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t’s pretty pathetic that the best hope for addressing the global climate crisis doesn’t come from politicians or power brokers but from a bunch of passionate kids who are being stuck with a polluted planet (and the bills to clean it up). In the centerpiece of this week’s EARTH DAY cover section (page 16), Samantha Wohlfeil details how a group of 16 Montana children are pushing their state into court over the Treasure State’s constitutional promise of growing up in a healthy environment. If their case succeeds, the repercussions will be felt not only in the Pacific Northwest, but around the world. You’ll also find plenty of ways to celebrate Mother Earth in that cover section, even if you’re no longer a kid.

Also this week, Chey Scott delves into the return of our favorite literary festival — Get Lit! — after a year online (page 26), local musician and dad Michael B. Koep writes about the magic of Paul McCartney (page 35), and new movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (page 32) poses the question, how much Nicolas Cage is too much Nicolas Cage?

— DAN NAILEN, editor

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I think the most monumental way is the fire season and all of the smoke, just not being able to get out and go hiking and enjoy my time outside. And I have a little one, so I like to protect him from the smoke, too, and it seems like it’s just taken over our entire summer now.

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MADELINE RED

It’s hotter everywhere now. I live in San Jose, California, and it was 100 degrees last week on a random Thursday in early April, and it just gave me a bad feeling.

What should the government be doing in terms of climate action?

Enforcing renewable energy a lot more. And the ocean, I think, with plastic is a big problem.

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Well, climate change is easily the seminal issue of our time. I mean we have all kinds of income inequality, we have wars, but the major issue that we’ve got to deal with is climate change.

What should the government be doing in terms of climate action?

We’ve got to get off of fossil fuels and get into clean energy, and it’s all available, it’s all there.

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If you tune the radio dial in carefully enough, you can see your 13-year-old self in your 13-year-old son

BY TARA ROBERTS

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Silly Love Songs M

y friend Heather and I balance a boombox in her bedroom window, angling over the mountains to pick up the radio signal from the city. We take turns poised at the “record” button, waiting for the first descending chords, the hopeful rise, Darren Hayes’ sweet, alt-pop voice promising to be our dream, our wish, our fantasy.

It’s summer 1998, and we are 13. We are creatures of desire, and tonight we want a clear recording of “Truly, Madly, Deeply” by Savage Garden.

Neither of us owns the CD or has the cash to buy it. Even if we did, it’s easier to record from the radio than drive 50 miles to the mall.

The song comes on, and we restrain our swoons enough to keep the boombox in the window, to keep the tape rolling.

M

y son H and I run errands around town, the radio tuned to the classic rock station. I try to show off by knowing all the bands and songs — that’s the Who, that’s Foghat, that’s Springsteen, obviously. My husband likes to tease me that I have an 80-yearold’s musical taste. He is half right — much of what I love comes from my paternal grandma; the rest is from my parents.

And yet there is the music of my early teens, the boy bands and ballads, the songs I rolled my eyes at while I turned up the Creedence Clearwater Revival CD in my Discman, but secretly loved.

I’m teaching a personal essay class this semester, and my students are assigned to write about a song. I say I would choose Savage Garden’s “Truly, Madly, Deeply.” None of them know it.

My son and I go through a drive-thru and eat ice cream in the parking lot. I turn down the radio and tell him about this silly, romantic song I liked when I was a kid. How I’ve been thinking of how strange it feels that I stayed up late waiting to record it, while he was born into a world where every song is a Google search away.

“It’s something I wonder about,” I say, “something I don’t really know — what it might mean for you to grow up having so much of what you want so easy to find.”

I ask him if he wants to hear the song, and he shrugs. It takes me a half-second to pull it up on YouTube. Over those dramatic chords, he starts to giggle. “Savage Garden?” he says. “Their name is Savage Garden?”

He is, of course, 13. When he was a toddler, I wrote about us as a tidally locked planet and moon, facing each other as we spun through space. Anymore, I feel like a small being on that planet’s surface, gazing up at a moon I love and do not see enough of to understand.

“Hey,” I say, “I loved this song.”

We listen and eat ice cream and catch each

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Savage Garden delivered an earworm of a lifetime with 1998’s “Truly, Madly, Deeply.” other’s eyes and laugh. Lately he looks so much like me, with his messy hair and freckled nose and wide smile, that when I introduce him as my child, people tend to say, “I can tell.”

I tell him Darren Hayes is Australian, like that explains anything. That I looked it up and found out he wrote “Truly, Madly, Deeply” after Savage Garden hit it big and he had to go to the city without his wife. How he was a kid who wanted to be famous, and when he found himself famous, he wanted to go home.

I still feel young, except when I name a song I loved at 13 and receive in response a roomful of blank stares.

YEARS

S

ometimes I say I love teaching college students because they want so much. On my son’s 13th birthday, I told a friend that I love teenagers for their earnestness, their ability to feel everything so immediately and intensely. She told me she’d remind me of that on the days I didn’t feel that way at all.

My students are closer in age to my children than to me. I still feel young, except when I name a song I loved at 13 and receive in response a roomful of blank stares. Time moves so fast, I tell them. Two hundred years ago, all anyone had was the music someone performed in front of them. When I was a kid, all I had was my family members’ albums and the radio.

H and I finish our ice cream. Before I start the car, I pick up my phone. “So, what do you like lately?” I ask. “I can put on any song you want.”

I tell my sons and my students about what it felt like to be 13, and what it feels like to remember being 13, because I don’t want them to think I’ve aged out of desire. If there’s anything I’ve learned in adulthood, it’s that longing never stops. I don’t fully understand their lives, and they don’t understand mine, but we can agree on that. To be human is to want — truly, madly, deeply.

He shrugs and leans against the window. He smiles. “Turn on the radio.” n Tara Roberts is a writer and educator who lives in Moscow with her husband, sons and poodle. Her work has appeared in The Belladonna Comedy, Moss, Hippocampus and a variety of regional publications. Follow her on Twitter @tarabethidaho.

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APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 7

THE PAIN TRAIN LABOR

Some BNSF workers say a Kafkaesque scheduling system has turned railroad work into a dangerous nightmare

BY DANIEL WALTERS

L

ike other corporations, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway sent out a flier to their employees encouraging them to get plenty of rest to prepare for the Daylight Saving Time change in March. But Shawn Blackburn, a 49-year-old BNSF engineer in Spokane, thought that hilarious. The very idea of it, of just a onehour time difference being the thing that could disrupt his sleep schedule. Thanks to his ever-changing work schedule, as the time shift hit, he’d gone 27 hours without sleep.

“And at a good portion of the end of it, at the most sleepiest time, when you’re literally wuhwuh-wuhwah —,” Blackburn’s head lolls back and forth as he pantomimes the heavy-eyed struggle to stay awake, “I was operating a f---ing train.”

You don’t get to have a regular sleep schedule in this job. It’s not just that the schedule changes, it’s how fast it changes.

As we sit at his kitchen table for an interview on a Sunday, he watches his work schedule on the official company iPad in real-time. When we’d started talking, he was scheduled to work next at 4 pm Monday. But as demands and the number of available workers change, so did the schedule.

“Now it says I moved up to 11:30 tomorrow morning,” Blackburn says.

BNSF engineer Shawn Blackburn says new scheduling protocols have his family wanting him to quit. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

8 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

“This is what I end up doing — getting attached to this f---ing app.”

In the span of a few hours, a scheduled day shift can suddenly turn to a graveyard shift.

Don Sluder, a conductor who sometimes works in the same locomotive cab as Blackburn, paints a scenario: You get to bed at 8:30 pm, expecting to wake up in the morning for an 8 am shift. Thirty minutes later, however, you get a phone call saying you’ve got to work tonight at 11.

“You’ve just been up all day, doing whatever, you’ve got half-an-hour of sleep, and they’re now asking you to take a 16,000-ton oil train to Pasco, at 11 at night,” Sluder says. “If I’m coming around a curve, and I miss that there’s a rockslide, that train goes in the river.”

Back in 2017, an average of 200 oil train cars were rumbling through Spokane a day.

“BNSF wants to ensure that everyone is rested and prepared to work safely,” the company explains to employees in a document explaining an attendance policy that explicitly allows employees to take off 24 hours to rest for “fatigue.”

But there’s a catch: Under a new policy put in place in February, they get penalized for doing so.

Depending on the type of employee and the day, taking a day off to catch up on sleep can cost them anywhere from two to 13 “points” out of a maximum of 30 points. It’s the same limited pool workers use for sick leave, doctor’s appointments, taking care of family members or visiting a mechanic. Run out of points, and you’re subject to discipline — and your point total is reset to 15. Run out three times, and your job is on the chopping block.

Local railroad workers like Blackburn see a mounting disaster — not just for the potential of train derailments and oil train explosions — but for the long-term health of the country’s supply lines, and they worry railroad unions have atrophied to the point that they’ve been too weak to stop it. ...continued on page 10

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On multiple private Facebook pages, Sluder says, railroad workers have been scrambling to untangle the complicated rules of the new “Hi Viz” attendance system.

You start with 30 points. Most weekdays taken off cost just two points. Fridays and Saturdays are four. Sundays are three points. But Easter Sunday? That’s a “high-impact day,” so it’s seven points. Where many workers in other professions automatically get Christmas or New Year’s off, at BNSF they’re penalized more for taking time off that day.

Meanwhile, earning those points back is excruciatingly slow. Mark yourself available to work for 14 days straight — no breaks — and you get “good attendance” credit worth four points, enough for a single Saturday.

In court documents, BNSF claimed the policy was necessary. With railroad staffing levels falling below 70 percent on weekends, supply lines were being choked. And, at least initially, it worked: The month BNSF implemented the new policy, the number of unavailable employees fell by nearly a third.

In response to repeated Inlander requests for an interview, BNSF provided the same canned statement it’s provided to other media outlets, arguing that, in fact, Hi Viz provides “ample time for obligations outside of work, including planned vacations, personal leave days and unplanned absences…”

But employees say even some scheduled vacation and personal days get yanked at the last minute if their staffing levels are low enough.

And try to extend a vacation by taking a sick day off before coming back to work? That’s an extra two-point “conjunction penalty.”

Under the previous system, Blackburn’s sleep schedule was already a mess, but at least he’d been guaranteed five weekdays and two weekend days off a month. That time off was how he survived in the industry.

“You burn out, but ‘now I can take a couple days off to relax,’” Blackburn says. “You can mow the grass — you know what I mean?”

But that saving grace is effectively gone:

Under Hi Viz, even if he worked four weeks straight, he’d still only have earned enough points to take one Friday and one Saturday off.

Blackburn doesn’t get weekends off automatically. True, federal law says that if he’s at the controls of a train at least six days straight, he gets two days off. But that rarely happens.

Last week, Blackburn had worked four days in a row. But then BNSF stuck Blackburn on the train as a passenger and sent him to the Tri-Cities — a practice called deadheading — to help a shortstaffed crew in Pasco. Since Blackburn wasn’t technically working on the trip, it reset his streak.

Sluder, the conductor, is on a different kind of schedule. He’s assigned to a specific route that offers him a 48-hour break for every four days he works. But as a result, Hi Viz charges him a premium — seven to 10 points — if he wants, say, to take off a fatigue day.

And because his schedule remains unpredictable, the days of being able to assure his son that he’ll be able to chaperone his field trip or attend his Junior ROTC events are over. Sluder has avoided using any of Hi Viz points so far. If he did, he worries, he wouldn’t have enough cushion if something happens.

“Let’s say the Verizon network crashes, and the railroad tries to call me,” Sluder says. If they can’t get through, “that’s a 15-point penalty right there.”

He knows others who are down to one point and have to scramble if their kid gets sick. He says the BNSF has never fully clarified their COVID policy, and he knows coworkers who came to work with COVID rather than risk losing points. Another BNSF employee, going through a brutal divorce, tells the Inlander about a court hearing that, if missed, would mean he wouldn’t be able to see his kids for a year. But without enough Hi Viz points left, he had a brutal choice: his kids or his job?

Yet Blackburn knows there’s more than one way to lose your family.

“I have a lot of anxiety over the family unit breaking up with me not around as much,” Blackburn says. “I have a fear of losing connection with a good chunk of my kids’ life.”

A WEAKENED UNION

After 44 years of representing railroad workers, Bill Jungbauer, a Minnesota attorney with a voice like The Princess Bride’s Wallace Shawn, says he’s heartbroken watching what’s happening to the industry.

“They’re breaking up families,” Jungbauer says. “People that love their job can’t do it. Their customers are suffering. And the railroads are making billions of dollars.”

In a letter to investors last year, billionaire Warren Buffett put his ownership of the BNSF railroad on par with his investment in Apple.

Buffett bragged that, despite a 7 percent decline in the volume of goods carried in 2020, the railroad’s profit margin actually increased by 2.9 percentage points.

“Your railroad is in good hands,” Buffet wrote.

But the railroad unions?

“They are so weak right now,” Jungbauer says. “The courts won’t support ’em. The legislatures won’t support ’em.”

Jungbauer says that the national railroad unions have made plenty of missteps of their own over the years. There were bribery and corruption scandals. Infighting between the union for engineers and the union for the conductors allowed the railroad to “play them off against each other.”

Employee frustration with their unions, Sluder suspects, was why the unions felt the need to try to hold a strike over Hi Viz. “The membership has said, ‘Enough is enough,’” Sluder says. “‘If you don’t start showing us that you’re doing something, why are we paying union dues?’”

It was another tactical error, Jungbauer says. The Railroad Labor Act, first passed almost a century ago, bars a strike for all but the most major conflicts. In their lawsuit successfully asking a Texas court to block the January strike attempt, BNSF pointed to all the other unilateral changes they made over the years to employee attendance policies that went unchallenged by the unions, while stressing the economic damage that a strike would do to the economy’s fragile supply lines.

But Jungbauer says Hi Viz is already doing long-term economic damage by sparking an exodus of experienced employees from BNSF. “The joy of being a railroader is gone,” he says. One Facebook group, “Rail-Workers Accountability Slate 2022,” has tracked the hundreds of BNSF employees who’ve quit since Hi Viz was implemented.

Jungbauer believes the railroads are intentionally creating a labor shortage: Get down to low enough staffing levels, he says, and the railroad could successfully petition regulators to let them run trains with only one employee. And that, engineers and conductors LETTERS say, would be a disaster.

Send comments to Banned from even listeneditor@inlander.com. ing to music while operating a train, these railroaders say being able to talk to their coworker is the one thing keeping them sane — and awake.

“You can’t depend on the technology to save you,” Sluder says. “I can’t tell you how many times that computer system has blanked out on us.”

For now, Sluder estimates that about 40 railroad workers in the Spokane area alone have quit since Hi Viz was implemented.

BNSF conductor Michael Girven says he’s known railroad workers quit to become tree-trimmers, get their college degree or take electrician apprenticeship classes. One longtime engineer, he says, left his railroad job where he’d eventually make up to $120,000 a year to be a much less well-paid security guard at a high school in Spokane Valley.

