Inlander 03/19/2015

march 19-25, 2015 | america’s best read urban weekly

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I’d say all of the new up-and-coming restaurants, and there seem to be a lot of new things for kids who love to be outdoors.

Is there a place that really stands out?

The new [stretch of] Centennial Trail. It’s fun because our son can ride his bike.

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We have a lot of city things, but we don’t have to pay through the nose like if you were in Seattle. We also have the outdoors. I think it has the small-town feel with city, but we have the outdoors and the river. Plus we have great things springing up like Kendall Yards that’s making eating more pleasurable than it ever has been.

MICHAEL MCDONALD

Well I don’t go outdoors very much… I like the food.

What is your most visited place?

Santé.

What do you like about it?

They have a really great menu. The chef [Jeremy Hansen] is James Beard-nominated.

It’s a nice atmosphere and is quiet most of the time… until the hotel opens up. Then we’ll see.

JAIME MCCALLUM

I think it’s the proximity to the outdoors. You can go skiing, you can go hiking, but you’re also in town.

Is there a place that stands out?

We have gone skiing at Schweitzer.

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L

ast week, the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane brought Pulitzer Prize winner Christopher Hedges to the Bing.

The theater was packed. The audience was energized, and Hedges didn’t disappoint.

He came to urge rebellion. And he did. Not protest — well, that too, but he’s after something more than protest. Rebellion. He saddled up with famous go-it-alone rebels, from Ralph Waldo Emerson to Henry David Thoreau, from the Wobblies to the Freedom Riders and Martin Luther King. He even tossed in the likes of Howard Zinn and Ralph Nader for good measure.

No, there’s not much nuance in the world according to Christopher Hedges: Corporate America, capitalists and political sellouts of all kinds are in cahoots. Everything is so clear, as he tells it.

With a single leap, he takes us from George Washington, whose life Hedges reduces to that of a land speculator who today we would expect to find on the board of Goldman Sachs, directly to sellouts such as James Madison, who we’re told hated democracy. And, boy, did Hedges ever go after today’s faux liberals, Bill and Hillary — both sellouts to corporate America. (There are lots of sellouts.) Of course, NAFTA is at top of his list of sins against America. Nor does Barack Obama escape Hedges’ wrath. Obama, he says, has done more to advance the “Big Brother” police state than anyone before.

Hedges makes these giant leaps, from the evils of Wall Street to the tyranny of the NSA, and apparently it’s all coordinated. It’s quite a stretch to swallow. Don’t get me wrong — much of what he says is no doubt true. But it’s his sound and fury and giant leaps taken with single bounds that I had trouble tracking. Remember the line from the movie Network? The recently fired news anchor Howard Beale, played by Peter Finch, yells out, “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!” Well, the line catches on, his ratings go up, and instead of being fired he gets his own show. Hedges does a toned-down version of Beale to similar effect.

He’s preaching, and his choir loves this stuff. I even heard a “right on!” or two shouted out.

S

till, I was pleased that Hedges took us into the nefarious world of “public relations,” which was invented by one Edward Bernays, a nephew of Sigmund Freud. Bernays is noted for having concluded that Joseph Goebbels had poisoned the word “propaganda.” So Bernays called it “public relations.” Of course, public relations is really all about propaganda.

Talk radio is about propaganda. Fox News is largely about propaganda. The advertisements bought and paid for by the interest groups are all propaganda. So why does it work?

To explain propaganda, Hedges heads directly to Walter Lippmann and World War I, and

unless you’re familiar with Lippmann’s work, you could have been left thinking, “My God, even Walter Lippmann was in on the conspiracy?” From there, of course, it’s next stop Wall Street and the NSA. Hedges would have done us a favor had he focused more on Lippmann’s classic book Public Opinion. Informed by his World War I experience, Lippmann borrows from both that and Bernays, whose own thinking was informed by his famous uncle. Lippmann argues that distortion is embedded in the very workings of the human mind.

Since no man can see everything, each creates for himself a reality that fits his experience, in effect, to use Lippmann’s term, a “pseudo-reality.” This is how people impose order on an otherwise chaotic world — an order they reflect through the prism of their emotions, habits and prejudices.

But Hedges never gets into this much, beyond making reference to propaganda as a way the “governing they” maintain control. To him it’s all so clear, from NSA to Wall Street, bought-and-paid-for commercial television, most newspapers, the White House, all apparently coordinated, seamless even.

His leaps, I suggest, lead him to into false equivalencies. For example, he makes a major error when he indirectly blurs the distinction between Hillary Clinton and any of her possible Republican opponents. Perhaps the Clintons did sell out to corporate America, as did the Republicans — but with an important difference Hedges misses. From Michael Tomasky’s recent New York Review of Books article we read a summary of what Hillary accepts and what not one single Republican candidate does: That “inequality is the greatest economic challenge we face.” She then blames the standard set of reasons (globalization, technological change, immigration patterns, decrease in workers’ bargaining power, high-end compensation and tax policies) rather than the cultural set of reasons the Republicans favor (if only the middle class and poor were more virtuous — that kind of thing.) These important distinctions are lost in Hedges’ sweeping generalizations.

H

edges got his loudest round of applause when, while dumping on Bill Clinton’s various sins (NAFTA, Wall Street, etc.), he pointed out that one consequence of Clinton’s success was to shove Republicans more to the right, “where they have gone insane.”

I have to admit, Hedges kind of nailed it there: Recent events on the foreign affairs front would seem to confirm his point. n

COMMENT | PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Best Of Behind the Scenes

BY TED S. McGREGOR JR.

TUESDAYS:

T

hanks to all of you, dear Inlander readers, for again taking the time to help us crown Best Of winners. Inside this issue, you’ll read all about the results of our 22nd annual readers poll.

We know it’s a lot of questions — heck, we’ve been building the ballot, tallying results and writing up the results starting all the way back in January.

It’s always fascinating, and often hilarious, to run through the votes that didn’t quite make it.

There are some pretty good ideas in there. Say, for example, you’re in the market to know the BEST PLACE TO POP THE QUESTION, from this year’s Romance category: At a Chiefs game; up in the Radio Flyer in Riverfront Park; and at Glacier National Park. Nice. In that same category, we did get a little pushback: “Which question?” one reader wondered.

Another asked, “Who even says ‘Pop the Question?’”

Also in Romance, we asked you to tell us the BEST PLACE FOR A BLIND DATE. Dick’s? Déjà vu? Seriously? And you wonder why you’ve never had the chance to pop the question (or whatever we’re supposed to call it nowadays)?

How about the BEST NEW-TO-THE-REGION FOOD TREND? Try these: beer dinner pairings (tasty); locally sourced foods; fried cheese curds (thanks, Wisconsinburger!); bacon on everything (is that really new?); hard cider; Moscow mules; crepes (oui!); and — you knew it was coming — edible marijuana (combine with fried cheese curds at your own risk).

Misspellings have long been good for some laughs around Best Of time, and now that people are voting on their smartphones, it’s even getting worse — I mean funnier. Spokane has long had a complicated relationship with its TV personalities, and this year was no different, as Stapnie Vigil, Nadean Woodward, Kajersten Bell and Swen Walstrom all made solid showings.

One rogue letter made an impact under BEST FAMILY EVENT, too, as Pug Out in the Park got a vote. (Potential spin-off event?) But the question also put both sides of Spokane on display, as one vote came in for A Backyard BBQ — ahh, what a beautiful vision of family bliss. Then another came in for The Hunger Games — so very wrong…

Finally, who knew BEST POET would be among the most hotly contested categories? The also-ran list is pretty impressive — Longfellow, Eminem, Leonard Cohen, Alex Sherman (again with the name-mangling?) and Doug Clark. One voter nailed the whole spirit of Best Of when he wrote in “Me.” Yes, without you, Best Of voter, we could never have this much fun celebrating all that’s great about the Inland Northwest.  JEN SORENSON CARTOON

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COMMENT | COMMUNITY izing that basketball is an institution here, I was eager to understand what was happening on the court. After one too many questions, my date’s dad snapped and whirled around in his seat. “Are you even from around here?” he growled. “Born and raised,” I said defensively, knowing no further explanation would be required.

Beyond simple examples of shared experience, what we expect to be surprising tells us about where we’re at and where we’re going. Would you be shocked to hear that Spokane was just named by the Wall Street Journal as one of six “mid-size cities with king-size appetites” for our burgeoning local food scene? I’m not.

Were you shocked when widely respected local NAACP President Rachel Dolezal recently received targeted racist hate mail at her home? I wish I could say I was. I’m impatient to live in a community where we can all take for granted an assumption that doesn’t happen to anyone. The meaningful conversations that have been taking place on race recently directly threaten

“Like fish that don’t realize they are swimming in water, sometimes we fail to give ourselves credit for our more delightful quirks...”

CALEB WALSH ILLUSTRATION

Spokane Shock

Get outside your culture to be able to decide what’s in it

BY MARIAH MCKAY

N

o, this is not an ode to our small but mighty football team. I’m talking about culture shock here. Most don’t have to think too much to recall their own startling evidence of Spokane’s unique yet oddly opaque mores. Like fish that don’t realize they are swimming in water, sometimes we fail to give ourselves credit for our more delightful quirks, or are too comfortable swimming around in the status quo to know we can do better. By

reflecting on what is surprising about the Spokane experience, we can decide what stays, what goes, and realize that with awareness we have the power to determine just what kind of city we’d ultimately like to become.

A simple example of Spokane shock might be: You have out-of-town guests over for Bloomsday weekend.

The race cannon goes off and in a flash of adrenaline you strip off your shirt and hurl it into a nearby tree to your guest’s utter and total astonishment. I was once on the receiving end of such a Spokane moment when I attended my first Zags game with a family of die-hard fans. Real-

old systems of ignorance and ingrained bias. While there is a long history of racism in our city, the sands of consciousness are shifting and we are getting ready to redefine “business as usual” and “the way it has always been done.”

Would you think I was in [insert your favorite other city] if I told you I was in a dazzling warehouse last Friday, bedecked with thousands of paper flowers, a full symphony orchestra, acclaimed authors, hip-hop and rock bands, nearly a dozen live painters and what felt like a thousand of my closest friends?

Never doubt where or who you are, Spokane. Claim it, know it, own it and contribute with all you’ve got.

And when you have the choice, remain humble enough so that when your own definition of shock and awe becomes routine, you might retain a bit of that healthy surprise every time. n Mariah McKay is a fourth-generation daughter of Spokane and a community organizer campaigning for racial, social and economic justice. She has worked in biotech and government and currently serves as a public health advocate.

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COMMENT | FROM READERS

NOattended CARE FOR CLEAN AIR the Widespread Panic concert at the Fox Theater this past

I

Saturday (3/15) night. Imagine my alarm when those around me, and throughout the entire theater, began to light up both ganga and tobacco cigarettes at the beginning of the concert. Quickly, the entire theater filled with smoke. The thick smoke in the theater persisted throughout the concert.

It was reminiscent of a smoky bar before the Washington Indoor Clean Air Act took effect.

What struck me about this situation was the utter lack of any attempt LETTERS to enforce the Indoor Clean Air Act. Send comments to When I spoke with security personeditor@inlander.com. nel, they lamented that they were in a difficult situation because people are good at hiding lit cigarettes, which makes it difficult to catch them in the act. I also observed that those around me took a belligerent attitude toward my requests that they not smoke in the theater. Clearly, I was in a minority here; if they wanted to smoke, no one was going to stop them.

I am truly puzzled. The deleterious effects of secondhand smoke are well established, and Washingtonians, like citizens in many other states, can be proud that they have in place a strong law that prohibits smoking in public establishments. But what good is such a law if it is not enforced? I left the concert coughing and reeking of smoke. I can only imagine the long-term effects that all of that smoke will also have on the historic Fox Theater. Isn’t the theater worth protecting just as much as the health of those who occupy it?

In sum, I am not against people enjoying their favorite bands under the influence of drugs and alcohol; I realize that there is a strong culture of alcohol and drugs at concerts. However, there has to be a way for people to get high and drunk at concerts without creating a health hazard for those around them. Let’s change the culture at our indoor concert venues by enforcing the Washington Indoor Clean Air Act, while providing those who wish to smoke with viable options for smoking outside.

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JANNY PIERCE: This story is heartbreaking and very similar to my family’s current situation with my brother. I pray for this family to find comfort. It is so hard to feel helpless when you want so badly to help the loved one.

TONY PAYNE: A humanizing story that tells a lot about the dangerous state of our mental health system.

SARAH MULCAHY: As someone who has lived with mental illness and homelessness, this story really hits home for me. It is possible to get help and get some semblance of real life, but it is extremely difficult and unending work. Renee is in my heart because I recognize myself in her. My sincerest condolences to her family.

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Kelly Cruz won the lottery. Now he has his eye on city council. STEPHEN SCHLANGE PHOTO

ELECTION 2015

New Blood Candidates are launching bids for Spokane City Council and could bring big changes to city government

BY JAKE THOMAS

T

hey’re coming. The knocks on the door, the mailers, television ads and people who want to shake your hand. Election season is descending upon Spokane, and the balance of power on city council is up for grabs in November.

Although the council is nominally nonpartisan and many councilmembers resist attempts to divide it into blocs, liberals on the city’s legislative body outnumber conservatives 5-2. Led by Council President Ben Stuckart, the “supermajority” can overcome mayoral vetoes, and Stuckart is bullish that the coalition could become expand its majority to 6-1.

But conservatives are hoping to flip the script in

November with four seats, including Stuckart’s, up for re-election. The contours of the races are starting to take shape, and voters are likely to hear about marijuana, immigrants, terrorists and gavels, and field plenty of asks for campaign cash.

THE GAVEL

About 300 people crowded into Hamilton Studio last month for Stuckart’s re-election kickoff. During his speech to supporters, Stuckart mentioned that it takes a thick skin to get involved in politics, which he said he happened to have, pointing to his gut. He might just need it during his campaign.

Stuckart was elected council president in 2011 after leading Communities in Schools, a nonprofit aimed at preventing kids from dropping out of schools. As president, he’s successfully pushed ordinances that include placing apprenticeship requirements on city public works projects and revamping the city’s water plan, among Ben Stuckart others.

That productivity has also created foes, particularly after an ordinance passed last year that prevents city employees, including police, from inquiring about someone’s immigration status. Proponents say it’s good policy that makes immigrants more likely to cooperate with law enforcement. But its vocal opponents claim it just invites criminals, terrorists and other lawbreakers, and they began circulating an initiative petition to reverse it. At a contentious hearing over the initiative in January, Stuckart gaveled the meeting to a close early after the audience continued to clap and cheer during the public comment period.

The response has been vitriolic, with memes, videos and Facebook posts popping up on the Internet relating ...continued on next page

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 13

NEWS | ELECTION 2015 “NEW BLOOD,” CONTINUED... to the gaveling. Stuckart says he’s unnerved by all the attention directed at him.

“It’s a little strange that they spend so much time chasing me around,” he says. “I just think it’s a little unhinged and unhealthy.”

Stuckart says he’s received threatening voicemails in addition to hate mail delivered to his house, with one letter stating he should be on death row.

So far, no one has filed paperwork to challenge Stuckart, who has raised nearly $8,000 this year. A Facebook page seeking to draft state Rep. Kevin Parker, R-Spokane, had more than 300 likes as of press time. But Parker threw cold water on the idea, for now.

“I’ve been so immersed in budget and bills this week that it’s something I haven’t even had time to talk to my wife about yet,” Parker says.

THE VOLUNTEER VS. THE POT FARMER

After winning the lottery last year, Kelly Cruz has the funds to split his time volunteering with the C.O.P.S. community policing program and taking care of his 94-year-old father. He ran for city council in 2013 and is running again this year because he thinks city lawmakers aren’t doing enough to address Spokane’s high property crime rate. He’s hoping to unseat councilwoman Karen Stratton, who he says is indirectly involved with the problem by co-owning a pot farm.

According to Cruz, too many people are hooked on drugs like heroin and meth and end up stealing other people’s possessions to fuel their habits. Marijuana legalization is making things worse by acting as a gateway drug, he says, and a member of city council shouldn’t be involved in the pot economy.

“It’s still a federal crime,” says Cruz of Stratton’s agricultural activities. “I feel that’s a risk, especially when that person is representing the City of Spokane.”

Cruz, a carpenter by training, hasn’t yet raised any money for his campaign. He gets $52,000 a year in lottery payments, part of which he plans to direct to his campaign.

Stratton was born and raised in Spokane by parents who served on the city council and in the state legislature. She’s worked in a variety of positions in local government and was appointed to city council last year to replace conservative councilman Steve Salvatori, who resigned. She tends to vote with the liberal majority.

She says that her involvement in a pot farm shouldn’t be an issue.

“It would be no different if I owned a winery,” says Stratton of her investment in a pot farm. “It’s not a gateway drug. Period.

I don’t believe it.”

WILD CARDS

Two-term councilman Mike Allen, who is regarded to be part of the council’s conservative minority but considers himself to be a moderate, says that’s he’s pretty much accomplished all of his goals regarding utilities, streets and police reform. He sees no point in running for a second term and has endorsed LaVerne Biel, a Perry District business owner who ran unsuccessfully in 2013, to succeed him.

Regardless of Allen’s plans, others are vying for his seat: Lori Kinnear, legislative assistant for councilwoman Amber Waldref, and John Waite, the owner of science fiction and fantasy store Merlyn’s who is making his fourth bid for political office.

Although both say they want to work past partisanship on city council, their politics are left-leaning, and if either succeeded they could end up further bolstering the council’s liberal majority. Both hope to raise at least $40,000 for their campaigns.

John Ahern, a five-term Republican state representative who beat Biel in the 2013 primary for council but lost to incumbent Jon Snyder in the general election, has decided to make another bid. Ahern, 80, who hopes to raise $30,000 to $35,000 for his campaign, thinks he’ll have a better shot without an incumbent in the race.

14 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

Ahern is particularly irked by the gavel incident with Stuckart (whom he says needs anger management). If elected, Ahern says he wants to reverse Spokane’s “sanctuary city” ordinance that prohibits municipal workers from inquiring about people’s immigration status, which he says is attracting lawlessness.

“ISIS, they can come on in,” he says referring to the terrorist organization. “It’s an open invitation to bring them on in, and they can raise all kinds of hell.”

He also wants to see Spokane place a moratorium on the growth, production and sale of marijuana.

Conservative councilman Mike Fagan, who has drawn heat for his controversial views on vaccinations and used his talk radio show to bring outraged citizens to council meetings, also is up for re-election.

If he does decide to run for another term, he’ll face Randy Ramos, a recruiter for Spokane Tribal College and life skills coach at the the Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations, a substance abuse clinic in Spokane Valley.

In an email, Fagan says he’s not sure if he’s going to run, saying that he needs to have a serious conversation with his family about the time commitment. Known for being especially attentive to constituent services, he writes, “Don’t get me wrong, I truly love helping people, and have a servant-leader heart but, I don’t want to get consumed by the thought until it is time.”

Replacing Fagan isn’t the primary motivation for Ramos, who at 35 would be the youngest councilmember.

“Challenging Mike for that position isn’t really my basis,” he says. “I just want to represent my community and help build up my community.”

He hopes to help develop the Hillyard neighborhood and revive the United Native Americans of Spokane Public Development Authority, a quasi-public agency that he hopes to use to fix up rundown properties.

A winner of the Inlander’s Peirone Prize, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding community service, he was born and raised in Spokane and spent part of his youth on the Spokane Indian reservation, where he completed high school.

Stuckart, also a Peirone Prize winner, says he’s proud of the work the council has been doing. The liberal supermajority, he says, might just become a “super-duper majority.” n jaket@inlander.com

RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL

Lori Kinnear

LaVerne Biel

John Waite

John Ahern

Randy Ramos

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 15 NQ_Blackjack_031915_12V_CP.pdf

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A L O C A L G U I D E T O M E N TA L H E A LT H R E S O U R C E S

HIGH HONORS | On Tuesday, as part of a national journalism contest, the Scripps Howard Foundation recognized the work of the Inlander. Competing against newspapers across America, the Inlander was named one of two finalists for community journalism for our “State of Mind” series examining gaps in mental health treatment.

The Daily Breeze in Torrance, California, ultimately won the $10,000 prize for its coverage of malfeasance at a local school district. (JACOB H. FRIES)

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DRESSED DOWN | A citizen-led initiative intended to bring greater regulation to bikini barista stands and PUBLIC NUDITY in general has failed to get the needed signatures to appear on the November ballot. The initiative was sponsored by Beth Solscheid, who along with other local moms concerned about bikini barista stands in town (some that feature women without bikinis) collected more than 3,000 signatures, exceeding the 2,477 needed to qualify. However, the County Auditor’s Office found that only 53 percent of the signatures were valid. A long-winded post from a Facebook page associated with the campaign expressed disappointment with the results and faulted city council for not taking the lead on the issue. (JAKE THOMAS)

NEWS | BRIEFS

Sharp Knives Some Idaho lawmakers want to protect knife rights; plus, looking for a new police ombudsman KNIFE FIGHT

A bill that passed the Idaho State Senate Monday would prevent local “political subdivisions” from regulating or taxing knives more restrictively than state law — worrying school officials trying to keep kids safe.

While state law prohibiting “DANGEROUS WEAPONS” on school grounds would remain in effect, according to a February letter from the Idaho attorney general’s office, it could eliminate many school district’s restrictions on pocket knives with blades shorter than 2 1/2 inches and rules governing weapon searches.

“I’m worried it takes us backwards and creates an environment that would be unsafe in schools,” says Coeur d’Alene School board member Christa Hazel. “If we can’t prohibit knives in our schools, it really worries me as a parent.”

In a February committee hearing, bill sponsor Sen.

Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, said there wasn’t currently any problem in Idaho with local entities being overly restrictive of knives. But several states had passed a similar law.

“They’ve chosen this course so people don’t come out and legislate against knives,” Heider said.

At least for Hazel, the frustration isn’t over the debate for knife rights, but over the values of local versus state control.

“That’s what’s surprising me, when I see a Republican state senator, talking about state law having supremacy,” Hazel says. “I believe in the mantra that local control is best.”

— DANIEL WALTERS

HELP WANTED

The city of Spokane has posted a job opening for its vacated ombudsman position. The ideal candidate, according to the listing, has at least five years of legal and investigative experience and is familiar with police procedures and internal investigations.

TIM BURNS, the first person hired for the position in 2009, retired in January of this year, just weeks after the Office of Police Ombudsman Commission awarded him a three-year contract extension in November 2014.

In the two and a half months between Burns’ retirement and the job’s posting, the ombudsman office has been relatively quiet. No police investigations have been certified as timely, independent and objective in 2015, for example, compared to eight certified cases by this time last year.

The reason it took so long to announce the vacancy is because a five-member search committee had to be formed and the description finalized by the Office of Police Ombudsman Commission, according to Meghann Steinolfson, senior human resources advisor for the Spokane Police Department.

Steinolfson says the search will extend across the

country, but could not comment on how many applications she’s already received or how long the until the position is filled. Once the search committee selects its top three candidates, it will refer them to the OPO Commission for final selection.

— MITCH RYALS

‘BURSTING AT ITS SEAMS’

A bill that would update Washington state’s involuntary MENTAL HEALTH treatment system has failed to pass a key legislative hurdle.

The impetus for the legislation stems, in part, from the death of Joel Reuter, a 28-year-old software engineer living in Seattle who was shot by police while experiencing a mental health episode.

Under the current law, an adult or minor may be involuntarily committed with a court order if they pose a likelihood of harming themselves or others or are seriously disabled.

The bill would have expanded that criteria for involuntary commitment to someone experiencing a “persistent or acute disability.” This new criteria would include individuals who have a severe mental disorder that, if left untreated, impairs their capability to make informed decisions regarding treatment and to suffer emotional, mental or physical harm.

Proponents of the legislation said that it would allow for a more proactive approach towards individuals suffering from mental illness who would get swifter treatment, preventing their situation from escalating.

But opponents raised issues about its cost, specifically from the Washington Defenders Association and the Washington Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, who said the current system is currently “bursting at its seams,” and new grounds for committing people would just exacerbate existing problems.

— JAKE THOMAS

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very day a potential bomb, sometimes a mile long, quietly passes through Spokane as it makes its journey across the state.

Beginning four years ago, Washington began seeing a big change in how crude oil was transported across the state. Historically, Washington received 90 percent of its crude oil from tanker ships from Alaska or an international source.

Now it comes by trains from North Dakota loaded with crude oil from the Bakken shale.

Every week 16 Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains carrying Bakken oil pass through Spokane County, according to a recent report from the state Department of Ecology. The study found that the number of oil trains traveling through the state could rise to 137 a week by 2020.

Bakken oil is particularly volatile, and sometimes these trains derail and explode. In the last month alone, four oil trains have derailed in Illinois, West Virginia and twice in Quebec, causing explosions and environmental contamination. In 2013, a train derailed in a small town in Quebec, killing 47 people.

In Washington, a rail line runs through Spokane Valley, downtown Spokane and Cheney and intersects with I-90. An oil train explosion along this stretch could be catastrophic.

“All of Cheney could be wiped out,” says Laura Ackerman, oil and coal campaign director at the environmental advocacy group the Lands Council. “All of these places could be wiped out.”

Last year, Washington lawmakers were unable to pass any legislation regarding oil trains.

They’re trying again this session, and legislators are split on two competing proposals. In Spokane, the only urban center the trains pass through on their way to western Washington, the city’s officials have taken different approaches to potential legislation.

Earlier this month, two bills passed out of the House and Senate, respectively. They both seek to provide local communities with more information and resources for responding to an oil train derailment, but differ on how to do that.

The Senate version would require railroad companies to submit notices to be shared with local authorities on the route, time, volume and

A train shipping oil through Montana. type of crude oil that was sent through their jurisdiction for the previous week. An amendment to the bill also requires a minimum of three crew members on trains carrying hazardous materials, four if the train is longer than 51 cars. It also creates grants for local first responders.

A competing bill in the House, backed by Gov. Jay Inslee, would go further by requiring rail companies to provide daily notices to local governments. Under the bill, rail companies would have to demonstrate the ability to pay for worst-case spills. It would also increase a perbarrel tax, that currently only applies to marine transport, from 4 cents to 8 cents. The tax, which is directed toward oil spill prevention, would also be applied to oil transported by rail and pipeline in Washington state. “[The Senate bill] is too weak to declare victory, if that’s the one that passes,” says Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart, who has traveled to Olympia to support the governor’s bill.

Proponents of the governor’s bill, which includes Spokane Democratic state Reps. Timm Ormsby and Marcus Riccelli, say that local governments should have daily notification of oil trains because different types of oil, such as Bakken crude, are more volatile and fires resulting from them are more difficult to put out, and first responders could be better prepared if they know what’s coming.

Opponents of requiring more frequent disclosure from rail companies say that the information could be hacked and land in the hands of terrorists, to which Stuckart responds, “I think we’ve got a lot bigger threat with oil trains than terrorists.”

Mayor David Condon has not been to Olympia to lobby on the bills, and he says he doesn’t have a firm position on either. But he might develop a firmer position as the session progresses.

“You know, I just got a side-by-side comparison [of the bills],” Condon tells the Inlander. “I haven’t had a chance to review them.”

Condon says he has been engaged on oil train safety, serving as co-chair on a committee with the Association of Washington Cities dedicated to freight rail. Local first responders have undergone training exercises to prepare for an oil train derailment, says Condon, and his administration has concentrated on making sure that planning and communication are in place for such an event.

Stuckart and Councilman Jon Snyder, however, would like to see the mayor push harder for better protections.

“I’d like to see him be more [engaged on the legislation],” says Snyder. n

NEWS | JUSTICE

Calling Out Snitches Efforts to make it harder to convict someone solely on an informant have stalled again

BY MITCH RYALS

D

uane Statler is disappointed, but he’s not giving up. Last month, a Spokane County judge ruled that his son Paul and two other men would not receive compensation for the almost five years they spent in jail as a result of a wrongful conviction made possible by a jailhouse snitch. Now, a bill that could have prevented their convictions died last week.

Statler has pushed for three years Duane Statler wants to limit the to drum up support for bills requiring use of informant testimony. criminal informants’ testimony to be corroborated by another piece of evidence.

The bills also would require juries to consider what witnesses are getting in exchange for their testimony. In the case of Duane’s son Paul, Tyler Gassman and Robert Larson, an informant got a possible 30-year sentence reduced to 18 months.

“I really thought when it got through the first reading and was assigned to the Rules Committee, that we had a home run,” Statler says. “We’re just not having too good of luck.”

The House version of this bill didn’t make it past a first reading despite bipartisan support from local lawmakers Reps.

Marcus Riccelli (D), Matt Shea (R) and Bob McCaslin Jr. (R).

The Senate bill, however, made it to a second reading in the Rules Committee. Senator Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, one of the bill’s sponsors, says he’ll continue to support the reform next year, which would strengthen jury instructions in Washington to reflect those used in federal courts.

Lara Zarowsky, policy director of the Innocence Project Northwest at University of Washington, was disappointed to learn that neither bill made it any further, but is encouraged by legislators’ willingness to talk about this issue.

“This is clearly a problem in need of a solution, in the fact that false testimony presented by incentivized informants is one of the leading causes of wrongful conviction in our country,” she said during her testimony before the Senate Law and Justice Committee in January. “We have a situation where there is great incentive to give false testimony, but very little disincentive.”

Tom McBride, a lawyer with the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, has a different view. In his testimony during the same January hearing, McBride argued that juries in Washington are already notified of any compensation to witnesses. A bill requiring more instruction would be unnecessary, he says.

One idea Zarowsky has is to require pretrial reliability hearings, where a judge would hear the testimony and decide if it can go before a jury. A similar safeguard has been put in place in Illinois.

Statler is still hopeful that the legislation will pass next year.

He already has a meeting with Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, on the books as soon as this year’s session ends.

“I’m just going to keep plugging away until somebody listens,” he says. Although a new law requiring corroboration of jailhouse testimony wouldn’t make up for the five years his son lost, Statler says he doesn’t want it to happen to anyone else. 

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NEWS | FINANCE

Shiny New Debt Trap?

Is Moneytree’s proposed installment loan an improvement — or just another way to ensnare vulnerable people?

BY DANIEL WALTERS

D

on’t get a payday loan. That’s what Jay MacPherson tells the crowd gathered at the East Side Library for the “Give Yourself a Raise” financial education class.

“You get $100 now, but you have to pay $120 next month. And when you’re in a tight situation and you have nowhere else to go, it seems like a good idea,” he says. “But most of the people, when comes time, now have to pay $120 — how are they going to pay $120 next month when they didn’t have $100 this month?

So it starts this cycle of bondage that’s really hard to get out of.”

They take out a new loan to pay off the old loan, then a third loan to pay off the second, as it all piles up into a massive, rolling snowball of debt.

Sitting in the audience, nurse’s aide Margaret Kavanaugh knows that story well. “You do get into a trap,” she says.

“You get your check, then you’ve got to pay them back, then you’ve got to borrow again.”

Five years ago, the Washington State Legislature reformed the payday loan industry, curtailing its worst excesses.

Now the legislature is poised to eliminate payday loans entirely, while simultaneously opening the door for a new kind of loan.

A bill legalizing “installment loans” — which last six months instead of just four weeks — has already passed the state Senate, 30 to 18. Proponents see it

SNAP’s Jay MacPherson warns against payday lending.

DANIEL WALTERS PHOTO

as a kinder, gentler alternative to payday loans. Yet many consumer advocacy groups have lined up against it, warning that it represents a dangerous new kind of debt trap.

I

n 2009, state Sen. Sharon Nelson (then a representative in the House) largely solved the problems with the state’s payday loans industry. Now, consumers can only obtain a maximum of eight short-term loans a year, and no more than one at a time. The “payday advance dance,” getting payday loans from Peter to pay off loans from Paul, mostly was eliminated.

Most crucially, debtors were given an escape clause. If they couldn’t pay off the payday loan, lenders were required to let them repay their debt in installments, with no extra fees.

It got results: Payday loan defaults in Washington state fell to only 19 percent, one of the lowest rates in the country. The amount of payday loans fell from $1.3 billion from 2009 to $330 million in 2013.

It hit the payday loan industry hard, with a vast swath of Washington payday locations shuttering. In response, the industry has shifted, with lenders like Moneytree pushing to legalize “installment loans.”

“In 2007, the small family construction company I operated went out of business, and a year later my family was forced into bankruptcy,” Democrat Marko Liias, the Senate bill’s sponsor, began his committee hearing testimony in February.

For the majority of borrowers, he said, installment loans would save money.

Instead of borrowers being forced to repay the entire lump sum in two to four weeks, installment loans stretch out repayment over a period of six months, giving borrowers much more breathing room.

Moneytree CEO Dennis Bassford says he’s been “baffled” and “perplexed” by the level of opposition to the bill. From his perspective, installment lending is exactly what consumer advocates have been crying out for.

“I think it’s a great example of emotion trumping facts,” Bassford says. Pay the loan off before the first month is up, he says, and it’s a better deal than taking out a new payday loan every few weeks.

Yet stretch it out for the full six months, and the price tag skyrockets. The instant you get an installment loan, there’s a 15 percent “origination fee” tacked onto the principal, and the 36 percent annual interest rate starts ticking. On top, add an additional monthly maintenance fee — up to $45. A maximum $700 loan quickly racks up hundreds of dollars in fees and interest.

So Nelson isn’t impressed by Liias’s bill: “It will put folks in high-interest debt traps.”

Not only that, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson argues, state law already lets defaulting borrowers pay off

debts without any extra fees. If the legislation passes the House and is signed by the governor, it would eliminate that option.

Rep. Kevin Parker, R-Spokane, says he was skeptical of the bill at first, but has been convinced of its need. He worries that current restrictions can leave some low-income people without access to credit at all, forcing them to seek out alternative regulated loans in “uncharted, shark-infested waters.”

But Nick Bourke, director of the small-dollar loans project at the Pew Charitable Trusts, calls the loan shark argument a red herring. “The vast majority of people don’t like going to an illegal unknown source,” Bourke says. Fifteen states, including Montana, don’t have payday lending. There, he says, people rely on other methods, like borrowing from friends and family or cutting back expenses, to make ends meet.

C

olorado is the one state where installment loans are legal. It’s an imperfect comparison, Liias says, because Colorado transitioned from a far worse payday loan system than Washington’s, but its improvement is undeniable.

“What we’ve learned in Colorado is that consumers really like this type of product, where the payments are much smaller and spread out over time,” Bassford says. He points to Bourke’s recent American Banker op-ed praising Colorado’s reforms.

But Bourke says Washington’s proposal has big shortfalls when compared with Colorado — it has a higher cap, a higher effective interest rate and a more immediately punishing cost structure.

With the federal government hinting at big national reforms to the payday loan industry, Bourke suggests waiting.

Things aren’t perfect in Colorado either, where the default rate is twice as high as Washington’s. The debt cycle still lives in Colorado. The National Consumer Law Center calls the installment loans in Colorado “dangerous and unaffordable for many borrowers,” noting that a third of Colorado borrowers get a new installment loan the moment they pay off the old one. That’s the debt cycle. n danielw@inlander.com

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R U FO ORT SH ARS YE

eer at r a c s i h pes d e o t h r a e t h s ; s t ngo s ou Kevin Pa ooting the light reatness sh to g Gonzaga leading a team by to end it OKEY

O

BY MIKE B

A

fter his first game in a Gonzaga uniform, Kevin Pangos was told to shoot more.

