Inlander 05/09/2024

EDITOR’S NOTE

Iconfess, I have zero tattoos. It’s not for a lack of interest, but rather a personal proclivity for extreme indecisiveness. The mere idea of picking what and where and how big and what style for a tattoo gets my head spinning, and that’s not even considering a looming fear of future regret. But that doesn’t mean I don’t truly appreciate the incredible skill and artistry and personal expression that goes into a tattoo. Heck, probably close to half the people in my daily circles have at least one tattoo, which tracks with national trends as tattoos have become more commonplace. While working on this week’s TATTOO ISSUE, I was awestruck by the talent of so many Inland Northwest artists — so much so, I was even forced to reconsider my own holdups about getting some ink. (Nobody asked, but if I did get one, it would be a tribute to my dear cat, Dellie.)

Whether you’ve got none, one or several tattoos, the stories inside (starting on page 16) are equally engaging, offering insight into the industry’s local scene, what it’s like to be an apprentice artist, how tattooing has changed in recent decades, and more. There are plenty of photos, too, showing how detailed, colorful and unique a piece of permanent body art can be.

— CHEY SCOTT, Editor

A Show for Every Mom

COMMENT

STAFF DIRECTORY

PHONE: 509-325-0634

Ted S. McGregor Jr. (tedm@inlander.com) PUBLISHER

Jer McGregor (x224) GENERAL MANAGER EDITORIAL

Chey Scott (x225) EDITOR

Samantha Wohlfeil (x234) NEWS EDITOR

Seth Sommerfeld (x250) MUSIC & SCREEN EDITOR

Madison Pearson (x218)

LISTINGS EDITOR, DIGITAL LEAD

Eliza Billingham (x222) Colton Rasanen (x263)

Nate Sanford (x282)

STAFF WRITERS

Chris Frisella COPY CHIEF

Young Kwak, Erick Doxey PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lucy Klebeck INTERN

Jason Baxter, Josh Bell, Lawrence B.A. Hatter, Chase Hutchinson, Will Maupin, Summer Sandstrom CONTRIBUTORS

Anne McGregor

INLANDER HEALTH & HOME EDITOR

ADVERTISING

Tamara McGregor (x233)

ADVERTISING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

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

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

Ali Blackwood (x228)

PRODUCTION TEAM MANAGER, CREATIVE, DIGITAL & MARKETING

Tom Stover (x265) PRINT PRODUCTION & IT MANAGER

Derrick King (x238)

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER, EDITORIAL DESIGN LEAD

Leslie Douglas (x231)

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Colleen Bell-Craig (x212), Raja Bejjani (x242)

ADVERTISING ASSISTANTS OPERATIONS

Dee Ann Cook (x211) BUSINESS MANAGER

Kristin Wagner (x210)

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE CIRCULATION

Frank DeCaro (x226)

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Travis Beck (x237)

CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM TATTOO?

MARIA KULP

A line drawing, it’s gonna be on my upper arm, a line drawing with a cat peeking around the corner.

Does it symbolize anything?

It’ll make me laugh every time I see it, my tattoos are all ones that make me laugh.

AUBREY ENGELS

I’ve never been a big tattoo person, but I have these smiley faces [on my arm], I love them. I don’t think I’d get any more tattoos, but if I did, my dad — he loves birds and he’s a goofy guy — he’s always drawn this little character called Super Goose, and my sister and I have said that when he passes away, depending on where I’m at, I would get a Super Goose tattoo.

ABIGAIL CHASE

Probably a camas root. I’m a part of the Kalispel [and] Spokane [tribes]. There’s a bunch of camas that grows up north near Colville, and they’re really pretty blue flowers with a little root at the bottom.

ZOE THUESMUNN

You know, I have thought about it but I’ve never really decided. Probably something floral, like some flowers, something kinda pretty.

JASON BAILEY

I don’t have any tattoos.

Why not?

I don’t need them. If I had a dream tattoo, it’d probably be my daughter’s face. That’s probably what it would be because that’s the only thing I care about.

5/3/24, INDABA COFFEE RIVERSIDE INTERVIEWS BY LUCY KLEBECK

Spousal Maintenance / Alimony Child Support Modifications

Discover the benefi ts of Customized Medications Compounded for you and Your Pets

Our staff is expertly trained & certifi ed in prescription compounding and we are ready to serve you in our state of the art facility at our new location at 1802 N Monroe St.

• Custom Compounding for People & Pets

• Flavor & Dosage Form options for veterinary prescriptions

• Bio-Identical Hormones

• Customized Preservative-Free, Dye-Free and Allergen-Free Products

• Nutrition Counseling for Wellness, Weight Loss & Athletic Performance

• Low-Dose Naltrexone

• Hormone Consultations

• Professional Grade Supplements Including: Thorne, Ortho Molecular, Metagenics, Design for Health, Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics

• Locally owned

• Pharmacist formulated CBD

• CIVIL LITIGATION 1802 N. Monroe St | Spokane, WA 99205 Hours Mon-Fri 8:30 am – 6:00 pm | Sat 9:00 am - 1:00 pm 509-343-6252 | Fax 509-343-6251 | korupharmacy@gmail.com NOW COMPOUNDING &Semaglutide Tirzepatide

Through the Lens of Age

Although he founded the University of Virginia for the “illimitable freedom of the human mind,” even Thomas Jefferson was taken aback when students had ideas about how things should be

BY LAWRENCE B.A. HATTER

Simmering student protests against the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas have exploded across U.S. campuses in the past couple of weeks. Hamas terrorists launched a massive wave of attacks against Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023. The right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu responded with an expansive military operation in Gaza, which even Israel’s

closest allies have criticized for causing numerous Palestinian civilian deaths and injuries.

Students at campuses from Columbia University in New York City to UW in Seattle set up encampments and organized protests to pressure university administrators to divest their sizable endowments of financial investments in Israeli corporations and Western arms manufacturers — including Boeing. Some university administrators didn’t hesitate to call in the cops.

Over the weekend, police officers broke up the protest encampment at the University of Virginia, which local authorities in Charlottesville had declared an “unlawful assembly.” Thomas Jefferson founded the university in 1819 as an “academical village,” in which faculty and students would live and work together in the pursuit of knowledge.

REMBRANDT PEALE / WHITE HOUSE COLLECTION

What would one of America’s most famous revolutionaries make of the Israel-Hamas War protests on the grounds of “Mr. Jef ferson’s University”?

Jeffersonwas often painted by his political opponents as a wideeyed radical. During the 1790s, the Federalist Party — home to John Adams and Alexander Hamilton — depicted Jefferson as an American Jacobin, a fellow-traveler with the radical political move ment driving the violent excesses of the French Revolution.

The Federalists were not totally off base. In an infamous letter to William Short from 1793, Jefferson defended the execution of King Louis XVI and mass killings in France, saying “the liberty of the whole earth was depending on the issue.” He went on to declare that “I would have seen half the earth desolated. Were there but an Adam & an Eve left in every country, & left free, it would be better than it is now.” Uncompromising words.

“…it is always easier to support causes that you believe in than it is to tolerate political action pushing those that you don’t.”

Thirty years later, Jefferson busied himself in his retirement overseeing the construction of the University of Virginia, which welcomed its first entering class in 1825. The aging Founder hoped to build an institution in the South to educate virtuous citizens who would go on to lead their states and nation.

Instead, Jefferson discovered that UVA students were an unruly bunch. A “riot” took place in October 1825, when a student threw a bottle of urine through the window of a professor’s home, resulting in a brawl between students and faculty. The 82-year-old Jefferson broke down crying when he confronted the student body after the riot. A fervent revolutionary, who had not flinched when some of his friends went to the guillotine, was now sobbing after fisticuffs between students and faculty.

The Virginia rioters may not have been fighting for the future of mankind in the same vein as French Jacobins, but the students were protesting the strict regime that Jefferson had imposed on them. Classes began at 5:30 am, curfew was 9 pm, and school was in session almost all year-round. Had Jefferson just gotten more conservative in his old age?

Maybe.

If there’s a lesson to learn from Jefferson’s imperfect radicalism, it is that it is always easier to support causes that you believe in than it is to tolerate political action pushing those that you don’t. In 1793, Jefferson was a fervent supporter of the radical French Rev olution because he believed that it was a corollary to the American Revolution of 1776, which promised to spread freedom and liberty around the globe. In 1826, Jefferson saw his beloved retirement plans to build a new institution of higher learning for the betterment of mankind were under threat from a bunch of unruly kids. Before he was reduced to tears, Jefferson described the mission of his university as pursuing the “illimitable freedom of the human mind to explore and to expose every subject susceptible of its contemplation.”

The campus protests of today concern a highly emotive subject that has a very long and difficult history. I hope that no one would support political violence in our current moment in the way that Jefferson did in 1793. But at the same time, it is important that we recognize the right of people to protest. And if there is anywhere where this freedom should be exercised, it is on college campuses.

Lawrence B.A. Hatter is an award-winning author and associate professor of early American history at Washington State Univer sity. These views are his own and do not reflect those of WSU.

New Chief in Town

Spokane’s new Fire Chief Julie O’Berg talks wildfire season, the overdose crisis and how looming budget problems could affect the department

BY NATE SANFORD

Julie

O’Berg still remembers her first fire.

It was winter in Kansas more than three decades ago. A duplex had gone up in flames after a man tried to fix his motorcycle’s carburetor indoors. O’Berg was working as a paramedic to pay medical school bills, and the job required that paramedics double as firefighters.

O’Berg hadn’t planned on becoming a firefighter — but after that first fire, she was hooked.

“That was it, no more medical school,” O’Berg says. “I can probably remember that better than any fire that I’ve ever been on.”

O’Berg spent 28 years as a firefighter in Kansas. In 2020, she moved to Spokane, where she worked as

deputy chief of operations for the Spokane Fire Department. When former Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer retired at the start of this year, newly elected Mayor Lisa Brown asked O’Berg to fill in as interim chief while the city searched for a permanent replacement.

The search didn’t last long. In April, Brown decided to permanently appoint O’Berg to the position.

“I have reviewed internal survey results, received feedback and seen Chief O’Berg’s performance over the past few months,” Brown said in a statement. “She is an effective and well-respected leader who is a tremendous asset to our fire department and the Spokane community.”

O’Berg is taking on the job of chief at a challenging time.

The city’s budget is in a bad place, and Brown has warned that cuts to fire and other departments might be necessary if the massive public safety tax levy she is proposing fails in August.

As overdose deaths continue to soar, the fire department is also playing an increasingly large role in responding to Spokane’s mental health and substance use crises.

The department has a Behavioral Response Unit, which pairs a paramedic with a Frontier Behavioral

New Spokane Fire Chief Julie O’Berg is taking the lead amidst budget challenges. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

“NEW CHIEF IN TOWN,” CONTINUED...

Health worker to respond to overdose and mental health calls. The team currently operates just four days a week, but O’Berg says she’d like to see it expanded to seven days a week.

O’Berg also hopes to expand the department’s Community Assistance Response (CARES) program, which provides case management to people struggling with behavioral health and substance issues. Last week, the City Council voted to put $500,000 in opioid lawsuit settlement funds toward the program.

The Inlander met with O’Berg last week at the department’s training center to talk about her goals for the new job, budget challenges and the department’s role in responding to Spokane’s overdose crisis. Her answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

INLANDER: When Mayor Brown appointed you to be interim fire chief earlier this year, you initially said you didn’t plan to apply for the permanent position. What changed your mind?

O’BERG: Working with Mayor Brown and her team and the team here certainly made the reconsideration easier. We’ve got a really strong, fantastic team here. We’ve got a lot of challenges that we’re going to face in the next year, but I like the direction. Working with Mayor Brown’s team and our team here at fire made it worth it to change my mind.

What does the job of fire chief mainly entail? Are you going to be in the field at all? Or is it more meetings and paperwork?

Yeah, it’s a lot of meetings. Certainly on events of significance I may be there. If I show up, or the assistant chief or the deputy chiefs show up, we’re showing up in support of their incident management plan.

So really, the fire chief’s job is managing the budget. I’m overseeing each one of the divisions — operations and prevention and training and community risk and medical services. So a lot of computer work, paperwork, a lot of numbers. But it’s rewarding, because I know that I’m getting the tools that are needed to the boots on the ground doing the job.

Do you think you’ll miss being out in the field?

I’ve been out of the field as deputy chief for the last four years — it’s mainly office work. So yeah, I’ve definitely missed that interaction with the community at that level, but again, you find a different way to get those rewards.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the department?

The budget. There’s no secret that we face some really challenging budget times. Last week the council did approve the levy to go on the August ballot. Our next step is to really help educate the community on what that means. We absolutely know that is a big ask. But my job is to help explain and give the most transparent examples of what that will do and what that levy is needed for. So the budget is going to be a big challenge.

The fentanyl crisis and the opioid crisis is going to be another huge challenge that we’ve got to face. We’re not the solution for that, but we’re a big part of that.

Mayor Brown recently said the fire department’s summer academy is going to have to be canceled this year because of budget problems. What was your reaction to that?

I was part of that decision. I think it’s the right thing to do. The last two years, we’ve been working really hard on rebuilding our relief pool size — the relief pool is what helps us keep our overtime budget in check. That relief pool, it’s not full, it’s not where we need it to be, but it’s healthier than it’s been for years. So I think that we can manage the overtime budget within limits that we have not been able to for the past three years.

So that wasn’t dictated by Mayor Brown or by the CFO, that was a team effort of really looking at where we can make changes. And we are doing that. We are scrutinizing our budget daily to areas that we can economize, areas that we can cut and still provide the same level of service to the community.

I think that was the right decision. A hard one, but the right decision.

Mayor Brown also recently warned that, if the public safety levy fails, the city might be forced to lay off 30 firefighters. Are you worried about that?

Oh, absolutely. I think if the levy doesn’t pass, we’ll be looking at a significant impact to the level of service that we provide, and to our staffing. We don’t have the final picture of what that will look like.

Right now, we’re working on developing two budgets — we’re developing a budget as if the levy passes, and we’re developing a budget if the levy doesn’t pass.

It’s the early days of that, but I think there is potential for us to have to lay off firefighters and other support staff. There’s potential to really have to come to the community and say, “These are the services we provide, where does the community see the priority for those?”

How are things looking going into wildfire season this summer?

It’s always a concern for us. The early forecasts are showing that it’s what they’re calling a “neutral forecast.” So that means it could go either way. We are already concerned about the drought in our region. We are in a time when every season is going to be challenging, you just don’t know how challenging it’s going to be.

The good news is that by the end of the year, I believe we will exceed 1,000 acres of fuel mitigation that we’ve done. We’re certainly better positioned than we were four years ago.

Are you optimistic that we’ll be able to get the Latah Valley fire station built in the near future?

It depends on what your definition of “near future” is. Honestly, if you start planning a fire station today, “near future” means that’s three, four, five years.

I think all of the stakeholders know that we need to be there. So just like anything else right now, the challenging part is finding that funding. Fire stations are not cheap to build. We were fortunate to get $300,000 from the state to go toward our current half-million dollars for the planning phase of that. So we will be starting down that

road, but the full funding is what we’re still getting determined.

More broadly, how do you see the department’s role going forward when it comes to the drug overdose crisis?

I think we have a primary role. I think we have to reimagine that that primary role is not in a firetruck. It’s that CARES expansion, it’s that Behavioral Response Unit expansion. The reason I think we’re in the right place is because our units are spread throughout the city, our stations are placed in very strategic areas for a reason. We can make sure we blanket all areas, and we have that training as far as that patient care aspect.

“If the levy doesn’t pass, we’ll be looking at a significant impact to the level of service that we provide.”

I think we can provide that through these expansions. We’ve got the right foundation, but adding that different response modality and expanding that, I think we really are the right department to be a part of that.

What are you most excited about with your new role?

When you’re in this position, or even in one of the deputy chief positions, you realign what rewards you in a job. What used to reward us was showing up on a scene, mitigating an emergency and making that immediate impact. For me, what’s rewarding is knowing my impact to those that are out in the field, whether it’s an operation or prevention or training. My impact is giving them the tools they need. I like watching people excel at their job. And so if I can take hurdles out of their way, if I can give them the tools that they need to excel and do good things, that’s rewarding.

Are there any new projects planned for the future?

Hopefully in June we will be rolling out what is called the Nurse Navigation program. When somebody calls 911, the current call takers and 911 communication specialists, they triage those calls.

The low acuity calls will be transferred to Nurse Navigation. That’s a team of licensed nurses that will continue to question the caller on what their needs are. And they can work with them to get them an appointment in urgent care, to get them a telehealth visit if that’s appropriate. They can get them a Lyft or Uber ride to that urgent clinic or to a pharmacy if that’s the need.

And what that will do is take a significant call volume load off the firetrucks and ambulances in the city. That leaves our emergency response units available for that true emergency.

One of my goals is to really focus on our mission critical needs. And I think that’s fiscally responsible right now with our budget challenges: really focusing on our core values and our core mission. n

Underserved: The Importance of Serving All Communities

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

8-10 a.m. | Doors open at 7:30

Davenport

Join us for a thoughtful conversation on the ideas behind the new book Underserved: Harnessing the Principles of Lincoln’s Vision for Reconstruction for Today’s Forgotten Communities. Our guest speakers, the book’s co-writers, will discuss how these principles might be applied to issues facing the communities of Spokane.

Chris Pilkerton has extensive experience in government, law and compliance. Chris previously served as acting administrator and general counsel of the US Small Business Administration, senior policy advisor at the White House and executive director of the Opportunity Now Initiative.

