Inlander 07/01/2021

JULY 1-7, 2021 | NEAR NATURE. BUT NOT LOST.

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VOL. 28, NO. 38| COVER DESIGN: DEREK HARRISON

COMMENT NEWS COVER STORY CULTURE

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FOOD FILM MUSIC EVENTS

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EDITOR’S NOTE

A

t a recent social gathering, now that we’re able to gather, someone fervently proclaimed to a table of people that TALK OF POLITICS should be strictly off-limits among friends and family. Everyone who had been happily discussing the state of the world and misinformation and vaccines and culture suddenly fell silent.

Except me. I didn’t intend to be so theatrical, but I jumped to my feet, swung my arm for effect — splashing what I had believed to be a completely empty drink onto people — and swiftly left the room for the kitchen and the refuge of another cocktail.

At that moment, I was embarrassed. No reason to throw a toddler’s tantrum. I was also annoyed. I generally object to the idea of decorum and propriety or that, even among adults, certain subjects must never be spoken of. (I’ve witnessed too many pointless arguments that arose simply from the fact people refused to be candid with one another.) I was also left speechless.

Cracking open another drink, I thought of all the witty retorts I might toss out, all the stupid, inane things we might speak of instead. Well, I suppose we could talk about the weather then.

But sitting inside as we were, with all the blinds closed in a house whose A/C was in a losing battle against a record-beating heat wave, even the subject of the weather seemed political. Sports seemed political. Medicine seemed political. Everything seemed political. I recalled something I had read earlier that day in a column in the New York Times, also political: “There’s a reason we try to solve even intractable wars by getting the parties to sit in the same room: It beats war. If we believe in engagement with North Koreans and Iranians, then why not with fellow Americans?”

Embarrassed, annoyed and a little bit lost, I knew there was nothing more to do but take a big swig and head back to the table.

— JACOB H. FRIES, editor

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1227 WEST SUMMIT PARKWAY, SPOKANE, WA 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634 | EMAIL: INFO@INLANDER.COM THE INLANDER is a locally owned, independent newspaper founded on Oct. 20, 1993. It’s printed on newsprint that is at least 50 percent recycled; please recycle THE INLANDER after you’re done with it. One copy free per person per week; extra copies are $1 each (call x226). For ADVERTISING information, email advertising@inlander.com. To have a SUBSCRIPTION mailed to you, call x213 ($50 per year). To find one of our more than 1,000 NEWSRACKS where you can pick up a paper free every Thursday, call x226 or email frankd@inlander.com. THE INLANDER is a member of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia. All contents of this newspaper are protected by United States copyright law. © 2021, Inland Publications, Inc.

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Tucker Carlson’s strident, relentless, unsupportable rejection of the 2020 election has most energized his viewers.

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hat can be done about Tucker Carlson? Carlson is the Fox News pundit who traffics in the most extreme conspiracy theories, factual falsities and outrageous declarations.

He has attacked Black Lives Matter, has denied the existence of systemic racism in the U.S., and has led efforts to ban instruction in or even discussion of critical race theory.

He has given cover to White supremacists, arguing that White nationalism is a good thing, not equivalent to White supremacy. In the process he has blamed immigration for everything from homelessness to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, he has downplayed the pandemic, viciously attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci and even gone so far as to declare that parents who put masks on their children should be arrested for child abuse.

Human-caused climate change: a hoax. QAnon: Followers make some good points. The Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection: Antifa and FBI spies.

Of course, it is Carlson’s strident, relentless,

unsupportable rejection of the 2020 election that has most energized his millions of viewers and helped make him the most-watched cable “news” personality.

C

arlson joined Fox News in 2009.

In the beginning he was second chair to the original Fox nutjob, Glenn Beck. In the first years of the Trump administration, he was second banana to Sean Hannity.

But Fox fired Beck in 2011. And Hannity lost considerable exposure — and clout — when Trump was booted from office. With Rush Limbaugh’s radio voice silenced, the role of lead right-wing fire bomber has fallen to Carlson.

Fox News operates in its own media universe.

The ethical principles that operate in the rest of the broadcast and cable news industry simply do

not apply. To his credit, minimally, Carlson does not present himself as a journalist. He is a commentator who has, on occasion, referred to himself as an entertainer. You might recall he even competed on Dancing with the Stars a few years ago. Before his Fox News popularity soared, he could be heard on various shock-jock radio casts that specialized in racism and misogyny.

Still, his millions of viewers believe what he says. The Carlson agenda, particularly the stolen election claim, drives Republican opinion, as poll after poll shows.

So how do we deal with a major cable personality who traffics in the most outrageous and dangerous falsehoods?

Beck was fired in 2011 because of way too many outrageous statements that led to an advertiser boycott. As ideological as its managers might be, the Fox News leadership is equally concerned with profits. Beck had become a financial liability.

But the circumstances that LETTERS led to Beck’s firing no longer Send comments to exist. In 2011, his ideological editor@inlander.com. demon-seed, Barack Obama, still had five years left in the White House. The hyperpartisan environment in which we currently live was less entrenched. Fox could fire Beck, staunch the financial drain and hire new flamethrowers.

The ideological divide now is far more substantial. Since Trump’s election in 2016, the misinformation machine has clouded the judgment of tens of millions of Americans who seem immune to any reasonable fact checks.

Calls for a financial boycott of Carlson’s show have caused some advertisers to bail. But in the world of nut-case punditry, other advertisers are willing to climb on board, especially as Carlson’s ratings skyrocket.

Further, Fox could not withstand the right-wing backlash that would follow a Carlson firing. Struggling to rebuild a post-Trump identity, the network desperately needs him.

So, what do we do about Tucker Carlson?

A

telling New York Times report from last week noted that Carlson is a ubiquitous source for D.C. reporters looking for background information on the very people Carlson supports publicly, including Trump. The cozy Carlson-press corps relationship provides some protection from news media scrutiny and is not likely to end while Carlson can shovel dirt behind closed doors.

Which leads us to this: Social media platforms have silenced the lead conspiracy/misinformation monger, Donald Trump. He lost his Twitter voice months ago and Facebook will not allow him back on that platform until after the 2022 midterm elections, if then. His efforts to launch a blog failed, drawing a barely measurable audience.

But social media platforms have not moved as aggressively against Carlson or Fox News or many of the other lunatic fringe voices and sites threatening our future. It is unlikely the big two — Facebook and Twitter — will move to ban Carlson. That would inevitably result in calls to ban progressive voices, such as Rachel Maddow.

Perhaps the best strategy at the moment is an aggressive push to force those platforms to more assertively fact-check Carlson and his ilk, and to delete the most outrageous posts such as those promoting the election lie.

What do we do about Tucker Carlson? Right now, our best hope lies in pressuring social media platforms to take a stronger stand for truth and civility.

How twisted is that? n Steven A. Smith is a former editor of the Spokesman-Review.