That’s your role, head coach Mark Few told the slim, clean-cut and cool-eyed kid before the Bulldogs headed onto their home floor to face Washington State.

Pangos was a freshman and was going to do what his coach told him, so when he got the ball 18 seconds into the much-hyped rivalry game, he let it rip. And he missed.

That didn’t shake him. Yeah, he was 18, but the kid was raised on basketball. He’d already put on the uniform of the Canadian national team and earned a starting spot on a perennial NCAA juggernaut.

On the next trip down the court, big man Elias Harris found Pangos camped out 4 feet behind the three-point line at the top of the key.

About a half a second later, the ball was arching above the floor of the McCarthey Athletic Center as 1,200 of Pangos’ new classmates raised their hands to the rafters and watched the ball rush through the net. Just a minute of game time later, Pangos drilled another three. A few minutes later, another bomb — then another and another, some with a defender in his face, others ...continued on next page

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 23

CULTURE | NCAA TOURNAMENT “FOUR SHORT YEARS,” CONTINUED... wide open. The building grew more raucous with each drop through the nylon.

He hit nine threes that night and finished with 33 points in a nationally televised game. Kevin Pangos had arrived at Gonzaga. And he’d arrived on the college basketball radar. Talking heads began to wonder: If 33-point outings were to be the norm, how long before this kid goes to the NBA? The hype came quick with this guy.

Four years and about 300 three-pointers later, Pangos is standing on that same McCarthey Center floor after a practice in late February. His 6-foot-2 frame has filled out and the boyish face is now covered with a five o’clock shadow. The hair, of course, is different. It’s long, parted down the middle, and puffed up enough to bounce along with his strides up and down the court.

“This is a special place for me,” says Pangos just a few minutes after wrapping up a shooting session marked by the sort of accuracy that could make you question your belief in physics or probability statistics. He’s talking about the arena where, in just a few days, his team will fall to BYU, and then he’ll head to center court and tell his fellow students and fans over the PA system not to fret about this one loss. “We’re going to have a special journey,” he’ll say. “Stick with us.”

This week, that journey takes Gonzaga to Seattle for Pangos’ final NCAA tournament. Sometime soon — hopefully not this weekend, but almost certainly in one of the next two weekends after that — the winningest career in Gonzaga history will come to an end.

But that November night in 2011 and those 33 points are hardly a distant memory to Pangos.

“It flew by so fast. I remember [former Gonzaga center, current L.A. Laker] Rob Sacre said to me when I was a freshman that it goes by so fast,” says Pangos. “It feels like just yesterday he said that.”

C

hris Dooley is a little reluctant to honestly say when he first realized Kevin Pangos had something special.

“As ridiculous as it sounds, I would say that I knew when he was 5. I wasn’t going to say he was going to be an NCAA player at the time, but he’d go up against 8-year-olds without a problem. It was almost cute, but his skill level was noticeable,” says Dooley, a former coach at Canada’s University of Guelph and the author of the forthcoming Pangos biography Can’t Miss.

Dooley and Kevin’s father, Bill Pangos, coached teams together beginning in the 1980s and the families have grown up close. During basketball games the two were coaching in, Dooley remembers his son and Kevin wandering the side of the court in diapers.

There is basketball in Kevin Pangos’ blood. Bill played college ball and has been the head women’s coach at York University in Toronto, while his mom, Patty, played for McMaster University. His older sister Kayla played for Bill’s York team before moving to Spokane to enroll in graduate school at Gonzaga and work in the athletic department.

Like a hoops Partridge Family, the Pangos clan hosts

2 GONZAGA VS. 15 NORTH DAKOTA STATE FRIDAY, MARCH 20 AT 6:50 PM (TELEVISED ON TNT) KEY ARENA, SEATTLE

24 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

A young Kevin Pangos goes one-on-one with his dad, Bill Pangos. a basketball camp in the summer at Dr. Denison High School in the Toronto suburb of Newmarket, Ontario, where Kayla and Kevin went to school and Patty taught.

They run drills on the court where Kevin played much of his high school career, scoring with abandon. There’s a YouTube clip of his high school squad going head-to-head with overall No. 1 NBA draft pick Andrew Wiggins, who

Short of somehow climbing into a miracle No. 1 seed, Gonzaga got what it wanted from the NCAA’s selection committee last weekend.

First, the Zags are playing close to home and in a building where they already play a home game once a season. Then, they ended

also grew up in the Toronto area. Pangos dropped 42 points to Wiggins’ 28.

That hot shot didn’t come easy. Pangos would shoot for hours at a hoop set up on the edge of the street, where he’d measured tape marks for the free-throw line as well as both college and NBA three-point lines. First, though, he often had to sweep up the sand left from plow

up in a region that — should Mark Few’s team break the curse of the round of 32 and make it to the second weekend — looks relatively manageable for the Bulldogs.

And while Selection Sunday has become all but routine at Gonzaga, the players and coaches are still grateful to be dancing.

“It never gets old. It’s always fun to make it to the national tournament,” says guard Kyle Dranginis. “We definitely don’t take it for granted.”

But first things first: North Dakota State. The green-and-yellow Bison should be familiar to Spokanites who saw NDSU

Make money by trucks over the course of the Ontario winter to make for better footing. In friendly Canadian fashion, one neighbor gave him a leaf blower to make the process easier. Sometimes someone would even clean up the street before the neighborhood hoops phenom could get his work in.

“He’s always worked so hard. It’s definitely enjoyable to see each accomplishment he’s had in the last few years,” says Kayla, who says she was the more talkative of the two as they were growing up and playing the occasional game of one-on-one. At least until Kevin grew up and started beating her — that’s when she ended the games. Kevin, like any college athlete, keeps a relentless schedule, but the siblings found time during the course of the season to catch up over a home-cooked meal.

As you might expect, the the topic of conversation usually is basketball.

K

evin Pangos spent a lot of time last fall doing the things nobody else wanted to do, because that’s what interns are for.

Although he’s one of the more recognized young men in all of Spokane, Pangos was at the bottom of the food chain when he interned at Hoopfest headquarters. He folded T-shirts and did a lot of data entry, boring stuff that needed to get done. His boss called him an ultimate team player around the office. And his boss knows a thing or two about teamwork. Matt Santangelo, Hoopfest’s executive director who ran the point for Gonzaga’s Elite Eight team in 1999 and continues to provide the color commentary on the team’s radio broadcasts, gave his cubicle drone high marks.

Santangelo gives Pangos even higher marks when it comes to what he’s done on the court at Gonzaga, especially this season when Pangos, surrounded by new offensive threats like Kyle Wiltjer, Domantas Sabonis and Byron Wesley, wasn’t putting up big scoring numbers. The Zags didn’t necessarily need him to score as much, but they have needed him to be the conduit through which the offense runs after freshman Josh Perkins, who ran the point in early games, broke his jaw in November. As in the office, Pangos gladly stepped up and did the less glamorous stuff, scoring average be damned.

“To have the personality to accept that role is hard. Everyone wants to score. If he wanted to score more, he could,” says Santangelo. “To have that maturity and selflessness has been pretty extraordinary.”

Santangelo sees Pangos as one of the best in a line of talented point guards to play the position at Gonzaga and notes all his gritty performances, including playing most of his junior year while battling a nagging turf-toe injury as evidence.

“The guy puts his nose to the grindstone and keeps finding ways to win basketball games,” says

upset Oklahoma last season in an NCAA tournament round-of-64 game at the Spokane Arena. The team lost most of its scoring from that squad to graduation but still has an offensive weapon in Lawrence Alexander, a senior guard who is the deadliest threepoint shooter (in terms of percentage) in the entire tournament field.

Santangelo.

His teammates have also benefited from his leadership and ability to be a source of calm on the court when things are anything but.

“I’ve learned from him how to be a better leader. He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,” says fellow senior Gary Bell Jr., a tenacious defender known to be equally unselfish with the basketball.

Pangos is a man devoted to winning more than scoring. He has a team on his back a lot of the time, and someday very well might carry the weight of his home country’s basketball hopes. There has been a lot of chatter over the years comparing Pangos to Steve Nash, to this point the greatest Canadian basketball player of all time. Although he idolized Nash as a youth, Pangos has shied away from the comparison.

But things have changed in Canadian basketball, even during Pangos’ four years at Gonzaga.

With Wiggins, Nik Stauskas, Anthony Bennett, and GU’s own Kelly Olynyk making waves in the NBA, the country’s profile is on the rise.

And there’s a chance that MORE HOOPS come the next The Inlander’s Mike Bookey Olympics will be in Seattle this and beyond, weekend for the NCAA Pangos could tournament to keep you be the man posted on all things Zaghandling the related. Keep up to speed at point. He’s Inlander.com/madness not thinking that far ahead, but he’s quite conscious of the fact that he’s a Canadian player.

“I remember watching other [Canadian players] when I was younger who were in the NCAA or NBA and wanting to be them,” says Pangos. “I try to carry myself the best way I can and represent the country the best I can. That’s important, because everyone needs someone to look up to.”

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T

here will be more basketball for Pangos after the NCAA tournament, no matter how Gonzaga fares. He’s not burning up any NBA mock draft boards at the moment, but he’ll get an invite to show his game in the Summer League and likely the preseason. And even if that doesn’t work out, there’s plenty of professional basketball the world over for him to play.

But now, he’s been savoring the end of college basketball and wrapping up his degree, which he’ll receive in May. He’s going to miss it all, though. And not just what happened on the court.

“Just walking through campus, whether it’s freezing cold in the morning or whatever, is amazing. I’ve just loved the college environment,” he says. “It’s a home away from home. Or really, it’s a home. It’s where I’ve spent the last four years of my life.” 

Few said he hopes to see a large contingent of Zag fans in Seattle over the weekend, and if you don’t have tickets, you should jump on that. Tickets are sold out, and prices on the reselling sites are climbing. (MB)

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 25

CULTURE | NCAA TOURNAMENT

EWU’s Dancing, Too! The region’s hot-shooting little brother hopes to turn some heads

BY MIKE BOOKEY Tyler Harvey

E

astern Washington has been begging for national ern was down by 11 points with just six minutes left. But attention this season. the Eagles, thanks to some stellar plays by Harvey, senior First, the Eagles started a game at 8 am on a guard Drew Brandon and sophomore sharpshooter Felix Friday in mid-November, ensuring the Von Hofe, scratched their way back designation of hosting the country’s to take the lead for good with about a first college basketball game of the minute and a half left. season. Then they went to The finish featured the sort of heroBloomington and knocked ics that gave EWU some Cinderellaoff Indiana on its home in-waiting flavor heading into Selection court before spendSunday. ing the rest of “We were down 11 and looked dead their 2014-15 in the water,” Eastern head coach Jim campaign masHayford said in a postgame press confertering a highence. “It was an improbable comeback, scoring ofbut it just shows the character of this fensive attack team.”

13 EASTERN and making The notion that little Eastern WashWASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Cheney home to ington could knock off Georgetown is VS. the nation’s leading not an outrageous one. It took just a few scorer in junior guard hours before sports prognosticators from 4 GEORGETOWN Tyler Harvey. the likes of Sports Illustrated and ESPN Sometimes you have to began declaring the Eagles a real and do this when you’re the little serious threat in the South region. First THURSDAY, MARCH 19 AT brother in a county where the other off, if Eastern’s offense (not just Harvey) 6:57 PM (TRUTV) sibling gets all the attention. is shooting threes like it can (eighth-best This week, though, the Eagles won’t in the nation), any team would have THE MODA CENTER, have to go begging for attention. That trouble matching up with them. Also, PORTLAND, OREGON is, if they can knock off fourth-seeded Eastern has the advantage of playing Georgetown Thursday night in Portland close to home (hopefully some Eagles in Eastern’s second NCAA tournament faithful follow them out to the Rose appearance, the first since 2004’s Rodney City) while Georgetown is about as far Stuckey-led team. from D.C. as they can get in the lower The Eagles opened their invitation to the dance with a 48, while playing in a game that starts at almost 10 pm gutsy win in the Big Sky Conference championship game Eastern time. against Montana on Saturday night, a game in which EastHey, it could happen, and you should be watching. 

Sweating It Gonzaga’s women had to wait to hear they were in the NCAAs, but they ended up with a decent draw

BY FRANNY WRIGHT

A

s team name after team name appeared on the screen during Selection Monday, the Gonzaga women’s basketball team sat patiently, hoping theirs would be next. Suddenly, the women jumped up screaming and hugging each other as GU was announced as an 11 seed in the Spokane region, securing their spot in the 2015 NCAA tournament.

This year was more nerve-wracking than years past because GU was not merely waiting to find out which seed they would receive. The Zags are 24-7, but have lost three of their past five games, including

26 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

the West Coast Conference tournament, making an NCAA bid uncertain.

“We have learned over the past five games or so that in order to win, you have to play for 40 minutes,” first-year head coach Lisa Fortier explained. “We cannot afford to play one great half of basketball.”

After reaching the WCC tournament as the top seed, GU blew past Loyola Marymount 70-50 in the quarterfinals, but fell 61-55 to Brigham Young in the semifinals. Though GU had BYU down 12 points early

and outshot the Cougars 40 percent to 26.9 percent in the first half, BYU’s defense proved to be too much for Gonzaga down the stretch. Mainly, the Cougars were able to contain leading scorer Sunny Greinacher, who later was named to the 2015 WCC all-tournament team, limiting her to only two second-half points.

The Zags plan to rebound against No. 19 George Washington (29-3), their first opponent in the NCAA tournament and a team they have never played before. “They’re a big, physical team, with some players who dominate the glass,” Fortier says.

The first-round game will be played in Corvallis, Oregon, allowing Gonzaga’s Northwest fan base to continue showing their support.

“The NCAA tournament is about leaving everything on the floor and competing,” Fortier says. “I love coaching this team, and I’m going to enjoy every minute we have together.”

The winner of this game will play the winner of the game between third-seeded Oregon State and No. 14 seed South Dakota State. Should they make it out of the first two rounds, Gonzaga would play at the Spokane Arena for the regional championship. 

11 GONZAGA VS. 6 GEORGE WASHINGTON FRIDAY, MARCH 20 AT 4:30 PM (ESPN2) GILL COLISEUM, CORVALLIS, OREGON

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 27

CULTURE | ARTS

How to use

Reduce, Reuse, Create

THIS

PULL-OUT SECTION

Art Salvage Spokane encourages sustainable creativity by making art from discarded stuff

BY CHEY SCOTT

T

he towering stack of plastic totes in Katie Patterson Larson’s sunlit craft room are filled with treasures: baggies of wooden knobs, beads, glitter, paintbrushes, string, felt-tipped markers, jars of colorful buttons and scraps of fabric.

This growing odds-and-ends collection is the fruit of Larson’s ongoing efforts to spread the nationally trending concept of “creative reuse” — aka upcycling or repurposing — throughout the community. The principle is to collect discarded or surplus materials to make something new and artistically expressive, or with a designated function.

Having most recently lived in Portland, where creative upcycling is more prevalent, Larson often thought about the lack of a designated outlet for reusable or discarded art materials in the Inland Northwest. So last fall, she launched Art Salvage Spokane, setting up a table each week during the South Perry Farmers Market’s brief, indoor wintertime run. There, she sold and displayed some of the materials Art Salvage has so far accepted as donations, and offered quick workshops for shoppers passing through the market.

“It took people a few weeks to understand that this stuff was for sale, and what Art Salvage was about, but when they did understand, their faces lit up and they wanted to talk about stuff they’d found and made,” Larson recalls.

Upcycling is an age-old philosophy, but the specific intent of creative reuse goes beyond the trendiness of repurposing industrial materials into furniture or decorating a space with thrifted, antique pieces. Say you buy a pack of paint pens from a craft store, but only need one color, Larson explains. When surplus materials like this are donated to Art Salvage, Larson repackages and resells the individual pens for a fraction of what that original 10-piece set cost.

“It’s great because you’re not going to spend $10, instead you’ll spend $1 or a quarter for one item,” she explains. “You don’t have to buy the entire bag of pony beads, just what you’re going to use.

That is part of the problem with waste — we buy something when we really only need one piece out of it.”

Larson’s goal for Art Salvage is to eventually open a permanent odds-and-ends storefront, where both budding and experienced makers and creatives can shop for miscellaneous doodads, like halfused paint tubes and scraps of paper. It’ll be a place for artists of all types to find materials they might not otherwise be able to afford or have access to, as well as a sustainable outlet for other makers to simply lighten their load.

The focus for now, though, is to simply spread the word that Spokane Art Salvage exists, at the farmers market, through a website and social media, and by hosting open-format arts workshops around town.

O

n a foggy Saturday in late January, Larson lugs a vintage suitcases full of shrunken wool sweaters into the South Hill Library meeting room. She sets scissors, needles and thread onto a folding table and tapes fabric-flower-making tutorials from Pinterest to the wall. Gradually, the room fills with moms and kids, from toddlers to pre-teens. For the session, Larson is encouraging participants to repurpose old wool sweaters into anything, from coffee-cup cozies to headbands.

Erin Hueter cuts the sleeves off a beige sweater her husband accidentally shrunk in the dryer and hand-sews it into a rectangular throw pillow. Meanwhile, her daughter Zoe, 14, transforms a creamy white cable knit pullover into a bookbag. Some of the children make fingerless arm-warmers.

Although Art Salvage can’t accept things like old clothing, the

28 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

Pull down then out

NOT the Best Beer

NOT a phone.

NOT the Best ice cream cone.

YES! A handy guide to the BEST OF The Inland Northwest!

Katie Patterson Larson with some upcycled items for art projects.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

intent of this workshop is to show what can be made from something we’d otherwise toss out. Larson, who worked as a registered art therapist back in Portland, provides some direction and ideas to the crafters, but intentionally leaves the creative decision-making up to each participant. Mostly she watches the table of makers at work, occasionally stepping in to offer suggestions and quick fixes.

“I don’t want people to think it’s just for kids, or for crafty, Pinterest people,” she explains. “It’s for any level of art people are inclined to do. People make fine art and beautiful things with all sorts of reused things all the time.” n cheys@inlander.com

Now you know how!

Art Salvage Spokane’s next workshop: Cardboard Tube Construction Workshop • Sat, March 21, from 1-3 pm • Free • INK Artspace • 228 W. Sprague • artsalvagespokane.com

THE INLAND NORTHWEST READERS POLL RESULTS

PULL-OUT & KEEP! BEST OF

supplement to the inlander

30 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

We Asked,

You Answered Back for its 22nd year, here it is — the collected results of our annual READERS POLL. To keep up with changing times, we debuted more than 40 new questions this year; check out the winners of Best Distillery and even Best Poet. You’ll read about new winners in longstanding categories, too — watch for Best Burger and Best TV Sportscaster, in particular.

We asked locals up in SANDPOINT and down on the PALOUSE to tell the rest of us about the Best of their corners of the Inland Northwest. ROMANCE also earned its own minisection in this year’s issue. And as always, you’ll find the top votegetters in NORTH IDAHO sprinkled throughout.

This year, we’re adding four new members to the BEST OF HALL OF FAME — Mt. Spokane, the Spokane Arena, STCU and Thai Bamboo. These local institutions truly define sustained excellence, winning at least 10 Best Of awards in at least 10 different years.

Finally, you’ll find six questions that you, the clever readers of the Inlander, asked. Every year we want to know the Best Question We Didn’t Ask, and you can read all about them in our READERS’ QUESTIONS stories, tackling everything from Best Local TV Commercial to Best Local Cat — as in an actual feline pet, not a human hipster of note (although some of you did vote for those types).

Enjoy your Best of the Inland Northwest issue — and after you’re done, get out there and experience all the winners have to offer!

Breakfast,

Lunch or Dinner

waterfront views, live Music, an experience.

Thank you for your votes!

1st place

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HAT SHE SAW: W T A D E AZ AM S A SHE W

! e c a l P d n o c Se

Contents FOOD ............................. 32

PEOPLE ..........................70

CONTRIBUTORS

SHOPPING ......................46

RECREATION ...................78

ROMANCE ......................58

THE PALOUSE ..................84

NIGHTLIFE ......................60

ARTS .............................86

SANDPOINT ....................68

FIND THE WINNERS .........93

SECTION EDITOR: Jacob H. Fries ART DIRECTOR: Chris Bovey LAYOUT ASSISTANT: Alissia Blackwood PHOTOGRAPHERS: Meghan Kirk, Annie Kuster, Carrie Scozzaro, Young Kwak WRITERS: Kaitlyn Anson, Mike Bookey, Courtney Brewer, Jordy Byrd, Eli Francovich, E.J. Iannelli, Laura Johnson, Amy Miller-Krezelak, Scott A. Leadingham, Jo Miller, Sarah Munds, Dan Nailen, Azaria Podplesky, Jordan Satterfield, Chey Scott, Carrie Scozzaro, Jake Thomas, Daniel Walters

Section Artwork: Jeff Drew

TED HE MUST HAVER VO D AN BON-BON! GARLAND THEATE

EIR ULD THEY SHARE TH NOWHERE ELSE CO !

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924 W. GARLaND • 509.327.1050 • GARLANDTHEATER.COM BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 31

d o o F & rink D BEST BREAKFAST

FRANK’S DINER

There’s a reason Frank’s Diner is a frequent choice of Inlander readers for the best spot to enjoy the first meal of the day. Maybe it’s the hashbrowns. Maybe it’s the seemingly endless list of egg dishes. Maybe it’s the satisfaction of indulging in a plateful of blueberry muffin French toast. Either way, the charm of eating in a cozy vintage train car never gets old.

(JO MILLER) 2nd PLACE: Chaps; 3rd PLACE: Old European; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Michael D’s

BEST SANDWICHES

DOMINI

Lunch is that special time of the day when you put your trust in some tasty fuel to get you through what’s still ahead. Domini definitely does the trick.

Their deli-style sandwiches are massive and filled from a meat list that ranges from ham and corned beef to Thuringer sausage and liverwurst. It’s no wonder this is Domini’s 21st win for Best Sandwich Shop. (JM) 2nd PLACE: High Nooner; 3rd PLACE: Stella’s; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Meltz Extreme Grilled Cheese

BEST PUB FOOD

MANITO TAP HOUSE

It might seem like Manito Tap House is all about the brews, seeing as their tap count comes in at a whopping 50 handles. And that’s true. But it’s also true that someone is just as likely to recommend Manito as a spot to get an excellent meal. The menu boasts gastropub fare built around seasonal and local ingredients, like scratch-made soups, hearty burgers and beautiful cuts of meat. (JM) 2nd PLACE: Waddell’s; 3rd PLACE: The Elk; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Capone’s

32 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

BEST BARBECUE

LONGHORN BARBECUE

Whether it’s the rib tips, El Paso chicken or rib-eye steak, it’s all smoked Southern pit-style on cherry, apple, birch and alder woods. Then there’s the signature barbecue sauce and the country-western atmosphere. Longhorn Barbecue may have gotten its start in Texas in 1946, but since it moved to the Northwest, Washingtonians have claimed it as a favorite. (JM) 2nd PLACE: Chicken-N-More; 3rd PLACE: Red Lion BBQ; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Porky G’s

BEST PIZZA

THE FLYING GOAT

At the Flying Goat, they celebrate the char.

Your pizza comes out of the 600-degree oven a little blackened and a little crispy, and that’s exactly how Neapolitan-style pies are supposed to be — textured and aromatic. The toppings go well beyond the mundanity of marinara, mozzarella and pepperoni. Try yellow coconut curry with potato, jalapeño and carrot or heavy cream with bacon, pears and Gorgonzola. (JM) 2nd PLACE: Pizza Rita; 3rd PLACE: Fire (Spokane and CDA)

BEST BURRITOS

NEATO BURRITO

This downtown spot is beloved in Spokane for its behemoth, mission-style burritos that make for a perfect lunch-break meal or late-night gorging for both the meat lover and the vegetarian. And that’s not all Neato has going for it. Wander in there after the sun sets and soak in the ever-hip vibe, often accompanied by live music, open-mic comedy and poetry readings.

(JM) 2nd PLACE: Atilano’s (Spokane and CDA); 3rd PLACE: Slick Rock

BEST SUSHI

SUSHI.COM

Dwelling inland might make one think that finding excellent sushi would be hard. But Sushi.com proves that wrong. Their extensive list of rolls, hand rolls and sashimi feature everything from tuna and salmon to geoduck and urchin, flown in fresh from places like Hawaii and Korea. Pair that with great service and a solid sake selection, and Inland Northwesterners are hooked. (JM) 2nd PLACE: Ginger Asian Bistro; 3rd PLACE: Syringa

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BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 33

Food & Drink

What started as one location for Tom and Matavee Burgess has grown to four across the Inland Northwest. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

L OF HAL ME FA

THAI BAMBOO

F

BEST THAI FOOD

20

15 INDU

E CT

E

ourteen years ago, it all began quite modestly with Thai Bamboo opening its first location, a quaint restaurant along Sprague Avenue in Spokane Valley.

Owners Tom and Matavee Burgess first met at Jai Thai, the restaurant Matavee used to own in Seattle. After the couple moved to Spokane in 2000, it was only a year later that they signed a lease to open the first Thai Bamboo. Tom, who grew up on the South Hill, did the marketing. Matavee, who is from Thailand, ran the restaurant. Now they’re celebrating 10 Best Of wins and membership in the Hall of Fame.

“She had the skills and the recipes and we started out with a big menu,” says Tom. Every few years, they added a new location: South Hill, Coeur d’Alene and their

flagship restaurant in North Spokane. The latter is the most grandiose of the four, with a pagoda-style building pointing to the sky over Division Street and an interior overflowing with Thai décor. During trips to Thailand, Tom shops at the markets and brings back items like granite elephants, wood-carved statues, tapestries and sandstone murals, and he commissions artisans to make things like their embellished steel tabletops.

“That’s just kind of the icing on the cake,” he says. “It’s all about the food.”

Matavee, the head chef of the restaurants, came from a family of nine in southern Thailand. She was the cook of the family and the dishes at Thai Bamboo represent southern Thai cuisine, which tends to be a little spicier and have lots of curries and seafood.

The enormous menu doesn’t end there.

A bevy of noodle dishes, soups, rice dishes, salads and even Chinese dishes keep the list going. The pad Thai has been the No. 1 bestseller over the years, says Tom, with the spring rolls, the Mongolian beef and the fried bananas drizzled in caramel following behind.

Tom chalks up Thai food’s popularity to the fact that it’s healthy and easily caters to gluten-free and vegetarian dietary restrictions.

Thai Bamboo makes it available in four locations across a sizable geographic spread.

“A lot of people like that,” he says. “They might live one place and work in one place.

They like knowing the menu.”— JO MILLER 2nd PLACE: Bangkok Thai; 3rd PLACE: Linnie’s

2014 Grand Presenting Sponsors:

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34 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

30 Restaurants, 30 Wineries and Breweries, 1 Great Cause!

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BEST FOOD TRUCK

TACOS EL SOL

It’s bright and yellow and quite hard to miss. Since 2008, the Tacos El Sol truck has been providing a tasty fill-up for the downtown workforce by day and the late-night bar-goers into the wee hours of the morning. At their two locations — 29th and Regal or First and Washington — the fragrance of authentic Mexican tacos, burritos and more hangs in the air. We dare you not to stop. (JM) 2nd PLACE: Couple of Chefs; 3rd PLACE: Bistro Box; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Best Sandwich Shack

BEST PATIO DINING, BEST APPETIZERS

TWIGS

The argument isn’t whether Twigs has the best patio dining.

It’s which Twigs. So while Best Of voter Kris DeVries argues for the South Hill location, with its music and water feature, Tracey Henning makes her case for the Wandermere Twigs, with its relaxing pond and nighttime fire pits. “It’s my Zen Place,” she tell us. Then there’s the ongoing debate argument over the best appetizer at Twigs. “I especially enjoy the fries with their Gorgonzola sauce,” Henning writes. Me, I like to go fancier and a bit more invertebrate: Bring on the calamari. (DW) BEST PATIO DINING 2nd PLACE: Anthony’s at Spokane Falls; 3rd PLACE: Clinkerdagger; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Bardenay

BEST SINGLE-LOCATION COFFEE SHOP

ATTICUS

Spokane loves Atticus. Just stop by on a weekend, and good luck finding a seat not already taken by the lifelong friends, precious couples or biology-test crammers. Central Food chef David Blaine says the reason for their popularity is obvious: “I like people and businesses that don’t have to explain to you why you should like them. Atticus is one of those places. It embodies the person-to-person connection that I love about Spokane.” (DW) 2nd PLACE: Coeur Coffeehouse; 3rd PLACE: Indaba; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Vault Coffee, Coeur d’Alene

BEST DRIVE-THRU ESPRESSO

DUTCH BROS.

Yes, self-appointed espresso experts pretend like they can tell every nuance between one blend or another. But taste is only part of what makes a great drive-thru coffee stand a great drive-thru coffee stand. “The coffee is great, don’t get me wrong, but they have some of the best staff around!” says Best Of voter Christina Bennett. “I have to been to several Dutch Bros. locations throughout Spokane and every encounter has been friendly, upbeat and fun.” (DW) 2nd PLACE: Wake Up Call; 3rd PLACE: Jacob’s Java; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Lean Bean

15 s. washington spokane, wa 50 9.242. 3845

BEST APPETIZERS 2nd PLACE: P.F. Chang’s; 3rd PLACE: The Wandering Table; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: (tie) The Oval Office, Post Falls; Seasons of Coeur d’Alene

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1st place

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BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 35

Food & Drink BEST COFFEE ROASTER

options for Spokane beer lovers. (DN) 2nd PLACE: Iron Goat Brewing; 3rd PLACE: Perry Street Brewing; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Slate Creek Brewing

These words you’re reading? Their creation is fueled, almost entirely, by Thomas Hammer coffee.

That’s the coffee I’m drinking right now as I write this. That’s the coffee I get up for, every 10 minutes or so, to get a refill from the Inlander kitchen. For me, it’s about surviving the onslaught of deadlines.

For Inlander reader Jamie Arthur, however, it’s all about the Thomas Hammer taste. “I usually find myself searching out the coffee stops that serve it and returning to them,” she says. (DW) 2nd PLACE: Roast House; 3rd PLACE: DOMA Coffee

BEST DISTILLERY

THOMAS HAMMER

BEST BREWERY

NO-LI BREWHOUSE Don’t mistake consistency for an unwillingness to try new things. Sure, No-Li was built through the steady excellence of regularly available selections like the Born & Raised IPA and the Spin Cycle Red Ale, but the seasonal brews like the Winter Warmer Ale and the No Boundaries Pilot Series that allow the brewers to experiment means there are always fresh, tasty

36 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

DRY FLY DISTILLING

These Eastern Washington pioneers in craft distilling produce all their vodka, gin, whiskey and bourbon using ingredients grown on local farms, proving that world-class spirits can come right from our own backyard. Fans might quibble over their preferred Dry Fly spirit, but can easily put aside those differences to recognize the impact the place has had on Spokane. (DN) 2nd PLACE: Bardenay; 3rd PLACE: 21 Window Distillery

BEST ICE CREAM

BRAIN FREEZE CREAMERY

Whether you’re a traditionalist or a serious foodie whose willingness to experiment includes your des-

sert, Brain Freeze Creamery’s handmade ice cream satisfies. The basics like chocolate and vanilla are stellar, and constantly rotating specialty flavors like salted caramel, maple bacon or molasses cookie will thrill those with pliable palates. (DN) 2nd PLACE: The Scoop; 3rd PLACE: Cold Stone Creamery; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Roger’s Ice Cream

BEST WINERY

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS

Arbor Crest could win this category simply on the basis of the stunning grounds of the Cliff House Estate that serves as its headquarters, sitting above the Spokane River and serving as a favorite stop for Northwest wine-tour enthusiasts. But it’s the quality of the winery’s 15 varietals and blends that lands Arbor Crest atop this category once again. (DAN NAILEN) 2nd PLACE: Barrister Winery; 3rd PLACE: Townshend Cellars; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Coeur d’Alene Cellars

Thank You Inlanders!

BEST SANDPOINT AREA BOUTIQUE Affordable Clothing  Unusual Gifts Rude and Not-So-Rude Cards Awesome Adornments Unexpected Finds

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THANK YOU, SPOKANE! 2nd Place At Pho Van, the combinations are endless. MEGHAN KIRK PHOTO

BEST PHÒ

Best Local Play / Musical

PHÒ VAN

P

hò, the hearty and healthy Vietnamese soup rich with rice noodles and meat, is truly an independent thinker’s meal. In the mood for a dash of Sriracha and a squirt of hoisin? Have at it. Looking for texture? Toss in a few slices of raw, spicy jalapeño and a handful of mung-bean sprouts for snap. Don’t forget the aromatic Thai basil and cilantro garnishes and squeeze of lime. Or leave them out. It’s your choice, and the combinations are endless. Starting with delicious broth, however, is key, and this is where Phò Van excels.

Phò Van owner Henry Cao has been dishing out phò to enthusiastic Spokanites for 10 years. Along with the best phò in town, Inlander readers devour Cao’s perfectly crispy fried ch giò (egg rolls), bún (vermicelli noodles) and follow it up with dessert in a glass, cà phê á (iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk).

But the phò is the star, and the selections of phò are compelling enough to keep your belly full year-round. Variations of phò tai (beef) dominate the menu, but Cao also offers phò ga (chicken) and phò tom (shrimp). Traditional phò broth relies on the harmonious marriage of ginger, cinnamon, star anise, clove, fennel and coriander.

“Every family has their own recipe for broth. It’s very healthy.

My dad eats two or three bowls every day. He looks young, but he’s not!” laughs Cao. Meat selections run the gamut from tame (eye of round steak) to the more adventurous (soft tendons and meatball).

“We add all different kinds of meat. Phò tái n m (with eye of round steak and well-done lean meat) is the most popular,” says Cao. As Phò Van’s popularity continues to grow, so does the menu.

Specialty soups, including barbecue pork and shrimp and duck with bok choy and fried shallots, provide a break from the norm, though they still have deep roots in tradition.

“We try to add something new [to the menu] every year. We have a lot of customers from Vietnam. And kids love phò! A mom and son will come here and share a small bowl of soup. Next time, they will order their own bowl. I have a lot of repeat customers,” smiles Cao. — AMY MILLER-KREZELAK

3rd Place

Best Local Play / Musical

READERS’ QUESTIONS

COMING UP IN 2015-16!

[ Season subscriptions on sale May 18, 2015 ] Ask about our new layaway plans!

2nd PLACE: Vien Dong; 3rd PLACE: Vina Asian; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Pho Thành, Coeur d’Alene

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 37

Thank you for your votes!

Food & Drink

#1 Best Italian Many have been on staff for a decade. CARRIE SCOZZARO PHOTO

MICHAEL D’S EATERY

M NO IDAHO’S RTH BE BREAKF ST AST

CHECK OUT OUR NEW MOBILE APP! SPOKANE • (509) 484-4500 | CDA • (208) 667-5000

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this Look for local sticker in ws windo business eaders r over why mong and disc em a voted th ! the best 38 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

ichael DePasquale knows that feeding someone involves much more than food.

With an associate degree from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and more than 30 years experience, including as executive chef at the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s Dockside and Tito Macaroni’s restaurants, DePasquale knows what it takes.