“He said, ‘At least I’ll see my kid grow up,’” Girven says.

Blackburn says his family wants him to make the same choice.

“They want me to quit,” Blackburn says. “But they also recognize I’m going to be 50 years old this year.”

The thought of trying to start again, to retrain in a whole new career at his age — that’s terrifying.

“After 16 years, I’ve got Stockholm Syndrome, right?” says Blackburn. n danielw@inlander.com

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APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 11

NEWS | COVID-19

Boo Radley’s new owner, Jen Menzer, waited through two unpredictable years to complete the purchase from founders Kris and Andy Dinnison.

Watching the Shop

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Despite indicators of a healthy retail sector, some pandemic uncertainty can be hard to shake

BY E.J. IANNELLI

N

ews that the popular downtown retailer Boo Radley’s would be changing hands first went out in late 2019. Kris and Andy Dinnison, who had run the local curio and gift shop since 1993, announced to their staff at the annual Christmas party that ownership would be transitioning to longtime employee and store manager Jen Menzer.

Had 2020 been a year like any other, the sale would likely have been set in motion and concluded over the next few months. By March, however, COVID-19 had completely upended plans at Boo’s, just as it had everywhere else.

12 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

“There was so much uncertainty,” Kris Dinnison says. “We discussed it with Jen, and we said, ‘We don’t know how this is going to affect everything. We don’t want to sell you a business that ends up going under.’ So we all agreed to put it on hold until there was some better understanding of how this would all play out.”

“I’m really glad we waited,” says Menzer. “Last year, 2021, was our best year ever. There were a couple of months that just blew past months out of the water. Even when things were shut down, people were calling: ‘How can I help you?’ Spokane really kicks ass that way.”

As the Inland Northwest enters a post-pandemic

phase, which also happens to coincide with the region’s yearly spring awakening, Menzer says she’s seeing signs that 2022 is off to an equally strong start. She mentions the uptick in organized activities in nearby Riverfront Park as well as the recent return of events like Best of Broadway’s Wicked at the First Interstate Center for the Arts and the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament at the Spokane Arena.

“It’s weird to say, but you forget how those events affected you,” Menzer adds. “Now, every weekend, it’s like, ‘Wow! What’s going on this weekend?’ The Pacific Northwest Qualifier volleyball tournament? That’s freak-

ing huge. There are people from Florida and Texas coming, and what are they going to do when they’re not playing volleyball?

They’re going to shop, and they’re going to eat.”

While Menzer’s experience certainly hasn’t been shared by every local retailer, it does seem to be in line with broader economic trends for both the region and Washington state as a whole.

According to data from Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis (IPPEA), taxable retail sales in Spokane County during the second quarter of 2021 exceeded the $2.9 billion of Q2 of 2019 by more than $600 million. Nor was that a strange pandemic anomaly. Total taxable retail sales held more or less constant between Q2 and Q3 2021, the period for which the most recent data is available.

“I don’t know if people realize it, but retail spending has not been impacted that much,” says Patrick Jones, the IPPEA’s executive director.

He notes that, even in 2020, total retail spending in Spokane County was up slightly compared with the previous year’s total of $11.5 billion. And based on early Q4 2021 estimates, Jones is predicting that the county’s retail sales will continue to show robust quarterly and annual year-on-year growth.

“Since the pandemic, we’ve had a historic, unprecedented transfer of money from federal coffers in Washington, D.C., to companies and, more relevant in this case, individuals and households. That has boosted spending far beyond what we would have thought would have happened in the face of the pandemic,” he says. Beyond stimulus infusions, Jones also attributes spending to “pent-up demand” as well as higher-than-average regional wage growth of 6 percent in 2020.

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“While there have been closures during the pandemic, what we’ve been seeing is an encouraging amount of new businesses opening up.”

K

evin Campbell, the Downtown Spokane Partnership’s (DSP) business relations coordinator, is also of the opinion that adopting a big-picture perspective counters some of the bleaker assumptions of the pandemic’s impact on the retail sector.

“If we zoom out a little bit, while there have been closures during the pandemic, what we’ve been seeing is an encouraging amount of new businesses opening up since March 2020 — not just new businesses, but locally owned small businesses,” he says.

Within the borders of the DSP’s business improvement district, or BID, Campbell says 17 retail spots have closed since the start of the pandemic, with the “good majority” of those taking place before 2021. By contrast, 20 retail businesses have opened during that same timeframe, and no retail closures have been reported so far in 2022.

Some of the highest activity has been concentrated in boutique and vintage clothing shops. On the west side of downtown Spokane alone, Pink Fern Collective, Do It with Soul, the Check Point, and Roses & Thread Boutique have all opened their doors in the past two years, and Echo Boutique launched its Echo Annex for men. Other new downtown clothing and accessory retailers include Dressed by Eva, Art Jacobs’ Designer Scarf Collection, Teleport Vintage + Co., Birds in the Coast and Velvet Hammer.

Meanwhile, since the pandemic began, only two downtown clothiers have shut their doors, one being from the national chain Jos. A. Bank.

Campbell also points to new retailers that are putting a different spin on traditional goods. A Modern Plantsman, for example, is combining a neighborhood florist vibe with contemporary home décor. Spokane Refillery has taken an eco-friendly, bringyour-own-container approach to personal care and household cleaning supplies. ...continued on next page

APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 13

NEWS | COVID-19 “WATCHING THE SHOP,” CONTINUED...

“These are unique products or services. They’re carving out a cool space for themselves,” he says. “And maybe it’s from all the pandemic pivots that we saw, but retailers are doing what they need to and being creative with their spaces. Birds in the Coast makes handbags and accessories, but they’re using that brick-and-mortar space to host art events and fashion shows. Jumping Jackalope Axe Throwing was having yoga sessions and swing dance lessons to diversify what they can offer to people.”

“Out of crisis comes great innovation and great entrepreneurship,” says Alisha Benson, CEO of Greater Spokane Inc. (GSI). “We’re seeing businesses rebound.

We’re seeing more activity across our downtown core center as well as across our disparate retail and commerce centers across the region. That’s all very positive.”

Benson maintains that the influx of grant funding and the direct allocation of CARES money within Spokane County helped stave off some of the worst effects of the pandemic. As a result, the rate of local small business closure was, she says, “less than many of our peers across the state.”

However, she’s quick to acknowledge that some businesses have been affected more deeply than others. The pandemic took a disproportionate toll on Black, Indigenous, people of color and female business owners because of reduced access to support networks and reprioritization of family responsibilities. That has prompted GSI to work more closely with organizations like AHANA, a multiethnic and multicultural business advocacy group, as well as the Spokane Independent Metro Business Alliance (SIMBA) and the Hispanic Business/Professional Association to better distribute relief and resources to those communities.

“Out of crisis comes great innovation and great entrepreneurship,” says GSI CEO Alisha Benson. “We’re seeing businesses rebound.”

“The data is showing us that the pandemic was unbalanced in terms of its effect on sectors and industries,” Benson says. “That’s being mirrored in recovery as well, and we’re paying close attention to that. We quickly saw how fragile those systems were and how a lot of our minority-owned businesses were not connected to the services that the rest of the business community was.”

T

here may also be geographic unevenness in how consumers divvied up their dollars. While downtown Spokane seems to have seen healthy levels of retail spending during the pandemic, other localized areas appear to have been harder hit.

Jim MacKenzie, owner of Coolectibles in the Garland District, recently celebrated his variety shop’s 10-year anniversary, but the pandemic’s white-knuckle ride still shows no sign of ending for him and many of his peers.

“It was hardcore scary that I wasn’t making any sales,” he says. “This is my only source of income. And so I used a lot of Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to get people to meet somewhere. For a while, vintage board games were really popular, and people wanted sports cards, Pokémon cards and ’70s Star Wars cards.”

But when foot traffic slowed out of consumer caution or public health restrictions, so did demand for Coolect-

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ibles’ retro toys and hard-to-find memorabilia. MacKenzie recalls giving a regular customer free rein over the entire store so he could browse the shelves at his leisure and stock up on action figures. At one point, MacKenzie even started supplementing his shop’s income by delivering food for Postmates.

“Normally, March is a busy month,” he says. “Honestly, I can tell you that this March was as bad as January and February, which has surprised the business owners on my block. I’ve just gotten to the point where some of my regulars are popping up for the first time in two years. I need a miracle in these next few months. Things need to pick up like crazy.”

MacKenzie expresses hope that the fast-approaching summer months will be gangbusters, but he isn’t alone in feeling some apprehension. Patrick Jones, for instance, remains upbeat about the health of the region’s retail economy, especially in light of its performance during the pandemic, but he’s a little more cautious when it comes to predicting trends for the coming year.

“The question is, what are things going to look like in 2022?

The forecasts that I’m reading from the state are definitely pretty meager increases for income,” he says. “And the state economists that do this sort of thing on a day-in, day-out basis are not forecasting a huge increase in taxable retail sales in 2022. So I think we’re definitely going to be looking at a different year in terms of overall consumer spending.”

Factors like inflation, ongoing supply-chain constraints and stagnant wages could have an impact on whether local shoppers opt for small-scale items over big-ticket purchases like cars and furniture. That actually might end up helping retailers like Coolectibles and Boo Radley’s.

“I know that some stores are still struggling,” says Menzer, “but from talking to other folks downtown, it sounds like everyone’s having a great year. I think people have come back to the world wanting to treat themselves. And birthdays and Christmas still happen. I say this with my fingers crossed, for sure, but I sure do hope we’ve come out the other side of this.” n

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APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 15

Faces of hope: The 16 Montana kids taking their state to court.

16 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

Sixteen young Montanans will be first in the nation to take their climate change case to trial

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BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

ike many during the pandemic, the Busse family visited Glacier National Park in summer 2021 to get outdoors and enjoy the wild, mountainous area that’s practically in their backyard. Although 14-year-old Badge Busse and his 17-year-old brother, Lander Busse, live with their parents Ryan and Sara in Kalispell, Montana, less than an hour from the majestic west entrance to Glacier, Badge says his family doesn’t visit the park often.

On that visit, Badge says he knew it could be the last time he’d see the park’s dwindling glaciers in person.

When one of the eighth grader’s teachers later “said just nonchalantly that our glaciers in Glacier National Park are going to be gone and our children won’t be able to get to see them,” it was one of the only times he recalls climate change impacts being talked about in school. The issue, he says, has unfortunately been considered too political and so hasn’t come up much in lessons.

While it’s hard to pinpoint just when the glaciers will recede enough to no longer be considered glaciers when winter snow builds up on the mountains, scientists say the end is nigh. There were 80 or so glaciers in 1850, but by 2015, the park had just about two dozen glaciers left, some of which had shrunken by more than 80 percent since they were measured in the 1960s, according to the National Park Service.

“In actuality it wasn’t new information for me. I know that most of the things that I have right now, like fly fishing or stuff like that, it’s gonna be gone, and it sucks to think about,” Badge says.

“Honestly, it scares me, but my whole life has just been building up to this, so like none of this is new. This has always been happening; it’s always been in the back of my head.”

The idea that he could start a family one day and not be able to share the beauty of Montana with them is scary to him.

“I really like to ski, and I’m on the freestyle team here, and I want real snow,” Badge says. “I really would like to have kids in the future, and I want them to be able to ski and share what I like to do, and I feel like that’s just, like, almost impossible now.”

That’s partly why Badge and Lander joined with 14 other young Montanans in 2020 to file a lawsuit against their own state.

Their complaint? The Montana Constitution guarantees their right to a clean environment, but the state’s actions, they allege, have perpetuated climate change and negatively impacted their lives, particularly through supporting fossil fuel extraction and burning.

By February 2023, the 16 youths will become the first children in the nation to be able to take their major climate change case to trial, building off the work of previous litigation and potentially paving the way for people around the country to force changes in policy where lawmakers have failed to do so.

“I think being involved in a lawsuit can be very empowering for them and make it feel like they have a voice and can make a

difference in the world and protect their futures when they can’t vote,” says Nate Bellinger, senior staff attorney at Our Children’s Trust, an organization helping represent the youth plaintiffs pro bono. “Any impact we could have to start to reduce those fossil fuel projects and emissions would be significant for Montana, but a win in this case would also set an important legal precedent that would resonate beyond Montana, and really across the world.”

IT’S LITERALLY THEIR RIGHT

One of the unique reasons for starting a climate change case in Montana is that residents have long shown a special respect for the many lakes, rivers, mountains and open prairielands that make it a beautiful place to live.

The massive “Big Sky” state (we’re talking a place almost as big as Washington and Idaho combined, and more than 2.6 times the size of New York state) has a wealth of natural resources, enabling ranching and timber practices, as well as coal, oil and gas extraction.

But in recent years, young people there have faced wildfires that are getting larger and more frequent as a result of human actions, including forestry practices and a rapidly changing climate.

They’ve seen their rivers get hotter and run slower in the summer, and snow melt faster and more erratically, causing flooding in spring. They’ve experienced physical health impacts, such as asthma and allergies, and mental health impacts from the stress and despair that come from thinking about the future and the potential loss of places that are important to them.

Even if human-caused greenhouse gas emissions completely stopped tomorrow, their impact would be felt for many years as those heat-trapping gases stay in the atmosphere for a long time.

So, it made sense to the youths, who now range in age from 4 to 20, and their families to bring a case to protect their environment in March 2020.

After all, the right to a clean environment is guaranteed to them. The forward-thinking people of Montana put it right there in the state constitution. It was so important, in fact, that of all the rights considered “inalienable,” they led with the environment.

“All persons are born free and have certain inalienable rights,” states Article II, Section 3 of the Montana Constitution. “They include the right to a clean and healthful environment and the rights of pursuing life’s basic necessities, enjoying and defending their lives and liberties, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and seeking their safety, health and happiness in all lawful ways. In enjoying these rights, all persons recognize corresponding responsibilities.”

The state’s constitution, adopted in 1972 and replacing Montana’s original 1889 founding document, also requires the state and Legislature to maintain and improve the environment for future generations, and prevent its degradation. ...continued on next page

REPRESENTING NATURE’S VOICELESS s participants call on Spokane

A

County to help tackle climate change locally, this year’s Earth Day Climate March in downtown Spokane will have a special focus on plants and animals impacted by the crisis. Starting around 1:45 pm Friday, April 22, musicians will draw people toward the Pavilion in Riverfront Park, where speeches are scheduled to start at 2 pm. Among the scheduled speakers are Washington state Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown and a handful of young local environmentalists.

By around 3 pm, the crowd will be invited to line up and march through downtown. Those who show up dressed as animals or plants will be asked to lead the way in a “Gathering of the Species” modeled somewhat after “Procession of the Species” events that have gained popularity on the west side of the state. “[We’re] really trying to give voice to the voiceless. It’s not just humans who are going to be affected by our changing climate,” says Trenton Miller, one of the event organizers.

