:30pm

PRINCE ROYCE: THE ALTER EGO TOUR

Friday, March 6, 8pm

Spokane Symphony Pops

EILEEN IVERS: IRISH FIDDLER

Saturday, March 7, 8pm

Sunday, March 8, 4pm

Spokane Symphony Chamber Soirées

APPALACHIAN SPRING

Feb 29 8PM

Mar 1 3PM

Music from American visionaries: Copland’s Appalachian Spring, plus works by Gershwin, Bernstein and Glass. Also, Copland’s Clarinet Concerto performed

by Stephen Williamson, principal clarinet of the Chicago Symphony.

Tuesday, March 31, 7:30pm Wednesday, April 1, 7:30pm

Spokane Symphony Movies & Music

JULIA SWEENEY: OLDER & WIDER LIVE TAPING

Saturday, March 21, 8pm Sunday, March 22, 3pm

WALT WAGNER TRIO

Tuesday, March 24, 8pm

Saturday, April 4, 8pm

LOVETT OR LEAVE IT: LIVE ON TOUR

Fox Presents

Thursday, March 26, 8pm

Spokane Symphony Masterworks

RUSSIAN PASSIONS

10 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

5 0 9 6 2 4 12 0 0

THE FLAMING LIPS

Tuesday, April 14, 7:30pm

Spokane Symphony Masterworks

MONUMENTAL GRANDEUR

Saturday, April 18, 8pm | Sunday, April 19, 3pm

Spokane Symphony Pops

Fox Presents

IRISH FIDDLER

BAND

EILEEN IVERS

Mar 7 8PM

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day early with Eileen Ivers, a nine-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion, star of Riverdance, and founding member of Cherish the Ladies. The New York Times called her “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin.”

THE ALLMAN BETTS

Mar 18

7:30PM

Sponsored by the Spokane Symphony Associates

•

SpokaneSymphony.org

Devon Allman and Duane Betts, the sons of Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts, have joined forces to form The Allman Betts Band.

They’ll perform their own music, classic Allman Brother tunes, and more.

With Special Guests Marc Ford and Jackson Stokes

Conductor: Morihiko Nakahara

Sponsored by Paul and Susan Kennedy

•

Thursday, April 2, 7:30pm Friday, April 3, 7:30pm

Fox Presents

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Tickets

SPRING SOIRÉE ON THE STAGE

THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND

Saturday, March 28, 8pm Sunday, March 29, 3pm

Spokane Symphony Masterworks

THE GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA

Monday, March 30, 7pm

Supported in part by Friends of The Fox

•

FoxTheaterSpokane.org

COMMENT | FROM READERS

EASTERN’S ATHLETIC DILEMMA he EWU faculty senate’s report about the costs of EWU athletics (first

T

reported on Inlander.com on Feb. 13) has spun up a lot of online dust in the past few days, and that’s good, because finally the conversation can begin.

First, this document’s data on athletics funding costs and sources was provided by the EWU administration, and the report does not suggest that Eastern end our football program. Instead, it presents seven cost-saving alternatives, among them, program elimination and switching to NAIA or LETTERS lower NCAA divisions.

Send comments to Second, the persistent deficits editor@inlander.com. in athletics funding have been filled with the accounting magic of cuts to student services and academic departments. So, money to maintain our NCAA Division I status is money not invested in students’ education. Plus, let’s remember the direct cost to students: They further fund the athletics programs through involuntary fees and tuition support. Meanwhile, only 5-6 percent of our students typically attend games.

Anyone who thinks we shouldn’t be even raising these questions about the cost of EWU athletics should talk to our students, their parents and Washington taxpayers.

Of course, who doesn’t love the smell of the air on game day, the thrill of a struggling player bursting through in the final seconds? But I set those pleasures against the struggles of all the other students desperate to remain in school, doubting that they can get the resources to succeed and graduate.

Let’s not herniate our consciences by ignoring the facts of this report or claiming that they don’t matter.

ANTHONY FLINN Professor of English, EWU

Readers respond to an Inlander article about hiring 18-yearolds to work as correctional officers at the county jail (“Teenage Jailors,” 2/13/20):

“THE KALISPEL TRIBE CARES ABOUT FEEDING OUR COMMUNITY.” Jason Clark, President and CEO, Second Harvest

HEATHER WALLACE: This is insane!

18-year-olds are still developing in crucial areas of critical thinking and judgment. Not to mention the potential trauma of this work environment.

MATT DUELGE: I was hired by Wisconsin DOC as a prison guard at 19 (I turned 20 in prison) and being the “low guy on the totem pole” as far as job assignments and the union was concerned, was segregation officer. I had to fight... every.

Single. Day. For eight months, to meet my probation period. I left on my eighth month. While Wisconsin DOC training academy is among the best in the nation, I still felt horribly unprepared for work in prisons.

CHRISTOPHER J MILLER: The managers and citizens of Spokane have proven themselves to be incompetent and ignorant and here is more proof, an 18-year-old is nowhere near mature enough to secure hardened criminals twice their age, the boys will get eaten alive by the convicts.

TINA TYLER: One would think the smartest way to get more interested applicants isn’t to lower requirements but to raise benefits offered.

Since opening Northern Quest Resort & Casino in 2000, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians has donated more than $19 million to local nonprofits in Spokane and Pend Oreille Counties. This includes Second Harvest, a valued organization that has been building healthier communities through food since 1971 and currently helps feed more than 55,000 people a week in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

“Collectively, we’ve decided hunger is unacceptable,” says President and CEO Jason Clark. “Our community works together to feed those in need, especially our children. Through our Bite 2 Go weekend elementary program alone, we feed more than 5,000 kids each week. With the help of 8,000 volunteers, we distribute 31 million pounds of food each year where it’s needed most. That’s food for 70,000 meals a day for our neighbors in need.

“I sense a real, genuine concern about communities and people from the Kalispel Tribe. Those values align closely with our mission, and the Tribe is extra special to me.”

If you’d like to help make a difference, learn more at www.2-harvest.org.

kalispeltribe.com

SARAH CHRISTINE: 18-year-old correctional officers? I’d like a drug test for the folks who think this is a good idea. n

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 11

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Leon Covington and Alise Mnati are threat assessment coordinators for a region covering more than 50 school districts in Eastern Washington.

EDUCATION

SEEING

the

SIGNS

A new way to handle student threats is sweeping through Washington schools. Here’s what it looks like

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

I

n the days before the 2017 shooting at Freeman High School, there were signs that the alleged shooter, Caleb Sharpe, posed a threat. He made ominous comments to friends. He reportedly expressed a fascination with previous school shootings. He had access to weapons.

That September, Sharpe brought an AR-15 rifle to school and shot four students, injuring three and killing one, Sam Strahan, authorities say. The shooting devastated the community. And with the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, not long afterward, local educators were searching for any way to prevent the next one.

It was for that reason that the NorthEast Washington Educational Service District 101 — a regional office providing services and support for local schools — launched a threat assessment program in summer 2018. The program is headed by

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

regional threat assessment coordinators Leon Covington and Alise Mnati, and it provides training for school districts in Eastern Washington on identifying and responding to student threats. This year, it’s expanded to all but two of the 59 school districts in the Eastern Washington region, and by 2020-21 every school in the state is required to have a similar program under state law.

“There is no accurate profile for school shooters. But there are pre-attack related behaviors. And we know what those are,” Covington says. “In Freeman, they were present. In Parkland, they were present.”

The hope is that threat assessment teams can stand in the way of another tragedy. And as schools continue to be bombarded with threats, these teams play a crucial role in sussing out what’s a real threat and what’s not. ...continued on next page

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 13

NEWS | EDUCATION “SEEING THE SIGNS,” CONTINUED...

“We wanted to do something more proactive to try and prevent these things from happening in the future,” Covington says.

IDENTIFYING THE THREATS

Since Covington was brought on as threat assessment coordinator in 2018, there have been 179 threats assessed as part of the protocol in local schools. That figure doesn’t count Spokane Public Schools, the largest district in the area, or Mead School District, which have their own threat assessment programs.

The system isn’t for students who have a suicidal ideation — schools intervene differently in that case. Rather, these are threats of an act of violence against other students, or something they said to a friend or teacher that caused concern. The program involves a team at each school of mental health professionals, school administration and law enforcement personnel. That school-level team is trained by Covington or Mnati, recently hired to join Covington as a second threat assessment coordinator for the region. When a school suspects a student might inflict harm on other students, the team determines its credibility and determines how best to support the student while keeping the school safe. More serious threats are referred to the regional office’s own assessment team.

“The whole point of this is we’re trying to work across systems and say, ‘Let’s bring all of our partners together and let’s assess this as a team,’” Mnati says.

Then, the team can decide if law enforcement will get involved, if a student needs to be incarcerated, hospitalized or managed differently in school.

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“Let’s get them involved in something positive. Let’s get them more connected to the school community, as opposed to disconnected from it.”

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But the goal, Covington says, isn’t to isolate the student from school. That’s counterproductive. He notes that school shooters are often students who have recently been expelled and came back to the school.

“We try to provide an intervention to slow that forward momentum on that path of violence and get back to a good place, by instilling services and support,” Covington says. “Let’s get them involved in something positive. Let’s get them more connected to the school community, as opposed to disconnected from it.”

Of the 179 threats assessed in the last year and a half, more than 80 percent of the students who have made the threats have been boys, and 75 percent of those boys were white. Over half of the students assessed were between grades seven and 10. More than one-third were considered special education students.

But that doesn’t mean there’s a profile of a student who would make these threats, Covington says, noting that there were still 37 threat assessments of girls in Eastern Washington. What he’s looking for is pre-attack behaviors.

“The first thing is, does this kid have a system of belief? Does a kid have a grievance, or some kind of fixation?” Covington says.

Sometimes, kids may be connected with a violent hate group online, or they’ve been sharing racist beliefs. Then the team may look at their access to weapons and if they’ve been planning for an attack.

Spokane Public Schools isn’t connected to the regional office’s threat assessment team, but the school district implemented its own team before 2018. Both are based on the protocol popularized by the model by the Salem-Keizer School District. That model isn’t the one most recommended by the Educator’s School Safety Network, which consults in education and emergency

response. Rather, they recommend a model out of the University of Virginia. But Amanda Klinger, co-founder of the organization, says the UV model and Salem-Keizer are “two fairly similar models of doing the same thing.”

The other Educational Service Districts in Washington state are implementing the same model for threat assessments. That uniformity can be valuable, Klinger says, and Washington is one of the few states where the same program is being implemented statewide.

“The point is not to be punitive,” Klinger tells the Inlander.

“The point is, how can we keep everyone here safe? And what does that mean for a student behaving a certain way so that student has the right to a free and appropriate education?”

SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES

While punishing students isn’t the goal of the process, things change when a threat can be considered a crime — even if a kid says it was just a joke. And while schools aim to be less punitive, law enforcement agencies, like the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, find themselves regularly arresting teens for threats.

Earlier this month, a 13-year-old girl who was a student at City School in West Valley made a threat against students on social media that included a specific date. The Sheriff’s Office did not think the girl had any plan to carry out the threat, but she was arrested nonetheless on a felony charge.

Roughly a week later, the Sheriff’s Office announced another arrest for a school threat at Central Valley High School. A 16-year-old student wrote the threat on the wall in an apparent attempt to skip class presentations, and the Sheriff’s Office said he had no weapons or intent to harm anyone. That student, too, was arrested on a felony charge, and the Sheriff’s Office sent out an exasperated press release with the title, “Make a School Threat, Get Charged with a Felony, Go to Jail.”

Gene Sementi, superintendent in West Valley School District which is part of the regional threat assessment program, says it’s difficult to balance both supporting students while also teaching them consequences. Sementi thinks the Sheriff’s Office is appropriately harsh on students, even if it “breaks his heart that we’re at that point.”

“I think for the sheriff’s department it was a long time getting to this point, with the number of threats, the type, the amount of disruption,” Sementi says. “I think they finally decided we’ve got to send a message that this is no laughing matter.”

When the 13-year-old made the threat, he says, the threat assessment team convened. Nearly one-third of students at the school missed the rest of the week. The student was “emergency expelled,” which lasts up to 10 days and allows the possibility of returning. And while Sementi says they don’t want to overreact to a threat that may not be credible, it’s not always wise to return that student to the same school.

“Students figure out who’s missing,” Sementi says. “Is putting them back a situation where it’s impossible to be successful?”

Klinger, the national expert on school safety, says police and prosecutors can be in a tough position when they know a threat isn’t for real. But she cautions against going too hard on students.

“I don’t know if you’re really serving the best interest of the public or student by ruining their lives with really serious criminal prosecutions,” Klinger says.

Covington says threat assessment teams take a backseat to law enforcement during their investigations. But they still evaluate students if they’ve been arrested because it can offer a more holistic view of the student. Mental health professionals can offer them the help they need, for instance, and put them in a school where they can succeed.

In Covington’s view, it’s not just the school’s responsibility to keep schools safe. It’s the community’s responsibility. The threat assessment program recognizes that, he says.

“I tell people, we all grieved when Freeman happened, we all grieved as a community, we grieved locally and nationally,” he says. “So how about we work together as a community to prevent something like that from happening in the future? Our communities have really bought into that.” n wilsonc@inlander.com

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FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 15

NEWS | DIGEST

ON INLANDER.COM

THE LEGAL BORDER For years, the stance of the Greyhound bus company has been that it hates the fact that U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s BORDER PATROL agents are boarding their buses and interrogating their passengers about immigration status, but the law is the law, and until that changes, Greyhound can’t do anything about it. But in a Jan. 28 memo, Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost wrote that Greyhound can refuse to allow Border Patrol to board their buses — all they have to do is say no. But that won’t stop Border Patrol from standing outside buses and asking people questions “in any place where the agent is lawfully present.” The question, however, is whether that applies to the restricted area of the Spokane Intermodal Center. The Spokane City Council has passed an ordinance banning Border Patrol from the area without a warrant, but it’s gone unenforced. (DANIEL WALTERS)

FEATURING NATIONAL NEWS FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES

STAFF TURNOVER Two prominent staffers at Spokane County are slated to retire later this year, leaving key VACANCIES in prominent positions unless replacements are promptly found. Spokane County Chief Executive Officer Gerry Gemmell will stay in his position until June 30 after working with the county for roughly 40 years. Similarly, Human Resources Director Tim Hansen will officially step down on May 1.

Recruiting for both positions is underway, and the county has hired a consultant firm to assist in finding candidates for Gemmell’s position. Additionally, Tonya Wallace, the former chief budget officer at Spokane County, was recently tapped by Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward to serve in her administration. (JOSH KELETY)

IS IT LOUD IN HERE? Spokane City Council will look at potential changes to its NOISE RULES after Planned Parenthood has for months asked the city to deal with noisy monthly protests outside its Spokane facility. With the Church at Planned Parenthood often drawing hundreds of antiabortion participants, along with music and sometimes drums, the health center has tried to get the city to enforce a state noise law prohibiting people from interfering with the operation of health care facilities. Meanwhile, body cam footage from the Spokane Police Department, recently released by right-wing YouTube channel North Idaho Exposed, shows officers questioned the need to enforce noise issues outside the clinic, and whether the city could fairly enforce noise problems for protests. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

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A HAIL MARY Frustrated with recent budget cuts, Eastern Washington University faculty prepared a report this month that takes a critical look at the athletics department and suggests possibly eliminating the entire athletics department. Eliminating the EWU ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT was just one of many suggestions laid out as an “alternative model” for athletics, however. The others include imposing budget cuts on athletics, eliminating only football, or transitioning to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, NCAA Division II or Division III. The report analyzed the cost of the athletics program to be around $12 million to $14 million per year, but says it has had “no positive impact on our student enrollment, retention or recruitment.”