Ja’Ron Smith is a policy expert specializing in advocacy, legislating and policy strategy and negotiation. He’s served as the deputy assistant to the US President for domestic policy and as deputy director of the White House Office of American Innovation.

Through a collaborative effort with business owners, leaders, and community members, Hello for Good strives to create fullspectrum solutions that address addiction recovery, housing, education, job training, and employment to create real and lasting change.

Firefighters practice at the Spokane Fire Department Training Center. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

Recreation Restoration

A look at some of the public park, trail and dam projects around the Inland Northwest

BY COLTON RASANEN

Ahandful of Inland Northwest parks and trails will look a little different this year as some renovation projects get started and others wrap up.

Some projects will affect the ability to visit specific parks. The day-use parking lots will be closed at Falls Park in Post Falls and Liberty Lake Regional Park.

Other community parks, including Northwoods, Holmberg and Pine River, have received upgrades to their decades-old irrigation systems.

LIBERTY LAKE REGIONAL PARK

Spokane County Parks, Recreation and Golf just began its 2024 parks season, and with that came the start of renovations at Liberty Lake Regional Park. As a result, the park’s day-use parking will be closed to the public this summer.

The county has been planning for this renovation since 2018 and is glad to finally start work, says Martha Lou Wheatley-Billeter, a Spokane County spokesperson. While the park will be closed to general day use, Wheatley-Billeter says it will still be open to those who make camping or shelter reservations.

Thanks to more than $3 million in funding, the park renovation will include the addition of another restroom, a new dock for kayak launches and fishing, and other quality of life improvements like new lighting, better landscaping, and updated stormwater facilities.

The park will also become more accessible, as about 100 gravel parking spaces will be paved.

Once the renovation is completed by September, Wheatley-Billeter says a second project to update and widen Zephyr Road will begin. She says that project won’t have much of an impact on park visitors though, because the construction is scheduled to begin after the park season ends on Sept. 29.

FALLS PARK AND POST FALLS DAM

Community access to Falls Park on the Spokane River will be limited over the next three years, but not because of work on the park itself. Instead, the north channel of the adjacent Post Falls Dam will be getting its first updates in the last 50 years, according to Avista spokesperson Jared Webley.

For the last century, the Avista-operated dam has generated hydroelectric energy for customers in the region and controlled the water levels of Lake Coeur d’Alene. The dam’s south channel was rehabilitated from 2014 to 2016, but the north channel remained untouched.

“The last rehabilitation on the [north channel] was in the 1970s,” Webley says. “We’re just working to ensure the reliability of the facility.”

This approximately $50 million, three-year project will update the dam’s concrete structure and electrical and control systems, and replace nine steel spillway gates and gate hoists. Webley says that the project will be completed in multiple stages to have the smallest possible impact on the dam’s operations.

“We’re excited we found a way to do it without stopping the dam’s operation,” Webley says.

Over the next three years, the parking lot will be closed to park visitors as Avista uses the space as an active construction site. Much of the park will remain open during the dam work, but the park’s boardwalk and one of its three overlooks will be closed to ensure public safety, Webley says. In the meantime, parking will still be open on nearby streets and near the Centennial Trail.

“It will be a further distance to walk, but a majority of the park will still be open to the public,” he says.

NORTHWOODS, HOLMBERG, AND PINE RIVER COMMUNITY PARKS

Over the last few years Spokane County has been working to update irrigation systems in a handful of its community parks.

The $675,000 irrigation modernization at Northwoods, Holmberg, and Pine River community parks will allow the county to save water, says Brendan Bemis, operations assistant manager for Spokane County Parks.

However, because the old irrigation systems were installed decades ago, county officials don’t know exactly how much water the previous systems used.

“Each of these systems are 30 to 40 years old, so the technology to monitor water usage didn’t exist,” Bemis explains. “Everyone used to water differently. Basically, you turned the valve and let the water run until the grass looked wet enough.”

Now that the systems have been installed — with most work completed in fall 2023 — the county can begin to monitor exactly how much water is used to maintain these parks. Bemis expects the county will gain a clearer picture of water use over the next year or so.

“Our ultimate goal is demonstrated reduction in usage,” he says. “But we have to establish a baseline to work from before we can say we reduced water usage. We’re just now learning what our usage has been.”

Bemis says the new systems will also allow the county to implement a responsive watering approach. The parks will receive less water when it rains and more during sunny days.

SOUTH GORGE TRAIL CONNECTION

Pretty soon, pedestrians and cyclists will be able to avoid long waits to cross the busy intersection of Monroe Street, Spokane Falls Boulevard and Main Avenue, as the project to complete a trail underneath Monroe Street Bridge nears its completion.

The trail will connect Main Avenue, west of Monroe Street, to the existing path near the Central Library on Spokane Falls Boulevard.

This approximately $2 million project is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, says Mark Serbousek, bridge engineer for the city of Spokane.

“We’ve got a few touch-ups to complete, so we don’t have an exact date for completion unfortunately,” Serbousek explains.

While this trail connection is meant to simplify travel across the busy Monroe Street Bridge and the surrounding area, it will also include a brand new view of Spokane Falls.

“I’m particularly excited about this project because you’re gonna see views of the falls like you’ve never seen before,” says Jeff Humphrey, city of Spokane media manager.

Additionally, the connection will finally complete the roughly 3.5-mile Spokane River Gorge Loop Trail through downtown Spokane.

CAMAS MEADOW PARK

This park does not exist yet, but when it’s built it will be the first county-run community park in the West Plains area, says Spokane County’s Wheatley-Billeter.

“West Plains has been begging for a park for a long time,” she says.

The park will be located along West Melville Road and will cost about $6 million. Although the county has already acquired the 10-acre plot of land for the park, the parks department still needs to hire a designer, which staff hope to find by June.

Camas Meadow Park is expected to open by fall 2025. n

coltonr@inlander.com

Liberty Lake Regional Park will be open for camping during construction. SPOKANE COUNTY PARKS PLAN

Summer Break

Spokane Arena closes for summer reno; SPD wants to use civil forfeitures for new tools.

BY INLANDER STAFF

The biggest concerts of this summer will not be happening at Spokane Arena. Instead, the Arena is closing for the season after this weekend’s Gonzaga graduation ceremonies to undergo a $10 million renovation. (Strangely, one event that will still take place is a two-day monster truck show in late June.) It won’t be a huge aesthetic overhaul for patrons but will soup up the overall facilities. More seats will be added via a new retractable system, plus there will be an overhaul of the suites and locker rooms, and a new freight elevator. Doing the work in summer was necessary to accommodate the Spokane Chiefs’ season. The goal is to have all improvements finished before Jelly Roll’s visit on Aug. 30. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

SEIZED SPENDING

In Washington, police are allowed to seize property from people if they believe it was related to a crime. The seized items are typically auctioned off, and the state government takes 10% of the proceeds, while the police department keeps the rest. The process is called civil forfeiture. In recent years, the Spokane Police Department has seized cars, bullets, gold coins, a printer, a flatscreen monitor, a drill and other random items. The department’s forfeiture fund has about $724,000. On Monday, police asked the Spokane City Council to authorize using $510,000 of the forfeiture funds on various departmental purchases. The list includes three new undercover cars; a scanner that captures 360-degree models of crime scenes; training for drone operators; air purifiers to protect officers from fentanyl powder; and a technology called Cellebrite that unlocks cellphones by bypassing passwords. The department has contracted with Cellebrite for several years. When asked about civil liberties concerns on Monday, Assistant Police Chief Mike McNab told City Council members that the department only uses the technology in “very serious circumstances” involving risk of violence. “It’s a very high standard,” McNab said. “The officers can’t do this on their own, they have to do this with the oversight of a prosecutor.” (NATE SANFORD)

CORRECTIONS

It’s been awhile since we cleaned out the corrections drawer, so here we go:

On Feb. 15, we spelled Zack Zappone’s first name wrong in a photo caption. We take it bach.

On Feb. 22, we misspelled artist Madeline McNeill’s college major. She was premed, but our mistake was not premeditated.

On March 14, we misidentified the store where Old Tyme Spirits can be found, which is Egger’s South Hill Liquor. Big tyme mistake. Sorry.

On March 28, we reported that players from two women’s basketball teams were targets of racial slurs in Coeur d’Alene, since that’s what officials initially said. The targeted players were from the University of Utah, though another team also opted not to stay in town after the incident.

In our April 4 issue, we made the rookie mistake of trusting Google maps for the name of the neighborhood where Thrive International will build new apartments for refugees. That area split into two neighborhoods in 2016, and this project will be in Shiloh Hills.

On May 2, we had the decimal in the wrong place when referring to the 0.1% sales and use tax that funds 911 services. We regret how disappointed our elementary school teachers must be. n

Public or Private

Spokane Regional Health District is studying whether its opioid treatment program should separate from the government entity

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

With the largest single-site opioid treatment program in the state and one of the largest in the country, Spokane Regional Health District treats nearly 1,000 clients for opioid and substance use disorder.

The district’s treatment services division started in 1990, when no one else in the community provided methadone for opioid use disorder, and heroin was typically the drug of choice for clients.

As the opioid epidemic grew with legal prescriptions for oxycodone pushed by pharmaceutical companies, more community opioid treatment

programs opened, and with the rise of even more potent fentanyl in recent years, the demand for those services has continued to increase.

Now, the health district’s new administrative officer, Alicia Thompson, wants to figure out whether splitting the treatment services program from the government agency might be beneficial. Thompson, who was appointed to the head role at the district last November, is a licensed master social worker and has a Doctorate in Public Health.

On April 25, Thompson got approval from the local health board to conduct a feasibility

The Spokane Regional Health District serves about 1,000 clients for opioid and substance use disorder. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

study to determine whether splitting that service into its own private entity would be a good move for employees, clients and the community.

She stresses in an interview with the Inlander that the district will only move forward with separating the program if the split would be better for all three groups. If not, the program will remain in place.

“No decision has been made,” Thompson says. “A decision cannot be made until the feasibility study is complete. And we have to prove that it would be in the best interest of our community, our clients and our employees to separate and become a private entity. If we can’t prove that, then it’s not going to happen.”

Aside from last year, when some clients faced pandemicrelated lapses in their insurance coverage, the program has been completely self-sustaining, with insurance and out-of-pocket fees covering the costs. The program relocated last year, moving from the health district building near Kendall Yards into a formerly county-owned building on Eighth Avenue near the hospitals.

The program is licensed to provide outpatient opioid and substance use treatment, and multiple outpatient mental health services.

Opioid treatment is not one of the “core services” for public health to offer, according to Washington state Department of Health guidance, Thompson points out. There’s only one other health department in the state that offers that treatment.

The question of whether treatment services should break away from the health district has been raised several times over the years. But previously, no one officially studied what that would entail, says Misty Challinor, director of the treatment services division.

“It was just a matter of timing and someone that was willing — as Dr. Thompson is doing now — to look into it and see if it was something that makes sense,” Challinor says.

Privately run treatment programs can be more nimble with decisions, such as quickly hiring staff and opening more space for patients as needed, Thompson says. But when operated through the health district, the program has to comply with governmental red tape that slows down decisions.

“Running an [opioid treatment program], it should be like a business, and that can’t run like a business within SRHD,” Thompson says.

For example, because of prior decisions at the health district not to accept federal grant money (due to some required bureaucratic processes), the program can’t apply for federal money that might help clients, she says, such as funding that’s becoming available to help provide medication-assisted treatment.

Thompson is meeting with the current treatment services employees to hear their feedback and concerns this month.

For members of the public who want to weigh in, Thompson hopes to host public meetings in June. Ultimately, she says she thinks the study can be completed within about four months.

This week she’s also meeting with officials in Montana to see how separating a government-run program into its own business worked for them. When Thompson worked at the health department in Great Falls, Montana, she started the process of separating a federally qualified health center from the department. The majority of that work was finished after she left, but she’s heard that it enabled the health center to thrive.

Thompson is also reaching out to other opioid treatment providers in the area and says one has already expressed interest in taking over the program.

But, again, the health district would only consider passing the program off to a private entity if that company has a good reputation for caring for its staff and clients and for working well with the public, she says.

“It just won’t happen if it’s not in the best interest [of everyone], and the first step is to find that out,” Thompson says. n samanthaw@inlander.com

WINNING IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Ladies Who Ink

Women-owned tattoo shops in the Inland Northwest offer welcoming, inclusive spaces to get inked

Let’s be real for a second: Getting a tattoo can be scary.

The looming permanence of the decision you’re about to make, the sterile smell and, not to mention, the pain of a needle stabbing your skin over and over can make the entire process anxiety-inducing and, frankly, daunting.

When Sara Mortier decided to quit her special education career and become a full-time tattoo artist, she was scared, too.

“I knew what I wanted to do,” she says. “But it just seemed so outrageous. I can’t go be a tattoo artist — I’m a teacher!”

One giant leap of faith and a cashed-out 401k later, Mortier looked for work in Spokane but didn’t feel like she could operate within a traditional tattoo parlor setting. So in 2021, Mortier opened a private studio called La Mort Tattoo in downtown Spokane. Not only was it a way to carry out her dream of tattooing, she thought she could offer something more: a woman’s touch.

“The response was huge,” Mortier says. “And I think that’s because people wanted a place that wasn’t made by a traditional tattoo artist. It was so apparent to me that there was a need for a kind, gentle, safe space to come get tattoos.”

BY MADISON PEARSON

As Mortier continued to book more and more clients in her one-woman studio, she couldn’t keep up with demand.

“They would often ask me if I knew of any similar places they could get tattooed,” she says. “I was at a loss every time. I figured it was time to expand.”

In March 2023, Mortier opened La Lune Tattoo Collective downtown with the express intent of cultivating a welcoming environment for clients and artists alike.

“There are a lot of places you can walk in to get a tattoo in Spokane,” she says. “But almost none of them feel approachable to me specifically. There are more and more shops that aren’t like ‘biker dude’ places. At La Lune, we seek to be the opposite” of unapproachable.

As such, La Lune’s exposed brick and sage-colored walls aren’t plastered with American traditional flash sheets but adorned with trailing houseplants draped over curated vintage art. The furniture is charmingly mismatched, and artist stations are decorated with trinkets and other bits and bobs that make each area unique and welcoming.

Mortier points out that her knuckle tattoos even read “Be Nice” instead of the usual standoff phrases

that often adorn other artists’ hands. She’s also ensured that the tattooers she hires at La Lune have similar aspirations and hopes for the shop.

“I wanted the artists to truly collaborate with their clients,” she says. “You should never walk into a tattoo shop, have a design slapped on you, and then immediately get to tattooing. There is always a collaboration, a back and forth, here. I feel like that would have been beaten out of me in a typical place.”

Each artist at La Lune specializes in a different style of tattoo. Mortier works in the realm of vintage and storybookstyle tats, while Lauren Poole can create realistic portraits of beloved pets. And, if you’re looking to get an American traditional tattoo or maybe a creepy portrait of Pennywise the Clown, artist Megan O’Conner has you covered.

It’s no secret that female-owned shops attract a largely female customer base, so privacy is of the utmost importance at a lot of local women-owned shops.

When opening La Lune, Mortier dedicated a corner of the shop to a completely private tattooing area.

“We have a private room that we call the ‘boob room’,” she says. “Whenever someone has a sternum tat or something in a private spot, they can use the boob room.”

It’s a light-hearted joke that veils a not-so-silly concern

(From left) Evelyne Schafer, Lyn Sweet, Jor Koffel, Sara Mortier, Megan O’Connor and Abigail Moua of La Lune Tattoo Collective. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

some people face when asking for tattoos in sensitive areas. Mortier has a sternum tattoo herself. She says while being inked, she was laying in a public area for all to see because traditional shops don’t often think about those things.

Coeur d’Alene-based tattoo artist Christina Villagomez opened her studio, 5th Dimension, after years of working in traditional tattoo parlors in hopes of providing clients a more private experience while doling out striking red-andblack ink designs, her specialty.

“Tattoos have grown up alongside humanity,” Villagomez says. “It’s such an important part of self-expression. Having diversity in artists is going to provide more diversity in the styles offered in the shop. Diversity is key.”

Villagomez began her journey as a tattoo artist in 2019 under fellow Coeur d’Alene artist Jake Sifford, who at the time was with Black Matter Tattoo. The pair then teamed up to open Electric Age Tattoo, but in 2021 Villagomez decided to open 5th Dimension, a completely private studio.

“Traditional shops can feel intimidating for first-timers,” Villagomez says. “There need to be spaces out there that are safe and comfortable for everybody.”

Mortier agrees that the tattoo industry is turning toward more inclusive spaces. The efforts by female shop owners like Villagomez and Mortier haven’t come easily.

“It’s hard as hell. It’s hard as hell to break through, but people need this,” Mortier says. “The industry will literally just disintegrate if things don’t keep changing.”