“Unless you’re an ant or cockroach, there’s a good chance that whatever species you dress as, if not endangered now, may be in the future.”

The event is being organized by the Spokane Climate Coalition, which includes environmental groups such as 350 Spokane, Sunrise Spokane, and regional university environmental clubs. Participants who want to dress up for the march are encouraged to repurpose old costumes and materials they already have, or upcycle items they get secondhand in order to create their animalistic looks.

After marching through downtown, the group will return to the Pavilion, where environmental groups will have booths to provide more information for those who want to get involved.

The groups are planning to make a formal call to action by asking Spokane County to hire a staff member to focus on sustainability at the county level.

— SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 17

FROM LEFT: Lander, Ryan and Badge Busse enjoy hunting and fishing together.

“THE KIDS WANT TO BE ALRIGHT,” CONTINUED...

In their lawsuit, Held et al v. State of Montana, the young plaintiffs call on the state of Montana to stop supporting fossil fuel projects that contribute to climate change and to remediate the harms already caused by intentionally ignoring the impacts that projects may have on the climate.

“Instead of using governmental authority to exacerbate the existing dangers and risks of harm to these children, Defendants must use their existing authorities to take science-backed actions to reduce their risk of harm,” the lawsuit argues.

Bellinger, who is representing the young plaintiffs along with attorneys from the Western Environmental Law Center and McGarvey Law in Kalispell, says the state is also a significant contributor to climate change.

“Montana has vast quantities of coal, much of it already being extracted,” Bellinger says, “and pretty significant quantities of oil and gas, and they are moving full speed ahead with extracting those fossil fuels as well

18 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

as burning them in state and exporting them out of state as well.”

The lawsuit specifically calls out two state policies: the State Energy Policy, which explicitly promotes fossil fuels, and the Montana Environmental Policy Act, or MEPA, which is the state’s local version of the National Environmental Policy Act. Notably, Montana lawmakers specifically codified that regional, national or global impacts could not be considered when state agencies are considering whether to permit projects that require an environmental impact statement under MEPA. By exempting climate change impacts from that state decision-making process and authorizing fossil fuel production and consumption, the state defendants “are unconstitutionally depleting and degrading Montana’s environment and natural resources and causing and contributing to the dangerous destabilization of the climate system, thereby depriving the Youth Plaintiffs of their constitutionally guaranteed rights,” the lawsuit argues.

THE STAKES

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Each youth plaintiff has unique reasons for participating in the case. Rikki Held, the lead plaintiff who was 18 at the time the case was filed, lives in southeastern Montana, where her family raises cattle and grows crops.

Her family’s ranch has faced several hardships influenced by climate change in recent years. The lawsuit states that the Powder River, which runs through their ranch, dried up completely one year, and the snowpack has become less reliable, making it harder for them to water their cattle; wildfires cut their power for a month one year after destroying local infrastructure; and wildfire smoke there has caused some of the worst air quality in the country, requiring Held and her family to remain indoors.

Lander and Badge Busse both hunt and fish with their parents. They have seen flows too low to enable fishing, and hunting seasons impacted by overwhelming heat and changes to animal migration. ...continued on page 20

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“I want to save these places,” Badge tells the Inlander. “I don’t want to feel like my time is running out. I don’t want to go fly fishing and think, ‘Oh, this could be my last time at this lake.’”

The Busses also experienced a wildfire in 2018 that came so close to their home they had to prepare to evacuate. While their home was spared, the boys worry that future fire seasons could put them at risk again.

Sariel S., who was 17 at the time of filing, lives on the Flathead Indian Reservation and is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes. Access to bison, huckleberries and other resources her family relies on has diminished. (Plaintiffs who were minors at the time of filing and who did not speak with the Inlander are identified as in the lawsuit, by first name and last initial).

“The threat of losing her community’s important connection to the environment and losing her culture because of climate change is extremely stressful on Sariel and her community,” the lawsuit states.

Kian Tanner, now 17, tells the Inlander his sports seasons have been severely affected, as wildfire smoke prevents or delays soccer games, and he and classmates have to remain indoors more frequently. He’s also no longer able to access fly fishing as often due to warmer rivers and lower flows, and his family has had to cancel trips due to wildfire smoke.

Georgianna F., 17 at filing, is a competitive Nordic skier who has seen warmer winters impact the ability to get out on the trails, and wildfire smoke shorten her summer training season.

Kathryn Grace S., who was 16 when the case was filed, has seen the Clark Fork River get too low to float or kayak on in the summer, and dangerously high due to rapid snowmelt in the spring. Climate impacts give her so much anxiety that she’s not sure she wants to have children, and is “fearful that her generation may not survive the climate crisis,” the lawsuit states.

“I don’t want to feel like my time is running out. I don’t want to go fly fishing and think, ‘Oh, this could be my last time at this lake.’”

— BADGE BUSSE, 14 KALISPELL Eva L., who was 14 at filing, lives near Yellowstone National Park. As someone who likes to camp, climb, ride bikes and float rivers, she’s suffered health impacts from wildfire smoke that made it hard to breathe. Devastating flooding from rapid spring snowmelt took out the bridge her family used to get to town. The next year the same thing happened with the temporary bridge replacement, causing her family to take a 45-minute detour each day, and ultimately forcing them to move.

Mica K., who was 11 at filing, has seen recess get canceled for weeks on end due to wildfire smoke, which gives him headaches and fatigue. He fears for the future of his favorite animal, the fluffy pika, which resides in the mountains.

Olivia V., who was 16 at filing, has exercise-induced asthma, which makes her especially prone to the risks of wildfire smoke.

She’s had to leave Montana in recent summers when the smoke was too bad, and experiences bouts of depression while thinking about the future.

Jeffrey and Nathaniel K., who were 6 and 2 at the time of filing, both suffer from respiratory issues and can’t play outside when it is smoky, due to the risk of an emergency room visit.

Claire V., who was 17 when the case was filed, helped raise $120,000 to put solar panels on her middle school, and has seen her ability to work as a ski instructor at Big Sky Resort impacted when there’s little snow and few visitors. ...continued on page 22

St. John’s Cathedral hosts a climate conference April 22-23.

THE SPIRIT OF ’74 t may sound a little early to start thinking about the 50th anniversary of

I

Expo ’74, but the forward-thinking folks at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral were actually so far ahead of the curve that they planned an entire environmental conference with that in mind for 2020.

Then a global pandemic derailed their Earth Day plans.

Now, two years later, the Hope for Creation Conference is moving ahead, with speakers from different faiths, political backgrounds and expertise gathering April 22 and 23 for the two-day conference.

“What we’re trying to get included in this discussion is a broad spectrum of people, including a broad spectrum of religious views,” says conference organizer John Wallingford, a parishioner at St. John’s. “We’re trying to get people that have been kind of on the sideline by choice around climate care and climate change and give them a place where they can feel comfortable to share their thoughts.”

In addition to asking how the community should commemorate the 50th anniversary of Spokane’s Expo ’74 — the first world’s fair focused on the environment — the conference will explore what it means to be caretakers of the Earth and ask how the Inland Northwest can help tackle climate impacts. “[Our goal] is for Spokane as a community to think about what environmental leadership looks like,” Wallingford says, “and what kind of things we are in a position to put forward locally that could be used regionally and globally.”

The conference will feature a huge variety of speakers including: Whitworth University theology Professor Jonathan Moo, who will speak about how religions call on humans to care for creation; Gloria Flora, a sustainability speaker and researcher who will talk about biochar in fuel-rich forests; Washington State University’s Aaron Esser, who will talk about adaptations for dryland wheat farming; University of Idaho Professor Tara Hudiburg, who will talk about how forests can store carbon, and Twa-Le Abrahamson from the Spokane Tribe, who will talk about respect for the land and Midnite Mine cleanup; and many other community members. J. William T. Youngs, author of The Fair and the Falls, will give the keynote at 4:15 on Saturday, entitled “Expo ’74: The Environment Then and Now.” The conference costs $20 to attend. While none of the breakout discussions will be available online, some of the main speakers and discussions can be streamed online at a discounted rate of $10. Students and exhibitors can also attend at the reduced rate. Registration details can be found at Whitworth.edu/HopeForCreation.

The event will also host a public street fair from noon to 3:30 pm on April 23, featuring exhibits on the environment, food trucks, live music, artwork and tours of the South Hill landmark.

— SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

WELCOME TO ZERO-EMISSION

APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 21

“THE KIDS WANT TO BE ALRIGHT,” CONTINUED...

Ruby and Lilian D., who were 11 and 9 when the case was filed, are members of the Crow Tribe. Weather and fires have impacted their ability to participate in traditional events at powwows. Ruby has asthma made worse by smoke.

Taleah H., who was 16 at filing, has seen glaciers dwindle in Glacier National Park and worries how diseases could impact bison as rising temperatures make viruses more transmissible. Hurricane Maria, one of the worst natural disasters the U.S. has ever seen, impacted her ability to visit relatives in Puerto Rico.

Each young plaintiff has already seen climate impacts and many fear what the future may hold if changes aren’t made.

BUILDING ON OTHER BATTLES

While this youth climate case may be the first in the country to actually go to trial, many similar cases have been filed over the past decade, with similar groups of young people trying to hold their government accountable.

Perhaps the most famous is Juliana v. United States, another case spearheaded by Our Children’s Trust that has tried to press the issue at a national level since 2015.

In Juliana, the plaintiffs asked the courts to weigh in on the constitutional protections owed to youth around the country for their rights to life, liberty and property, and how the actions of the U.S. may have violated those rights by significantly contributing to climate change.

Should the courts find that their constitutional rights have been violated, the youth plaintiffs specifically called on the courts to require the government to stop permitting and subsidizing fossil fuels, and create a plan of

Glacier National Park’s namesake glaciers have receded for years, and could soon be completely lost. action to draw down emissions. But the separation of powers prevents courts from creating political policy. The youth plaintiffs in that case are now waiting to learn if they’ll be allowed to amend their demands, and whether 18 states will be allowed to intervene to fight against them.

Other cases have also been left in limbo or required young people to request state agencies take action through other means.

In Aji. P v. State of Washington (February 2018), 13 youths alleged Washington had violated their rights to life, liberty and property through fossil fuel policy. A King County judge dismissed the case, telling them to use the political process and be optimistic. The Court of Appeals upheld the motion to dismiss and the state Supreme Court declined to hear the case. The plaintiffs’ lawyers are considering their next steps. ...continued on page 24

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha Wohlfeil covers the environment, rural communities and cultural issues for the Inlander. Since joining the paper in 2017, she’s reported how the weeks after getting out of prison can be deadly, how some terminally ill Eastern Washington patients have struggled to access lethal medication, and other sensitive investigations.

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In Sagoonick v. State of Alaska (October 2017), 16 young Alaskans alleged Alaska’s fossil fuel policies had contributed to the state’s “climate crisis, placing youth plaintiffs in danger and harming their health, safety, homes, culture, and Native villages in violation of Alaska’s Constitution.”

In January 2022, the state’s Supreme Court denied their right to bring the constitutional case, and in February the court denied their petition for rehearing. Their lawyers are considering next steps.

In Reynolds v. State of Florida (April 2018), eight youths alleged that state fossil fuel policies that contributed to climate change had violated their rights to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness. The courts dismissed the case, saying it asked judges to rule on a political matter, violating the separation of powers.

In January 2022, the youths filed a petition for rulemaking that asks the state to create a policy to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.

The Montana case is different in multiple ways.

First, the young plaintiffs are specifically alleging the violation of their state constitutional rights to a clean environment.

Second, while Montana First Judicial District Judge Kathy Seeley agreed with the state defendants that, similar to Juliana, the courts would not be able to order a specific action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, she also found that a ruling in the plaintiffs’ favor could still redress the harms done to them.

Because the youths alleged that Montana’s State Energy Policy and climate change exception in MEPA violated their constitutional rights, if the court declares those things unconstitutional, “this, ‘by itself [would] suffice to establish redressability, regardless of whether additional injunctive relief was issued,’” Seeley’s August 2021 order states.

SNAKE RIVER SOLUTIONS s a national organization, Trout Unlimited’s 400

A

chapters work to protect and recover the rivers and streams that cold-water species such as trout and salmon rely on. On April 26, Trout Unlimited President and CEO Chris Wood will join regional members at Gonzaga University, where he’ll speak about one of the paramount restoration issues in our region: the Snake River.

Specifically, Wood will talk about why scientists say removing the four lower Snake River dams is essential if there’s any chance of saving the wild salmon runs in that watershed, and why that doesn’t necessarily have to mean the end of irrigation and crop transportation for farmers along the river.

“The Snake River is unique in the Pacific Northwest because so much of its habitat is either in roadless areas or in wilderness areas,” Wood tells the Inlander. “The problem is that these dams have a negative cumulative effect on salmon, both on the upstream migration but especially on the downstream migration.”

With the four dams significantly slowing the river and creating warmer reservoirs, juvenile salmon that used to be flushed out to sea by spring runoff are now spending as much as 10 times longer on their journey, and exerting more energy as they actively have to swim to the Pacific Ocean, Wood explains. The reservoirs also house nonnative predatory fish like walleye.

Kian Tanner hopes to preserve access to fishing for years to come.

COURTESY PHOTO

For example, that could mean halting the permitting of new fossil fuel projects, he says.

Some of the Montana plaintiffs like Lander Busse hope that the case will enable people to put aside political differences, because climate change impacts everyone.

“I feel like a lot more Montanans, though they may not think they agree with this overly politicized issue, when you look at the intricacies of how larger corporations are infringing on these things that are built into our constitution, it becomes a lot more of a bipartisan thing,” Lander says.

“Nationwide, we’re entitled to this, and everyone else should have a right to fight for it as well.”

Fellow plaintiff Kian Tanner tells the Inlander he got inspired to join the case to make a difference with — KIAN TANNER, 17 climate change legally, since his focus BIGFORK previously was on changing people’s minds. It can be challenging to talk about climate change where he lives Essentially, if the state policies are unconstitutional, in the Flathead Valley and get people to actually listen, the youths will be able to change the way the state makes he says. decisions on projects that impact climate change.

“Changing how the law looks at climate change is a “It could help affirm we have three branches of govreally good way to change how people look at climate ernment, and the courts need to make sure they’re doing change,” Tanner says. “The main thing I want people to their job to review the conduct of the legislative branches know about this case is that we have a chance for the first and make sure they’re acting in a constitutional manner,” time in history to actually make a change to legislation, plaintiff attorney Bellinger tells the Inlander. “They may from, like, a plaintiff’s perspective. We have yet to have a declare the actions unconstitutional, and then if necessuccessful case, and I think this case can be the first sucsary, order injunctive relief. So, they could order the state cessful case and lead to change throughout the country to bring its conduct into constitutional compliance.” and hopefully change throughout the world.” n

“Changing how the law looks at climate change is a really good way to change how people look at climate change.”

24 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

Trout Unlimited supports Snake River dam removal.