Before joining the S-R, Smith was editor for two years at the Statesman Journal, a Gannett newspaper in Salem, Oregon, and was for five years editor and vice president of the Gazette, a Freedom Communications newspaper in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Smith is now clinical associate professor emeritus in the School of Journalism and Mass Media at the University of Idaho, having retired from full-time teaching at the end of May 2020. Reach him at newsman46@yahoo.com.

JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 7

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Amazon employs roughly 4,000 people in the Spokane region and is set to add about 1,000 more jobs later this year. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Readers respond to recent news that online retail behemoth Amazon announced it would no longer test most job applicants for cannabis:

JOEY BAREITHER: Next up: Let them use the bathroom on shift.

Readers respond to news of Cupid Alexander’s quick exit from Spokane City Hall (“Cupid’s Volley, 6/24/21) and new details undercutting Mayor Nadine Woodward’s recent homelessness claims:

BRANDON WARREN: Cupid shooting the arrows of truth. In 2023 vote for a leader, not a line reader.

MICHAEL DUNDREA: Where do I apply?

DA LEE SR: When you lose 3 percent of your workforce every week you cannot rule out a single person in the U.S. ROBERT SHREDOW: Might make the job tolerable too.

SARA BOREN: The way it sounds, you would reach a catatonic state before you were high enough that working at Amazon was tolerable. n

BRIAN BREEN: The big question of course is whether or not anything in the 1,200 emails demonstrate in any way racial bias on the part of “Johnnieon-the-spot.” If they do, then he should be fired for being really, really dumb.

ANDREW DRESDEN: Woodward has been worse for Spokane than Trump and his caveman cultists.

MIKE PATTON: Nadine is a Republican shill of the Cathy Qanon Rogers mold. She doesn’t care about the homeless. She doesn’t care about racism. She doesn’t want a team to collaborate with. Much like Trump, she only wants “yes” people in her orbit. Anyone deviates from her (the Republican) agenda, and they’re gone. Thus the high turnover since she has been in office.

BRIAN NILS JOHNSON: It’s almost like conservative television personalities are bad leaders.n

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JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 9

Chelle Crotinger, right, who performs in drag as Tirrany Reins, and Sativa Heather Black St. James at a show hosted by GeeksNGlory Gaming Bar in Spokane Valley last Saturday. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

BUSINESS

The Demands of Drag Twenty drag performers leave the Globe after disagreements over pay and working conditions

BY NATE SANFORD

D

rag is a form of art and self expression. For many, it’s also a job.

On June 16, 20 drag queens walked away from the Globe Bar and Kitchen in downtown Spokane after a meeting with management and the owner went south. The group had called the meeting to discuss concerns over pay, working conditions and a lack of communication.

The 20 performers — who make up more than half of the Globe’s regularly performing cast of drag queens — are calling themselves the Collective. They say they were talked down to and disrespected during the meeting and will no longer perform with the Globe.

“It comes down to valuing the work that we do

10 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

and understanding what that all entails,” says Chelle Crotinger, who performs in drag as Tirrany Reins and is a member of the Collective.

The popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race reality show has catapulted drag into the mainstream, but for many local performers, the economic landscape is still uncertain.

Crotinger says he hopes the Collective’s decision to leave the Globe in search of better treatment can help inspire change not just in Spokane, but across the drag industry as a whole.

The Globe started marketing itself as a gay bar with frequent drag shows in September 2020. Because of COVID, performances were held in a separate room and streamed to the main part of the bar.

Crotinger says the Globe did not pay the performers at all during this time.

“We were existing solely on tips, which some weeks would be $3, $4 for at least 20 hours of work conceptualizing, painting, filming, editing videos,” Crotinger says.

Crotinger says ownership never clearly defined the queens’ role or status. Management would frequently tell him and the other performers that they weren’t employees, and that they needed to operate accordingly.

Crotinger remembers signing a code of conduct two or three years ago, but he was never given a copy of it and doesn’t remember any other official paperwork.

Scott Wilburn, the owner of the Globe, did not respond to requests for comment after phone calls, emails,

Facebook messages and an in-person visit to the Globe from the Inlander. Members of the management team also could not be reached for comment.

This spring, the Globe ended the streamed performances and started doing shows in front of a live audience. Crotinger says the standard rate was $25 for a performance that was two or three sets long. Tips were highly variable, but Crotinger estimated that on an average Saturday night he might make $30 to $50 in tips.

Most drag performers would be classified as independent contractors, which are exempt from Washington State’s Minimum Wage Act. To determine if someone is an independent contractor, the Department of Labor makes evaluations on a case-by-case basis using factors such as permanence of the worker, degree of skill required for the job and how much control the business has over the worker.

There’s a lot of labor and money that goes into drag.

Crotinger spent over $700 on his outfit for a Pride month boat cruise on June 5. The cruise was two hours long, and Crotinger had to be there an hour early to greet guests. Before that, he spent several hours getting into his makeup and outfit. In the days leading up to the cruise, even more time went into planning and practicing the performance. The Globe paid the performers $15 each for the entire event on top of tips, Crotinger says.

Despite being told they weren’t employees, Crotinger says it often felt like they had to follow a LETTERS strict set of arbitrary Send comments to rules. editor@inlander.com.

On multiple occasions, the performers asked to put a fan on stage to help with the intense heat of the spotlights (and a windblown hair aesthetic).

Crotinger says they were told no without being given a reason. He also says songs with the n-word weren’t allowed, and performers were told they couldn’t change out of drag until the end of the night after they’d been paid.

But the rules didn’t apply to everyone.

The Globe books out-of-town performers on a semiregular basis. On the weekend after the Pride boat cruise, the Globe booked Plastique Tiara, a well-known drag queen who has appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race. When Tiara asked to have a fan on stage? Crotinger says management was fine with it and didn’t ask any questions. Tiara also left the stage multiple times during the performance, something Crotinger says the local performers were told they couldn’t do.

Performers interviewed for this story say that they don’t know Tiara’s exact booking fee but that it was in the thousands. Tiara’s booking agency did not reply to a request for comment. However, in a 2018 series on the economics of drag, the Stranger newspaper reported on how queens who had been on RuPaul often have booking fees in the thousands of dollars. That night, Crotinger says, the local performers were paid $15.

“They bring outsiders in and treat them like royalty, but the people that are actually here to help your bar stay afloat, we get treated like dogs,” says Sativa Heather Black St. James, a member of the Collective who asked to be identified by her drag name.

Sativa and Crotinger both stress that their problem is with management and ownership, not with the outsiders who came in to perform. Tiara was wonderful to work with, they say, and even donated all of the tips she made during the Pride show to local performers.

Performers interviewed for this story declined to go into details about how much other venues in Spokane pay for drag performances, but they said the rates at the Globe were significantly lower. The Stranger reported in 2018 that most clubs pay a $30-$60 flat fee. Regular

Sativa Heather Black St. James performs last Saturday. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO performers at Spokane’s nYne Bar and Bistro are on the payroll and are paid by the hour.