“A warm greeting, a clean atmosphere, a smile, a conversation, a big ‘Hello’ upon arrival and a big ‘Thank you’ upon leaving… this all adds up to ‘feeding’ someone,” says the owner of Michael D’s Eatery.

That’s what brings loyal customers like Rick Carr, who reckons he’s been ordering the same breakfast — a modified Pasquale Scrambler — since the restaurant opened in 1998.

“They’re the only ones who can make my breakfast the way I enjoy it,” says Carr, who owns Mix It Up boutique downtown.

Bruce Nordstrom, who walked over from his home several blocks away, has made Michael D’s part of his routine for two years. “It’s just a friendly environment,” he says, sitting at one of four chrome stools along the counter.

Elsewhere, booths are packed with people of all ages and the room buzzes with happy diners loading up on chocolate chip pancakes, eggs Benedict, overstuffed omelettes and bottomless cups of coffee. On the wall are photos of local landmarks as well as several Groucho Marx-like caricatures of DePasquale and his trademark glasses, similar to the one that appears on the menu and outdoor signage.

And, like a junior high dance, chairs lining the waiting room walls fill up as hungry people help themselves to coffee and wait for their name to be called. DePasquale greets many by their first name.

“We get some old-timers who had their first date here and bring the grandkids,” says DePasquale. “Folks who lived here years ago come back and are thrilled to see it still going and, of course, want to share their story.” Some of them, he adds, used to come in as customers and now work at the restaurant.

His staff, says DePasquale, is the real reason for the restaurant’s success. Nearly half of them have been with the place for more than 10 years.

“These people are Michael D’s Eatery,” he says, “I just have the mustache that goes with the caricature.”

— CARRIE SCOZZARO

AN’S MARK HERM ET FIS G RIL

L AND SUS H

I

fishermansmarketcda.com Sushi • Seafood • Fish & Chips

Smoked Fish, Seafood & Daily Specials!

VOTED BEST SEAFOOD

Thank you voters!

We offer a variety of fishwiches, fish & chips, salads, snacks & sushi.

Stop in and dine with us today or take something TO GO!

208.664.4800 Mon - Sat: 11am-8pm 215 West Kathleen Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Locally Owned & Operated

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BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 39

Food & Drink

Sweet Frostings wants to make treats worth the calories. JENNIFER DEBARROS PHOTO

BEST DESSERT

DOCKSIDE

The view is incredible, and we’re not even talking about the lake outside this Coeur d’Alene Resort restaurant. Rather, it’s the eyeful of towering ice cream filling the sundaes and shakes, the bright fruit covering the tarts and filling the cobbler, the array of carefully crafted and intricately frosted cakes. With sugar- and gluten-free options and hands-on cupcake decorating for the kids, it’s easy to see why readers love dessert at Dockside. (DN) 2nd PLACE: Clinkerdagger; 3rd PLACE: The Melting Pot

BEST BAKERY

ROCKET BAKERY

The seven Rocket Bakery locations challenge you to think of a bakery as much more than a spot to fill up on cookies or scones. In their respective neighborhoods, each serves as a community gathering place, perfect for quiet study, or catching up with friends over a coffee. It goes without saying you’ll want a bagel or slice of cake to go with that. (DN) 2nd PLACE: Boots Bakery; 3rd PLACE: Le Petit Chat; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Bakery by the Lake

BEST DONUTS

DONUT PARADE

History oozes from the bricks of Donut Parade as voluminously as the coffee pours as a must-have alongside your maple bars or cake donuts. From the old-timey signs for hot dogs and ice cream on the walls to the logo on the side of the building, there’s no mistaking Donut Parade for anything other than what it is — a classic Spokane landmark serving up a staple of American cuisine, typically by the dozen. (DN) 2nd PLACE: Krispy Kreme; 3rd PLACE: Casual Friday Donuts; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: The Donut House, Hayden

40 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

BEST CUPCAKES

SWEET FROSTINGS

Judy Beebe, the co-owner of Sweet Frostings, says that she started her business with a simple goal: Make cupcakes that are worth the calories and worth the money. She accomplishes this by making her 58 varieties of cupcakes like they made them in the 1950s: with real butter and no artificial flavorings. (JAKE THOMAS) 2nd PLACE: Celebrations Bakery; 3rd PLACE: Love @ First Bite; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Stacies Cakes

BEST MILKSHAKE

MARY LOU’S MILK BOTTLE

Ed Ritchie, co-owner of Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle, can tell you all about the details of the time-consuming process that goes into making their milkshakes, including how they use a Taylor batch freezer from the 1960s that slowly produces their own ice cream. But it’s the butterfat, says Ritchie, that gives his shakes the creamy texture that distinguishes them from the others. (JT) 2nd PLACE: Zip’s; 3rd PLACE: Hogan’s; NORTH IDAHO’s BEST: Paul Bunyan Famous Hamburgers

BEST FINE DINING

CLINKERDAGGER

Remember those heady days when Spokane was the center of the world during Expo ’74? Even if you don’t, Clinkerdagger, which opened the same year as the fair, is still around and remains the standard for fine dining in the city, providing diners with a majestic view of the Spokane River while they feast on steaks, salmon and pasta. (JT) 2nd PLACE: Churchill’s Steakhouse; 3rd PLACE: Beverly’s

BEST STEAKS

CHURCHILL’S

To get the best steaks in Spokane, Churchill’s takes USDA Prime cuts of beef that have been fattened with grain. They are then aged in cryovac bags to seal in their juices before being cooked on a custommade ceramic broiler that instantly sears the meat and leaves it with a nice crust. They are seasoned with a proprietary blend of spices before being served. (JT) 2nd PLACE: Wolf Lodge Inn; 3rd PLACE: Spencer’s

BEST MEXICAN

AZTECA

Sometimes you just want a hearty plate of comfort food, and Azteca has it down. Hungry patrons enjoy platos tipicos — enchiladas, burritos and tacos — while cantina revelers down pineapple jalapeño margaritas and refreshing cheladas. The kids’ menu, assorted vegetarian options and heavenly desserts make Azteca a sure thing for all. (AMY MILLER-KREZELAK) 2nd PLACE: Rancho Chico; 3rd PLACE: Atilano’s

BEST SEAFOOD

ANTHONY’S AT SPOKANE FALLS

Anthony’s never fails to impress, with seasonal, local ingredients paired with fresh seafood and fish from the greater Pacific Northwest. With the early winter melt, now is the perfect time to take advantage of Anthony’s amazing view of the Spokane River rushing over the falls, all while enjoying early spring’s cold-water bounty. (AMK) 2nd PLACE: Milford’s; 3rd PLACE: Red Lobster; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Fisherman’s Market, Coeur d’Alene

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 41

Food & Drink

Find Liberty Ciderworks’ tasting room on Washington Street.

BEST CIDERY

PRESENTING THE INLAND NORTHWEST WITH

AWARD WINNING NATIONAL TOURS Thank you INLANDER readers for naming three Best of Broadway engagements as the BEST touring productions this year!

wcebroadway.com 42 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

MEGHAN KIRK PHOTO

LIBERTY CIDERWORKS

L

iberty Ciderworks co-owner Rick Hastings has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of cider.

He can tell you, for instance, that they use one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite apples (the Newtown Pippin) in the eponymous single varietal, the difference between English- and American-style cider (the former uses cider apples while the latter uses all-purpose apples), both of which are offered at Liberty, and what food pairs best with cider (cheese, richer foods, spicy foods, lamb, pork).

He also can break down the cidery’s menu so that anyone, no matter how new to the beverage, can understand each varietal’s composition.

To name a few: There’s Stonewall, the product of what happens when Liberty’s English cider meets Dry Fly whiskey barrels; Turncoat, a blend of all-American apples and British hops; Crabenstein, a funky blend of Dolgo crabapples and Gravenstein apples that has stayed on the menu since its Halloween debut; and Jonathan, a customer-favorite single varietal that uses the apples of the same name.

“A lot of people still think cider has to be sugary-sweet,” Hastings says. “Craft cideries are making cider and being truer to the apple and being truer to the art form. If you try a cider like that, you’ll be impressed.”

Hastings, who co-owns Liberty with Austin Dickey, discovered cider after looking for an alternative to beer with his brother and sister-in-law, who are gluten-intolerant. He told Dickey about his find, only to learn that Dickey had been making his own cider for years.

Before opening the tasting room in April of last year, the duo bottled its cider to deliver to local bars and restaurants, while also making frequent trips to the westside to distribute the cider in Seattle, something they still do.

It’s been a strong first year for Liberty; last month, Hastings and Dickey hired their first full-time staff member to help with the growing number of sales calls and deliveries, a trend Hastings hopes will continue.

“We’d like to become something that people really appreciate about Spokane,” he says. “We’ve got a really amazing culinary scene that’s emerging here. Spokane’s getting cool, and cider is definitely in the mix of that urban vitality.”

— AZARIA PODPLESKY 2nd PLACE: One Tree Hard Cider; 3rd PLACE: Twilight Cider Works; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Summit Cider

we make it fun, you make us #1!

Quality Furnishings & Interior Design Service 509-535-1111 | 1727 E Sprague Ave, Spokane WA Open 7 Days a Week | www.TinRoofFurniture.com

o Thanks to everyone wh voted us their favorite Show g in rn o M io d a R y tr n u o C in the Inland Northwest! /K102-country BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 43

Food & Drink BEST NEW-TO-THE-REGION FOOD TREND

FOOD TRUCKS

Tacos al pastor. Wagyu beef sliders. Jerk chicken.

Inlander readers worship food trucks, dining al fresco at late-night venues, farmers markets and special events. Food truck devotee Morgann Russell says it best: “I was in desperate need of a life-saving meal when I (literally) stumbled upon the Bistro Box. Great folks and delicious food!” (AMK) 2nd PLACE: Ramen; 3rd PLACE: Tapas/Small Plates

BEST ASIAN

GORDY’S SICHUAN CAFE

Don’t let Gordy’s unassuming storefront fool you: what’s happening inside is as groundbreaking as it is popular. Fan Megan Read gets her Gordy’s fix as often as possible. “Almost all the dishes are bursting with flavor, but the Gan Bian green beans are my ‘must-have’ every time — they are completely addictive!” (AMK) 2nd PLACE: Red Dragon; 3rd PLACE: Bonsai Bistro

BEST ITALIAN

BEST INNOVATIVE CUISINE BEST NEW RESTAURANT

TOMATO STREET

THE WANDERING TABLE

Tomato Street’s extensive menu of pizza, pasta, salads and calzones beckons satisfied enthusiasts back year after year. Wood-fired brick oven pizza is a standout, offering classic toppings alongside unique choices like jalapeño bacon and feta. Love pasta but can’t eat gluten? With more than 10 gluten-free pasta options, this is the place to indulge.

(AMK) 2nd PLACE: Italian Kitchen; 3rd PLACE: Luigi’s; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Tito’s Italian Grill, Coeur d’Alene

What makes the Wandering Table’s cuisine so innovative? “We offer Northwest, Asian, Italian, French cuisine… everything you could find at other restaurants, you can find on our menu,” says general manager Paul Dorazi. To get the most out of this diverse menu, corral a group of friends and share as many small plates as you can manage. Or opt for the chef’s tasting. (AMK) BEST INNOVATIVE CUISINE 2nd PLACE: Nudo; 3rd PLACE: Ruins

BEST SPECIAL DIET MENU OPTIONS

BEST NEW RESTAURANT 2nd PLACE: Nudo; 3rd PLACE: Ruins; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: MickDuff’s Brewing Company, Sandpoint

BOOTS BAKERY AND LOUNGE

Boots Bakery and Lounge excels at laughing in the faces of dietary constraints. With a revolving and evolving menu that offers vegan and mostly glutenfree meals and baked goods, Boots is a favorite for the early morning and midday set. In the evening, Boots fits right in with a vast selection of innovative cocktails. (AMK) 2nd PLACE: Mizuna; 3rd PLACE: Luna

ROGER’S ICE CREAM & BURGERS 1224 E. Sherman Ave. CDA 208-930-4900

o's h a d I h t r o N e b o Proud t OUR P H P Y A H T S E B ZE R & BEST APPETI 209 Lakeside, Cd’A 208.664.8008 SEASONSOFCDA.COM

44 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

ROGER’S ICE CREAM & BURGERS 155 W. Neider Ave CDA 208-664-0696

Taste The Quality!

THANK YOU for voting Roger’s NORTH IDAHO’s BEST ICE CREAM!

We are a local family owned business established in 1940. The Original Roger’s Ice Cream & Burgers is on Sherman Ave.& the second location is on Neider Ave.

north idaho

We pride ourselves on serving fresh, quality ingredients with great, friendly service. Every burger & fry is made to order, from scratch, the old-fashioned way.

Our hamburgers are made with 100% fresh ground beef. We also have a turkey and garden burger. Our French fries are hand cut daily from locally grown potatoes & fried in rice bran oil.

Both locations serve over 17 flavors of hand dipped ice cream.

MANITO PARK 1 Best Place to take Pictures

#

2 Best Place to Pop the Question

#

The Awe Geez Burger from Wisconsinburger YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

WISCONSINBURGER BEST BURGER

I

t hasn’t even been a year since Wisconsinburger introduced its menu of Midwestern fare to Spokane, but the city already has decided that its burgers are the best around.

In April of last year, Jeff Nordvall and Laura Paisley opened the retro-style restaurant after traveling through the Midwest — where they’re from — to visit family and making some nostalgic stops at mom-and-pop burger shops along the way. Back in Spokane, they used to own what was previously the Lantern Tavern, then a small, 12-seat bar, but after selling it, they wanted to do something bigger, something that harkened back to their Midwestern roots.

“It’s kind of fun, we have this pride of where we’re from and we’re loving it here, too,” says Nordvall.

They definitely feel the love from the surrounding South Hill neighborhood the restaurant is nestled into, but Nordvall says they also get customers — especially transplanted Midwesterners — making hour-long drives to come and dine.

Paisley thinks the draw is Wisconsinburger’s dedication to freshness. “The biggest thing that makes our burgers delicious is that we fresh-grind the meat every day,” she says.

The buns are delivered daily from Alpine Bakery, the fries and chips are hand-cut, the bacon

jam found on the Spooner burger is made in-house and of course, the butter and cheese come from Wisconsin.

So far the Wisconsin burger has been the most popular on the menu. When you bite into that simple combination of lettuce, tomato, Wisconsin sharp cheddar and grilled onions, you taste the succulence immediately and a pile of juice quickly forms in the basket below to tangibly prove it.

As Spokanites scan the menu, Paisley says people usually have to ask, “What’s a cheese curd?” Tiny balls of differently sized cheese curds — a byproduct of the cheese-making process — are deep-fried in Miller High Life batter. After popping one into your mouth, you know those greasy, golden lumps are dangerously addicting for any fan of things fried and cheesy. They come piled in a basket, or you can bite into them on the Awe Geez burger.

“The formula [for Midwestern food] is always burgers, fried cheese curds and frozen custard — what we’re working on now,” Paisley says.

That deliciously dense dessert is on its way to the menu.

— JO MILLER 2nd PLACE: Red Robin; 3rd PLACE: Waddell’s; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Hudson’s

The Friends of Manito enhance the beauty and functionality of Manito Park for present and future generations.

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online at thefriendsofmanito.org Membership with the Friends of Manito is only $25 a year!

Discover new adventures in Manito park.

UPCOMING EVENTS TIEG’s Garden Expo at SCC | May 9, 2015

Spring Plant Sale at Manito Park June 6, 2015

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Thank you for Voting! #3 Best New Business open in 2014 To thank you for voting for us, come in and recieve 20% OFF

any one item in the store!

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/RustyMooseCountryGifts BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 45

Shopping BEST BOOKSTORE

AUNTIE’S

Housed in the historic Liberty Building in downtown Spokane, this towering, three-story local bookstore is as integrally Spokane as anything could be. Were there a category, it might also be up for the award for Spokane’s best-smelling store — thousands upon thousands of books, new and old, make Auntie’s a book hunter’s oasis and give it that wonderful vintage aroma.

(JORDAN SATTERFIELD) 2nd PLACE: Barnes & Noble; 3rd PLACE: 2nd Look Books; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: The Well-Read Moose

BEST GIFTS

BOO RADLEY’S

Between hilarious novelties, clever T-shirts, coffee-table books, comic books, lunchboxes…

OK, look: Boo Radley’s wins this award every year. What more is there to say that hasn’t been printed already? Boo’s is one of Spokane’s most beloved establishments, and its undying dedication to bringing you twisted entertainment will keep it running as long as the world needs whoopee cushions. (JS) 2nd PLACE: Atticus; 3rd PLACE: Kizuri; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Lucky Monkey Trading Co.

BEST ETHNIC GROCERY STORE

DE LEON FOODS

De Leon Foods is a perfect fit for this category, and this is their second win in a row. It’s obvious why: Not only do they have a Mexican grocery store with a range of selections somewhere between exceptional and excessive, their deli serves some of the best Mexican food in town. (JS) 2nd PLACE: Best Asian Market; 3rd PLACE: Cassano’s

46 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

BEST ORGANIC/ NATURAL FOODS

HUCKLEBERRY’S As the reigning champion of organic foods in Spokane, Huckleberry’s is a paradise of groceries that fall into the sacred realm of “tastes good and is good for you.” This win should not come as a surprise to anyone who has ever set foot inside of Huckleberry’s, with its stunning beer and wine selection, some of the best produce in town and a fully fledged bistro to boot. (Try the quiche — it’s otherworldly.) (JS) 2nd PLACE: Trader Joe’s; 3rd PLACE: Main Market Co-op; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Pilgrim’s Market

BEST PAWN SHOP

PAWN 1

Pawn 1 is a bona fide local business success story, with eight stores open in Washington and Idaho and a firm grip on the market. That success could be credited to their atmosphere, which is far more comfortable than people might expect a pawn shop to be. They get extra points for their TV on DVD section, which made it easy to binge-watch The X-Files and Friends before it was cool. (JS) 2nd PLACE: Double Eagle Pawn; 3rd PLACE: Axel’s Pawnshop

BEST BANK

WASHINGTON TRUST BANK

To those of you who didn’t vote for us:

In the 112 years since it was founded in Spokane, Washington Trust Bank has been no stranger to “Best Of” awards. The bank continues to pride itself on local boosterism through community involvement and cultural sponsorship while expanding its operations across the Pacific Northwest. (E.J. IANNELLI) 2nd PLACE: Banner Bank; 3rd PLACE: Umpqua Bank; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Mountain West Bank

BEST NEW CAR DEALERSHIP GROUP

LARRY H. MILLER SPOKANE

Larry H. Miller’s philosophy was “Have a little fun, make a little money and take care of the customer.” That became the backbone of a business empire that now spans six different fields — and its renowned emphasis on customer care is undoubtedly what led so many pleased Lexus, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai owners to voice their support for the dealerships that bear his namesake. (EJI) 2nd PLACE: Dave Smith Motors; 3rd PLACE: Wendle Motors

As for the rest of you... we’re cool.

Thanks for voting Dry Fly! LOCALLY OWNED | LOCALLY MADE | LOCAL INGREDIENTS

1003 E. Trent #200 | SPOKANE | 509.489.2112

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 NLANDER 47

Shopping

Meet Sylvia Darcy, one of the vendors at Fray in Coeur d’Alene. MEGHAN KIRK PHOTO

FRAY W 1st place

Best Beer Bar Best Pub Food

@MANITOTAPHOUSE MANITOTAPHOUSE.COM

3011 S. GRAND BLVD. | (509) 279-2671 11AM - 11PM SUN-THURS | 11AM - 2AM FRI & SAT

48 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

NORTH IDAHO’S BEST VINTAG BOUTIQUE E

alking into Fray is like walking into a do-it-yourselfer’s dream. Everywhere you look, a vintage piece has been revived with a fresh coat of paint or new upholstery or repurposed into something completely new.

Like the secretary desk that was once a 1907 Vose & Sons piano. Or the mirror framed by pieces of metal salvaged after Hurricane Katrina, the metal barrel that was upcycled into a chair. Even the aprons made from men’s dress shirts have both a vintage feel and modern accents.

“Some people go down memory lane [in the store],” Sylvia Darcy, one of five vendors who operate Fray, says. “They’re reminded of their grandparents or their mother when they were little. Some people are bummed out because they gave away that piece they should’ve kept.”

Furniture, including couches, dressers, tables, chairs and storage pieces like a set of distressed lockers, new and “pre-loved” clothing, including tops, bottoms, shoes, accessories and even faux fur coats, and lighting fixtures make up a majority of the store’s inventory. But if you look around, you’ll find surprises like a tray of weathered plastic letters used in readerboards and various kitchen tools.

Fray also holds classes several times a month in the workspace in the back of the store. Past classes have featured wirewrapped jewelry, vintage albums, woodland wreaths, stained glass and chalk paint.

The five vendors began throwing around the idea of opening their own store after Shabby to Chic Shoppe, for which they all repurposed pieces, closed. It took a few years for things to come together, but two and a half years later, Fray is a gem of Coeur d’Alene’s growing Midtown neighborhood.

Darcy thinks the changing economy, a more consumerconscious culture and the quality craftsmanship of older items is bringing vintage pieces into the mainstream.

She also thinks a renewed interest in completing projects yourself, plus the opportunity to make a long-forgotten item new again, is driving people into stores like Fray, which fits perfectly with the store’s aim to repurpose, salvage and upcycle.

“Our mission statement is all about creativity,” Darcy says.

“In that respect, I feel like we’re more than just retail.”

— AZARIA PODPLESKY

BEST SPOKANE RETAIL MARIJUANA SHOP

CINDER

In an industry that is still relatively young, Cinder is quietly setting a standard for weed shops in the area. As the first to open in the Spokane Valley, they pride themselves on integrity, a welcoming atmosphere and good product — all specifically important to an activity that was only recently decriminalized in Washington. With any luck, shops like Cinder may help to lift the outdated stigma associated with marijuana. (JS) 2nd PLACE: Sativa Sisters; 3rd PLACE: Spokane Green Leaf

BEST FURNITURE

THE TIN ROOF

There are homes and apartments throughout the Inland Northwest that have been furnished in their entirety by Tin Roof. That’s not just because this popular home furnishings and décor showroom has a range of items for every room. There’s also a genuine warmth and dedication to customer service that’s hard to beat. (EJI) 2nd PLACE: Walker’s Furniture; 3rd PLACE: Mor; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Runge Furniture

BEST HAIR SALON

OASIS

Every year Oasis Hair donates a portion of its net profits to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. So not only do you get style in the form of expert cuts and coloring for men, women and children at any one of this top-rated salon’s four area locations, you get substance to boot. (EJI) 2nd PLACE: Jaazz Salon; 3rd PLACE: House of Pop; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Bombshell

BEST SPA

LA RIVE AT NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO

The Greek historian Herodotus said you can’t step in the same river twice. Fans of La Rive — and there are plenty — say you can and you should. Often. The pampering and rejuvenating treatments on offer at this four-star spa, named for the Kalispel Tribe’s reverence toward the natural elements, hold the promise of endless healing and relaxation. (EJI) 2nd PLACE: Spa Paradiso; 3rd PLACE: The Coeur d’Alene Resort Spa

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 NLANDER 49

Shopping

STCU

L OF HAL ME FA

“S

BEST CREDIT UNION 20

15 INDUCT

EE

TCU is me.” We’ve seen the phrase emblazoned across billboards and bus banners, and we’ve heard it proclaimed in the catchy TV spots by community members and business owners, touting their sincere loyalty for what started out as Spokane Teachers Credit Union.

For members and nonmembers alike, it’s been these ongoing marketing campaigns that have made us more familiar with the hyperlocal focus of STCU. Chances are, most of us know of at least one of the dozens of people — a family member, a teacher, a local business owner — who’ve shared their personal stories about STCU since the testimonial campaigns were first launched back in 2000.

“The union is member-owned, so it makes sense that our members are the face of our marketing,” says STCU’s Vice President of Marketing Barb Richey. She’s been overseeing marketing since the second year of STCU’s move to testimonial-focused advertising.

Richey herself was featured in one of the credit union’s earliest commercials, back before she started working there. At the time, Richey was an employee at Eastern Washington University. In her spot she candidly said

50 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

President/CEO Tom Johnson: “We have great employees at STCU who find great value in serving all of our members.” YOUNG KWAK PHOTO she’d been a member of the union since 1986, and that STCU is where she opened her first checking and savings accounts and took out her first car loan.

Her story isn’t unique, and that’s partly why she says these always unscripted testimonials have been so impactful, helping grow STCU’s membership to the more than 134,000 members it serves today.

“Every employee at the organization has an alabaster heart on their desk that signifies the heart of the member, and we focus on that to make decisions every day — we focus on that love of the members,” Richey reflects. “In turn, I think our members truly love us and some members feel like they want to share that love, and when they do, it just happens to be about their farm they’re working on, or the business they own.”

If STCU’s story of growth seems a bit cloying, that’s because it is a throwback. In an age of corporate banking scandals and online convenience trumping face-to-face human interaction, sincerity and an unfettered devotion to its members is why STCU has simply continued to outshine itself year after year. Considering this, it’s also no wonder that

the credit union is now celebrating its 10th consecutive win in this category since 2006’s Best Of readers poll.

Beyond STCU’s love of its many members is a wider appreciation of and love for the community where its members and employees live and work, Richey adds. One indication of its continued commitment to that effort is the growing participation in STCU’s “Who Do you Love?” campaign, held every February, and for the fourth time this year. Locals are invited to nominate and then vote for regional nonprofits to receive a donation from the credit union. The number of nominations and subsequent votes in the contest has exponentially increased since that first year, with 8,000 individual nominations submitted this year, compared to 500 in the contest’s first year, 2012.

“We reciprocate that love,” Richey says.

“We’re in the community, and our goal is to give back to the community whenever possible.”

— CHEY SCOTT 2nd PLACE: Numerica Credit Union; 3rd PLACE: Global Credit Union

20 YEARS OF BEING VOTED #1 MEXICAN FOOD We couldn’t do it without you!

Downtown Spokane NorthPointe Plaza Spokane Valley Mall W. 245 Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane, WA 9738 N. Newport Hwy, Spokane, WA 14700 E. Indiana St., Spokane Valley, WA 509.456.0350 509.465.9101 509.228.9661 Azteca SW Grill Tecate Grill 2462 N Old Mill Loop, Coeur d’ Alene, ID 208.676.0200 2503 W Wellesley #C Spokane, WA 509.327.7817

visit our website for full menu: aztecamex.com BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 NLANDER 51

THANK YOU SPOKANE FOR VOTING

Shopping

RIVER CITY BREWING AS ONE OF THE BEST BREWERIES IN THE AREA!

Tattoo artist Duffy Moon, left, and owner Walt Dailey at Tiger Tattoo.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

TIGER TATTOO 121 S. CEDAR • OPEN 3PM DAILY

BEST TATTOOS

W

hile tattoo artistry is not exactly considered a subtle line of work, Tiger Tattoo owner Walt Dailey is a man with an eye for the finer details, both in and outside of his tattoos.

Having spent more than 36 years in the world of ink, Dailey is one of the most experienced artists in the Spokane area, and he gives off an air of humble and adept wisdom.

“The only reason I know 36 years off the top of my head,” Dailey thinks aloud, “is because I have a tattoo club membership card that says ‘36 Years’ on it.”

To Dailey, this number is fairly inconsequential, but to the clientele of Tiger Tattoo, there’s inherent talent and care from three and a half decades of practice. This, Dailey speculates, is what makes him and his staff — Duffy Moon and Sienna J. — such a popular choice for a tattoo in Spokane.

It’s also due in no small part to the fact that, like any great local establishment, the people at Tiger Tattoo absolutely love what they do.

“It’s nice to be able to make a living but not have to work for a living,” Dailey says. “I’m happy on my way to work, I’m happy with the work that I do.”

Tattoos are not always associated with joy, but Tiger Tattoo was clearly born with joy flowing through its ink-filled veins. Dailey takes an obvious pride in his handiwork and relishes the opportunity to be a part of his customers’ self-expression.

“Tattoos are such a deeply personal thing,” he explains, “so naturally everyone is ecstatic when they get their first one. But if they come back for that second one or that third one, that’s a really good feeling.”

Moon, working on a client at the tattoo station to Dailey’s right, chimes in. “We’ve got some people that we’ve been tattooing for so long,” Moon says, “that now we’re tattooing their kids and their grandkids.”

Supplementing experience with variety and artistic pride, Dailey has turned Tiger Tattoo into a Spokane benchmark, not just as a tattoo parlor, but as a local business. Sometimes, as they say, practice makes perfect.

— JORDAN SATTERFIELD 2nd PLACE: (tie) Anchored Art Tattoo; On The Level Tattoo; 3rd PLACE: Living Skin Tattoo; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Inkworld Tattoo

52 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

BEST BARBER SHOP

THE MAN SHOP

The usual barbershop experience involves thumbing through an out-of-date U.S. News and World Report while biding time in a well-worn chair. At the Man Shop, you can play darts or practice your putt before taking the next available spot. Then you can channel-surf as your hair is meticulously cut by a trained stylist. (EJI) 2nd PLACE: Porter’s; 3rd PLACE: Weldon Barber; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Clean Cut

BEST THRIFT SHOP

VALUE VILLAGE

When you shop at Value Village, you’re not just supporting a single charity — you’re supporting partnerships with as many as 140 nonprofits across the Pacific Northwest. That broad-minded approach helps spread funds to different programs and services throughout local communities while giving bargain hunters lots more variety. (EJI) 2nd PLACE: Goodwill; 3rd PLACE: Northwest Christian Thrift Store; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: St. Vincent de Paul

BEST VINTAGE BOUTIQUE

FRINGE & FRAY

Those who thrift know — the best thing about buying used is that no one else can truly duplicate your signature style. At Fringe & Fray, stylish and sustainable shoppers are grateful for the always changing inventory and visually pleasing (not to mention organized) racks. “We need more boutiques like Fringe & Fray in Spokane!” Spokanite Jalen Bolz tells the Inlander. “The staff is always extremely friendly and they constantly have new items, unlike so many other boutiques. Their prices are so reasonable that I find myself stopping by at least once a week to check out the latest items.” (CHEY SCOTT) 2nd PLACE: Veda Lux; 3rd PLACE: Carousel Vintage; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Fray

Thank you Spokane for voting Bike Hub ONE OF THE BEST!

BEST PET BOUTIQUE

THE URBAN CANINE

Despite its name, this consistent favorite doesn’t discriminate based on species — locals can find supplies for their friends in both the canis and felis families. Inlander reader Cassie O’Meara says, “My dog and I look forward to running out of food so we can stop by, browse new treats and toys, and above all get a warm reception from our favorite place besides the park.” Karla Porter, a South Hill resident, echoes O’Meara’s sentiments: “Urban Canine has always been very helpful with recommendations for best food choices for my animals for every situation, from feline asthma to UTIs and all other health concerns. Their products are top quality, and the owner and staff genuinely care.” (CS) 2nd PLACE: The Yuppy Puppy; 3rd PLACE: Prairie Dog Mercantile; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: GoodDog

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Shopping BEST HOTEL

BEST MALL

In the 13 years since reopening after a painstaking renovation by owners Walt and Karen Worthy, the historic Davenport Hotel has established itself as the crown jewel of downtown Spokane. It’s the place you tell out-of-towners they have to stay; the place to celebrate the most special occasions, and a place that lifelong residents of the region stop by to simply marvel at its exquisite, timeless elegance. Of course, when serving its main purpose, the Davenport also excels, according to Inlander reader Charla Cochran: “I love the atmosphere and the service the Davenport staff provide. The rooms are always clean and the beds are to die for.” (CS) 2nd PLACE: Northern Quest Resort & Casino; 3rd PLACE: Hotel Lusso; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: The Coeur d’Alene Resort

With a total of four definitive shopping malls across the greater Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area, this category tends to be an annually rotating cycle. Now think a little deeper about these meccas of consumerism. Each one has a set of unique offerings — a mix of national and local retailers, and each is located in a distinct location. But of the four, the Spokane Valley Mall arguably hosts some of the most popular, single-location stores in our region: H&M, Old Navy, Nordstrom Rack, Forever 21. These retailers and a slew of restaurants, department and specialty stores are the reason many Northwest shoppers drive from all around just to hit up this particular mall. (CS) 2nd PLACE: River Park Square; 3rd PLACE: NorthTown Mall; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Silver Lake Mall

Annual 22nd 1

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54 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

SPOKANE VALLEY MALL

“We’ve been force-fed digital for over 20 years,” Gallagher says, “but it has never sounded better than vinyl.”

Undoubtedly, the recording industry has become obsessed with using digital formats as their main form of distributing music to the public, and why wouldn’t they? It’s cheaper for them, without any of the laborious and expensive production costs involved in making LPs and CDs. And the convenience of digital music being available on the fly makes it look like they’re doing you a favor.

“People like to come in and shop from me because of three common denominators,” says Gallagher, holding three fingers in the air. “Because they like the better sound, they like the feeling of owning music, and because they have jobs.” He laughs.

Indeed, collecting records is not the world’s cheapest hobby. “I have 3,500 CDs at home. If those were all vinyl records,” Gallagher jokes, “I’d probably be single, living alone somewhere.”

That being said, record collecting is also inexplicably rewarding.

Gallagher calls it “vinylitis.”

“I can’t even tell you why I like these things so much,” he says, waving a copy of Surf ’s Up by the Beach Boys in the air. “There is something about this that I just can’t resist.”

That affection for records, and ultimately music in general, is at the heart of what has made 4,000 Holes a landmark establishment in Spokane. Gallagher has always had his loyal customers, and now the return of vinyl has allowed him to bring the noise for a new generation of record nerds and casual listeners alike.

— JORDAN SATTERFIELD

READERS’ QUESTIONS

Bob Gallagher: “It has never sounded better than vinyl.”

4,000 HOLES

BEST RECORD STORE

I

MEGHAN KIRK PHOTO

t’s impossible to overstate how remarkable it is that Bob Gallagher’s 4,000 Holes has stayed so beautifully consistent in its more than 25 years of existence. Given the decades of exciting and terrifying industry changes, the owner of the beloved Spokane record store has had every reason to cut his losses and find a more merciful line of business.

Fortunately, time has been on Gallagher’s side. Vinyl units are being moved at an exponential rate, and record sales are currently the highest they’ve been since the early ’90s. In between chats with customers at his commercial turf on North Monroe, Gallagher runs through some theories on why he thinks that is:

2nd Place: The Long Ear, CdA; 3rd PLACE: Unified Groove Merchants

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 NLANDER 55

Shopping BEST NEW BUSINESS OPENED IN 2014-15

PINOT’S PALETTE

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THANK YOU For Voting Us #1 COFFEE SHOP

Thanks to the recent boom of learn-to-paint (with the option to sip beer or wine) studios like the year-old Pinot’s Palette in downtown Spokane, anyone can become their own version of Pablo Picasso or Claude Monet.

Pinot’s hosts 40-person classes nearly every day of the week, often selling out sessions weeks in advance. Even for those who consider themselves hopeless when it comes to anything artistic, Pinot’s step-by-step classes — taught by instructors who themselves are artists — allow participants to leave their easel with a sense of accomplishment. Due to its mass appeal that spans ages and interests, Pinot’s has become a go-to spot for date night, girls’ night, private parties and for anyone with the urge for a creative outlet. (CS) 2nd PLACE: The Malted Mutt; 3rd PLACE: The Rusty Moose Country Gifts

BEST WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE

SWANK BOUTIQUE

If you’re feeling out of the loop on the latest women’s fashion trends, step into Swank and take a look around. Swank owner Jody Mallonee’s mission is making it so fashionconscious, Northwest women don’t have to turn to the web to get their hands on the newest looks from the pages of magazines.