“We can run irrigation pipes further to the river.

We can find alternative means of transportation for the grain that depends on the barges. We can do anything to help meet the socio-economic needs of the people that depend on the dams,” Wood says. “But the one thing the fish need is a healthy river.”

While environmental groups have been fighting for the fish in court for years, forcing the government to take steps like transporting fish by truck or increasing spill over the dams, things remain dire for the wild fish, Wood says.

“We keep winning in the courts, but we’re losing in the rivers,” Wood says. “We estimate we’ve probably got four to five generations of salmon left, and we’re talking generations in salmon terms. That’s about 20 to 25 years before they become functionally extinct in the wild.”

Wood expects to talk about the possible solutions for dam removal at the state and federal levels, and how to talk about the issue when some people like to shift the baseline in the debate. His free speech will take place at 7 pm, April 26, at the Globe Room at Cataldo Hall on Gonzaga’s campus. Registration is required and can be found at SpokaneFallsTU.org/events.

— SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

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APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 25

FROM LEFT: Chen Chen, Rena Priest, Lesley Nneka Arimah and Sharma Shields are Get Lit! 2022 guests.

LITERATURE

A Light on Literature EWU’s Get Lit! Festival returns with four days of in-person events for readers, writers, poets and more

A

fter one year on hiatus (2020), and another taking place virtually (2021), Eastern Washington University’s regional literary festival is finally back in original form.

The 24th annual Get Lit! Festival returns April 21-24, for a four-day run offering in-person events, plus a handful of online programs.

Writers, readers, students and others in the community can look forward to writing workshops, readings, panels, a book fair, even watching a live Dungeons & Dragons session play out on stage.

“We’re excited to be back in person,” says Get Lit! Director Kate Peterson. “Just the breadth of events is really big — there’s stuff for everybody, really, even people who maybe aren’t going to recognize some of the guest names, but they’ll recognize the local writers’ names.

“We also have a couple of events this year that we think are going to reach new audiences, like those gaming

26 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

BY CHEY SCOTT events,” she continues. “We try each year to have events that cover genres outside of fiction, poetry and nonfiction.”

Venues hosting Get Lit! include Spokane Public Library’s new creative center in the East Central neighborhood, The Hive, plus the Catalyst Building, where EWU’s Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts program and Get Lit! are now based. Spokane Falls Community College, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Bing Crosby Theater and Montvale Event Center also host, with the Montvale serving as Get Lit!’s central site on Saturday and Sunday. Access to all events held there is granted via a $15 weekend pass.

The South Perry indie bookstore Wishing Tree Books also hosts a few special activities, and the Inspired Partnerships craft drink series at select local restaurants and bars is returning. For that, local bartenders craft beverages inspired by some of this year’s featured writers.

(Sadly, the popular Pie & Whiskey event isn’t on the 2022

schedule, but could return.)

With a packed schedule at these venues, plus a few online presentations on Get Lit!’s YouTube channel, it may be challenging for even the most seasoned literary event-goer to fit all they’d like to see, hear and do. With that in mind, we asked Peterson for recommendations catering to various interests, and crafted some sample schedules:

FOR POETRY PENNERS

AN EVENING OF QUEER POETRY WITH CHEN CHEN, TOBIAS WRAY, RAJIV MOHABIR Fri, April 22 at 7 pm, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, $20 This trio of acclaimed, award-winning poets read from their collections and talk about the state of queer poetry, and how their unique perspectives contribute and fit into the poetry genre. Peterson says this is a can’t-miss highlight of 2022.

POETRY SALON Sat, April 23 from 1-2 pm, Montvale Event Center, $15 (weekend pass) Poets converge for this lively discussion on the power of poetry and its place in the world.

Audiences can hear from Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest, as well as Get Lit! 2022 guest Chen Chen, joined by Taneum Bambrick, Wryly T. McCutchen and Spokane’s own Nance Van Winckel.

FOR RAVENOUS READERS

AN EVENING WITH BRANDON HOBSON & LESLEY NNEKA ARIMAH Sat, April 23 at 7 pm, Bing Crosby Theater, $24 The two fiction authors read from their work and engage in a discussion moderated by Spokane writer Alexis M. Smith. Hobson’s award-winning novels, The Removed and Where the Dead Sit Talking, explore ancestral trauma, familial loss and grief. Arimah’s debut short-story collection What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, an examination of Nigerian women’s unique experiences and grief, has landed several prestigious awards, including Arimah’s spot on the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” list.

A CHILDREN’S BOOK READING

BY LAUREN HARRIS Sun, April 24 from 1:30-2 pm, Wishing Tree Books, free Spokane-based children’s writer Lauren R. Harris reads to an audience of all ages from her books The Plum Neighbor and A Place for Harvest: The Story of Kenny Higashi, both based on true stories about Japanese-Americans’ lives after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She’ll also give a talk to parents and educators on why it’s important to share difficult stories and history with children.

GET THE SCOOP ON GET LIT!

TICKETS: Access to all Montvale Event Center events on Saturday and Sunday is offered via a $15 weekend pass. Some guest workshops and special events are separately ticketed, and range from $25$35 each, although many Get Lit! events are free.

FULL SCHEDULE: getlitfestival.org

FOR GAMERS & FILM LOVERS

YOUR NAME IN LIGHTS: WRITING FOR FILM AND TELEVISION Thu, April 21 from 5-6 pm, The Hive, free Guests and locals who work in the television, film and theater industries come together to explore what a career writing for the stage and screen is really like. Panelists include Ken Kwapis (The Office, He’s Just Not That Into You); Karl Schaefer (Z-Nation), Eric Horsted (Futurama, The Simpsons, Black-ish), Spokane-based filmmaker Rebecca Cook, Indigenous writer and director Misty Shipman, and L.A.-based Latina playwright Delondra Mesa.

GET CRIT! DUNGEONS & DRAGONS LIVE Sun, April 24 from 10 am-1 pm, Montvale Event Center, $15 (weekend pass) Role-playing games are, without question, storydriven, even largely improvisational games like

Dungeons & Dragons, the focus of this new Get Lit! event. Professional Dungeon Master “Beth The Bard” leads a live play session with guests from across the Northwest and beyond. The game setting is a magical academy called Strixhaven (based on a recent Magic: The Gathering set), where students hone their skills in various arcane arts.

FOR CASUAL SOCIALIZING

GET LIT! BOOK FAIR Sat, April 23 and Sun, April 24 from 9 am-4 pm, Montvale Event Center, $15 (weekend pass) Shop from local booksellers, small press publishers, literary journals, nonprofits and more.

Auntie’s Bookstore has tables stocked with titles from this year’s featured authors and guests.

DOMA Coffee is also offering free coffee, and the Scoop is selling ice cream on Sunday.

Both days, the nonprofit Feast World Kitchen is selling a limited number of lunches, which attendees are encouraged to preorder online at getlitfestival.org to ensure availability.

CONVERSATIONS OVER COFFEE Sat, April 23 and Sun, April 24 from 9:30-10:30 am, Montvale Event Center, $15 (weekend pass) This catch-all, drop-in style event offers something for everyone. Attendees are asked to bring their questions to help guide conversations with like-minded creative and creatively curious folk about anything literature related, whether they’re readers, writers, poets or any combination thereof. (There’s also a free, virtual version of this event via Zoom on Thursday, April 21 from 9-10:30 am.)

FOR LOCAL LIT LOVERS

MANY ROADS TO PUBLICATION Thu, April 12 from 3:30-4:30 pm, The Hive, free This panel discussion features four writers who share their unique journeys to becoming published authors along both traditional and nontraditional paths. Spokane author Sharma Shields is one of them, along with self-published memoir author Karen Vielle and Spokane Print & Publishing owner-member Dorian Karahalios.

EVERGREEN ANTHOLOGY READING Sat, April 23 from 4-5 pm, Montvale Event Center, $15 (weekend pass) Published by local indie press Scablands Books, Evergreen: Grim Tales & Verses From the Gloomy Northwest is a hefty collection featuring the dark and despairing musings of more than 50 writers from across the Pacific Northwest. Anthology contributors Beth Piatote, Taneum Bambrick, Inga Laurent, Emma Noyes and Margot Kahn present at this reading held in Ella’s Theater.

POETRY, PROSE & PINTS Sun, April 24 from 3:30-4:30 pm, Montvale Event Center, $15 (weekend pass) Ice cream provided the spark of creativity for this final festival event, which features local writers reading original works inspired by flavors of The Scoop’s ice cream. Their writing was collected into the second anthology of Get Lit!’s “Tiny Book” series, printed by Spokane Print & Publishing Center and available for purchase at the event, along with the ice cream that inspired its contents. n

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APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 27

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NEW HOURS: TUES-SAT: 10AM - 6PM • CLOSED SUN & MON

ISSUE

CULTURE | COLLECTING

Resistance Is Useless How Record Store Day helped lead to a vinyl relapse for this music obsessive

BY DAN NAILEN

R

ecord Store Day arrives this Saturday.

Again.

You’ll be forgiven if it seems like this celebration of independent record stores and special music releases comes around every couple of months. When the pandemic hit, RSD did shift into a multiple-times-per-year effort to juice sales at the shops instead of the annual parties that often involved live bands, beer and swag, depending on your record store of choice.

When the first Record Store Day happened in 2008, the reemergence of vinyl records was in its baby stage. Now, vinyl’s trendiness has made it so the few surviving record production plants struggle to keep up with orders, and indie labels and artists are often stuck in line behind a million copies of Taylor Swift’s latest needing to be put to wax, or the umpteenth iteration of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours so Wal-Mart has enough stock for the Boomers and Gen-Xers returning to the vinyl-fan fold, as well as their wax-friendly kids.

Adele had the best-selling vinyl album of 2021 with 30, and teen star Olivia Rodrigo had the second-best with Sour. There’s probably some crossover buyers of both, but I picture parents and kids going to the record store together, both leaving with a 12-inch gem to throw on their separate turntables at home.

As I write this, I’m listening to Los Lobos’ latest album, Native Sons, on vinyl. That’s only noteworthy because Los Lobos just won the Best Americana Album Grammy for this set of Los Angeles-themed tunes (you should really check it out), and because just a few years ago in these very pages I wrote that I’d never give up my CD collection and join the vinyl craze.

Whoops.

I

ON STANDS MAY 5 To advertise in this special guide: advertising@inlander.com | 509.325.0634 ext. 215

28 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

’m old enough to have already had a vinyl collection from when I was a kid buying music before CDs came into vogue. I gave about 250 records to my nephew when I moved to Spokane, having already jettisoned my little-used turntable from my home stereo system (which is now, technically, a home theater system).

I held on to a few for sentimental reasons (my mom’s original Elvis debut, my dad’s Jonathan Winters comedy album, my copy of Guns ’n’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction with the original, highly offensive cover art).

My nephew promptly sold the rest — he’s much smarter than me.

Five or so years later, though, I started to get the vinyl itch again. I fought it, remembering how much space records eat in small homes, and how one scratch can ruin an otherwise excellent listening experience. Forces conspired to break down my defenses. Learning turntables could play through bluetooth speakers was a big selling point for me. The array of vibrant colors vinyl comes in now helped, too (“Ooh, this Fishbone album is yellow!”). And as with all things when you’re a serious music nerd, having the right friends evangelize about the wonders of modern vinyl was a big influence.

I bought a cheap bluetooth turntable nearly three years ago and gave myself some rules in order to keep myself (and my budget) in check. I told myself I wouldn’t buy any vinyl of albums I already have CD versions of, or of albums I gave away previously. I told myself I wouldn’t buy any vinyl that cost more than $20 (laughable, I know), and that I would only buy albums I considered stone-cold classics, albums I’d definitely listen to forever. No flavor-of-the-month vinyl here.

RECORD STORE DAY LOCATIONS

4,000 HOLES 1610 N. Monroe St. TOTAL TRASH RECORDS AND SOUND 1601 W. Pacific Ave. RESURRECTION RECORDS 1927 W. Northwest Blvd.

GO! RECORDS 635 W. Garland Ave. THE LONG EAR 1620 N. Government Way, Coeur d’Alene I’ve broken all those rules, of course, and the collection has grown to the point I’m eyeballing how to fit more vinyl-dedicated shelf space in the house without throwing off the feng shui.

Record Store Day’s been part of my recordbuying relapse, thanks to reissues of old favorites and live albums by bands I love like Cheap Trick, the Verlaines and Fontaines D.C. So despite my repeated efforts to limit my vinyl consumption, you’ll probably see me at a record store Saturday scoping out the new live Nick Cave. Or the Devo reissue. Or the Donna Summer picture disc. Or the Weyes Blood blue vinyl.

Or... n

CULTURE | DIGEST

THE BUZZ BIN

SEA AND BE SEEN Growing up in the ’70s was wild with television shows like Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, the Wild, Wild World of Animals and the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. Cousteau was endlessly entertaining, a rail-thin, cigarette-smoking Frenchman, who sparked worldwide interest in underwater conservation with a side of controversy. He revolutionized scuba diving, inventing much of the underwater gear he needed to do what he did, which in turn opened the underwater portal for the rest of us.

A winner at numerous film festivals, including Telluride and Toronto, BECOMING COUSTEAU is available on Disney+. If you liked My Octopus Teacher or have ever fantasized about living under the sea, this is the movie for you. (CARRIE SCOZZARO)

MyTube

Spoti-who?

Why I chose a Spotify competitor (and it had nothing to do with Joe Rogan)

R

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

ecently, I briefly felt like a technologically inept Boomer as I tried to play a song from a friend’s phone while they were driving. As a millennial iPhone user, I fumbled with the Android interface, but the real issue was that I couldn’t figure out why the song I was searching for wasn’t on Spotify.

Turns out, I was searching just my friend’s playlists, not the entire Spotify library, and I was quickly teased for not knowing how the world’s largest music streaming service works.

The teasing isn’t new to me. “Who doesn’t have Spotify??” people sometimes ask when I take over the Bluetooth at a house party. “What, are you an Apple Music person?”

Nope, I’m actually even “weirder” and subscribe to YouTube Music. Most people I talk to don’t even know the service exists, which is strange considering how many people use YouTube to listen to music.

The Google service hooked me several years ago when I started noticing just how good YouTube’s algorithm was getting on my desktop. I’d search for an indie song like “New York, I Love You” by LCD Soundsystem, and the site would autoplay songs by Arcade Fire, The National, Father John Misty and more artists that fit that sound.

Switch the mood to funk, you’ll hear more funk songs. Throw on some Billie Holiday? You’ll probably get some jazz or swing next.

After a while, I started to see auto-generated playlists crafted specifically for me in the suggested-videos bar.

Once I was addicted, the service started playing an ad before nearly every video, which kinda ruins the mood of a perfectly curated playlist, ya know? A YouTube Music subscription would make that all go

away, they sweetly whispered. So I bit.

Via the YouTube Music app, I can listen to almost any song you’d find on Spotify or Apple, plus I can download any music that’s on YouTube as a video — say, a nearly two-hour festival set by one of my favorite EDM artists.