Crotinger says it wasn’t just about the money; the bigger issue was that they weren’t being heard.

“We were advocating to the people that we were told that we were supposed to advocate to,” Crotinger says.

“They would float it up the line and then say, ‘This is what they want,’ and then the person at the top of the line would say, ‘No,’ and that’s where the conversation would end.”

S

ome of the regular performers started to discuss forming the Collective in May, but they kept it under wraps until two days after the Plastique Tiara show, when they sent a letter to Wilburn that outlined a list of terms and conditions and said they would stop performing at the Globe unless the terms were met in full.

The Collective met with Wilburn and the management team on June 16. To avoid the chaos that would ensue if everyone talked at the same time, the Collective chose Crotinger and Sativa to act as spokespeople. They clung to each other throughout the meeting. “[The] Collective was just there to act as a steel wall,” says Sable Jones St. James, who tuned into the meeting via FaceTime. (Sable is a drag mother to some members of the Collective; queens in the same drag family often use the same last name.)

Sable and the other performers describe an immediate air of disrespect and condescension. They say they were interrupted on multiple occasions and at one point were referred to as “spoiled brats.” Sable, who was watching remotely, sent texts to the Collective group chat that said “LEAVE” and “GET OUT.” The Collective’s first request was for payment to be restructured. The performers wanted a $25 booking fee, $25 per number performed and a cast performance budget of $300 a show. The Collective offered to forfeit their food and beverage discounts to help offset the cost.

The letter included a number of other requests, including a fan onstage, a meeting with ownership every three months, a restructuring of the performance schedule and for the Globe to issue a statement of public remorse for disparaging remarks made toward other venues.

The Collective also wanted an end to the ban on songs with the n-word. During the meeting, three performers interviewed for this story remember someone from the management team saying they wouldn’t change the policy because “We don’t do angry music here. I don’t care if it’s rap, hip-hop or White angry dude music.”

Sativa, who is Black, felt like the policy limited their

ability to culturally express themselves.

“When you put me in a box and tell me I can’t do everything else that’s outside that box, I don’t want to be there, because I feel like I’m not being able to express myself the way I feel I can and being my authentic self,” Sativa says.

The Collective wanted to know within 24 hours if the Globe planned to meet the terms. Crotinger says they were willing to be flexible, but that management said it wasn’t enough time. The performers say management and ownership told them what they were asking for wasn’t feasible.

The meeting was already going downhill, but then one of the managers made a comment about how drag doesn’t cost any money.

For Crotinger and many of the other queens, that felt like the final straw.

The meeting lasted about an hour. Afterward, the Collective decided that even if the terms were met, they still wouldn’t want to come back after the way they had been treated. The drama escaped to social media. One member of management made a post alluding to “snakes and flakes”; another Globe staffer appeared to compare the event to the stabbing of Julius Caesar.

Several of the performers posted their accounts of the meeting on Facebook. Crotinger says this led to five members of the bar staff quitting. In a voicemail listened to by the Inlander, a member of the management team berates one of the bar staff for walking out midshift. “If you left because of something you read on Facebook, but did not bother to verify, then I guess I’m glad you left,” the manager says.

Drag queens banding together for better conditions is rare, but not unheard of. In 2019, Alexis Atauri started Werk is Work, a campaign that aimed to ensure fair pay for drag performers in the Bay Area. Atauri said that drag queens, especially those from marginalized communities, are frequently undercompensated for their labor.

Atauri doesn’t think a drag union is the solution but said it’s important that performers have the tools to work together and ensure fair treatment.

“Especially with new people coming into the drag fold, there needs to be an open conversation and a benchmark, a sort of starting point to avoid these places where I see bar owners and other producers take advantage of new talent,” Atauri says.

The Collective’s relationship with the Globe is finished, they say, but the work is just beginning. Crotinger says the Collective has been hard at work booking shows at new venues and trying to bring the art to audiences outside the traditional drag scene.

“Now,” says Crotinger, “the hustle begins.” n

JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 11

NEWS | HEALTH state to take action against a public employee for things they do on their own time,” Billig says. “I’m trying to think as a legislator: What are the implications for state employees generally speaking their own mind on local issues? And does it hurt us in terms of retaining or recruiting people to work on behalf of the citizens of Washington state?”

Lutz, interviewed in the investigation of Henry’s email, expressed disappointment that Henry was punished, records show.

“I feel very badly if her career is adversely impacted by my situation. There was a lot of fallout at the SRHD,” Lutz said. “Feels like collateral damage.”

F

ollowing Lutz’s dismissal, the relationship between the local health district and the state Department of Health was shaky. Former Health Secretary John Wiesman said publicly last fall that he was “concerned about how things have transpired” as the state Board of Health began its investigation into the matter. The state health department, meanwhile, hired Lutz.

But on Feb. 8, new Secretary of Health Shah came to Spokane to meet with members of the Spokane Board of Health in an effort to increase “transparency and trust” between the agencies, state records show. Not knowing about the email, he asked Henry, who lives in Spokane, to accompany him.

When Clark found out Henry was coming, Henry says Clark asked Henry’s sister-in-law, a health district employee, to print off the Oct. 30 email. Spokane County Commissioner Mary Kuney, chair of the local health Erika Henry, a top state health official, was fired for an email that called Spokane’s health administrator Amelia Clark a “weakling.” YOUNG KWAK PHOTO board, says that before the meeting, she, Clark and Vice Chair Kevin Freeman discussed the email together.

The meeting quickly turned sour when Freeman, also the mayor of Millwood, confronted Henry in front of the room of around a dozen people. Shah later described feeling “blindsided” by the tense interaction during which Freeman said the email made it more difficult to trust the state health department.

Henry says she began “bawling” and texting Chief of Staff Todorovich from the bathroom. Those texts, which Henry provided to the Inlander, further reveal friction between the state department and local health district.

In the texts, Todorovich at one point says, “Freeman

BY WILSON CRISCIONE sounds as petty as she is,” referring to Clark. ike many Spokane citizens, Erika Henry was Her termination is another significant shake-up “I didn’t have any idea that she would attack you?? incensed to learn that Spokane Health Officer Bob among top personnel during the pandemic at the DepartWhat a terrible person,” Todorovich wrote.

Lutz was being fired in the middle of a pandemic. ment of Health, which in December welcomed a new Todorovich also said in text messages that Clark So on Oct. 30, she emailed the Spokane Board of secretary of health, Umair Shah, following the departure tried to stop Shah from hiring Torney Smith, the former Health, taking aim at health district administrator Amelia of former Secretary John Wiesman.

Spokane Regional Health District administrator before Clark, who announced that day that Lutz had been let It also represents the continued fallout from the Clark. Todorovich said that made Shah “frustrated.” Shah go. controversial ouster of Lutz last fall. On Oct. 30, Clark hired Smith anyway.