It was commissioned by the faculty senate and has been sent to the EWU administration, including President Mary Cullinan. At the end of the month, it will be presented to the EWU Board of Trustees. (WILSON CRISCIONE)

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NEWS | BRIEFS

Coming to Lincoln’s Aid As its own negotiations stall, Spokane County weighs in on a union transparency battle in Lincoln County

S

pokane County, the city of Spokane and Lincoln County have all passed ordinances or initiatives to hold union negotiations in public. But so far, Lincoln County is the only county being sued over it.

The Teamsters local union 690 filed complaints with the Public Employee Relations Commission arguing unfair labor practices, claiming that state law mandated that BARGAINING CONDITIONS — including how open they were — had to be, well, bargained over and agreed upon by the union.

Last week, Spokane County filed an amicus brief in support of Lincoln County, arguing that open union negotiations were not only legal, but were also an important part of holding government accountable.

The brief, written by John Driscoll, the county’s chief civil deputy prosecuting attorney for amicus, notes that, while bargaining is exempt from the state’s open public meeting laws, the state law doesn’t actually ban negotia-

tions happening in public.

“Having open labor negotiations is a judicious use of the local legislative authority’s resources,” Driscoll writes.

“It is a means to an end: shining light on one of the single largest expenses of government — personnel costs.”

But Gordon Smith, with the local chapter of the Washington State Council of County and City Employees, argues that since the final contract is approved by commissioners in public, there’s already enough transparency. In fact, right now, Smith says bargaining with Spokane County over the contract for adult corrections officers has been delayed because the union and county can’t agree over what negotiations will look like.

“If we could be convinced that this really is sincerely about transparency, there are some things that we can work with,” Smith says.

As it stands, Smith says the union suspects that the transparency mandate is a ploy straight out of the antiunion Freedom Foundation playbook, intended to “put sand in the gears.”

“Why would we capitulate for an organization out to harm us?” Smith asks. (DANIEL WALTERS)

ZAGS FOR ALL

Gonzaga University’s School of Law is launching an LGBTQ+ Rights Clinic this fall, which the university says would be the only clinic of its kind in the region and one of only a handful across the country.

The LINCOLN LGBTQ+ RIGHTS CLINIC would give legal representation and provide education, programming, advocacy and research in an effort to “advance the equal rights and dignity” of those who identify as LGBTQ+ , the university says. It’s named after Joe Lincoln, who made a significant donation to support the clinic.

GU is launching an LGBTQ+ Rights Clinic this fall. BENSON KUA PHOTO “We hope to be the service provider of choice for LGBTQ+ individuals in our community who need advice, help and representation,” Gonzaga School of Law Dean Jacob Rooksby tells the Inlander.

Gonzaga is the first law school in Washington and in Inland Northwest to launch an initiative like this, Rooksby says. Aside from universities like Harvard, Cornell, Emory and UCLA, it’s not too common around the nation either.

The legal services offered by the clinic will be administered with the help of second- and third-year law students, who will be directed by a full-time faculty member. Rooksby calls it a “great opportunity for students to be exposed to this important work.”

The clinic will open in the fall, after a director is hired, Rooksby says. (WILSON CRISCIONE)

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tons of radioactive FRACKING WASTE to be disposed of at its Central Oregon site.

The landfill in Arlington, a few miles from the Columbia River and on the border with Washington, is operated by Chemical Waste Management (CWM), a subsidiary of Waste Management.

The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) found the site had accepted naturally radioactive fracking waste multiple times since 2016 after receiving a tip from a North Dakota citizen last fall.

Equipment, water and chemicals used during the fracking process can mix with radioactive materials that naturally occur in the ground. Certain radium isotopes found in the waste are not allowed to be disposed of at the Oregon hazardous waste site, but CWM improperly accepted it, considering it exempt from state rules, according to a Feb. 13 ODOE violation notice.

It’s unclear if the waste came through Spokane on its train ride from North Dakota to Oregon, but seems likely given the rail routes in the area, says Dan Serres, co-director of the Power Past Fracked Gas Coalition.

“We’ve been calling for an independent investigation into what happened, how it happened and the level of risk to all these communities along the rail route,” Serres says. “I understand Spokane is on a sole-source aquifer that’s been at the center of the conversation around oil trains. If that derails, what happens to the supply?”

However, ODOE does not believe communities were exposed to a safety risk, says Ken Niles, ODOE’s assistant director for nuclear safety.

“We didn’t try to identify what the route was because we didn’t feel the transportation aspect, given the low radioactivity of this material, was an issue,” Niles says.

CWM has 30 days from the Feb. 13 letter to respond with the pros and cons of leaving the radioactive waste in place or digging it up. (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL) n

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FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 19

NEWS | OLYMPIA

The Hidden Cost Washington state’s #MeToo-driven legislation has made it harder for journalists to investigate harassment

BY DANIEL WALTERS

T

he sexual harassment from a director of a Washington State University department was “sufficiently severe” enough to unreasonably interfere with a woman’s work environment, exacerbating her concerns about her physical and emotional health, a 2019 internal investigation concluded.

The investigation is full of indignities the woman reported — including questions from the director about whether she might have a miscarriage, whether her boyfriend could financially support her, and whether her co-workers might judge her for being unmarried.

That much the Inlander can tell you from a public records request it received last month.

But what we can’t tell you is the name of the victim, the name of any of the witnesses, the name of the accused or even the name of the department; Washington State University has censored all that, citing, in part, a state ordinance that passed last year to permanently block the names of victims and witnesses in harassment and discrimination cases as the default.

Toby Nixon, president of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, says there can be unintended consequences to some new well-intentioned exemptions to the state’s public records act.

“Every now and then you have an exemption come through that really is quite damaging,” Nixon says, “and that makes it very difficult for people to get justice or it makes it very difficult for people to hold government accountable.”

It’s not just one case. Reading through the nearly 200 pages of WSU investigation reports the Inlander obtained means navigating a thicket of black redaction bars obscuring names of witnesses, accusers and departments. The university even blacked out the dates of publicly available Spokesman-Review articles cited in an investigation report into the sexual misconduct of former WSU quarterback Jason Gesser, the censors indicating it would give away too much identifying information about witnesses or accusers.

This year, one of the most high-profile battles in the Washington State Legislature has been about another attempt to limit public records — restricting the birthdates of public employees from public disclosure.

But as last year’s changes to the public records act show, even the least controversial restrictions can have big consequences when it comes to government transparency.

NEARLY UNOPPOSED

The premise of last year’s Washington State House Bill 2020 was almost impossible to argue with: Victims and witnesses of harassment need to feel safe to come forward.

“The real purpose of this bill was to allow victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment to tell their stories,” says bill sponsor Rep. Laurie Dolan, a Democrat from Olympia. Two constituents who’d suffered through that kind of experience brought their concerns to her.

In a House committee last year, Dolan argued that continuing to allow the names of witnesses and victims of harassment to be public record was violating victims’ privacy, subjecting them to retaliation, and creating a “chilling effect” that prevented them from speaking to investigators. Crucially, she amended the bill that allowed a witness or victim’s name to choose for their name not to be redacted, if they wished.

Unlike this year’s efforts to censor state employee birthdates — which sparked vocal opposition from opengovernment and anti-union groups — Dolan’s bill passed with comparatively little media coverage and near-unanimous support from the Legislature.

Rowland Thompson, a lobbyist for Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, pushed back against the bill, but to little effect. After all, who wanted to stand against sexual harassment victims?

“There was nothing I could do,” Thompson says. “The #MeToo movement was in full flood.”’

Yet the bill applied to more than just sexual harassment victims. It also applied to the names of victims and witnesses in cases of age, race and gender discrimination, whether the allegations were substantiated or not. And with victims and witness names all hidden under similar black bars, Thompson argues, even the number of accusers could become nearly impossible to parse.

“One individual could accuse 20 people of sexual harassment, and you’d think it was an absolute epidemic, and in truth it was one person,” Thompson says. “Or 20 people could

accuse one person, and you’d think it was one accuser.”

Theoretically, Dolan’s bill was supposed to only censor the names of victims and accusers. But WSU, drawing upon another records exemption pertaining to victims afraid for their safety during law enforcement investigations, relies on a broader interpretation of the law, censoring many details — like job titles, familial relationships or the department involved — that could be used to identify accusers.

Meanwhile, Tony Dinaro, public records officer for Spokane County, says that the law is heaping so much additional redaction work on records employees that he’s requested that the county’s Human Resources Department change the way they write up investigations. He’s recommended they use phrases like “Witness 1” and “Witness 2” throughout the report and then append a cheat sheet explaining who’s who.

Yet he also says that the law doesn’t actually accomplish its central purpose: protecting accusers from retaliation. In the cases he’s seen, Dinaro says, most people involved in an investigation can figure out the roles their co-workers played. And, of course, the harassers know exactly who they harassed.

“I understand the impetus for it: I don’t want there to be a chilling effect for employees to come forward,” says Dinaro. “But I also want the exemption to function in a way that makes sense. … It seems like it’s creating a lot of work and not protecting any identities.”

THE FULL TRUTH

The tension between a newspaper’s ability to get to the truth and a victim’s right to privacy has already played out locally in the 2018 case of Darren Pitcher, the former president of Spokane Falls Community College, who’d been accused of a wide variety of sexually predatory behaviors. While local media outlets got many of the details from public record requests, attorney Nicholas Kovarik successfully sued to prevent the names of the accuser and a slew of witnesses from being made public.

The Spokesman-Review appealed the case to the District III Court of Appeals, where a panel of judges unanimously concluded that the law said the names should be released.

But nearly two years after its initial request, the Spokesman-Review still doesn’t have the unredacted document. That’s because the law itself changed. Since Dolan’s bill passed, Kovarik has argued the law should apply retroactively — and the unredacted records have remained trapped in legal limbo.

Spokesman-Review Managing Editor Joe Palmquist says all the effort wasn’t about publishing the women’s names — it was about telling the full story.

“We’d never intended to use their names in the paper, but we wanted to talk to them,” Palmquist says. “Who knows what’s going on over there? Maybe the institution did several things in order to overlook this. We’d never know if we can’t talk to these women.”

Indeed, when the Inlander managed to figure out the name of Pitcher’s main accuser, it didn’t publish the accuser’s name. Instead, the accuser spoke with the Inlander anonymously.

Still, the Legislature continues to pass new restrictions on public transparency: Last week, in a blow to open-government advocates, the House overwhelmingly approved an additional public records restriction, barring average members of the public from accessing records showing public employee birthdates.

But this time, at least, an exception was made for journalists, who use that same public information to identify potential wrongdoing. n Wilson Criscione contributed reporting to this story.

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NEWS | ENVIRONMENT cording to the state.

Sierra Club’s Washington chapter points out that Washington remains the only Western state not to effectively regulate the practice, despite heavily regulating how people fish.

“The Department of Fish and Wildlife prohibits fishing in some critical habitat areas (which we support) and then ridiculously allows suction dredge mining to occur in these same waters,” writes Jesse Piedfort, Washington’s Sierra Club director, in a post on the club’s website.

Suction dredging is prohibited or strictly permitted in California, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, with the U.S. Supreme Court declining last spring to hear a challenge to Oregon’s prohibition on suction dredging in streams that are critical for salmon, effectively leaving the rule in place.

“We have spent years working to raise awareness of this outdated practice that destroys sensitive habitat to benefit a small number of hobbyist miners,” says Robert de los Angeles, chairman of the Snoqualmie Tribe, in a news release. “It is extremely gratifying to see that our state leaders are listening and embracing policies that are more consistent with all of our neighboring states.”

Suction dredge mining allows recreational users to search for gold and other valuable materials — a process that environmentalists worry can hurt fish.

Blocking Gold Diggers

KIM McDONALD PHOTO

As the state works to protect endangered fish, Washington looks to block suction mining for gold

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

D

espite spending millions of dollars each year on restoring and improving habitat for salmon and other endangered fish species, Washington state allows recreational miners to vacuum up water and riverbed sediment as they mine for gold and other metals, much to the astonishment of environmental groups.

After pushing to change that for the last several years, a coalition being led by Trout Unlimited hopes that the Legislature will pass a bill this year to block motorized suction dredging in areas critical for endangered fish.

The concern is that suction dredge mining can cause erosion, movement of heavy metals such as mercury, destruction of habitat, and impacts to fish eggs and juvenile fish, which is of particular concern to the coalition of more than 160 businesses, nonprofits, tribes and other organizations that back the legislation.

“Without these laws on the books, we’re effectively playing a game of Russian roulette with our critical salmon and steelhead populations and we’re undermining our enormous taxpayer investment in Washington’s water quality and fish habitat restoration,” says Crystal Elliot, Washington habitat director for Trout Unlimited, the conservation-geared nonprofit leading the statewide coalition.

House Bill 1261 would ban gas-powered suction dredge mining in areas that the Endangered Species Act designates as critical habitat for threatened or endangered salmon, steelhead and bull trout. First introduced in 2019, the bill passed the House 60 to 35 last week (with three excused) and moved to the Senate. The vote among Spokane-area representatives was split down party lines, with Democrats in support and Republicans opposed.

22 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

T

he legislation emphasizes that the state Department of Ecology has authority via the Clean Water Act to restrict the discharge of sediment into waterways, as happens during dredge mining, explains Kim McDonald, an environmentalist who founded the organization Fish Not Gold and who has worked for years to ban the practice.

“Cases all over the U.S. have held that when you are dredging material in rivers and streams, you are creating turbidity, which is a pollutant,” McDonald says. “Even though the material was already in the water, you’re creating turbidity and sending material downstream that wasn’t downstream to begin with.”

M

eanwhile, those other nearby bans could increase the popularity of recreational dredging in Washington, which is partly why environmental groups say it’s important to pass legislation this year.

Indeed, that’s why the Department of Fish and Wildlife cited the need for miners to get “hydraulic project approval” starting last year. Since Nov. 1, 2019, Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Commission has required recreational users to get approval before mining in the state’s waterways, rather than just requiring they follow the rules as laid out in the “Gold and Fish” pamphlet.

“With the number of mineral prospectors in Washington expected to increase, it is important for us to be able to more accurately assess potential risks to fish and the spread of aquatic invasive species,” says Randi Thurston, protection division manager at WDFW, in a June 2019 news release about the changes.

But the new requirement for hydraulic project approval doesn’t change how the state protects endangered species, says Elliot with Trout Unlimited.

“It does not change where or when the mining can occur,” she says.

HB 1261 would change that and override the recent WDFW rules, putting the onus on Ecology.

“There’s been this very gray area, where you read the ‘Gold and Fish’ pamphlet and it says, ‘OK miners, you need to comply with all these various rules and regulations’... [and] all these hoops they were supposedly supposed to jump through,” Elliot says. “But nobody ever did, and nobody enforced that.”

Elliot and McDonald both note that even if the new legislation becomes law, it won’t eliminate dredge mining in areas that aren’t critical for endangered species, and forms of mining that don’t require a motor will still be allowed in critical areas.

While a version of the current legislation passed the Senate last year, neither Elliot nor McDonald, who’ve worked to limit suction mining for years, are counting their chickens just yet.

“Let’s just say I started off doing this when I was really young and I’m really old now,” McDonald says with a laugh. n samanthaw@inlander.com

“Fish and Wildlife prohibits fishing in some critical habitat areas ... and then ridiculously allows suction dredge mining to occur in these same waters.”

If passed in the Senate, the legislation would bring Washington into line with other Western states that in recent years have banned or severely restricted the recreational sucking up of river sediments in hopes of finding valuable gold, silver and other minerals.

The practice is common in Sullivan Creek and Harvey Creek in Pend Oreille County, Sheep Creek in Stevens County, and the mainstem Columbia River above the dams, Elliot says. It’s also popular across the Cascade region, closer to Yakima, Ellensburg and Wenatchee, ac-

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CLASSICAL

Living on the

Edge

The Grammy-winning Attacca Quartet visits the Northwest BachFest to celebrate Beethoven and chase a “very special, specific sound”

BY DAN NAILEN

“I

t’s really tough to describe what it is to be a string quartet musician, but there’s a unified sound you can tap into that is really unlike anything else,” says Andrew Yee, a masterful cellist and one-fourth of Attacca Quartet.