“We can approach the glass ceiling,” Villagomez says. “If not break it.” n

Female-Owned Tattoo Shops

5TH DIMENSION

421 Coeur d’Alene Ave., CdA Instagram @starship_ink

AURALITE ART COLLECTIVE

205 W. Riverside Ave. @auraliteartcollective

BLACK BEE TATTOOS

802 E. 29th Ave.; @blackbeetattoos

BRIGHT SIDE TATTOO STUDIO

11622 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley @brightsidetattoowa

DELICATE FLOWER INK

319 W. Hastings Rd. @delicateflowerink

ECLIPSE EMPORIUM TATTOOS & TRINKETS

6021 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls @eclipseemporium_tattoos

FORTUNATA TATTOO

121 W. Pacific Ave. @fortunata.tattoo

HEARTBREAKER TATTOO & ARTIST CO-OP

830 W. Sprague Ave. @heartbreakerspokane

INK’D CREATIVE MINDS

226 E. Francis St., @inkdcm

JOJO’S TATTOO & BODY PIERCING

6055 N. Government Way, CdA @jojos_tattoos_shop

LA LUNE TATTOO COLLECTIVE

821 W. Second Ave.; @la.lune.tattoo

LADY INK TATTOO

4601 N. Nevada St. @ladyinktattoowa

LITTLE BEAR TATTOO COMPANY

403 N. Second St., CdA @littlebeartattoo_co

MOM’S CUSTOM TATTOO & BODY PIERCING

1226 W. Summit Pkwy. @momsofspokane

SECOND STAR TATTOO

5250 E. Seltice Way, Post Falls @brittsink

SNOOGANS TATTOO

3700 N. Government Way, CdA @snooganstattoo

SWEET INKS & COOL PEEPS TATTOO 1803 W. Jackson Ave. @sweetinkstattoo

TWO SHOES TATTOO

55 N. Cedar St., Post Falls Facebook: Two Shoes Tattoo

UNDEADINK

12012 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley @undeadinkstudios

VOLTAGE STUDIOS

9515 N. Government Way, Hayden @ voltage.tattoos

Permanent Marks

Tiger Tattoo, Spokane’s longest-running tattoo parlor, will always have its name stamped in history

BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM

“If you want a real taste of what a mad scientist he is, he did this with Q-tips.”

Duffy “Moon” Foster, owner of Tiger Tattoo, is in the back of his shop pointing at a painting that’s over 3 feet tall and 2 feet across. A serpentine dragon with intricate scales and detailed color work sprawls across the entire canvas, enveloped by a black cloud. The bottom right corner reads “To Duff,” with the artist’s signature below: Walt Dailey.

Dailey typically worked with something sharper than cotton swabs. He opened one of Spokane’s earliest tattoo shops, Tiger Tattoo, in 1978. It’s now the longest-running tattoo parlor in Spokane. Dailey is legendary to those who know him for his artistic ingenuity and mind blowing, painstaking dedication to the craft.

Seven years ago, Dailey retired and sold Tiger Tattoo to Foster, a longtime employee and friend. “Nice Guy Duffy,” as Foster’s also called, is happy to preserve the founder’s work. Plenty of Dailey’s art still hangs on the walls of the parlor, a testament to the influence he’s had not only in his own shop but across the globe.

“In the ’90s, Walt was one of the top 10 tattooers in the world,” Foster says.

A military medic by trade and a self-taught artist, Dailey spent the entire first year after his service ended holed up in a small rented room on the Palouse. For months on end, he drew designs, mixed inks and created tools until he felt ready to emerge a professional artist. Even after Dailey opened his shop, the obsession didn’t quit.

“He would pick a subject and draw it 1,000 times,” Foster says. “He would draw it until he was brilliant at it.”

Dailey incorporated Japanese flair into the American traditional style to create familiar but unique designs — melting skulls, angry eagles, caricatured reapers and, of course, plenty of tigers.

Throughout his career, Dailey attended national and international tattoo conventions. He would sweep awards, Foster says. Dailey’s expertise earned the respect of other famous artists like Mike Malone and Don Ed Hardy, fathers of the modern tattoo era. In 2018, Dailey won the Bob Shaw award, a lifetime achievement award, from the National Tattoo Association.

Foster himself is also a self-taught artist who learned “completely the wrong way,” he says. But with a twirled mustache, clear-rimmed glasses, a swanky fedora and arms covered with colorful sleeves, he seems the quintessential tattoo artist today.

Back in the ’80s, Foster was a single father and thought he couldn’t afford an apprenticeship with Dailey. So he decided to become his direct competitor and opened a shop just down the street from Tiger Tattoo. For nine years, the competition sharpened both artists’ techniques. When Foster’s landlord suddenly closed his shop, an impressed Dailey opened up a spot for him at Tiger just a couple months later.

They worked together for decades, until Dailey wanted to retire. Foster bought Tiger Tattoo and moved it to its current spot on Sprague Avenue, where an old strip club used to be. He transformed the space with huge gallery walls of art, a comfortable open floor plan and a giant tiger leaping across the front window. There’s also an altar in the back for the dancers Foster suspects haunt the building.

Foster and the four other artists who work at Tiger have different specialties but still like to riff on the American traditional style, expanding Dailey’s imagination with their own. They do “Flash Fridays” every week, where each artist draws a dozen or so new designs for smaller, badge-style tattoos, and those are the only designs available in the shop that day. It keeps them sharp and forces them to flex their creativity.

If you look closely at the gallery wall, some of the drawings are collaborations between Dailey and the current artists. One half of a design is detailed by Dailey, the other half is filled in by current artists like Holly Bruch or Sienna Jacobsen. Elements are shared by both, but the modern artist pushes the boundaries further with color or shapes or abstraction. You can literally trace the influence across generations.

TOP: Duffy “Moon” Foster, left, and Tiger Tattoo founder Walt Dailey, photographed in 2015. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

TATTOOS: Princess Leia by Sienna Jacobsen; cat by Duffy Moon; bear by EJ Chaney.

Despite the excess of new tattoo parlors that have popped up across the city, Tiger Tattoo stays busy. In addition to plenty of clients, Dailey himself stops in most weeks just to check in, hang out, draw and play backgammon. But despite his OG status, most people don’t recognize him anymore. As tattooing becomes more trendy, aspiring tattooists rush to start their own businesses and skip their history homework.

“It’s a lot of young kids now that don’t even know who Walt is,” Foster says. “There’s probably 100 shops between here and Airway Heights. It’s like Starbucks now.”

But Foster’s confident that Tiger Tattoo will outlast him, Dailey and the competition. No matter what, the shop has left a permanent mark on Spokane. Mostly with needles, sometimes with pencils, and even with Q-tips. n

Humans have been filling their skin with ink for thousands of years. In 2015, archaeologists found the body of a 5,000-year-old tattooed man frozen in glacial ice.

However, what we would consider modern-day tattooing has only been around for the last century or so. And for most of that time, having tattoos was often considered taboo.

Caleb Frey, owner of On the Level Tattoo, has been a tattoo artist in Spokane for the last 30 years. In that time, he’s seen public perception of tattooing evolve drastically.

In 2012, a Harris Poll reported that 21% of American adults had a tattoo, up from 14% in 2008. Even back in 1936, a Life Magazine article claimed that roughly 1 in 10 Americans had a tattoo.

Compare that to today, when at least 32% of American adults have a tattoo, and 22% have more than one, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey. The data reveals a deeper look into who’s getting tattoos, too.

For example, more women (38%) reported having tattoos than men (27%), and gay, lesbian and bisexual folks (51%) have more tattoos than their straight counterparts (31%). Age also seems to play a part in this trend, with about 44% of people under age 50 having tattoos while only about 20% of those over 50 have them.

In the ’90s, Frey says, people with tattoos had trouble even being seated at a restaurant.

“If you were heavily tattooed and you went to a restaurant, you were always seated by the bathroom or an emergency exit,” Frey says. “You were not allowed to sit in the middle of the restaurant.”

Frey also recalls going to the doctor with a dislocated shoulder and a broken rib (and a bunch of tattoos) and subsequently being told that there was nothing wrong with him.

“[Doctors] assumed if you had tattoos you wanted drugs,” he explains. “It was like that up until about 10 years ago.”

Frey estimates that negative attitudes toward the practice only began to dissipate when, about a decade ago, an influx of younger tattooed people became more visible in such places as a doctor’s office or a restaurant.

Tattoo Issue The Tatted Trends

The tattoo industry has experienced a world of change in the last few decades

BY COLTON RASANEN

32% People in the U.S. with at least one tattoo

22% American adults with more than one tattoo

Beth Swilling, a tattoo artist for 20 years now and the owner of Mom’s Custom Tattoo & Body Piercing, thinks it goes a bit deeper than that.

“Tattooing is the most affordable way for your average person to get custom artwork,” she explains. “There’s nowhere else an artist can infuse their creativity directly into the community like they can with tattooing.”

Since tattoos have become more mainstream, many aspects in the industry have changed, too, from the types of tattoos people are getting nowadays and the way shops are run to the types of tools used in the practice.

There used to be flash racks all over shop walls, and tribal armbands were among the most popular designs. Today, Frey says, styles have shifted to simpler, trendy tattoos.

“The internet is probably dictating a lot of that because people see something online, and they think, ‘Oh, I want that,’” he says.

Swilling agrees that a lot of people are more interested in smaller tattoos, often drawing their inspiration from the internet, namely Pinterest.

“Today you’ll see more people who will dedicate an arm to a bunch of little tattoos,” she says. “I think of them almost like collectibles.”

Another noticeable industry change is how shops are operated. Instead of artists being employees of a shop, and the shop taking a cut of their sales, many places just charge artists monthly rent, usually around $1,000, Frey says. This gives artists more freedom in their schedules and allows them to tattoo as much or as little as they’d like.

Artists are even using different tools today than they did a few decades ago. In the past, artists had to make their own needles to be used with old coil machines. Now though, tattoo guns are much more sophisticated and sleek, with a handful of options for artists to choose from, including battery-powered machines.

So what’s in store for the future of tattooing? While that’s mostly unknown, Swilling thinks there may be a day when we have robots that do all the tattooing for us.

“We’ll have to see, I don’t know if that’ll happen in my lifetime,” she laughs. “I mean, robotics have to get really, really, really good to take over tattooing someday.” n

56% Women ages 18 to 29 with a tattoo

51% Americans who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual with at least one tattoo

69%

19%

39%

Adults who say their tattoo is a memorial or honor

Americans under 30 who say it’s extremely or very likely they’ll get a tattoo

Black Americans with a tattoo. Comparatively, 35% of Hispanic, 32% of white and 14% of Asian Americans have tattoos.

MEET THE COVER ARTIST

Beth Swilling, owner of Mom’s Custom Tattoo & Body Piercing in Kendall Yards, has worked in the local tattoo scene for two decades. She specializes in photorealism and illustrations and her work usually includes a plethora of botanical beauties, but she loves to take on almost any subject matter.

Pew Research Center Data

Beth Swilling applies a botanical tattoo. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

YOUNG

Apprentice to Artist

How does one start tattooing? Artist Ali Haines’ journey offers a glimpse into the industry

BY LUCY KLEBECK

Spokane artist Ali Haines loves to create cute tattoos.

“I do illustrative, kawaii or anime. Cute stuff everywhere,” she says.

Haines’ Instagram feed (@ kawaiiinks) is filled with adorable examples like Studio Ghibli’s Totoro mid-run, a glittery Snorlax Pokémon and DoodleBob from SpongeBob. One of her favorite tattoos she’s done is Pudge from Lilo & Stitch eating a peanut butter sandwich.

Haines now inks her art onto living canvases at Auralite Art Collective. She previously focused on digital drawing, painting and photography, yet never imagined becoming a tattoo artist.

“One of the reasons why I didn’t want to tattoo before was because that shit’s permanent,” she says. “If I mess up, I mess up. That’s terrifying.”

After Haines decided she didn’t want to make a living doing photography, however, a family member suggested tattooing. She dove deep into the tattoo world and found herself reimagining what once felt like a terrifying prospect as a career. In fall 2023, Haines got her Washington state tattoo license after apprenticing under Auralite Collective’s owner, Hailey Elixman.

Auralite focuses on healing and self-expression for both its artists and clients thanks to Elixman’s unique approach to tattooing. She’s also certified in integrative energy and sound healing and incorporates these alternative practices into clients’ tattoo appointments. Elixman’s work and style — botanical, fine line, blackwork, trippy line work and ornamental — inspired Haines.

The first time Haines asked to apprentice, however, Elixman turned her down.

In the tattoo industry, apprenticeships are not easy to come by. Typically, aspiring tattoo artists create portfolios of their work, either physically or digitally. Then they take these examples to tattoo shops to ask if anyone’s looking for an apprentice or willing to mentor one. Once an experienced tattooist agrees, the apprenticeship structure depends on the mentor. Most partnerships last one to two years, with the first half focusing on drawing abilities and learning tattoo terminology and techniques. The second half involves actual tattoo work on human skin.

Elixman’s apprenticeships, however, are a little different, and depend on each person’s skill level coming in.

“A lot of the time mentors will use their apprentices to do all their dirty work, go on coffee runs, clean up,” says Elixman, “They don’t teach their apprentices how to tattoo until years later to

create a ‘loyalty’ bond, as the tattoo industry is heavily gatekept.”

Elixman doesn’t believe in gatekeeping and wants to help people who are passionate about tattooing enter the industry. As such, she prefers her students to have shorter apprenticeships. Haines’ lasted only a few months once the pair reconnected about working together after Elixman’s initial rebuff.

In the beginning, Elixman’s student artists spend time drawing while she teaches topics like safety, cleanliness, linework and marketing. Mentees practice stenciling and tattooing on fake skin made of silicone before tattooing for free on willing participants.

“Because [Ali] had done extensive research and had been educating herself prior, I felt that she didn’t need her apprenticeship for long. Once I was confident in her ability to be a successful tattoo artist, I graduated her,” Elixman says.

“The transition to learning it all was like ‘Woah, this is weird and extremely different,’” Haines says. “But the longer I’ve been tattooing and the more I get used to it, it’s kinda just like a light switch.”

Now Haines has many clients who’ve sought out her signature “cute” style. She does the majority of her marketing on Instagram and Facebook, posting photos of her work or digital drawings ready to be tattooed, such as manga panels and anime characters. Clients who want something other than these flash tattoo designs can describe what they’re looking for, letting Haines come up with a design.

“I usually try to steer people into letting me draw what I want to draw and how I want to draw it, and make it so they like it, too,” Haines says.

After design approval, she prints out multiple stencils so the client can choose how large or small they want their tattoo. Haines makes sure to emphasize that once she’s put her needle to skin, there’s no taking it back.

“I used to tell people I would never [tattoo], that it’s way too much pressure for myself,” Haines says.

Yet with time and guidance, her place in the tattoo world has become permanent, too. n

Ali Haines’ kawaii tattoos. COURTESY PHOTOS

Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon Burger

Tattoo

A GuideBeginner’s to Tattoos

Local artists share how to prepare and care for your first tattoo(s) BY

SUMMER SANDSTROM

Getting a piece of art tattooed on your body is an exciting milestone, but it might seem slightly daunting if you’ve never gotten one before.

Fortunately, it’s a pretty straightforward process, according to Courtney Pasino, owner and artist at Fortunata Tattoo Studio in downtown Spokane.

“Usually your artist is pretty open with the entire process,” Pasino says. “As long as you keep good communication with your artist and you know what you want, you shouldn’t have any issues.”

Pasino recommends researching artists and studios to ensure you’re getting a tattoo in the style you want at a safe, clean and reputable tattoo shop. She says word of mouth can be a great avenue when seeking the right shop for your first piece.

Many artists post their work on social media accounts, further aiding seekers of specific tattoo styles.

“A lot of times in the past, people would just get tattooed by just anyone, whoever is available,” says Avery Willmann, a tattoo artist and owner of UndeadINK Studios in Spokane Valley. “If the person’s booked out for a while, don’t be discouraged [from] getting tattooed by them — that usually means that they’re pretty good artists.”

To prepare for your appointment, Willmann says it’s important to eat a good meal beforehand, stay hydrated and get a good night’s sleep.

“Definitely let your artists know if you’re taking any kind of medication or anything like that that could affect your healing process,” he says.

Pasino also recommends avoiding taking any blood thinners the day before an appointment, such as Ibuprofen or alcohol.

“The most likely reason for someone to pass out is if their blood sugar drops,” she says. “And if you’re really worried about it, you can

also bring some type of drink, like a sugary beverage like a soda, or just something to keep your blood sugar levels up.”

If you’re not sure exactly where you want to have a tattoo placed, Kas Haas at the Missing Piece Tattoo says many artists are happy to work with their customers to find the best spot.

“If you’re working with an artist that you’ve vetted and are comfortable with, taking suggestions from the artist as a professional is what I would lean into,” Haas says. “You can replace the stencil as many times as you need for it to be in the right spot.”

Tattoo prices vary widely depending on the size and detail of the piece, and Haas recommends asking your artist what the shop’s minimum rate is to give a rough idea of what a piece might cost.

“Once you know the minimum, you know that you’ll at least be spending that, and then the artist will gauge how much the piece that you want will be from there,” Haas says.

And if you’re looking to touch up a piece, Haas recommends talking to the artist and seeing if they offer free touch-ups or to see what their fees are.

Every artist offers slightly different tips for tattoo aftercare, but the most common recommendations are to wash it a few times a day with an unscented liquid soap, apply a very small amount of unscented lotion to the tattoo to avoid over moisturizing it, and to keep it out of the sun until it’s fully healed.

“I think that it’s just really exciting that we’re seeing over the years just such a spike in tattoos,” Haas says. “I think it’s really beautiful to see people collecting art on their bodies and getting really excited about tattoos.” n

Artist Joey Benson inks Kaitlin Loe at Fortunata Tattoo. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

Tattoo by Helena Amor of Undead INK Studios. COURTESY PHOTO

Anchored in History

Anchored Art is dedicated to high-quality tattoos and education

BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM

When Jeremy Corns started tattooing in the 1990s, it was a hard skill to learn.

“All your references were magazines, even books,” he says. “Information was really hard to find. It was still a very word-of-mouth, handeddown trade at that time.”