“I’m writing to say that I am appalled by the [Board announced that Lutz was no longer the health officer “Dr. Shah has great respect for Lutz and Torney of Health’s] support of Amelia Clark’s baseless claims even though Lutz had not resigned and Clark had [Smith]. They are both proof that Spokane is off their against Dr. Lutz. Many of you know him personally and no authority to fire him without board approval. The game,” Todorovich wrote. professionally, have for years. Yet you let an insecure Spokane Board of Health voted to fire Before the Feb. 8 meeting ended, Kuney weakling of a leader strong-arm you into ousting him Lutz days later, but the Washington handed Shah an envelope labeled “ConfiLETTERS based on vague claims of what… personality conflict?”

State Board of Health is now deciddential, for Dr. Shah.” It contained both the Send comments to Henry’s email began. “Tell her to grow up and do her ing whether Clark fired Lutz illegally Oct. 30 email from Henry and a separate editor@inlander.com. job.” before then and whether that warrants email from Smith that was written in supThe problem, at least according to the state Departher removal. port of Lutz. Once Shah saw Henry’s email, ment of Health, is that Henry was a high-ranking state Health district spokesperson Kelli Hawkins says he was “livid and shocked,” he’d later tell an investigator health official, holding the position of assistant secretary Clark was unavailable for an interview for this article. from the health department’s human resources. Henry for emergency preparedness and response. The DepartThe state health department, in a statement, says Henry was put on leave as the investigation was conducted. ment of Health fired Henry last month, with Chief of “has been afforded all due process to which she’s entitled.

Clark was the first person the investigator talked Staff Jessica Todorovich calling Henry’s email “egregious” We now have an impending appeal and respectfully to. When asked whether Clark thought Henry could and “highly aggressive, inappropriate and disrespectful” decline to comment further.” continue in her job, Clark “thought for approximately in a disciplinary letter obtained by the Inlander.

State Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, thirty seconds,” records show, before answering that “she Henry feels that being fired for a personal email is a says that while he doesn’t have enough details to comdid not think so.” violation of her First Amendment right to free speech. ment specifically on Henry’s termination, he does think it Clark then expressed gratitude that the state was “I wrote that from my personal email on personal raises a broader question of what a public employee can investigating Henry, saying Shah “did a lot to build trust, time,” Henry tells the Inlander. “I used my real email and say if they aren’t using state resources. did his due diligence, built good faith, and we feel [we] real name. I thought it was important to do.”

“I believe the threshold should be very high for the were listened to,” records show.

‘Collateral Damage’ A top state health official was fired over a personal email targeting the Spokane Regional Health District for ousting its health officer

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n May 19, Todorovich wrote a letter notifying Henry she was being fired.

The letter called out Henry’s word choice and tone in the email. It noted that Henry is a “visible, high-profile leader” for the Department of Health and that sending the email to the Spokane Board of Health “presents an apparent conflict of interest.” The Spokane Regional Health District receives funding from the state health department based in part on the input from the Emergency Preparedness and Response division, which Henry was leading at the time.

This, however, was a departure from Todorovich’s initial reaction when she heard of Henry’s email. Texts from Todorovich on Feb. 8 — before she’d seen the email — show that she told Henry she had “every right to express yourself as a private citizen to your local board.”

“Everybody had an opinion, and the last I checked, we are entitled to that opinion.”

In fact, Henry consulted with two legislative policy analysts with the Department of Health before sending the email in the first place. They told her sending an email as a private citizen was a “protected right.” Henry did not share the content of the email with them before sending it.

One of those policy analysts, Travis Nichols, also sent an email Oct. 30 to the personal account of Ben Wick, then the chair of the board of health. Nichols wrote that he’s “baffled as to why in the world you, as someone I know, trust and respect, would allow, much less support, a request for Dr. Lutz’s termination,” records show. Nichols says he has not faced any professional consequences for doing so.

Henry’s message was more combative, suggesting Clark was incompetent, has a “lack of fortitude,” and that she “cowers from criticism.” She says now that if she’d known the consequences for writing the email the way she did, she wouldn’t have written it.

But she maintains that the Department of Health shouldn’t punish her for expressing her personal opinion as a Spokane resident affected by Lutz’s ouster.

“They say that had I written a different email, things would have been different,” Henry says. “And I don’t know where that line is. How much would I have had to have pulled back?”

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or his part, Freeman says his goal in confronting Henry on Feb. 8 was not to intimidate Henry nor to get her fired, even though he thought the email was an inappropriate “ad hominem attack” against Clark.

“If Kevin Freeman of the city of Millwood can influence the Department of Health, I don’t know what to say about that,” Freeman says.

Betsy Wilkerson, Spokane City Council and Spokane Board of Health member, says firing Henry for her personal email was wrong.

“I think it’s a free speech issue. Last I counted, I received about 1,800 emails [about Lutz],” Wilkerson says. “Everybody had an opinion, and the last I checked, we are entitled to that opinion.”

Wilkerson argues that it’s Clark who has damaged the community’s trust in the health district.

Henry has appealed her termination to the state’s Personnel Resources Board. But beyond her own dismissal from the Department of Health, Henry says she’s concerned that the Spokane Board of Health is spending energy tracking down emails from citizens opposed to them firing Lutz.

“People in Spokane should care that their board of health is taking vindictive action against people who spoke out against what they did,” Henry says. n wilsonc@inlander.com

JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 13

NEWS | PUBLIC HEALTH

Dawn Wiksten, who founded Friends of the River Coalition, points out an old county dump site across the Coeur d’Alene River. A campsite (now for private family use) was built right next to the contaminated area.

Risky Mud Pies

Neighbors worried that recreation is exposing kids to toxins on the Coeur d’Alene River form a nonprofit to address issues

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

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ast Saturday, just as a historic heat wave hit the Northwest, thousands of people took to the north fork of the Coeur d’Alene River in Shoshone County, Idaho.

Groups on inner tubes and unicorn floaties and kayaks and rafts floated the crystal-clear waters after parking wherever they could find space along stretches of road lining either side of the river.

Some park their RVs for weekend getaways throughout the summer on private property rented along the river in this county of about 12,600 people. Others set up canopies and barbecues on any beach or rocky “sand bar” they can find. Locals say litter and trespassing can be common problems.

Meanwhile, kids splash each other as they run up and down the shores playing in the shallows — shallows that, in many places, are highly contaminated with toxic levels of lead, arsenic, mercury and more.

Booming recreation has come with a swath of problems for the region, but the risk to kids is what concerns some residents like Dawn Wiksten and her husband, Sid Clark, who live at the confluence of the north and south forks of the river.

“When you see the children playing there, you just go, ‘Oh my God,’” Wiksten says.

The contamination isn’t new, and neither is the lack of alarm among many who choose to live, work and play in the Silver Valley.