Yee is an ideal ambassador for classical music broadly, and the string quartet specifically. The 35-year-old is Juilliard-trained, but first picked up the cello as a public school student in Virginia. He has deep knowledge, obviously, of the classical canon, but is also passionate about a good old-fashioned cocktail and was, for a time, making stop-motion animated films of cooking projects and posting to a Tumblr account he dubbed “The Hungry Cellist.”

In other words, if your idea of string-driven classical music is that it’s only for stiff, older “elites,” think again.

Listening to Yee describe it is exhilarating.

“If you’ve been in a car going 120 miles per hour, you suddenly don’t feel like you’re in a car anymore,

and also, you don’t know if you’re going to live or you’re going to die,” Yee says. “You’re out there on that edge.

There’s a certain element of that to playing in a string quartet, which is like a really good drug. That’s the thing that we all like to tap into.”

Yee’s been chasing that rush with the Attacca Quartet for 17 years, since launching the group with his Juilliard classmate and violinist friend Amy Schroeder. They met their first day at the prestigious New York City music school, and after first playing as a duo, then as a trio including a pianist, they then formed the Attacca Quartet “and just kept getting concerts,” Yee says. The group is rounded out by violist Nathan Schram and newest member and violinist Domenic Salerni, who recently took over for Keiko Tokunaga.

T

he combination of the quartet’s individual talents has earned them acclaim from throughout classical music quarters, and you can add the North-

west BachFest next week to the long list of high-profile showcases they’ve enjoyed, including two years as the Juilliard Graduate Resident String Quartet and a year as Quartet in Residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

“We have four incredibly individual people who are very curious,” Yee says in explaining the chemistry of his group. “We all have a lot of sort of weird ideas, but I think we all share this desire to make this very special, specific sound.”

That sound earned the Attacca Quartet their first Grammy a couple weeks ago, earning the trophy for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for their recording of contemporary composer Caroline Shaw’s “Orange.”

While the quartet’s award was not one of the few that was televised, they got to mingle during their awards ceremony with folks they admire like fellow winners I’m ...continued on next page

Andrew Yee (right) and the Attacca Quartet.

SHERVIN LAINEZ PHOTO

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With Her (a folk trio featuring Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan) and worldmusic star Angelique Kidjo. And while Yee says “we didn’t meet Billie Eilish or anything like that,” the quartet did get great seats close to the stage for the televised show. And after doing a lot of interviews and having a lot of pictures taken after their win, Attacca Quartet also got to hit the Grammy afterparties, trophy in hand. When I talked to Yee a couple days after the awards, he noted “I’m just getting over my hangover now.”

“I grew up watching the Grammys, and there’s something sort of culturally baked into us that you can’t help but just be flabbergasted,” Yee says of the experience of winning. “I still don’t quite understand what happened. It means a lot.”

W

hen the Attacca Quartet arrives in Spokane to headline the first week of Zuill Bailey’s Northwest BachFest, they’ll play four shows celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday. The eight Beethoven quartets they’ll play — two each evening — will be interspersed with works by three living composers, including on Wednesday a selection from their Grammy-winning recording.

Yee views tackling classic works by Beethoven as a challenge that’s fun for the quartet to contemplate.

“Anybody who’s ever been in even an amateur quartet has probably played Beethoven. He’s one of those composers who just wrote really, really good quartets,” Yee says. “Saying ‘What

exactly is our take on this music?’ and to be open to actual exploration about how you truly feel about this music and not just recreate someone else’s idea — or just being lazy and playing it how it’s supposed to go — can be a real soul-searching prospect.”

Mining those emotions as a musician is one of the exciting aspects of playing, though, and sharing that experience with his bandmates, Yee says, is a means of growing closer with the legendary composer himself.

“It’s one of those things where you find yourself immersed in somebody’s language, in their world, and you get a sense after playing somebody’s music for that long that you start to understand him as a human being,” Yee says. “Beethoven just is one of those people who, when you start to inhabit their world, you become sort of humbled. And you get the sense that he was maybe a little bit more likable than he’s portrayed. He’s funny, and he’s thoughtful, but there’s also a lot of pain. A lot of the music is unspeakably painful, but also [it is] some of the most exuberant, joyful music out there. It really is an emotional whirlwind.” n Attacca Quartet at Northwest Bachfest • Tue-Wed, Feb. 25-26, and Fri-Sat, Feb. 28-29 at 7:30 pm • $35/$15 students; Special Finale dinner with Zuill Bailey performance and auction • Sun, March 1 at 5:30 pm • $65 • All ages • Barrister Winery • 1213 W. Railroad Ave. • nwbachfest.com

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CULTURE | DIGEST

Griftlands

THE TICKET MASTER Some things in life are too expensive to pay off all at once. A new car. A good education. The mortgage on your house. But concert tickets? While going through the rigamarole of securing seats for Janet Jackson’s upcoming summer tour, I noticed I had the option of signing up for a payment plan to cover the $230 I was about to drop on my tickets. Going to see live music has become so expensive that soon we’ll all be in debt to Ticketmaster. What’s next — taking out a loan so you can afford something at the merch booth? (NATHAN WEINBENDER)

Early access is the best trend in video games

BY DANIEL WALTERS

G

riftlands is one of my favorite computer games I’ve played in the past year. Featuring the vibrant animations that gave Klei Entertainment’s other games like Don’t Starve so much charm, Griftlands turns negotiations into combat — your hero, Sal, uses influence, domination, intimidation and guile to chip away at an opponent’s resolve. Most enemies can be defeated without the need to ever draw your blaster.

Still, there’s one thing interested buyers should know about it. The game isn’t even half finished. When I first picked it up, I managed to get all the way to the night before a climactic confrontation with Sal’s nemesis until the game told me, “Sorry, that’s all for now.”

THE BUZZ BIN

SEX IS STILL FUN When British comedy/drama Sex Education premiered in early 2019, it was an immediate breath of fresh, funny air, dealing with teenage emotions and sexuality in realistic ways American TV producers seemingly refuse to. The second season, now streaming on Netflix, is just as rewarding thanks to the focus shifting to the characters surrounding our adolescent, amateur high school sex therapist Otis (Asa Butterfield). We learn about the complicated family lives of the students, and see some of our favorite characters blossom into multidimensional humans. The adults, particularly Gillian Anderson as Otis’s professional sex therapist mom, get nearly equal billing this time, and the season-ending production of Romeo & Juliet: The Musical is worth every minute spent leading up to it. (DAN NAILEN)

That’s “early access” for you. It might not sound like much of a deal: Pay early and get half of a video game, likely unbalanced, a bit broken and barely there. And yet, it may be one of the trends that actually makes games more fun for a lot longer.

If Griftlands had been released with everything finished, I would have played it for a few weeks — two years later — and then, when I beat the game or got burned out, I would have ditched it. Instead, I dive back into Griftlands every time it updates. In December, Klei Entertainment gave me an early Christmas present: An entirely new character thrust into a new setting, a spyturned mercenary named Rook.

Of course, blockbuster developers have a steady stream of updates and content patches to continually rejuvenate games like Team Fortress 2 and Overwatch — usually with the intent of convincing long-time players to keep shelling out money for character costumes.

But “early access” has the added benefit of giving smaller studios a revenue stream to keep them afloat during the exhausting development process, all while giving players a steady trickle of upgrades. Because that, ultimately, is why we play: The thrill of discovery. And by parceling out those moments, the best early-access games keep us returning for years to the worlds as they’re being built.

The ocean in Subnautica kept getting deeper, the dungeons in Darkest Dungeons kept getting darker, and the icy expanse of the Long Dark continued to stretch further into the ice fog. By the time the full version of Griftlands is released, I’ll have played through each unfinished campaign dozens of times — repeatedly immersing myself in the world, instead of merely visiting it. n

DISHING THE DIRT I requested a library copy of Jeanine Cummins’ novel American Dirt before it inflamed debate about literary representation, so I had to see what all the controversy was about. It tells of a middle-class Mexican mother and son posing as migrants to flee the crime boss who massacred their family, and its apparent tone-deafness had Latinx writers questioning whether a white author was the right person to tell this story. Cummins even canceled her book tour, including a Spokane stop. So how is the book? It’s a tightly paced page-turner, sure, but its use of Spanglish is indeed awkward, and many of its twists beggar belief. A solid pulp thriller, but the “Grapes of Wrath for our times,” to quote the Don Winslow blurb on the front cover? Hardly. (NATHAN WEINBENDER)

WASTELAND REDUX Society as we know it has been destroyed in the aftermath of a global conflict, c. 1998. One hundred years later, humanity is plagued by raiders, mutants and miles of radiation. That’s the premise for the 1988 retro classic PC game Wasteland, and it’s getting a reboot on Xbox on Feb. 25. There have been modern sequels, but the original game is deemed responsible for shaping the Fallout universe and the post-apocalypse genre as we know it. (QUINN WELSCH)

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Some noteworthy new music hits online and in stores Feb. 21. To wit: BEST COAST, Always Tomorrow. The retro-pop duo are back with their first album in five years.

GREG DULLI, Random Desire. The Afghan Whigs frontman releases his first solo album after a mere 34 years in the music biz.

OZZY OSBOURNE, Ordinary Man. You know, an ordinary decapitating-a-bat-with-his-teeth man. (DAN NAILEN)

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 27

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28 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

CULTURE | THEATER The so-called “Radium Girls” proved to be unlikely heroes.

PHIL CORLESS PHOTO

The Ravages of Time The Radium Girls painted watch faces with a deadly radioactive compound.

These Shining Lives recounts their struggle for justice

BY E.J. IANNELLI

I

n 1922, an exciting new opportunity came to the women of Ottawa, Illinois. The Radium Dial Company opened a factory and began hiring well-paid female employees by the dozen. Their job was to paint the glow-in-the-dark markings on clock and watch faces using a luminescent material that contained powdered radium, the remarkable elemental metal Marie Curie had isolated about a decade earlier.

What no one told these women was that the radiumbased paint was highly radioactive. Simply touching it with bare hands would have been incredibly toxic. Yet the Radium Dial Company went so far as to encourage the painters to point the tips of their brushes with their lips. The practice caused them to ingest small quantities of the paint with every watch face — around 250 per day.

Before long, many workers developed health problems. Their jaws began to decay. They became anemic.

Their bones fractured. The company, likely aware of the root cause, brushed their ailments and suspicions aside, forcing the women to solicit help from the few outside doctors and lawyers who didn’t turn them away out of fear or indifference.

The story of the Radium Girls, as they became known, has been told in songs, poetry, films, fiction and plays, including Melanie Marnich’s These Shining Lives. Her 2008 docudrama centers on the women who suffered at the hands of the company and fought for retribution as their bodies failed.

Maria Stromberg plays narrator and protagonist Catherine Donohue in a new production of These Shining Lives at Lake City Playhouse. Donohue was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit that sought to hold the Radium Dial Company to account.

“At the beginning when she comes out, she’s already dead or dying. And she’s telling you the story, walking you through these scenes of her life,” Stromberg says.

Those early scenes are full of joy and optimism as the factory work offers the prospect of a good income and independence. But things inevitably start to take a darker turn.

“To me, it’s like watching this character come to grips with what’s happened to her and then realize that she can transform that into fighting for everyone else who’s been hurt by this. And that she actually accomplishes something is what gives it that thread of hope. It wasn’t meaningless.”

Donohue wasn’t alone in her personal transformation or her fight for justice, and the play reflects that. She’s surrounded by the friends she made at Radium Dial: outspoken Charlotte Purcell (Monica Thomas), upright Frances O’Connell (Sadie Russell) and easygoing Pearl Payne (Anya Kleinworth).

“Catherine is our interpreter and our main thread, so it’s almost like we’re taking this journey through her head,” says Kristin Kilmer, the show’s director.

This is the first live theater production Kilmer has directed in more than two decades. Returning to the

stage for These Shining Lives and its “surreal, dreamlike” narrative framework has been what she describes as “a semi-organic experience.”

Whatever enhancements costumes, lighting and set design might offer, the thing Kilmer is emphasizing is the “humanity” of the Radium Girls and those who supported them. Among those supporters are pro bono lawyer Leonard Grossman (Ricky St. Martin), the physician Dr. Dalitsch (Travis Cook) and, above all, Catherine’s husband Tom (Brandon Miller).

“What keeps this out of the macabre and the tragic and the really sad is their relationship,” Kilmer says. “You kind of fall in love with those two as they fall in love.”

While it might seem hard to draw positives from such a tragic tale of injustice, Stromberg says there are beautiful moments in the story and beauty in the way it’s told.

She points to one of her character’s closing lines: “Time was kind, after all.”

“That’s the amazing thing and the soul of the play.

Time is in a very literal sense their enemy. These watches they’re painting are killing them. But at the same time it gave them the opportunity to be together, to make these friendships and to rise to this level of heroism. That was also a kindness.” n These Shining Lives • Feb. 21-Mar. 8; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm • $22 • Lake City Playhouse • 1320 E. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene • lakecityplayhouse.org • 208-676-7529

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 29

Cole’s Bakery offers many keto-friendly baked goods like these cupcakes. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

NUTRITION

DON’T TRIM THE FAT

As more people try a keto diet, restaurants in the Inland Northwest begin catering to the high-fat, low-carb trend

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

A

nyone who pays attention to diet fads knows that sometimes fat’s out, and whole grains are in. Eggs are good, then bad, then good again. Now, for those adopting the increasingly popular keto diet, fat is king — bacon is totally OK — but carbs and sugars are almost completely out.

Originally formulated to prevent seizures in people with epilepsy, ketogenic diets have actually been around for about a century, gathering and losing steam over the decades with different versions of the low-carb, high-fat diet (think Atkins, the Oprah-promoted Last Chance Diet and others). Once again, it’s undeniable that keto is getting another heyday.

Many have found incredible success on the diet, which kicks the body into a survival state where fat is burned for energy in the near absence of carbohydrates.

It’s not uncommon to find people who’ve lost 50, 80, 150 pounds on the diet in months to a year.

Spokane-based physician Kyle Varner says he was initially suspicious of the diet, but after reading the research behind it, he says it made sense based on everything he’d learned about the human body in medical school.

After his own bariatric surgery, Varner says he’d lost about 70 pounds and was doing everything he’d been told by his doctors, including eating six small meals a day. But he still had about 50 pounds left to reach his goal. So he switched to keto, a change that’s given him

30 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

those results and personal insight as he helps patients deal with obesity and metabolic syndrome.

“I’m a big keto and intermittent fasting evangelist.

I think it’s a very healthy diet,” Varner says. “Keto is a more doable diet for the lifestyle we’ve come to lead as busy professionals in the United States, and a major improvement on what almost everybody is eating today.”

Fats are very satiating, which can help prevent that urge to go check the fridge every few hours, he explains.

The diet relies on people eating only about 35-40 grams of net carbs per day, he says, but it’s important to note that fiber doesn’t count.

“A lot of people don’t realize you can eat a lot of things like broccoli and asparagus and mushrooms and peppers. The number one mistake is people aren’t eating enough vegetables,” Varner says. “It’s really not necessary for most people to count them. If it’s broccoli or cauliflower, I don’t even count it, that’s a food I’m allowed to have.”

Cooking keto at home can be more expensive than other diets, and it can be a challenge to make substitutes for baked goods. Luckily, some Inland Northwest eateries are providing more keto-friendly options.

COLE’S BAKERY

Cole’s Gluten Free Bakery and Cafe, located in North Spokane at 521 E. Holland Ave., has an entire menu

designed for people with special dietary restrictions. The store also stocks several cases with tasty baked goods, breads and rolls for gluten-free and keto dietary needs.