Despite the excess of internet searches and social media posts available today, Corns still thinks tattooing is a career worthy of time, education and hard-earned respect.

Corns and his wife are owners of Anchored Art Tattoo, a high-end tattoo parlor with locations on the east end of downtown Spokane and the South Hill. Since it first opened in 2011, the business has become a magnet for artists and clients from all over the world. The shop’s high-quality tattoos are a direct result of its artists’ deep knowledge of tattoo history and their dedication to preserving and improving the tradition carefully handed down to them.

“Tattoos are popular. Yes, they’re cool. And yes, they have a place in modern society and popular culture nowadays,” Corns says. “But you will never understand the gravity of tattooing until you do a memorial tattoo on somebody who has lost somebody that means the world to them. That’s what I mean by ‘tattooing is serious.’ You should really have respect for what you’re doing. And if you don’t, maybe you don’t have any selfrespect.”

Corns is well-groomed and poised, compassionate and controlled. He can easily discuss many luminaries from the past century of tattooing, from Charlie Cartwright, a 1960s Los Angeles artist nicknamed “Good Time Charlie” who’s considered the godfather of modern black-and-gray tattoos, to Don Ed Hardy’s years studying with Japanese masters in the ’70s, to the early 2000s which Corns considers the start of the “modern tattoo renaissance.”

Corns says he holds his shop to a global standard. He’s constantly exchanging ideas at tattoo conventions across the world, and then inviting international artists to come guest spot in Spokane. Recently, artists from Las Vegas, Spain and Poland have taken him up on his offer. Coveted apprenticeships at Anchored Art take years, because that’s how long it takes to teach some of what Corns knows. His intense drive attracts other artists who also want to dedicate their entire lives to improving their craft.

The whole point of all this is providing the best experience and tattoo for the client. Tattoos have always been deeply entwined with identity, Corns says, and that’s not something to disrespect.

“A tattoo can make or break someone’s self-

confidence,” he says. “That’s extremely important to understand when you come into tattooing. You should be focused on quality. You should be focused on trying to provide a good customer experience and take care of your client while they’re with you.”

If a tattoo parlor is focused on experience above everything else, it will always be a place for everyone, Corns says, regardless of politics, gender, class or religion. The only person he won’t work on? Someone with a bad attitude.

“Just have a good attitude, get a good tattoo, give a good tattoo, and everybody wins,” Corns says. “There’s a [tattoo artist] named Mark Mahoney who coined the phrase ‘where the elite and the underground meet.’ That is in tattoo shops.”

That means tattoo history is helpful not only for understanding the craft, but for understanding all kinds of people, places, cultures and religions. To help preserve and share that history, Anchored Art is donating to the first ever accredited tattoo museum in Long Beach, California, which was initiated by the Tattoo Heritage Project. The museum hopes to trace the history of both ancient and electric tattooing. Not only does it catalog a history previously considered taboo, but it places tattoos on the same pedestal that paintings, drawings, sculptures and other fine art have enjoyed for centuries.

By supporting the museum, Anchored Art is putting its money where its mouth is to “leave tattooing better than you found it,” as Corns says. Corns even preserves history with his own body — the black letters “GTC” are on the inside of his right hand, tattooed by Good Time Charlie himself when the godfather was 83 years old. It’s a constant reminder of the tradition Corns has been entrusted with.

“The way Charlie says it is, cavemen have been fascinated with tattoos since the first guy turned and poked somebody with a burnt stick,” Corns says.

But the artform has come a long way since then, and there’s always more to learn.

“It’s a lot more than just grabbing a tattoo machine and putting a mark on the skin,” he says. “It’s so much more than that.” n

LAWN& gArdeN

A tattoo by Anchored Art's Kyle Carpino. COURTESY PHOTO

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Valaurie and Bruno Caprez

SPIRIT OF BLOOMSDAY AWARD WINNER

Jack Warner

RACE PLANNING STAFF

Jodi Suter – Race Coordinator

Bethany Lueck – Communications and Sponsorship Coordinator

TRADE SHOW COORDINATOR / OFFICE ASSISTANT

Marie Opsahl

BLOOMSDAY OFFICE INTERNS

Tiffany Liu

Veronica Green

CITY OF SPOKANE

Danielle Norman Mayor Lisa Brown

CHECK-IN/NUMBER DISTRIBUTION

Patti Bailey

Jack Warner

Dan and Diane Blashill

Ron & Jane McDonald

Chris Drake

Shari and Larry Pasco

Shirl Pfennig

Peter Abundis

John and Kathy Watts

CORPORATE CUP GEAR BAGS AND POST-RACE PARTY

Kelly Kessinger-Houser

Kathy Dalager

Charlieʼs Produce

A-Z Rental, Chaus Fluery

VIP – Tristion Ward

DJ – Mike Molan

CMS– Dave Christiansen

Kevin Keller – Spokane Police Dept.

Nathan Mulkey – Spokane Fire Dept.

Spokane Streets Department

Spokane Development Services Center

Spokane Solid Waste

Office of Neighborhood Services

Spokane Water Department

VOLUNTEER SHIRTS

Barb Hain

Riverfront Park Department – Lori Maher, Roni Wenz

Therapeutic Connections Massage School –

Rebecca Dragseth

Michelob Ultra

King Beverage Inc

No-Li Brewing

Wendy, Autumn & Mac Wood

Liz & Scotty McIntyre

Matt Alexander

Alliant Insurance Services

Rogers Track Team

Gonzaga Prep Track Team

Gonzaga Lacrosse Club

American Onsite - Chris McKenzie

Jacobs Engineering

B&B Physical Therapy

MarshMMA

Amazon

Maple Street Bistro

Boaidi Brazilian Grill

Dry Fly Distillery

River Park Square

BIKE CORRAL

Sally Phillips

Spokane Bicycle Club

CONCIERGE/INFORMATION

Spokane Swifts

FINISH LINE ANNOUNCERS

Mark Vandine

Andrew Gardner

Dave Jackson

COMMUNICATIONS

Dan Croskrey

Amateur Radio Emergency Services

Gordon Grove

Del & Barb Winnett

FIT FOR BLOOMSDAY, FIT FOR LIFE

Tom & Nadine Jones

Darigold Fit

Riverfront Park Carousel

Wild Rose Graphics

Station 7

Specialty Music

104.9 Shine

Rockwell

All The Bufos

David Gordon

Angela Marie Project

The Glorify Band

Pamela Jean and the Boys

Summit View Swank

Basement Beats

PJAMRS: Peace and Justice

Activist Musical Rascals

Ittsʼ Cuzzen

Neema Gospel Youth Choir/ Thrive Chorus & Band

Rock Creek

CORPORATE CUP VOLUNTEER CAPTAINS AND COORDINATORS

Sarah Stanson, Alliant

MARMOT MARCH

Negative split

Danny Kiter

Franz

Greenstone Homes

Quarter Monkey

Stephens Media Group

BANNERS/SIGNS

Gordon Kannegard

JT Gasper

Lori Shauvin

Mojo Printing

ANTHEM SINGERS

Kinsley Murray

Spokane Valley Screen Printing

Neveah Wedderburn – Victoria School of the Arts (Canadian Anthem)

FINISH LINE

Dori Whitford

Jack Warner

Emilie Laakso

Tyler Geffken

Spokane Chinese Dance Team

Dutch Bros

Max Bischoff

Mobius

ON COURSE ENTERTAINMENT

Crystal Yurik

Cathedral Choir of Our Lady of Lourdes

The 8 Tracks Rewound

Rock Club

Instant Sign Factory

SECOND SEED

Herman Schreven

Steve Kramer

Spokane Distance Project

Curt Kinghorn & Linda Lanker

Avista

Shriners– Jerry Schiesche

Lucy and the Diamonds

Too Many Men

Legacy

A Boy Named Sue

or go to www.bloomsdayrun.org/results/all-finishers

WHEELCHAIR ATHLETES

ParaSport Spokane

David Greig

Teresa Skinner

Bob Murphy

all of our Amazing Volunteers

Robert Rigo

Michael Stralser

Michelle Kazuba

Brittany Croft

Yunus Butt

Darl Vanderlinden

Nancy & Jeff Starr

Karen & Bob Schmit

Tomie & John Zuchetto

Sonja Barrera

Skip Skinner

Natasha Salas

Justin & Christine Ulbright and Family

Chelsea McClammer

Shirley Carlson

Dawn Fitzgerald

Peyton Walling

Wade Worthing

LEAD VEHICLES

Keith Robertson

Chad Dezellem and crew

John & Leslie Akins

Gail & Steve Allbright

Vern Newby and crew

Chuck & Carol Hatcher

Jim & Pat Lynass

Martha Severn

Ronnie Flores

Ryan Gallagher Bank of America Center

STA Plaza

Lincoln Building

Brew Bros Espresso Mead Boys XC

WATER AID

Brian Hofstee and Bob Debolt

Transport

Life Services of Spokane

Church

Premera Blue Cross

T-SHIRT DISTRIBUTION

Ben Wick

Washington Trust Bank – Stefanie Sproule

Franz – Michael Ryan

Downtown Spokane Exchange Club

REGISTRATION PROCESSING LEADERS

Rand Palmer

Garv Brakel

Barb Hain

Dan Hughes

Mary Hughes

Jeanette Brenner

Jim Fulton

LATE REGISTRATION ASSISTANTS

Rita Davis

Flying Irish

CREDIT CARD PROCESSING –

WASHINGTON TRUST BANK

ELITE TRANSPORTATION

Dan Rediske

Spokane International Airport

Heather Le Friec

Tony Proctor

Jillian Farland

Jackie Van Allen

Jayne Mclaughlin

COURSE SUPPORT AND SECURITY

Safway Scaffolding

Central Pre-Mix Concrete – Luke Palmer

Geiger Corrections

Downtown Spokane Partnership –

Liz Hooker

Spokane Sheriffʼs Office Explorer: Deputy L. Mina

Spokane Sheriffʼs Office SCOPE volunteers

Spokane Police Department, Chief Craig Meidl, Kevin Keller

Spokane Police Explorer Post

Center

St. Lukeʼs Rehabilitation

Spokane Family Medicine

Residency Program

Whitworth Univ. Athletic Training Program

Spokane Fire Dept.

Spokane Police Dept.

AMR

NW Med Star Helicopters

Spokane Medical Reserve Corp.

CHAS

USNR

Amateur HAM Radio

Multicare

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Curtʼs Penske

King Beverage

Hoopfest

Spokane Eye Clinic

Lilac City Decorators Expo Services

Washington Auto Carriage

Jack Wiley

Mark Bloudek

Dan Rediske

Lauri Chauvin

Spokane Valley Fire Department

SOUND SYSTEMS

VIP Productions

Ryan Gallagher

START

Danny Kiter

Amanda Hargraeves

Bob Crabb

Nikki Fraizer

Zoe Fraizer

Spokane Fire Department Spokane Packaging

Rogers HS Cross Country Team

Dan Hawley

Sticka

ELITE REGISTRATION TIMING AND RESULTS

Jack Wiley

Andrew Vandine

VIRTUAL BLOOMSDAY

Rachel Bucklin

Connie Bischoff

Patti Bailey

Carrie Pettibone

Kortni Pannell

MASSAGE ROOM

Staffan Elgelid

Chadron Hazelbaker

Jan Pownell

ELITE HOSPITALITY

Valaurie and Bruno Caprez

Davidʼs Pizza

Great Harvest Bread

Eggerʼs Meats

Rent-A-Center on Sprague

Davenport Grand Hotel

Dan Schnell

Mike Bresson

Spokane Police Senior Volunteers

West Central COPS volunteers –

Sandy McIntyre

Palisades Christian Academy

Bill Hornbuckle

GREEN TEAM

Skylar Nobbs

MEDICAL AID

Bob Lutz, Medical Director

Gram McGregor, Assistant Medical Director Multicare

Kaiser Permanente Washington

Providence Holy Family Hospital

Providence Sacred Heart Medical

Kiter Andy Le Friec

Odenthal

Wild Rose Graphics

MOJO Printing

ZOME

No-Li Brewing

Central Pre-Mix

Riverpark Square

Sigma

SFCC

Spokane Indians

Yurik

Kardong, Emeritus

See You Next Year!

What Goes Around

Art Salvage Spokane’s expansive new space allows for less waste and more creativity

BY MADISON PEARSON

What you’ve heard is true: One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

That’s the premise behind Art Salvage Spokane, a nonprofit that gives unused and discarded arts and crafts materials another chance.

After founder Katie Patterson Larson moved here from Portland, she realized the Inland Northwest needed an outlet for discarded art materials, also known as creative reuse.

She started Art Salvage out of her home in 2014, collecting donations and running the business online and from a booth at the South Perry Farmers Market. But quickly, bins full of donated art supplies began piling up in her craft room. She moved the business to various storefronts as a pop-up shop until Art Salvage’s first brickand-mortar opened in 2018 on North Ash Street.

From the beginning, the space wasn’t ideal. Every corner of the shop’s main floor and basement became packed with donations almost immediately.

“We started realizing a couple of things,” Larson says. “Like accessibility. The front door wasn’t ADA accessible, there were steps up and down in several places. There were a lot of little tiny quirks about the old building that we loved, but a lot that just didn’t make it very welcoming to customers or to volunteers.”

ART SALVAGE

610 E. North Foothills Dr.

Open Tue-Sat from 10 am-5 pm artsalvagespokane.com

“Our volunteer area also doubled as our classroom,” adds Amy Mickelson, Art Salvage’s donation specialist. “So we were somewhat limited in terms of when we

could hold classes and workshops.”

In 2020, the pair began searching for a larger storefront that could accommodate the volume of donations Art Salvage was receiving at the time and its growing number of volunteers.

They had a list of requirements for a new space: It had to be centrally located, on a bus route, have ample parking, a dedicated classroom space, and an area for customers to drive up and drop off donations.

Finally, in spring 2023, Larson and Mickelson found a location that ticked all the boxes on North Foothills Drive in Spokane’s Logan neighborhood. After signing a lease in October and closing for several months of hard work readying the site, Art Salvage launched its new storefront in March, a decade after the nonprofit began.

If you can dream it, Art Salvage has it. Into fiber arts? The new space has an entire corner dedicated to yarn, ready for a crocheting or knitting project.

For those who love to scrapbook or make collages, Art Salvage has myriad maps, posters, magazines and other materials to choose from at deeply discounted prices. Or, grab some large fabric swatch bundles for just $1. Unplayable vinyl records are also $1 each, and bulk containers of various bits and bobs like seashells go for $4.

There’s even a section for vintage goods like stamps and bottles.

Nearly every corner of Art Salvage is stocked with art supplies, tools, frames, containers and office supplies. And the selection is only growing thanks to the community and the dedicated team of volunteers who manage donations.

Half of Art Salvage’s new space is used solely for sorting and pricing all those donations coming through the doors. One of the biggest benefits of its new building is a roll-up garage, perfect for customers bringing trunkloads of donations.

“Just because we’re in a bigger space doesn’t mean we can take everything immediately,” Larson says, however. “We have to be able to do that safely and consider the humans that are involved in the process.”

Art Salvage has four staff members and about 30 regularly scheduled volunteers who sort through donations weekly.

Volunteer specialist Chad Shoyotovich has been with the nonprofit for two and a half years. He says the upgraded space is not only a plus for the Art Salvage staff, but makes the shopping experience inspiring.

“Everything is streamlined for volunteers,” he says. “There’s no more going down into the basement to replenish supplies. It’s all just around the corner now. And we have everything displayed so beautifully that it’s hard not to be inspired to create here. I can see that can-do spirit in our clientele.”

Though they’re still settling into their new digs, staff are also excited to begin expanding Art Salvage’s programs. The nonprofit regularly holds reuse workshops during which volunteers teach kids how to make crafts with all the miscellaneous supplies it curates.

These events were held off-site for several months while transitioning to the new building, but donation specialist Mickelson is looking forward to hosting events in-house again, and possibly even an artist-in-residence program in the future.

“This new space also gives us more opportunities to collaborate with other local organizations that have similar missions,” Larson says.

At the heart of it all, however, is Art Salvage’s core mission of reducing waste in the community.

“What we take in is just the tip of the iceberg,” Larson says about the creative reuse economy in Spokane. “There’s so much stuff out there and if we’re turning people away, that is so much stuff that could be used that’s just going into the garbage. That means our community is dealing with that waste and the effects of that waste.”

She says that over the years, Art Salvage has grown into what the community needs it to be.

“Our three main things are keeping things out of the landfill, donating them and making them accessible for reuse,” she says. “People just keep asking for more and more, so I think we’re doing good by our community.” n

SUNDAY, MAY 12TH

Art Salvage finds a new home for all kinds of unwanted art supplies, keeping them out of the waste stream.

THE BUZZ BIN

INDIGENOUS IMPROVISATION

After growing up on the Nez Perce Tribe reservation in Kamiah, Idaho, and in Spokane, jazz singer Julia Keefe has found her way to some big stages. To spotlight her roots, she formed the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band — one of the only jazz big bands on the planet entirely composed of Native musicians. The outfit blends free-flowing jazz with the Indigenous songs and rhythms to stand out from the pack. They’re now set for maybe their highest profile gig, playing on Saturday, May 11, at Washington, D.C.’s famed Kennedy Center as part of the female-focused Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival. At least for a night, it’ll be the SpoKennedy Center. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

ART MACHINE

You’ve heard of little free libraries and you’ve seen little free art galleries around town, but it’s likely you’ve not seen a little art vending machine! Local artist Nicole Hague (@nicolehague.ink on Instagram) runs a sticker and tattoo-style vending machine full of original art. Until recently, the machine lived in her kitchen and traveled with her to local art markets, but now, for just four quarters, you can go to From Here in River Park Square and get a surprise handmade print. The machine will stay at From Here for several months, and Hague says she plans to rotate the 12 linocut prints inside (all $1 each) throughout the year, so check back every so often. You never know what you’ll get! (MADISON PEARSON)

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST

Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online on May 10.