14 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

Sid Clark and Dawn Wiksten

SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL PHOTO

Home to the Bunker Hill Superfund site, which is heavily contaminated with metals from historic mining and smelting, the region is undergoing a decades-long cleanup spearheaded by the Environmental Protection Agency.

But as waters that once ran gray and orange with mining waste and sewage now run clear, and hills that were once yellow and barren are again forested, many people are drawn to areas that old-timers say they were not allowed to play in.

“All of the bare-naked land from the mining is done, we’re green again, so people figure now, ‘Let’s go back to it,’” Wiksten says.

But like other parts of the Superfund site that are being capped or moved to landfills, the beaches along the Coeur d’Alene River contain dangerous pollutants.

SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL PHOTO

Government agencies say the river is uniquely difficult to clean.

“We’ve remediated over 7,500 properties in the Superfund site itself, but the river itself is a challenge, because how do you clean up a river? It’s constantly flowing,” says Mary Rehnborg, program manager for Panhandle Health District’s Institutional Controls Program, which works on cleanup in the valley. “There’s places we have that have got 20 feet deep of contamination. It’s still something EPA, [the Department of Environmental Quality] and [the health district] are all working on together to come up with different approaches to.”

For Wiksten and Clark, their concern is largely about Shoshone County and other government agencies allowing families to camp and play along contaminated parts of the river. At first, they worried about a neighbor renting out 10 RV spaces starting last year. Not only are kids at risk, but the area is a floodway, so contamination could shift anytime the river has a high water event.

But as they got involved in fighting that campsite — which has since been sold to a family that doesn’t plan to rent it out — the couple learned far more about the larger issues with recreation along the river and decided to form a nonprofit called Friends of the River Coalition.

The 900-member and growing coalition — mostly made up of Shoshone residents, Wiksten says — intends to step in to help the river where they feel agencies in the area won’t, from helping pay for dumpsters so river users don’t leave their garbage everywhere, to posting their own signs to ensure everyone who plays there knows the risks.

“What else is going on on this river that is dangerous and opens us up as a county to problems down the road?” Wiksten asks. “If you don’t know that an area is contaminated, you’re playing, your kids are there, you’re camping there, you’re recreating in these areas. There’s a certain amount of right and wrong going on here that is so evident.”

PUBLIC AWARENESS

First and foremost, Wiksten and Clark worry that people

newly visiting the area won’t know what they’re letting their kids play in.

Clark has worked in the Enaville area for 30-plus years and says while camping along the river here isn’t a new thing, the number of visitors has absolutely exploded in the last two or so years.

“Idaho has been exposed as a cheap date,” Clark says.

Neighboring Kootenai County has seen rapid growth, with roughly 27,000 people moving in over the last decade, according to census data.

While Shoshone County’s population hasn’t grown during that same period, many who live in Kootenai and other close Idaho and Washington counties come there to recreate. With Idaho open for business while Washington was closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the issue got worse, Clark says.

Wiksten, who has a 17-year-old autistic son, and Clark, who has small grandchildren, have been aware of pollution in the area for years.

Panhandle Health, for its part, has worked to educate the public about the dangers of lead and other exposures throughout the valley.

On the properties surrounding Wiksten and Clark, there used to be health district signs that warned visitors not to get in the dirt. But those were removed when the properties were sold.

Rehnborg says the district can’t force people to display signs on private properties that access the river, but the district does have new fluorescent signs that can be posted voluntarily. They encourage property owners to inform guests about contamination.

Wiksten and Clark were so worried about the signs coming down that they erected their own large brown metal sign on their land warning people about the nearby contamination.

Meanwhile at public access sites, and on social media and the radio, the district issues warnings, Rehnborg says. People are told to pack in their own water to drink (even filtered river water shouldn’t be consumed), wash their hands for 20 seconds before eating anything (hand sanitizer won’t remove lead), and to remove as much dirt as possible from clothes and belongings so it isn’t tracked home.

“Unfortunately … a lot of people who grew up here don’t think the mine waste is a big issue, and they let their kids play in it, and there’s nothing we can do to tell them not to,” Rehnborg says. “There’s a lot of people here who think it’s fake and it’s been hyped up.”

The new owners of the RV site, Dennis Spencer and his wife, plan only to invite family and friends there. They feel common sense goes a long way in a world full of dangerous things.

“We are so surrounded by pesticides and poisons and contaminants, that there’s no way of escaping it in our society unfortunately, so I’m a firm believer in moderation in all things,” Spencer says. “If you’re not wallowing in the dirt, sticking it in your face, making mud pies, and you clean up good before you head home, I’m assuming you greatly lessen your exposure to anything.”

The district can tell people about the dangers, Rehnborg says, but they can’t shut down recreation along the river.

“We really do want to protect people out there, but we are in Idaho, and this state is pretty anti-government and anti-regulation,” Rehnborg says. “So we’ve got a tough job of trying to get people to listen, without having strict laws behind us to tell them what they can and can’t do.”

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MOVING FORWARD

Friends of the River Coalition will hold its first fundraiser on Aug. 14 at the Shoshone Golf Club to raise money to pay for dumpsters along the river so locals don’t have to deal with as much refuse left by irresponsible campers.

They also hope, over time, to ensure things aren’t just being rubber-stamped in the area.

“We love the recreation aspect of this area; that’s why we live here,” Wiksten says. “It’s just so beautiful everyone wants to be here, and that makes sense. But we have to have some regulations. … Or we just need the agencies we have to be serious about the regulations that are already there.” n samanthaw@inlander.com

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Where Art Meets Recreation Fly Fish Spokane guides people through nature right in the heart of the community

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STORY BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

ly fishing guides won’t likely tell you their real secrets to success right away (you’ve got to earn the privilege), but there’s one tip they’ll readily share, even with perfect strangers: Fly fishing is way easier to get into than you think.

That’s not to say there isn’t an incredible amount of information to be learned about fly fishing, from specialty techniques using specific rods and flies, to the complex art of tying flies themselves.

For instance, Cheney retiree and avid fisherman Rob Driscoll recalls taking a fly-tying class when he was in middle school, when his teacher insisted a particularly complicated fly would take them six months to learn to tie properly.

“People say, ‘Is fly fishing a sport, recreation, a hobby?’ For me it’s been an avocation,” Driscoll says, “but I think since I retired, looking at it, it’s really art. …

You can continue to learn more and more about it.”

Thankfully for the rest of us, you don’t have to know all the detailed ins and outs before you can get out on the water for that magical, personal connection with nature.

In fact, just this spring, Driscoll started up Fly Fish Spokane guide company to help more people access the Spokane River fishery, where redband trout are the prize to be caught and released.

The company offers guided fishing trips in and around Spokane, either on float boats that can hold up to two anglers and a guide, or on walk-and-wade trips where up to three anglers can go with a guide and learn more about specific creeks and trails.