I can listen to that entire Alison Wonderland set as I switch between apps or put my phone screen to sleep (non subscribers can watch on YouTube for free, but the video has to be visible or it stops playing).

YouTube even curates by device and time. If I’m listening to music on my TV at night, when I’m more likely to have people over for drinks or a game night, there’s a whole different subset of songs, videos and playlists that come up than when I listen on my phone at night.

When I wake up, I’m greeted with “my morning music” options. On Friday nights it knows I may want to get pumped up with dance music. As my mood changes from week to week and moment to moment, YouTube’s crafting the personalized soundtrack to my life.

Probably the best feature is the ease of finding new music. My “Discover Mix” of 50 songs updates as I listen to different genres over time. A “New Release Mix” updates weekly and whenever artists I like release a new song.

Play a single song and the algorithm immediately creates a playlist sprinkled with similar artists I might like so I can find songs that, if not new, are at least new to me.

And that’s how I found the song from the start of this story, “Peanut Butter Jelly” by Galantis, which I hope even some of you Spotify listeners can enjoy as you remain certain your music service is king. n

WILD WILD WEST Look, taking down a towering robot dinosaur with a superpowered bow and arrow will just never get old. While the recently released PlayStation 5 exclusive HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST might not reach the same heights as its predecessor Horizon Zero Dawn, the gameplay remains a blast. In a post-post-apocalyptic world where humanity has gone back to tribal living and aggressive robot animals and dinos roam in nature, series heroine Aloy must save the world with the aid of an augmented reality computer that allows her to access the secrets of the past. The main knock is that while Zero Dawn boasts maybe my favorite sci-fi story of all-time, Forbidden West’s story feels clunky at best. Still, adventuring, exploration and battle gameplay in the ruined husks of locales like Las Vegas and San Francisco mean you never have to dwell on the fantastical plot points too long. (SETH SOMMERFELD) THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online April 22: FONTAINES D.C., SKINTY FIA. The third record from the Irish postpunk band struts with the brooding swagger of a bloke who’s been lurking in the dark back corner of the bar before taking the stage.

CLAIRE ROUSAY, EVERYTHING PERFECT IS ALREADY HERE. The San Antonio experimental artist creates detail-dense soundscapes to get lost in that feel somehow sparse, lived-in and real. Her latest release consists of two sprawling 15-minute tracks.

JASON ALDEAN, GEORGIA. The country superstar releases the second half of a double album (part one, Macon, came out in November), filled with new whisky-drenched pop-country tunes and live cuts.(SETH SOMMERFELD)

APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 29

CHOW TIME OPENING

Local chef opens Chowderhead, a hearty soup and sandwich spot on North Monroe

BY CHEY SCOTT

C

hef Travis Tveit long dreamed of having his own place, but as is often the case with big plans, timelines can be fickle. That is, until Tveit was met with an unexpected opportunity to take over a restaurant operated by his previous employer, chef Tony Brown.

After an unusually fast transition between Brown’s fast-food inspired burger spot McRuins, which closed at the end of 2021, Tveit’s Chowderhead debuted in early March on a busy corner of North Monroe Street near the Spokane County Courthouse.

The focus is, naturally, chowder-style soups alongside several super-loaded sandwiches and a handful of grab-and-go breakfast items, with the main goal of offering tasty, affordable food to the daytime crowd.

“Working here for McRuins, I’d be here a lot during the day, and I just noticed how many people were out walking around,” Tveit says. “So I thought whatever concept I was going to do here, it should be a daytime thing.”

After sprucing up the small building with a fresh coat of paint inside and out, plus new flooring and a deep clean, Tveit crafted a concise menu that he’ll tweak seasonally — rotating out some hot soups in summer, for example — but won’t stray too far from his initial offerings.

“I love soup, and I can make a lot of them,” he says. “I wanted it to be soup-centric, kind of a lunch concept, and Chowderhead is just a funny name.”

Travis Tveit’s smoked steelhead chowder and chop cheese sandwich.

ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS

The restaurant’s namesake comes as a traditional New England clam chowder, and a house-smoked steelhead chowder, along with rotating specials, plus tomato basil soup and plain broth ($5/ cup; $8/bowl each).

Tveit’s sandwich ($14 each) lineup ranges from the chop cheese, essentially a cheeseburger on a hoagie — and all of Chowderhead’s bread is made fresh in house — to the already popular pork belly Cuban. Other choices are traditional cheesesteak, ham and Swiss panini, turkey bacon pesto, meatball with burrata and basil, and pesto grilled cheese.

Each sandwich comes with tots, fries or a cup of soup (for $2 extra), plus house-made dipping sauces like a mustard-y fry sauce and ranch.

30 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

SERVING BREAKFAST LUNCH AND DINNER • SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

A handful of breakfast items ($8 each) are also served all day: sausage or bacon egg sandwich, breakfast burrito, smoked steelhead bagel or avocado toast.

Four fresh salads ($12 each) round out the menu.

“Every day it’s a different sandwich that’s the high seller, so I like that it’s well-rounded that way,” Tveit says.

“And I made the menu so simple and approachable and familiar. I could get crazy with the components on the sandwiches, but I think it’s better to be familiar, and have a familiar item that’s just done really well.

Everybody knows what a cheesesteak is, so they can come here and get it, but it’s a particularly good one.”

For the restaurant’s first few weeks, Tveit worked himself to the bone, coming in at 6 am to bake bread for the day and often not leaving until midnight before starting all over again.

Realizing how unsustainable this schedule was, he’s since hired more employees and a part-time baker.

“I was really doing whatever I could to make sure that we had stuff and it was right because, you know, those first couple of months for a brandnew restaurant are crucial,” he says. “I want this to stay a relaxed environment that’s unassuming and really just focused on the food.”

Since Chowderhead’s opening, the community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive, he adds. Tveit credits some of that to the restaurant’s nearly simultaneous timing with the end of the Washington state’s face mask mandate, and people eagerly returning to life in public.

“I don’t think I could have opened a restaurant at a better time. So many things for me just lined up perfectly.” n

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APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 31

T

he Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent! Starring Nicolas Cage as Nick Cage!

I went into this movie knowing nothing more about it than that. And I was vindicated in my presumption that pretty much everything you need to know about it is encapsulated in that summation. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Much of your own personal assessment of that will depend upon what you think of Nicolas Cage as an actor and entertainer. And what you think of the rather sorry current state of American movies.

Our reactions to movies, of course, are never not about all the baggage we bring with us into the cinema, but that is amplified here. I am a big fan of Cage’s work when he’s allowed to be honest and sincere; his performance in last year’s anti-revenge drama Pig may be his finest, most delicate, most considered yet. But much of his work has been in hyperbolic genre films and of a heightened sort, so much so that the phrase “Cage rage” has come to describe it. This over-the-top onscreen persona is celebrated in many cineaste circles... and if that amuses you, I’m happy for you. But it annoys the shit out of me, and I don’t find it fun.

So here’s the best thing about Massive Talent, and the thing that made it palatable to me: It finds a balance between acknowledging Cage’s recent onscreen persona — the wild, stylized intensity he has become so lionized for — and recognizing the limitations that come with the more plausible neuroses and insecurities of an actual Hollywood movie star. Cage may be portraying a fictionalized version of himself here, but it’s a believable one, one that is not ruled by knee-jerk violence and unthinking anger, one that is sweetly vulnerable and endearingly flawed. He has an ongoing imaginary conversation with his younger, more arrogant self (that is now the only use of de-aging technology that I will accept). The sole appearance “Cage rage” makes here is in an impromptu audition for a film role that the actor “Nick Cage” is

REVIEW

NEVER ENOUGH

NIC

Nicolas Cage stars as “Nick” Cage in a new meta-movie that will test how much “Cage rage” you need

BY MARYANN JOHANSON

desperate to get. It’s a funny scene because it is aware of how absurd, if also how iconic, “Cage rage” is.

No, what The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent — the title is definitely ironic — is about is the contrast between movies and real life. Because when “Nick” fails to get that much-needed role, he is forced to take the only other job seemingly on offer: attending the birthday party of a billionaire superfan for a cool $1 million. Except the billionaire is shady, of course, and Nick gets sucked into being a CIA informant to help bring the billionaire down.

So what we end up with is a clash between the badassery we expect characters played by a “Nick Cage” to be able to pull off, and the “reality” of what a pampered, coddled, privileged movie star is capable of.

This is where nothing about Massive Talent is the least bit unexpected. Toss a movie star into a life-or-death situation involving guns, kidnapping and other high crimes, and, well, you’ll find anything that happens surprising only if you don’t already realize that actors are most definitely not the characters they play, and that movies are most definitely not real life.

This is an amusing movie, but it’s also an instantly forgettable one, fueled by a self-congratulatory smugness that sees self-reference as the highest form of humor. And yet the best bits of this movie are the more sincere stuff: Pedro Pascal as the billionaire, who loves THE UNBEARABLE movies and adores WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT “Nick Cage”; Tiffany Rated R Haddish and Ike BarinDirected by Tom Gormican holtz as the CIA agents Starring Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, who recruit “Nick.”

Tiffany Haddish There’s an unbearable weight to their tasks as straight men to Cage’s “Nick Cage.” They stoically endure the chore of winking at a thing without ever really challenging it. n

ALSO OPENING THE BAD GUYS

Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina and Zazie Beetz provide voices in this animated blast, a neverever sentimental concoction of cartoon chaos meets hip heist flick in which a big bad wolf realizes being good can be pretty fun. Check the full review on inlander.com (DN) Rated PG

32 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

Despite all his rage he is still just a Cage playing Cage.

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34 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

Apparently there are no carbs in Scandinavia.

Viking Vengeance

Robert Eggers’ The Northman is a gorgeously primal revenge epic

BY JOSH BELL

B

eing a Viking seems quite unpleasant. intentions, but it contributes to the movie’s sense That’s one of the major takeaways from of heightened reality, even within a world that is Robert Eggers’ Norse epic The Northman, meticulously replicated from historical records. inspired by figures from Scandinavian legend These people live their lives guided by myths and who also served as the source material for Wilprophecies, and Amleth experiences haunting, liam Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Eggers’ commitment morbid visions that Eggers realizes with horrific to verisimilitude means that he conveys every beauty. Björk and Willem Dafoe appear in brief sweaty, grimy, bloody experience of the characbut powerful roles as shamanic figures guiding ters in vivid detail, putting the audience right Amleth to his destiny. alongside them as they grunt, toil and kill.

The Northman is Eggers’ most accessible movie Alexander Skarsgård plays the title character, to date, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to watch, a prince named Amleth who as a child witnesses and Eggers immerses viewers in this unfamiliar the murder of his father, King Aurworld without any preamble vandill (Ethan Hawke), by his uncle THE NORTHMAN or context. Still, the characFjölnir (Claes Bang). Fjölnir kills many ters are driven by primal, Rated R of Aurvandill’s subjects and seizes Ameasily recognizable emotions, Directed by Robert Eggers leth’s mother, Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), Starring Alexander Skarsgård, and Amleth’s motivations are but Amleth escapes, biding his time not difficult to parse. The Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman until adulthood when he can return for movie is more rewarding in revenge. He grows into a grim, buff warrior, parits more complex moments, especially a lateticipating in raiding parties among fellow Vikings film monologue from the embittered Gudrún, who have no idea of his royal heritage. chastising her now-grown child for his simplistic When he hears that some prisoners from a view of the world. Kidman bides her time in the recent raid will be sent to Fjölnir’s farm as slaves, background for the middle of the movie, but she he disguises himself as one of the captives and makes a welcome, ferocious return in the climax. sets his plan for vengeance in motion. On the As impressive as Eggers’ attention to period journey to Iceland, Amleth meets fellow capaccuracy may be, it’s the character relationships tive Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), who practices what that keep the story compelling, which requires seems to be folk magic and supports Amleth’s some patience from viewers as those confrontaquest to avenge his father. Skarsgård is intense tions build. Working with Icelandic poet Sjón as and imposing, but the stoic, single-minded Amco-writer, Eggers has created a movie every bit as leth isn’t exactly a complex character, and Olga’s grand and monolithic as the legends it’s inspired arrival instantly enlivens the movie. Taylor-Joy, by, and the humanity is sometimes lost in all the whose breakout performance was in Eggers’ bombastic posturing, particularly in the first half. debut feature The Witch, adds the right amount of There’s not much sense of love between Amboth mysticism and emotional range, balancing leth and his father, merely the honor-bound duty out Skarsgård’s quiet brooding. to carry out a generational legacy of violence.

Observing his mother and uncle (and a new Even if that’s culturally appropriate, it’s still a bit younger brother he never met) without their stultifying. But the humanity comes through in knowledge of who he really is, Amleth discovers sometimes unexpected moments, and by the end, that things have changed since he was a child — Eggers has captured the hollowness of Amleth’s or maybe that things were never actually the way cycle of revenge, as well as the sense of rebirth he perceived them to be. That doesn’t alter his that arises almost in spite of his efforts. n

ONE KNIGHT IN SPOKANE ROCK

How Paul McCartney can foster a musical quest between a father and son

Sir Paul graces us with his presence. MJ KIM PHOTO

BY MICHAEL B. KOEP

I

wonder what it must have been like in the Middle Ages to witness a knight passing by — sunlight gleaming in his armor, his mount festooned with green and gold straps, flowers and bells, a banner coiling in the breeze above. Surely, such a vision must have evoked awe, delight and, most of all, inspiration. A symbol for a better world.

We would sing songs as he passes. We would never forget.

We would tell our friends and family, our kids and grandkids, “Yes, we were in the same place, at the same time with a knight.”

This is how my son Michael and I began talking about Sir Paul McCartney, during — of all things — a sword fight on the gray lawn beneath an icy February sky.

Retreating from the cold, we head inside. Soon, butter sizzles in a pan. I lay the cheese sandwiches on top. Our swords lean in the corner beside the turntable. From a shelf Michael pulls out his first and favorite record, Let It Be. I got it for him a few years ago when he was six. It was my first record, too.

He puts it on. Paul and John sing, “Two of us riding nowhere / Spending someone’s / Hard earned pay.” Michael hums. I tap the spatula on the counter.

“Is he really a knight?” he asks.

“Yes, the Queen knighted him for outstanding achievements in music.” I shake my head and add, “And for so much more.”

“So, not a knight that sacks cities?”

I grin. “Well, if you mean sacking cities with sheer rock and roll euphoria, absolutely.” I flip the sandwich.

Michael’s fingers trace over the black four-square album jacket. On the cover, Paul’s face is bearded, thoughtful, kind.

I wonder how many households in the world have some portrait of Paul — his face in a stack of CDs, on posters, magazine covers. A face so recognizable that it would be a challenge not to mistake him as a close friend, even family.