Always stocking her North Spokane boutique with on-point swag from top brands like Free People, Hudson and J Brand, shoppers at Swank don’t have to fret anymore about jeans purchased online not being the right fit because they couldn’t try them on. (CS) 2nd PLACE: Fringe Boutique; 3rd PLACE: Lolo Boutique; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Marie’s Boutique

BEST MEN’S CLOTHES

NORDSTROM

With much fewer options than the ladies when it comes to shopping for men’s clothing in our region, it’s a bit harder to find locally owned shops that can take the winning title year after year. But then again, Nordstrom is based in Seattle, and it didn’t unjustly take the top spot. With such individually oriented customer service — don’t forget its free tailoring services — and a comprehensive inventory of the highest-end brands, Nordstrom’s men’s department is where local guys go when they need that one staple “splurge” piece, like a suit. Or name-brand shoes. Or designer jeans. You get the idea.

(CS) 2nd PLACE: Anderson & Emami; 3rd PLACE: The Bachelor Pad; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Thrux Lawrence

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56 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

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BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 NLANDER 57

Romance Best Of

Student Lisa Mularski works on a painting, “Jasmine’s Jade,” during a class at Pinot’s Palette. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Y ORD

BY J RD BY

R

omance is in the air. Spokane readers prove it’s not all champagne and doves. Intimacy can form in unlikely places — at trivia, on a blind date, in the jewelry store, and above a cliffside view.

The unwed flock to NYNE — readers’ choice for Best Place to Meet Singles. The chic open space has become a staple in the nightlife scene since opening five years ago, inviting a clientele of drinkers, dancers and music lovers.

58 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

“nYne has a truly special atmosphere,” says owner Kitty Kane. “I told myself years ago that I wanted to come to work every day to a place that is fun, inspiring and attracts good, positive people. To that end, we strive to provide our customers with a good time.”

The nightclub is playful, yet industrial chic, with brick walls, a towering glass bar and a half-court basketball — hoop and all — in the middle of the dance floor. On any given night, singles can sing karaoke, rub up against

each other on the dance floor with a band or DJ, or play a game of trivia.

“For singles, it is important for a venue to offer variety and lots of choices for how they can get to know someone new,” Kane says. “Our strong calendar of events helps us continually attract new customers which gives singles a better chance of meeting that special someone. … We maintain an environment that is fresh, urban, energetic, clean, safe and unique.”

Singles don’t have to bump stones and offers an impressive into each other at a bar. While selection of engagement rings blind dates are recognized as from Simon G., Gabriel & Best Place to comical tropes, when the atCo. New York, and VerraMeet Singles mosphere is just right, sparks gio. Glass cases glitter with 1st PLACE: nYne; 2nd PLACE: can fly. The creative team rose gold bands, platinum Borracho Tacos & Tequileria; at PINOT’S PALETTE settings, and oval-shaped 3rd PLACE: Church — readers’ choice for Best diamonds. The company Place for a Blind Date — have also creates custom engagecreated a playful yet romantic ment rings, forging the perfect ambiance that relaxes the strangsymbol of love from a pen and ers and the friend-of-a-friend set up paper, computer 3-D imaging, on a blind date. modeling, and casts and molds.

“We have many couples who come Lovebirds, engagement ring in tow, on a first date because it breaks the head to RIVERFRONT PARK ice,” says owner Jackie Casey.

— readers’ choice for Best Place “Pinot’s Palette is a loud, to Pop the Question. The park energetic, unpretentious place represents the heart of the Best Place for a where anyone can come and city, and provides an intimate Blind Date fit right in. We turn up our escape for couples. Whether 1st PLACE: Pinot’s Palette; music so there are never it’s on top of a tiger at the 2nd PLACE: Twigs; any awkward silences, and Looff Carrousel, watching 3rd PLACE: Zola. NORTH people are really friendly.” the fireworks on the Fourth IDAHO’S BEST: Uva Trattoria Casey opened the paintof July, or strolling hand-inand-sip studio in February of hand below the clock tower, 2014. At Pinot’s Palette, amid Riverfront Park was made for the backdrop of exposed brick lovers. walls and hardwood floors, couples Romance and engagements all lead can sip Washington wine and beer to the big day, and wedding bells toll from the bar, listen to music, and best at ARBOR CREST WINE paint with a guided instructor.

CELLARS — readers’ choice Best Place The franchised studio offers for Best Place to Have Your to Buy An classes, private parties, and Wedding Reception. The Engagement Ring corporate events. Date night gorgeous clifftop winery 1st PLACE: Jewelry Design is busiest, as it allows paintoffers old-world charm with Center; 2nd PLACE: Pounders ers to get to know either cobblestone pillars, sprawlJewelry; 3rd PLACE: Dodson’s without strained conversaing gardens and panoramic Jewelers. NORTH IDAHO’S tions. views of downtown Spokane, BEST: Clark’s Diamond “Painting is something Liberty Lake and Spokane Jewelers, CdA that most adults have not Valley. done since elementary school art “There is definitely an awe classes, but the artists break up the factor at Arbor Crest,” says event painting step-by-step, making it easy and sales manager Bridget Chapman. for everyone,” Casey says.

“It’s a beautiful place to get married If the romance leads to an and spend your special day, but it’s engagement, look no further also a unique place … people are Best Place to than the JEWELRY DESIGN excited to show off the city to Pop the CENTER — readers’ choice their guests.”

Question for Best Place to Buy an EnArbor Crest hosts ap1st PLACE: Riverfront Park; gagement Ring. The design proximately 30 weddings 2nd PLACE: Manito Park; company first won the Best each year between May and 3rd PLACE: By the Spokane Jewelry award in 2008, and October. The venue offers River Falls. NORTH IDAHO’S subsequently from 2010-14. planning services, fabulous BEST: Lake Coeur d’Alene “We want the readers to wine, and a 5,000-square-foot Waterfront/Boardwalk know how very thankful we tent overlooking the vineyard. are for their votes and for our Dates book fast — about a year community’s continued support,” and a half out — and the winery says CEO Brian Toone. “It is humbling guarantees one wedding per day. to be honored with the award year after year.”

“What’s special about Arbor Crest is The Jewelry Design Center opened that we’re not just a wedding venue,” in 1977 and recently has expanded Chapman says. “We are a winery, Best Place into a 12,800-square-foot state-ofand concert hall, and a destination to Have Your the-art facility on Division. The location. There’s always someWedding Reception company has become a Spokane thing romantic happening on 1st PLACE: Arbor Crest fixture, recognizable by a giant, the grounds. Whether that be a Winery; 2nd PLACE: The rotating diamond sculpture and picnic or a wedding proposal …

Davenport Hotel; 3rd PLACE: handsome river rock and log it’s a great place to get married The Glover Mansion. NORTH cabin-style façade. and then come back each year to IDAHO’S BEST: Coeur d’Alene The family-owned business celebrate that special day.” n Resort/Event Center imports loose diamonds and gem-

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BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 NLANDER 59

Nightlife BEST HAPPY HOUR

ZOLA

Atmosphere and live music aside, it’s nearly impossible to say no to Zola after a long day. Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 pm Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday, and features $2 PBR, Bud Light and Coors Light, $4 well cocktails and a food menu that starts at $5. Chances are you can buy a drink or two with just the change buried in your couch. (AZARIA PODPLESKY) 2nd PLACE: Twigs; 3rd PLACE: The Safari Room; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Seasons of Coeur d’Alene

BEST OPEN MIC NIGHT, BEST ALL-AGES VENUE, BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE

THE BARTLETT

In a little more than a year, the Bartlett has managed to capture the heart of live music fans all over town. With an all-ages-friendly calendar featuring everything from indie rock and hip-hop to folk and comedy, events that put local talent in the spotlight, like open mic nights, poetry slams and the Round, an eclectic festival (Bartfest), and solid happy hour offerings, it’s no wonder Inlander readers named the Bartlett a nightlife triple threat. (AP) BEST OPEN MIC NIGHT 2nd PLACE: Neato Burrito; 3rd PLACE: Soulful Soups & Spirits BEST ALL-AGES VENUE 2nd PLACE: Knitting Factory; 3rd PLACE: The Hop! BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE 2nd PLACE: Knitting Factory; 3rd PLACE: Northern Quest Resort & Casino; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Nashville North, Stateline

BEST KARAOKE

MONTEREY CAFÉ

Is there anything better than hopping onstage and singing your heart out to your favorite song? Monterey Café understands your love of karaoke and offers folks the chance to live out their dreams of stardom every night of the week, beginning at 9 pm. And when you need a breather (or a bit of liquid courage), there are a variety of drink specials and a late-night menu to enjoy. (AP) 2nd PLACE: nYne; 3rd PLACE: The Star Lounge; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Iron Horse

60 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

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BEST COCKTAILS

TWIGS

With 36 signature martinis, there really is something for everyone at Twigs. From the classic Twigs Martini to the classy High Roller, to more imaginative drinks like the Jalapeño Cilantro Margatini, the Chocolate Kiss and the Orange Creamsicle, Twigs has it covered. There are six locations in Washington, and more throughout the Northwest, so there’s plenty of opportunity to try one (or more) of the 36 yourself. (AP) 2nd PLACE: Bon Bon; 3rd PLACE: The Volstead Act; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Whispers at Coeur d’Alene Resort

BEST WINE BAR

LEFTBANK WINE BAR

As LeftBank Wine Bar says on its website, “We drink wine, we love wine.” Judging by the votes, readers feel the same. LeftBank is all about variety and boasts a menu that includes whites, reds, Rieslings, champagne, pinot noirs, Cabernet Sauvignons and more. They also offer a weekday happy hour special of $2 off glasses of wine (which normally range from $7 to $15) and $1 off beers. (AP) 2nd PLACE: Nectar Tasting Room; 3rd PLACE: Ambrosia; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: The Cellar

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BEST BEER BAR

MANITO TAP HOUSE

With 50 options on tap, it was almost a given that readers would vote Manito Tap House into the top spot. Manito focuses on craft beer and Northwest wines while also offering a full bar of spirits. If that wasn’t enough, the tap house is also cyclist-friendly and was the first 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant in town. “Eat, drink and beer merry,” indeed. (AP) 2nd PLACE: No-Li Brewhouse; 3rd PLACE: The Viking; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Crafted

BEST CASINO

NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO

Whether you have your poker face down pat or are a gambling novice, Northern Quest has the game for you. The casino boasts more than 1,650 slots and progressives, table games (including blackjack, craps, roulette and ultimate Texas Hold ’Em) and daily poker tournaments and Keno. When you need a break after raking in the cash, Northern Quest offers a full event calendar and food options galore. (AP) 2nd PLACE: Coeur d’Alene Casino; 3rd PLACE: Lilac Lanes & Casino

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 61

Nightlife

Co-owners Greg Brandt (left) and Paul Edminster YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

BEST BREWERY TASTING ROOM

IRON GOAT BREWING CO.

I

t’s an unseasonably warm and sunny afternoon a few weeks before spring officially takes over the calendar, but there are few signs of life on the streets outside Iron Goat Brewing Co.’s small brick home in east-central Spokane.

Inside, though, it’s a whole other matter. Regulars and visitors traveling the so-called “Ale Trail” jostle for tables just minutes after the tasting room opens. Iron Goat’s owners are hustling to deliver samples to crowded tables dotting the sparse interior. As soon as someone hits the road, two more seem to enter.

A bustling tasting room isn’t a surprise to the Iron Goat gang

after nearly three years in business, but it wasn’t expected to be quite the scene it’s become.

“When we first started, we thought, ‘Oh, we should have a little taproom so people can sample the beer,’” says Heather Brandt, coowner with her husband Greg and another couple, Paul Edminster and Sheila Evans. “We thought it would be a very minor part of what we do. We were completely wrong. … It’s become a more integral part of the business than we ever anticipated.”

Instead of a quiet appendage to the main operation, the space has turned into a community gathering place to chat, play trivia, hear music or simply sample the latest batch. The lack of televisions helps fuel conversation, Edminster says, and he considers the room to be the best way, other than brew fests, to “connect with customers, with the craft beer lovers.”

“It’s not necessarily a neighborhood place,” Brandt adds. “They come from all sides of town. It’s kind of a destination. On any given night we probably know half the people in here.”

This year, there’s been an added boom thanks to Wednesday night “Year of the Goat” parties, named for this year on the Chinese zodiac and celebrated through the creation of a new 10-gallon recipe every week.

The growth of the tasting-room scene mirrors that of the company in general — they just started bottling, and in 2014 produced nearly 2,000 barrels of beer — and of craft brewing in the region.

“The people who come in, they’re definitely Spokane craft beer supporters,” Edminster says. “There’s really strong support in the community for all the local breweries, and that’s really great. You wouldn’t have a craft-beer scene in Spokane without those people.”

— DAN NAILEN 2nd PLACE: River City Brewing; 3rd PLACE: Perry Street Brewing; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Tricksters Brewing

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Brooke Stocker and Mark Robbins play a sarcastic-wife-and-doofus-husband duo.

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READERS’ QUESTIONS

THE MARK AND BROOKE SERIES

M

ark Robbins, an English teacher at Lewis and Clark High School, has acted before.

At one time, he was in a Seattle troupe alongside future Community star Joel McHale. He founded Spokane’s improv house, the Blue Door Theatre. But until a few years ago, a lot of it had been voice-acting gigs for investment banks or pest control companies.

Then he got a call from Northern Quest Resort and Casino wanting him to fill in, last minute, for an actor who’d just been fired. And so Mark Robbins became “Mark,” of Northern Quest ad fame.

Rather than the hoary casino-ad tropes of roulette tables, slots and massages, Northern Quest’s ad series focused on the comedy between on “Mark,” a happy idiot of a husband, and “Brooke,” his longsuffering wife.

In one ad, Mark arrives home, oblivious to the tableau of roses and candles and Brooke’s skimpy attire, and apologizes for being late: He’d stopped by the Northern Quest 10th anniversary celebration.

“Oh, that would be bad,” Brooke says. “To forget their anniversary.”

“It would have been embarrassing,” Mark chuckles. Then he spots the roses and candles. “Your folks coming over or something?”

Sarcastic Wife and Doofus Husband, of course, has been a creaky comedy staple for decades. But Robbins imbues the old trope with new life. He’s

cheerfully ignorant. His idiocy is good-natured and charming. He’s got great comic rhythm, pausing to let a beat sink in before delivering the punch line.

The physical mismatch between the actors adds to the comedy, Robbins says. (In real life, Brooke — Brooke Stocker — is not married to Robbins, but to former Major League shortshop Kevin Stocker.

In one profile, Kevin says he considers Brooke, an Ironman competitor, the true athlete in their family.)

“We’re kind of strange bedfellows, because I wasn’t cast originally,” he says. In other words, Brooke looks like an attractive actress and Mark, well, he looks like a high school English teacher.

(He also took third in the Inlander’s Best Teacher category.)

So now, Robbins has achieved that most valued of positions: minor local celebrity. He gets recognized in the supermarket and sees his face on local billboards. He has one of Northern Quest’s cardboard cutouts of him hanging in his classroom.

The grandeur of that, of course, wears off quickly for high schoolers.

“The kids in my class are less impressed than the kids in the hall,” Robbins says.

— DANIEL WALTERS

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Nightlife

Bartender Ben Fife mixes an Aviation at Durkin’s Liquor Bar. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

BEST NEW NIGHTSPOT

DURKIN’S LIQUOR BAR

T

hough open less than four months, Durkin’s Liquor Bar has quickly solidified its position as the go-to nightspot for unpretentious food, exquisite craft cocktails and expertly curated beer and wine.

Durkin’s fits whatever mood you happen to be in at the moment, and indeed, one of its key strengths is the nuanced difference between the upstairs and downstairs bars. Upstairs, patrons flirt with the bartenders and each other while groups tuck into cozy booths and dig into hearty meals. Stepping down the staircase into the dimly lit downstairs bar, one is transported to a time long ago when hiding out in these very basements was the only way to secure a stiff drink.

“Initially we got our inspiration from other restaurants around the country. We’d seen places with restaurants upstairs with detached bars downstairs, where you can relax and cut loose a little bit … get out of the restaurant scene and go down to the basement, hang around get a cocktail, just lounge,” explains co-owner Ben Poffenroth.

The upstairs and downstairs bars’ cocktail menus are equally distinctive.

“Upstairs, we decided to stay with the classics. When we opened,

we wanted to do a menu we could execute, sticking with what we like and what’s going to be the most approachable right off the bat.

Downstairs, we have a mixture of classic and house cocktails,” says Poffenroth. “I think the more I’ve talked to our bartenders and the more we’ve gotten comfortable, the more we are excited to make our own infusions.”

Poffenroth credits his incredible staff and modest approach for Durkin’s early success.

“All of our bartenders are great. Curtis Day is our bar manager at Casper [Fry] and Durkin’s. He’s developed all the menus, helped set up and been grinding it out with me. He could go to Portland or Seattle and do just fine with the top bartenders there. Everything we do right now is unpretentious,” continues Poffenroth. “We do it because we like it and go with the moment and luckily the response has been pretty great.”

— AMY MILLER-KREZELAK 2nd PLACE: Nashville North, Stateline; 3rd PLACE: The Backyard Public House

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It’s one thing to watch the big game at a sports bar; it’s another thing to watch the big game at a sports bar on a 30-foot-by10-foot HDTV. No matter the sport, Epic at Northern Quest is the place to be for the ultimate viewing experience. After the game, Epic offers music, dancing and drinks. And the Legends of Fire premium cigar bar is only a short flight of stairs away.

(AP) 2nd PLACE: The Swinging Doors; 3rd PLACE: Capone’s

Whether you’re a hard-core movie buff or you just like to catch a flick every now and then, AMC River Park Square is the best place to see the latest films as soon as they’re released.

Studio-backed, independent, IMAX and 3-D: AMC has it all.

And at $6.60 (senior), $7.65 (child) and $10.49 (adult), the tickets, plus daily military discounts, won’t break the bank. (AP) 2nd PLACE: The Garland; 3rd PLACE: Magic Lantern; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Riverstone Regal

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Shaking your tail feathers has never been easier than at nYne. Talented DJs, like DJ C-Mad, DJ Patrick and DJ The Divine Jewels, spin every Friday and Saturday starting at 9 pm (often with no cover), and usually get the afterparty started once a headlining act has performed, too. There’s trivia and karaoke if dancing isn’t your thing, but with so much going on at nYne, how could it not be? (AP) 2nd PLACE: Impulse at Northern Quest; 3rd PLACE: Irv’s; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Nashville North

If baseball is America’s favorite pastime, then bowling has to be a close second. And when it comes to bowling, readers say Hugo’s on the Hill is the place to be. There’s open-play bowling seven days a week; at least one special, including deals on birthday parties, moonlight bowling and “date night,” almost every day of the week; and a casino and sports lounge for good measure. (AP) 2nd PLACE: Lilac Lanes; 3rd PLACE: North Bowl; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Sunset Bowl

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56

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66 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

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CRAFTED TAP HOUSE NORTH IDAHO’S BEST BEER BA R

I

t’s an early March night and the scene at Crafted along Coeur d’Alene’s bustling Sherman Avenue is in full swing — inside and out. Diners and drinkers outside enjoy beers while sitting on couches, keeping warm by huddling around propane fire pits.

In most other winters, outside seating would be a distant hope for the coming spring. But anyone with skin knows this hasn’t been a “real winter.”

Winter or not, the entire scene would have been impossible not too long ago.

“If you had asked me if I would open a restaurant in Coeur d’Alene 10 years ago, I would have said, ‘Hell no,’” owner Rob Berger says.

Berger, a veteran of the industry, got his start designing software for restaurants. He employs that at Crafted with tableside iPads that show all the 50-plus beers on tap, with descriptions and IBU and ABV information.

Any craft beer lover — the type who scoffs at the idea of Budweiser or Coors actually being called “beer” — will tell you the Northwest is a haven for those who love quality brews. Tap houses with 30, 40, 50 or more craft beers on draft are practically becoming the norm, not the exception, in the craft beer and gastropub restaurant space.

Berger attributes the success of Crafted, which opened last June, to the team he picked to oversee operations — from the kitchen with its higher-end, uniquely named entrées (e.g., the “One Giant Leaf for Mankind” salad) to the bar with rotating beer taps featuring local and international microbrews.

Kudos for the beer selection goes to bar manager Mike Detar.

“He’s a rock star,” Berger says. “That’s a big part of our success.

We have a hell of a team here.”

— SCOTT A. LEADINGHAM

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Sandpoint Best Of

Randy (left) and Rick Evans of Evans Brothers Cafe CARRIE SCOZZARO PHOTO IE ARR

BY C ARO ZZ SCO

C

offeehouses, breweries, a winery, several bistros, numerous diners, a chocolatier, pizza and sandwich places, a couple of pubs and restaurants serving everything from Thai to Italian to Mexican to European to American cuisine. With so many choices, it’s a good thing Sandpoint is a walking town.

And it’s no surprise this pedestrian-friendly locale on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille was voted best nearby weekend getaway.

Besides the three dozen or so dining venues within the downtown hub, Sandpoint also boasts plenty of options for shopping, arts and culture, lodging, outdoor recreation and community events.

68 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

Pushing a stroller, walking the dog or just out and about in Sandpoint, all are welcome at EVAN BROTHERS CAFE. More of a community center than just a coffee shop, Evans Brothers features a large, kid- and dogfriendly space inside a rustically converted warehouse which doubles as their roasting facility. Look for events such as the popular Yappy Hour fundraiser for Panhandle Animal Shelter, frequent coffee tastings, and occasional arts openings featuring local artists and live music.

As for coffee, an extremely knowledgeable staff — maybe even Rick or Randy Evans themselves — will help you select one of their numerous fair-trade coffees, for there or to-go,

including beans or ground coffee. Add a locally baked pastry or organic breakfast burrito and you’re ready to do the town.

Got a late start on the day (or ready for something with a bit more kick than caffeine)?

Head to MICKDUFF’S BREWING COMPANY, with two locations, each of which may now claim an Inlander “Best Of” win. Sort of a bro-mantic hangout, MickDuff’s Beer Hall — as they call their Cedar Street location — is a pared-down pub with dartboards, big-screen televisions and a sizable bar with taps to spare.

It’s “a fun and mellow atmosphere with a ton of games [and] true craft beer talks with other beer lovers,” says MickDuff’s assistant

brewer, Mack Deibel.

If you’re wanting something to nosh with your NoHo pint — or any of the other 20-plus inBest Sandpoint house brews — go to the origiCoffee Shop nal First Avenue MickDuff’s 1st PLACE: Evans BrothBrewing Company restaurant ers; 2nd PLACE: Monarch location for a can’t-miss meal.

Mountain Coffee; 3rd PLACE: “The food was fantastic Kokanee Coffee and the waitress was very friendly,” says Spirit Lake resident Cameron Knigge, who was visiting Sandpoint recently with friend Stephanie Sciarrillo and received a recommendation to try MickDuff’s.

When you’re ready to take a break from filling your tummy to feed your visual senses, discover ZANY ZEBRA. Best Sandpoint This funky boutique is 2,500 Boutique square feet packed with more 1st PLACE: Zany Zebra; than 12,000 items, says owner 2nd PLACE: Finan McDonald; Ranel Hanson.

3rd PLACE: Zero Point Look for stylish yet affordable clothing and accessories — hats, socks, jewelry, scarves — and even shoes like comfy Salt Water Sandals. What’s trending in jeans? Rock Revival, Miss Me, Silver, Cielo and more. Or maybe you’d prefer something a little more out there. Zany Zebra has moderately to wildly inappropriate Best Sandpoint and totally hilarious gifts, like Patio Dining socks that announce “I have 1st PLACE: Trinity at City Mood Swings” or a card that Beach; 2nd PLACE: Spud’s announces what you’re really Waterfront Grill; 3rd PLACE: thinking: “In case you didn’t Ivano’s Ristorante hear the look I just gave you, SHUT UP.” Since laughter is supposed to be good for the digestion, you’ll be ready for another snack, like the pulled pork enchiladas at TRINITY AT CITY BEACH. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy the lake for patio dining (and enough windows Best Sandpoint in the rest of the restaurant Bar and bar to make it seem like 1st PLACE: MickDuff’s Brewyou’re outdoors, even when ing Company; you’re not). In summer, this is 2nd PLACE: Eichardt’s Pub; the place to be: people-watch3rd PLACE: Laughing Dog ing along popular City Beach, Taproom checking out the boats in and out of the marina, or just relaxing into a sunset evening as the lake settles into darkness.

Housed inside the Best Western Edgewater Hotel, Trinity at City Beach is one of the few in-town locations to offer a full lineup Best Sandpoint of patio-side dining and drinkRestaurant ing, from breakfast to lunch 1st PLACE: MickDuff’s Brewto dinner to late night. Heck, ing Company; 2nd PLACE: you might even enjoy your Spud’s Waterfront Grill; Sandpoint excursion so much 3rd PLACE: Ivano’s Ristorante you decide to stay another night. n

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 69

People BEST LOCAL LEADER

DAVID CONDON, SPOKANE MAYOR

David Condon is the kind of civic leader common in many cities: Born and raised, moved away for college (and in his case, military service), and returned to raise a family. The businessmanturned-congressional staffer for Cathy McMorris Rodgers-turned-elected leader recently announced his bid to seek a second term. If he pulls off a win, he’d distinguish himself from his mayoral counterparts of the past. No Spokane mayor has won a second term since 1973.

(SCOTT A. LEADINGHAM) 2nd PLACE: Ben Stuckart, Spokane City Council President; 3rd PLACE: Kevin Parker, 6th District State Representative; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Steve Widmyer, Coeur d’Alene mayor

BEST BARISTA

BEN BRADLEY, ATTICUS

Inlander readers may know Ben Bradley from his time making macchiatos at one of Spokane’s most notable downtown coffee shops — or from moonlighting in several bands. When not playing music at night, the Folkinception drummer can be found at Atticus brewing cappuccinos — his favorite drink to make. He previously won this award in 2012, before leaving Atticus and returning last fall. Upon winning again, he says his version of an Oscar acceptance speech would be “an arbitrary rant about barista rights.” Then he thinks for a moment. “Or I’d beat-box,” he says. (SAL) 2nd PLACE: Desmond Boston, Chaps; 3rd PLACE: Kaiti Blom, Revel 77; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Saige Ihrig, Bakery by the Lake

BEST TV ANCHORPERSON

STEPHANIE VIGIL, KHQ

At KHQ, the volume goes up to (at least) 11. That’s not just a Spinal Tap reference anymore. For now it’s the number of years Stephanie Vigil has won best anchorperson. This July marks her 18th year in Spokane after moving from California. Clearly it was a good move, given how Inland Northwest TV viewers have taken to her — and she to them. With her win streak intact, Vigil thanks the people who keep her here, despite offers from other, larger-market stations. “The people here in the Northwest are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met,” she says. (SAL) 2nd PLACE: Nadine Woodward, KXLY; 3rd PLACE: Randy Shaw, KREM

70 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

BEST TV WEATHERCASTER

TOM SHERRY, KREM

This category may soon need to be renamed “Best Weathercaster Who’s Not Tom Sherry.” With 20 wins, he’s doing something right. Even though the Los Angeles native likes sun and warm weather, he’s taken to the four seasons here and enjoys skiing (when we have a good winter with snow). When the winters are, you know, actual winters, Sherry says he still loves the Spokane region. “I found my little slice of paradise here,” he says. (SAL) 2nd PLACE: Kris Crocker, KXLY; 3rd PLACE: Leslie Lowe, KHQ

BEST TV SPORTSCASTER

SAM ADAMS, KHQ

Depending on your taste for beer, you may or may not like Sam Adams the brewery.

But if sports is your game in the Inland Northwest, Sam Adams the KHQ and SWX anchor will fit your fancy. Originally from the San Francisco area, he stopped in Arizona for a broadcast journalism degree before landing here, and he loves it (despite being an Arizona State Sun Devils fan).

“This is one of the best sports towns you’ll ever find,” Adams says. “This is my dream job.” (SAL) 2nd PLACE: Keith Osso, KXLY; 3rd PLACE: Darnay Tripp, KREM

BEST RADIO DJ OR TEAM

DAVE, KEN & MOLLY, ZZU, 92.9 FM

As a girl growing up in the 1990s, Casey Lawrence recalls listening to the Breakfast Boys as part of her morning routine. These days she still listens to Dave Sposito and Ken Hopkins (the voices of the Breakfast Boys), now with the addition of Molly Allen. The Spokane resident’s devotion to the radio team is so steadfast that “when I’m out of town, I listen to them on the radio station’s app,” Lawrence says. She’s clearly not alone.

(LAURA JOHNSON) 2nd PLACE: Jay and Kevin, Coyote Country, 99.9 FM; 3rd PLACE: Derik and Jeff, Morning Stampede, 102 FM

BEST GONZAGA ATHLETE

KEVIN PANGOS

We’re reasonably certain that several voters were actually voting for Kevin Pangos’ hair and not necessarily Kevin Pangos himself in this category. He pulled off the blow-dried, volume-added shag with great aplomb as he led Gonzaga to its best win total (to which they’re still adding) in program history. The fiery point guard spent this campaign not as the team’s leading scorer, as in past seasons, but rather as the conduit through which the offense operated. That would bum some natural shooters out, but not Pangos. The guy just wants to win. (MIKE BOOKEY) 2nd PLACE: Kyle Wiltjer; 3rd PLACE: Domantas Sabonis

BEST EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETE

VERNON ADAMS, JR.

Well, this is awkward. Vernon Adams, Jr. did indeed play quarterback for the Eagles last season, leading EWU into the quarterfinals of the FCS national championships and throwing for 35 touchdowns (including seven against Washington alone) in a season where he missed several games to a foot injury, but he’s since announced that he’s transferring to Oregon. Apparently, Eagle fans don’t blame the guy for taking the opportunity to head up the nation’s most exciting offense and chose to reward his memorable career. (MB) 2nd PLACE: Tyler Harvey; 3rd PLACE: Cooper Kupp

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CONNOR HALLIDAY

The arm behind Coach Mike Leach’s throw-it-as-much-as-we-can offense, Connor Halliday, a graduate of Spokane’s Ferris High School, used some big passing games (including an NCAA-record 734 yards in a loss to Cal) his senior year to become the Cougars’ all-time leading passer. But then in a game against USC in early November, Halliday broke two bones in his lower leg.

It was an injury that made all of Cougar Nation cringe. Nevertheless, Halliday’s excellent career at WSU is celebrated with this award. Maybe the wins didn’t come as often as folks would have liked, but damn, can this kid throw the ball. Here’s hoping we get to see him do it in the NFL. (MB) 2nd PLACE: Tia Presley, 3rd PLACE: DaVonté Lacy

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BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 71

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72 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

BEST TEACHER

ANNIE KUSTER PHOTO

SHANNON HALL

LAKELAND HIGH SCHOOL

L

akeland Principal Conrad Underdahl wants to say that English teacher Shannon Hall is one of a kind, but he stops himself. He realizes that’s not quite accurate.

“She’s a twin,” he says. “She’s an identical twin, and her sister teaches on the staff as

well.”

But she is, Underdahl says, an amazing teacher: “Kids are just drawn to her. At lunch they’ll be in her room, talking to her.” He credits the school’s leap in test scores, at least partly, to teachers like her.

Hall’s been at Lakeland, in Rathdrum, Idaho, for nearly 21 years. She was an administrator for a few years, Underdahl says, but soon was back in the classroom, where she thrived. As Idaho, like most Western states, struggles to send its high school graduates to college, Hall helped start the “college academy,” a dual-enrollment program. On top of that, she competes in triathlons and serves as the school’s cross-country coach.

A lot of English teachers talk a big game about reading, but Hall puts it into practice. Each class, each day, has 10 minutes set aside as free reading time. And she joins her students in reading.

“When all my students were reading Twilight, I read Twilight,” Hall says. Not because she expected Twilight to be great literature, but because she wanted to be able to talk with her students about it.

She doesn’t just dive into metaphor, diction and symbolism with her students, she grapples with the way the themes of each book reverberate in the present. So when her class read To Kill a Mockingbird, you bet they all talked about racism, about Michael Brown in Ferguson and discrimination all around the world. And since there are no women on the jury in To Kill a Mockingbird, they talk about that, too. “That brings up a discussion of sexism,” Hall says.

It’s all about relevance. When Hall was teaching a remedial class, for example, she had the class begin writing an essay together on the minimum wage, because many of her students were working minimum-wage jobs. “That is relevant to them,” says Hall.

Her assistance doesn’t stop once they’re finished with her classes, either. “Former students come in and get help academically,” Hall says. “On a weekly basis, I write at least two letters of recommendation.”

This year, it seems, Inlander readers returned the favor.

— DANIEL WALTERS 2nd PLACE: Randy James, science, North Central HS; 3rd PLACE: (tie) Mark Robbins, English, Lewis and Clark HS; Eric Woodard, English/film, Lewis and Clark HS

Thom Caraway is Spokane’s first Poet Laureate.

BEST POET

MARSHALL PETERSON PHOTO

THOM CARAWAY

“I

’m looking out my window at Kendall Yards right now,” says Thom Caraway, the poet Inlander readers ranked as their top local bard this year. Where many might see “shiny, new development” in the emergent farm-to-table eateries and modern urban condos, he sees other forces at work — particularly when this newly fashionable area is juxtaposed with old-school West Central across the street.

“To make any kind of art, you need contrast or conflict or tension. And I think Spokane provides that really effectively. You’ve got this beautiful river running through the middle of town, [but] you’ve also got industrial and residential development. Even something as microcosmic as this one little neighborhood is filled with tension.”

That inspirational lode was partly what drew him back after he’d completed his graduate studies. He also wanted to bring attention to the local poetry scene, which had been “out of the limelight for so long.”

“You have all these great academic poets who are teaching in universities, you have all these great slam poets and spoken-word poets, [and] then you’ve got just regular community folks who aren’t affiliated with necessarily either camp, and they’re all producing such really great, cool work from all spectrums,” he says.

It was Caraway’s advocacy that helped earn him the distinction of being appointed Spokane’s first Poet Laureate in 2013. In addition to emceeing and organizing lit-related events as part of that role, last year he co-edited and published the Railtown Almanac, an anthology showcasing Spokane poetry, under his own Sage Hill Press imprint.

“I’ve never claimed and I still wouldn’t claim to be the best poet in Spokane for sure, but being involved in the community and helping communities contact each other and develop things together has been the most important part of being Poet Laureate in Spokane.

There were already so many great things happening here that I just had to provide a focal point, and tell the spotlight where to shine on these folks who were doing such cool things.”

And being voted Best Poet of 2015? Caraway says the simple fact that the category even exists — not to mention its hotly contested second- and third-place ties — is validation of that advocacy and “a good sign of the vitality of poetry in Spokane.”

— E.J. IANNELLI 2nd PLACE: (tie) Mark Anderson, Christopher Howell; 3rd PLACE: (tie) Kurt Olson, Brett Ortler

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READERS’ QUESTIONS

76 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

MEGHAN KIRK PHOTO

LANEY,

OF DAN’S BARBER SHOP

A

framed portrait of the brown-and-white tabby sits in a place of honor, just to the right of the prominent “Cash Only” sign above the barbershop’s long, mirrored wall.