Driscoll says he was inspired to start the company after reading the Inlander’s “Big Ideas” issue in April, in which the paper asked local thought leaders how Spokane could be improved. Downtown Spokane Partnership President and CEO Mark Richard suggested Spokane incentivize more companies to offer urban recreation on the river.

Driscoll had already been leading fishing tours all over Montana in his retirement, even as he spends most of his time in Cheney with his wife, a professor at Eastern Washington University, and his son who’s attending Gonzaga Prep. Upon reading Richard’s pitch, Driscoll called Richard up for a coffee and set about making the Spokane guide company a reality.

“I could not believe this urban fishery is such a secret,” Driscoll says. “Montana’s one of the best fishing spots in the world, but I believe the Spokane River is an excellent fishery right here in town.”

Richard was pleasantly surprised to hear from the passionate fisherman so quickly, and the two talked about how Driscoll could partner with local businesses and get the word out about the guided fishing trips in hotels and other places where visitors can find more information about recreation opportunities.

THE OUTDOORS ISSUE For those relatively new to the sport of fly fishing, wading into the water is an easy way to get started and only requires a pair of waders.

INSIDE LETTERBOXING 20 ON THE WATER 22 ROCK CLIMBING 24

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JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 17

THE OUTDOORS ISSUE “WHERE ART MEETS RECREATION,” CONTINUED...

“This is so Spokane … I don’t think people realize how special Spokane is: All you need is an idea and the courage to pick up the phone, and stuff like this can happen,” Richard says. “He’s got this love and passion for the outdoors, and he’s got this expertise he can put to it.”

GUIDED TOURS

Driscoll has three guides to lead Spokane River trips, and the company’s been taking people out on the river since May. The licensed guides include Marc Fryt, a 32-yearold former scout helicopter pilot for the Army and a wilderness first responder; Ethan Fields, a 21-year-old emergency medical technician and starting linebacker for Whitworth University; and Ethan Crawford, an 18-yearold recent Lewis and Clark High School graduate.

Fryt got into fly fishing while he was serving in the military.

“I was in the Army, stationed out in Tacoma, so that’s how I got into fly fishing, just as a way to kind of escape from the Army a little bit,” Fryt says.

One of the things that was most surprising to him as he learned more about the sport is that it’s not just for catching trout. He’s caught everything from bonefish in the Caribbean to carp in the downtown Los Angeles River.

Most of the time the barbless, baitless fishing technique is just catch and release, which Fryt says has led some people to ask why he enjoys it.

“I kind of say, ‘Well, for mountain climbing, why do you climb mountains?’ They say, ‘Well, because they’re there,’” Fryt says. “‘Why do you fish?’ Because they’re there.”

FROM LEFT: Fly Fish Spokane’s Ethan Fields, owner Rob Driscoll, Marc Fryt and Ethan Crawford along the Spokane River.

Fields, who will be a Whitworth senior studying health science this fall, was first introduced to the sport while on a Yellowstone trip with his grandfather at the age of 4. He started seriously picking it up as a high school freshman in Bellingham, and has continued with the passion here in Spokane.

“I think a lot of people look at fly fishing as just one thing, and what I’ve come to find over the last few years is that it’s an ever-evolving sport,” Fields says. “There’s all these different types of fly fishing within the actual sport itself. If you get bored of one thing, you move onto the next.”

Crawford has a particularly deep passion for fly fishing as it helped him through a very difficult time in his

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life. When Crawford was 9, his father gave him a fly rod shortly before dying from cancer.

“Since then … it’s my way to escape everything that’s going on. It was a way to grieve over his death,” Crawford says. “I could go up into the mountains and just cast around flies on little trout creeks and get away from everything that was going on. For me it’s been a really important part of my life.”

Crawford says his father wasn’t actually someone who went fly fishing, but with that gift he sparked a lifelong passion in his son.

“I think he just wanted something for me to remember him by — something active I could do,” Crawford says.

Starting at that young age, Crawford would fish alone in the early mornings on group camping trips through his church, and he has since soaked up as much knowledge as he can.

“It’s my way of life. It would be an understatement to say I love it,” Crawford says.

For those relatively new to the sport, Crawford says that, of course, a boat trip can be fun, but a walk-and-wade trip may offer the most knowledge you can turn around and use on your own, since a pair of waders are a lot cheaper than a raft.

“If you were a beginner, I would say wading is easier because you can do it without the help of someone else, but OFFERINGS you still need to know Introductory classes with Fly Fish Spowhere to go and where to kane for up to four anglers start at $200 present the flies,” Crawfor three hours of instruction. Guided ford says. “I have really trips range up to $415 for a full day trip honed in on my skills to for two with lunch and nonalcoholic bevtie different types of flies. erages included. None of the class costs I think that’s really iminclude the cost of a state freshwater portant for a new person, fishing license, which you can buy online they really need to take at wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/fishing. the time to learn what’s in the water, because Other area outfitters and guides include that’s what you’re imitatSilver Bow Fly Shop, Northwest Outfitters ing, is whatever they’re and ROW Adventures. eating.”

Driscoll also notes that there’s something special about wading, which can be more dangerous than boating.

“The water is a special thing to fly fishermen and women,” Driscoll says. “To have that water rushing around you and your waders … Wade fishing for me has always been more tranquil, and the reason for that is you’re just you and the river.”

Just a few months into operating, the team is fielding calls from

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all sorts of people who are interested in fly fishing, from visitors to Spokane to locals who don’t yet know some of the best local spots to go.

Fields says it’s been cool to see people from Spokane who’ve never been fishing on the Spokane River before, and helping them realize the access they’ve had available all along.

“You get right out of town, and you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, and a lot of people don’t know about that,” Fields says. “It’s a cool experience.”

The crew mostly met in various ways through Swede’s Fly Shop in the Garland District, and one of the team’s tips for anyone who wants to get started is to go hang out there and speak to the owner and regulars about fishing.

Driscoll and Crawford also emphasize that the best way to start is just getting out there, and not being intimidated or afraid to try it.

“The best practice is doing it. I’ve only taken one fly-fishing class,” Crawford says. “The best way to learn how to catch fish is going out there and trying your flies and trying your rigs and casting in the water and learning how the water interacts with the flies and the line.” n

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THE OUTDOORS ISSUE

Letter-what?

Unlike geocaching, which uses coordinates to find the cache, letterboxing uses clues posted online by the creator of the letterbox to navigate to the treasure.

Letterboxing is a great addition to any hike, geocaching adventure or time spent outdoors

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ome of my favorite childhood memories of being outdoors revolve around an activity called letterboxing. You may or may not have heard of it, but I recommend letterboxing to anyone who enjoys hiking, geocaching or even just exploring the great outdoors.

So what is letterboxing, exactly? It’s sort of a treasure hunt, sort of an outdoor exploration activity.

A letterbox consists of a weatherproof box, which holds a unique, often handcrafted stamp and a notebook for those who find it to sign, stamp and date. The person who creates and places the letterbox posts a list of clues and a general location of where the letterbox can be found to online forums devoted to letterboxing.