After all, his voice has been there singing to us through countless experiences: first kisses, road trips, parties, heartbreaks, life and death. From out of silence, his melodies suddenly form in our mouths and burst out. When we wake, “Good day sunshine” lilts out of memory into the air. Or, when it rains and we’re sad, “No more lonely nights / Never be another,” might trickle out as a quiet cry. He’s counseled us with song. He’s taught us to believe in yesterday, that there will be an answer, and that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with placing your heart inside a silly love song. ...continued on next page

APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 35

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“ONE KNIGHT IN SPOKANE,” CONTINUED...

P

aul was in our house when I was growing up. I heard him for the first time singing through my older brother’s bedroom wall. Ringo was bashing the kit. Paul was there as I learned to play drums. He was in my car when I went out and started playing music for a living. And he’s still here. Our little family just watched the documentary Get Back. It was a thrill to watch him and the Beatles create. As if they were in the room.

“What do you think he is doing right now?” Michael asks.

“Eating a sandwich,” I laugh as I serve up a golden-brown grilled cheese. “Or he’s dreaming about songs. One of the two, I’m sure.”

“Do you think you’ll ever meet him?”

I smile. “Wouldn’t that be wonderful...”

“What would you say, if you met him?”

I sit and look out into the colorless sky. A squirrel dashes along the fence line.

It is always a strange concept to consider — meeting celebrities — meeting heroes. To meet Sir Paul McCartney. . .

“I think I would tell him thanks, thanks for writing Band On the Run.” “That’s it?” he replies with some incredulity.

“Well, if the moment was right, I’d ask if he’d like to jam.”

“What if he knocked on the door right now, Dad? What would you say?”

I laugh at Michael’s persistence. “I’d point to the piano and tell him, ‘It’s right there. Be right back with my drum kit.’ Then I’d offer a grilled cheese.”

We both laugh.

Who hasn’t considered such chance meetings with larger than life icons?

Think of it, Sir Paul sits down at the piano in the living room on a Sunday in April. Auntie Mel sips a glass of red beside the window. Lime green buds tip the fingers of trees outside. Bread bakes in the kitchen. Michael and my lady, Sheree, sit on the couch. My brother Bob TIX STILL and his wife, Bobbi, pour a AVA I L A B L E ! scotch at the counter with Despite reports of an early sellUncle Stan. Dad and his out, there are Paul McCartney partner, Laura, hold hands. tickets available as of press My niece Gerry and her time. They start at $225 for hubby, Nic, sit beside Paul, the show Thu, April 28. Visit and they sing, “I’ve got spokanearena.com for details. a feeling / A feeling deep inside / Oh yeah!”

“That’s right!” my bandmates Cristopher and Cary bellow from the bar.

Someone knocks on the door. It’s sister Suzie, Brother John, Martin Luther, Phil and Don, brother Michael, and Auntie Gin. Open the door and let ’em in. Oh yeah.

I tell Michael that young Paul McCartney learned piano from his father in a living room much like ours, surrounded by family.

Eventually he became the house pianist. He played all the old songs for all of his old aunties as they sipped their cocktails and sang and sang, and laughed, and shared song. Shared magic.

My eyes tick up to the piano across the room. Wouldn’t it be something?

And maybe that’s how he became a part of all of our families — a part of all of our lives. Whether singing to us from a television studio, a movie screen or a stadium stage, it somehow feels like he could be in our living room, sharing a bottle of wine with Auntie Mel and Auntie Jo. Counseling us. Inspiring us. Getting us to sing together.

And he’s coming to Spokane. Our house.

“He’s a Beatle, he’s a knight, and quite possibly the greatest songwriter ever,” I say to Michael. “He’s the family pianist. It’s a comfort to know he’s out there and making the world better. Awe, wonder, inspiration.”

Michael says, “As a knight should.” n Michael B. Koep lives in North Idaho, is an author, visual artist, father and drummer for bands Kite and The Rub.

SLEEP STUDY UPCOMING SHOWS

4-day/3-night in-laboratory sleep study, pays up to $920

NOSTALGIX, AYZIM, IM.INTUIT, SO&SO, PRIESTESS Fri, April 22 at 8:30 pm The Big Dipper $20-$30

Must be healthy, non-smoker, 18–40 years old with normal sleep schedule.

QUINN XCII Fri, April 22 at 7 pm McCarthey Athletic Center $30 YOUNG NEVES, PIKENOTMIKE Fri, April 22 at 8 pm Lucky You Lounge $10 DIRTWIRE, HEAT SPEAK, BAILEY ALLEN BAKER Sat, April 23 at 8 pm Lucky You Lounge $20 FREE THE JESTER, COLLEGE RADIO, STUBBORN WILL Sat, April 23 at 6:30 pm The Big Dipper $15 SPOKANE SYMPHONY: 1001 NIGHTS Sat, April 23 at 8 pm Sun, April 24 at 3 pm Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox $27-$62 BUDDY GUY Sun, April 24 at 7:30 pm Northern Quest Resort and Casino $59-$89 CEREMONY Thu, April 28 at 7:30 pm The Big Dipper $18 THE HU, THE HAUNT Thu, April 28 at 8 pm Knitting Factory $27-$30 LANEY LOU & THE BIRD DOGS, HARDWOOD HEART Thu, April 28 at 8 pm Lucky You Lounge $11 For complete music listings, visit inlander.com/events

Call (509) 358-7751

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC SCOPING United States Air Force

The U.S. Department of the Air Force invites you to participate in public scoping for the Environmental Impact Statement for the Beddown of KC-46A Tanker Aircraft for Main Operating Base #6 The U.S. Department of the Air Force (DAF) is conducting public scoping for the proposal to beddown KC-46A Pegasus (KC-46A) tanker aircraft, associated infrastructure, and personnel for the Main Operating Base #6 (MOB 6) at an existing active duty Air Force Base (AFB) within the continental United States.

The Proposed Action consists of the beddown of 24 KC-46A aircraft at MacDill AFB, Florida with a mission to provide worldwide refueling, cargo, or aeromedical evacuation support, or as an alternative, the beddown of 24 KC-46A aircraft would occur at Fairchild AFB, Washington. Under the Proposed Action at MacDill AFB or the Fairchild AFB alternative, the 24 KC-46A would replace 24 KC-135 Stratotanker (KC-135) aircraft when those aircraft are relocated or retired from the selected installation. The associated KC-46A training mission would result in an increase in overall tanker operations at that installation.

The DAF plans to recapitalize (restructure and replace) the existing 1950’s-era tanker aircraft and associated mission through basing of the modern KC-46A aircraft. With more refueling capacity and enhanced capabilities, improved efficiency and increased capabilities for cargo and aeromedical evacuation, the KC-46A will provide aerial refueling support to the DAF, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as allied nation coalition force aircraft.

FLOODPLAIN NOTICE. Implementation of the Proposed Action at MacDill AFB would have the potential to be located in a floodplain and/or wetland. Consistent with the requirements and objectives of Executive Order (EO) 11990, “Protection of Wetlands,” and EO 1988, “Floodplain Management,” state and federal regulatory agencies, such as Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, with special expertise in wetlands and floodplains will be contacted to request comment.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS). Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, the DAF will prepare an EIS, which will assess the potential environmental consequences of the KC-46A aircraft beddown. The beddown will require personnel and facilities to support aircraft operations and pilot and operator requirements.

PUBLIC SCOPING. The DAF encourages interested local, state, and federal elected officials and agencies, as well as interested members of the public and others, to participate in public scoping for the proposal and assist the Air Force in identifying issues to evaluate in the EIS. Identification of potential alternatives, information, and analyses relevant to the proposed action are requested and will be accepted at any time during the EIS process. In accordance with DAF guidance, in-person public scoping meetings will not be held. Public scoping is being accomplished remotely, in accordance with the 2020 version of 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1506.6, via the project website at www. kc46amob6eis.com. The website provides posters, a presentation, a fact sheet, downloadable comment forms to fill out and return by mail, and a capability for the public to provide scoping comments. Scoping materials are also available in print in the MacDill AFB area at the MacDill AFB Library (8012 Condor Street, Tampa, FL 33621) and Port Tampa City Public Library (4902 West Commerce Street, Tampa, FL 33616) and in the Fairchild AFB area at the Fairchild AFB Library (2 West Castle Street, Fairchild AFB, WA 99011) and Spokane Public Library (906 West Main Avenue, Spokane, WA 99201). Requests for digital or print copies of scoping materials may also be made to Ms. Helen Kellogg at the addresses below or by phone at (210) 925-7843. For printed material requests, the standard U.S. Postal Service shipping timeline will apply.

Please consider the environment before requesting printed material.

PUBLIC COMMENT. For more information on the EIS or to submit written comments, please visit the project website at www.kc46amob6eis.com or contact: MAIL:

Ms. Helen Kellogg, AFCEC/CZN EMAIL: Helen.Kellogg.1@us.af.mil Attn: KC-46A MOB 6 EIS Subject: KC-46A MOB 6 EIS 2261 Hughes Ave, Suite 155; JBSA Lackland, TX 78236-9853

Please include your name and email or mailing address in your comment submittal and indicate whether you want to receive future mailings informing you of the availability of the Draft and Final EIS. To ensure the Air Force has sufficient time to consider public input in the Draft EIS, please submit comments within 30 days of publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register. www.kc46amob6eis.com

APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 37

MUSIC WISE GUY

It almost warps your sense of time and space to realize how long blues legend Buddy Guy has been held up as one of the greatest guitarists alive. It’s not that he’s held up alongside legends like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jeff Beck and Keith Richards, he’s been around long enough that those players were influenced by Guy and his ultra-versatile Chicago blues style. The 85-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has never stopped shredding (he was still playing over 125 shows a year pre-COVID), and getting to see him ply his trade is a treat if you care one iota about musical history. The blues lives eternal in his fingers.

— SETH SOMMERFELD Buddy Guy • Sun, April 24 at 7:30 pm • $59-$89 • Northern Quest Resort & Casino • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • northernquest.com • 509-481-2800

GET LISTED!

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

38 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

FILM HOMEWARD BOUND

Much of the dialogue on immigrants and immigrant labor is about them, not from them. First Time Home addresses that disparity, offering the perspective of four young, second-generation immigrants and descendants of the Triqui culture of western Oaxaca who live in the U.S. The youth — Esmirna Librado, Noemi Librado Sanchez, Esmeralda Ventura, Heriberto Venturo — shot all the footage beginning in 2016. The film, which debuted in 2021, explores the young adults’ first trip from California and Washington to Mexico, which constitutes a different sense of “home.” Produced by Spokane native Seth M. Holmes, a Lewis & Clark High School graduate who’s now a medical doctor and anthropology professor at University of Southern California, First Time Home has won numerous awards including a 2022 Spotlight Film Award gold medal.

— CARRIE SCOZZARO First Time Home • Fri, April 22 at 7 pm • By donation • Magic Lantern Theater • 25 W. Main Ave. • magiclanternonmain.com • 509-209-2383

COMMUNITY NO TIME TO WAIT

Join the community for a courageous conversation about racial equity and justice at the YWCA Spokane’s annual event. Across the country, over 40 other YWCA locations are holding similar events this month, all with the same theme: “We Can’t Wait: Equity and Justice Now!” The evening is hosted by Nicole Jenkins-Rosenkrantz, co-chair of YWCA Spokane’s Racial and Social Justice Committee.

Following performances by local artists, Carmen Pacheco-Jones moderates a discussion with Stephaine Courtney (right) and Terri Anderson (left) on housing and income inequality in the city. Questions for the two panelists can be submitted online. Registration is required to attend this free event in person or virtually.

— SUMMER SANDSTROM Stand Against Racism • Thu, April 28 from 5-7 pm • Free • Woman’s Club of Spokane • 1428 W. Ninth Ave. • ywcaspokane. org/sar2022 • 509-385-6623

THEATER BREAK A LEG

Writing a play isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. There are so many moving parts to keep track of and, frankly, the playwright probably cannot bear to read through the script even one more time. With workshops that act as a final lookover and first trial run of a script, the Spokane Playwrights Laboratory is a playwright’s best friend. This month you can catch the final workshop of SPL’s inaugural season, which features The Break Room by Hazel Bean. Set in an ordinary office, the play transports audiences into a Friday morning meeting that quickly spirals out of control, leaving Tobias and his band of rebels to fight for a change in their bleak, corporate world. The dark comedy play is recommended for audiences 13 and older.

— MADISON PEARSON

APRIL 21 – 24

The Break Room • Thu, April 21 at 7:30 pm • By donation • Washington Cracker Co. Building • 304 W. Pacific Ave. • spokaneplaywrightslaboratory.com • 509-998-7515

TICKETS : GETLITFESTIVAL.ORG Featuring Readings, Craft Classes, Panel Discussions, Open-Mics, Our First-Ever Live RPG Event and More

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FILM WILD SIDE

Just in time for Earth Day, the University of Idaho College of Natural Resources’ annual nature-themed film festival and contest is back. Over its twonight run, the Fish & Wildlife Film Festival is showcasing 19 short films made by both professional filmmakers and future filmmakers who are in college or grades K-12. This year’s submissions hail from six countries around the world, and met the festival’s challenge to create a dynamic film intended to excite and engage audiences with nature and the outdoors. Those screened Thursday at the University of Idaho (in the Janssen Engineering Building, Room 104) and Friday (at the Kenworthy PAC) include this year’s six category winners. For a complete list of titles and filmmakers, visit the festival’s website.

— CHEY SCOTT Fish & Wildlife Film Festival • Thu, April 21 at 6:30 pm (Moscow campus) and Fri, April 22 at 6:30 pm (Kenworthy) • $5/event; free/students and under 18 • uidaho.edu/fwff • 208-885-8605

A nd M a ny M o re !

IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL EVENTS Check our website for the full line-up and info!

People needing accommodation should contact Get Lit! Programs at 509.828.1435 by April 10.

APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 39

never stopped loving you. Everyone in the home cried that day. I’ll never forget what you inspired in me and the messages your music and art left behind for us all.

MEOW KAPOW! You were in the produce section of the Super 1 on 29th, singing to the ’80s hits, and occasionally dancing. You wore a sweatshirt featuring a kitten throwing a grenade. I liked the silver in your hair.

I complimented your dancing skill and your shirt. You made me laugh. Want to meet up and dance to ’80s songs? I have a kitten shirt I can wear, too.

I SAW YOU DOWNTOWN WELLS FARGO ATM Were you missing something when you left?

You were using the machine with your silver Sentra parked at the curb. I approached from the east and gave you distance. Let me know what you are missing and what I was wearing when I approached. I will give it back to you.

WE NEVER ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE YOU Since March of this year, you had been “dead” to our family, but on December 23rd you had actually died.