The photo’s subject, Laney, usually lounges in a place of prominence, too — atop one of the plush, vinyl-covered barber chairs (sometimes in a warm lap, beneath the hairdressing cape), or curled up in the morning sun patch that hits the shoeshine chair (her “throne”) in the shop’s northeast window.

Sometimes, she’ll sprawl out on the rug just inside the front door off Monroe Street, playfully blocking customers’ paths (she’s never once ventured outside near the busy arterial). Laney also likes to perch on the hairdressers’ stands (especially Jody’s, her buddy), daintily picking her paws over combs, shears, trimmers and clips.

On a typical Wednesday evening as men stop in after work for a trim, Laney is snoozing in her “room,” a closet-sized office in the back set up solely to cater to the 10-year-old feline’s needs. A cat-sized cutout in the bottom corner of the door lets her come and go as she pleases.

Laney doesn’t know anything different — not that any other home would be better than this. She’s been the resident cat of the nearly 60-year-old North Monroe barbershop since she was a kitten. Discovered abandoned with her two brothers by hairdresser Johannah Flambouras’ daughter just down the block, Laney (the “runt”) and her siblings were bottle-fed and miraculously survived their fragile early kittenhood. One day, Laney wandered into the shop and never left.

She’s named after the nickname of Elaine Flambouras, wife of the barber shop’s founder, Dan Flambouras. One of Laney’s two brothers, Dio, was taken in by Johannah, and named in honor of Dan’s nickname. (He died of a stroke about a year ago.)

After a decade as the shop’s beloved resident cat (she’s the successor to Princess, a fluffy orange tabby who lived there to the ripe age of 17), Laney has made countless friends and is truly doted upon by its staff. Donny buys her treats and food, and as one of the first employees to arrive each day, has the duty of serving Laney’s breakfast.

Jody never tires of playing games on the front rug with a rolled-up newspaper (Laney’s favorite thing to playfully bite and claw at) and keeps a bag of chicken-flavored treats in her hairdressing stand.

Aside from the framed portrait (a gift from a photographer whose studio used to be just down the street), pictures of Laney’s past 10 years are scattered throughout a massive photo collage of hundreds of Dan’s Barber Shop customers covering the unmirrored sections of wall.

To the lithe and friendly tabby, this endless adoration is simply her life. Does she know she’s locally “famous”?

“She’s already infamous in her own way,” Johannah says without hesitation. “She knows she’s special.”

— CHEY SCOTT 2nd PLACE: Charlie Schmidt’s Keyboard Cat, “Bento”; 3rd PLACE: Robin Haynes’ “Omar Little”

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BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 77

Recreation BEST HEALTH CLUB

YMCA

It’s the only fitness club with a song written about it — welcome to the YMCA. With three locations in Spokane and a host of programming activities (with a wallet-friendly membership cost), it’s no wonder readers voted the YMCA the best health club in the area.

(ELI FRANCOVICH) 2nd PLACE: MÜV Fitness; 3rd PLACE: Boxfit; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Peak Health & Wellness, Hayden

BEST BIKING TRAIL

CENTENNIAL TRAIL

With more than 60 miles of trail, the Centennial Trail system extends from Spokane all the way to Higgins Point in Coeur d’Alene. Ride the whole thing, or just bits and pieces. Either way you’ll be blown away by the scenery, including long stretches along the Spokane River.

(EF) 2nd PLACE: The Route of the Hiawatha; 3rd PLACE: Fish Lake Trail

BEST BIKE SHOP

WHEEL SPORT I’m not going to lie. Sometimes I go to Wheel Sport simply to stare at the bikes I’ll never own. To the employees’ credit they never kick me out and are more than willing to sit down and chat.

Whether it’s planning my next cycle adventure, or just daydreaming about buying that $7,000 road bike, they’re supportive.

For that, I’m thankful. (EF) 2nd PLACE: The Bike Hub; 3rd PLACE: Two Wheel Transit; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Terra Sports

78 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

BEST OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL SUPPLIES

REI

Sure, REI’s staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and the local store is chock-full of sweet gear. But you know what’s even better? For $20 you can become a lifetime member, thus securing yourself an annual dividend. It may be only about 10 percent, but when you get that sweet, sweet dividend notice in March, you’ll be wriggling with joy. (EF) 2nd PLACE: Mountain Gear; 3rd PLACE: Mountain Goat; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Cabela’s

BEST PLACE TO SKI

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SCHWEITZER

Snow? What’s that? OK, so it wasn’t the best season. But Schweitzer Mountain Resort made the best of it. With 2,900 acres of skiable acreage and 92 trails, there’s something for everyone, even when the snow is sparse. (EF) 2nd PLACE: Mt. Spokane; 3rd PLACE: 49 Degrees North

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WILLIAMS LAKE

Just southwest of Spokane, Williams Lake is a great spot for local anglers. As the award indicates, it’s a great place to catch a fish, whether you’re fishing from the resort docks, or from your own boat. Local veteran fly fisherman Frank Slak says, “The setting is really nice out there in the coulees southwest of Spokane.” (EF) 2nd PLACE: Lake Roosevelt; 3rd PLACE: Lake Pend Oreille

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 79

Recreation

Mt. Spokane GM Brad McQuarrie traces his resort’s success to “the many people who have gifted their time and money and resources into this wonderful asset.” YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

L OF HAL ME FA

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ou could chalk up Mt. Spokane’s enduring popularity with snowboarders to its rapid addition of terrain parks in recent years. These are designated areas with jumps, slopes and rails — both natural and manmade, all of which fall under the blanket term “features” — where riders of various skill levels can attempt and perfect new tricks.

In the past two years alone, the nonprofit ski and snowboard facility has built two such parks. The first is Progression Park, which Kristin Whitaker, marketing and mountain services manager, describes as “an introduction to freestyle.”

“It gets people learning tricks with lowconsequence features, small jumps, low, easy rails. It’s a really great place for people to learn and excel. And then they can take their skills into the big parks.”

The second and newest is Gnarwood

Forest Natural Park. Situated among the forest conifers, it allows freestyle boarders to take advantage of the mountain’s natural landscape — with the added bonus of some deliberately placed hybrid features such as logs and rails.

But 10 years of Best Of wins don’t come solely from new parks with cool features. It has to do with how diligently Mt. Spokane has worked to create a welcoming, inclusive culture for skiers and snowboarders.

“Over the years, we’ve been putting effort into growing the snowboarding community up here,” says Whitaker. “Mt. Spokane’s philosophy as a whole is to introduce people to the sport of skiing and snowboarding. Folks are learning here and staying here. And we’ve got a really great partner in Spokane with Pistole Board Shop. He’s helped us out quite a bit with developing these parks — even in terms of helping purchase some features and holding

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80 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

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fundraising events for the park.”

That communal philosophy informs all of their activities. For instance, the park staff has a ubiquitous social media presence as well as a dedicated online hub where boarders can ask questions, request new features, share photos and get honest info about snow conditions.

The accessibility and approachability has played a huge part in making riders feel at home on Mt. Spokane.

“We exist to serve the community, and that’s what we do,” Whitaker says. “We listen to feedback and provide the services folks are asking for. We’re all about our snowboarders and our skiers, getting them up here and having fun in the mountains.”

— E.J. IANNELLI 2nd PLACE: Schweitzer; 3rd PLACE: 49 Degrees North

BEST BEACH

COEUR D’ALENE CITY BEACH

Coeur d’Alene City Beach is an idyllic strip of sand just a short walk from the heart of downtown. In the summer it’s thronged with sunbathers, volleyball players and picnickers.

In the spring, winter and fall it’s the favored haunt of hand-clasped lovers. Either way you’ll feel refreshed. (EF) 2nd PLACE: Sandpoint City Beach; 3rd PLACE: Boulder Beach, Spokane River

BEST MARINA

BOARDWALK AT THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT

Located at the base of the Coeur d’Alene Resort, the Boardwalk Marina will take care of all your boating needs. It’s surrounded by one of the world’s longest floating boardwalks and offers 367 total slips, potable water, supplies and a gas dock. The marina also has access to the resort’s world-class amenities, and Coeur d’Alene’s quaint downtown. (EF) 2nd PLACE: Conkling Marina & Resort, CdA; 3rd PLACE: Cavanaugh Bay Resort & Marina, Priest Lake

BEST GOLF COURSE

DOWNRIVER GOLF COURSE

Built in 1916, the Downriver Golf Course is one of Spokane’s oldest courses. Over the years it’s changed significantly, but still remains a Spokane staple. With relatively cheap prices it’s easy to play the day away, 18 holes at a time. (EF) 2nd PLACE: Indian Canyon; 3rd PLACE: Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course

BEST PLACE FOR A NEARBY WEEKEND GETAWAY

SANDPOINT

It’s just a hop, skip and a jump from Spokane, but you’ll feel like you’re in a different world.

Sandpoint sits on the shores of pristine Lake Pend Oreille. The downtown, while small, is vibrant with shops and restaurants. The Festival, a yearly summer concert series, brings bands from far and wide. And it’s close to nature. So head on over for a fun-filled weekend. (EF) 2nd PLACE: Priest Lake; 3rd PLACE: Leavenworth

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Recreation

WALTERS’ FRUIT RANCH

T

hough the orchard itself has been standing since 1977, it wasn’t until ’92, when Mark and Arlene Morrell purchased the land, that its magic truly began to flourish. With their special touch, what was once a simple array of apple trees became an autumn haven for Green Bluff goers across the Inland Northwest. That haven is now known as Walters’ Fruit Ranch.

It’s one of the many U-Pick fruit orchards situated in Mead’s Green Bluff, but there’s something about Walters’ history, extensive selection of fruit and mouthwatering pies that call thousands of guests to its acreage every year. Closed from the beginning of the year until mid-June, it seems that more and more people spend that time longingly awaiting the annual Father’s Day weekend opening.

The Morrells themselves are without question included in this group.

According to daughter-in-law and orchard comanager Morghan Morrell, Walters’ is the definition of a family business.

“My in-laws really grew the business into what it is, adding a store and a café,” Morrell says. “And now my husband and myself have really taken over the business.”

Morrell and her husband Jason, son of owners Mark and Arlene, met while working at the ranch and married in 2008. Since then, the two have expanded

READERS’ QUESTIONS

BEST U-PICK FARM OR ORCHARD

the orchard from fruit alone to pumpkins and even homegrown Christmas trees, which allow them to stay open to the public all through December.

This expansion is respectable on its own, but when compared to everything Walters’ was already offering, it’s even more mind-boggling. The family fruit ranch offers U-Pick cherries, peaches, strawberries, nectarines and pumpkins, plus 22 varieties of U-Pick apples.

There is a full espresso café that serves famous huckleberry pancakes, Arlene’s homemade take-and-bake pies in 27 flavors, and even an adult version of their already renowned cider.

“The newest addition to our store is our housemade hard apple cider, which is made from our apples and run through our apple press,” Morrell says. It currently can only be found at the ranch itself, but it’s well worth the trip.

Walters’ offers customers a few tricks from up their sleeves, including a unique play area for children made up of dried peas instead of the typical sand, as well as a tractor-pulled wagon whimsically named the “Fruit Loop Express” which will drop guests off at whichever section of the orchard they wish to explore. But for Morrell, Walters’ is as special as it is because it needs no gimmicks.

“We really try to focus on the fruit and the customer service,” she says.

— KAITLYN ANSON 2nd PLACE: Siemers Farm; 3rd PLACE: Harvest House

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The Flying Irish: where runners meet each other.

BEST RUNNING CLUB

THE FLYING IRISH

A

t first gander you might be intimidated by the Flying Irish’s weekly Thursday night runs. With between 400 and 500 people surging down the Centennial Trail, it’s hard to imagine making friends.

However, the reality is much different. For the past 10 years, the Flying Irish running club has provided like-minded Spokanites a weekly gathering place. In recognition of that fact, Inlander readers selected the Flying Irish as Spokane’s best running club.

Cassie Dickerson’s story exemplifies the club’s impact. When

Dickerson moved to Spokane in 2010, she hardly knew anyone.

Her sister, an avid local runner, suggested she join the Irish.

“I’m not super fast, so I was looking for a way to keep running and stay motivated,” she says.

Dickerson says she was intimidated at first, but just kept showing up. Soon she found herself immersed in a loving and supportive running community.

“We have people that are extreme elite runners to people who walk,” she says. “We have ages from 10 years old to 80 or 90.”

Dickerson even met her husband, Tim, at a post-run event.

Now he’s an avid runner. Their story is typical of the Flying Irish.

While it might not be marriage, lasting and meaningful relationships are formed regularly.

Now Dickerson is the volunteer coordinator. Her job, she says, is to focus on giving back to the Spokane community. Flying Irish volunteers have worked Bloomsday water stations and other local running events.

“Hopefully this year we can do quite a bit more,” she says.

Club president Brendan Dowling started running with the Irish in 2007. Like Dickerson, he says he didn’t know a soul in Spokane.

Years later, he’s intimately connected to the community.

“Basically, the general philosophy is just to make running fun, and just trying to make a social community based off running,” says Dowling.

He believes that spirit of inclusion has earned the Flying Irish running club its reputation and the Best Running Club designation.

“Winning Best Of is just a little bit of a recognition for what we’ve been trying to achieve for the last five to 10 years now,” he says.

— ELI FRANCOVICH 2nd PLACE: Bloomsday Road Runners Club; 3rd PLACE: Fleet Feet Racing Club

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BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 83

Palouse Best Of The

H ARA

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Bartender Graham Lilly strains a mixed drink into a cocktail glass at the Black Cypress Bar & Kitchen on a busy Thursday evening. JACOB JONES PHOTO

ick Pitsilionis, owner of BLACK CYPRESS voted Best Palouse Restaurant by Inlander readers, talks about how greens from local farmers come together with talent from Palouse bakers. His face brightens as he references farmers who are “really good at tomatoes.” He chats about the process of taking pieces from the community and forging food that is the face of Palouse culture.

One of those pieces is bread, the blank canvas of Greek cuisine.

“Bread is the basic starch the food is built

84 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

around. So we have a relationship with bakers,” Pitsilionis says.

Next come the tomatoes that local farmers are so good at. After that, the kale. The cabbage that Pitsilionis asked farmers to grow works with dishes in an expressedly Greek way.

“I’ve never wanted to be a place that grew everything ourselves, curated everything ourselves. I wanted it to be a network of human beings doing local products and relying on one another to survive,” Pitsilionis adds. One of his daily desserts, bread pudding with salty

pistachios, highlights Ferdinand’s ice cream, a WSU homegrown favorite.

“You get a cuisine that’s not contingent on one person’s creative output, but relying on one another to create something unique that you can’t replicate anywhere else.”

Black Cypress serves food that is the face of the region — with drinks of the same caliber. Pitsilionis, proud of the drinks he serves at the restaurant, often is disappointed that there aren’t more creative cocktails to match the delicious food.

He plans to expand Black Cypress’ bar

into a dance club/nightclub/karaoke venue by incorporating the Best Palouse building he purchased two Restaurant years ago (where Nomad’s 1st PLACE: Black Cypress; was located), right above the 2nd PLACE: Sella’s Calzone & restaurant. Pitsilionis, who Pizza; 3rd PLACE: (tie) South hopes to open the doors of Fork Public House; Green the club with a big party in Frog Cafe, Palouse; NORTH around a month, encourIDAHO’S BEST: Sangria ages everyone to check Black Grille, Moscow Cypress’ Facebook page for an official announcement.

THE COUG, voted Best Palouse College 21+ Hangout and Best Palouse Happy Hour, signifies a timehonored tradition of Cougar pride and the quintessential college-y experience. You know the Best Palouse collegiate hangout spot you Gifts wished you had during your 1st PLACE: WSU Bookie; 2nd school years? The Coug PLACE: Crimson & Gray; Hurd is that spot. For more than Mercantile, Rockford; NORTH eight decades, rambuncIDAHO’S BEST: Blackbird at tious youth have penned the Depot, Potlatch their names on the tabletops and walls. Legions of wild partygoers have passed through the doors, grabbed a pint, and engaged in delightful inebriation. Go see what the fuss is all about, because it doesn’t seem like the Coug is about to leave the Best Of list anytime soon.

Best Palouse Best Palouse Breakfast, College 21+ the title awarded to THE Hangout BREAKFAST CLUB 1st PLACE: The Coug; 2nd in Moscow, is a competiPLACE: Rico’s Public House; tive award among various 3rd PLACE: Valhalla; NORTH Palouse breakfast destinaIDAHO’S BEST: John’s Alley, tions. But there’s a reason Moscow that the Breakfast Club has its own Facebook fan page and an hour-long wait list every weekend.

This slice of breakfast heaven is Sunday-morning-cup-of-coffee incarnate.

Stuffed biscuits and gravy. A thick stack of pancakes. Their “kitchen sink” is the bomb-diggity — think of every breakfast Best Palouse foodstuff thrown into a big, Breakfast cheesy pile. Combine this 1st PLACE: The Breakfast veritable orgy of breakfast Club, Moscow; 2nd PLACE: with a delicious morning Old European, Pullman; 3rd mimosa, and you have the PLACE: Tam’s Place, Pullman most reliably busy place in Moscow every weekend.

The WSU BOOKIE, voted Best Palouse Gifts, represents an all-aboard call to the CougarTown of gift-giving. Cougar cellphone covers.

Cougar plushies. Every single piece of clothing imaginable emblazoned with the fiery crimson Best Palouse of the Cougar spirit. CofHappy Hour fee mugs. School supplies.

1st PLACE: The Coug; Lanyards. Lamps. Whisky 2nd PLACE: Rico’s Public decanters. Hair scrunchies.

House; 3rd PLACE: My OfCougar sock monkeys. fice; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Cougar luggage tags. If John’s Alley, Moscow you require an object that is also a piece of Cougar pride paraphernalia, this place will have it. 

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 85

Arts BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER

CAMI BRADLEY

Her past couple of years have been big. In 2013, local singer-songwriter Cami Bradley placed sixth overall on America’s Got Talent.

Now she’s back with a new alt-folk project called the Sweeplings, which she formed with Alabama singer-songwriter Whitney Dean.

So far they’ve already been featured on the ABC Family show Switched at Birth and released an EP and multiple music videos.

They’re a band on the rise, but Bradley says she has no plans to leave Spokane. She can do it all from here. (LAURA JOHNSON) 2nd PLACE: Robert Vaughn; 3rd PLACE: Nicole Lewis

BEST BAND, COVERS

THE CRONKITES

For the third year in a row the Cronkites were voted the best cover band in the region, and for an eclectic rock band that’s been at this for 20 years, that recognition feels wonderful. “We’re awfully lucky we get to do what we do,” says Pat Simmons, the group’s drummer and co-vocalist. “Our goal is always to connect with the people who come to our shows.” The band plays about half of the weekends a year and already is booked solid with bar gigs and events through the end of December. There’s no sign of stopping. (LJ) 2nd PLACE: The Ryan Larsen Band; 3rd PLACE: The Rub

BEST LOCAL PLAY/ MUSICAL OF 2014-15

ELLEN TRAVOLTA’S “I REMEMBER CHRISTMAS”

Local theater is alive and well in the Inland Northwest; even John Travolta knows that. This past holiday season, the famous actor’s sister Ellen produced a very personal Christmas-themed show full of stories and songs, with the help of sister Margaret Travolta and other Coeur d’Alene residents. John even flew his private plane up for the event, staged at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. (LJ) 2nd PLACE: Fiddler on the Roof, Spokane Civic Theatre; 3rd PLACE: A Christmas Carol, Spokane Civic Theatre

86 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

THANK YOU SPOKANE For Voting For Us in the Inlander’s Best Of!

BEST TOURING MUSICAL OF 2014-15

We Take Tremendous Pride In Serving The Area!

Look Forward To Seeing You Soon

WICKED

Essentially since the first time the touring show came through in 2011, Spokane had been waiting for the mega-popular musical Wicked to come back. Last May, dreams finally came true when the family-friendly show about the witches of Oz hit the INB Performing Arts Center for a two-week engagement. Now we can only wonder when it’ll come through again. (LJ) 2nd PLACE: The Book of Mormon; 3rd PLACE: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

BEST NONPROFIT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION

VANESSA BEHAN CRISIS NURSERY

It’s difficult to determine which community nonprofit charity is the best, but this year the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery — an organization created to offer an alternative for parents struggling to maintain a safe home life for their kids — made the biggest impression on voters.

Inlander reader Danielle Norman says she was highly impressed with their work: “The relief and support they provide offers parents a time to catch their breath, run errands and much more. That way tragedies don’t repeat themselves.” (LJ) 2nd PLACE: Union Gospel Mission; 3rd PLACE: Second Harvest Food Bank; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: The Salvation Army Kroc Center

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BEST CHARITY EVENT

BEYOND PINK DESIGNER BRA FASHION SHOW

There’s something about watching bra fashion shows that sticks in people’s minds. Add glitter, feathers, flowers, etc., to those bras, and it’s unforgettable. In October, the annual Beyond Pink fashion show — these decorated bras are then auctioned off — raises both awareness and funding to support thermography, a noninvasive type of medical screening. To date, the organization has helped more than 400 women.

(LJ) 2nd PLACE: Epicurean Delight, INBC; 3rd PLACE: Polo Classic, Ronald McDonald House

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BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 87

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88 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

MARSHALL McLEAN BAND

A

ttend a Marshall McLean Band show and people of all ages are grooving and swaying and stomping to the group’s upbeat Americana folk tunes. But the four-piece never set out to be a dance band.

“We welcome it, but that’s developed over time,” McLean explains. “The live energy just sets people off. Our fans are rowdy, and we never expected that.”

Tonight at band practice, the group — everyone but drummer Jesse MacDonald, who’s working — has turned McLean’s compact dining room into a rehearsal space. The room’s table is pushed against a gray wall, and in its place are McLean on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Justin Landis (Cedar & Boyer) on bass and vocal harmonies and Jamie Frost (the Makers) on steel pedal guitar (a complicated-looking instrument he swears only takes five minutes to set up).

They’re running through a new song, “Broken Diamond,” which will be on their next album, one they’re slated to start recording shortly. McLean’s signature vocals, delicate yet powerful, soar over the group’s instrumental layers of dusty, twangy and heartfelt harmonies. Even though it’s just a run-through, there’s a sort of electricity flowing through this space.

A lot has happened since the Marshall McLean Band released their first album Glossolalia back in November 2013. They’ve switched drummers, embarked on a West Coast tour, signed with a music agency in December then dropped the agency a couple of weeks ago, have played every notable area festival and have also captured the hearts of many Inlander readers, being voted best local original band in this year’s Best Of poll.

“It was such a surprise to us,” says McLean, genuinely.

These are all guys who’ve worked hard in other bands; this is one they think will stick for years to come.

“I love the songs, and we’re starting to see these songs be a part of people’s lives,” Landis says. “People are saying that our record was playing for some of their big life events, and that is so incredible.”

“We’re here for the long game, we’re not going to disappear. I made Justin pledge to his dying day that he’d be my bass player,” McLean says jokingly.

“It was a contract in blood,” Landis says.

— LAURA JOHNSON 2nd PLACE: Mama Doll; 3rd PLACE: Folkinception

Elton John performs at the Spokane Arena.

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t was Elton John and the more than 11,000 fans who packed the Spokane Arena who brought the venue its Hall of Fame designation for Best Concert.

“He continues to bring it,” says Matt Gibson, Spokane Arena’s general manager, of the 67-year-old mega-pop star.

This is the second time an Elton John show has been deemed Best Concert by our readers. The other was in 2000 when John performed solo, sans band. In fact, 10 different artists have won 13 times for their Arena shows — Braid Paisley and Cher also repeated.

“Just him and his piano in a lilac suit. He wouldn’t engage the audience. He’d hold up his can of Diet Coke and then sing a song,” Gibson recalls.

John returned to the Arena with his full band a few years later and then again in September.

For Inlander reader Jan Martin, the recent show brought back some incredible memories. “[The show] was extra special to me because the Elton John concert three years prior in Spokane was the first date with my husband, Ray,” says Martin. “We danced in the aisles to ‘Your Song’ then, and we did it again at this concert. Elton John is the consummate professional and makes every concert he does so special.”

Entering the Hall of Fame for shows like Taylor Swift, Pearl Jam and Keith Urban over the years is yet another reward for the Arena’s relentless pursuit, which attracts acts to a city the size of Spokane rather than other markets, says Gibson.

“We take the responsibility for the event.

We’re not going to get ... Madonna like Seattle or L.A. ... But for us to land the big shows we do, we have to put some work in,” says

AMY HUNTER PHOTO

Gibson.

The Arena’s staff spends time at entertainment conventions throughout the year asking promoters to come to Spokane. They send out clever, Spokane-centric gifts — doing whatever they can to get noticed so they can bring big shows to a venue that has become a proven spot for the city’s biggest shows.

“The Arena is a good size for a community this size. We’re very lucky in terms of what we have. We keep it clean and the community rallies around us, and we’re thankful for that,” says Gibson.

— MIKE BOOKEY 2nd PLACE: Eric Church, Spokane Arena; 3rd PLACE: Blake Shelton, Spokane Arena; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Huey Lewis, Festival at Sandpoint

Thanks Spokane

for voting us Best Record Store Because vinyl is cool again.

Record Store

CDs • Vinyl • DVDs • T-shirts • Posters & more

Best music store in Eastern Washington

1610 N. Monroe St • 509.325.1914

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 89

Arts BEST FAMILY EVENT

PIG OUT IN THE PARK

For the past 35 years, Spokanites have happily eaten their way through the long Labor Day Weekend at Pig Out in the Park, and last September was no exception. People consumed food like bacon-wrapped corndogs and fresh-squeezed lemonade while listening to the sultry tunes of Los Lobos, along with many local acts. Last year reportedly was one of the best-attended Pig Outs ever, with 112,000 people flowing through Riverfront Park. (LJ) 2nd PLACE: First Night Spokane; 3rd PLACE: Bloomsday; NORTH IDAHO’S BEST: Art on the Green

BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL

#1 DANCE CLUB!

THANK YOU SPOKANE FOR VOTING US

232 W SPRAGUE • WWW.NYNEBAR.COM • 509.474.1621 •

/NYNEBAR

THANK YOU !

S R E D A E R R E D N INLA

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Best Furniture Store North Idaho Why shop at Runge Furniture?

• Large selection of quality furniture, mattress sets, carpet & flooring and appliances • Free local delivery • In store financing • Family owned since 1946 • Free Interior Design service

90 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

303 Spokane Ave, Cd’A 208 664 2131 rungefurniture.com

ELKFEST

Celebrating Elkfest’s 10th year in existence, Browne’s Addition came alive with music, alcohol and sunshine during last June’s event.

Bros, families and snake charmers alike came out to see math rockers Minus the Bear, former Spokane DJ James Pants and many more during the still-very-free block party. (LJ) 2nd PLACE: Festival at Sandpoint; 3rd PLACE: Pig Out in the Park

BEST ARTS FESTIVAL

ARTFEST

For one weekend in May, Coeur d’Alene Park in Browne’s Addition turns into a tent city for ArtFest. Under the trees and canvas, booths offer a mix of regionally made affordable art, along with some more expensive pieces.

Inlander reader Meredith Noble notes that, for her, the MAC-sponsored ArtFest symbolizes the official kickoff for summer. “It’s a sundresswearing, casual-strolling affair and I love to attend it every year,” she says. “It’s an entry drug to buying fine art.” (LJ) 2nd PLACE: Art on the Green; 3rd PLACE: Terrain

THANK YOU FOR VOTING US THE BEST BANK OF THE INLAND NORTHWEST FOR THE 5TH STRAIGHT YEAR. WITH 113 YEARS OF SERVICE IN THE NORTHWEST, Washington Trust始s appreciation for our customers and community has never changed. We are honored to know the feeling始s mutual.

2

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BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 91

Arts

Thanks Spokane for voting us number one ( and two) A favorite backdrop for couples getting married.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE PHOTOS IN THE INLAND NW

READERS’ QUESTIONS

Best Gifts Boo Radleys

Best Barista Ben Bradley

Best Single Location Coffee Shop

Best Gifts Atticus

Boo Radley’s Damn Fine Gifts Downtown Spokane on Howard St.

of Thanks to all s our Customerers & our future

custom

YOU

ARE THE

BEST! HOURS:

Mon-Sat: 10am-5:30pm www.kizurispokane.com

Uniqu e Gifts & Clothi ng

35 W. Main, Spokane 509-464-7677

Fair Trade • Local • Earth Friendly

92 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

DUNCAN GARDENS AT MANITO PARK

T

he Inland Northwest is saturated with natural beauty.

From parks and gardens to the Spokane Falls to the urban appeal of downtown, how could anyone choose? The people have spoken and overwhelmingly chosen Duncan Gardens at Manito Park. Amateur Instagrammers and seasoned professionals alike flock to this quiet, ethereal haven.

Apple Brides-recommended photographer Kerry Langel of Kerry Jeanne Photography is elated when she hears about Spokane shoots — especially weddings: “I love Manito. The garden itself is stunning! It’s a European-style garden, which is weird to find in Washington.”

For Langel, the idea of Spokane is romantic already. Visiting the city every fall was a beloved childhood tradition that she has since passed down to her daughter. Duncan Gardens holds a certain nostalgic elegance that can be found nowhere else.

Out of all the potential photo ops in Spokane, Duncan Gardens holds a certain secluded comfort that the hustle and bustle of the city cannot provide. “It’s out of the way,” Langel explains. “It’s off from the middle of Spokane, not downtown where everyone goes, but it’s so quiet. There’s something about the secluded location that makes for a really good photo op, where the clients can relax and not worry about people watching. They can be themselves. I really look for those off-the-grid locations. There are so many different looks you can achieve.”

The 3-acre garden was created in 1912 when John Duncan dreamed of a European Renaissance-style garden. The symmetrical layout and more than 20 different plant species keep the garden looking beautifully photograph-worthy all year round. With its grand granite fountain and delicate gazebo, Duncan Gardens is timeless and magical.

“I shot a wedding and it was the middle of December but we had no snow!” says Langel. “It worked out really well because the garden holds such a magic appeal.” — COURTNEY BREWER 2nd PLACE: Spokane Falls at Riverfront Park; 3rd PLACE: Finch Arboretum

REACH THE WINNERS READERS’ QUESTIONS

BEST U-PICK FARM/ORCHARD Walter’s Fruit Ranch, 9807 E. Day Rd., Mead 238-4709 • appleranch.com BEST RECORD STORE 4,000 Holes, 1610 N. Monroe 325-1914 BEST PHO Pho Van, 2909 N. Division 326-6740

FOOD & DRINK

BEST APPETIZERS BEST PATIO DINING BEST COCKTAILS Twigs, twigsbistro.com 808 W. Main • 232-3376 401 E. Farwell Rd. • 465-8794 4320 S. Regal • 443-8000 14728 E. Indiana • 290-5636 BEST ASIAN FOOD Gordy’s Sichuan Cafe 501 E. 30th Ave. • 747-1170 BEST BAKERY Rocket Bakery, rocketspokane.com 1325 W. First • 747-1834 903 W. Garland • 325-8909 157 S. Howard • 838-3887

THANK YOU READERS!

319 W. Hastings Rd. • 466-1500 1301 W. 14th Ave. • 456-3534 3315 N. Argonne Rd., Spokane Valley • 462-2345 BEST BARBECUE Longhorn Barbecue, thelonghornbbq. com 7611 W. Sunset Hwy • 838-8372 2315 N. Argonne Rd. • 924-9600 BEST BREAKFAST Frank’s Diner, franksdiners.com 1516 W. Second • 747-8798 10929 N. Newport Hwy. • 465-2464 BEST LOCAL BREWERY No-Li Brewhouse, 1003 E. Trent nolibrewhouse.com • 242-2739 BEST BURGERS Wisconsinburger, 916 S. Hatch St. wisconsinburger.com • 241-3083 BEST BURRITOS Neato Burrito, 827 W. First 847-1234 BEST CIDERY Liberty Ciderworks, 164 S. Washington libertycider.com • 321-1893 BEST COFFEE ROASTER Thomas Hammer, 210 W. Pacific Ave. hammercoffee.com • 535-4806 BEST CUPCAKES Sweet Frostings Blissful Bakeshop

15 S. Washington. • 242-3845 12501 N. Division • 368-9811 BEST DESSERT Dockside Restaurant 115 S. Second, CdA docksidecda.com • 208-765-4000 BEST DISTILLERY Dry Fly, 1003 W. Trent dryflydistilling.com • 489-2112 BEST DONUTS Donut Parade, 2152 N. Hamilton donutparade.com • 487-9003 BEST DRIVE-THRU ESPRESSO Dutch Bros. Coffee, dutchbros.com 402 W. Second, and other locations BEST SINGLE-LOCATION COFFEE SHOP BEST BARISTA Atticus Coffee & Gifts, and barista Ben Bradley 222 N. Howard • 747-0336 BEST FINE DINING Clinkerdagger, 621 W. Mallon Ave. clinkerdagger.com • 328-5965 BEST FOOD TRUCK Tacos El Sol, 401 W. Sprague facebook.com/TacosElSol • 216-2554 BEST ICE CREAM Brain Freeze Creamery, 1238 W. Summit Pkwy. brainfreeze.bz • 321-7569

BEST ITALIAN Tomato Street, tomatostreet.com 6220 N. Division • 484-4500 221 W. Appleway, CdA • 208-667-5000 BEST INNOVATIVE CUISINE BEST NEW RESTAURANT The Wandering Table, 1242 W. Summit Pkwy. thewanderingtable.com • 443-4410 BEST MEXICAN FOOD Azteca, aztecamex.com 245 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • 456-0350 9738 N. Newport Hwy. • 465-9101 14700 E. Indiana Ave., Spokane Valley • 228-9661 BEST MILKSHAKE Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle, 802 W. Garland 325-1772 BEST PIZZA The Flying Goat, 3318 W. Northwest theflyinggoat.com • 327-8277 BEST PUB FOOD BEST BEER BAR Manito Tap House, 3011 S. Grand manitotaphouse.com • 279-2671 BEST SANDWICHES Domini Sandwiches, 703 W. Sprague dominispokane.com • 747-2324 BEST SEAFOOD Anthony’s at Spokane Falls, 510 N.

FESTIVAL ATSANDPOINT AUGUST 6 - 16, 2015

VOTED

2nd place

RECREATION

BEST BIKE SHOP Wheel Sport, wheelsportspokane.com 1711 N. Division St. • 326-3977 3020 S. Grand Blvd. • 747-4187 606 N. Sullivan Rd. • 921-7729 BEST GOLF COURSE Downriver Golf Course, 3225 N. Columbia Circle golfdownriver.org • 327-5269

2015 Season Line up

THE

Best Outdoor Music Festiva l

Lincoln St. anthonys.com • 328-9009 BEST SPECIAL DIET OPTIONS Boots Bakery & Lounge, 24 W. Main Ave. bootsbakery.com • 703-7223 BEST STEAKS Churchill’s Steakhouse, 165 S. Post St. churchillssteakhouse.com • 474-9888 BEST SUSHI Sushi.com, 430 W. Main Ave. mainsushi.com • 838-0630 BEST THAI FOOD Thai Bamboo, thaibamboorestaurant.com 5406 N. Division • 777-8424 2926 E. 29th Ave. • 232-8424 12722 E. Sprague, Spokane Valley • 4448424 2010 N. Fourth St., CdA • 208-667-5300 BEST WINERY BEST PLACE TO HAVE YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, arborcrest.com Cliff House Estate & Tasting Room, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. • 927-9463 River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave., Third Floor • 747-3903

VOTED

Best Cuoencyert H s Lewi

Announced on May 14 Season Passes are still available!