The goal is to use the clues to find the letterbox.

Some clues might even include bonus letterboxes, or some might have clues that lead to a cluster of letterboxes in one area. Usually the location of the letterbox is off a hiking trail or in a park; so if you’re planning on hiking anyway, letterboxing could be a great addition to your plans.

Unlike geocaching, which uses coordinates to find the cache, letterboxing uses clues posted online by the creator of the letterbox to navigate to the treasure. Instead of taking a small trinket and leaving one in return, the reward for letterboxing is the unique stamp that you stamp in your own notebook as a record of having found the let-

20 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

BY LILLIAN PIEL terbox. recent letterboxes. Under the “letterboxes” tab, click on If you decide to set out on your own letterboxing “search clues” and search by area. Spokane has a long list adventure, I recommend bringing a small notebook, an of clues for letterboxes. ink pad to use with the stamp inside the letterbox, a pen Another place to find letterboxing clues is atlasquest. or pencil, and a small stamp of your own to leave your com. A self-described “letterboxing community,” Atlas mark in the notebook that stays inside the letterbox to Quest also lists letterboxes by location, provides tips for show that you successfully found it. new letterboxers and even lists upcomIt’s always fun to look through each leting letterboxing events by area. It also LETTERS terbox’s record book, admire the signature features blogs and allows for members Send comments to stamps of people who found the treasure to send messages to other members of editor@inlander.com. before you, and see when they visited and the letterboxing community. how long the letterbox has been around.

Atlas Quest also has a long list of When I was growing up in the Pacific Northwest, my letterboxes in Spokane, in locations from Riverfront Park family and our close friends would spend time searchto Spokane Valley to Finch Arboretum. I recommend ing through forests, hiking trails and local parks for little searching for letterboxes in Spokane first, then find ones rubber stamps. It wasn’t always easy, especially when that pique your interest based on their location, the clues clues were vague, (my personal favorite was the time we and their difficulty. were in a forest and the clue told us to look for a tree), Whether it’s an area you’re already familiar with or but it was always rewarding once we finally found the someplace you’ve never been, get together with family letterbox. or friends and try out searching for letterboxes for a fun To get started on your own letterboxing adventure, outdoor activity that will add to any hike or time spent peruse some of the more popular letterboxing sites to find in a park. out more about it and what letterboxes are in your area.

It’s been awhile since I’ve used my little letterboxing Letterboxing.org is a good place to start — you can notebook, but I think I’ll have to get it out this summer search for letterboxes by location or name, and it also and make some new memories finding letterboxes in provides tips for getting started, and popular and most Spokane. n

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THE OUTDOORS ISSUE

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one block west of Altamont, two blocks north of Sprague

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Stay Cool Playing on the region’s rivers, streams and lakes is part of what makes the Inland Northwest an outdoorsy paradise

BY WILL MAUPIN

T

he Inland Northwest seems on the surface like a near-desert compared to the rainsoaked lands west of the Cascades, but look closer and you’ll find water everywhere.

From the massive glacial lakes of North Idaho down to the almost pond-sized water bodies pockmarking the region, and the many rivers that flow between them all, the Inland Northwest truly is a paradise of recreation.

On a hot summer’s day, of which we’ve already had quite a few, one of the easiest ways to stay cool is by heading to the water.

“Over the summer, our primary focus is getting people outside and on the water,” says Ryan Griffith, assistant recreation director for outdoor programs at Spokane Parks and Recreation. “We live in an amazing area that has flatwater sections

of the Spokane River, [and] we have an abundance of lakes in our area that we get to go out and paddle.”

You don’t need to have any experience out on the water to enjoy our region’s natural splendor, though. As long as you’re willing to give it a go, with an organization like the Parks Department or on your own, you can be at ease on the water this summer by taking a few precautions.

“If you’re new to it, you want to make sure that you have the right equipment and you plan ahead and prepare,” says Griffith. “The key thing is to have a PFD (personal flotation device — i.e., a life jacket) and always wear it, no matter what.

That’s the single most important thing you can do if you go out and paddle.”

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Rule No. 1: Always wear your personal flotation device. Always. downtown and the rapids that cut through Bowl and Pitcher may dominate the postcards and promotional materials put out about Spokane, the river isn’t just whitewater. The shady and scenic Plese Flats in Riverside State Park is a section of the Spokane River perfect for paddleboarders of all experience levels. If you don’t have your own gear, sign up for one of the Parks Department’s two guided tours of the area on Aug. 8. All supplies, including paddles, boards and PFDs, are provided for just $25.

If you’re looking to get a bit closer to nature and farther from the bustle of the city, without having to make much of a drive, the Little Spokane River Natural Area is well worth a trip. Being a natural area, activities on the water are rather restrictive. Canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are allowed, but inflatable rafts and tubes, motorized boats and even swimming are prohibited. It takes about three hours to paddle the leisurely, meandering course from the put-in at St. George’s trailhead to the takeout at Nine Mile. If you’ve got your own supplies, including a PFD and safety whistle, the Parks Department operates a $10 shuttle, from 10 am to 4 pm Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 5, that will haul you and your boat from the takeout back to your car at the put-in.

Wanting a more stationary experience than the moving water of a river? Look to the lakes.

Lake Coeur d’Alene is among the closest and most popular in the region, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have to fight through a crowd if you visit. Sanders Beach, located directly to the east of Tubbs Hill, is something of a locals’ spot on the water, great for lounging away from the hordes of tourists flocking to City Beach all season long. Just out of town to the east is the rocky but scenic Higgens Point. It’s not a towel-on-the-sand beach, but it’s a great place to avoid the crowds altogether without having to leave civilization in the process. n

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JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 23 RepublicRegionalVisitorsConBureau_SummerGuide_061021_9S_WT_NEW.pdf

THE OUTDOORS ISSUE

Baby Steps

There are two main types of outdoor climbing: Sport climbing involves climbing on routes with permanently fixed anchors. Trad (traditional) climbing involves placing your own anchors on the rock while you climb.

Tips from a pro on how to start rock climbing in the Inland Northwest

BY NATE SANFORD

24 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

K

elty Godby says people will often tell him they’re afraid of heights and could never go rock climbing.

His go-to response? “All climbers are afraid of heights; that’s why we’re alive.”

Godby is the lead guide and owner of Inland Northwest Climbing Outfitters, which he founded in 2019. Over the past few years, Golby says interest in the sport has increased rapidly at both the local and national levels.

If you’re looking to hit the rocks for the first time, you’ll need gear. Godby says NW Outfitters and REI in Spokane are both good places to look. There are four main items you’ll need to get started:

1) Climbing shoes. These should be tight, but not painfully so. They can be rented or purchased from most outdoor stores.

You can also save money by buying a used pair.

2) A harness. Golby strongly advises against buying used harnesses.