For my sibling and I you were our first death. But for my moms? They had already experienced the pain of losing a father and brother. Honestly I am still in denial about what our family had gone through because of you. We all struggled to unlearn the generational trauma that started with your mother and lack of father. When we decided to try and grow, you and your wife decided to stay behind. I was called ungrateful and immature. My mother was called narcissistic. In reality that was you two. Even with all of that, I miss you. Some of my best childhood memories were formed in your shop, kitchen and home. Just because we had a family fight does not mean we

COOKIE MONSTER BIKE RIDER So I was on Division on Friday, heading back up to work from my lunch break, and I turned to the right to see you on your bike and you had a Cookie Monster cover for your helmet. Made me laugh a bit, but you definitely smiled back.

On the drive up all the way to Wellesley and Division, you kept glancing over, and when I turned into the parking lot I blew ya a quick air kiss! Feel free to email me! You look like you’re fun!

BEAUTIFUL GIRL AT NORTH COSTCO I saw you at Costco on Saturday night around 6 pm. You had just grabbed some food court items and were the last one leaving with your sister. You had glasses and knee-high leather boots on. I was speechless because you looked so incredible. I managed to at least get out a “Hi.” You smiled and giggled but kept walking. We should grab a drink sometime.

CHEERS SHOW SPOKANE SOME LOVE! Spring is here, and April is Spokane Gives month. The city doesn’t have enough employees to manage all of the litter.

Show our city some love and pick up a block or two… organize a few friends and pick up an empty lot. Make

Spokane somewhere you can be proud to have family and friends visit! It takes all of us!

BLESS YOUR HEART To the woman in the car next to me at Rosauers.

You pulled up next to me. I was in the handicap spot but hadn’t put my

“

demolished from a forested 15-acre lot to a 5-acre open space. We have made due with the space as we witnessed over 100 old-growth pines be clear-cut in the space where many dogs used to play and roam. Now this 5-acre lot will close a year from now (April 2023) with

have mentioned it, but nothing like the millionaire story.

GOOD GUY BS Open carry adherents should take into consideration a would-be shooter will probably take out the person with a weapon visibly located on their hip first. Get your

“Good guy(gal) with a gun fantasy is pure poppy cock; you’re more likely to injure or kill an innocent bystander.”

placard on yet; I was trying to wipe my eyes and nose so I could put on my mask. I caught a glimpse of your son (?) flipping me off. I could be wrong.

Watering eyes are just one of many issues. Anyway, when I got back to my car, my eyes were going crazy, and I was having a hard time seeing. You pulled out, rolled down your window and told me to have a nice day. I didn’t hear you, so I said, “What?” You said, “Have a nice day.” I got in my car and cried. People think because you park in a handicap spot you have to be old or use a cane, etc. It’s hard for me to walk; I have neck, shoulder and back problems. And the watery eyes. :) You never know what someone is going through. I don’t know if you read the Inlander, but I wanted to say thank you.

It still makes me cry because kindness is hard to come by these days. So, thank you to the lady in the white car next to the silver car at Rosauers. Bless your heart.

JEERS JEERS TO SPOKANE PARKS & REC Fall of 2021, the South Hill dog park was

SOUND OFF

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

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

no promise of a similar option. Parks and Rec is spending $750,000 on a dog park less than one-acre big. Yes, this will look aesthetically pleasing for Riverfront Park but is impractical and a poor use of taxpayers money. Dogs and humans need actual space for offleash activities. Parks and Rec’s own mission statement refers to enhancing and protecting a diverse system of parks. So, how does enhancing and protecting apply to demolishing a well-loved 15-acre dog park to then spend an extravagant budget on less than a one-acre space in the center of the city?

WHAT IS REAL NEWSWORTHY I have two news stories, you tell me which is the most newsworthy. First we have one millionaire slapping another millionaire during a live prima donna social that every news outlet could’nt stop reporting on even weeks afterwards. The other news story is about another black male shot and killed by another police officer during a traffic stop in Grand Rapids. I found out that through youtube from a local ABC affiliate, nowhere else. I admit I don’t watch every newscast, so they may

”

concealed. I know it doesn’t advertise any of the perpetuated pro-gun myths you conspicuously buy into — i.e., you’ll save the day, you’re a tough guy(gal), don’t tread on me BS — but the life you save could be your own by remaining anonymous. Good guy(gal) with a gun fantasy is pure poppy cock; you’re more likely to injure or kill an innocent bystander. By the way, you make your surroundings more dangerous, as nobody in your vicinity knows whether you are trained with your weapon or just some wanna be nutter with a hero complex. Quit the obsessive, ridiculous gun worship, please. n

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS S A M S M A D A M S M U G

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S A S H A E R Y N I S T S R E S E R I L T A L E D I R I E I N S

E R Y M A C I L M E M E L T M A S L C M A T

G E O D E T E E S E R A

Z A P S E N A P A T Y M E L A N S I R S L T S M E O I L R H R E E A L Y N S A M E A M O S O N E D N D S M E T Y R A O T R

Saturday April 23rd - 5:09PM

Hot dogs, Pepsi products, and ice cream sandwiches are only $2.

Stick around after the game for Dairy Queen Circle the Bases!

Presented by:

Games Through Sunday 4/24 40 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

E L L E

T E S S

T O E R R

A T T I C

L E A C H

R A G U

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

Family Feast Night vs.

T E A T

FREE PARKING

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

2022 MAC GALA Join the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture for inspired cuisine, wine, music and dancing. April 23, 6 pm. $150-$2500. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931) HOPE BUILDERS ANNUAL BENEFIT LUNCHEON Hear from future homeowners, current homeowners and keynote speaker Jerrall Haynes, who grew up in a Habitat home with his Mom, and was recently appointed Spokane City’s first Civil Rights Coordinator. Virtual options available. April 28, 11:30 am.

By donation. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. habitatspokane.org (800-918-9344) SPARKLE & SPEND A live auction fundraiser for the Spokane Preservation Advocates. April 30, 5:30 pm. $80. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave. spokanepreservation.org (509-465-3591)

COMEDY

AD IT UP Go behind the scenes at an ad agency and laugh at the executives, creatives, staff and clients as they improvise tag lines and commercials based on audience suggestions. April 1-29, Fri at 7:30 pm. 7:30 pm through April 29. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com BEN BAILEY Best known for hosting the show Cash Cab, Bailey is on the road with his new comedy tour. April 22 and 23 at 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm. $22-$33. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W.

Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com THE FINDING CHEMO COMEDY TOUR The Finding Chemo Podcast, produced in Spokane, explores the lighter side of dealing with cancer. Hosted by standup comedian and cancer warrior Nick Theisen, the podcast features doctors, caregivers and those in the fight. Proceeds benefit Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. April 22, 8 pm. $22.70. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (509-227-7638) HELLO MY PRIENDS WITH PINKY PATEL Pinky Patel is a PTA mom turned creator, comedian and TikTok personality with a fan base of over 5 million.

April 23, 4:30 pm. $30-$50. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998) NEW TALENT TUESDAYS Watch comedians of all skill levels work out jokes together. Tuesdays at 7 pm (doors at 6 pm). Free. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com COREY HOLCOMB Corey’s comedy touches on class and racial divides.

April 28, 7:30 pm. $30-$40. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)

COMMUNITY

SOCIAL FABRIC SERIES: DIRTY LAUNDRY This self-guided, mini-exhibition inside the Campbell House wrings details from diaries, correspondence and interviews to interpret personal and private topics not frequently shared in polite society. Through June 30; TueSun from noon-4 pm (entry included

with admission). $15-$20. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org STORYTIME SHORTS Storytime is a great way to help young children learn language and literacy skills that help them get ready for kindergarten. For ages 2-5 and their families. Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am on the SCLD Facebook. Free. scld.org/facebook AWAKENING THE KIND HEART RETREAT Buddhist nun, teacher and author Venerable Sangye Khadro teaches meditations to enhance happiness by deepening kindness. Great for beginners and experienced meditators.

Hosted by Sravasti Abbey, a Buddhist monastery outside Newport. Guests must prove full COVID vaccination with booster. April 22-24, see site for schedule. $100. Sravasti Abbey, 692 Country Lane Rd. sravastiabbey.org A GATHERING OF SPECIES An opportunity to come together through art and community to celebrate the natural world. See website for details. April 22, 3-4 pm. Pavilion at Riverfront, 574 N. Howard St. facebook.com/GatheringOfSpecies (509-625-6000) HOPE FOR CREATION CONFERENCE Hosted by St. John’s Cathedral, Whitworth Office of Church Engagement and Gonzaga Climate Center, the conference shares a vision of hope for creation; spotlights local caretakers of land, water and air; and renews Spokane’s leadership on environmental care. April 22-23, 8 am-5 pm. Free. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave. gonzaga.edu/center-for-climate-societyenvironment/events (719-464-5555)

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APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 41

EVENTS | CALENDAR TIQUE & COLLECTORS SALE Antique dealers from across the Northwest are selling everything from rare to retro items. April 23-24, Sat from 10 am-6 pm and Sun from 10 am-4 pm. Free. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana. custershows.com (509-477-1766) DUCKS UNLIMITED POST FALLS CHAPTER CONSERVATION DINNER An evening for conservation with games, raffles, auction items and prizes. April 23, 5 pm. $45-$115. Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way. kcfairgrounds. com (208-765-4969) EARTH DAY CELEBRATION Celebrate Earth Day with activities and booths, as well as socially-distanced educational presentations. April 23, 10 am-1 pm. Free.

Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315) HELPING BOYS THRIVE SUMMIT A one-day event that brings together professionals, parents, educators and community stakeholders who are raising, educating and working with boys and young men. The summit is a positive, life-affirming, science-based and practically focused professional development and networking event. See website for full schedule. April 23, 8:30 am-3:30 pm. $40-$50. Summit Church, 1801 E 29th Ave. kellencares.org (509-939-6859) COMMUNITY CONNECTION EXPO The event showcases over 40 local organizations offering resources, social opportunities and female-focused products and services to moms of Spokane. Food, drinks and raffle prizes available. April 23, 4-8 pm. Free. The Wonder Building, 835 N. Post St. spokanemama.org

RACE DAY IS

SPOKANE PRIDE SUMMIT Connect with Spokane Pride leaders who can help answer questions about any area you’re looking to participate in during Spokane Pride. April 23, 3-4:30 pm. Free. nYne Bar & Bistro, 232 W. Sprague Ave. spokanepride.org (509-474-1621) SWINGIN’ IN THE RAIN DANCE A swing lesson taught by professional instructors followed by general dancing, refreshments and door prizes. Couples, singles and all levels welcome. April 23, 7-10 pm. $5-$9. Ponderay Events Center, 401 Bonner Mall Way. (208-699-0421) INTRO TO BUDDHISM An include intro to general Buddhism and intro to Shin Buddhism, the sect practiced at the Spokane Buddhist Temple. Each class is followed by time for questions. April 24 from 11:30 am-12:30 pm. Free. Spokane Buddhist Temple, 927 S. Perry St. SpokaneBuddhistTemple.org (509-534-7954) MEDITATION FOR HEALTH, HAPPINESS, PEACE & PROSPERITY A class is for those interested in the benefits of meditation. April 4-May 31, meets Tue from 6-7:30 pm. $45. Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St. ccs.spokane.edu (509-279-6144) LEGO CLUB Each week, participants are challenged to build something unique using only LEGOs. At the end of the session, participants show off their creations, which might earn them a spot in the Children’s Library display cases.

Ages 6-11. April 27, 4-5 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org (208-769-2315) RIVERFRONT MARKET The Riverfront Market features local artisans, food

$35 ENTRY FEE

vendors, musicians and service providers. Wed from 3-7 pm through April 27.

Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. my.spokanecity.org/riverfrontspokane PRIDE SCHOOLS ENROLLMENT NIGHT Enrollment is open for the the 2022-23 year at PRIDE Schools. Meet teachers, take a tour and talk to current students.

Dates offered through June 7, see website for schedule. Free. PRIDE Schools PRIDE Prep & Innovation High School, 811 E. Sprague Ave. prideschools.org UKRAINIAN PYSANKY EGGS WITH LYNN WALTERS This wax and dye process uses a kistka (small funnel) to draw a design and a candle to remove the wax.

April 28, 10 am-1 pm. $25. Create Arts Center, 900 W. Fourth St., Newport. createarts.org (509-447-9277) YWCA SPOKANE’S ANNUAL STAND AGAINST RACISM This event begins with performances by local artists before moving to a panel discussion Carmen Pacheco-Jones serves as moderator and is joined by panelists Stephanie Courtney (Executive Director, The Learning Project Network) and Terri Anderson (Spokane Director, Tenants Union of Washington State). Event also held virtually for registered guests. April 28, 5:30-7 pm.

Free. Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. ywcaspokane.org (509-326-1190)

FILM

DREAMWORKS ANIMATION: THE EXHIBITION: From the makers of Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and Trolls, comes this exhibition celebrating over 25 years of DreamWorks Animation. The show

REG IST ER

LIFEWAYS WORKSHOP: PLATEAU BASKETRY BASICS Bring new life to recycled plastic grocery bags in this handson weaving workshop. April 22, 12-6 pm. $60. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com (1-800-523-2464) SPOKANE EARTH DAY CLIMATE MARCH Join us this Earth Day to demand urgent action in combating and preparing for the climate crisis. Come together as a community to demonstrate a vision for a cleaner, greener, safer world. April 22, 1:45-4 pm. Free. Pavilion at Riverfront, 574 N. Howard St. actionnetwork.org/ events/spokane-climate-march ACTIVE LIVING EXPO An event for locals ages 55+ and their loved ones, presented by MultiCare Health System and the Spokesman-Review. COVID-19 vaccination and masks required. April 23, 10 am-4 pm. $7. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokesman.com/ activelivingexpo (509-459-5095) ALL THE THINGS FURNITURE & HOME DECOR MARKET An upscale furniture and home décor market featuring items made by local artists and new, handmade and refinished furniture and home décor.

April 23, 9 am-6 pm and April 24, 9 am-4 pm. $5. Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way. thebohemianspokane.com (208-765-4969) APRIL ANIMALS OPEN HOUSE Play games, meet and learn about the wonderful animals of our world. Walk-ins welcome. April 23, 10 am-1 pm. By donation. West Valley Outdoor Learning Center, 8706 E. Upriver Drive. olc.wvsd.org (509-340-1028) CUSTER’S 47TH ANNUAL SPRING AN-

OW N

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SUNDAY, MAY 1 BLOOMSDAYRUN.ORG 42 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

includes more than 400 items including rare and never-seen-before concept drawings, original artifacts, film clips and more. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm (third Thu until 8 pm) through Sep. 11. $15-$20.

Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org FISH & WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL The fifth annual festival highlights 19 short films from professional film makers, K-12 students and university students from six different countries. Film screenings on April 21 at 6:30 pm (Janssen Engineering Building) and April 22 at 6:30 pm (Kenworthy). $5. uidaho.edu/cnr/ (208882-4127) THE GENTLEMAN SPEAKER: CONVERSATIONS WITH TOM FOLEY Chris Matthews, former host of MSNBC’s Hardball, introduces a new documentary about Tom Foley, The Gentleman Speaker. A preview is followed by remarks from Senator Maria Cantwell and a conversation between Chris Matthews and Rob Curley. April 21, 5-8 pm. $150. Riverside Place, 1108 W. Riverside Ave. foley.wsu. edu/chris-matthews (509-747-1200) KISS THE GROUND A film on regenerative agriculture, a method to save the planet’s topsoil and combat climate change. Stewardship program advisor and teacher Don Smith conducts a 30-minute Q&A following the film. April 21, 7 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org FIRST TIME HOME An award-winning, locally made film directed and shot by young people who are indigenous Triqui and second-generation immigrants.