Owner Jeanine Smith, who opened Cole’s about six years ago, says she decided to bring on keto-friendly options after learning how helpful the diet is for children with epilepsy, as well as people with diabetes or autoimmune diseases.

“We have a whole keto section on our menu, with burgers, mozzarella sticks, chicken strips and breakfast sandwiches, and we have two full cases of keto products,” Smith says.

Desserts made with a keto-friendly monk fruit sweetener include “fat bombs” in flavors like chocolate chip and lemon raspberry.

Smith’s interest in gluten-free baking started with her own gluten issues and dissatisfaction with store-bought options. Many hours of baking experiments have ensued to create alternative breads.

Because baking substitutes can be difficult to craft, Cole’s also offers mixes.

“What I hear a lot of is that people try to bake at home and then it just fails miserably,” she says. “My advice is don’t give up. If you love baking, you will find a way. But if you need a little help to get started, we’ve got options to help on the shelf, including bread mix, pancake mix, brownie mix and cookie mix.”

FIRST AVENUE COFFEE

At First Avenue Coffee in downtown Spokane, at 1011 W. First, customers can also find a menu filled with gluten-free, paleo, vegan and keto-friendly options made at the in-store bakery.

But you won’t necessarily find them labeled that way.

“For the first year, we advertised we have keto, we have vegan, we have glutenfree, and people would not try any of those items because they were afraid they were going to taste funky,” explains owner Deborah Di Bernardo.

“So we took all the labels off our products and just featured them visually,” she continues. “Once [people] told us they liked it, we’d say, ‘Well that is vegan,’ or ‘that is keto,’ and now just in the last few months, people actually come in asking for keto.”

Keto options include donuts, grab-and-go snack packs with hard-boiled eggs and cheese, a roast beef wrap made with cheese, microgreens, mustard and salt rolled up in the meat, and a similar turkey wrap made with cranberry sauce, cream cheese and greens.

But cheddar biscuits are the most popular.

“People just go nuts over this one,” Di Bernardo says.

“I do an almond flour, cheddar cheese, green onion biscuit, with egg as the binder.

This is how I got through my first year of changing my diet.”

Di Bernardo started her own grain-free diet after being diagnosed with breast cancer and having a double mastectomy.

“I eat organic, which is why I only feature organic coffees here, and almost everything we use here is organic,” she says.

Di Bernardo also confirms that keto items everywhere can be more expensive.

“Almond flour is literally 400 percent more expensive than white flour, so you know, our items are more expensive than the average donut,” she says. n samanthaw@inlander.com

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Taco Party Taco Vado offers fresh and flavorful breakfast all day from its West Central Spokane drive-through stand

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hile its main goal is to introduce the humble breakfast taco to more Spokane eaters, owners of the new quick food stop Taco Vado say breakfast burritos have actually been its bestselling menu item since opening about a month ago.

Located in a former coffee stand on Ash Street just north of downtown, Taco Vado serves Southwestern-inspired breakfast, lunch staples and coffee drinks from its two drive-through windows. The full menu is available all day.

Owners Mark Sherman and Will Lucas partnered to open the fast and affordable eatery, having previously worked together in area kitchens.

“Will wanted to do a dive bar, but I wanted to do a breakfast spot, and we would always joke about how popular breakfast was in Spokane,” Sherman says. “I lived in Austin for a while and they had [breakfast tacos] there, and Will cooked in New Orleans and New Mexico and L.A., and so it was an evolution of different ideas that ended with Taco Vado.”

In lieu of a mobile business model or the more costly investment of a traditional sit-down restaurant, the duo found the drive-through stand in West Central Spokane. It was formerly occupied by Whip-It-A-Latte, a bikini barista coffee stand that closed in December. After quick renovations, Taco Vado opened in mid-January.

“This seemed to be the best of both worlds for us,” Sherman says. “We wanted people to be able to find us, and not have to go to events just to try us out. We looked at it as a happy medium,

Taco Vado’s carnitas breakfast taco.

DEREK HARRISON PHOTO

and wanted to be as quick as we could for freshmade food.”

Between its breakfast and lunch offerings, Taco Vado’s menu offers just 10 food items, plus several 8-ounce side add-ons ($3-$9) like queso, guacamole, rice, beans, slaw and more.

All tacos are $3.50 each or three for $10, with breakfast versions served on flour tortillas and lunch on corn (customers can switch tortillas by request). The breakfast burrito ($7) comes with choice of meat or avocado and eggs, beans, cheese and salsa. Taco Vado’s bowl ($8) contains avocado, salsa, slaw, meat, cheese, rice and beans. A vegan version of both is also available.

Breakfast taco options are the Eggleston (eggs, cheese, avocado), steak and eggs, Verde Manana (chili verde, eggs, cheese) and the Breakfast Vado (pork, eggs and cilantro). Lunch tacos, which come topped with onions and cilantro, are the Adovada (a play on adobado with red chili and pork), chile verde (beef), barbacoa (shredded beef with cebollita slaw) and pork carnitas.

Customers may notice that none of the items include bacon, which was both an intentional choice in order to offer something different, and because the tiny space doesn’t allow for a fryer.

“Will also has amazing braised meat recipes he was able to bring in,” Sherman adds.

On the drinks section of the menu, the Hazy Mocha — a concoction of hazelnut, chocolate, coffee, cream and a house milk blend — is a bestseller, alongside another house special, the Liquid Diet protein shake. Classic espresso drinks, cold brew coffee and white coffee round out the menu. A local pastry chef has also created custom cookie recipes for the stand.

“Although we have a fixed menu with small items, we cater to customization really well,” Sherman notes. “We can mix and match and you can try different things on different tortillas.

Whatever you’re craving, you can get.”

Come spring, the drive-through plans to set up some outdoor seating in its spacious corner lot. Sooner than that, though, Taco Vado plans offer a call-in order service to lessen wait times. n Taco Vado • 1602 N. Ash St. • Open Mon-Sat 7 am-4 pm • facebook.com/tacovado

WOLF LIKE ME Harrison Ford goes full curmudgeon in this surprisingly sweet, old-fashioned version of The Call of the Wild

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

H

arrison Ford has gone full Grizzly Adams and Buck the canine hero is fully CGI, 100-percent digital, not a scrap of real fur or dog farts about him. There is so much about this new umpteenth film version of Jack London’s classic novel The Call of the Wild that is ready-made for meme-iriffic snarking.

Go ahead and get it out of your system, because dang if it ain’t actually some old-fashioned kiddie-pitched action-adventure, sweetly earnest, equal parts scary and funny and exciting and sad and happy. It reminded me of the live-action Disney animal movies of the 1960s and ’70s, the ones I grew up with. And if the kids at the family screening I attended are anything to go by — they loved it: the 6-year-old friend I went with was riveted, frequently leaning toward the screen at the intense bits — this new generation isn’t too jaded to enjoy a cozy, sentimental story blazing on a big screen. Even one without catchy tunes.

I definitely had something in my eye several times while watching this. I’m such a soft touch.

Pitched for grade-schoolers this may be, but Call has not been dumbed down, nor are the harsher aspects of the tale elided over. And thank goodness for that. The rollercoaster of doggy emotions that Saint Bernard-Scotch shepherd mix Buck rides as he goes from pampered family pet in 1890s California to dognap victim to sled dog in the Yukon includes encounters with humans who run the full gamut from kind to cruel. More than one mo-

ment of mostly off-screen, mostly implied, yet still chilling (even if the marketing suggests otherwise), and he has violence toward Buck prompted screams of terror from been given a somewhat different — and more poignant the littlest ones at my screening. Call might be a tad too — backstory than the character in the book. In any case, much for the youngest kids. apart from a few brief encounters with Buck early on But none of the kids seemed to have any problem and the gentle narration Ford’s human supplies for our understanding that the stately black wolf that Buck keeps benefit, Thornton is not a significant friend for Buck until encountering on his journeys in the snowy wilderness is, the final act. Ford is his usual gruff yet sneakily pleasant in fact, the spirit of Buck’s own animal nature, a guide curmudgeon, and he displays a wonderful gameness in for him as he rediscovers his untamed side. Some of the interacting with a co-star who wasn’t there while they grown-ups I spoke to after the movie were filming. agreed with me that the ever-so-slightly Much as I love Ford, I would have been CALL OF THE WILD cartoonish aspects to the all-CGI equally happy to see a full movie in which Rated PG animals, including the other dogs on Buck continually exasperates his master Directed by Chris Sanders the mush team Buck joins, detract from Starring Harrison Ford, Bradley (Bradley Whitford) in his well-off, comfortfully buying into them as real animals. able California home. Or one in which Whitford, Karen Gillan, Dan Stevens If there is a doggo uncanny valley here, Buck is just enjoying his work with the it’s in the very human, though also Canadian Post dispatchers (Omar Sy and only very occasional and somewhat muted, rolling of Cara Gee) on whose sled team he ends up, and works his eyes and other facial expressions that dogs don’t actually way up the pupper chain of command. (The casting of a make. None of this anthropomorphizing is anywhere French black man and a First Nations woman delivering near like the crime it can be in some for-kids animal mail in late 19th century Canada is how you do effortless movies; the dogs don’t talk here, hallelujah. And it could diversity on screen. It’s not even anachronistic!) be considered in keeping with the ethos of Jack London’s The Call of the Wild is a movie that, as noted above, novel: Part of the appeal of the so-called animal fiction is easy to dismiss and disparage. But now that I’ve seen of that era is a certain attributing to creatures’ human moit (and I wasn’t expecting much), I feel like it’s worth tives, desires and feelings. I bet London would approve. defending. For its empathetic soul. For its love of the There are humans here. Ford’s John Thornton is far natural world. Both of which need defending now more from the only person to feature in Buck’s adventures than ever today. n

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 33

FILM | SHORTS

OPENING FILMS THE ASSISTANT

In director Kitty Green’s minimalist drama, the daily routines of a personal assistant to a Weinstein-type mogul take on sinister undertones. Its horrors are implied, and all the more powerful because of it. (NW) Rated R

BRAHMS: THE BOY II

Remember the 2016 horror film The Boy? No? Well, the creepy porcelain doll from that movie is back again anyway, menacing another dumb family. (NW) Rated PG-13

The Assistant

CALL OF THE WILD

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

BAD BOYS FOR LIFE

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

BIRDS OF PREY

Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn in her own Suicide Squad spinoff, and it’s a step up, a colorful and violent neo-noir involving a teenage pickpocket, a diamond and Ewan McGregor’s delightfully scummy kingpin. (NW) Rated R

DOLITTLE

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

DOWNHILL

An unnecessary remake of the brilliant Swedish film Force Majeure, starring Will Ferrel and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as a couple forced to reassess their marriage after avoiding a natural disaster. (NW) Rated R

FANTASY ISLAND

Want four or five wildly different movies for the price of one? Take this tacky horror spin on the ’70s TV show about

34 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

This family-friendly, faith-based romantic comedy was shot entirely in Spokane, directed by local filmmaker Juan Mas and using a local crew and some recognizable Spokane actors in supporting roles. It concerns a lovelorn barista who decides to volunteer for a church’s house-building organization when she becomes smitten by the handsome carpenter who oversees it. The film will play at the Spokane Valley Regal Cinemas Feb. 21-26; see Fandango for showtimes. (NW) Not Rated

THE LODGE

Implausible doesn’t begin to describe this thudding thriller, in which a troubled woman is isolated in a cabin alongside her fiance’s kids and some pesky supernatural forces. (MJ) Rated R

NOW PLAYING 1917

HOME SWEET HOME

Jack London’s classic is nicely translated into a rousing, old-fashioned family adventure, starring a gruff Harrison Ford and his CGI dog friend.

Even snarky adults will be won over. (MJ) Rated PG

CRITICS’ SCORECARD THE INLANDER

a tropical paradise that fulfills its guest’s deepest desires. (NW) Rated PG-13

FROZEN II

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

THE GENTLEMEN

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

GRETEL & HANSEL

The fairy tale gets a modernist horror twist by director Oz Perkins, as two hungry orphans are taken in by a seemingly friendly old woman after getting lost in the woods. (NW) Rated PG-13

JOJO RABBIT

In Taika Waititi’s WWII-set satire, a little boy with an imaginary friend who looks just like Hitler befriends the Jewish girl being hidden by his mother. Its juggling tones and bleak subject matter might not work for everyone. (ES) Rated PG-13

JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL

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

NEW YORK VARIETY (LOS ANGELES) TIMES

METACRITIC.COM (OUT OF 100)

THE ASSISTANT

77

DOWNHILL

49

FANTASY ISLAND

20

THE LODGE

63

PARASITE

96

THE PHOTOGRAPH

62

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

47

DON’T MISS IT

WORTH $10

KNIVES OUT

WATCH IT AT HOME

SKIP IT

THE PHOTOGRAPH

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

A relationship from the past merges with one from the present in this intelligent Nicholas Sparks-esque romance starring the effortlessly charming Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield. (NW) Rated PG-13

LITTLE WOMEN

Kids should get a kick out of the first movie featuring Sega’s speedy blue rodent, who gets stuck on Earth and is hunted by government scientists led by Jim Carrey’s insane Dr. Robotnik. (NW) Rated PG

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

PARASITE

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

At the Magic Lantern. (NW) Rated R

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

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

FILM | REVIEW

Spokane International Film Festival

No Vacancy

Scream and scream again: The Lodge will have you shouting in exasperation.

The Lodge is a lame psychological horror film that will have you checking out immediately

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

F

irst of all: No. Why would a suddenly single dad to traumatized young children leave said shocked and distressed kids with his new fiancée, who is also the sole survivor of her own massive childhood trauma? He’s also her therapist and should know she is incredibly vulnerable and perhaps not fit to watch over anyone’s children, never mind his own.

I can’t. I just cannot with this movie. The Lodge purports to be the latest thing in horror… or something. But they said the same about Midsommar last year, and Hereditary the year before. And sure, if you loved Midsommar and Hereditary and they didn’t register with you as deeply problematic, you might find this one creepy, too.

If I thought The Lodge was supposed to be a condemnation of men’s utter idiocy, especially as fathers, maybe I could get behind it. Worse, though, I think that maybe it is intended as such, but again, I reiterate: No.

TER GIC LAN N THEATER A M ST TH FRI, FEB 21 – THU, FEB 27 TICKETS: $9

OK, so, Richard Armitage (whom I adore and, perhaps smartly, he barely appears here) leaves his kids (Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh) with his intended (Riley Keough), whom the children barely know but definitely resent, in a remote mountain lodge in the run-up to Christmas as a way for everyone to get to know one another.

He has to work but will join them later. It doesn’t go very well, for obvious down-toearth reasons.

And then it turns worse, for reasons that could be supernatural, or maybe not, but probably the latter because there really isn’t any other explanation. It’s completely banal, offering no insight into anything — not the human condition, not love in all its many iterations, not even passive-aggressive biological attachment.

Even as I am so down on this damn movie, I still might be giving too much credit to it. It’s entirely plausible that

directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz honestly believed they were exploring what it means to suffer, to be haunted, to not understand what is real and what is fantasy because of how you have been raised.

The absolute mishmash of psychological motivations ostensibly at work here is an infuriating blend of, well, a whole lotta nothing. This is a movie that wants to have its ambiguous cake and eat it, too. Fiala and Franz’s previous feature Goodnight Mommy, about the abuse of trust that parents can engage in, also gets a big ol’ “no” from me.

There’s another older movie that The Lodge reminds me of, but to name it would be a spoiler for this movie. ExTHE LODGE cept sort of not, Rated R either. Because Directed by Severin Fiala, whereas that othVeronika Franz er movie works Starring Riley Keough, Alicia on multiple Silverstone, Richard Armitage levels — whether you want to see it as concretely “factual” (at least as far as its otherworldly elements can take that) or merely metaphorical — this one doesn’t work on any of the levels you might stretch to grant to it.