ORVILLE PECK, STAMPEDE VOL. 1

The queer masked country crooner rounded up quite the posse for his new duets album: Willie Nelson, Elton John, Allison Russell, Nathaniel Rateliff and more.

ANDRA DAY, CASSANDRA

Day may be best known for winning a Golden Globe for portraying the titular legend in The United States vs. Billie Holliday, but she continues to carve out her own soulful singing career on her third LP.

HOT WATER MUSIC, VOWS

The top-tier post-hardcore band celebrates its 30th anniversary with another collection of incredibly melodic rock tunes that pack a serious punch. (SETH SOMMERFELD)

SUNDAY, MAY 12TH

Old Tıme Fav�ite�

208-684-5952 • 15825 N Westwood Dr, Rathdrum Mon-Sat 9am-5pm Sun 10am-4pm

(Through May 17th) Lilacs

Peonis

Roses

Iris

Clematis

Lillies

The World’s First Green Exposition

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

An ecology theme took Spokane leaders out of their comfort zone, but environmentalists like David Brower approved

BY BILL YOUNGS

One of the great accomplishments of Spokane’s Expo ’74 is that it was the first world’s fair to be held with an environmental theme. But living up to that theme was one of its greatest challenges. Here are some of the criticisms the fair-promoters encountered:

The leaders were downtown business owners who had never shown any interest in environmentalism. Some did not even know the definition of the word “ecology.” One mistakenly called the Sierra Club the Sahara Club!

These businessmen stood to see the value of their real estate increase by

Expo visitors found new insights about the impact consumption has on the planet.

at least 30 percent with the urban renewal that would come with the fair.

Expo would contribute to air pollution in Spokane because of increased traffic from the fair.

Seeking legitimacy, backers were faced with the challenge of describing the environmental theme with a phrase that was neither too dire nor too bland. What about “World Survival Exposition,” an early contender? It was deemed too apocalyptic. What about something more upbeat? In Washington, D.C., this title was proposed: “How Man Can Live, Work and Play In Harmony With His Environment.” In an interview years later, Tom Foley characterized that one as “a little airy.” He said it was like “hopping and skipping through the tulips and by the fountains.” Finally, Expo ’74 arrived with a less breezy, but equally upbeat slogan, “Celebrating Tomorrow’s Fresh New Environment.”

Fortunately, evidence for the environmental ingenuity of Expo 74 is abundant. On the grand scale, one need only look at the way Expo made possible the replacing of a cluttered urban core with a fine park and a magnificent riverscape. In its many details, the fair also lived up to its environmental billing. A series of seminars explored ecological issues; pavilions mounted displays about their nation’s environmental challenges; the Imax film in the U.S. Pavilion proclaimed, “The earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the earth.” Calvin Trillin, reporting for the New Yorker, was impressed by the number of confessions of environmental guilt featured at the pavilions: Expo ’74 had introduced to the world, he wrote, “the institutionalized mea culpa.”

Shortly before opening day, David Brower, known as the “archdruid” of environmentalism, came to visit Spokane, and he liked what he saw. He gave Expo ’74 a strong endorsement, saying “it was an actual classic textbook case of a community trying to change the environment.”

Bill Youngs is an EWU history professor and author of the definitive history of Expo ’74, The Fair and the Falls — now out in an updated 2024 edition.

A Legacy Saved

Walk through Riverfront Park today, and the built environment you see is relatively new, constructed either for or since Expo ’74. The exposition brought us the US Pavilion, the Opera House and the footbridges over Spokane Falls. The notable exception to this modernity is also one of the most arresting features of the park — the Great Northern Clock Tower, built more than a century ago.

Before the fair, the tower was attached to the Great Northern Station; across the river the Union Pacific had its own terminal. Both were to be torn down to make way for Expo. Friends of the stations launched a campaign

called Save Our Stations (SOS) in hopes of preserving these buildings. Some Spokanites, favoring the removal of the stations, launched a campaign belittling SOS, by advocating the preservation of a river-polluting industrial laundry in the middle of the falls. The issue went to the citizens, who voted by a 3-to-1 ratio against preserving the stations.

The fair-builders gave SOS a consolation prize, however, after determining that the tower could stand even if the station was removed. As a result we still have the clock tower, a lovely reminder of the city’s railroad past. (BILL YOUNGS)

Future mayor and Expo employee Jack Geraghty; the Clock Tower counted down the days until the fair opened. MAC PHOTO

(Almost) Everyone Loves the Garbage Goat

It was one of the most iconic features on the fairgrounds of Expo ’74, and today it’s revered as one of the most iconic features of Riverfront Park. It deserves its place in our collective hearts. Expo ’74 was the environmental world’s fair, and at its most basic level the goat fulfills that promise.

Today we know there is more to environmental responsibility than picking up trash. Would that a cosmic environmental goat could suck pollutants out of the atmosphere! But recalling the slogan “Think Globally, Act Locally,” we should

JOIN CLUB ’74!

appreciate the goat that has, for 50 years, done its part for a cleaner environment.

So who would not admire the Garbage Goat? Goat lovers!

Protest letters came to Expo headquarters, including one from a youngster in Spokane who wrote in defense of her goat named Jenny: “I think the goat at Expo is dumb because people with goats know goats don’t eat garbage. I am seven years old, and even I know that.”

So in fairness to all the “Jennies” in the world, let it be noted that our Garbage Goat is not a real goat! (BILL YOUNGS)

EXPO 50 EVENTS

IT HAPPENED HERE: EXPO ’74 FIFTY YEARS AFTER

Through Jan. 26, 2025 | NW Museum of Arts & Culture

SIGNATURE EVENT: The MAC is curating a major Expohibition, titled “It Happened Here: Expo ’74 Fifty Years After,” which aims to revisit the historical roots of Expo ’74 by incorporating recognizable elements from the fair’s built environment through artifacts and archival materials.

MASTERWORKS

9: EXPO ’74

May 11-12 | Spokane Symphony | Fox Theater

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Expo ’74 with music played that season, featuring Shostakovich, Mozart, Riccardo Drigo and Tchaikovsky. James Lowe, conductor; Dawn Wolski, soprano. Saturday doors at 6 pm; show at 7:30. Sunday doors at 1:30 pm; show at 3. (509) 624-1200

EXPO ’74 HISTORIC WALKING TOURS

Step back in time on a captivating two-hour walking tour of Riverfront Park. Discover the historical significance of Expo ’74 and its pivotal role in transforming into the cherished Riverfront Park. Guided by renowned local historian Chet Caskey. Tours depart from the Visit Spokane Visitor Information Center in Riverfront Park on Saturdays May 11 and 25 and June 1, 8, 15 and 22 at 10 am.

ASIAN NATIVE HAWAIIAN

PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE FESTIVAL

May 10-12 | Riverfront Park | 10 am-8 pm

By supporting the free programs throughout the Expo 50 celebration, your membership gives you access to exclusive benefits through July 4, including a commemorative coin and discounts at popular spots like Riverfront Spokane, The MAC and other local shops, restaurants and bars. Also check out Corporate Club ’74. One donation gets 25 individual memberships for your company, each with all the same discounts — and access to a special bonus event! Scan either QR code to learn more about the benefits. Join the celebration today!

MARKING 50 YEARS Every week in the Inlander through the end of June, look for these Expo 50 pages, where Bill Youngs will guide you through the improbable story of the 1974 World’s Fair.

THANK YOU TO OUR SIGNATURE SPONSORS!

Featuring live performances, 70+ vendors, demonstrations and delicious cuisine. With activities for the whole family including a luau, fire dancers, kids’ craft stations and petting zoo. May 10, 4-7:30 pm (Vietnamese Heritage Day); May 11, 10 am-8 pm (luau starts at 5 pm, with Fire Knife Show at 7 pm); May 12, 11 am-4 pm. spokaneunitedwestand.org

SUMMER PARKWAYS KIDICAL MASS

May 12 | Centennial Trail | 11 am-1 pm

Kidical Mass is a kid- and family-friendly, adult-supervised bike ride. As part of Expo 50, Summer Parkways invites you to come on a safe, fun bike ride on streets and bike paths. Kids and families will ride a scenic 3-mile route in residential neighborhoods, along the Spokane River, Centennial Trail, and starting and finishing in Kendall Yards at The Nest. Bring kids, bikes, trikes, trailers and anything that rolls. Helmets required! facebook.com/summerparkways

For the full schedule of Expo 50th events, head to Expo50Spokane.com

MAC PHOTO

Hungry on Main

Downtown Spokane’s Main Market is at risk of closing, increasing food insecurity in the city’s lowest income ZIP code

BY ELIZA BILLINGHAM

This city loves its stickers. Peep a water bottle or guitar case and you’re bound to see the Garbage Goat, Ribby the Redband Trout or “Spokane doesn’t suck.” If you’re really paying attention, you might see a rare decoration: “I own a grocery store with my friends.”

In Spokane, some people do own a grocery store with their friends. You can own it with them if you want.

Main Market Co-op is Spokane’s only independent, nonprofit grocery cooperative, owned by community members and committed to feeding and supporting people in downtown Spokane and beyond. This uncommon business model positions Main Market to be especially effective in fighting food insecurity, supporting local farmers and reinvesting into the local economy.

But it also makes the tiny grocer more vulnerable to economic shocks. With fewer people downtown, the end

of COVID loans, and dwindling support from the community, Main Market might have to close by the end of the year. If the grocer shuts down, the poorest ZIP code in Spokane, 99201, is at risk of becoming a food desert.

“I think what’s missing is that connection to Spokane, that this is their co-op,” says Courtney Shirk, Main Market’s outreach manager. “Everyone can come here. There’s a price point for every income level. And the food is good — it’s healthy, it’s local. It’s not paying into the Krogers and Vons that are going to merge and monopolize. We’re very small and independent, but we have a big heart for the community. That’s the focus.”

Main Market is on the corner of the busy intersection of Main Avenue and Browne Street, just a block north of the Spokane Convention Center. Before the pandemic, there was plenty of foot

Before the pandemic, Main Market’s lunch counter was often bustling. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS

Main Market’s Courtney Shirk, left, and Shanon Davis.

traffic on downtown’s east end thanks to conference attendees. Out-of-towners and downtown workers would line up at Main Market’s deli counter and make up a sizable lunch crowd.

During the pandemic when travel, commuting and dining out froze — and people became more nervous to grocery shop in person — federal Paycheck Protection Program loans kept the grocer afloat. But now those loans have been spent and, like in many cities, they say downtown foot traffic remains below pre-pandemic levels. Visit Spokane expects convention attendance to be back in full force by 2025, but that’s not soon enough for the market.

“It’s just far off enough,” Shirk says.

Moving locations doesn’t make sense financially or socially. Main Market’s mission is to be an oasis in an area where about half the population is under the federal poverty line. Even though the store stocks some high-end products, it’s not a luxury grocer. The influx of dollars from high-income shoppers allows it to forfeit profits in other areas in order to feed lowincome neighbors.

For example, Main Market just dropped the price of all Field Day products, its in-house brand of staples, by 40%. After this price drop, the store won’t make any money on the brand. That’s more than 230 everyday items — things like pasta, frozen food and canned goods — that the consumer is getting at wholesale price. These products also happen to all be organic.

“The focus on dropping those prices is to serve our neighbors,” says Shanon Davis, Main Market’s general manager. “To get people in the door who do think that we’re expensive to see that we’re not.”

Main Market partners with over 100 local farms and vendors, featuring fresh produce and promoting nutritionally dense foods. It participates in the SNAP produce match program, usually found at farmers markets, which essentially doubles the amount of fresh or frozen produce EBT users can buy for the same price. It also serves $5 community dinners on Thursday nights to anyone who wants a cheap, healthy meal without the cleanup.

“That’s a part of serving the community,” Shirk says. “We don’t make money on that. But

it’s a way we can be there for the people in the area that need us.”

Aco-op model also allows community members to influence decision making and reinvest in their immediate economy. The Moscow Food Co-op is based on a similar model and is well-supported by residents of the Palouse. Shirk and Davis at Main Market are trying to figure out how to get Spokanites to feel the same sense of ownership and enthusiasm.

Anyone can become a member-owner of Main Market. For a one-time fee of $180 or an annual $10 fee paid until that $180 is reached, anyone can join. Member-owners get voting rights, special discounts, bulk order perks and eligibility for a year-end patronage refund at the end of the year, at the board’s discretion if the market’s profitable. Most years, Main Market hasn’t been profitable, and its board focuses on reinvesting into the store instead.

“No one really owns us,” Davis says. “We’re owned by the membership, and we’re owned by the community.”

Each month, Main Market’s “Round Up” program supports a different local charity that reinvests directly into Spokane. Previously when customers rounded up to the nearest dollar at the register, those extra cents went to organizations like Maddie’s Place, Odyssey Youth Movement, Spokane Humane Society or the Lands Council.

This May, Main Market is partnering with Rick Clark and Giving Back Spokane to help raise money for Second Harvest’s Bite2Go program, which provides free meals each summer to students who’d typically rely on school lunches. It’s another way the market is trying to prove its commitment to every member of the community. But it’s unclear if they’ll get that kind of commitment back.

“I believe in the co-op model and just the tagline of ‘I own a grocery store with my friends,’” says Davis. “I don’t think that’s something that any other grocery store can say.”

“It’d be so wonderful if our community was able to rally and understand how necessary a co-op is,” adds Shirk, “so that we can continue to give back to the community and give more to the community.”

DRINK LOCAL

Main Market’s Field Day product prices just dropped 40% percent.

Garfield and Spider-Friends

Examining why the Amazing Spider-Man movies don’t work as they return to theaters

BY JASON BAXTER

Let’s talk about Garfield. No, not the ravenous orange tabby who is returning to the screens this month via CGI wizardry. Rather, let’s dig into British actor Andrew Garfield and his brief — and mostly unmemorable — turn as Marvel Comics hero Spider-Man.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 are returning to theaters again as part of an ongoing rerelease of all the modern live action SpiderMan movies.

Following Sam Raimi’s superhero-genre revivifying Spider-Man films starring Tobey Maguire and before the Tom Holland-led Marvel Cinematic Universe features, the Marc Webb-directed Amazing Spider-Man films are the misbegotten middle child when it comes to the exploits of the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler. They are the clear nadir for the franchise.

Sure, they had a tough act to follow, as Raimi’s initial Spider-Man trilogy was a milestone of the superhero genre (and say what you will about the third movie, but it’s not that bad). And the subsequent Spider-Man films of the MCU were huge successes, even if they fundamentally don’t understand the character’s primary appeal (i.e., he should be a down-on-his-luck loser with a heart of gold, not a billionaire’s protege with a bottomless wealth of gadgetry).

It’s easy to blame Sony for the woes of the Garfield Spideys, especially considering how thoroughly they’ve botched their Spider-Man-without-Spider-Man films focusing on the hero’s rogues gallery: Morbius, Madame Web, etc. But Sony did strike gold with the Oscar-winning Into the Spider-Verse and its Oscar-nominated sequel Across the Spider-Verse. And, frankly? The original Venom rocks. So what went wrong with the Garfield movies? First, some necessary context. The Spider-Man movie rights are a bit of a tangled web (sorry, couldn’t help it). His tortuous journey to screen included an aborted adaption by infamous schlock-house Cannon Films and a weirdly horny pitch from none other than James Cameron before the property finally wound up

in the hands of Sony (an entire article could be written about the ways in which Marvel Comics mainstay Stan Lee was criminally casual with respect to the intellectual property he co-owned and how he tried to make it in Hollywood; there’s a reason why Marvel Comics was literally bankrupt in 1996). After years of lawyering, the wise decision was made to hire Raimi, and the rest is history.

Sort of

Part of the Spider-Man rights deal required that Sony produce a new Spider-Man or Spider-Man-adjacent film every five years and nine months. Ergo the peaks and valleys of the franchise up until Sony made a bargain in 2015 with a then-ascendant Marvel Studios to license out Spider-Man for the MCU (in a pact that is even more complicated to parse).

On the surface, the Garfield reboot looked promising. He made an appearance in Hall H at the San Diego Comicon, pretending to be a fan and dressed in a thrift store Spidey costume, before unmasking himself and endearingly expressing his love for his “favorite” fictional character.

But the issues with The Amazing Spider-Man became clear through an unlikely source — North Korea’s hack of internal Sony Pictures. Emails painted a picture of the malady that was to come. Executives cited “rising trends” among Millennials including EDM music, Snapchat and extreme workout routines as characteristics that should be grafted onto Spider-Man. These stabs at of-the-moment relevance are antithetical to the whole concept of Peter Parker.

Hence, The Amazing Spider-Man begins by introducing us to a nearly 6-feet tall Peter who skateboards and is conventionally attractive. The core premise that he is an uncool nerd who would be bullied in high school doesn’t pass muster for one second. While Maguire was fittingly a bumbling dope, Garfield was a sexy badass. That’s not Peter Parker.

Another big issue with these films is lore. Looking

to find any avenue to differentiate the new chapters from the Raimi trilogy, the screenwriters decided to go all-in on the history of Peter’s biological parents (they were spies, which weirdly is Marvel Comics canon).