$229

*

* Plus sales tax and city park fees

www.festivalatsandpoint.com Or Call: (208) Order Online:

265-4554 BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 93

L OF HAL ME FA AMC River Park Square Anthony’s Arbor Crest Auntie’s Bookstore Azteca Boo Radley’s Clinkerdagger Dave, Ken and Molly Davenport Hotel & Tower David’s Pizza Dennis Patchin Dick’s Hamburgers Domini Sandwiches The Elk Finders Keepers Frank’s Diner Hastings Huckleberry’s Ionic Burrito Jaazz

These winners have taken top honors in 10 different years out of the past 22.

Luigi’s Manito Park Mizuna Mt. Spokane Mustard Seed Niko’s Nordstrom Northern Quest Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture OZ Fitness Red Robin REI Rocket Bakery Schweitzer Spa Paradiso Spokane Arena Starbucks STCU Thai Bamboo Stephanie Vigil Tom Sherry Value Village The Viking Wendle Motors Wheel Sport

94 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

REACH THE WINNERS BEST HEALTH CLUB YMCA, ymcaspokane.org 930 N. Monroe 10727 N. Newport Hwy. 2421 N. Discovery Place BEST MARINA Boardwalk Marina, Coeur d’Alene Resort cdaresort.com • 208-415-5600 BEST OUTDOOR REC SUPPLIES REI, 1125 N. Monroe St. rei.com/spokane • 328-9900 BEST PLACE TO SKI Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Sandpoint, Idaho schweitzer.com • 877-487-4643 BEST PLACE TO SNOWBOARD Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park 29500 N. Mt. Spokane Park Dr., Mead mtspokane.com • 238-2220

SHOPPING

BEST LOCAL BANK Washington Trust Bank, watrust. com 717 W. Sprague, and other locations BEST BARBER SHOP The Man Shop, themanshop.us 327 W. Third, and other locations BEST BOOKSTORE Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com • 838-0206

BEST CREDIT UNION STCU, stcu.org 707 W. Main, and other locations BEST ETHNIC GROCERY STORE DeLeon Foods, 102 E. Francis Ave. deleonfoods.net • 483-3033 BEST FURNITURE The Tin Roof, 1727 E. Sprague thetinroof.us • 535-4121 BEST GIFTS Boo Radley’s, 232 N. Howard St. facebook.com/BooRads • 4567479 BEST HAIR SALON Oasis Hair, oasishair.com 829 E. Indiana and other locations BEST HOTEL Davenport Hotel & Tower 10 S. Post • 899-1482 thedavenporthotelcollection.com BEST MALL Spokane Valley Mall, 14700 E. Indiana Ave. spokanevalleymall.com • 9263700 BEST MEN’S CLOTHES Nordstrom, 838 W. Main nordstrom.com • 455-6111 BEST NEW BUSINESS BEST PLACE FOR A BLIND DATE Pinot’s Palette, 32 W. Second pinotspalette.com/SpokaneSoDo • 290-5098 BEST NEW CAR DEALERSHIP GROUP Larry H. Miller Spokane (Toyota,

Honda, Lexus, Hyundai, Scion) lhm.com BEST ORGANIC/NATURAL FOODS Huckleberry’s, 926 S. Monroe St. huckleberrysnaturalmarket.com • 624-1349 BEST PAWN SHOP Pawn 1, pawn1.com 3220 N. Monroe, and other locations BEST PET BOUTIQUE The Urban Canine, urbancanine.com 6320 N. Ash St. • 465-9663 2915 E. 29th Ave. • 744-9663 BEST THRIFT SHOP Goodwill, discovergoodwill.com 130 E. Third, and other locations BEST TATTOO PARLOR Tiger Tattoo, 825 W. Garland Ave. tigertattoospokane.com • 3258265 BEST VINTAGE BOUTIQUE Fringe & Fray, 1325 W. First Ave. fringeandfray.net • 720-7116 BEST WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE Swank, 4727 N. Division St. swankboutique.net • 468-1839 BEST SPOKANE RETAIL MARIJUANA SHOP Cinder, 1421 N. Mullan Rd. cindersmoke.com • 241-3726 BEST PLACE TO BUY ENGAGEMENT RING Jewelry Design Center, 821 N. Division

jewelrydesigncenter.com • 4875905

ARTS

BEST NONPROFIT CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, 1004 E. 8th vanessabehan.org • 535-3155 BEST DJ TEAM KZZU, 92.9 FM 441-0929 • 929zzu.com

NIGHTLIFE

BEST ALL-AGES MUSIC VENUE BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE BEST OPEN MIC NIGHT The Bartlett, 228 W. Sprague thebartlettspokane.com • 7472174 BEST BOWLING CENTER Hugo’s on the Hill, 3023 E. 28th Ave. hugosonthehill.com • 535-2961 BEST BREWERY TASTING ROOM Iron Goat Brewing, 2204 E. Mallon irongoatbrewing.com • 474-0722 BEST CASINO BEST SPORTS BAR (Epic) BEST SPA (La Rive) Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com • 242-7000

REA

AP

For Voting Us Best

P

Wine Bar in North Idaho

ED

BEST BAR BEST RESTAURANT MickDuff’s Brewing Co., 312 N. First mickduffs.com • 208255-4351 BEST BOUTIQUE Zany Zebra, 317 N. First

D

ER

Thank You OV

IN AND AROUND SANDPOINT

zanyzebrastore.com • 208-263-2178 BEST COFFEE SHOP Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, 524 Church St. evansbrotherscoffee. com • 208-265-5553 BEST PATIO DINING Trinity at City Beach, 58 Bridge St. trinityatcitybeach.com • 208-255-7558

R

BEST DANCE CLUB BEST PLACE TO MEET SINGLES nYne Bar & Bistro, 232 W. Sprague nynebar.com • 474-1621 BEST HAPPY HOUR Zola, 22 W. Main zolainspokane.com • 624-2416 BEST KARAOKE Monterey Cafe, 9 N. Washington spokanemontereycafe. com • 868-0284 BEST NEW NIGHTSPOT Durkin’s Liquor Bar, 415 W. Main durkinsliquorbar.com • 863-9501 BEST WINE BAR LeftBank Wine Bar, 108 N. Washington leftbankwinebar.com • 315-8623

ON THE PALOUSE

BEST COLLEGE (21+) HANGOUT BEST HAPPY HOUR The Coug, 900 NE Colorado St. facebook.com/ TheCougarCottage • 332-1265 BEST BREAKFAST The Breakfast Club, 501 S. Main, Moscow 208-882-6481 BEST GIFTS WSU Bookie, Pullman Campus wsubookie.bncollege. com • 332-2537 BEST RESTAURANT The Black Cypress, 215 E. Main Ct. theblackcypress.com • 334-5800

Seal of Approval WATCH FOR THIS STICKER IN WINDOWS ALL OVER THE INLAND NORTHWEST. IF YOU SEE IT, YOU KNOW THEY’VE BEEN “READER APPROVED” FOR A TOP SHOWING IN OUR BEST OF READERS POLL.

The only self-service wine machine in the Inland Nor thwest Live Jazz or Blues

Late-Night

Restaurant and wine bar

Every Weekend

“Every now and then, go away, relax and absorb the best that life has to offer.”

- Anonymous

Best Hotel – The Historic Davenport Hotel 1st Best place to have your wedding – The Historic Davenport Hotel 2nd Best Happy Hour – Safari Room Fresh Grill and Bar 3rd Best Hotel – The Davenport Lusso 3rd

Thank You Spokane!

davenporthotel.com

BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015 INLANDER 95

96 INLANDER BEST OF THE INLAND NW 2015

CULTURE | DIGEST

TV LAST MAN ON EARTH L

ast Man on Earth (Fox, Sundays, 9:30 pm) does away with all the detritus of the apocalypse. No zombies, no demons, no leftover corpses or automobile wrecks or post-rapture clothes piles.

Just an empty, lonely playground of a world for Will Forte, the last man on Earth. It’s a gutsy premise for a sitcom: For the vast majority of its premiere it’s willing to have only a single character, just farting around, talking to inanimate objects. For making it work, credit goes to executive producers Chris Miller and Phil Lord, modern-day Rumpelstiltskins spinning terrible ideas (The Lego Movie, say) into pure gold. Their animation sensibility shines through, with snappy visual gags and perfect timing.

In this area, Forte, also the series showrunner, thrives.

An early scene is hilarious almost entirely because of the half-hearted awkward shuffling manner in which a bearded, pantsless Forte shoots out a store window.

Enter Kristen Schaal. Forte’s dream come true: Another human! And nightmare: Kristen Schaal! She doesn’t want Forte to steal art from the White House or use a neighbor’s pool as a giant toilet. Schaal’s character has raised some critics’ eyebrows — nagging no-fun women are a tired trope — but I see her as actual progress.

Woman on TV are allowed to be funny, usually sarcastic or snarky, but are rarely allowed to be just plain weird and unattractive. But Schaal is gleefully both. It’s one thing to chide a man for parking in a handicap spot; it’s another to do so when there are literally no handicapped people left who would use it.

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Yet sitcoms have a tendency to change rapidly as they age. Four episodes in, the cast of Last Man On Earth has already tripled in size. And the introduction of January Jones, a far more conventional female sitcom character, is a warning that without constant vigilance, the show could slide into hackier, Tim Allen-type territory. The fall from Last Man on Earth to Last Man Standing is shorter than one might think.

— DANIEL WALTERS

For Your Consideration

BY JAKE THOMAS

MUSIC | Australian psych revivalists Tame Impala are leading the follow-up to their acclaimed 2012 album Lonerism with the release of a new single — “LET IT HAPPEN” — from their upcoming album that will drop sometime later this year.

Those familiar with Tame Impala will recognize many of their trademark characteristics in the eight-minute song, namely Kevin Parker’s airy, disembodied vocals, the guitars that barely sound like guitars and synths that seem to descend from space.

This track takes the band in a slightly different direction with a heavy, driving, almost Daft Punk-esque beat and a catchy hook that’s sure to get caught in your head.

FILM | On Sunday, March 29, HBO premieres GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF a documentary from academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney that delves into just what goes on inside Scientology, a religion founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard that has used aggressive litigation for decades to shield itself from scrutiny. The film provides a rare look into the controversial church by profiling eight of its members, including the A-list celebrities whoo have helped bring notoriety to Scientology, and the strong-arm tactics it allegedly uses to control its members. It hasn’t even premiered to mass audiences yet, but it’s already causing a stir and the church has mounted an aggressive campaign against it.

FESTIVAL | This summer, Walla Walla will take on all the trappings of a big music festival. The UK folkrock act Mumford & Sons descends, with other big-name acts, on the normally sleepy college town as part of its GENTLEMAN OF THE ROAD STOPOVER TOUR Aug. 14- 15 at the Whitman College athletic fields.

Other acts scheduled to play: Foo Fighters, the Flaming Lips, Jenny Lewis, the Vaccines, Dawes, tUnEyArDs, James Vincent McMorrow, JEFF The Brotherhood and Blake Mills. Tickets are on sale now and cost $199, which includes camping.

Tickets at Ticketswest.com and 1-800-325-Seat MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 97

Dixie Lee butter pea, lima bean and sweet white corn seeds from the new seed library at the Otis Orchards Library.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

From the Ground Up Seed libraries increase plant diversity and encourage growers to share their garden’s bounty in the tiniest form

BY CHEY SCOTT

I

t’s the longest lending period the library allows, and for one of the most unusual items patrons can check out.

Displayed on a table between the children’s and adult book sections, the gray card catalog unit looks like a throwback to the past, but not because the library is going back to a pre-digital checkout system. Instead, alphabetized labels for “greens,” “hearty vegetables,” “onions” and other edibles are affixed to 30 drawers filled with little, lumpy envelopes.

From pumpkins, melons, carrots and tomatoes to peas, cucumbers, peppers and squash, the Otis Orchards Library boasts dozens of lendable plant varieties, including flowers.

Last month, the outlying branch of the Spokane County Library District became one of the Inland Northwest’s first seed-lending libraries, joining the Spokane Public Library’s Hillyard branch and the Coeur d’Alene Public Library.

Seed libraries follow the same model as

98 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

lending books, music, films and other materials, yet place more responsibility on the borrower (as such, there aren’t any seed-related fines at Otis Orchards). Library cardholders can check out packets of seeds to plant in a garden, and are asked at the end of the growing season to return some new seeds from those plants back to the library for the next year.

Any seeds exchanged in this manner must be heirloom varieties, rather than hybridized plants. This is because the genetic makeup of heirloom varieties doesn’t change from year to year, hence the name. Heirloom plants are often centuries-old varieties that have, over that period, adapted to specific growing climates.

They also offer a multitude of colors, shapes, sizes and flavors, like the orange, green, red, striped and yellow varieties of heirloom tomatoes.

Hybrids, meanwhile, are plants crossbred to achieve the best features of two parents, like hardiness and disease resistance. Hybrids

The Otis Orchards seed library has lent hundred of seed packets since launching in February with the help of supervisor Kathy Allen. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO don’t produce seeds with the same characteristics as both parents.

Instead, they revert back to the qualities of one parent, making them undesirable candidates for seed-saving.

After hosting a series of classes with local Master Gardeners to kick off the seed library’s first year, Otis Orchards has lent out more than 650 packets of seeds so far. Branch supervisor and seed library organizer Kathy Allen says people have driven from all over the region to check out seeds, all of which were donated by seed companies to give the program a boost.

While the seed library has seen far-reaching interest, Allen expects many borrowers won’t return seeds at the end of the year.

Some varieties can’t be saved as seeds — carrots and cabbage require two seasons before seeds can be harvested, and to do so, the plants must survive the winter. Tomatoes can be tricky to pull seeds from, too.

“It has to be sustainable — if it isn’t sustainable and we don’t get seeds back, it’ll end after this year,” Allen says.

Another challenge is making sure seed borrowers properly label and track their plants to avoid mixing up varieties of the same species. To help first-year seed harvesters, the branch plans to host a round of workshops on this process near the end of the growing season.

A

s the trend of backyard farming continues to spread, paired with an increased consumer focus on eating locally grown foods, seed libraries are quickly becoming the next big agricultural movement. Less than five years ago, a New York Times feature noted the rarity of seed libraries, with only a dozen known seed-saving groups around the country. But since then, the number of seed libraries has ballooned to more than 400, as tracked by the online resource seedlibraries.net.

“Gardening in general is finding its roots again, and people are learning they don’t want pesticides and chemicals in their plants, so they’re trying to grow more of their own,” says Spokane Master Gardener Marilyn Carothers, who taught a few classes during the seed library kickoff. “Because heirlooms can be saved from year to year, it’s part of preserving our past. It also gives people a chance to even have access to garden seeds,” she adds.

At the library, Allen points to a chart on a poster explaining the purpose of seed saving. The tree-shaped graphic from a 2011 National Geographic feature examining the future of the world’s food supply illustrates how drastically heirloom crop varieties declined between 1903 and 1983. In that time, America went from 307 varieties of sweet corn to 12, and from 408 varieties of peas to 25.

“In America, we want the biggest and the best — and that is where the hybrid comes in,” Carothers notes. “We want the perfect carrot and apple, and we aren’t willing to buy an imperfect fruit. But if you grow it at home, the imperfect carrot and tomato is still going to be flavorful, and the reward is overwhelming. We have an emotional bond with food we grow at home.” n cheys@inlander.com

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 99 Davenport_PalmCourt_021915_12V_BD.tif

FOOD | OPENING

Join the Club

The Kootenai Cubano sandwich from Neighborhood Pub. CARRIE SCOZZARO PHOTO

Tap into Sandpoint’s new Neighborhood Pub

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

W

hat was once John and Tullaya Akins’ Little Olive Restaurant is now Neighborhood Pub, and the couple has taken their original beer list to a whole new level. While sports décor has replaced photos of Santorini villages and hummus has given way to burgers and mile-high nachos, the 100-plus beer list is now six levels of epic adventure called the Beer Club — it’s sort of like Fight Club meets Super Mario.

Drink 50 beers and you’ve passed level one. Congratulations, “Beer Whisperer.” You’ve earned a beer can-shaped glass emblazoned with the Pub’s logo. Only five levels — and 500 beers — remaining to achieve “Bill Murray” awesomeness.

“This fits our personality more,” says general manager Wyatt Langley of the format he and John developed — over a few beers, of course — after taking a gamification class from coursera.com (typically used by educators to incorporate game-style elements into curriculum).

Langley estimates that there are 500 members in the free club, the rules of which are simple: “I will talk about beer club” and “I will trust my server, if I’m indecisive.”

Since beer-drinking is hard work, fuel up on appetizers like pot

stickers ($9) or sandwiches like the Po’ Boy Grinder with grilled shrimp ($12) or the Kootnai Cubano with slow-roasted pork, capicola ham and cheese ($11). Customizable menu options include burgers and wings, which can be ordered bone-in or not, tossed in sauce like the Bob Marley (jerk barbecue and coconut) or teriyaki and accompanied by any of four dipping sauces ($10).

Not much for video games, even simulated ones? The pub has old-school board games like Jenga, Uno and Pictionary to play on-site. On Wednesdays, bring your thick-skinned friends for Cards Against Humanity night, which is plenty hilarious even without adding alcohol.

If you’re game, try a Taj Mahal. Or the Sockeye Powerhouse Porter. Maybe Heretic’s Evil Twin. To get credit, Beer Club members should get their list signed off. And, as the owners note in the Club rules on drinking responsibly, everyone should know when it’s time to tap out.  Neighborhood Pub • 124 S. Second Ave., Sandpoint • Open Mon-Fri, 11 am-10 pm; Sat, 10 am-10pm; Sun, 10am-9 pm • sandpointpub.com • 208.597.7499

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lay Cerna is usually out of bed by 12:30 and in the kitchen by 1:15 or so. Note: those times are both am.

Such is the life of a baker, and it’s something Cerna has had to get used to since opening Sweetbox Delivery in November. The company’s baked goods have begun popping up for sale on a regular basis at the downtown coffee shop Atticus and out at the Spokane County Fairgrounds.

Sweetbox also will deliver to your workplace, party or other occasion that requires, say, a whole lot of bagels. While it’s not in their wheelhouse, Cerna says they’ll also do smaller orders.

“If someone wants just a single cinnamon roll delivered to their door, we’ll do that,” says Cerna, a 29-year-old native of Connell, Wash., who, among other jobs, worked as a real estate agent in Spokane before leaving for Seattle and then Chicago, where he operated a pedicab business.

More recently, though, he was the general manager of Dawn of the Donut, Spokane’s zombie-themed bakery. When the business was sold over the summer, Cerna got word that his position would be phased out. He was on vacation at the time and made a quick decision while on the road.

“It was 87 miles of driving after I got word, and I already had a lawyer setting up an LLC for [Sweetbox],” says Cerna.

The business began operations out of Kitchen Spokane, a shared industrial cooking space, but soon grew out of that setting and set up shop downtown, underneath Nectar Tasting Room on Stevens Street. Currently, the raspberry cream cheese-filled bagels are the menu favorite, with the mini cinnamon rolls coming in a close second.

While the Sweetbox website features a detailed menu, Cerna says the company aims to make what people want rather than try to push anything into the market before there’s a desire for it. And as long as he has 24 to 48 hours notice, Cerna says Sweetbox will get you your baked-good fix.

“My mission is to make gaining weight enjoyable,” says Cerna with a laugh. “And it’s a delivery-based bakery because I’m a firm believer that food is always better when it’s delivered to you.” n Sweetbox Delivery • 821-8100 • sweetboxdelivery.com

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Sequel Success

a ravaged world, yet only a Divergent can open the box, which requires passing a test attuned to each Factional temperament.

This might seem to be at odds with the rise of Divergents constituting a crisis… but is it really so unrealistic that a power-hungry leader with extremely conservative leanings might misinterpret — either deliberately or out of blinkered rapaciousness — the intentions of the Founding Fathers, er, Founders?

Things get really, really dark along the way, and more brutal than YA stories usually get, as fugitive Tris and her friends alternately run from Jeanine’s Dauntless thugs, then run right into the hornet’s nest for reasons that get overly complicated. Because, of course, Tris is Divergent, showing aptitude for all the Factions (which the Divergent who Jeanine needs, and as Tris’ specialness also include brainy Erudite, brave Dauntless and selfless comes to the fore — no spoilers! — it’s accompanied by anAbnegation). Don’t we all bristle at attempts to shove us other busting of clichés: the power to affect real change in into one confining box? That’s a discontent that knows the world isn’t the result of anything fantastical, like the no gender bounds. (Maybe some boys will be a little Force, but arises from our humanity, our full, cross-Facstartled and upset to discover that girls can be as angry tional humanity. Which means it’s a power that’s within and aggressive and impetuous as Tris is here, all of us, no midichlorians or magical though. Good.) parentage required.

INSURGENT In Divergent, the Faction system, despite New director Robert Schwentke Rated PG-13 all its inherent unlikeliness, worked as a continues the series’ ethos of not looking Directed by Robert Schwentke metaphor, on an individual level, for adolike other sci-fi dystopias we’ve seen, with Starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel lescent “no one understands me!” rebellion. its interesting, probably fairly futureElgort, Theo James Now in Insurgent, it balloons into something realistic urban ruin punctuated by blips much larger and much more culturally of high-tech reclamation, and with its mix encompassing: as dangerous tribalism that of people: women exist as full participants in this culture, threatens peace and prosperity even as political leaders doing all sorts of jobs and holding all sorts of positions of call, with unintended irony, for tribalism to protect peace power (such as the Amity leader played by Octavia Spenand prosperity. The plot here revolves around a mystericer, and the Factionless leader played by Naomi Watts), ous artifact that ruthless Jeanine (Kate Winslet), leader and not everyone is white. Nothing we see in this movie of Erudite, believes holds “a message from the Founders should feel as radical as it does. In a more adventurous that will ensure the future we deserve.” Jeanine wants to movie environment, Insurgent wouldn’t feel this fresh. But “eradicate the Divergent crisis,” which she keeps saying is this is where we are now. It’s kind of where Tris’ world is. going to ruin the little oasis of civilization they cling to in That’s not a good thing for us. n

Insurgent is more creative than a lot of sci-fi — and that doesn’t say a lot about today’s movies

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

I

s it convoluted, perhaps as a result of adhering too closely to the novel it’s based on? Maybe. Is the world it posits perhaps implausible? Could be. So what? The same applies to the Harry Potter movies and the Hunger Games flicks. The essential thing about Insurgent is that it gets all the important stuff right. And the really clever thing about Insurgent that elevates this sequel a step above the first film, Divergent, is that it sneakily undercuts a lot of the tropes of what has become a subgenre: the young adult hero’s journey.

Offering us a female protagonist is the least of this series’ novelty, although that’s rare enough in Hollywood.

There’s almost nothing here that boys can’t identify with in the exploits of Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) in her dystopian future sci-fi world. Boys should be able to recognize Tris’ difficulties in fitting in to a societal system that divides people up into Factions by temperament and talent, but which doesn’t recognize that no person can be so easily defined as, say, nothing but brutally honest, like members of the Candor caste, who work as lawyers, or always hippie-happy, like members of the Amity caste, who work as farmers or artists.

Tris doesn’t fit in because she is a special case called

102 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

FILM | SHORTS

SPRING INTO A NEW YOU!

OPENING FILMS BALLET 422

At just 25, ballet dancer Justin Peck, then a member of the corps de ballet (meaning low man on the career ladder), is tapped to choreograph an original ballet — the 422nd for the New York City Ballet, the company made famous by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. The documentary follows Peck from rehearsals to costume fittings to lighting-design meetings as he readies his ballet over a breakneck two months’ time. At Magic Lantern (KJ) Rated PG

DO YOU BELIEVE?

From the people who brought us the Kevin Sorbo-powered Christian persecution film God’s Not Dead comes another story of faith about a minister trying to be more true to his religion.

What really matters is that Brian “The Boz” Bosworth is in this film. Oh, and Lee Majors! And Sean “Rudy” Astin!

And Mira Sorvino! (MB) Rated PG-13

THE GUNMAN

Has the world gone mad or is Sean Penn really playing the lead in an action movie? That appears to be the case as Spicoli himself plays a mercenary sniper who kills a prominent mining official in Africa and has to go into hiding. But when he surfaces, he

Lose Weight!

finds that there are still a lot of people out there looking to kill him. Also stars Idris Elba and Javier Bardem. (MB) Rated R

INSURGENT

In the second film of the Divergent series, Shailene Woodley returns as Tris Prior, a young woman living in a dystopian future in which people are segregated into a social caste system by personality. As part of the Divergent class, Tris finds her group heading for annihilation at the hands of the nefarious leader of the Erudite class played

by Kate Winslet. (MB) Rated PG-13

RED ARMY

The story of the so-called “Miracle on Ice” has been told repeatedly since that day in Lake Placid, N.Y., at the 1980 Winter Olympics, typically from the point of view of the upstart American squad of college players. Red Army tells the story of the vanquished foe that day, pulling back the curtain on the men who skated for the Soviet Union’s brilliant hockey team, and the state machine designed to keep the squad on top of the world — and hewing to the Communist propaganda line.

(DN) Rated PG

NOW PLAYING 50 SHADES OF GREY

Based on E.L. James’ mega-selling novel, the sex-drenched film tracks the relationship between a rich businessman named Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and naïve college student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) as they explore bondage and other masochistic proclivities in his special sex room, on his helicopter, in an elevator – you get the idea. Every generation needs its mainstreaming of “kinky” via a feature film, and Millennials, this is your Last Tango in Paris or 9 ½ Weeks.

(DN) Rated R

AMERICAN SNIPER

American Sniper opens with Bradley Cooper’s Chris Kyle on his first tour in Fallujah, perched on a rooftop protecting the Marines clearing buildings door to door. From the moment of his first life-or-death decision, the story flashes back — to his Texas childhood, his career as a rodeo cowboy, his eventual enlistment and his courtship and marriage to his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller) — before returning to his experiences serving in Iraq. (SR) Rated R

BIRDMAN

After good work in lots of small supporting roles over the past couple of decades, Michael Keaton gets back to work as a former franchise movie star now trying to make a comeback on the Broadway stage, but finding obstacles everywhere, many of them in his own head. (ES) Rated R

CHAPPIE

Sci-fi specialist Neill Blomkamp (District 9) returns to his native Johannesburg for this sometimes funny, sometimes violent tale of robot cops trying to wipe out crime, a robotics designer trying to infuse one of his creations with human consciousness, local thugs messing with both humans and robots, and scientists turning villainous over budget cuts. (ES) Rated R

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CINDERELLA

Director Kenneth Branagh’s version of the Disney animated classic goes heavy on the back story, introducing the beloved mother (Hayley Atwell) of young Ella (Lily James) before mom’s untimely passing and Ella’s merchant father (Ben Chaplin) remarrying, ultimately leaving poor Ella with a stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and two stepsisters (Holliday Grainger and Sophie McShera) who treat her poorly as Cinderella step-family characters are wont to do. (SR) Rated PG

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Bianca (Mae Whitman) is mortified when she discovers that she is the “designated ugly fat friend,” or “DUFF,” of her high school clique. In an attempt to salvage what’s left of her senior year, Bianca must overthrow Madison (Bella Thorne). Determined to break the hierarchy, she starts a social revolution proving that no matter what you look like or how cool you think you are, everyone is someone’s DUFF. (CB) Rated PG-13 ...continued on next page

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MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 103

FILM | SHORTS

THE MAGIC LANTERN FRI MAR 20TH - THUR MAR 26TH BALLET 422

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As Focus’ professional con-man “hero” Nicky Spurgeon (Will Smith) informs his new would-be protégé, Jess (Margot Robbie), a successful con is all about diverting the attention of the “mark.”

As they head to something very similar to the Super Bowl, the duo starts letting their feelings for each other get in the way, which turns out to be a big problem in this caper film. (SR) Rated R

THE IMITATION GAME

During World War II, the Germans used a machine called an Enigma that created what were thought to be unbreakable codes for top-secret military communications. British mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) was hired by Allied forces to decipher the machine’s codes and help win the war. (MB) Rated PG-13

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Harry (Colin Firth), code name Galahad, recruits Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a kid from the wrong side of the London tracks, to be a member of the Kingsmen, an ostensibly classy set of British spies. The whole film touts how the Kingsmen follow rules to keep them gentlemanly, but it eventually veers far off course into something that fully contradicts itself. (MJ) Rated R

McFARLAND USA

When he discovers his students’ amazing ability to run, Jim White (Kevin Costner) is determined to form a crosscountry team that would one day be state champions. Inspired by the legacy of the McFarland High School runners of 1987, McFarland USA follows White and his team from a small farming town in California on their journey against the odds. (CB) Rated PG

PROJECT ALMANAC

When David (Johnny Weston) finds blueprints for a time machine in his garage, he and his friends are determined to make the most of it. As their manipulation of the past results in plane crashes, riots and natural disasters, the teens discover that they must go back to the beginning if they have any hope of undoing the ripple effect. (CB) Rated PG-13

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Liam Neeson plays a secret agent, guy whose kid got kidnapped, air marshal and hit man who has to go on a rampage to save his son’s life and also his own. Ed Harris plays his best friend and fellow hit man while Common plays yet another hit man. It’s basically a movie about hit men. (MB) Rated R

SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

Here’s the sequel to the surprise indie hit of 2012, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

This time, the cast, which features Judi

CRITICS’ SCORECARD THE NEW YORK INLANDER TIMES

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Timbuktu

91

Selma

89

American Sniper

72

Cinderella

67

Kingsman

59

Focus

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Chappie

40

DON’T MISS IT

WORTH $10

Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy, finds that their retirement hotel has filled up with tenants. So, their pal Sonny (Dev Patel) decides to open another hotel, which he brings forth with Bollywood flair. (MB) Rated PG

SELMA

Selma could have been just an inspirational drama about a pivotal historical moment, and it could have been just a portrait of King’s efforts at promoting civil rights. But director Ava DuVernay and her team are interested in doing something much less common, something that echoes the similar success of 2012’s Lincoln. (SR) Rated PG-13

SEVENTH SON

This epic fantasy tale from centuries ago stars Jeff Bridges as Master Gregory, the last in a long line of supernatural warriors tasked with keeping humanity safe against evil forces led by a mean witch (Julianne Moore). For help, the master recruits a country boy born “the seventh son of a seventh son” to teach him how to battle dark magic. (DN) Rated PG-13

SONG OF THE SEA

Ben and Saoirse are left motherless, and as such, big brother Ben is tasked with babysitting his mute, 6-year-old sister while their father, Conor, shrouds his grief in his work manning the family’s lighthouse. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Song of the Sea follows the children as they try to get back to their father. At Magic Lantern (CS) Rated PG

THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER

When the sacred Crabby Patty recipe is stolen by a pirate (Antonio Banderas), Spongebob Squarepants leaves behind the only world he has ever known.

With the help of his friends Patrick, Mr. Krabbs, Sandy and Squidward, Spongebob journeys through our world and becomes a hero. (CB) Rated PG

STILL ALICE

Julianne Moore earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance as Alice Howland, an accomplished college professor who realizes that she’s suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s.

A post-Twilight Kristen Stewart also shines as Alice’s daughter, who’s also struggling to accept her mother’s diagnosis. (MB) Rated PG-13.

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THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Inspired by Jane Wilde Hawking’s memoir about her life with former husband Stephen Hawking, the brilliant theoretical physicist (A Brief History of Time) diagnosed with motor neuron disease at age 21, the film’s heart beats with a romantic optimism, even when each of them finds new soulmates and their union ends. (SD) Rated PG-13

TIMBUKTU

The brilliant Timbuktu comes along at a perfect moment to elucidate the diversity of Islam, and the cultural battles happening within the religion. Director and co-screenwriter Abderrahmane Sissako does a remarkable job bringing the viewer into an utterly foreign world of sparse, sandy landscapes dotted with mud huts and tents and making us empathize with the local fisherman, cattle herders and children who suddenly have a cast of gun-toting foreigners imposing sharia law on the small village. At Magic Lantern (DN) Rated PG-13

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Vince Vaughn is a small business owner who heads to Europe with his two employees, Oldy McSnoreson (Tom Wilkinson) and Youngy Muscleton (Dave Franco, brother of James) to try to secure a deal. Along the way, things go awry and they find themselves at sex shows, a political summit and in lots of sexy and gross situations. (MB) Rated R

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

Jemaine Clement, best known as half of Flight of the Conchords, co-wrote and co-directed this hilarious mockumentary about a group of vampires living in a mansion together. It’s like The Real World for the undead. At Magic Lantern (MB) Not Rated

WHIPLASH

Socially maladroit and painfully singleminded, Andrew (Miles Teller), a freshman at a competitive conservatory, lives only to drum. Early on, he’s tapped by an instructor named Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) to join his elite competition band. (KJ) Rated R 

FILM | REVIEW

MOVIE TIMES on

Dance Lessons

Justin Peck, the subject of Ballet 422.

Ballet 422 takes you inside a world of dedication and beauty

Searchable

BY KIMBERLEY JONES

I

n the gorgeous, glorious 2010 performance wheel that industriously spin to put on a major film NY Export: Opus Jazz, co-directed and production, although comparisons to Frederick shot by Jody Lee Lipes, Jerome Robbins’ Wiseman’s more expansive, more probing La dance choreography was almost overshadowed Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet are inevitable.

by Lipes’ camera movements — be they elegantly The thing about fly-on-the-wall filmmaking gliding, laying low to focus close-up on footwork, (which crucially includes the editing) is that while or spiriting high for a bird’s-eye big picture. With the “boring” stuff can be revelatory, it can also the documentary Ballet 422, Lipes’ be, well, if not boring, then simply BALLET 422 ordinary. If the running time were first return to dance after notable narrative cinematography work (on Rated PG longer — it’s dancer-trim, presumDirected by Jody Lee Lipes HBO’s Girls and the upcoming ably for a future PBS broadcast — At Magic Lantern Trainwreck, among other projects), the minutes spent shadowing Peck he’s somewhat boxed himself into on the street or chronicling him a corner with the cinema verité directive to capblow-drying his hair pre-performance probably ture the moment and keep out of the way. wouldn’t read as empty minutes. But Peck is Certainly it’s an interesting moment as not a demonstrative person, and the footage 25-year-old dancer Justin Peck, then a member of assembled of him feels not just physically but the corps de ballet (meaning low man on the caemotionally removed. reer ladder), is tapped to choreograph an original Still, anyone with a zest for dance will find ballet — the 422nd for the New York City Ballet, plenty of interest here. And Lipes is not without the company made famous by George Balintention. Teeth may be gnashed when he skates anchine and Robbins. Lipes’ camera trails Peck past the opening-night performance, but his point from rehearsals to costume fittings to lighting— as well as his empathy and allegiance with the design meetings as he readies his ballet over a artist/creator — is perfectly articulated: It’s not breakneck two months’ time. The film does a about opening night, it’s about the sweat that gets good job of glancing at the many cogs in the you there. n

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MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 105

Ride It Out

Rough Congress hasn’t played a show in two years, but that doesn’t mean they broke up

BY LAURA JOHNSON

G

etting the members of soul-funk quintet Rough Congress in the same room is not for the faint of heart.