When four cousins learned their grandfather in Mexico is gravely ill, they travel

from their immigrant community in Washington to their family’s ancestral village in Oaxaca for the first time.

April 22, 7-8:30 pm. By donation.

Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main. magiclanternonmain.com THE VELVET QUEEN In the heart of the Tibetan highlands, an award-winning photographer guides a writer in his quest to document the infamously elusive snow leopard. April 23, 7 pm and April 24, 4 pm. $5. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org TOTALLY TUBULAR TUESDAYS The Garland’s cult favorite film series is back every Tuesday evening. See complete schedule and pre-buy tickets online. Tuesdays at 7:10 pm through May 31. $2.50. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.com CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Moscow Film Society presents Spielberg’s 1977 sci-fi classic. April 27, 7 pm. $5. Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org

FOOD & DRINK

WINE TASTING Taste a selection of spring barbecue wines. Includes cheese and crackers. April 22, 3-6:30 pm. $10. Vino! A Wine Shop, 222 S. Washington St. vinowine.com FRENCH PASTRY CLASS Make financiers, cream puffs and a galette with Douglas Labar from the Mason Jar. April 23, 3-5 pm. $55. Wren Pierson Community Center, 615 Fourth St. cityofcheney.org (509-489-9250) WINE TASTING Taste a selection of “Friendly French Wines.” Includes

cheese and crackers. April 23, 2-4:30 pm. $10. Vino! A Wine Shop, 222 S. Washington St. vinowine.com THE LIGHTER SIDE OF THAI Prepare classic Thai dishes such as chicken pad thai, Thai noodle salad and Thai coconut curry soup. Substitutions to accommodate dietary restrictions available. April 28, 5-7 pm. $69. Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St. campusce.net/spokane/course/ course.aspx?c=1183 (509-279-6144) CHOCOLATE & CHAMPAGNE GALA Party for a purpose while enjoying complimentary chocolate samplings from some of the areas finest chocolatiers, plus champagne, games, gourmet dinner and live/silent auctions. Virtual attendance is free. April 29, 6:30 pm. $125-$250. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave. ccgalaspokane.org

You are not alone.

MUSIC

SPOKANE SYMPHONY 77TH SEASON LAUNCH PARTY Be the first to hear about the Symphony’s upcoming Masterworks, Pops, Specials and Fox Presents concerts. Enjoy complimentary champagne and desserts, and meet Music Director James Lowe. April 21, 5 pm. Free. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. spokanesymphony.org SPRING CHORAL CONCERT WSU’s University Singers, Treble Choir and Concert Choir perform anarray of choral literature that explores childhood, play and memories of home. April 21, 7:30-9 pm. Free. Bryan Hall Theatre, 605 Veterans Way. events.wsu.edu/ event/choir-concert-2

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NAMI Spokane is the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, serving eastern Washington and North Idaho. We provide free services to anyone with mental health issues, as well as to concerned family and partners who just want to help.

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Purchases at qualifying stores only. Promotion runs April 1 – June 30, 2022, and is limited to $2,500 in qualifying purchases, or up to 7,500 bonus points on top of your standard earned points. No limit on the amount of standard earned points allowed. Rewards points typically awarded within three business days after your qualifying transaction posts to your account. Earned points on purchases never expire, with at least one purchase every 24 months. Bonus points expire one year from date awarded. Subject to approval.

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APRIL 21, 2022 INLANDER 43

POPULARITY CONTEST

Not On the List Does Spokane’s cannabis scene really not make the cut?

BY WILL MAUPIN

T

here’s a list making the rounds online of the 50 best “weed cities” in the country. It’s part of what is being called a study, put together by real estate website realestatewitch.com, by the outlets that have picked up the story. Seattle, Washington’s only representative, was ranked ninth nationally. Denver, where the first legal markets in the country opened nearly a decade ago, took the top spot.

Spokane is nowhere on the list.

Of the 50 cities listed in the so-called study, recreational cannabis is illegal in 29 and medical marijuana is illegal in 12. The list is bad. Indianapolis is not a better weed city than Spokane. That said, the criteria used to determine the list are, mostly, pretty interesting, so we applied them to Spokane.

One of the heavily weighted criteria used is the average price for an ounce of high-quality cannabis, per priceofweed.com. For Spokane, that average is $226.74,

44 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

Haven’t they heard the Smokane nickname? which puts Spokane third cheapest among the 50 cities, behind only Sacramento ($212) and Portland ($213).

Another criteria is the number of dispensaries per 100,000 residents. After all, it makes sense that a city with a good, even thriving, cannabis scene would be home to numerous stores — though having none was apparently not a disqualifier. Spokane is home to 21 licensed dispensaries within city limits. With a population according to the Census Bureau of 228,989, that means there are 9.17 dispensaries per 100,000 residents of the city. Of the cities listed, only Denver (9.8 per 100,000) can boast more.

If you expand beyond the city limits and go countywide, where there are 33 dispensaries and a population of

546,040, the number falls to 6.04 per 100,000 residents.

If you use that instead, Spokane plummets all the way to third, behind only Denver and Portland (7.9 per 100,000).

The people behind the purported study also looked into the number of hiking trails around a city, because stoners like to smoke in nature. Well, maybe they thought Spokane paved over all of its trails after the city gave up on the “Near Nature, Near Perfect” ad campaign.

They also looked into the number of Taco Bell locations in each city, because what’s a story about stoners without falling back on stereotypes, right?

If you’re wondering, Spokane would be tied for 16th in that category, but you deserve better munchies than that. n

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EVENTS | CALENDAR

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46 INLANDER APRIL 21, 2022

AMERICA SINGS OF FAITH AND LIBERTY Chorale Coeur d’Alene presents a concert of patriotic and spiritual anthems, accompanied by David Brewster on piano. April 22 at 7 pm, April 23 at 2 pm. $15-$30. Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth St. ChoraleCdA.com FACULTY ARTIST SERIES: SOPHIA TEGART, FLUTE Assistant Professor of Flute Dr. Sophia Tegart presents a recital inspired by Ancient Greek myths, Korean legends and nineteenth-century fairy tales. April 22, 7:30-9 pm. Free.

Kimbrough Music Building (WSU), WSU Pullman. events.wsu.edu PIANO MASTERCLASS WITH INON BARNATAN Watch a piano master class

by Spokane Symphony guest artist, Inon Barnatan. He’ll share tips about performing and give insight into piano technique with several local piano students who auditioned for this opportunity to learn from him. April 22, 3-5 pm. Free. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. spokanesymphony.org/master-classes SPOKANE SYMPHONY MASTERWORKS 7: 1001 NIGHTS Inon Barnatan returns to Spokane to perform Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto. April 23, 8 pm and April 24, 3 pm. $27-$48. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. spokanesymphony.org INVITATION TO LOVE: GONZAGA UNIVERSITY’S SPRING CHORAL CONCERT The Gonzaga University Chamber Chorus, Discantus Treble Chorus and Glee Club perform songs celebrating the beauty and good of the world. April 24, 3-4 pm. Free. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave. gonzaga.edu GONZAGA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FT. GARY HOFFMAN International cello soloist Gary Hoffman performs with the Gonzaga Symphony Orchestra for its season finale. April 25, 7:30-9 pm. $14$17. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu CHILDREN PERFORMING FOR CHILDREN Music Without Borders celebrates with over 100 local Music Matters! students who are part of the conservatory’s after-school fine arts initiative. April 26, 2 pm. $5. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org SPIRIT OF SPOKANE CHORUS: FRIENDS & FAMILY SHOW Be part of a live audience as the chorus records its official submission for a virtual regional contest. The show also features RiversEdge Chorus, and four competing quartets. April 26, 6:30 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Church of the Nazarene, 15515 E. 20th Ave. spiritofspokanechorus.org (467-0999)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

SPOKANE INDIANS VS. HILLSBORO HOPS Promo events during the sixgame series include First Responders Appreciation Night (April 21), Storybook Princess and Fireworks Night (April 22), Family Feast Night (April 23) and Pajama Party Day (April 24).

April 21-24, times vary. $8-$22. Avista Stadium, 602 N. Havana St. milb.com/ spokane (535-2922) STATE LAND FREE DAYS The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites visitors to enjoy a Washington state park or lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) or Wash-

ington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). April 22, June 11, June 12, June 19, Sep. 24, Oct. 10, Nov. 11, Nov. 25. parks.wa.gov 5K HEROES SILKIES WALK This 5k walk celebrates life and honors veterans and their families. April 23, 9 amnoon. Free. Veterans Outreach Center, 13109 E. Mirabeau Parkway. runsignup. com (509-821-2772) OUTDOOR BIOBLITZ CELEBRATION Take part in a scavenger hunt and other Earth-themed activities. April 23, 10 am-2 pm. Free. Mirabeau Point Park, 2426 N. Discovery Place. scld.org

THEATER

FUNNY GIRL With unique humor, talent and chutzpah, young Fanny, who “isn’t pretty,” defies the odds and becomes one of the greatest stars of her generation. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through April 24. $10-$35. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com (509-325-2507) SPOKANE PLAYWRIGHTS LABORATORY: THE BREAKROOM A dark comedy set in a contemporary office building during a typical Friday morning staff meeting. Includes a live “talk back” session with the playwright. April 21, 7:30 pm. Free. Washington Cracker Co. Building, 304 W. Pacific. spokaneplaywrightslaboratory.com SOMETHING ROTTEN Two brothers are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of a Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” April 22-May 1, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun and select Sat at 2 pm. $19-$25. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. aspirecda.com A YEAR WITH FROG & TOAD A whimsical story of two great friends, the cheerful, popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad, through four fun-filled seasons. April 15-May 1; Fri at 7 pm, SatSun at 2 pm. $12-$16. $12-$16. Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. spokanechildrenstheatre.org MISSOULA CHILDREN’S THEATER: RUMPELSTITSKIN An original adaptation of the classic story. April 23, 1 and 4 pm. $5-$15. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org/ (208-255-7801)

VISUAL ARTS

RESTORATION An invitational exhibition featuring works by 13 regional artists, who each share their strategies for nourishing regeneration and restoring natural order. April 21-July 8, Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm. Free. Third Street Gallery, City Hall, 206 E. Third St. ci.moscow. id.us/230/Third-Street-Gallery SENIOR ART EXHIBITION Featuring work from Gonzaga senior art students Megan Rusby, Opheila Duncan, Shannon Law, Brianna Bruce and Brang Dee. April 22-May 7, Fri from 4-7 pm and Sat from 10 am-3 pm. Free. Gonzaga University Urban Arts Center, 125 S. Stevens St. gonzaga.edu (509-313-6686) WHIMSICAL RABBIT MAKING Handbuild a rabbit vase to hold flowers using the slab and coil methods. Ages 6+.

April 23, 9-10:30 am. $30. Spokane Art School, 811 W. Garland Ave. spokaneartschool@gmail.com CREATE & PAINT WITH SIDNEY BLACK EAGLE Learn new techniques, how to mix and create colors and how

they complement each other while creating a custom piece. April 23, 2-4 pm. $60. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com SPOKANE PRINT FEST Printmaking classes, demonstrations, exhibitions and more. See website for full schedule; some events take place at galleries and the Spokane Public Library’s the Hive.

Through April 28. $60. Spokane Print & Publishing Center, 1925 N. Ash St. spokaneprintfest.com RIVER RIDGE ASSN. OF FINE ARTS MEETING Nancy Huck outlines plans for the group’s annual art show. Guest speaker Stan Miller, local artist and teacher, also presents. April 27, 10 amnoon. Free. Spokane Art Supply, 1303 N. Monroe St. (509-325-0471)

WORDS

DR. STEPHEN NASH: WHY WE REPATRIATE The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA) outlines a legal process by which federally recognized Native American tribes could reclaim their ancestors, sacred objects and communally-owned objects from museums. This lecture examples the repatriation movement in archaeology. April 21, 6:30-8 pm. Free.

The MAC, 2316 W. First. archaeological. org/society/spokane GET LIT! FESTIVAL Eastern Washington University’s 24th Annual Get Lit! Festival features in-person and virtual events, including workshops, author readings, panel discussions, a book fair and more. See complete schedule online. April 21-24. $15+. getlitfestival.org

LOOKING FOR THE ADVICE GODDESS?

Sorry to say, but Amy Alkon has retired her column. (Yeah, we miss her too!)

THE LOWEDOWN Spokane Symphony Music Director James Lowe gives an indepth preview of the next Masterworks he conducts, complete with visuals, insight from an orchestra musician and a Q&A session. April 21, 12-1 pm. Free. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org UKRAINE, RUSSIA, CHINA — THE WORLD: STEPHEN KOTKIN A discussion about current foreign policy issues concerning Russia’s role in the world and the Ukrainian conflict. April 26, 3 pm. Free. Online: uidaho.edu/class/ martin-institute PAGETURNERS BOOKCLUB For April, Pageturners is discussing Beloved by Toni Morrison. Open to adult reader; books available for check out at the research/info desk. April 27, 10:15 amnoon. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org APRIL POETRY RELAY Moscow Poet Laureate Stacy Boe Miller leads a celebration of National Poetry Month feautring readings by Joely Fitch, CMarie Fuhrman, Cameron McGill and Cameron McLeod Martin. April 28, 6 pm.

Free. Third Street Gallery, City Hall, 206 E. Third St. ci.moscow.id.us/217/PoetLaureate (208-883-7036) BLOOD ON BLOOMSDAY A book release celebration for Chris Bieker’s latest Rex Begonia mystery. April 30, 7-8 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com (509-838-0206) n

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again and again 36. Rehab woe, for short 37. “I agree with both of you!” (or this puzzle’s theme) 41. LAX approximation 42. God depicted in a helmet 44. “Back to the Future” actress Thompson 45. Kind of poem 47. Be brainy enough to earn tote bags and t-shirts that show your high IQ? 51. Young lady 52. Singer Tori 53. Suddenly stop, as an engine 56. “We’re number ____!”

57. Physician who guest hosted “Jeopardy!” in 2021 61. Battlefield figure takes care of a wounded Gettysburg general?

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19. NBA star Curry 20. One of the pioneers of the internet 21. Puts money on the table, say 22. ____ jazz 24. Round Table figures 26. 21-time Oscar nominee performs a welder’s task?

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58. Prego competitor 59. Some homages 60. Pair of British puzzles?

62. Yoga surface 63. The Renaissance, for one 64. “The A-Team” actor

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