Basically, f--- these movies that you cannot even talk about, even to say, “Just don’t waste your time with it,” because all they have going for them is a vague “please don’t spoil” vibe. n

MOVIE TIMES

C hili F eed & Sale Feb. 29th • 11am - 3pm

on

NOW SHOWING: FANTASTIC FUNGI JOJO RABBIT PARASITE

SEARCHABLE at the

Corbin Senior Ctr.

SHOWTIMES AT

MagicLanternOnMain.com 25 W Main Ave #125 • MagicLanternOnMain.com

SpokanePottersGuild.org

Wait no further, Rib Week is upon us!

by Time,

by Theater,

Opening Night February 28 , 2020

spiffy social hour @ 6pm

Screening @ 7pm

Garland Theater

or Movie

1414 N Hamilton St. | Logan/Gonzaga 509-368-9087 | wedonthaveone.com Every Theater. Every Movie. All in one place.

tickets and info at SpokaneFilmFestival.ORG FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 35

pan

Jazz Mass

for gold.

by Dan Keberle

Jazz Orchestra & St. Mark’s Choir

Liquid gold that is.

We’ve got 52 taps, craft-made cocktails, a recently expanded menu, an indoor patio just off the casino floor and bar-top games. Strike it rich at Riverbank Taphouse inside Northern Quest.

Tuesday, February 25th 7:00 pm St. Mark’s Lutheran Church 24th & Grand Blvd

NORTHERNQUEST.COM | 877.871.6772 | SPOKANE, WA

Preacher: Rabbi Tamar Malino Temple Beth Shalom, Spokane

Come to enjoy the show or come to fall in love

WILL YOU ACCEPT THIS ROSE?

MARCH 8

First Interstate Center for the Arts TICKETSWEST.COM 36 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

calendar of culinary events Delivered to your inbox every Thursday

800.325.SEAT

CAMERA READY

BLUES-ROCK

Blues Traveler Rocker ZZ Ward talks new music, emotional honesty and the reach of social media

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

M

erging the past with the present, singer-songwriter ZZ Ward has been fusing the grit of retro blues with contemporary pop sounds for nearly a decade now. Ward kicks off her new tour this week, which brings her through Spokane for the first time since helping rechristen the First Interstate Center for the Arts in 2018.

Ward has put out two new singles in the last couple months: “Break Her Heart” is a bitter kiss-off to a cheating ex and their new flame, while “Sex & Stardust” is the flipside, a strutting ode to the intoxication of a fledgling romance. A new album is likely to follow.

The Inlander spoke with Ward in the week before she set out on the road, discussing release strategy in the streaming age, the struggle of revealing your personal life to audiences, and the crazy reach of social media. Responses have been edited for space and clarity.

INLANDER: How would you say these new songs differ, in terms of style and influence, to the songs on your last album The Storm?

WARD: That’s always a tricky question for me because when I’m creating music, I’m really moving forward. I’m not thinking about what I’ve done in the past. These are new experiences, new emotions that I went through. These were new stories and new situations. What I can really do is just be a vessel, in a way, and put that into my music and be open about those things. At the core of it, that’s what I’m doing with the music. ...continued on next page

MUSIC | BLUES-ROCK “BLUES TRAVELER,” CONTINUED...

LIVE MUSIC•

•

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers with the Jesse Weston Band

MARCH 4 $26 Doors open at 6PM

Concert at 7:30PM

Whether he’s squeezing out the deepest blues or playing the funkiest soul grooves, legendary blues & soul giant Tommy Castro knows how to ignite a crowd.

Buy tickets at eventbrite.com 39 W. PACIFIC AVENUE (CORNER OF PACIFIC & BROWN) 509.838.7815 | BRIDGEPRESSCELLARS.COM

With both single releases, you took to social media to explain the personal backstories behind them. What is it like being so open about a song’s inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people?

You have to push yourself out of your comfort zone in a lot of ways. I mean, singing in the shower is one thing. Getting on stage and singing in front of thousands of people is another. It takes a certain amount of confidence and risk. It’s not something that’s very natural, especially sharing the stories behind my songs. We live in a time where social media is something that you can use to connect with your fans. I’m just kind of trying to use it as a window to connect with people. It’s interesting because you hear back from people.

We live in a time where we can connect with an artist like this.

And I would imagine you hear back about peoples’ lives after you’ve shared yours. It’s sort of a two-way street in that sense.

Yeah, that’s really interesting. I’m very humble to that. People will tell me how it’s affected them in their life, and I don’t know how that all works out. It’s beyond me. I write songs to help get me through stuff in my life, or help get things off my chest, and that’s been a really great form of expression for me. And I think that’s what people connect with the most, artists that kind of do that, because it does feel real and it is real, and then it kind of meets them where they’re at in their lives.

HHHHH

ZZ Ward with Patrick Droney • Fri, Feb. 21 at 8 pm • $22.50 • All ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague • sp.knittingfactory.com • 244-3279

THE STAGE

“AMAZING” ELAINE PAIGE - BBC RADIO 2

BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE

38 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

Without giving away too many surprises, what can fans expect of the show you’re bringing to Spokane?

It’s a little bit of a transitional time. We’re going into a new era of my music, so it’s going to be kind of an introduction into what that is. There are definitely parts of my show that I think are important to people that have been my fans. I know what they want to hear, so it’s a balance of that, and introducing people to the new stuff that’s going on. You always have to have dynamics, a little bit of bite, a little bit of edge. n

“AUTHENTIC & EXCITING”

“FOR ONCE, YOU CAN BELIEVE THE HYPE”

800.325.SEAT BroadwaySpokane.com

A lot of artists are focusing more on singles than full-length records. Is the plan to eventually put out an album?

I think that’s what’s happening. I don’t really write fluff albums, where there’s one song that’s really strong and then there’s just a bunch of shit on it. I really dig in and try to write a group of really strong songs. Ultimately, I think there will be an album release down the line. But I like doing it this way, because it gives me an opportunity to really make the most of every moment, and let every song have its life. In the past, there have been songs that kind of get lost to the world. They don’t get the life they should have.

FEBRUARY 26

First Interstate Center for the Arts

MUSIC | SYMPHONY

Fun fact: It takes just 1.21 gigawatts to power the Spokane Symphony.

Future Sounds

gonzaga.edu/mwpac

Great Scott: The Spokane Symphony will screen Back to the Future, complete with a live performance of its score

509.313.2787

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

M

aybe you saw the DeLorean parked near the front entrance of River Park Square earlier this week, and maybe the musical theme from Back to the Future flitted through your head when you did. With its winged doors and stainless steel exterior, the long-defunct luxury car is one of the many iconic visual signifiers of the 1985 time-travel comedy, one of the most beloved blockbusters of its era.

Part of the film’s appeal is the charisma of Michael J. Fox as teenage rebel Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as mad scientist Doc Brown, as is the craftiness of the Oscar-nominated script

by Bob Gale and director Robert Zemeckis. But Alan Silvestri’s rousing musical score also does a lot of heavy lifting, and it makes Marty’s leaps from the ’80s to the ’50s and back again all the more thrilling.

On Friday night, the Spokane Symphony will be screening Back to the Future, with a live performance of Silvestri’s swashbuckling score accompanying the film. The orchestra will be led by guest conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos, who has, per his own description, “done a little bit of everything.”

Currently based in New Jersey, Kitsopoulos has been a music director of several symphonies and has conducted orchestras on Broadway. But he has also made a second career out of concerts set to films: He has traveled the country conducting the scores for the Star Wars and Harry Potter movies, as well as classics like The Wizard of Oz, An American in Paris and Vertigo.

Back to the Future has become a popular selection of those live symphonic screenings, but Kitsopoulos says he had never actually seen Zemeckis’ film until he started studying it. But in prepping for a concert of this type, you’re required to watch the movie over and over again, and now he’s seen it countless times.

“Every time I look at the film, I notice something different, or I hear a different line and think

‘Oh, that’s what that means,’” Kitsopoulos says.

“The challenge is to make it fresh every time, and if you’re always looking for new things that you didn’t notice before, that’s part of the fun of it.”

Of course, there are inherent challenges in performing live music, but those are further complicated when what the orchestra is playing has to synch up with visuals.

“You have to be on your toes all the time,” Kitsopoulos says. “The movie doesn’t stop for anything. The music is very specific. If there’s a big moment in the music that’s supposed to punctuate an explosion or somebody slamming a door, that’s got to be synchronized. If the event happens visually and you’re early or you’re late, the audience knows it right away.”

As for the enduring legacy of the film, Kitsopoulos names all the obvious reasons — its actors and its humor and all the historical callouts. But it’s the more poignant thematic threads of the story that make it — pardon the pun — timeless.

“Michael J. Fox goes back in time and learns things about his mother and father that he couldn’t imagine could be anywhere close to the truth,” he says. “I have two kids that are both off on their own and married, but every once in a while, my wife and I will be talking [with them] and my daughter will say, ‘I didn’t know that about you.’ … That’s why Back to the Future is played on TV over and over again, or why people come to see a symphony orchestra play the score with the movie projected.”

An event like this is also an ideal gateway to the magic of the symphony, he says: “It’s a great way to see a movie, and more importantly for the [symphony], a great way to introduce kids to the sound of a live orchestra.” n Movies & Music: Back to the Future • Fri, Feb. 21 at 8 pm • $20-$103 • All ages • Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox • 1001 W. Sprague • 624-1200

Lúnasa THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 7:30PM Ireland’s top musical talents in a Celtic music ‘dream team’

Arcis Saxophone Quartet WEDNESDAY, MAR 18, 7:30PM An exciting spectrum of sound - from Dvořák to Bernstein to Gershwin!

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 39

MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

METAL KORN

T

here was a time, not so long ago, when Korn and other bands of its ilk — your Slipknots and your Limp Bizkits — were the most popular thing going. And although they’re now a couple decades removed from that late ’90s hard-rock boom, the nu-metal pioneers have never stopped performing, and they’re still beloved enough to comfortably pack arenas. 2019’s The Nothing, Korn’s 13th album, earned the band some of the best reviews of their career, continuing the tradition of setting nakedly confessional and therapeutic lyrics to crunchy riffs.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER Korn with Breaking Benjamin and Bones • Wed, Feb. 26 at 7 pm • $39.50-$89.50 • All ages • Spokane Arena • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • spokanearena.com • 279-7000

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

Thursday, 02/20

A&P’S BAR AND GRILL, Open Mic BERSERK, Vinyl Meltdown BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn BOOMERS CLASSIC ROCK BAR & GRILL, Randy Campbell J BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE, The Song Project BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS, Charles Swanson J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Open Jazz Jam with Erik Bowen CRUISERS, Open Jam Night DAN & JO’S BAR & GRILL, Usual Suspects J GILDED UNICORN, Gil Rivas J HOUSE OF SOUL, Jazz Thursdays J J KNITTING FACTORY, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony J LAGUNA CAFÉ, Just Plain Darin LION’S LAIR, Karaoke LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Jason Perry Trio J MONARCH MOUNTAIN COFFEE, Open Mic Hosted by Scott Reid MOON TIME, Pamela Jean MOOSE LOUNGE, Last Chance Band J MOUNTAIN LAKES BREWING CO., Okay, Honey MY PLACE BAR & GRILL, DJ Dave NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Into the Drift THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos NYNE, Thursday Night Vibes w/ Storme J THE PIN, God Module ft. Visions in Black, Absynth of Faith THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos STEAM PLANT KITCHEN + BREWERY, Nick Grow ZOLA, Blake Braley Band

Friday, 02/21

219 LOUNGE, Miah Kohal Band A&P’S BAR AND GRILL, DJ Shanner ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Ron Greene

40 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

HIP-HOP NAPPY ROOTS

I

t wouldn’t be accurate to classify Nappy Roots as country rap, but the hip-hop group’s ties to rural Kentucky are reflected in the music, much the same way Compton defined NWA and Atlanta inspired OutKast. In fact, Nappy Roots has always embraced the same kind of genre experimentation that Big Boi and Andre 3000 loved so much, with elements of ’90s R&B and classic blues creeping into the mix. They’ve been independent artists for years now and they’ve also expanded their brand into microbrews, having released a handful of band-themed beers.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER Nappy Roots • Mon, Feb. 24 at 8 pm • $18-$20 • 21+ • Lucky You Lounge • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • luckyyoulounge.com BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn BIGFOOT PUB, Tufnel BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Pastiche BRANDYWINE BAR & BOTTLE SHOP, Kori Ailene BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS, Deep Forest Project J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Colby Acuff CHINOOK STEAK, PASTA AND SPIRITS (CDA CASINO), Cris Lucas CORBY’S BAR, Karaoke COSMIC COWBOY GRILL (CDA), Kicho COSMIC COWBOY GRILL (SPOKANE), Echo Elysium CRUISERS, Karaoke with Gary CURLEY’S, Dragonfly DRY FLY DISTILLERY, Mark Holt FREDNECK’S SALOON AND BEANERY, Just Plain Darin HERITAGE BAR & KITCHEN, Kat Higgins THE HIDDEN MOTHER BREWERY, Jason Perry Trio HOGFISH, Buffalo Jones, Erin Parkes HONEY EATERY AND SOCIAL CLUB, Brian Sacco

IDAHO POUR AUTHORITY, Harold’s IGA J IRON GOAT BREWING, Heat Speak IRON HORSE (CDA), JamShack JOHN’S ALLEY, Funky Unkle J J KNITTING FACTORY, ZZ Ward (see page 37), Patrick Droney LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Part Time, Gary Wilson, Bryson Cone; DJ Official Caleb MARYHILL WINERY, Rob Bryceson MATCHWOOD BREWING CO., The Groove Black MAX AT MIRABEAU, Tuck Foster & The Tumbling Dice MICKDUFF’S BEER HALL, Devon Wade MOONDOLLARS BISTRO, Pamela Jean MULLIGAN’S BAR & GRILLE, Krista Hojem MY PLACE BAR & GRILL, DJ Dave NASHVILLE NORTH, Ladies Night with Luke Jaxon and DJ Tom NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Harmonious Funk THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos OLD MILL BAR AND GRILL, Wiebe Jammin

PACIFIC PIZZA, The Longnecks PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Ron Kieper Duo J THE PIN, Silent Planet w/ Currents, Invent Animate, Greyhaven PRIME TYME BAR & GRILL, Dave DeVeau THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos J RIVER CITY BREWING, The Dead Channels J SARANAC COMMONS, Kevin Partridge SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE, Son of Brad SILVER MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT, Rusty Jackson (at Noah’s) SPOKANE EAGLES LODGE, Stagecoach West SPOKANE VALLEY EAGLES, Into the Drift Duo STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, DJ RUSS THE VIKING, Rev. Yo’s VooDoo Church of Blues UP NORTH DISTILLERY, Bill Bozly ZOLA, Loose Gazoonz

Saturday, 02/22

219 LOUNGE, Mudslide Charlie A&P’S BAR AND GRILL, DJ Kevin ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, The Ronaldos THE BEE’S KNEES WHISKEY BAR, Kosh J BERSERK, Lip Sick, Itchy Kitty, Portable Morla BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn BIGFOOT PUB, Tufnel BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Pastiche BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS, GS3 J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Jazz Palouse Band THE BULL HEAD, Theresa Edwards Band CHINOOK STEAK, PASTA AND SPIRITS (CDA CASINO), Cris Lucas COSMIC COWBOY GRILL (CDA), Sam Leyde COSMIC COWBOY GRILL (SPOKANE), Eric Neuhauser CURLEY’S, Dragonfly GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Still Kickin’ THE HIDDEN MOTHER BREWERY, Jonathan Tibbetts