Work schedules are all over the board, each is consumed with various musical projects and only three members still live in Spokane.

So when bass player Jake Barr, who now lives

in Nashville, alerted the band he’d be touring through the area with Jeremy McComb’s band (he’s co-owner of Post Falls venue Nashville North) they jumped at the chance to get the gang back together again after exactly two years apart.

Last weekend, only guitarist Jamie Frost and

drummer Aaron Saye are available to meet up at nYne and reflect on the band’s seven years together.

“You’ve got to talk to Brandon,” they say.

“He’s the real star.”

It’s clear why they say that. Spokane native Brandon O’Neill was a cast member of

After this weekend’s show, you never know when this Spokane supergroup will play their brand of modern soul again.

106 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

Broadway’s Aladdin, and just finished a starring role in Carousel at the 5th Avenue Theater after moving back to Seattle. His voice is tender and raspy or whatever he wants it to be at that moment, and his presence instantly commands a stage.

“That’s just crazy those guys would say that,” says O’Neill over the phone later. “Each person in this band is incredible in their own way and could front the show by themselves.”

While most of them would never admit it, this band is a Spokane supergroup. Barr’s out in Nashville playing with various bands and O’Neill is a working actor. Frost and Saye were members of the successful garage-rock band the Makers. Now, Frost plays pedal steel guitar with at least three local Americana acts, while Saye sits in with Dan Conrad’s band and also recently got into the legal marijuana business.

Keyboardist Chris White, co-owner of Comrade Studios downtown, accidently started the band when he hired everyone as studio musicians for a Bowflex infomercial. Continuing to play studio jobs together, they realized they wanted more from each other.

“This was the easiest band ever to find a sound,” Saye recalls.

What started as more of a jazz act quickly evolved into R&B. The groovy covers of Chaka Khan, Steely Dan, the Meters, Aretha Franklin and other funky, soul-infused songs from the 1970s, along with a handful of cool originals, captivated local live music fans almost immediately.

The band doesn’t make it easy on themselves to play this stuff; there are no basic three-chord progressions in sight.

“It’s those chord changes,” Saye says, shaking his head.

“I have to reprogram my brain to play these songs again,” Frost says.

“This is like the best-case scenario for your high school reunion. You actually want to see these people.”

But that’s why they all agree it’s worth the effort to make this happen. It’s one of the most challenging groups they’ve been a part of — in a good way. And it’s a chance to play modern soul music, a genre none of them normally work in.

Their most recent show, also at nYne, was sold out and had a line out the door. It got hot and sweaty, the guys mostly remembered their notes (and lyrics) and their fans danced up a storm until last call.

To prepare for Saturday’s big performance, they’ll “play three 24-hour sets,” Saye jokes, when Barr and O’Neill get into town Wednesday. They’ll meet at White’s studio and reminisce about their days at Eastern Washington University (Frost, White and Saye all went there) and growing up in church together (O’Neill and Barr). But mostly they’ll talk about what it was like to play studio sessions for products like Bowflex. They’ll play a little music too, if they get around to it.

“This is like the best-case scenario for your high school reunion,” White says over the phone. “You actually want to see these people.”

As for the future, as anyone in a relationship knows, it’s all about semantics. If you say you’re together, then you are together, two-year hiatus or not. Now that O’Neill lives in Seattle, they hope to continue to get together more often. It all depends on Barr’s schedule, which is ridiculously busy — 330 shows in the past year alone.

But in recent weeks they’ve been working on a new tune and there’s hope of getting into the studio soon.

“It just doesn’t seem like we can break up,” Frost says. n lauraj@inlander.com Rough Congress 7 Year Itch show (directly after The Vagina Monologues) • Sat, March 21, at 9 pm • 21+ • nYne • 232 W. Sprague • facebook.com/nynebar • 474-1621 ...continued on next page

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 107

MUSIC | ROCK

Roadworn and Weary Seattle’s Supersuckers have plenty of fresh heartache to fuel a new country album

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Supersuckers are a little bit country and rock ’n’ roll.

or 27 years, the Supersuckers and leader Eddie Spaghetti have toured virtually nonstop. And while that made the Seattle crew revered among fans for consistently great rock shows and occasional forays into sleazy barroom country, it also meant Spaghetti’s wife JD and his three kids at home were only seeing him a couple of days a month, at best.

So the Spaghettis hatched a plan.

Ditch the house in Seattle, buy a camper they dubbed the “Drive House” and have the whole family live on the road for a year while Eddie toured. JD would homeschool the kids, and the family would document their new “normal” life via podcasts and blogs.

Two years of planning ended with the family hitting the road in February to start the adventure. Within days a patch of black ice on an Oklahoma bridge threw the family off the road, through a guardrail, nearly into a lake. It totaled their car and 1975 Airstream, leaving JD and the kids stuck in a hotel while Eddie flew off to join the other Supersuckers, only missing one show.

“It was awful,” Spaghetti says, 10 days after the wreck. “It was a lot of work, and to have it all come crashing down after only a week on the road was pretty devastating.”

The Supersuckers have survived a litany of distractions and disasters, from label travails to members quitting or becoming junkies. They’ve survived and thrived with smirk intact and middle fingers held high in the face of adversity.

Founding member Dan Bolton suddenly quit the band in November, but Spaghetti, guitarist Marty Chandler and drummer Chris Von Streicher

forged on as a trio.

The Drive House disaster is more personal, and Spaghetti spends time between gigs dealing with insurance and “all the crap that goes on when you have a catastrophe” while the family stays with relatives.

The next time he sees them will be in April in Texas, where the Supersuckers are recording a long-awaited follow-up to Must’ve Been High, a 1997 Sub Pop country album full of their typical humor and attitude that showed the Supersuckers had more going on than playing punk tunes at a breakneck pace.

“There’s definitely an apprehension about following up that record the right way,” Spaghetti says. “But I feel like we’re ready for it. We’re so much better than we were when we made that record.”

The band’s Spokane “country show” is their first of a series of dates designed to test new songs and get the trio properly twanged-up before recording. Spaghetti expects the band will be “pretty new and green about it” since they haven’t played many country gigs lately.

Even so, one thing that never changes with the Supersuckers, no matter the chaos surrounding the band, is their ability to deliver a killer live show.

“I’ve said it a million times,” Spaghetti says.

“I feel like we have no business being this good this late in the game.” n Supersuckers with the Camorra • Fri, March 20, at 8:30 pm • $11 • All-ages • The Pin! • 412 W. Sprague • thepinevents.com • 368-4077

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MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 109

MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

PUNK PIZZA TIME

O

n Pizza Time’s latest record Todo, the band sings the praises of its namesake dish with a song titled, yep, “Pizza Time.” On it, David Castillo, the lone official member of the fun-loving punk band, and a couple of his friends sing “Pizza time / Pizza time / Whoa oh oh,” repeatedly over fuzzed-out guitar and simple drumbeats. The rest of Castillo’s songs, mostly sung in Spanish, are no less catchy than the first tune. This is the Denver-based band’s Adios Tour, as Castillo has chosen to focus on his pop-rock act Panaderia after this run ends. So catch Pizza Time while you still can.

— LAURA JOHNSON Pizza Time • Sun, March 22, at 7 and 10 pm • Free • All-ages early show/21+ late show • Baby Bar • 827 W. First • 847-1234

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

Thursday, 03/19

BooMerS ClASSiC roCk BAr & Grill, Randy Campbell acoustic show J BuCer’S CoFFeehouSe PuB, Open Jazz Jam with Erik Bowen BuCkhorn inn, Spokane River Band ChineSe GArDenS (534-8491), Big Hair Revolution Coeur D’Alene CASino, PJ Destiny J kniTTinG FACTory, Scott Helmer, Sammy Eubanks J lAGunA CAFé, Just Plain Darin leFTBAnk Wine BAr, Nick Grow J MonArCh MounTAin CoFFee (208-265-9382), Open Mic hosted

by Scott Reid o’ShAy’S, Open mic J PinnACle norThWeST, Black and White Party feat. wurdONE, Raw B, NRG, JL Mad Money Dee, Mumblez, Lil Buddha, Cire, Benzell, DJ Killmore riCo’S (332-6566), Alberto Ferro The VikinG BAr & Grill, Celeste Flock and Paul Abner ZolA, Sonny Brookbank Band

Friday, 03/20

J The BArTleTT, The Round No. 6 feat. Sarah Berentson, Alex Ishkov, Cedar & Boyer, Chris Cook, Aaron Abolofia BeVerly’S, Robert Vaughn BlACk DiAMonD, DJ Major One Bolo’S, Chairmen of Rock BoWl’Z BiTeZ & SPiriTZ, Likes Girls J BuCer’S CoFFeehouSe PuB, An American Forrest BuCkhorn inn, Bobby Bremer Band CAlyPSoS CoFFee & CreAMery, BSharp Music Studio Performing Coeur D’Alene CASino, Joel Brantley, Strictly Business Curley’S, Slow Burn FeDorA PuB & Grille, Harmony

110 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

METAL-MARIACHI METALACHI

T

hey claim they’re the world’s first and only heavy metal mariachi band. But Metalachi guitarist Ramon Holiday also allegedly lost his virginity to a carne asada burrito named Lucinda as a pre-teen. What is true about this band is that they’re a hell of a lot of fun to see perform live. Their Mexican/1970s rockerthemed outfits and crazy rhythms will make you laugh and get your groove on all at the same time. The band’s take on seminal favorites like “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Crazy Train” is unlike anything you’ve heard before, and you’ll wonder if that’s how they were supposed to sound all along.

— LAURA JOHNSON Metalachi • Wed, March 25, at 7 pm • $10/$12 day of • All-ages • The Big Dipper • 171 S. Washington • bigdipperevents.com • 8638098

SCOTT HARRISON PHOTO

Clayton FiZZie MulliGAnS, Chris Rieser & Snap the Nerve J hArrinGTon oPerA houSe (253-4594), Horse Crazy Cowgirl Band J The hoP!, Quarter Monkey, Tommy G, Framework, Prelude to a Pistol, Lust for Glory J inDie Air rADio, Buddy Mondlock iron horSe BAr, The Cronkites The MeMBerS lounGe(703-7115), DJ Selone and DJ Eaze norThern QueST CASino, DJ Ramsin PenD D’oreille Winery, Bare Grass J PinnACle norThWeST, Supersuckers (See story on page 108), the Camorra riCo’S, Brad Ard Quartet SeASonS oF Coeur D’Alene, GRE3NE/Ron Greene ShoT GlASS BAr & Grill (292-

0503), Spokane River Band SilVer Fox (208-667-9442), Usual Suspects The VikinG BAr & Grill, Dueling Piano ZolA, Milonga

Saturday, 03/21

J The BArTleTT, & Yet, Pacific & Pine BeVerly’S, Robert Vaughn J The BiG DiPPer, December in Red CD release feat. Project Kings, Free the Jester, the Broken Thumbs BlACk DiAMonD, DJ Perfechter Bolo’S, Chairmen of Rock BoWl’Z BiTeZ & SPiriTZ, Likes Girls J BuCer’S CoFFeehouSe PuB, Emilyann Pool, Skinny the Kid BuCkhorn inn, Bobby Bremer Band CAlyPSoS CoFFee & CreAMery, Lakes Middle School Jazz Band J ChAPS, Just Plain Darin with Tyler

Coulston CheCkerBoArD BAr, Prelude to a Pistol Coeur D’Alene CASino, Joel Brantley, Strictly Business Coeur D’Alene CellArS (208-6642336), GRE3NE/Ron Greene Curley’S, Slow Burn FiZZie MulliGAnS, Chris Rieser & Snap the Nerve J inDABA (443-3566), Erin Parkes iron GoAT BreWinG Co. (4740722), Jay Condiotti iron horSe BAr, The Cronkites John’S Alley, Sunny Ledfurd J JoneS rADiATor, Six State Bender, Siamese Suicide J kniTTinG FACTory, Spokane Metal Slam feat. Helldorado, Thirion X, Invasive, Mechanism, Elephant Gun Riot The lAriAT inn, Dude Ranch linnie’S ThAi CuiSine (535-2112),

Karaoke and Dancing with DJ Dave J MooTSy’S, Whiskey Dick Mountain, Shirkers, Fun Ladies norThern QueST CASino, Jonny Lang, DJ Ramsin (At Club Impulse) J nyne, Rough Congress (See story on page 106) PenD D’oreille Winery, Ron Criscione J PinnACle norThWeST, “Shake Your Shamrocks II” with DJ Felon PoST FAllS eAGleS (208-773-2923), All Cashed Up, The Ravinz rePuBliC BreWinG Co., Ian McFeron riCo’S, Brad Ard Quartet J The ShoP, B Radicals ZolA, Milonga

Sunday, 03/22

J BABy BAr, Pizza Time (See story above) J The BArTleTT, Tyrone Wells, Dominic Balli, Emily Hearn [First

night SOLD-OUT] THE CELLAR, Pat Coast CLEARWATER RIVER CASINO, Mel Tillis COEUR D’ALENE CASINO, Kosh, Bill Bozly DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS, Jam Night with VooDoo Church IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL (9268411), Dan Conrad  NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS & CULTURE, Robinsong  PINNACLE NORTHWEST, Blame Shifter, 37 Street Signs, Children of Atom, Sacred Grounds, Eddie Wilsom  RED ROOM LOUNGE, Pimps of Joytime

Monday, 03/23

 THE BARTLETT, Tyrone Wells, Dominic Balli, Emily Hearn  CALYPSOS COFFEE & CREAMERY, Open Mic EICHARDT’S, Monday Night Jam with Truck Mills  RICO’S, Open Mic UNDERGROUND 15, Open Mic ZOLA, Nate Ostrander Trio

GET LISTED!

Email getlisted@inlander. com to get your event listed in the paper and online. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.

Tuesday, 03/24

315 MARTINIS & TAPAS, The Rub  THE BARTLETT, Open Mic FEDORA PUB & GRILLE, Tuesday Night Jam with Truck Mills JONES RADIATOR, Open Mic of Open-ness THE LARIAT INN, Robert Moss  MOSCOW FOOD CO-OP, Final Uprising NYNE, DJ Patrick PINNACLE NORTHWEST, Kaustik RED ROOM LOUNGE, Unplugged with Jimmy Nudge ZOLA, The Bucket List

Wednesday, 03/25  BABY BAR, R.ariel, Hannah Reader, Outercourse  THE BARTLETT, Cymbals Eat Guitars  THE BIG DIPPER, Metalachi (See story on facing page)  CHAPS, Land of Voices with Dirk Swartz EICHARDT’S, Charley Packard GARLAND AVENUE DRINKERY (3155327), Open Mic with DJ Scratch n Smith GENO’S TRADITIONAL FOOD & ALES (368-9087), Open Mic with T & T IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL, Michael Dixon JOHN’S ALLEY, The Jesus Rehab JONES RADIATOR, Olde Soulz Revival with Dave McRae, Jonny Spilker, Drea Maquelle LA ROSA CLUB, Robert Beadling and Friends

THE LANTERN TAP HOUSE, Open Turntables Night with DJ Lydell LITZ’S BAR & GRILL (327-7092), Nick Grow LUCKY’S IRISH PUB, DJ D3VIN3 SOULFUL SOUPS AND SPIRITS, Open mic UNDERGROUND 15, Hank & Cupcakes, Boat Race Weekend ZOLA, The Bossame

Coming Up ...

REPUBLIC BREWING CO., Andrew Vait, April 11, 7-10 pm.

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Scott Pemberton Trio, Real Life Rockaz, April 11, 9 pm.  KNITTING FACTORY, Soja, April 14,1001 8 pm. West Sprague Ave. • 509-624-1200  MONARCH MOUNTAIN COFFEE, Open Mic hosted by Scott Reid, Third Thurs. of every month, 6-9 Symphony With a Splash pm.

DI LUNA’S CAFE, Tony Furtado, April 16, 7:30 pm.

FRI. March 20

.ONE WORLD CAFE, Sama Dams, Tomten, March 26 Band, Bar & Banter: 5-6:45pm NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Aaron Symphony Performance 7-8pm Lewis, March 26 . . . . . Jeep, . . . . March ...........................

THE BARTLETT, Turquoise 26 Symphony concert featuring new work THE BIG DIPPER, Resonant Language

by Thiwangkorn Lilit in celebration of with Doctor Ugz, Blapsta, Kreesto, Dr. Welty’s 100th Birthday!

March 26 JOHN’S ALLEY, Cure for the Common, .............................

March 26 THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT, with a splash sponsored by Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival feat.

Truck Mills, Cary Fly Band, Robb Boatsman & Rampage, March 27 EASTERN JOURNEYS PINNACLE NORTHWEST, Cold Blooded, Rutah, I Hate This City, Saturday, March 28 - 8pm Wolfstorm, Serpentspire, March 27 Sunday, March 29 - 3pm PIZZA PIT, Tomten, Panther Attack, Toyboat Toyboat Toyboat, March Featuring Symphony 27 THE BIG DIPPER, The Static Tones CD Clarinetist Daniel Cotter release feat. Blackwater Prophet, & Symphony Chorale Stucco, Sorority, March 27 THE BARTLETT, !!! (Chk Chk Chk), March 27 FAIROUZ’S TAHRIR FOR CLARINET KNITTING FACTORY, Dan + Shay with & BERNSTEIN’S CHICHESTER PSALMS Canaan Smith, March 27 THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT, Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival feat. Blues Edition, the Doghouse Boyz, FOX PRESENTS Billy D & the Hoodoos, Sekwyn Birchwood, Charlie Butts & the Filter Tops and more, March 28.

THE BIG DIPPER, Boat Race Weekend THE CD release party feat. Head Hiatus, the Bight, the Camorra, March 28 THE HOP!, Torches to Triggers, March 28, THE BARTLETT, Beat Connection, Elel, Water Monster, March 28 THE PALOMINO CLUB, Sir Richard Bishop, March 28 PANIDA THEATER, Marshall McLean Band with Anna Tivel, March 28 CHECKERBOARD BAR, Dirty Dirty and Ever-So-Android, March 28 UNDERGROUND 15, Odyssey, Flannel Math Animal, March 28 THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT, Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival feat. Kenny Andrews, March 29 THE BIG DIPPER, Tantric, March 29 THE BARTLETT, Joe Pug, March 29 PINNACLE NORTHWEST, Mother Crone, Mojave Wizard, March 29 Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox PINNACLE NORTHWEST, Verbera, The Home Team, Deaf To, F--- Out, March 30 PINNACLE NORTHWEST, Chrysalis, TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Raised By Wolves, Jet Pack Renegades, Lust For Glory, Heart .................

Avail, March 30 THE BARTLETT, Ages and Ages, April SPOKANESYMPHONY.ORG 2 THE BIG DIPPER, Down North, Flying MARTINWOLDSONTHEATER.COM .................

Spiders, Blind Willies, April 3

MANHATTAN TRANSFER

LIVE!

THURS. MAY 28

MUSIC | VENUES 315 MARTINIS & TAPAS • 315 E. Wallace, CdA • 208-667-9660 ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. • 927-9463 BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 847-1234 THE BARTLETT • 228 W. Sprague Ave. • 747-2174 BEVERLY’S • 115 S. 2nd St., CdA • 208-765-4000 THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington St. • 863-8098 BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 467-9638 BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 227-7638 BLACK DIAMOND • 9614 E. Sprague • 891-8357 THE BLIND BUCK • 204 N. Division • 290-6229 BOLO’S• 116 S. Best Rd. • 891-8995 BOOMERS • 18219 E. Appleway Ave. • 755-7486 BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE • 24 W. Main Ave. • 703-7223 BOWL’Z BITEZ & SPIRITZ• 401 W. Riverside Suite 101. • 321-7480 BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main, Moscow • 208-882-5216 BUCKHORN INN • 13311 Sunset Hwy.• 244-3991 THE CELLAR • 317 E. Sherman, CdA • 208-6649463 CALYPSOS • 116 E Lakeside Ave., CdA • 208665-0591 CHAPS • 4237 Cheney-Spokane Rd. • 624-4182 CHATEAU RIVE • 621 W. Mallon Ave. • 795-2030 CHECKERBOARD BAR • 1716 E. Sprague • 535-4007 COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw Rd., Worley • 800-523-2464 CURLEY’S • 26433 W. Hwy. 53 • 208-773-5816 DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS • 6412 E. Trent • 535-9309 EICHARDT’S • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208263-4005 FEDORA PUB • 1726 W. Kathleen, CdA • 208765-8888 FIZZIE MULLIGANS • 331 W. Hastings Rd. • 466-5354 THE FLAME • 2401 E. Sprague Ave. • 534-9121 FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague • 624-1200 GRANDE RONDE CELLARS • 906 W. 2nd • 455-8161 HANDLEBARS • 12005 E. Trent Ave.• 474-0933 THE HOP! • 706 N. Monroe St. • 368-4077 IRON HORSE • 407 E. Sherman Ave., CdA • 208-667-7314 IRV’S BAR • 415 W. Sprague Ave. • 624-4450 JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. 6th, Moscow • 208-8837662 JONES RADIATOR • 120 E. Sprague • 747-6005 KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 244-3279 LAGUNA CAFÉ • 4302 S. Regal St. • 448-0887 THE LANTERN TAP HOUSE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 315-9531 THE LARIAT • 11820 N Market St, Mead • 466-9918 LA ROSA CLUB • 105 S. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-255-2100 LATAH BISTRO • 4241 Cheney-Spokane Rd. • 838-8338 LEFTBANK WINE BAR • 108 N. Washington • 315-8623 LUCKY’S IRISH PUB • 408 W. Sprague Ave. • 747-2605 MAX AT MIRABEAU • 1100 N. Sullivan Rd. • 924-9000 MOOTSY’S • 406 W. Sprague • 838-1570 MOSCOW FOOD CO-OP • 121 E. Fifth St. • 208882-8537 NECTAR• 120 N. Stevens St. • 869-1572 NORTHERN QUEST • 100 N. Hayford • 242-7000 NYNE • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 474-1621 THE SHOP • 924 S. Perry St. • 534-1647 O’SHAY’S • 313 E. CdA Lake Dr. • 208-667-4666 THE PALOMINO CLUB • 6425 N. Lidgerwood St • 443-5213 PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545 PINNACLE NORTHWEST • 412 W. Sprague • 368-4077 PJ’S BAR & GRILL • 1717 N. Monroe St. • 328-2153 RED LION RIVER INN • 700 N. Division St. • 326-5577 RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague Ave. • 838-7613 REPUBLIC BREWING • 26 Clark Ave. • 775-2700 THE ROADHOUSE • 20 N. Raymond • 413-1894 THE ROCK BAR • 13921 E. Trent Ave. • 43-3796 ROCKER ROOM • 216 E. Coeur d’Alene Ave. • 208-676-2582 ROCKET MARKET • 726 E. 43rd Ave. • 343-2253 SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 209 E. Lakeside Ave. • 208-664-8008 THE SHOP • 924 S. Perry St. • 534-1647 SOULFUL SOUPS & SPIRITS • 117 N. Howard St. • 459-1190 SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon • 279-7000 SPLASH • 115 S. 2nd St., CdA • 208-765-4000 THE SWAMP • 1904 W. Fifth Ave. • 458-2337 UNDERGROUND 15 • 15 S. Howard St. • 290-2122 THE VIKING • 1221 N. Stevens St. • 315-4547 WEBSTER’S RANCH HOUSE SALOON • 1914 N. Monroe St. • 474-9040 ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 624-2416

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 111

THEATER ENDLESS LOVE

There’s just no denying the enduring appeal of ABBA. The Swedish group’s ’70s tunes are the kind of insistent earworms that make resistance to the charms of “Dancing Queen” and “Take a Chance on Me” utterly futile. The band’s catalog of hits is a perfect source for a jukebox musical, and Mamma Mia! has been playing nonstop since debuting on London’s West End in 1999, then moving to Broadway and becoming a touring production seen by millions.

— DAN NAILEN Mamma Mia! • March 20-21; Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat at 2 and 7:30 pm • $43-$83 • INB Performing Arts Center • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • inbpac.com • 279-7000

112 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

GAMES PLAY FOR A CAUSE

WORDS YEAR OF THE WRITER

Con d’Alene • March 20-22 • $20-$25/day; $40-$45/full weekend • American Legion Post 143 • 1138 E. Poleline Ave., Post Falls • facebook.com/Condalene • 208-762-7764

Megan Kruse • Wed, March 25, at 7 pm • Free • Auntie’s Bookstore • 402 W. Main • 838-0206 • Also Tue, March 24, at 7 pm • Bookpeople of Moscow

Board games, role-playing games, collectible trading card games and tabletop adventures of all sorts take over the Post Falls American Legion this weekend to raise money for local veterans organizations. And even while the advanced technology of video games continues to blow minds, tabletop gaming is arguably bigger than ever. From Warhammer 40,000 to Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon to historically based war strategy games, the appeal of this “analog” play spans across ages and interests. The event boasts more than 40 games to both learn and play.

— CHEY SCOTT

This year, we’ve already witnessed several Spokane-based authors’ debuts receiving immensely positive critical and public reception, and author Megan Kruse, from Tulalip, Wash., isn’t breaking the trend. With an introduction by Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and kind words from our own Jess Walter on the cover, Kruse’s first novel, Call Me Home, has also received starred reviews. The Seattlebased author heads to Spokane and Moscow next week to talk about and read from the novel, a heart-wrenching tale of a family struck by violence, each seeking redemption, acceptance and love.

— CHEY SCOTT

Email getlisted@inlander.com to get your event listed in the paper and online. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.

! rd

opening April d 3 an

GET LISTED!

gr

Com in g to CdA the Riv in erstone Village

At The Paint Buzz you don’t need experience.

WORDS POTENT PATTER

If your image of a poetry reading involves respectful silence, tweed jackets and dusty bookstores, you might want to introduce yourself to the bold style — both on the page and in his performances — of Douglas Kearney. The Los Angeles native tackles myriad issues facing black men in contemporary society, earning accolades and awards for his books like 2009’s The Black Automaton and last year’s Patter. He’s also a librettist, often working with composers to create modern operas that are anything but staid. Kearney is visiting Spokane as part of the Gonzaga University Visiting Writers Series.

— DAN NAILEN Douglas Kearney • Wed, March 25, at 7:30 pm • Free • Cataldo Hall Globe Room, Gonzaga University • 502 E. Boone • douglaskearney.com

Instructors will guide you through how to re-create the nights featured painting. Feeling artsy?

Creativity is encouraged!

There will be music, laughing, & a generous drink menu.

By the end of the night, you will walk away with a masterpiece that you created!

It’s so much fun!

Like us on

Thank You Spokane!

COMEDY TALENT, AMERICA’S GOT

Remember back in 2013 when Spokane’s own singer-songwriter Cami Bradley finished sixth on America’s Got Talent? Los Angeles-based comedian Taylor Williamson took second that year and came along with Bradley to perform at her Bing Crosby Theater homecoming show. He talked a lot about being Jewish and how white Spokane is, and made the audience laugh hard.

This weekend, the skinny, somewhat awkward comedian with the self-deprecating delivery is back in town to do it again.

— LAURA JOHNSON Taylor Williamson • Sat, March 21, at 8:30 pm • $17 • Bing Crosby Theater • 901 W. Sprague • bingcrosbytheater.com • 227-7638

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Live Music Wed-Sat starting at 7 Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-6 MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 113

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

OPEN ENROLLMENT POTTERY CLASSES All Skill Levels & Ages Morning/Evening Classes Fun & Friendly Atmosphere Learn at Your Own Pace Supplies Included

clayconnection.net

714 E. Sprague Spokane | 509-747-6171

March 22nd, 2015

A 25-Year View of Church Life: The challenge of engagement Deborah Jacquemin, UUCS Music Director

Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane

4340 W. Ft. Wright Drive

509-325-6383 | uuspokane.org

Sunday Services / Religious Ed & Childcare

9:15 & 11am

YWCA LITTLE BLACK DRESS NIGHT Event benefits the mission of the YWCA and includes wine, champagne and appetizers, with complimentary mini-spa services and a raffle. March 19. $25. Northern Quest La Rive Spa, 100 N. Hayford Rd. tinyurl.com/lgmfake (242-7000) CANINES ON THE CATWALK Fifth annual Divino Fashion Runway show featuring fashions from local designers and boutiques, along with 25 adoptable dogs showing off pet fashion from local designers. March 20, 7 pm. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. (950-0737) SPRING CRAFT & GARDEN SHOW Hosting 83 booths featuring Northwest artists and vendors; proceeds benefit the 2015 Lake City High School senior class graduation party. March 21, 9 am-4 pm. $1 admission. Lake City High School, 6101 N. Ramsey Rd. (208-769-0769) ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION BENEFIT An evening to raise money to protect elk and other wildlife and their habitat. Includes a cocktail social, live auction, dinner and games. March 21, 5 pm. $70/person; $105/pair. Best Western Coeur d’Alene, 506 W. Appleway Ave. rmef.org (208-691-1824) SUMMER CAMP FUNDRAISER Dinner, a silent and live auction. Childcare provided. March 21, 4:30-9 pm. $5-$10. Spokane Valley United Methodist Church, 115 N. Raymond Rd. (924-7262) EVERGREEN EAST HUBAPALOOZA An event to benefit the new nonprofit’s Eastern Washington branch, which works to build and maintain trails in the region. Features beer from eight local

breweries, a short film contest, auction, food and more. March 27, 7 pm. $5-$10 suggested donation. Rocket Market, 726 E. 43rd Ave. (343-2253) NAWBO UNCORKED! The Northwest Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) host its 8th annual wine, beer, and spirits tasting and auction event. Benefts Transitions women’s shelter. March 27, 6-9 pm. $65. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. (624-1200) SWEETHEARTS BALL The primary fundraiser event for Camp Journey, a camp for children with cancer, includes dinner, live entertainment, casino-themed games and more. March 27. $65/couple; $120/ pair. Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. sweetheartsballcda.com (208-661-2324)

COMEDY

CRIME SHOW Improv comedy show inspired by the plots/characters of crime detective TV series. Fridays in March, at 8 pm. $7. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. (747-7045) LIVE, LOCAL COMEDIANS Performing every Friday and Saturday, at 8 pm. March 20-21, Davey Wester and Casey Strain; March 27-28, Jay Wendel Walker and Jim Green. $12. Uncle D’s Comedy Underground, 2721 N. Market. (483-7300) SAFARI Fast-paced short-form improv games based on audience suggestions.

(Not rated.) Saturdays at 9 pm. $7. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland. (747-7045) TAYLOR WILLIAMSON The recent runner up to America’s Got Talent performs a stand-up comedy show. March 21, 8:30 pm. $17. Bing Crosby Theater, 901

W. Sprague Ave. (227-7404)

COMMUNITY

FREE TAX PREPARATION IRS-certified volunteers are available to assist those who earn less than $52,427 in preparing and e-filing their taxes at eight locations throughout Spokane County. Sites remain open through April 15; times and locations vary. unitedwayspokane.org (353-4851) SOCIAL SKETCH Spend a night drawing, sketching, collaborating and socializing with other creatives. Bring your art supplies, open to all. March 19, 6-9 pm.

Free. The Bartlett, 228 W. Sprague Ave. facebook.com/socialsketching EASTER BUNNY PHOTOS The Easter Bunny hops into the first-level atrium at River Park Square to celebrate spring’s most time-honored tradition. Visit him daily from March 20-April 4; times vary.

River Park Square, 808 W. Main. riverparksquare.com (624-3945) STATE OF THE COUNTY Commissioner Todd Mielke talks about Spokane County’s Lean Management principles, what this means to businesses and Spokane County’s Strategic Framework for 201516. March 20, 7-9 am. $55. Spokane Valley Event Center, 10514 E. Sprague. (321-3612) 2015 PEACE & ECONOMIC JUSTICE ACTION CONFERENCE Friday’s opening reception, March 20, 6-8:30 pm, includes food, wine and performances from local musicians and spoken word artists. Saturday’s conference, 9 am-5 pm, offers a full day of workshops, a keynote speaker, meals and networking opportunities. March 21, 9 am-5 pm. $15-$40. Unitarian Universalist Church,

4340 W. Fort George Wright Dr. pjals. org/2015conference (838-7870) 22ND ANNIVERSARY POWWOW Cultural celebration, open to the public.

March 21, 1-3 & 7-9 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S Hwy 95. cdacasino.com (800-523-2467) BLOOMSDAY TRAINING CLINICS Sessions begin with a presentation on race training, followed by warmup and a supported run. Week one is 1-mile route, increasing by a mile each week to prep for the full length of the Bloomsday course. Saturdays at 8:30 am, through April 25. Free. SFCC, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr. (533-3500) BODY IMAGE & THE MEDIA: A PANEL DISCUSSION EWU Professor Jessica Willis leads a panel discussion and audience participation talk about body image. March 21, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 402 W. Main Ave. (838-0206) CELEBRATE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR Join the Spokane Chinese Association in celebrating the Chinese New Year and learn about Chinese culture with dancing, candy and fun. March 21, 3 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley. (444-5390) NORTH IDAHO REGIONAL SPELLING BEE 53 students in grades 4-8 from the five northern counties of Idaho participate in the 12th annual regional spelling bee, with the winner receiving an allexpense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the end of May. March 21, 9 am. North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Ave. nic.edu (208-769-3316) SPRING EQUINOX CELEBRATION & OPEN HOUSE Activities at the Outdoor Learning Center include a Hubble Sat-

I am driven to life beyond dialysis.

I visit the dialysis clinic three days a week. For more than five years, Spokane Transit has taken me there, dropping me off right in front of the clinic. I can concentrate on my appointments – not on the hassle of getting to them. I really couldn’t do it without Spokane Transit. I’m driven to live life to the fullest, and I’m driven by STA.

What drives you? Tell us at #whatdrivesyou.

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ellite birthday craft, plant games, star gazing, a scavenger hunt, and hawk and owl sanctuary tours. March 21, 10 am-2 pm. $5 suggested donation. West Valley Outdoor Learning Center, 8706 E. Upriver Drive. olc.wvsd.org (340-1028) SUPER SATURDAY AT THE MAC “Celebrate Women’s History” is the theme for March’s event, including hands-on art activities, live art demonstrations, live music, Campbell House tours, and more. Regular admission applies; members free. March 21, 11 am-3 pm. The MAC, 2316 W. First. (456-3931) COMMUNITY CONTRA DANCE Spokane Folklore’s weekly Wednesday night contra dance, with Arvid Lundin playing and Larry Simmons calling. Beginner workshop at 7:15 pm. March 25, 7:30-9:30 pm. $5-$7. Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. spokanefolklore.org READY? SET, GROW! The third annual gardening season open house offers information and displays on gardening topics, the library seed exchange and more. March 25, 5:30-7:30 pm. Free.

Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org SPOKANE VALLEY ARTS COUNCIL SCULPTURE UNVEILING See the sculpture “Dance of Sun and Moon,” by Jerry McKellar, donated by the Spokane Valley Arts Council. Park at the Discovery Playground parking lot just north of the site. March 26, 4 pm. Free. Mirabeau Point Park, 2426 N. Discovery Place. spokanevalleyarts.org (924-5009)

FILM

SPOKANE FILM SOCIETY The local group screens a film to get audiences

thinking, with each month focusing on a new theme. Beer/wine/food for purchase during the show. Thursdays at 9 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland.