To the films’ credit, Garfield’s chemistry with Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy is palpable, and the films do right by spotlighting the superhero’s chatterbox bantering quality. But those two scarce positives hardly justify anyone stanning for this two-and-done franchise.

The material is sadly beneath an actor of Garfield’s caliber. He excels at the aforementioned and obligatory quips, and shines when he’s playing up the arachnid body-horror aspects of Peter’s transformation. But… that’s about it.

The wasted potential of Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man films is really driven home in 2021’s SpiderMan: No Way Home (also back in theaters June 3-6). Due to mulitverse machinations, Garfield’s Spider-Man enters Holland’s MCU. In this new setting, he’s given the opportunity to play a very different version of Peter, one who has been hardened by loss upon devastating loss (spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man 2). Despite the hardened edge, Garifeld’s ineffable charm absolutely sings in his scenes opposite Maguire, and his big hero moment of moving retribution at the climax is both a callback to the reprehensible The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and a tidy full circle for his character.

If you’re big on Garfield’s endearing charisma, midaughts fashion (Emma Stone’s wardrobe in these movies is a felony), or plots where scientists want to turn everyone into lizards and “goblin disease” is a real thing, The Amazing Spider-Man films’ webs have been woven for thee. If not, it’s healthy to remember that Spider-Man is a fundamentally flawed hero… and sometimes his movies are too. n

The Amazing Spider-Man returns to theaters May 6-10. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 returns to theaters May 13-16.

ESSAY

Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man movies are bad, but it’s not his fault...

NOT ANOTHER CHURCH MOVIE

This parody film spoofs Black church films and Tyler Perry movies with a cast that includes Jamie Foxx, Kevin Daniels, Vivica A. Fox and Mickey Rourke. Rated R

Better Off Dead

Infested and The Last Stop in Yuma County showcase the next generation of Evil Dead filmmakers

BY JOSH BELL

Sam Raimi has a long history of supporting up-and-coming horror filmmakers, so it’s no surprise that he’s tapped two relatively inexperienced directors — Sébastien Vaniček and Francis Galluppi — to helm the next two films in his iconic Evil Dead franchise. Curious Evil Dead fans can now check out both filmmakers’ debut features, as both just arrived within a couple of weeks of each other.

Vaniček’s Infested has the more obvious Evil Dead connection, with a setup that’s similar to 2023’s Evil Dead Rise. Like Evil Dead Rise, Infested takes place almost entirely within a single rundown apartment building, where the residents must face off against a relentless, deadly enemy. Rather than Evil Dead’s Deadites, though, their enemy is a horde of venomous spiders, who have the ability to both reproduce incredibly quickly and grow massive.

practical effects and CGI) to deliver maximum visceral terror for both the characters and the audience.

There isn’t much visceral terror in Galluppi’s The Last Stop in Yuma County, a suspenseful, twisty crime thriller that’s also set primarily in a single location. It’s nearly as assured a feature debut as Infested, demonstrating the kind of sardonic humor that Raimi infused into his first three Evil Dead movies. Indie film mainstay Jim Cummings plays the nameless protagonist, a shifty traveling knife salesman who finds himself stuck at an isolated outpost in the middle of the Arizona desert when his car runs low on gas.

INFESTED

Directed by Sébastien Vaniček

Starring Théo Christine, Sofia Lesaffre, Jérôme Niel

Vaniček and co-writer Florent Bernard keep up the brutal intensity from the opening moments until the end, with only a brief lull when exotic animal aficionado Kaleb (Théo Christine) first buys a mysterious imported spider from the back of a bodega in his Paris suburb. It doesn’t take long for that spider to escape its makeshift shoebox enclosure and infiltrate the vents in Kaleb’s building, where it multiplies exponentially and turns Kaleb’s fellow tenants into its prey.

Streaming on Shudder & AMC+

While waiting for a late fuel truck to arrive and replenish the supplies at the only gas station for 100 miles, the salesman passes time at the adjacent diner, staffed by lone waitress/cook Charlotte (Jocelin Donahue). Soon the diner fills with other customers in the same situation, including a pair of impatient bank robbers (Richard Brake and Nicholas Logan).

THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY

Rated R

Writer-director Galluppi builds tension by keeping some diner patrons in the dark about what’s really going on, while periodically cutting to the mundane activities of the oblivious local sheriff (Michael Abbott Jr.), who’s also Charlotte’s husband.

Directed by Francis Galluppi

After the first victim dies, the cops show up to haul the body away and institute a quarantine for what they believe may be an infectious disease, trapping the residents inside the building. Vaniček establishes basic but meaningful character relationships and delivers some blunt but relevant social commentary without ever taking the focus off the most important thing in the movie — people being attacked by gruesome giant spiders.

Starring Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donahue, Richard Brake

Available on VOD

Infested features some of the most skin-crawling, anxiety-inducing scenes in any recent horror movie, executed with impressive skill for a feature debut. The layout of the building is always clear, and the threat keeps escalating, further constraining the characters physically and increasing their sense of panic and fear. Vaniček knows just how much to show his spiders (a mix of real arachnids,

It takes a little too long before that tension explodes into violence, and The Last Stop in Yuma County owes as much to Quentin Tarantino as it does to Raimi, often resembling an extended version of the restaurant holdup sequence in Pulp Fiction. The final act is often thrilling, but Galluppi isn’t as clever as Tarantino, and most of the characters are stock types rather than well-rounded people. Brake makes for a suitably threatening villain, and Donahue brings some humanity to her weary shift worker. The salesman remains enigmatic, which allows for a haunting final shot, but makes it tougher to care about his ultimate fate.

More so than Infested, though, The Last Stop in Yuma County feels like a simple proof of concept rather than a fully realized film. Still, both movies are successful Evil Dead auditions, indicating that the future of one of horror’s most beloved franchises is in good hands. n

The desert is dangerous in ...Yuma County.

CONCERTS

Sounds Like Summer

A look at the biggest summer concerts swinging through the Inland Northwest in 2024

BY SETH SOMMERFELD

The calendar flipping to May means that summer is right around the corner. And for music fans, that means it’s time to start putting together your own summer concert calendar. In case you haven’t been keeping tabs on the shows that have been announced in recent months, we’re here to help with an info dump overview of the local summer concert season.

The hub of the Spokane area’s summer outdoor concert scene has become BECU Live at Northern Quest Resort & Casino, which Inlander readers have voted Best Live Music Venue in back-to-back years. And 2024 features the most robust lineup in Northern Quest history, with a whopping 24 concerts announced so far, mixing musical legends, modern superstars and a lot in between.

Classic rock lovers should come out in droves for Elvis Costello & the Imposters and Daryl Hall (June 4), Slash (July 6), Bachman-Turner Overdrive (July 24, 50 years after their Expo ’74 gig), Sammy Hagar (Aug. 13), Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo (Aug. 16) and Steve Miller Band (Sept. 23).

Country fans get treated to Kane Brown (Aug. 15), Needtobreathe (May 12), Riley Green (May 16), Jordan Davis (June 22) and Midland (Aug. 24). Those looking for a hit of ’90s nostalgia can check out Boyz II Men (May 15), Third Eye Blind (June 8), Bush (July 27)

and The Smashing Pumpkins (Sept. 24).

More modern rock flair comes via the likes of Cage the Elephant (June 30), Falling in Reverse (Aug. 21), KALEO (Aug. 28), Five Finger Death Punch (Aug. 29), Ice Nine Kills and In This Moment (Aug. 30). There are even a few outliers like pop vocalist Donny Osmond (Aug. 11), Lindsey Stirling’s electric violin genre-mashing (Aug. 31), the a cappella of Pentatonix (Sept. 11) and reggae funk from Michael Franti & Spearhead (Aug. 17).

Spokane Pavilion is also ready to rock this summer. Quite literally. Apart from the summer-opening concert by country singer Megan Moroney (July 12), everything else is various flavors of dudes rockin’: Primus and Coheed and Cambria (July 20), The Decemberists (July 27), Ween (Aug. 4), John Fogerty (Aug. 16), and a triple co-headlining bill of Switchfoot, Blue October and Matt Nathanson (Sept. 6).

North Idaho’s prized Festival at Sandpoint boasts one of its best lineups in years: Blues Traveler (July 25), Violent Femmes (July 26), Trombone Shorty and Big Boi (July 27), Maren Morris (July 31), Lee Brice (Aug. 1), Jason Mraz (Aug. 2), Colbie Caillat & Gavin DeGraw (Aug. 3) and a closing performance featuring the

Sandpoint Orchestra playing along with How to Train Your Dragon (Aug. 4).

There’s never a bad reason to take a roadtrip to visit the world-class gem that is the Gorge Amphitheater, but this year’s slate at the Central Washington standby is top-tier. For the EDM fans things kick off with Illenium’s Memorial Day Weekend residency (May 25-26), followed by the Beyond Wonderland festival (June 22-23), a three-night stand by Washington’s own Odesza (July 4-6) and the Bass Canyon fest (Aug. 16-18).

The country crowd gets the annual Watershed Festival (Aug 2-4), plus Tyler Childers (Aug. 23). Folkpop star Noah Kahan hopefully won’t have a smokey repeat of his last PNW visit when he plays the Gorge on June 29. And then there’s a vast array of rock sounds to get Gorge-goers on their feet: Red Hot Chili Peppers (May 31), Blink-182 (July 14), Neil Young & Crazy Horse (July 26), Outlaw Music Festival (Aug. 10), Dave Matthews Band (Aug. 30-Sept. 1), Hozier (Sept. 6), Glass Animals (Sept. 7), King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (Sept. 14) and Imagine Dragons (Sept. 28).

Seeing concerts at the Spokane County Interstate Fair comes with the bonus of fair admission being included with the ticket. For this year’s grandstand concerts, they’ve lassoed country standouts Clay Walker (Sept. 10) and Ian Munsick (Sept. 11), plus hip-hop hitmaker Flo Rida (Sept. 12).

In terms of one-off outdoor shows, it’s hard to top ONE Spokane Stadium’s first concert: The Outlaw Music Festival brings Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp to town on Aug. 9.

The Spokane Symphony escapes the Fox for three outdoor gigs: swinging by Arbor Crest Wine Cellars on June 5, trekking out to Liberty Lake Pavillion Park on Aug. 31 and then wrapping up with the annual Labor Day concert at Comstock Park on Sept. 2.

Amon Amarth at BECU Live last summer. For 2024, Northern Quest has 24 shows on tap. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS

Lest we forget, there’s plenty of outdoor music (and food) served up at another end-of-summer Spokane staple: Pig Out in the Park returns Aug. 28-Sept. 2. And watch your favorite neighborhood venues, too: Cannonball in Coeur d’Alene Park in Browne’s Addition; Pavillion Park in Liberty Lake; and Riverstone and Kendall Yards both have live music, as does Rocket Market and Brick West Brewing, to name a few.

While folks are naturally drawn to outdoor concerts as the weather warms, there are still plenty of great indoor offerings in the area as well. The Knitting Factory has tons of diverse offerings including The Wallflowers (June 1), Shakey Graves (Aug. 10), country from Aaron Watson (July 27), Wheeler Walker Jr. (July 10) and Treaty Oak Revival (Aug. 15), hard rock like Northlane (June 23) and King Buzzo (Aug. 11), K.Flay’s hip-hop (Aug. 19), indie rock from STRFKR (July 25), Built to Spill (Aug. 16), Alvvays (Aug. 21) and Alex G (Aug. 17) and emo via Taking Back Sunday (June 6).

The Knit’s smaller companion venue The District Bar is no slouch either, featuring snarling fem rockers Thelma and the Sleaze (June 11) and GRLwood (June 13), folky Northwest acts like Margo Cilker (July 12) and Blitzen Trapper (July 13), Niger desert blues from Etran De L’Aïr (July 24) and much more.

In the realm of larger theaters, First Interstate Center for the Arts’ lone summer concert (so far) brings Dwight Yoakam to the stage on July 19. The Fox Theater’s calendar is also at one (for now) with Lyle Lovett and His Large Band (July 15) being the only non-covers act on the slate.

The Bing Crosby Theater has mainly become an outpost for cover bands, but there are a few original offerings including guitar wizard Buckethead (June 4), singer-songwriters Mat Kearney (June 17) and Judy Collins (July 23), and anime big band jazz via Cowboy Bebop LIVE (June 22).

For the all-ages indoor kids, The Big Dipper has its usually loaded slate of metal and hardcore shows — The Accüsed A.D. (June 8), The HIRS Collective (June 11), Cryptopsy (June 12), Artillery (June 17) — but also mixes in nerdy rap via MC Chris (Aug. 9), reggae from Nattali Rize (July 26) and even the puppet punk act Green Jellÿ (July 31).

The Chameleon hardly has its full summer show calendar fleshed out at this point, but concerts on the radar include Vampa’s dark EDM (June 14), hip-hop from Myke Bogan (June 10), chill bro reggae via Kyle Smith (June 25) and album release shows for local acts like Jason Perry (May 31), Nothing Shameful (June 1) and Quarter Monkey (June 7).

Speaking of venues debuting their first summer slates, Spokane Tribe Casino’s new Spokane Live space boasts an eclectic array of shows including Smash Mouth (June 8), Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil (July 15), WAR (July 19), Spin Doctors (July 27), the local Green Day cover aces of Not.Greenday (June 14), country from Larry Fleet (July 20) and Red Clay Strays (July 24) and more.

For those who want to start the summer with some Moscow moshing, Punk Palouse Fest gets rumbling over Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-25). And while the Spokane Arena is shuttering for the summer for renovations, University of Idaho’s ICCU Arena will host its Summer Country Throwdown fest with headliners Clint Black and Yung Gravy on Aug. 23 and 24.

Regardless of what sonic waves you feel like riding this summer, the Inland Northwest’s offerings should have something that hits your sweet spot. n

The Pavilion has become a go-to spot for Spokane summer shows.

ROCK ZACH PERSON

Thursday, 5/9

J ADELO’S PIZZA, PASTA & PINTS, Brassless Chaps

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Justyn Priest Band

J THE CHAMELEON, Snacks At Midnight, Timeworn, Tristan Pierce

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Thursday Night Jam

CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds

J J KNITTING FACTORY, INZO

J MCCRACKEN’S PUB AND BBQ, Deb the Wolf

J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin RED ROOM LOUNGE, Hip-Hop Night

J J WEST CENTRAL ABBEY, Laura Gibson ZOLA, The Rub, Mason Van Stone (EP Release)

Friday,

5/10

AK ASIAN RESTAURANT, Pamela Jean

J THE BIG DIPPER, False Visions, My Own Affliction, A Day On Earth, Cynical Suffering

J BING CROSBY THEATER, Firehouse Sessions

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Chilco

J THE CHAMELEON, Rainier Clothing Release Party: Blake Braley, Grieves, Spirit Mother, Oblé Reed, Linda From Work, Land & Ammo

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Steve Livingston, Triple Shot

CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Max Malone

J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire

While guitar-forward rock music is far from the dominant pop cultural force it was for much of the latter half of the 20th century, there’s still room for folks who can absolutely shred. Zach Person is one of those shredders. The singer-songwriter’s fretboard prowess has earned him shoutouts in Guitar World, and guitar titan Gibson even tapped him to be one of its spotlight artists for 2024. You can see what the hype is about when listening to Person’s new album, Let’s Get Loud, which fully shows off his soulful simmering voice and rootsy blues rock chops. Get a dose of Person’s hot licks when he descends to the Chameleon’s newly opened downstairs Jaguar Room space to melt some faces.

— SETH SOMMERFELD Zach Person • Sat, May 11 at 8 pm

$15 • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com

PARTY RAINIER X GREAT PNW CLOTHING RELEASE

HELIX WINES, Robert Vaughn

IOLITE LOUNGE, Jayden Cornett

IRON HORSE (CDA), Rewind

J KNITTING FACTORY, Static-X, Sevendust, Dope, Lines of Loyalty MOOSE LOUNGE, Devon Wade Band

NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), DJ Crooze

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Ron Kieper Trio

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Just Plain Darin TRAILS END BREWERY, Pat Simmons

ZOLA, Homebrew String Band

ZOLA, Mister Sister

Saturday, 5/11

AMERICAN LEGION POST 143, Carson Rhodes

J BIG BARN BREWING CO., Prizmatica, All Directions BOTTLE BAY BREWING CO., Son of Brad

J THE CHAMELEON, Zach Person

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Slap Shot

CHINOOK STEAK, SEAFOOD & PASTA, Max Malone

THE DISTRICT BAR, Broadway Rave IRON HORSE (CDA), Rewind MOOSE LOUNGE, Devon Wade Band

While I’m not a fan of excessive corporate branding, if it means we get a dope free concert? I’ll allow it. To celebrate the release of new Great PNW threads adorned with the imagery of the Washingtonian staple that is Rainier Beer, the companies team up for a free concert at the Chameleon. The lineup is pretty stacked, including two of Seattle’s best rappers (Grieves and Oblé Reed), Spokane singersongwriter fav Blake Braley, the upbeat alt-rock of Seattle’s Linda From Work, and more. If that’s not enough DJ Rosethrow and DJ MIXX America will be spinning tunes between sets, and there will also be a photobooth, live tattooing and drink specials. So if you’re drinking, raise your tall boys high for a party with the perfect price.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Rainer X Great PNW Clothing Release Party: Grieves, Oblé Reed, Blake Braley, Linda From Work, Land & Ammo • Fri, May 10 from 5-11 pm • Free • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com

NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), DJ Crooze

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Mike Wagoner

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Live DJs

SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Hunter Hayes, Oston

J THE JACKLIN ARTS CENTER, Andre Feriante ZOLA, Sugar Bear ZOLA, Blake Braley

Sunday, 5/12

J BIG BARN BREWING CO., Dylan Hathaway

J THE BIG DIPPER, Ascended, Dead TrashCasket, Seven Chains, Doomgazer HOGFISH, Open Mic

IRON HORSE (VALLEY), Into the Drift Duo

J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, NEEDTOBREATHE, Judah & the Lion

J PONDEROSA BAR AND GRILL, Luminosity

J SOUTH HILL GRILL, Just Plain Darin ZOLA, Dope Jockey

Monday, 5/13

EICHARDT’S PUB, Monday Night Blues Jam with John Firshi RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night

Tuesday, 5/14

J RIVERFRONT PARK, Dario Ré

J THE JUNKYARD DRINKS & EATS, Stev Starkey

ZOLA, Jerry Lee and the Groove, Malachi Burrows

Wednesday, 5/15

THE DRAFT ZONE, The Draft Zone Open Mic

J J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Boyz II Men

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Red Room Lounge Jam

J TIMBERS ROADHOUSE, Cary Beare Presents

J ZEEKS PIZZA, Gil Rivas

Coming Up ...