HONEY EATERY & SOCIAL CLUB, Dawna Stafford HOP MOUNTAIN TAPROOM AND GRILL, Joey Anderson J HUCKLEBERRY’S NATURAL MARKET, Mark Polston IDAHO POUR AUTHORITY, Dustin Drennen J IRON GOAT BREWING, Erin Parkes IRON HORSE (CDA), JamShack THE JACKSON ST., Karaoke JOHN’S ALLEY, Brett Benton J KNITTING FACTORY, Too Broke to Rock feat. Veio, Moretta, The Nixon Rodeo LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Nick Grow LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, DJ Donuts MATCHWOOD BREWING CO., Ken Mayginnes MAX AT MIRABEAU, Tuck Foster & The Tumbling Dice MULLIGAN’S BAR & GRILLE, Echo Elysium NASHVILLE NORTH, Ladies Night with Luke Jaxon and DJ Tom NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Harmonious Funk THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos: Dinner and a Show ONE TREE CIDER HOUSE, Dallas Kay

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PACIFIC PIZZA, Lucas Brookbank Brown & Friends J J PANIDA THEATER, Roger Fisher of Heart PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Spare Parts Trio J POST FALLS BREWING COMPANY, Just Plain Darin THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos THE SHANTY BAR, Jason Perry SILVER MOUNTAIN SKI RESORT, Son of Brad (at Noah’s) STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, DJ RUSS T’S LOUNGE, DJ Mark Thomas WESTWOOD BREWING CO., Devon Wade ZOLA, Loose Gazoonz

Sunday, 02/23

CHEAP SHOTS, Rev. Yo’s VooDoo Church of Blues Jam CRAVE, DJ Dave CURLEY’S, Karma’s Circle GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Karaoke HOGFISH, Open Mic IRON HORSE (VALLEY), Steve Starkey LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, The Movement, Josh Heinrichs, Indubious MARYHILL WINERY, Fancee That THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos O’DOHERTY’S IRISH GRILLE, Traditional Irish Music PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Dwayne Parsons RED ROOM LOUNGE, Jason Perry Trio J SOUTH HILL GRILL, Just Plain Darin ZOLA, Glass Honey

Monday, 02/24

MUSIC | VENUES

THE BULL HEAD, Songsmith Series J CALYPSOS COFFEE ROASTERS, Open Mic COSMIC COWBOY GRILL, Lyle Morse CRAVE, DJ Dave EICHARDT’S PUB, Jam with Truck Mills J LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Nappy Roots (see facing page) THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic with Lucas Brookbank Brown ZOLA, Perfect Mess

Tuesday, 02/25

219 LOUNGE, Karaoke with DJ Pat A&P’S BAR AND GRILL, DJ Kevin CRAVE, DJ Dave GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Karaoke LITZ’S BAR & GRILL, The Shuffle Dawgs Blues Power Happy Hour J MARANDOS BAR & RESTAURANT, Gil Rivas THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL, Open Jam THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Country Swing Dancing THE ROXIE, Open Mic/Jam THE VIKING, Bruce Innes ZOLA, Desperate 8s

Wednesday, 02/26

219 LOUNGE, Truck Mills & Dennis Zwang BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn J BLACK DIAMOND, Songsmith Series feat. Ian Nixon J CALYPSOS COFFEE ROASTERS, Idaho Punk Showcase feat. Illicit Nature, Melody, Better Daze CRAVE, DJ Dave CRUISERS, Open Jam Night Hosted by The Jam Band GENO’S TRADITIONAL FOOD & ALES, Open Mic J THE GRAIN SHED, Ben Stuart IRON HORSE (VALLEY), Eric Neuhausser THE JACKSON ST., Karaoke LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Carey Brazil LUCKY’S IRISH PUB, DJ D3VIN3 MAD BOMBER BREWING, Open Mic THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos THE PIN, Ladies Night w/ DJ Dreadfull J POOLE’S PUBLIC HOUSE (SOUTH HILL), Just Plain Darin RED ROOM LOUNGE, Blowin’ Kegs Jam Session THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos SOULFUL SOUPS & SPIRITS, Open Mic J J SPOKANE ARENA, Korn & Breaking Benjamin with Bones (see facing page) STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, Steve Starkey ZOLA, Cruxie

Coming Up ...

J KNITTING FACTORY, Alter Bridge with Clint Lowery, Deepfall, Feb. 27 J THE BIG DIPPER, Civiliance, Old Friends, GOTU GOTU, Feb. 29 J KNITTING FACTORY, Hell’s Belles, Feb. 29 J KNITTING FACTORY, Hippie Sabotage, March 3 J BING CROSBY THEATER, The Music of Cream, March 4

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

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 41

EXPO GREAT OUTDOORS, INDOORS

Like biking? Rock climbing? Camping, fishing and dogs? Find all things outdoorsy and then some at the Spokane Convention Center this weekend during the Spokane Great Outdoors and Bike Expo. Over 70 exhibitors, including the North Face, Washington Trails Association and REI Spokane, are taking part in the two-day event, participating in free educational clinics, bike demos and insane gear giveaways. Don’t feel like testing out bikes? Head over to the bouldering wall, the dog fashion show or REI’s indoor campground to roast s’mores. There’s something for everyone, including the kids. Check out tickets online, plus outdoor adventure deals like a Wild Walls day pass, paddleboard rentals on Lake Coeur d’Alene and more.

— MACIE WHITE Spokane Great Outdoors and Bike Expo • Sat, Feb. 22 from 9 am-5 pm and Sun, Feb. 23 from 10 am-4 pm • $9-$11 • Spokane Convention Center • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • spokaneoutdoorexpo.com

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42 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

WORDS TRY COURAGE

For a little more than a year, a smallish group of writers have met monthly beside the “electronic hearth” of Spark Central in downtown Spokane. The Diverse Voices Writing Group has since collected its creative efforts into the chapbook anthology, Try This at Home, with proceeds designated to support the new Carl Maxey Center in East Central Spokane. Writers featured in the collection include black poet and Power 2 the Poetry founder Bethany Montgomery, Jewish poet Jazlyn Jacobs and group facilitator Jackie McCowen Rose. In the introduction, Rose reflects on the group’s goals: “To a writer, the only thing more terrifying than a blank page may be offering his/her/their work to unknown and often unseen readers… Courage is required to offer the work, which is itself uncovered and vulnerable, especially for those whose voices have been drowned out by mainstream voices for so long.”

— CHEY SCOTT Book Release and Reading: Try This at Home • Sat, Feb. 22 at 7 pm • Free; $15 for anthology • Spark Central • 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. • spark-central.org • 279-0299

FESTIVAL BEGIN AGAIN

As we approach the end of February, many of us (ahem) have no doubt flamed out on our New Year’s resolutions and slid back into our same ol’ same ol’. Well, it’s not too late to put down the remote control and make a change for the better, and that could start with the “New Beginnings” Mind, Body, Spirit Holistic Fair happening this weekend. More than 40 vendors and nine speakers are on hand to educate and demonstrate the benefits of everything from chakra balancing to essential oils, crystals to sound healing. Get an astrology or tarot reading, have a bite or a cup of joe and get started on a new chapter in your new, holistic lifestyle.

Just showing up could be the start of some dramatic changes in your life.

— DAN NAILEN Mind, Body, Spirit Holistic Fair: New Beginnings • Sat, Feb. 22 from 10 am-5 pm • Free • Unity Spiritual Center • 2900 S. Bernard St. • facebook.com/mindbodyspiritholisticfairs

COMMUNITY WALKIN’ THE TALK

With the Spokane Public Library’s central downtown branch scheduled to close for two years for renovations on Feb. 29, the community only has a few opportunities to enjoy the library as they know and love it before it temporarily moves some of its offerings to the STA plaza’s second floor while construction happens. One of those offerings, the monthly Lilac City Live talk show, is staging its final episode before the move this week, with host Ryan Tucker welcoming multifaceted entertainer Mark Robbins, the band Mountains in the Sea and wood artist CJ Morrison to the stage of the library’s stunning third-floor event space. Lilac City Live plans to take its show on the road — specifically to Lucky You Lounge — during construction, so this isn’t “goodbye” so much as “smell ya later.”

— DAN NAILEN Lilac City Live • Thu, Feb. 20 at 8 pm • Free • All ages • Downtown Spokane Library • 906 W. Main Ave. • spokanelibrary.org/downtown

MUSIC SOUNDS OF SILENCE

Rarely have two voices blended as perfectly as those of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, who started their careers as failed ’50s teen-pop icons, built up clout in the New York folk scene and eventually became, with hits like “I Am a Rock” and “Mrs. Robinson,” the most revered musical duo of the 1960s.

Save for a few one-offs in the last few decades, they rarely perform together anymore, hence the demand for The Simon & Garfunkel Story. The show is a happy medium between tribute act and career-spanning jukebox musical, with performers who kind of look and definitely sound like Paul and Art in their prime, working through their musical history. It’ll make you feel like you’re tucked away in the corner of a Greenwich Village club in 1964.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER The Simon & Garfunkel Story • Wed, Feb. 26 at 7:30 pm • $45-$75 • All ages • First Interstate Center for the Arts • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • inbpac.com • 279-7000

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 43 MultiCareHealth_HeartStrings_022020_12V_WT.pdf

Next time let’s find something that we both can chuckle about?

CHEERS BRIGHTER Neutron, you light up my life, literally. I can see clearly now, and for that, I am eternally grateful and blessed.

Looking forward to the next: First Foyer Foray! - Illuminated-

I SAW YOU FLYING SQUIRREL TRAMPOLINE PARK I saw you Monday Feb. 10 around 11 am. I was with my friend and her daughter watching them play and jump. I was wearing my grey sweatshirt and blue jeans. You were blonde with cute black jeans on with what I’m assuming was your son. We kept making eye contact but I was to shy to come say hi. You definitely caught my eye. Coffee? Email me bamafootball523@gmail.com MYSTERIOUS TG LADY Saw you Thursday the 13th early in the morning at the Sprague HICO market... even with your hair up and looking sleepy, you looked great. Drove a little car with Idaho plates.

Interested in sharing dinner or date?

SNAPPLE? You came into Towners Conoco on Thursday February 13. I’d love to buy you that Snapple Apple next time.

CHEESY FAN OF CHEESE I saw you at Ferraro’s last week. Your smile and kindness to everyone lit up the room. I also appreciate another mozzarella stick aficionado. Next time they’re on me?

FRIDAY MALL MADNESS I saw you traipsing about the mall on Friday, just as tired as me but just as excited to see people’s eyes light up and enjoy the things they love and enjoy. We share that — finding joy in the joy of others.

A PERSONAL THANK YOU I want to commend my other half for supporting me through my hardships, and pushing me to keep going even when I want to quit.

You’re the reason I’m more confident in myself and abilities, you bring out the best in me, and you make me excited about the future. Every woman deserves a man like you. I love you.

PAT AND KAT Our one year anniversary for being engaged is coming up (3/24/2019). And everybody keeps asking when we are going to get married or if we have a date set. All I know is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And whether we get married today, tomorrow or years from now... it won’t make a difference. I love you so much baby. Here’s to another year of being together! <3

JEERS IN RESPONSE TO “YOUNG WITCH” You are very disruptive to others on the road.

Attempting to use your moving vehicle for canine socialization on a busily traveled street is not acceptable. It is insane!

You, behind the wheel, have a responsibility to safety and owe respect to other drivers and their passengers. This is not a place to endanger others with your selfish bizarre antics. As quoted by you, you were “driving on Dishman Mica, trying to catch up to the driver ahead of you so your dog could ‘say hi’ to her dogs because you thought it was cute.” Good Lord! What is wrong with you? So many things could have gone seriously wrong, with you the cause. While near the intersection of Sprague and Evergreen I’ve

seen you do this maneuver before. The first week of Feb. you raced and inched up to another car with a large breed dog in their car. Then you rolled your windows down, encouraging your dog

“

to jump up and down hanging out your window, disturbing the driver and the big dog in the car that you rushed up to. You evidently need to learn that your dog is a great bother to other dogs when getting in their faces. Keep your eyes on the road and concentrate on safety! Leave others in peace to do the same. Stop racing up to other cars to bother them with your ill mannered dog. As a professional dog trainer and dog owner, I guarantee you, your actions and superior attitude are NOT at all cute! More than simply crossing boundaries, you are endangering many. You clearly do not understand canine behavior, respect and boundaries toward others, or the law of safety Your driving privilege should be revoked.

KENDALL YARDS To the person who jeered Kendall Yards for the wall between the Health District building and the Market. You suggested that they ticket illegal parking in the market lot and make some money. What a joke.

Maybe in your fantasy dream world people would pay the ticket, but in the real world they don’t. I used to be the one issuing tickets to offenders and one junkie I ticketed told me if I F’ed with him again he would put a bullet in my head.

Thanks for your suggestion, but I’ll keep the wall.

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

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

CHICKEN WAFFLE

ILY $ 99 DA SPECIAL MENU

5

way by gracefully paying the perfectly reasonable fee for the luxury of having three beers at once. To calculate the value of your flight by figuring the cost by the gallon based on the menu price is simply not how it works. It’d be boring to list but if you considered everything it took to bring you the pleasure of playing Dionysus for the day you might not white-knuckle your coin purse so. This is one of the least expensive places to live in the country and it’s also has one of the highest-densities of breweries. Count your blessings and tip your bartender.

SERVICE WORKERS So I was on the train going to another city from Spokane.

There was a washout on the tracks and we had to get towed back to Spokane, better safe than sorry. Well, not everyone was just happy to have been saved from being derailed. I get that it’s frustrating not getting to the place you wanted on time but the workers and service knows what they are doing. There was no way to tell the complete damage done to the rails, and I would rather not risk going over broken rail ways just to get somewhere. But that’s not my issue; at least two people, grown adults that should know better, who were just out of line to attack the workers aboard and customer service workers. I understand, it’s frustrating that this happened, but it is not

Mind, Body, Spirit Holistic Fair Presents:

“New Beginnings”

Saturday, February 22nd, 10am-5pm Free event - Free parking UNITY SPIRITUAL CENTER 29th & BERNARD

44 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

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snapping at them like it would do some good. The only thing it did was shed light on your characters, and how little empathy you have for what must have already been a stressful day for them. I get it, you’ve places to be, things to do, people to belittle. But you were not the only one that had a bad time on that train and not the only ones who were disappointed. It’s perfectly alright to get mad about the situation, it’s normal. But tearing down people just doing their jobs is a habit I’ve seen too often and it really bothers me. The two characters I saw on that train made me grateful to have been raised to treat people better. Try putting yourself in another person’s shoes and see how you’d feel getting screamed at for something out of your control. n

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS P A S A N A L I FE O A FE D E R I A M S F R O FE E T R I E S O H U S K I P O N T I P O M E S T E R

O FE L I

I S A A C

A M S O S E

A O FE L P E E E M T S V A S A U S E N N I O N S F FE D A N A S S L T T W R A L O S Y R

B E L L R O P E D O O R S

R E D G I A N T S

O R I E N T E

M A T R I

A T O I

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A C L R E P U F L E I R O E C D

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T B I R D

N S I A A N

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

40 Vendors • Information & Demonstrations and 9 speakers 1412 W, 2ND AVE, SPOKANE • 509-474-9214

the fault of the workers. Wanna get mad about something? Get mad at mother nature, but really, no point. Both of the people I am referring to felt entitled to treat the workers poorly, snarling and

... if you considered everything it took to bring you the pleasure of playing Dionysus for the day you might not white-knuckle your coin purse so.