(327-1050) SPOKANE JEWISH CULTURAL FILM FESTIVAL Spokane Area Jewish Family Services presents its 11th annual film festival featuring three films offering glimpses into the diversity of Jewish experiences in Israel and the U.S. March 19, 21 and 22; times vary. $5-$25. Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main. sajfs.org THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Screening hosted by the NIC Film Club, with a discussion to follow. Rated R. March 20, 6 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. (208769-2315) RUN & JUMP An American doctor travels to Ireland to study a family after a 38-year-old man suffers a stroke changing his personality, and leaving his dynamo wife and mother to run the show. March 20-21; times vary. $4-$7.

Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. (208255-7801) THE GOONIES Relive this classic, funny adventure of a group of kids who track lost pirate treasure on the Oregon coast. March 21, 2 pm. Free. Downtown Library, 906 W. Main Ave. (444-5300) Z NATION ZOMBIE AUDITIONS Open casting call for zombie extras to participate in the second season of the locally-filmed SyFy show. Ages 18+. March 21, 9 am-4 pm. Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3606 S. Schafer Rd. tinyurl. com/mq6zjp2 (926-6363) SHE’S BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE’S ANGRY This film explores the women who

founded the contemporary women’s movement from 1966 to 1971. Not rated.

Screening benefits the University of Idaho Women’s Center. March 24, 7-10 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. (208-882-4127) INTERNATIONAL FLY FISHING FILM FESTIVAL Featuring short and featurelength professional films from around the world showcasing the passion, lifestyle and culture of fly fishing. Also includes a raffle/auction to benefit the Spokane Riverkeeper. March 25, 5 pm. $15/$18. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. spokaneriver.net (227-7404) FROM SPOKANE WITH LOVE A locally-made documentary following the journey of Shahrokh Nikfar and five Spokanites in an attempt to dispel misinformation and stereotypes about Iran and the Middle East. Panel discussion to follow. March 26, 7 pm. $8. Magic Lantern, 25 W. Main. (209-2383) ONLY THE ESSENTIAL: HIKING THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL The story of a 5-month, 2668-mile journey on foot, followed by a presentation about longdistance backpacking by Colin Arisman.

March 26, 6:30-8:30 pm. Free. Gonzaga University Jepson Center, 502 E. Boone. tinyurl.com/op3adkn (313-4189)

Meet the Artist!

Lee Kromschroeder

Here is your chance to meet in person this highly collected, WILD WINGS premier wildlife artist

Sat. March 28th

FOOD & DRINK

SHOWDOWN SERIES NO. 3: WASHINGTON VS. CHILE Wines of Washington state are tasted side by side with the new world wines from Chile. Includes a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet and Carmenere. March 20, 7 pm. $30, registration requested. Rocket Market, 726 E. 43rd. (343-2253)

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ToyotaCare covers normal factory scheduled service. Plan is 2 years or 25K miles, whichever comes first. The new vehicle cannot be part of a rental or commercial fleet, or a livery/taxi vehicle. See participating Toyota dealer for plan details. Valid only in the continental U.S. and Alaska. Roadside assistance does not include parts and fluids, except emergency fuel delivery.0% APR Financing for 60 months available to eligible customers who finance a new, unused, or unlicensed 2015 Prius (L/B, Prius V, Prius C), 15 Venza, & 15 RAV4 from Toyota Motor Sales and Toyota Financial Services. A negotiable documentary service fee in an amount up to $150 may be added to the vehicle price. Vehicle ID numbers available upon request.

Specific vehicles are subject to availability. You must take retail delivery from dealer stock. Special APR may not be combined with any other Customer Cash Rebates, Bonus Cash Rebates, or Lease Offers. Finance programs available on credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify for financing from Toyota Financial Services through participating dealers. Monthly payment for every $1,000 financed is 0%-60 months = $16.67.See your Toyota dealer for actual pricing, annual percentage rate (APR), monthly payment, and other terms and special offers. Pricing and terms of any finance or lease transaction will be agreed upon by you and your dealer. Special offers are subject to change or termination at any time. Offer Ends 3/31/15. Up to $2000 Customer Cash Back available on a New 2015 Toyota Venza. Cannot be combined and is subject to availability. A negotiable documentary service fee in an amount up to $150 may be added to the vehicle price. Vehicle ID numbers available upon request. Cash back from Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. Varies by region. See participating dealer for details. Does not include College Grad or Military Rebate. ToyotaCare covers normal factory scheduled service.

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King’s Court New recreational dispensary Royal’s Cannabis opens

BY JORDY BYRD

D

ivision, once a concrete jungle, is getting greener. Spokane’s newest recreational dispensary Royal’s Cannabis opened March 12, celebrating a grand opening March 14-15 with $150 ounces.

While the promotion has ended, the family-owned business plans to reinstate the promotion periodically.

“The store has been designed with the customer in mind from the beginning,” says owner Ashley O’Harvey. “Fit for a king is our motto, and we intend to live up to that ideal.”

The space is gorgeous — more art gallery than dispensary — with sleek white walls, red accents, geometric prints and tropical plants. Customers can browse through glass display

116 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

cases, or relax on upholstered accent chairs while enjoying complimentary coffee, tea and snacks. This summer, the company plans to host marijuanarelated events and art shows and exhibits on their patio.

“We wanted to elevate the experience from a typical head shop atmosphere,” says manager Perri Davenport. “To create something that’s classy, comfortable, friendly and warm. … We are not here to just sell. We are here to meet your needs and find a good match.”

The menu is organized by indica- and sativa-dominant strains, pre-rolled products, concentrates and edibles. Royal’s Cannabis carries strains from locals MJ Productions, Naked Emperor Corp. and WoW

H

Industries. The dispensary also carries an array of smoking paraphernalia, including pipes from local artisans Funky Buddha Glass.

“We have looked very carefully at which processors we are going to purchase from,” says Royal’s Cannabis buyer Jan Marlow. “It has been a bit of a long process, visiting growers and inspecting their methods and end product, but it will be worth it in the end for our customer.”

Royal’s Cannabis offers employee picks on their Facebook page, alongside prize giveaways and promotional offers. Davenport says their employees are knowledgeable, business savvy and can “speak intelligently about the product.”

BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 and Initiative 502).

State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington State, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor Control Board at www.liq.wa.gov.

“We know how to run a business,” she says. “That’s very much an advantage that we have. We really want this to work, and it’s going to be responsible owners that make the industry and keep it alive, rather than causing the state undue grief.” n Royal’s Cannabis • 7115 N. Division • Open daily, 10 am-8 pm • Facebook: Royal’s Cannabis • 808-2098

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EVENTS | CALENDAR

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COOKING CLASSES AT GREENBRIAR Class topics include edible gifts, creole/cajun cooking, asian food, hearty dinners, Latin food, soups and more.

Classes on March 21, 28, and April 4, 11, 18 from 11 am-1:30 pm. $45. Greenbriar Inn, 315 Wallace Ave. greenbriarcatering.com (208-667-9660) MANUAL COFFEE BREWING CLASS Learn how to brew better coffee at home using a variety of manual brewing methods, with Scott Yost of DOMA Coffee Roasting Company. March 24, 7 pm. $20, registration requested.

Rocket Market, 726 E. 43rd. (343-2253) CAMP COOKING BASICS Get tips on setting up a kitchen and cooking easy meals outdoors. March 26, 7 pm. Free.

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HOLY NAMES MUSIC CENTER Faculty and student ensembles from the music center perform “Mystery Behind the Scenes: The Maltese Trout?” March 19, 7:30 pm. Free. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. hnmc.org (227-7404) HORSE CRAZY COWGIRL BAND The award-winning female western music trio performs a concert to benefit the historic Harrington Opera House.

They’re joined by Dave McClure. March 20, 7-8:30 pm. $5-$15. Harrington Opera House. harringtonoperahouse.org RISE UP SINGING PJALS’ Peace and Economic Justice Action Conference’s opening reception features performances by comedian Michael Glatzmaier, musician Lucas Brookbank Brown, local bellydancers, spoken word artists and improv comedy from the Blue Door Theatre. March 20, 6:30-8:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W. Fort George Wright Dr. pjals. org/2015conference (325-6283) SPOKANE SYMPHONY WITH A SPLASH Pre-concert happy hour from 5-6:45 pm with a live local band (Tango Volcado), followed by a concert by the Symphony at 7 pm. Also includes $12 dinner special between happy hour and concert, which honors the 100th birthday of Symphony supporter Dr. Elizabeth Welty with the world premiere of new work by pianist Thiwangkorn Lilit, who performs the piece in person.

March 20, 5-8 pm. $25. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. spokanesymphony.org (624-1200) BASSOONARAMA 35 bassoonists of all ages perform an eclectic mix of music at this annual concert event. In the Music Bldg. recital hall. March 21, 4 pm. Free; donations accepted. EWU, Cheney. (822-1987) CRESCENDO COMMUNITY CHORUS From Westminster Choir College, Dr. Tom Shelton hosts a day of vocal workshops with the choir, and leads area children’s’ choirs as they premier one of his original works to culminate the workshops. March 21, 4:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Shadle Park High School, 4327 N. Ash. crescendocommunitychorus.org (714-0555) DISNEY’S CHOO CHOO SOUL ChooChoo Soul was developed by video game designer Greg Johnson and uses music about trains to teach kids basic education skills, manners and diversity. Shows at 1:30 and 4:30 pm. March 21. $15-$40. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. (227-7404) SPOKANE BRITISH BRASS BAND

“Seasons of Brass” is a fundraiser concert for the music program at Lewis & Clark High School. March 22, 3-4:30 pm. $10/adults; free/children, students. Lewis & Clark HS, 521 W. Fourth Ave. sbbb.org (999-8717) SPOKANE CHORAL ARTISTS & MIDCOLUMBIA MASTERSINGERS Spokane Choral Artists and Mid-Columbia Mastersingers join forces to present a concert of works for double-chorus.

Pre-concert talk at 2:30pm. March 22, 3-4:30 pm. $12-$18. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th. (838-4277)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

FREE STATE PARKS DAY In celebration of Washington State Parks’ 102nd birthday, residents are offered access to any state park without needing a Discover Pass. Includes access locally to Riverside and Mount Spokane State Parks. March 19. Free. Riverside State Park, Spokane. parks.wa.gov BACKPACKING BASICS An overview of planning, preparation and how to choose a pack, select proper clothing and footwear. March 19, 7-8:30 pm.

Free. REI, 1125 N. Monroe. (328-9900) FRIDAY NIGHT BIKES A gathering of Spokane-area cycling organizers, activists and enthusiasts, hosted by Bike to Work Spokane March 20, 5 pm. Free.

River City Brewing, 121 S. Cedar. tinyurl. com/qyou2kf (413-2388) PACIFIC NORTHWEST QUALIFIER The regional junior volleyball tournament takes place March 20-22 and March 27-29, with events held at the Spokane Convention Center, EWU Cheney campus and the HUB Sports Center. pacificnwqualifier.org SPOKANE CHIEFS Hockey match vs. the Seattle Thunderbirds and the Everett Silvertips, respectively. March 20 and March 23, 7:05 pm. $10-$23. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon. (279-7000) SPOKANNIBALS ROLLER DERBY First home game of 2015, vs. Storm City Roller Girls’ Misfits of Mutiny!

March 21, 7-9 pm. $5-$10. Roller Valley Skate Center, 9415 E. Fourth. on.fb. me/1xvbeLo (924-7655) SPOKANE RIVERKEEPER SPEAKS Spokane Riverkeeper Jerry White explains his mission to protect our river now and in the future for all outdoor recreation uses. March 23, 7-8 pm.

Free. Mountain Gear Corporate Offices, 6021 E. Mansfield Ave. (487-7085) ALES & TRAILS Friends of the Pend Oreille Bay Trail and Laughing Dog Brewing host an evening to plan the future of the trail, seeking community input on amenities/design. Includes beer and pizza. March 24, 5-8 pm. Free.

Laughing Dog Brewing, 1109 Fontaine Drive. pobtrail.org (208-263-9222) SCENIC FAMILY HIKES Learn about the best family-friendly hikes in and around Spokane, including tips for hiking with children, and how to access a website offering free, guided hikes in the area for all ages. March 24, 6:30 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley St. (444-5390) YOGA FOR OUTDOOR FITNESS Join a Yoga instructor to learn basics to develop your balance, endurance and strength (inner and physical) for all types of outdoor activities. Register online to save a spot. March 24, 7 pm.

Free. REI, 1125 N. Monroe. (328-9900)

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 117

Advice Goddess The SocioPATh of LeAST ReSiSTAnce

AMY ALKON

My girlfriend has been hurt, cheated on, and even ripped off in past relationships, and I’m paying the price. If I don’t text back immediately, she is convinced I’m dumping her and flips out. If I’m busy, she thinks I’m with another girl or abandoning her. When I do something sweet, she thinks I’m trying to play her. All I want is to have a nice relationship with her. Am I fighting a losing battle, or can a little good from a caring, ethical guy allow a woman to let go of a lot of bad? —Optimist

A woman like your girlfriend, with a history of dating shady guys, can find the most inconsequential things suspicious, down to the way you drip creamer into your coffee — surely Morse code telling that pretty woman across the cafe that you want to have sex with her. You: “Uh…you mean the woman canoodling with her girlfriend in the ‘Keep Calm and Kiss Lesbians’ T-shirt?”

There are a few world-class deceivers out there, and it can be hard to see who they really are until you’re looking at a small pile of cracker crumbs where the money in your bank account used to be. But, typically, a woman who’s frequently chumped by bad guys is not just their victim; she’s her own. Repeat suckerization often comes out of low self-worth. But it almost always comes out of refusing to do the necessary homework — observing a potential partner’s behavior over time and seeing whether it matches up with the person they claim to be. Your girlfriend appears to favor a popular shortcut — cannonballing into a relationship and hoping things turn out okay. Until…whoops! He was just helping her best friend fix her sheets, and then the most amazing thing happened — all of his clothes fell off.

Considering that your girlfriend probably feels cruelly abandoned whenever you stop talking long enough to sneeze, lead with the reassurance that you love her and want to be with her. Then tell her it hurts your feelings that she doesn’t give you credit for who you’ve shown yourself to be — a loving boyfriend who’s given her no reason to believe he’d ever run some scam on her. Explain that for your relationship to make it, you need to see her working on her issues — in a therapist’s office and/or with a great reason-based self-help book, Dr. Albert Ellis’ “A Guide to Rational Living” (because her flip-outs are ultimately caused by her failing to apply reason).

Gently point out that just because she has a feeling — like jealousy or anxiety — she doesn’t have to act on it. Sure, in the moment, it’s easy to go straight to crazytown. Avoiding that takes preplanning. She needs to resolve to instead pull out the evidence — the spreadsheets of your prior behavior — and assess the likelihood that what you’re “picking up at the store” is actually just milk and not a 5’10” blonde. Give yourself a deadline to see some progress. Not necessarily miraculous change but some indication that she’s trying — and that you might someday be greeted with a kiss and a “How was your day?” instead of a gavel and a “How do you plead?”

DeAR in The heADLiGhTS

When I talked on the phone to a woman I met on a dating site, I told her I really like hiking, and she said she did, too, so I made our first date a hike. It was a really easy hike, but she complained the whole time, wore the wrong shoes, and lagged behind. She finally admitted that she never hikes. It isn’t the first time this has happened. Why do women say they like hiking when they hate it and never do it?

—Just Be Honest Okay, so this woman’s idea of an invigorating nature trek is cutting across a grassy median to get to a shoe sale. Hiking is so easy to like in the abstract, on the phone — especially when you like hiking and the woman wants you to like her.

She may even picture herself hiking — up a fake rock in Chanel shorts at a Vogue photo shoot — and believe that she could be into it. And then, when she feels a twinge of guilt for telling a fibby, she probably tells herself that once you fall for her, you’ll realize it’s a small price to pay that her feet don’t take kindly to parting company with pavement. The bottom line for you? Assume that anyone you meet — especially on the Internet — is lying about absolutely everything until proven otherwise. (Yeah, of course she enjoys seeing birds in formation — in valu-paks at the grocery store.) n ©2015, 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)

118 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

EVENTS | CALENDAR BIKE MAINTENANCE BASICS An introductory class designed to help you take care of your bike and prolong its riding life. March 25, 7-8:30 pm. Free. REI, 1125 N. Monroe. rei.com/spokane

CAMELOT Performance of the legendary stage musical. March 26-29, show times vary. INB Performing Arts Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. (800-3257328)

THEATER

VISUAL ARTS

THE BEST BROTHERS A comedy drama about two brothers facing the aftermath of their mother’s death. Through March 22; Thur-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm $19-$25. The Modern Theater Spokane, 174 S. Howard. (455-7529) FUNNY GIRL Performance by the awardwinning Central Valley Theatre Department. March 18-21 and 25-28. at 7:30 pm. $12-$15. Central Valley High School, 821 S. Sullivan. cvtheatre.com (927-6848) NUNSENSE A-MEN! Musical-comedy directed by Troy Nickerson, starring male actors as the Sisters of Hoboken.

Through March 22; Thur-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard. (325-2507) AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN A satiric dramedy about people seeking fame and fortune and the lengths they’re willing to go in their quest. Through March 29; Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $13$5. Ignite Community Theatre, 10814 E. Broadway. ignitetheatre.org (795-0004) CLUE: THE MUSICAL A fun murder mystery based on the classic game of the same name. March 20-April 12; Thur-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $22.

Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard. spokanecivictheatre.com (325-2507) THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES Annual event featuring an art auction, aerial silk performers, burlesque and performance of the Eve Ensler production. Proceeds benefit Transitions and Women’s Hearth. March 20-21 at 6 pm. $20/$25. nYne, 232 W. Sprague. tinyurl. com/nooqhw4 (474-1621) MACBETH Performance of Shakespeare’s classic horror. Through March 21; Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm. $12-$14. Heartwood Center, 615 S. Oak St. heartwoodsandpoint.com (208-946-6174) MAMMA MIA! Performance of the hit musical combining ABBA’s greatest hits with a story of love, laughter and friendship. March 20-21 at 7:30 pm.

March 20, 7:30 pm and March 21, 7:30 pm. INB Performing Arts Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. (800-325-7328) THE PAJAMA GAME SGS’s spring musical comedy. March 20-21, at 7 pm. $7/adults; $5/students, seniors. Saint George’s School, 2929 W. Waikiki Rd. sgs.org (466-1636)

LAKELAND STUDENT ART SHOWCASE An exhibition showcasing Rathdrum’s Lakeland High School’s Art Competition and classroom projects in an open house format. Immediately following is the drama department’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” at 7 pm ($7/person). March 20, 6-7 pm. Free. Lakeland High School, 7006 W. Hwy. 53. (208-687-0181) THE MANIACAL MYSTERY TOUR Artwork inspired by the Beatles, featuring paintings by artists Tom Quinn and Megan Holden. March 21-April 17; gallery open Tue-Sat, 11 am-5 pm. Manic Moon & More, 1007 W. Augusta. manicmoonandmore.com (413-9101) ART SALVAGE SPOKANE WORKSHOP A creative workshop to teach how to recycle and transform cardboard tubes into art, toys and home organization tools.

March 21, 1-3 pm. Free. INK Artspace, 224 W. Sprague. tinyurl.com/lq7xkft EYE 4 ART 25 local, professional artists show and sell pieces alongside displays of work and art demonstrations by visual arts students, with proceeds supporting arts education in the Mead School District. Also includes live music, food trucks and a draw off between teams from Mt. Spokane and Mead.

March 28, 12-5 pm. $2-$15. Mead High School, 302 W. Hastings Rd. facebook. com/SupportEye4Art (465-7046) BEHIND-THE-SCENES SUNDAY “UpClose and Personal: The Z. (Zama) Vanessa Helder Depression-Era Watercolors” presented by MAC curators Valerie Wahl and Marsha Rooney, along with Margaret Bullock of the Tacoma Art Museum. March 29, 1 pm. $25. The MAC, 2316 W. First. (456-3931)

WORDS

JAN MARTINEZ Through her autobiographical book “Christ Kitchen: Loving Women out of Poverty,” Martinez tells the story of how she went from a horrific personal tragedy to later founding the local nonprofit to help women in poverty. March 20, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. (838-0206) AUTHOR MEGAN KRUSE The Pacific Northwest writer celebrates the launch of her debut novel, “Call Me Home,” which has received positive critical

reception. March 24, 7 pm. Free. BookPeople of Moscow, 521 S. Main. (208882-2669) Also March 25, at 7 pm, Auntie’s, 402 W. Main. (838-0206) GONZAGA VISITING WRITERS SERIES: DOUGLAS KEARNEY Kearney is a poet, performer and librettist whose second, full-length collection of poetry, “The Black Automaton,” was selected for the National Poetry Series. March 25, 7:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Gonzaga University, 502 E. Boone. gonzaga.edu (328-4220) AUTHOR IAN WEIR The playwright, screenwriter, and novelist reads from “Will Starling,” his newest work. March 25, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 402 W. Main Ave. (838-0206)

ETC.

CON D’ALENE Second annual game convention. March 20-22; Fri 3 pmmidnight; Sat 9 am-midnight; Sun 9 am-5 pm. $20-$45. American Legion Steven H. Nipp Post 143, 1138 E. Poleline, Post Falls. (208-762-7764) BEEKEEPING WORKSHOP Presented by natural beekeeper and author Jacqueline Freeman, the workshop explores how bees sense and interact with the world, as well as practical information about caring for them. Geared toward those with previous beekeeping experience. March 21, 10 am-4 pm. $65; pre-registration required. Hayden Senior Center, 9428 N. Government Way. InFarmU.org (503-307-4505) PLANTING FOR BEES Learn what to plant in your garden to help sustain the local bee population. March 21, 9-11 am. $15. Petunia’s Marketplace, 2010 N. Madison. (325-4257) SPOKANE NATIVE PLANTS WSU Master Gardener Eva Lusk shares reasons to include native plants in the garden and how to choose the ones most likely to thrive. Native plants do not need much extra care, creating a low maintenance yard. March 21. Free and open to the public. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. thefriendsofmanito.org (456-8038) HYPER-FORMANCE JAZZ DANCE CLUB Performance by the four-time Chase Youth Award winning group.

Hyper-Formance allows any child, regardless of skill, age, gender, financial status, physical or mental disability, to participate. March 22. Free. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. (227-7404) n

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THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS

HOW TO SUBMIT

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

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

I Saw You

I Saw You

I Saw You

Cheers

Jeers

Jeers

Ladysmith Black Mambazo concert We saw you March 3rd at the Ladysmith Black Mambazo concert, and I was there with my mother-in-law. Everyone had a great time, and you and I laughed over getting off beat with all the clapping. Although you and she didn’t chat, I thought afterwards you might have similar interests and get along. If you are single and up for coffee and a chat, email me at LBMBing33@gmail.com and I will set it up. Tell me where we were sitting so I know it is you!

waiting to approach the 4 way stop at Rowan, at Francis you went left in your green Chevy Blazer and I went right. I saw you staring back at me in your side mirror!

I wanted to wave goodbye, but what if it wasn’t me you were staring back at?

the man who bought lunch for my friend and I on Friday The 13th. We were there celebrating my 65th Birthday. It was one of the nicest Birthday Surprises EVER and we be “Paying It Forward”!

don’t want this to be about promotion) and met three people, a GM, Finance advisor, and sales associate who were truly the most accommodating and understanding people I’ve met at such a place. They rolled out the red carpet for my friends and gave them what they asked for despite everything. I want to say thank

Handsome guy in the red truck We shared smiles and glances at the stop light at Pines and Mission.

You in the red truck, me in the blue/green Honda. You made my day! ! Want to see you again! !Hope you see this:)

Red pickup truck on Buckeye I was driving a blue Kia Forte and you were driving a big red pickup truck. I just happened to glance over when you were blowing me kisses. You gave me your number but I don’t think I heard you right because the light turned green and we were both in a hurry. I’d love to grab coffee sometime.

Loud Talkers To all of you loud, obnoxious talkers out there — please stop your loud talking! No one, whilst quietly sitting (at a different table) in a coffee shop, bar, restaurant, etc, etc, wants to hear what you have to say. Please note that human vocal chords are amazingly capable of various sound level adaptations, as is the human ear at hearing everything from a whisper to a shout. We are tired of your tyrannic dominance of the public aural field! If you can’t find a way to speak quietly in shared public spaces then please, for the love of god, just shut the **** up!

ass. Yea, I wash my veggies and such to get rid of some germs. I have severe reactions to some pet dander. If I touched some place your pet has been and then brush my nose or rub my eyes, I get a rash and running eyes until I can’t hardly see, and you wouldn’t want me driving past your house or kids school zone blind because you’re a dumb head, do you. Did dog owners know that a dog can pull 7 times its own weight. I have seen the pet on a leash and you don’t have a grip on it. You couldn’t stop a sudden lunge for someone’s ear, leg or a young child’s lip.

Didn’t the store managers tell the employees that this is unlawful and has health risks involved? The store manager at the Rosauers on 29th has lost my business. The last 4 times at that place I have either past a pet coming in or out. Does he spend all his time in his office.

The old folks at the service desk don’t give a #$%&. I have mentioned it before. I love animals, my dog is an example. I do not like to see any in the food store or any store for that matter.

I’m so sorry To the 3 people walking down Division on Sunday whom I splashed with my car.

I was trying to avoid that giant puddle and I didn’t swerve in time and in turn, I did exactly what I was trying to prevent. I am truly sorry and I feel terrible. It’s bad enough that you had to walk outside in the rain, and I know that didn’t make things any easier.

Please know that it was a complete accident and I hope it didn’t get you too soaked. There are people in this world who would do that on purpose and I am not one of them. Again, I am truly sorry.

Society Violator I saw you March 12th in the Washington Records section of the Spokesman Review.

You know who you are, you violator of society.

Green Blazer on Alberta You were barking at a dog on Alberta while

Nooner You were in line at the Valley High Nooner. We exchanged smiles and I noticed your name is Rochelle. I keep wishing I could go back in time and talk to you. Let’s talk. Eraserhead324@gmail.com

Woman of my dreams T, For 4 great years you were the woman of my dreams and still very much are. I love you with all my heart and will continue to keep hope for us. Fate brought us love from a hopeless place and it will bring us back together forever.

Cheers A thousand years You’ve changed my heart. You’ve changed my life.

I’ve been praying for you forever and I’m beyond blessed that I’ve found you. And you’ve found me.

You truly love me and I can feel it deep in my soul. You’re my perfect fit, in your heart I have found my love. You free me to sing my own song. You are mine, I am yours. I love you, Vanessa, with all of me.

Clinkerdaggers Hero Thanks to

Hosed Cheers! to Liberty Auto in Airway for saving my newly installed radiator, with a simple

“Lost my wallet with $23 and credit/debit and all my ID at my credit union after the St Paddy’s parade. ”

THANK YOU HONEST CITIZEN

hose clamp. Next time I’ll be sure to replace those cheap import clamps when I tinker.

Hey Handsome Hey Handsome thank you for always being there for me and make me smile when going through things and always telling me it will be alright....You have diffidently taken me on some adventures, great ones and not so great ones, but wouldn’t change it at all.....you’re a special man and so proud of your changes you have made for yourself keep it up handsome.....Luves Sexy Credit Where Due I was helping some friends find a new vehicle this weekend. Typically it is a daunting task of haggling and being pressured by sales people.

We happened upon a dealership that had what my friends were looking for (I won’t mention the name of the dealership because I

you to you three and wish all the best. Give credit where is due.

Bobby Hey bobby thank you so much for the past 30 years of friendship, And the past 6 weeks have been great thank you for helping me out when no one else was there. Love you man!, I just want you to know I really appreciate the past 6 weeks and hope we have another 30 years together....

TC Thank you honest citizen Lost my wallet with $23 and credit/ debit and all my ID at my credit union after the St Paddy’s parade. Thanks to the person who retrieved it off the street, took it to Sharp and Astor and gave it to the charming SPD policewoman who laid it in my hands a scant 90 minutes after my silly loss. You both made my weekend. Thanks and megacheer.

where your picture ends up To the blond woman who bent over, rested her elbows on a toilet paper dispenser in a public restroom, and took a selfie of her ass with her pants pulled down to show your black lace cheeky panties.

You shared that picture with at least one man. J then shared the picture with friends who now carry the picture around on their phone to use any way they please. All women should think about where their picture will end up before handing it over to a man. I personally did not appreciate finding it where I did and J should know he disrespected two women. Thank you for your concern J, but my man has his own black lace cheeky panty wearing ass at home!

Your lettuce is on my naked butt Why do pet owners think that they can bring the animal in shopping markets? I have no problem what so ever with service dogs. To see your dog’s butt, cat, or whatever in a shopping cart is gross.

I wonder how many times I have put my perishables in the spot some dumb ass has had their pet’s

“Beautiful” Saleslady — “I know you’re taken, but...” Really?!

If you are as gorgeous as you think you are, why don’t you concentrate on dating single men?

Married people take vows and may have children. What kind of woman wants to risk the break up a family or ruin a marriage if you know the the man of interest has already made a commitment to another person? I know what polite society thinks of people like you. Suffice it to say, it is not pretty! “Sell” your wares someplace else, Saleslady.

“I Saw You” is for adults 18 or older. The Inlander reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement at any time at its sole discretion and assumes no responsibility for the content.

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36. B&B offerings 38. Statement by someone with a quick temper ... or a hint to solving 17-, 22-, 53- and 61-Across 43. Expensive fur 44. Patronize, as a B&B 45. ____ Tolkien 48. Like many things that come back 50. Casino area 51. RR station posting 53. Wages earned by primatologist Fossey?

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3. “Well, ____-di-dah!”

4. Teeming (with) 5. Send along 6. Mourn 7. Work ____ sweat 8. “Our journey is not complete until our ____ brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law”: Obama’s Second Inaugural Address 9. Start of a play 10. Sandcastle spot 11. Company that boasts it’s “the

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walk”: Klee 30. Discharge 33. Ave. crossers 34. Ivan the Terrible, e.g.

35. “Venerable” monk of old England 37. Subway stop: Abbr.

39. High: Pref.

40. Doc’s needle 41. Seriously impair 42. Suffix with cigar 45. “Brandenburg Concertos” composer 46. “Bump N’ Grind” singer 47. Recuperate 49. Pushkin’s “Eugene ____” 52. An Allman Brother 54. El Al destination: Abbr.

55. One-point Scrabble piece “DON’T START” 56. Lunch spots 58. Fixes 22. Fly catcher 61. Pres. between JEC and GHWB 23. First name at Woodstock 62. By way of 24. Ibuprofen target 25. Actress Barbara who plays a Bond 63. E-help page 64. Sch. in Ames girl in “Never Say Never Again” 65. Born as 26. “A line is ____ that went for a

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 121

Parker and Terry Kelly both earned berths in the NCAA Tournament as seniors.

Wins, Losses and Life The parallels between the careers of father-and-son hoop stars Terry and Parker Kelly are eerie — and enlightening

BY TED S. McGREGOR JR.

L

ast year, it was the Stockton show, as David Stockton finished off his Gonzaga career with his dad, John, up in the stands. This year, the sequel has been just as exciting, as Parker Kelly winds down his days in an Eagles uniform with his hoop-star dad, Terry, cheering him on.

Thirty-five years ago, Terry Kelly was a senior on the WSU Cougar team that won a spot in the NCAA Tournament — the school’s first since 1941. This year, his son Parker, also a senior, is following the same path.

“There have been a lot of magical things about this year,” says Terry, a Spokane attorney.

“I hear it a lot, how there are so many similarities in our careers,” says Parker from Cheney, getting ready for his team’s hop to Portland. “Both of us scored over 1,000 points, both got to the NCAAs, the style we play, how we shoot. It never gets old hearing about it.”

Terry uses the phrase “full circle” when he describes his son’s senior year. They both went to Gonzaga Prep, and made it to the state tournament their senior years.

Parker’s team won it in 2011, plowing through teams featuring Tony Wroten, DaVonté Lacy and Gary Bell Jr.; Terry’s team took third. They’re both deadly from the outside. Parker’s a career 41 percent three-point shooter; Terry played before there was a three-point line, but his son swears Dad’s a better pure shooter.

One difference is that Parker has had the benefit of his dad’s perspective.

“There were lots of times, after games or practices,

122 INLANDER MARCH 19, 2015

when I was down,” recalls Parker, now the all-time Eagle ironman with 125 games played. “But after a quick phone call or text, my dad always knew how to put it the right way to calm me down.”

“I knew what he was going through,” says Terry.

“People have no idea how hard that can be; I know because I was there, too.”

Here’s how hard it can be: Terry’s final shot in Pullman was a game-winner against the hated Huskies. He missed, and they lost. Parker’s final shot at Reese Court was a game-winner against the Griz. He missed, too.

“If you play enough, sports are going to expose you,” Terry says. “It will happen. So the respect I have for him fulfilling his role over four years is off the charts.”

B

ut there’s another memory for Terry, and it still haunts him. Just a year after Bird and Magic faced off, in March of 1980, his Cougs were one of those ranked teams (No. 16, in fact) sent across the country to play. In West Lafayette, Indiana, they tipped off against a clear underdog in the University of Pennsylvania; Duke awaited the winner.

“I can still remember it like it was a few weeks ago,” says Kelly of losing that day, “and it’s not a good feeling.

Don Collins [WSU’s Pac-10 Player of the Year] got in foul trouble, they spread us out. But that’s sports. That’s competition.”

So it felt like karma when the state of Indiana appeared on the EWU itinerary for November — specifical-

ly Indiana University. Things weren’t going well, Terry remembers thinking along with his wife Cyndi up in the stands of IU’s legendary Assembly Hall. But heck, he reasoned, these are the five-time national champion Hoosiers. Then it got worse: A flying elbow broke Parker’s nose, and they weren’t sure he’d continue.

But by the end, a bit of Madness broke out: Parker hit a three-pointer, then made three of four free throws to seal the greatest win in EWU history. It was also a final salvo in the 35-year-old fued between the Hoosier State and the Kellys of Spokane.

“That game,” says Terry, “that’s obviously going to be something we’re never going to forget.”

But getting to that point, and Thursday’s game against No. 22 Georgetown, took years of hard work.

“When I came as a freshman, I knew it was going to be a rebuilding process,” says Parker, who started with the Eagles the same year as Coach Jim Hayford.

“I can’t stand losing, so it was very tough — definitely a vision we all had to buy into. But after last year, with the talent we had coming back, we knew we’d be hard to beat.”

“Coach Hayford needed to surround himself with guys he could lose with,” adds Terry, “guys who could take it and learn from it. And they lost their fair share.

Then it was gut-check time. They had to have the internal fortitude to do whatever it takes to win — that’s guys making sacrifices.”

T

erry Kelly is easygoing, quiet even, but anybody who has ever played a pickup game with him knows there’s a fire in there. The years have just revealed the bigger picture.

“I still dream about playing,” Terry says. “You’ve got all of your senses just firing. You can’t help but draw on that for the rest of your life. I went to GU law school, and a master’s program in tax law at NYU — I have never learned as much as I did playing. And you absolutely learn the most about yourself when it doesn’t go right. You draw a very realistic approach to life — a humility. Those impressions run deep.” n

MARCH 19, 2015 INLANDER 123

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