J THE BIG DIPPER, Dead Bob, May 16, 7:30 pm.

J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Riley Green, May 16, 7:30 pm.

THE CHAMELEON, Desolation Horse, King Ropes, BaLonely, May 16, 8 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Sam Barber, Kade Hoffman, May 16, 8 pm.

THE CHAMELEON, Chuck Vibes & The Dead Feels, Trash Planet, Mutual Shock, May 17, 9 pm.

J THE BIG DIPPER, Belt of Vapor, Hayes Noble, Shady Angels, Roman Taitt, May 18, 7:30 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Metal Mayhem: Outer Resistance, Enemy Mine, Mezzanine, Fate Defined, Dayshadow, May 18, 8 pm.

J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Anthem Road, May 18, 8 pm.

THE DISTRICT BAR, The Last Revel, May 18, 9 pm.

J THE BIG DIPPER, Age of Nephilim, Upon A Field’s Whisper, Big Knife, Casual Violence, May 19, 7:30 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Dying Fetus, 200 Stab Wounds, Kruelty, May 20, 8 pm.

J THE CHAMELEON, The Buttertones, The Hayds, The Wow Wows, May 21, 8 pm.

J J THE BIG DIPPER, Agent Orange, Messer Chups, The Dilrods, May 22, 7:30 pm.

J THE DISTRICT BAR, Ora Cogan, May 22, 8 pm.

THE CHAMELEON, The Wildwoods, Jake Rozier, May 23, 8 pm.

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Portugal. The Man, Reyna Tropical, May 23, 8 pm.

J J MIKEY’S GYROS, Punk Palouse Fest, May 24 and May 25.

NYNE BAR & BISTRO, Jenny Don’t and The Spurs, Silver Treason, May 24, 7 am-10 pm.

THE CHAMELEON, The Get Down Vol. 1: Freaky Fred, DJ Felon, DJ Exodus, Kosmos the Afronaut, May 24, 8 pm.

J J GORGE AMPHITHEATER, Illenium, Kaskade, Blanke, KREAM, HVDES, Fairlane, Cinema Kid, May 25.

MUSIC | VENUES

219 LOUNGE • 219 N. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-263-5673

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-927-9463

BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 509-847-1234

BARRISTER WINERY • 1213 W. Railroad Ave. • 509-465-3591

BEE’S KNEES WHISKY BAR • 1324 W. Lancaster Rd.., Hayden • 208-758-0558

BERSERK • 125 S. Stevens St. • 509-315-5101

THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington St. • 509-863-8098

BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 509-467-9638

BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-227-7638

BLACK DIAMOND • 9614 E. Sprague Ave. • 509891-8357

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL • 116 S. Best Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-891-8995

BOOMERS CLASSIC ROCK BAR • 18219 E. Appleway Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-368-9847

BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main St., Moscow • 208-596-0887

THE BULL HEAD • 10211 S. Electric St., Four Lakes • 509-838-9717

CHAN’S RED DRAGON • 1406 W. Third Ave. • 509-838-6688

THE CHAMELEON • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd.

CHECKERBOARD • 1716 E. Sprague Ave. • 509-443-4767

COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw St., Worley • 800-523-2464

COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-2336

CRUISERS BAR & GRILL • 6105 W Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-446-7154

CURLEY’S HAUSER JUNCTION • 26433 W. Hwy. 53, Post Falls • 208-773-5816

THE DISTRICT BAR • 916 W. 1st Ave. • 509-244-3279

EICHARDT’S PUB • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-263-4005

FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • 509-279-7000

FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-624-1200

IRON HORSE • 407 E. Sherman, Coeur d’Alene • 208-667-7314

IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL • 11105 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-926-8411

JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. Sixth St., Moscow • 208-883-7662

KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-244-3279

MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy. • 509-443-3832

MILLIE’S • 28441 Hwy 57, Priest Lake • 208-443-0510

MOOSE LOUNGE • 401 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-7901

NASHVILLE NORTH • 6361 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-457-9128

NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • 877-871-6772

NYNE BAR & BISTRO • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-474-1621

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545

POST FALLS BREWING CO. • 112 N. Spokane St., Post Falls • 208-773-7301

RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL • 10325 N. Government Way, Hayden • 208-635-5874

RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-838-7613

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR • 718 W. Riverside Ave. • 509-822-7938

SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 208-664-8008

SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • 509-279-7000

SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO • 14300 US-2, Airway Heights • 877-786-9467

SOUTH PERRY LANTERN • 12303 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-473-9098

STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON • 12303 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-862-4852

TRANCHE • 705 Berney Dr., Wall Walla • 509-526-3500

ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. •

VISUAL ARTS EXPLORING EXPO

For some, Expo ’74 is a fond — yet distant — memory. Others only learned about the World’s Fair held in Spokane 50 years ago through pictures and stories from relatives who lived through it themselves. At this Spark Central program, kids have the opportunity to learn more about Expo while creating short comic panels depicting characters who get dropped in the middle of Expo after riding the magical gondolas. Work generated at this event has the option of being included in Spark Central’s 2024 book project, Gondolas & Garbage Goats, which encapsulates the many Expo memories collected for their special Expo workshops.

— MADISON PEARSON

Gondolas, Gondolas, Gondolas! • Sat, May 11 from 1-2:30 pm • All ages • Free • Spark Central • 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. • spark-central.org • 509-279-0299

COMMUNITY A MOTHER’S LOVE

It’s fitting that Mother’s Day is in May. After all of those April showers, May flowers bloom just in time to be plucked and given to moms — and mom-like figures — everywhere in celebration of their hard work and never-ending love. There are a plethora of local events that celebrate moms this weekend, including several brunches. Immaculate Heart Retreat Center is hosting its annual champagne brunch on Sunday, the Ruby River Hotel hosts a buffet brunch on the river, and you can take a brunch cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene. If you’re over 21, check out Hogwash Whiskey Den’s Mother’s Day tequila cocktail class. If you’re not yet 21, head to Inland Empire Spice’s tea blending for a calming afternoon while creating and sampling your own custom tea blend.

— MADISON PEARSON

Mother’s Day Events • Sat, May 11 and Sun, May 12 • Locations, times and prices vary; see more at Inlander.com/events

OUTDOORS GARDENER’S DELIGHT

Spring has mostly sprung at this point, so it’s the perfect time to return to the glory of the garden. Whether you’re an avid gardener with more green thumbs than you can count or the monster in every flower’s vivid nightmare, this weekend’s Spokane Garden Expo will be the place to learn about gardening. There are a handful of seminars and demonstrations for guests to attend, like “Mushroom Foraging for Beginners,” “Hummingbird Madness,” and a bunch of specialty plants available for purchase. With more than 250 garden-related vendors planning to attend the expo on Spokane Community College’s campus, there’ll be lots to see.

— COLTON RASANEN

Spokane Garden Expo • Sat, May 11, from 9 am-5 pm • Free • Spokane Community College • 1810 N. Greene St. • tieg.org

GET LISTED!

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

COMMUNITY THE BIG ONE-FIVE

Coeur d’Alene’s Kroc Center is turning 15! Sitting on 12 acres, the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center is the largest community center in Coeur d’Alene and features a performance and worship center, aquatics center, recreation center and special event facilities. The Kroc Center has multiple ways for attendees to celebrate including its Big Lobby Pop-up Day on Friday featuring live music, pop-up vendors and giveaways. There’s also an open house on Saturday with games, free food and plenty of familyfriendly activities for all to enjoy, including nonmembers. Wrap things up on Sunday with a Mother’s Day pastry tea party. Come wish a happy birthday to the Kroc!

— LUCY KLEBECK

Kroc Center 15th Anniversary Celebration • May 10-12; times vary • All ages

• Free • Kroc Center • 1765 W. Golf Course Rd., Coeur d’Alene • kroccda.org • 208-667-1865

OUTDOORS WINGIN’ IT

Have you noticed the skyways are a little busier than usual? That’s because it’s migration season for our feathered friends! More than half of American breeding birds are migratory, which means over 300 species have been winging it back to Spokane since late winter. To catch a glimpse of some of our returned neighbors, join the Spokane Audubon Society for one of their special events on World Migratory Bird Day this Saturday. Search for rare species during a guided hike on Mount Spokane, watch waterfowl at Medical Lake Waterfront Park and the Reardan Audubon Lake Wildlife Area, or bring your family to a kid-friendly tour of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. Most tours will provide you with binoculars if you let them know beforehand. Good luck!

— ELIZA BILLINGHAM

Spokane Audubon Society World Migratory Bird Day • Sat, May 11 • Locations and times vary • All ages • Free • audubonspokane.org

I SAW YOU

BLONDI ...with blue eyes. Saw you at the Big Box talking to your ex. Seemed perhaps the friendly congratulations on the new album, which is stellar, as you probably have heard. Given the ex status, how ‘bout you hit me up to ... hit me up. You used to flirt with me at that fave dive joint. I gave you my number then; you know where to find me, now. Hope to see you soon! Let’s go rock the reds...or the river!!!...or this time, YOU can find late-night noshing for us!! (Friendly tip: The Ballarini cookwear is better.... ;)

LOOKING FOR AL K. - ‘72 GRAD LOCAL HS Haven’t been able to contact my friend Al K. for several months. Al, contact TM at Rockwood South Hill retirement community. Or if you know Al, please forward message to him. If he has moved or is deceased please message back to TM through Inlander I SAW YOU. Thks!

YOU DROPPED SOMETHING You dropped this book on N. Chase Rd. It has a note pad and 2 envelopes tucked inside. The cover is red with a black and white picture showing a rowboat near an arch that says “Fort Sherman Idaho” and is titled Kootenai County Pride: Reflections of North Idaho. The book was found the last week of April.

CHEERS

MOTORING ASSURED Ron Schafer Ins. / Allstate Spokane Valley. THANK YOU from the bottom of the tires of our well used fleet of family vehicles!! YOU and your group “saved” us from any more mysteries and less-than-promised coverage from those guys in red. Seems they’ve gotten a little too big for us little guys! Good Riddance to them after so many decades. NEVER... again!! Thanks RON SCHAFER Ins.!!

RIVERSIDE RAH RAH RAH This is a belated but very big “thank you” to someone going back to last October. First, some background: It was the ninth year of my doing a volunteer (authorized) treethinning and lower limb trimming project in Riverside State Park, mostly along the west side of Trail 25 through the area that burned in 1994. (There’s a big basalt cliff along one side.) The new trees had grown back too close together, so I got permission from the park to start in 2015, using just a pruning saw. I’m an old, retired guy, and this is very physical work – hand-cutting down the trees, trimming off lower branches on those left, and dragging the cuttings away from the trail. Some people passing by have thanked me off and on over the years, but last October someone gave me a huge verbal “gift.” A woman biking along the trail called out very enthusiastically, “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU DO HERE! IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE!” That really made my day – and every day since that I’ve gone back to work there. So I hope that grateful person sees this and understands what a “big difference” she made to me that day. God bless you! And for those who hike or bike, please check it out. It’s a very scenic, beautiful area, and May-June is prime time for wildflowers and new growth on the trees.

TO THE ANGELS WHO MADE OUR BLOOMSDAY We were pushing the stroller holding our great-niece and -nephew (approximately 100 pounds of rambunction) up the first big hill, moaning to each other, “Why is this hard?” We found out why when several very kind walkers asked us if we’d like them to pump up our three flat tires. Flat tires? Oh! Like a crack

NASCAR pit crew, these folks gathered around the stroller and revived the tires with the two air pumps they just happened to have on hand. We finished the course with ease. You guys made our day! Thanks!

JEERS

MR. AIRPORT Everything’s groovy when your passenger counts are soaring, but your corporate reputation is spiraling into

a pavement nose-dive. You’re debating with The State Dep’t. of Ecology about who’s to blame for contamination, on your property, from procedures conducted, on your property, negatively/gravely affecting your neighbors? You’re squabbling with the regulatory department that protects YOU from run-off to your personal space. YOUR true colors are showing, airport leaders, like a rainbow oil-slick on the bodies of sea life, detrimental in the long run due to delay in manning-up and owning your role. Cheers to Ecology and the local journalists for leaning on this. How ‘bout you join in, Mr. Airport, and do the right thing, and THEN settle any questions of responsibility in the courts. The dirty water is running. You point to the FAA for the delay...hmm. They aren’t stopping you. Act. Bravely.

RE: STOP STOPPING Drivers are actually required by law to stop for pedestrians on the sideways. See RCW 46.61.621 If a pedestrian is within a lane of a driver that driver is also required to stop. I recommend you learn a little more about laws before you submit driving advice to the Inlander. Your bad advice is huge safety issue.

SCC STOPLIGHT Dear Stupid People of Spokane: you know that light on the west side of SCC that allows you to enter the campus? When the light is green going

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.”

north/south, but the traffic is backed up, that doesn’t enable you to stop your car in the intersection. You know those cars that are on the left and right of you, headed west and east? Well, those cars want to drive when the light turns green dumb ass. Because the light doesn’t stay green for very long and then stays red for much longer after that, those cars would like to go when their appropriate light turns green. So, to the ass in the truck carrying the trailer Tuesday afternoon (and others like him),

facts, why don’t you research the massive number of crashes, injuries, and deaths related to idiots on their dumbphones, people who drive grossly UNDER the speed limit, and Trumpsters who obscure vision with their massive MAGA flags which, occasionally, are not secured to their gasguzzling pickups and fly off to hit following drivers. Maybe they should get tickets, too! Complain about something that really matters, jeez.

perhaps learn how not to be an ass and wait until there is enough room to move through the intersection. Spokane: near nature. Near the really, really inconsiderate and stupid.

HAVE SOME GRACE I get all the moans and groans about city life in Spokane. Here is a good place to vent. I’m an angry mofo and it never gets me anywhere. I’ve lived a great life here and forget the little details sometimes that make it that way. I guess what I am trying to say is to just take a breath and enjoy something, anything. It’s too short and before you know it’s gone away. We live in a great city. Be kind to yourself and everyone else.

RE: SPEEDERS IN TRAFFIC Weeks ago a reader submitted a valid, but rather ridiculous, complaint regarding speeders and lack of police available to catch them. He/she also provided a number of traffic deaths attributed to speeding. Well, submissions like this are ineffective. First off, law enforcement officers in our area are understaffed and struggling with the massive rise in drug crimes, car thefts, and transplants/gangster-related shootings.

The WSP is, however, quite active by hanging out on the side of I-90, pulling over drivers for “speeding” less than five miles over the posted limit. If you want more

DOPPELGANGER??

Friday May 3. Spok. Valley Big Box. You parked in an H- spot. We saw you loading out/departing approximately 6:40 p.m. We didn’t see your handicapped plate, nor your placard, nor a sticker of any kind. Maybe we missed it? Perhaps you had permission, but, the law doesn’t permit, “permission”, without a registered placard. Certainly not all handicaps are visible, but for that occasion, you ably hauled a small “appliance” into your vehicle. What gives? There were many other spots in that region/row close to the one you took. You greatly resemble a Spokane City Council member. Remarkably. “Exactly”. Likely. Probably. Twin? Doppelganger? You? Maybe you have that allowance any where in the city of Spokane. The law in Spokane Valley doesn’t...”allow.” Don’t flex your entitlement. It gets nobody, to an O.K. place on the journey. n

NOTE: I Saw You/Cheers & Jeers is for adults 18 or

BENEFIT

STAGE LIGHTS FOR OUR PLACE FUNDRAISER A fundraiser for Our Place Spokane featuring auctions, entertainment and food. May 9, 6-9 pm. $40. Salem Lutheran Church, 1428 W. Broadway Ave. ourplacespokane.org (509-326-7267)

LEWIS & CLARK TIGER FUND ALUMNI & STUDENT ART SALE An art sale benefitting the Lewis & Clark Tiger Fund, which provides scholarships to students who’ve overcome adversity. May 11-12, 10 am-5 pm. Free. Lewis and Clark High School, 521 W. Fourth Ave. facebook.com/share/ j331U8EQ8GpeDud1/ (480-518-5528)

MOTHER’S DAY LUNCHEON & SILENT AUCTION A fundraiser for the Spokane Youth Symphony featuring auction items, raffles, drawings, door prizes and live chamber music. May 11, 1-3 pm. $55$100. The Centennial Hotel, 303 W. North River Dr. spokaneyouthsymphony.org

COMEDY

TROY BOND Bond is known on social media for his modern Seinfeld sketches. May 9-11, 7 pm, May 10-11, 9:45 pm. $24-$32. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

IMPROV COMEDY SHOW A series of improvised sketches created from audience suggestions. May 10, 7-8:30 pm.