SOUND OFF

HOMESTYLE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH & DINNER SERVED 6AM -6PM MON - SUN

JEERS TO ‘IT’S JUST BEER’ I don’t speak for wherever you imbibed but... if you do indeed have respect for craft beer than maybe be appreciative that there is so much to offer here and help keep it that

FOR MORE INFORMATION: (509) 496-8138 | LindaChristine@LindaChristineStudios.com

Music makes life better

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EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

COMING HOME BENEFIT CONCERT: This family-friendly show includes music from the stage to songs by John Denver, Simon and Garfunkel and the Beatles. Proceeds benefit the Spokane Valley Partners Food Bank. Includes a post-concert dessert buffet. Feb. 21, 6:30 pm. $5-$12. St. Joseph Catholic Church, 4521 N. Arden Rd. (926-7133) TASTE OF LIFE Join Hospice of Spokane for an evening of drinks, food, music and charitable donations. Feb. 21, 5:30-8:30 pm. $75. Spokane Club, 1002 W. Riverside. hospiceofspokane.org BLUE JEAN BALL This event support s Communities in Schools in Spokane County, which provides various types of support to area students. Feb. 22, 5 pm.

Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokane.ciswa.org HIGH HEELS & HARD HATS The 16th annual fundraiser to benefit Because There is Hope’s Melody’s House of Hope. Feb. 22, 9:30 am. $40. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. becausethereishope.org ROLLING FOR RAPTORS The West Valley Outdoor Learning Center is raises money for renovations of the Raptor Sanctuary. Activities include a photo booth with the raptors, bake sale, games, crafts and more. Feb. 22, 10 amnoon. $10. Roller Valley Skate Center, 9415 E. Fourth Ave. bit.ly/37BjxOI AFRICANA STUDIES ANNUAL SILENT AUCTION Funds support student scholarships, the Richard Williams Graduation Celebration, Lead to Succeed Mentorship Program, and other events. Feb. 27, 11:45 am-4 pm. Free. EWU Monroe Hall, 526 Fifth St. (325-2205)

COMEDY

COMEDY OPEN MIC Tell some jokes, share some laughs. Third Friday of the month from 6-8 pm. Free. Calypsos Coffee Roasters, 116 E. Lakeside Ave., CdA. bit.ly/2LVJXET (208-665-0591) PLAYTIME Nostalgia and comedy collide in this new take using audience suggestions of childhood games and toys for an all-improvised comedy show. Fridays at 7:30 pm through March 6. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (747-7045) SAFARI The BDT’s version of “Whose Line,” a fast-paced, short-form show.

Saturdays at 7:30 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland. (747-7045) TOM SEGURA Segura is best known for his two Netflix specials, Completely Normal and Mostly Stories. Feb. 21-22 at 7:30 and 10 pm. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. (318-9998) RANDY’S CHEESEBURGER PICNIC Featuring Randy from the show Trailer Park Boys. Feb. 22, 8:15 pm. $25. Lucky You Lounge, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. luckyyoulounge.com

COMMUNITY

LILAC CITY LIVE Spokane’s premier late night talk show. Feb. 20, 8-9 pm.

Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org MT. ST. HELENS: CRITICAL MEMORY An exhibit commemorating the 40th anniversary of the eruption on May 18, 1980 of Mount St. Helens. Through July; Tue-Sun 10 am-5 pm; third Thursdays

until 8 pm. $5-$10. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org POMPEII: THE IMMORTAL CITY Artifacts and artworks excavated from Pompeii and interactive mechanical models take you into the world of a first-century Roman city. Through May 3; Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm; until 8 pm on Fridays and third Thursdays. $10-$19.50. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE (TNL) The MAC is open late every third Thursday of the month for the latest exhibitions and a mix of live music and programs.

See online calendar for a detailed list of activities. No-host beer and wine, plus non-alcoholic drinks and light food options available for purchase. Feb. 21 from 5-8 pm. $14. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org UNLIKELY: BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO HIGHER EDUCATION A film, talk, and discussion about America’s college dropout crisis and obstacles to pursuing a degree and a meaningful career. Feb. 20, 9 am. Free. North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Ave. nic.edu BIGFOOT! IS IT REAL? Local author Kelly Milner Halls has spent more than a decade listening to Bigfoot stories.

Join her to discuss the possibilities as part of SPL’s Cabin Fever Buster Series.

Feb. 22, 1-2 pm. Free. To Be Continued: A Spokane Public Library, 4750 N. Division St., Suite 1074. spokanelibrary.org THE CAMPBELL FAMILY’S GRAND TOUR A special experience in conjunction with the “Paris to Pompeii: the Campbell Family Grand Tour” exhibit, which follows the Campbells on their European tour in search of the great classics of the Western world. Included with regular admission. Saturdays, 11 am-noon through May 2. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org VERTICAL GARDENING Master Gardener Marilyn Lloyd shares the ins and outs of starting and maintaining your own vertical garden, using wall space to grow vegetables, herbs, flowers, or even root crops. Feb. 22, 10:30-11:30 am. Free. Cheney Library, 610 First St. scld.org/events (509-893-8250) WILDLIFE SCIENCE SERIES Washington Dept. of Fish & Wildlife biologists take over the Mobius lab, tackling a different local wildlife topic each time.

Feb. 22, March 7 and April 4, from 10 am-1 pm. Free with admission. Mobius Science Center, 331 N. Post. bit. ly/35dsU5Q (509-321-7137) REACH WEST CENTRAL GETOGETHER The neighborhood group seeks to make West Central the neighborhood of choice. Come learn more. Feb. 23, 3 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org THINK & DRINK: IS THE INTERNET MAKING US MISERABLE? We are living through the largest psychological experiment in history. For hours each day, billions of us bury ourselves in devices designed to manipulate our emotions and attention. Feb. 24, 7-8:30 pm.

Free. Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main Ave. humanities.org (209-2383) CORONAVIRUS DISCUSSION W/ DINNER Join disease ecologist and EWU professor Krisztian Magori for a discussion about what the news cycle is getting right and wrong about coronavirus.

Learn about viruses, why prevention is simpler than cures, and whether you should be wearing a mask. This is the debut of the new Marmot Curiosity Café

series. Feb. 26, 6-7:30 pm. $15. Southside Community Center, 3151 E. 27th Ave. facebook.com/marmotpnw/ PNBA AWARD CEREMONY FOR SHARMA SHIELDS Join Wishing Tree Books for the 2020 PNBA award ceremony for Sharma Shields’s novel, The Cassandra. 10 percent of the evening’s sales support Spark Central. Feb. 27, 6-7 pm. Free. Wishing Tree Books, 1410 E. 11th Ave. (509-315-9875)

FILM

FROZEN II MOVIE NIGHT Bring your family and come watch Frozen II on the big screen. Tickets, drinks, popcorn are on us. Feb. 20, 7 pm. Free. Hayden Discount Cinema, 300 W. Centa Ave. hdcmovies.com (208-215-2060) LEARN ABOUT THE 50 HOUR SLAM Adam Boyd, 50 Hour Slam co-founder, shares the competition’s origins, takes a look at past submissions and offers advice on how to prepare for and be successful while competing. Feb. 20, 6-7 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main. scld.org/events PARASITE All unemployed, Ki-taek and his family take peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks, as they ingratiate themselves into their lives and get entangled in an unexpected incident. Rated R. Feb. 20-23; times vary. $7. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org/calendar/parasiteencore/ ACTING SEMINAR An acting seminar with acclaimed Hollywood acting coach, David Livingston, who’s been coaching for movies and television, and conducting workshops in Beverly Hills and Hollywood for over a quarter century. Feb. 22, 6:30 pm. Free. Community-Minded Television, 104 W. Third. info@davidlivingston.org (960-7452) DAMMED TO EXTINCTION A second local screening and post-film panel discussion. The film takes a hard look at four obsolete dams on the lower Snake River and the impacts they have on orca, salmon and people, as well as the potential benefits of removing them.

Feb. 25, 6-8:30 pm. $5 suggested donation. Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main Ave. (515-230-9003) MOVIE NIGHT: I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO An Oscar-nominated documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, exploring the continued peril America faces from institutionalized racism. PG-13. Feb. 26, 6 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main. spokanelibrary.org SCREENAGERS: NEXT CHAPTER Filmmaker and physician Delaney Ruston uses a personal lens and professional eye to flip the script on stress, anxiety, and depression. Feb. 26, 6:30 pm. Free.

Hayden Discount Cinema, 300 W. Centa Ave. hdcmovies.com (208-215-2060)

FOOD

ASTRONOMY ON TAP Learn more about the rocky planets and enjoy beer from Lumberbeard Brewing for a tap takeover and raffle. Feb. 20, 7 pm. NorthStar Taps, 1818 Second St., Cheney. northstartaps.com (498-4052) INLANDER RESTAURANT WEEK The eighth annual, 10-day culinary showcase features more than 100 restaurants in the Spokane-Couer d’Alene area offering fixed price three-course menus. Feb. 20-29. $22/$33. inlanderrestaurantweek.com

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RELATIONSHIPS

Advice Goddess FLEE INFESTATION

Disturbingly, I’ve had two close female friends “ghost” me in five months. I’ve known each for 15 years. (They don’t know each other, and one lives out of state.) I’ve tried repeatedly to contact each, asking “Did I do anything to hurt or offend you?” No response. I just want the truth so I can move on.

—Baffled

AMY ALKON

There comes a time when you wish someone would treat you with a little more kindness, like by screaming out all the reasons you deserve to be left for dead and have your

face eaten off by raccoons.

Even more painful than being dumped by a friend is being dumped by a friend and having no idea why. Lingering questions we can’t answer are mental weevils.

Their fave food is our peace of mind, which they gnaw through at random moments.

In scientific terms, psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik found that when we have unfinished business, the mind remains in a “state of tension” until we get closure.

Questions that are both unanswered and unanswerable eat away at us because of the way our memory is engineered. Psychologist Robert Bjork explains that we encode information into memory by first taking it in, then taking a break from it, and later going back and retrieving it. Each “retrieval” is a “learning event,” burnishing the info more deeply into memory. So, each time you pull up this unanswerable question, “Why did these friends ditch me?” you move it a seat or two closer to the front row of your consciousness.

To shove it back to the crappier seats, consider the apparent function of nagging questions: pushing us to figure things out. (We can’t learn from our mistakes unless we know what they were.) Though “Why did they ditch me?” will likely remain a mystery, there are constructive questions you can answer, like, “Am I generally a good friend? Are there ways I fell short?”

Also consider whether you have shared values. We like to believe this is the basis of our friendships. However, I love the finding by psychologist Mitja Back that we tend to form friendships through “mere proximity” — like being next-door neighbors — though we’ll congratulate ourselves for “choosing” so wisely...well, until we find out who they voted for.

Another way to cut the spin cycle is imagining a plausible reason each disappeared on you (like clashing values) and accepting it as THE reason. Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus finds that recalling an event we were told about but didn’t actually experience can implant it in memory, turning it into an experience we swear we had. So, the more you reflect on the plausible reason, the more it might pass for the actual one.

Finally, you could try to make peace with the mystery. When “Why did they ditch me?” swings around, have a stock answer at the ready: “Hey, self, remember I’ve decided to accept that I just can’t know, and I’m good with that.” Comforting as it would be to finally get answers, sometimes the kindest thing you can do for yourself is not only give up hope but crush it, burn it in a trash can, and then flush its ashes down the toilet.

MOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE

Why are men okay with living in gross conditions? The guy I started dating is a sweetheart, but his place is absolutely disgusting (including the kitchen and bathroom). He doesn’t even notice it. Why do women seem to have a higher standard for cleanliness than men?

—Dismayed Some men do wait a while to clean the bathroom — like until they go from needing a bottle of Mr. Clean to needing a bottle of Mr. Arson.

Science suggests you’re right in observing that men, generally speaking, are less disturbed by gross living conditions. Study after study finds higher “disgust sensitivity” in women, meaning women tend to be more icked out by signs of pathogens — bacteria and microorganisms — and indications of possible infection or disease.

Evolutionary psychologist Diana Fleischman explains that women have faced recurring issues over evolutionary history that may have led to “heightened pathogen disgust sensitivity.” These include women’s temporary declines in immunity during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. “Women also must protect children and infants who are vulnerable (to) disease.” Additionally, women are “uniquely able” to pass infections on to their offspring during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding.

Let the guy know you’re a woman with needs: clean sheets and towels, a clean bathroom and kitchen, and general housekeeping at his place. Suggest options (rather than telling him what to do): He could clean the place himself; however, hiring a cleaning service (especially for the first go-round) might be a good idea. Professionals have vastly higher standards for cleanliness, while he seems to be waiting for a sign to scour the place — like the crud on the coffee table growling at him when he sets down his beer. n ©2020, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

46 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

EVENTS | CALENDAR VOLUNVINO Second Harvest partners with Townshend Cellars to host a 2.5 hour event of one part service and one part wine. 21+. Feb. 20, 5:30-8 pm. $25.

Second Harvest, 1234 E. Front Ave. secondharvestkitchen.org ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY Brandywine is celebrating with live music, swag, cake, a toast and 15 percent off retail. Feb. 21-22 from 3-11 pm. Free.

Brandywine Bar & Bottle Shop, 2408 W. Northwest Blvd. (509-309-3962) WINE TASTING Taste Oregon Pinot Noir. Includes cheese and crackers. Feb. 21, 3-6:30 pm. $10. Vino! A Wine Shop, 222 S. Washington St. vinowine.com IRON SOMMELIER & BREWMASTER Vote for your favorite wine or microbrew pairings while enjoying six small courses by chef Steven Swanson of Nectar Catering & Events. Cocktail attire suggested. Feb. 22, 5:30 pm. $65.

Priest River Event Center, 5399 US-2.

(208-437-5547) NEIGHBORHOOD TASTING & SENSORY EXPERIENCE Join Evans Bros. at its new location in the Wonder Building for live music by Heat Speak, a tasting of special Roaster Reserve coffees and side-by-side tastings of honey, cinnamon, apples and more. Also includes food by chef Chad White, a coffee aroma challenge and coffee bean specials.

Feb. 22, 11 am-2 pm. Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, 835 N. Post St. evansbrotherscoffee.com LUMBERBEARD WINTER MARKET Featuring local produce, mushrooms, meats, eggs, bread, sweets, handmade goods and more. Sat, Feb. 23 from 2-4 pm. Free. Lumberbeard Brewing, 25 E. Third Ave. lumberbeardbrewing.com SOUP & PIE Warm up while helping homeless pets. This annual lunch fundraiser supports the Humane Society of the Palouse. Feb. 24, 11 am-2 pm. $10.

1912 Center, 412 E. Third St., Moscow. humanesocietyofthepalouse.org WINE TASTING: SOUTHERN RHONE Enjoy a wine flight from Southern Rhone. Hosted by distributor Mike Scott. Feb. 26, 5-7 pm. $10. Brandywine Bar & Bottle Shop, 2408 W. Northwest Blvd. brandywinespokane.com COMFORT STEWS & BRAISING Learn the secrets of beginning with a good stock or broth and make Irish stew, chicken fricassee, and oven-braised barbecue pork shoulder. Feb. 27, 6-8 pm. $59. Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St. (279-6030)

MUSIC

FESTIVAL OF CONTEMPORARY ART MUSIC The festival features performances by WSU faculty and students, with world premieres and recent works

by WSU and guest composers, culminating in Saturday evening’s concert by this year’s featured guest artist. All events are free and open to the public. Feb. 20, 7:30-9:30 pm. Free. Bryan Hall Theatre (WSU), 605 Veterans Way, Pullman. (335-7696) NORTHERN STARS RISING A showcase to further the ability of local performers to pursue their careers. Performers audition and then compete for cash prizes and professional development opportunities. Feb. 21, 7 pm. $5-$15. Heartwood Center, 615 S. Oak St., Sandpoint. artinsandpoint.org (208-263-8699) SPOKANE SYMPHONY: BACK TO THE FUTURE IN CONCERT Experience the

thrill of “Back to the Future” on a hi-def screen with a full symphony orchestra performing Alan Silverstri’s musical score live and in synch with the movie.

Feb. 21, 8-10 pm. $20-103. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org (624-1200) 90S COUNTRY DANCE PARTY Includes a catered dinner, line dancing lesson and live music by a top regional band.

Feb. 22, 6 & 8 pm. $17/$28. Bridge Press Cellars, 39 W. Pacific. (208-262-1655) SPR RECORD SALE This annual event is a destination for collectors and fans of all styles of music, offering a wide range of vinyl, music equipment, CDs, DVDs and more. Feb. 22, 5-9 pm, and Feb. 23, 11 am-5 pm. CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place Dr. (509-688-0300) SWEETHEART OF THE BLUES The fourth annual event, hosted by the Inland Empire Blues Society and featuring headliner LaRhonda Steele with Patrice A. Thompson Rose & Hodoo Udu. Feb. 22, 7:30 pm. $22/$27. Spokane Valley Eagles, 16801 E. Sprague. (922-3433) LIFT EVERY VOICE & SING An evening celebrating Black History through word and song, featuring singer Derrick Parker, Kiantha Duncan as narrator and Bonnie Robinson on piano. Feb. 23, 5-6 pm. Free. First Presbyterian Church of Spokane, 318 S. Cedar. spokanefpc.org SPOKANE SALSA & BACHATA SUPER SOCIAL A masquerade and Mardi Gras themed salsa and bachata social with workshops, social dancing, a live DJ and performances by world champion dancers. Feb. 23, 6 pm. $20. Nectar Catering and Events, 120 N. Stevens St. nectartastingroom.com (869-1572) BACHFEST WEEK 1: CELEBRATING BEETHOVEN STRING QUARTETS BachFest Week 1 completes a complete cycle of Beethoven’s famous string quartets that began with Winter Classics concerts in December. The Attacca String Quartet presents Beethoven’s greatest compositions. Feb. 25-26, 7:30 pm. $15-$35. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad. nwbachfest.com MUSIC & FILM THROUGHOUT HISTORY The Greater Gonzaga Guild lecture series welcomes Gonzaga music faculty member Joshua Shank for a talk. Feb. 25, 10:30-11:30 am. Free and open to the public. McCarthey Athletic Center, 801 N Cincinnati. (313-6000) EASTSIDE A CAPPELLA Seven quartets, representing Sweet Adelines International and the Barbershop Harmony Society, entertain with timeless songs.

Feb. 26, 7-9 pm. $10. Opportunity Presbyterian, 202 N. Pines. (924-9750) AN EVENING OF OPERA, BROADWAY, FIDDLER & GREAT JEWISH CLASSICS Featuring Cantor David Babinet with wine tasting. Feb. 26, 7-9 pm. $20.

Chabad of Spokane, 4116 E. 37th Ave. jewishspokane.com (443-0770) THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY A critically acclaimed concert style theatre show about two young boys from Queens who went on to become the world’s most successful music duo of all time. Feb. 26, 7:30-9:30 pm. $45-$75.

First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. (800-325-7328)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

MONSTER JAM TRIPLE THREAT SE-

RIES The action-packed motorsports experience returns to Spokane for a high-octane weekend of action. Feb. 21 at 7 pm; Feb. 22 at 1 and 7 pm; Feb. 23 at 1 pm. $20+. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon. spokanearena.com CDA ROLLER DERBY VS. RAINIER The Coeur d Alene Roller Derby season opener against the skaters from Seattle’s Rainier Roller Derby. All profits support the bushfires in Australia. Feb. 22, 6 pm. $8. Skate Line Sports, 708 S. Clearwater Loop. facebook.com/inlandnorthwestbouts/ SPOKANE GOLF & TRAVEL SHOW Featuring vendors, demos and more.

Feb. 22 from 9 am-5 pm and Feb 23 from 10 am-4 pm. $12; kids 12 and under free. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanegolfshow.com (621-0125) SPOKANE GREAT OUTDOORS & BIKE EXPO This fourth-year outdoor adventure and bike expo features 70 booths featuring bikes, paddleboards and other outdoor products; travel destinations and outfitters; outdoor clubs and organizations and more. Feb. 22 from 9 am-5 pm; Feb. 23 from 10 am-4 pm. $9$11. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokaneoutdoorexpo.com (279-7000) A FREE FLOWING FUTURE Join the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club for their general meeting with guest Sam Mace, Inland Northwest Director of the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition. Feb. 24, 7-9 pm. Free and open to the public.

Mountain Gear Corporate Offices, 6021 E. Mansfield Ave. sckc.ws TUBE CLINIC A hands on clinic using your own bike to learn how to replace your tire and/or tube. Feb. 26, 5 pm.

Free. Wheel Sport North, 9501 N. Newport Hwy. wheelsportbikes.com

THEATER

A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER When the low-born Monty Navarro finds out he’s eighth in line for an earldom in the lofty D’Ysquith family, he sets off down a far more ghoulish path. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Feb. 23. $10-$35. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard. (325-2507) LONELY PLANET A play exploring friendship and fear in the age of the AIDS crisis. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through March 1. $15-$20. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. spokanestageleft.org SHE LOVES ME An endearing romantic comedy musical. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 1:30 pm through Feb. 22. $20.

Regional Theatre of the Palouse, 122 N. Grand Ave. rtoptheatre.org (334-0750) CYT NORTH IDAHO: PETER PAN The classic J.M. Barrie tale of a young boy who refuses to grow up. Feb. 21-22 and Feb. 28-29 at 7 pm; Feb. 22-23 and Feb 29-March 1 at 3 pm. $12-$17. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. cytnorthidaho.org (208-930-1001) FIREFLIES A moving story about how the unexpected might bring something more to the life of retired schoolteacher Eleanor Bannister. Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $15. Ignite! Community Theatre, 10814 E. Broadway Ave. igniteonbroadway.org (795-0004) MARDI GRAS MURDER CDA Murder Mystery Theatre presents this fun New Orleans-themed murder mystery. Tickets include glass of beer/wine. Feb. 21-

22 at 6:30 pm. $40. Coeur d’Alene Cellars, 3890 N. Schreiber Way. cdacellars.com THESE SHINING LIVES A story chronicling the strength and determination of women considered expendable in their day, exploring their true story and its continued resonance. Feb. 21-March 8; Thu-Sat at 7:03 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $20-$22.

Lake City Playhouse, 1320 E. Garden Ave. facebook.com/lakecityplayhouse/ (208-673-7529) ILUMIDANCE BY RAINBOW DANCE THEATRE Utilizing electroluminescent wire, fiber optic fabric, blacklight and other special effects, Rainbow Dance Theatre’s artistic directors create a world of wonder.

Feb. 22, 4 pm. $10-$20. Jones Theatre at Daggy Hall, WSU Pullman Campus. festivaldance.org

watch the zags with us!

Hamilton & Sharp in the GU District 509-474-0584 • logantavernspokane.com

ARTS

RIVER RIDGE ASSN. OF FINE ARTS Hear about new events coming up and from guest speaker and local muralist Daniel Lopez. Association fees due 2/29. Feb. 26, 10 am-noon.

Free. Spokane Art Supply, 1303 N. Monroe St. (325-0471) UNSETTLED TIMES: ART IN AND AGAINST CRISIS The MAC continues its Visiting Artist Lecture Series (VALS) collaboration with SFCC and EWU by hosting this special panel discussion on the unsettling times for the arts. Feb. 27, 6:30-8 pm. Free.

The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. sales. northwestmuseum.org (456-3931)

WORDS

WHEN DID VESUVIUS EXPLODE? It has long been held, on the basis of a letter of Pliny the Younger, that Mt. Vesuvius erupted on 24 August, AD 79. But after excavators began to work at the sites of Herculaneum at Pompeii, some scholars expressed doubts, suggesting a date later in the autumn of that year. Presented

by Dr. Pedar Foss. Feb. 20, 6:30-8 pm. Free. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org INTRO BOOKBINDING: JAPANESE STAB BINDING Japanese stab binding is a versatile form, ideal for zines, comics, journals, notepads, and more. Feb. 22, 10 am. $25-$30. Spokane Print & Publishing Center, 1925 N. Ash. facebook.com/spokaneprint/ INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM Rabbi Elizabeth Goldstein, an associate professor at Gonzaga, shares about Judaism and answers questions.

This is part of SPL’s Religions and Philosophies Series. Feb. 24, 6:307:30 pm. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St. spokanelibrary.org DROP IN & WRITE For teens and adults. Bring works in progress to share, get inspired with creative prompts and spend some focused time writing. Tuesdays from 5:307 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org FINDING YORK OF THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION Dr. Robert Bartlett, sociology professor at EWU, tells the tale of York, born a slave in the early 1770s in Virginia and later becoming the manservant of William Clark. This is York’s story before, during, and after the expedition, told by him. Feb. 25, 6:30-7:30 pm. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry. spokanelibrary.org n

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 47

LEGALIZATION

Middle Ground Sizing up Washington state’s dispensaries per capita

BY WILL MAUPIN

D

epending on where you are in town, it might seem like you can’t throw a rock without hitting a weed store. That perception isn’t quite reality,

though.

National dispensary company Verilife recently put out a report looking into the number of dispensaries in states and municipalities where recreational or medical marijuana is legal. The findings are somewhat surprising, though not really for our city or state.

Washington, which limits the number of licenses, comes in at No. 6 with 6.2 dispensaries per 100,000 residents. Every state above Washington has at least twice as many dispensaries per capita, and top-ranked Oregon clocks in at a whopping 16.5 per 100,000. But two of the states above Washington are home only to medical marijuana markets.

Oklahoma and Montana both rank above Washing-

48 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

ton, with 15.6 and 15.1 dispensaries per 100,000 residents (respectively), despite neither having a legal recreational marijuana market. Additionally, they’re relatively small states. According to the most recent Census Bureau estimate, the combined population of Oklahoma and Montana comes in more than 2.5 million short of Washington’s. Verilife’s methodology means dispensaries in smaller states pack more of a punch.

The report didn’t just look at state-level data, though.

It dug into municipalities, which allows us to take a nuanced look at Spokane itself.

Verilife concluded that Spokane ranks 27th nationally, and third in the state behind Bellingham and Olympia, in dispensaries per capita with 6.2 per 50,000 residents. According to the state Liquor and Cannabis Board’s records, there are 20 dispensary licenses active in the city.

These numbers jive with the most recent revenue

data released by the LCB, which showed Spokane County as fourth in the state in gross sales revenue but second in per capita sales. The city and county are a bit more weed-friendly than the raw numbers might suggest.

It’s not super extreme, though, once you look for context from around the nation.

Missoula, the biggest city within a reasonable drive to our east, leads the nation in dispensaries per capita. It’s home to three times more dispensaries per 50,000 (18.1) than Spokane (5.9). Of the top 30 cities nationwide, nine are in Oklahoma. The state’s two largest cities made the cut, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, along with five from those cities’ suburbs. Talk about market saturation.

This report is yet another illustration of how varied the implementation of legal marijuana has been across the country. And it’s yet another example showing that while some places seem extreme, Washington has taken a rather measured approach with its market. n

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 49

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FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 53

COEUR D ’ ALENE

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

Knowing North Idaho Inlander Restaurant Week is your ticket to experience Idaho five different ways

I

nlander Restaurant Week lets you try new foods and revisit old favorites alike, including in North Idaho — all for a deal. Participating restaurants feature three-course meals for the set price of $22 or $33, making it possible to try a lot, even if you’re on a budget. We have your guide to five quintessential ways of experiencing the area.

Post Falls is home to unexpected and delightful international cuisine, a perfect example of the many hidden gems in the Gem State. First up is OVAL OFFICE AND MARTINI BAR, a sister restaurant to nearby WHITE HOUSE GRILL and the newly opened PENTAGON BISTRO across the border in Washington. It’s upscale comfort food with occasional flashes of the chef-owner’s Mediterranean flair.

The COEUR D’ALENE RESORT AND CASINO (cdacasino.com) is underrated FLEUR DE SEL is a top-notch gourmet as an event destination and yet, any restaurant run by a French James night of the week you’ll find something Beard-nominated chef and his lovely going on there. Look for live music in wife. All the more charming: They share the lounge on weekends, and all the a building with a spa school overlooking excitement you can take in the gaming the Highlands Golf Course atop one of area or relaxation you need in the the tallest spots in Post Falls. But, oh, the spa. Jeans and boots or fancy duds view. And the food! And the service. Fleur both work here. Have dinner at either de Sel makes even drinks and appetizers CHINOOK STEAK, PASTA AND SPIRITS feel like a special occasion so gussy up or RED TAIL BAR AND GRILL, then catch a bit and prepare to feel well cared for a show or make it a night and well fed here. to remember and stay It hasn’t been on-scene over. In the morning, for nearly as long as enjoy the glorious drive other Coeur d’Alene home through North hotspots, yet THE Idaho’s vast grasslands, FEB. 20-29, BLUEBIRD MIDTOWN especially beautiful in the 100+ RESTAURANTS EATERY was pretty much winter. $22 OR $33 an instant hit with locals

INLANDER RESTAURANT WEEK

54 INLANDER FEBRUARY 20, 2020

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

(who probably wish we wouldn’t share their secret).

It’s big-city flavors and a small-town vibe. The owners, who have several other eateries in town, are super chill and focused on community, local sourcing and offering really good, eclectic food in a fun, funky environment.

Even if you’re not dining, THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT is a must-do in Coeur d’Alene with their gorgeous, lakeside location, year-round events, and an understated elegance with a resort casual vibe.

Four of the Resort’s restaurants are participating this year, including BEVERLY’S, CEDARS FLOATING RESTAURANT, DOCKSIDE and TITO’S ITALIAN GRILL. Add good food and impeccable accommodations — staycation, anyone? — and you get the picture. So for Inlander Restaurant Week, this is where you go to have a memorable meal in a fabulous setting that is going on four decades of wowing visitors no matter the occasion.

C O E U R

D ’A L E N E

Upcoming Events Peter Pan: A New Musical FEBRUARY 22-MARCH 1

CYT presents a new take on the beloved classic Peter Pan. This delightful musical features a rich new score and is filled with magic, delight and just a fairy dusting of heartbreak. $15.26 (adults), $12.96 (children 12 and under); Kroc Center; visit cda4.fun for show times.

INLANDER RESTAURANT WEEK

DINE

DOWNTOWN

CDA THURSDAY FEB 20TH - SATURDAY 29TH

COLLECTIVE KITCHEN

Nspire Wedding Show FEBRUARY 22

This boutique wedding show is intimate and carefully curated — featuring 40 of the region’s top wedding providers, from DJs and florists, to photographers and bakeries. It also includes a fashion show, complimentary mimosas and giveaways. $10 general admission, $25 VIP; 4-7:30 pm;

SWEET LOU’S

Beverly’s

Seasons of Coeur d’Alene

Mardi Gras Krew d’Alene

115 S 2nd St • Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 765-4000

Get a little taste of the Big Easy right here in Lake City. Enjoy samples of New Orleans-style fare from six local restaurants competing in a lively cookoff.

Fortune tellers, henna artists, body painters, art in action, live musicians and a burlesque show add to the excitement. $40; 5:30-10 pm; Coeur d’Alene Eagles.

Collective Kitchen

Sweet Lou’s

Dockside

Tito’s Italian Grill

Coeur d’Alene Inn.

FEBRUARY 29

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

501 E Sherman Ave • Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 930-4762

115 S 2nd St • Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 765-4000

209 E Lakeside Ave • Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 664-8008

601 E Front Ave, Suite 101 • Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 667-1170

210 E Sherman Ave • Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 667-2782

Honey Eatery & Social Club

317 East Sherman • Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 930-1514

SEE LISTINGS IN THE IRW GUIDE COEUR D’ALENE

inlanderrestaurantweek.com

FEBRUARY 20, 2020 INLANDER 55