$10. Harding Family Center, 411 N. 15th St. levitytheatre.com (208-494-2008)

ALOK Alok is a gender non-conforming comedian, poet, performer and media personality. May 16, 9:45 pm. $25. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)

RICH GUZZI Guzzi is a hypnotist comedian known for hypnotizing crowd volunteers. May 16, 7 pm. $20. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)

COMMUNITY

509 DAY Downtown businesses offer deals and discounts. See website for participating businesses. May 9. Downtown Spokane. backtodowntown.org

EXPO ‘74 HISTORIC TIMELINE OUTDOOR EXHIBIT An open-air exhibit detailing the pivotal moments of Expo ’74 and its legacy in environmental consciousness. May 4-July 4, daily. Free. Pavilion at Riverfront, 574 N. Howard St. expo50spokane.com

IT HAPPENED HERE: EXPO ’74 FIFTY YEARS LATER This 50th anniversary exhibit revisits the history of Expo ’74. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Jan. 25. $7-$12. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

25 CENT BOOK SALE Browse a wide selection of books. May 10-12; Fri-Sat from 10 am-7 pm, Sun from 11 am-4 pm. Page 42 Bookstore, 2174 N. Hamilton. Page42bookstore.com

slideshows, guest speakers, a city proclamation, traditional performances and food. May 10, 5-7:30 pm. Free. Pavilion, 574 N. Howard. freevietnews.com

WHEATLAND BANK FREE HORSE & CARRIAGE RIDES Experience Riverfront Park and downtown from a horse-drawn carriage. Fridays from 4-8 pm through June 21. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard. downtownspokane.org

JUNIOR LILAC PARADE Marching bands, drill units, youth organizations and other clubs perform while walking the streets of downtown Spokane. May 11, 10:30 am. Free. spokanelilacfestival.org/parade

KROC CENTER 15TH ANNIVERSARY

CELEBRATION The Kroc celebrates its 15th birthday with an open house fea-

turing fun games, free food and activities for all families. May 11, 10 am-3 pm. Free. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. kroccda.org (208-667-1865)

NEWPORT REN FAIRE The third annual event features activities and entertainment from medieval times. May 11, 10 am-5 pm. Free. Newport City Park, First St. and Calispel Ave. fb.me/e/1CGUcS3wR

NORTH MONROE SHOP HOP Explore the vintage and home decor shops in the North Monroe Business District including Paint In My Hair, 1889 Salvage Co., Tossed & Found and Chic & Shab. May 11, 10 am-5 pm. Free. facebook.com/paintinmyhair

SAN PRIDE CENTER GRAND OPENING

Celebrate the opening of the new community center with games, refreshments

and more. May 11, 11 am. Free. SAN Pride Center, 715 E. Sprague Ave. Suite 715. Spokanepride.org

UPCYCLE FASHION LAB Learn the art of upcycling from sewists at Spokane Zero Waste. May 11, 1-3 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org

BLOOMS & BUBBLES: A MOTHER’S DAY

GARDEN SOIREE Mothers and children are are invited to enjoy live entertainment, a buffet and craft. May 12, 1:304:30 pm. $90-$115. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH CRUISE A cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene featuring a brunch spread of french toast, roast beef, desserts and more. May 12, 11:30 am-1 pm. $66-$79. The Coeur d’Alene Resort,

115 S. Second. cdacruises.com

GARFIELD MAY DAY CELEBRATION This annual celebration features a beer garden, parades, live music and more. May 17, 5-9 pm and May 18, 7 am-noon. Free. Garfield, Wash. garfeldwa.com

FILM

EXPO ’74: FILMS FROM THE VAULT Recently digitized footage from the 1974 World’s Fair. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Sep. 8. $7-$12. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org

DIGITIZING HOME MOVIES: VIDEO & AUDIO ESSENTIALS Learn how to transfer home media into digital formats. May 11, 4:30-5:30 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 22 N. Herald Rd. scld.org

ASIAN NATIVE HAWAIIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE FESTIVAL A festival celebrating ANHPI identities with performances, traditional food and more. May 10, 3-7:30 pm, May 11, 10 am-8 pm and May 12, 11 am-4 pm. Free. Riverfront Park. spokaneunitedwestand.org

CHENEY MAYFEST This annual celebration features vendor booths, live music, a classic car show, a petting zoo and more. May 10, 6-10 pm and May 11, 10 am-4 pm. Free. Cheney. cheneymayfest.org

VIETNAMESE HERITAGE DAY CELEBRATION Programming includes videos,

FRIDAY MAY 10th

6pm - 10pm

SATURDAY MAY 11th

10AM - 4pm

Live Music Featuring: The Jim Bury Band

Alchemy

Hermano Kuya Plaid Cats

The Sifters

Travis Henry & Co.

Joe Tanguay

CORNHOLE

TOURNAMENT

EVENTS | CALENDAR

THIRD THURSDAY MATINEE: PIG This film centers around Rob who lives in the Oregon forest with his beloved trufflehunting pig. May 16, 1-2:45 pm. $7. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org

FOOD

CLUB ’74 SPEAKEASY A retro speakeasy inside Stepwell in Riverfront Park with themed-drinks, food, DJs, dancing and more. May 3-19, Fri-Sun from 6-11 pm. 21+. $10; free with Club ‘74 membership. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. expo50spokane.com

MOTHER’S DAY TEA BLENDING Show appreciation for a mother in your life by creating a custom loose-leaf tea blend. May 11, 10 am-4 pm. $8/ounce. Inland Empire Spice, 2713 N. Monroe St. inlandempirespice.com

and the North Idaho College Wind Symphony. May 12, 2-4 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene City Park, 415 W. Mullan Rd. nic. edu/music (208-769-3276)

CHORALE COEUR D’ALENE: LAUGHTER, UNQUENCHABLE JOY The chorale performs works by Susan Labarr, Daniel Lynch and more. Featuring the Young Artist Scholarship Recipients. May 14, 7 pm. $15. Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth St. choralecda.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

kane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard. spokanecivictheatrecom

12 MINUTES MAX Artists present 12 minutes or less of new works and works-in-progress ranging from performance art to dance, and more. May 15-16, 7 pm. $15-$30. Vytal Movement Dance, 7 S. Howard St, Ste. 200. kindlingdanceproductions.com

VISUAL ARTS

CHRISTY BRANSON: UNEARTHED New encaustic paintings by the local artist. Daily from 12-6 pm through May 31. Free. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad. christybranson.com

EVERGREEN ART COLLECTIVE ARTIST RECEPTION Meet members of the Evergreen Art Collective. May 9, 5-7 pm. Pend d’Oreille Winery, 301 Cedar, Sandpoint. powine.com

Featuring The Kelly Hughes Band and Lite Feet Country Line Dancers

PETTING ZOO

The Kelly Hughes Band

ART ALLEY

SPOKANE AERIAL

LOCAL EATS

KID ZONE VENDORS CAR SHOW

SUKIYAKI DINNER A take-out dinner featuring a bake sale, crafts, Japanese collectables and more. Limited supply of food. May 11, 12-4:30 pm. $19. Highland Park United Methodist Church, 611 S. Garfield. hp-spokane.org

MOTHER’S DAY CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH An all-you-can-eat buffet featuring carving stations, made-to-order omelets, side dishes and an array of desserts. May 12, 9 am-2 pm. $18-$40. Immaculate Heart Retreat Center, 6910 S. Ben Burr Rd. ihrc.net

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH A brunch buffet against the backdrop of the Spokane River. May 12, 10 am-noon & 1-3 pm. $19-$39. Ruby River Hotel, 700 N. Division. rubyhospitality.com

MOTHER’S DAY TEQUILA COCKTAIL

CLASS Learn about the origins of tequila while making three tequila cocktails with Simon Moorby, Erin Fasbender and Renée Cebula. May 12, 3-5 pm. $75. Hogwash Whiskey Den, 304 W. Pacific Ave. rb.gy/p5gmwg (509-847-5231)

MONDAY NIGHT DINNERS OPENING CELEBRATION A dinner in the park supporting local libraries and aimed at bringing strangers together. $10 suggested donation for the musicians. May 13, 5-10 pm. Free. McEuen Park, 420 E. Front Ave. fb.me/e/1BYyTTbxQ

MUSIC

TIEN HSIEH The classically trained pianist performs music of great difficulty. May 10, 7 pm. $10-$40. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org

SPOKANE JAZZ ORCHESTRA WITH WAYNE HORVITZ Award-winning keyboard player Wayne Horvitz plays the iconic Hammond Organ with the Spokane Jazz Orchestra. May 11, 7:30-9:30 pm. $27-$37. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague bingcrosbytheater.com

SPOKANE SYMPHONY MASTERWORKS 9: EXPO ’74 Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Spokane Expo ’74 with music played that season by the Spokane Symphony. May 11, 7:30 pm and May 12, 3 pm. $19-$68. The Fox Theater, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org (509-624-1200)

COEUR D’ALENE SYMPHONY: VIVE LA FRANCE The program includes The Mother Goose Suite, Pavane for a Dead Princess, and more. May 10-11, Fri-Sat at 2 pm and 7:30 pm. $15-$35. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. cdasymphony.org (208-667-1865)

CELEBRATING MOMS A Mother’s Day concert featuring the Cardinal Chorale

KIDICAL MASS KID’S BIKE RIDE A kid and family-friendly, adult-supervised, bike ride. Helmets required. Children must be accompanied by an adult to sign in. May 11, 11 am-1 pm. Free. The Nest at Kendall Yards, 1335 W. Summit Pkwy. summerparkways.com

AUTHENTIC INDIAN YOGA Instructor Devika Gates leads an authentic yoga practice. Wear loose clothing, bring a yoga mat and come prepared for gentle exercise. May 10, 10-11 am. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)

MAKE A CONTAINER FOR MOM Choose and arrange annuals in your own container, a peanut basket or a drop-in container. May 10, 2-3 pm. $10. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. 4ritter.com (509 467-5258)

SPOKANE AUDUBON SOCIETY

WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY Events include a bird walk at Mt. Spokane, Medical Lake bird walk, field trip to the Reardan Wildlife Area and a bird habitat restoration party at the Swanson Lakes Wildlife Area. May 11, 9 am-1 pm. Free. audubonspokane.org

SPOKANE GARDEN EXPO This show features 250+ garden-related vendors, seminars, demos, live music, food trucks and more. May 11, 9 am-5 pm. Free. Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St. tieg.org

SPRING PLANT SALES Horticulture students sell greenhouse/nursery crops including annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs and hanging baskets. May 11, 9 am-5 pm. Free. Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene. scc.spokane.edu

SPOKANE VELOCITY VS. UNION

OMAHA This game is a League One cup competition. May 11, 6 pm and Sep. 4, 6 pm. $21-$41. One Spokane Stadium, 501 W. Gardner Ave. spokanevelocityfc.com

WILDFLOWER WALK EWU botanist

Becky Brown leads a hike to see regional wildflowers. May 11, 9-10:30 am. Free. Palisades Park, Greenwood Blvd. & Rimrock Dr. inlandnwland.org

SPOKANE INDIANS VS. VANCOUVER

CANADIANS Promos include Ribby the Mascot’s Birthday and Redband Rally Night (5/15), $10K Grand Slam Night (5/16), Armed Forces Appreciation Night (5/17) and Grandparents Day (5/19). May 14-17, 6:35 pm, May 18, 5:09 pm and May 19, 1:05 pm. Avista Stadium, 602 N. Havana. milb.com/spokane

THEATER & DANCE

CATS The Jellicle Cats tell their stories to Old Deuteronomy who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to The Heaviside Layer. May 10-June 16; Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $20-$40. Spo-

MARY CARUSO & ERIC SANCHEZ

Geometric paintings by Sanchez and watercolor painting by Caruso. Thu-Sat from 11 am-7 pm through May 31. Free. Avenue West Gallery, 907 W. Boone Ave. avenuewestgallery.com

MARK MOORE: EARTH TONES The ceramic artist showcases functional ceramic pieces with a focus on planters. Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm May 31. Free. Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio.net (509-863-9904)

MEGAN MARTENS-HAWORTH: THE INTERLUDE The artist explores the relationships between humanity and the animal kingdom through various mediums. Mon-Fri from 10 am-5 pm through May 31. Free. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave. spokaneartschool.net

RIVER RIDGE ASSOCIATION OF FINE ARTS EXPO ’74 SHOW Expo themed art by members of the River Ridge Association of Fine Arts. Daily from 7 am-7 pm through May 31, 7 am-7 pm. Free. Indaba Coffee Roasters, 518 W. Riverside Ave. rrafaofspokane.com

GONDOLAS, GONDOLAS, GONDOLAS! Create short panels exploring Expo ’74. Work produced for this program has the option of being included in Spark Central’s 2024 book project, Gondolas & Garbage Goats. Grades 6-8. May 11, 1-2:30 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org

WORDS

PIVOT OPEN MIC NIGHT The night’s theme is “duped.” Bring stories of deception, white lies and tricks. May 9, 7 pm. Free. Whistle Punk Brewing, 122 S. Monroe St. pivotspokane.com

OUR RED BOOK: A READING AND WRITING EVENT Rachel Kauder Nalebuff, editor of Our Red Book, Laurelin Kruse and other guests give readings from the anthology about menstruation, followed by a writing workshop. May 11, 11 am. Free. Wishing Tree Books, 1410 E. 11th. wishingtreebookstore.com

ADRIANA JANOVICH: UNIQUE EATS AND EATERIES OF SPOKANE Local author Adriana Janovich signs copies of her new book detailing Spokane’s original eateries. May 12, 8 am-1 pm. Free. Chaps Diner & Bakery, 4235 S. Cheney-Spokane Rd. instagram.com/ adrianajanovich (509-624-4182)

BROKEN MIC Spokane Poetry Slam’s longest-running, weekly open mic reading series. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm; sign-ups at 6 pm. . Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit.ly/2ZAbugD n

Shuffling the Schedule

The DEA is making a major change to the way regulators view cannabis

BY WILL MAUPIN

NOTE TO READERS

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

Federal cannabis policy is about to change in a massive way.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is changing its stance on cannabis, recommending moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, according to reporting by the Associated Press Drugs placed on Schedule I, such as heroin and LSD, are considered to have a high potential for abuse and no known medical use.

Moving cannabis to Schedule III does not legalize the drug, but it removes significant regulations.

Drugs listed on Schedule III, such as anabolic steroids and ketamine, are considered to be risky enough to require regulation but have a moderate to low potential for dependence and may be beneficial in medical uses. They are not made available for over-the-counter purchase, like caffeine or aspirin.

From a consumer perspective, the change may not be particularly notable.

Moving cannabis to Schedule III will not open up a national recreational cannabis market like what currently exists in Washington. Cannabis will remain illegal in jurisdictions where it is currently illegal, such as Idaho, until those places change their policies.

The move will not change much in legal markets either. In Washington, the state’s Liquor and Cannabis Board will continue to regulate legal cannabis and maintain the authority to issue licenses for businesses to produce or distribute it.

That’s not to say the move does not matter.

This is a monumental shift in federal drug policy, arguably the largest since the end of the prohibition on alcohol in 1933.

Cannabis has been considered to be as illegal as can be in the United States since the creation of the drug scheduling system via the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. Prior to that, federal regulations restricting cannabis date back over 100 years to the early 1900s.

Until recently, the federal government had been steadfast in its policy on cannabis. Even as more states began to legalize the drug, federal policy remained frozen.

That began to change in September 2022, when the Biden administration announced a number of changes to federal policy, including a request for federal agencies to reconsider whether cannabis should remain at Schedule I.

A year and a half later, this policy change is a direct result of that directive.

What comes next is still unclear. Cannabis will remain a controlled substance under federal law, even though it is legal in 24 states. Perhaps the most important aspect of this policy change is not the visible impact it will have, but rather the symbolic change in the federal stance on cannabis. n

GREEN ZONE

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

64,000

Inlander readers that have BOUGHT OR USED CANNABIS in the past year and live in Eastern WA.

INLANDER’S GREEN ZONE • GREEN ZONE GIFTS

To Advertise Contact: 509.325.0634 ext. 215, advertising@inlander.com

one

Grocery store area

53. Discover rival

57. Critical hosp. department

58. “Saturday Night Live” alum (2000-2001) who was also on “Mr. Show” and “Arrested Development” 60. Course estimate

61. Prefix with raptor

62. Description of the five theme answers?

65. Flying fox, actually 66. Nebraska’s largest city

67. Actor Rami

Shady 69. Clearance events 70. Detroit soul singer Payne

1. Professional path 2. Barber’s “___ for Strings”

3. ___ Mountains (Appalachian range)

4. “Frankly,” in texts

5. Look at 6. “Golly!” 7. A la ___ 8. “Rocky” character Apollo 9. NAFTA part, briefly 10. Ari Melber’s

Escape & Relax Package FROM $269.95

Package includes a one-night stay in a Spa Tower deluxe king room and a 60-minute massage or facial.

Call 1 800-523-2464 and mention code RELAXSUM24 to book now!

Must call the Spa Ssakwa’q’n at 1 855-232-2772 to book service appointment directly. Valid Sunday – Thursday only.

Hotel package and rate quoted is valid now through October 31st , 2024. All packages, offers and upgrades are subject to availability. All rooms incur a 7% Tribal tax and a $15 resort fee. Please visit cdacasino.com for details and other Hotel Packages.