3) A chalk bag. (Pro tip: If you’re climbing in the winter, put hand warmers inside your chalk bag, your fingers will thank you later.)

4) A helmet. Some climbers don’t see helmets as necessary, but Godby says they’ve saved his skull on multiple occasions.

Outdoor climbing also requires ropes, belay devices and anchor materials, but if you’re climbing with someone experienced they should already have them, and you’ll be set with just the four basics.

For first-timers, having someone to show you the ropes (pun intended) can be helpful. Godby says a dedicated person with a high risk tolerance can hypothetically piece together the basics from books and YouTube, but that some things are best learned from in-person instruction.

The Spokane Mountaineers offer regular classes in outdoor rock climbing. Godby also teaches beginner courses on his property outside Tumtum. Godby says one of the most important things a beginner climber can do is find a mentor who can push them and keep them motivated on their climbing journey.

Some new climbers learn the basics in indoor climbing gyms before heading outdoors. Godby, who learned to climb at the U.S Army’s Northern Warfare Training Center in Alaska, says indoor training can be helpful, but it isn’t necessarily required.

“If you’re going to climb outside, you should get outside early on and not just stick to the gym.”

“I tell people that the gyms are a great place to go for training, but if you’re going to climb outside, you should get outside early on and not just stick to the gym because it’s going to get more and more intimidating,” Godby says.

Once you do get outside, there are two main types of climbing to choose from. Sport climbing involves climbing on routes with permanently fixed anchors that provide fall protection. Trad (traditional) climbing involves placing your own anchors on the rock while you climb. Trad climbing typically requires more knowledge and experience, so beginners typically start with sport climbing.

Godby usually recommends beginners check out the Rocks of Sharon and Q’emiln, both of which have a number of good sport and trad climbs. If you’re looking for something closer to Spokane, Cliff Drive and Minnehaha are popular spots.

The Spokane climbing community is growing rapidly. Godby says climbers in the area used to be more guarded with their routes, but over the past few years the sport has seen a surge in popularity and accessibility. There’s still plenty of unexplored rock. Godby says he thinks there are more first ascents waiting to be climbed in the Inland Northwest than anywhere else in the country.

One of the biggest lessons Godby tries to impart on new climbers is the need to stay humble and aware of the potential dangers. Around six months in, many new climbers hit a point where they start to feel invincible and overconfident in their abilities, he says.

“When you start to lose the fear, that’s when it’s time to do some self-reflection and take a step back. Because you’re about to get hurt when you start to lose that fear,” Godby says.

The climbing world is abundant with terminology and lingo.

It’s a good idea to study it. Once you get started, you may find that some of it applies to you: “Gumby” (adj.) Slang term for a beginner rock climber that’s gung-ho and really excited but doesn’t really know what they’re doing. n

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Otto shows off one of the Indians’ new Operation Fly Together uniforms.

JAMES SNOOK PHOTO

COMMUNITY

Gonna Fly Now Spokane Indians launch historic partnership with Fairchild Air Force Base to support local veterans

BY DAN NAILEN

A

t least a couple times a year, the viral video from a decade ago gains new life. Typically it happens around a patriotic holiday like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, when folks start sharing the clip of a young soldier’s tearful reunion with his twin four-year-old daughters at Avista Stadium.

The video was taken on Aug. 8, 2011, and that young soldier was Sgt. Chris Weichman, who managed to get an early break from his third tour in Afghanistan

and decided to surprise his family by popping up on the field at a Spokane Indians game. Weichman had set up the surprise with team executive Otto Klein after meeting him on a team visit to Fairchild Air Force Base a couple years earlier.

Now retired from the military and running Spokane Body Fit Boot Camp businesses with his wife, Abby, Weichman says he can tell when the video has hit social media again because members of his fitness ...continued on next page

Then-Sgt. Chris Weichman’s tearful on-field family reunion in 2011.

COURTESY SPOKANE INDIANS

JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 27

CULTURE | COMMUNITY

Sales of Operation Fly Together items will support local veterans.

JAMES SNOOK PHOTO

“GONNA FLY NOW,” CONTINUED... clubs or commenters on Facebook will suddenly recall they were at the ballpark that night.

“People will say, ‘Hey, I just saw you on a video’ and tag us,” Weichman says. “It’s had a lot of mileage. A lot.”

Weichman, who grew up in Ohio a Cleveland Indians fan, recalls how emotional it was to see his wife and daughters (his then-infant son was home with grandma), and it remains a vivid memory for all of them.

You can say the same for Klein and the thousands of fans in the park that day, as well as the thousands more who have seen the video.

“It was the No. 1 moment in my 30 years here with the team,” says Klein, now senior vice president of the Indians. “It was just emotional.

“I remember years later thinking, we’ve done several Armed Forces appreciation nights through the years, we’ve done swearing-ins, we’ve done different things on the field. We’ve always been very friendly with Fairchild, but this was just something different.”

That night planted a seed in the community-minded Klein’s thinking that the ball club should have some sort of partnership with Fairchild Air Force Base. After all, he likes to say, what’s more all-American than baseball? Maybe apple pie, but it’s close.

T +

Now on Inlander.com: National and international stories from the New York Times to go with the fresh, local news we deliver every day

28 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

he team has forged creative partnerships before, joining with the Spokane Tribe of Indians to raise money for tribal causes while educating non-Indigenous baseball fans about tribal history, and introducing more recently the Redband Rally alongside the Spokane Tribe and City of Spokane to raise money for cleaning up the Spokane River, home to the redband trout, and to educate fans about preserving the local river.

Thinking about the team’s ongoing relationship with the local military community got Klein musing on pictures he’d seen of past team events, when young ball players and young soldiers interacted either at Avista Stadium or on a team trip to the base in Airway Heights.

“I remember seeing some photos of just one of our players shaking hands with an airman, and it’s always stuck in my mind that they were about the same age,” Klein says. “We have an 18-year-old airman meeting an 18-year-old baseball player. How different are their lives? And I just thought the community’s baseball team should be celebrating the community’s Air Force base.”

It took a few years to work out exactly what that would look like, and Klein consulted with Fairchild’s Air Force Community Partnership liaison (and Indians season ticket holder) Jeff Johnson to help forge the Operation Fly Together campaign, which officially launched this season after a COVID delay.

The agreement between Fairchild and the ball club is designed to do a few things. There’s some celebration of the base’s famous KC-135 fuel tankers, of course, and you can expect to see a mascot, KC, on the field with the Indians’ other mascots perhaps as early as next season. But more importantly, Operation Fly Together includes a fundraising component to benefit local veterans and veterans groups.

The partnership is one Klein calls “historic” in pairing a minor league ball club with a military installation, and the team has already donated $5,000 each to three vets-related groups and

causes: Newby-ginnings in North Idaho, the Spokane Tribe of Indians for a new ramp at its VFW post, and restoration of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Riverfront Park. And the Indians will raise more money for veterans through the sale of Operation Fly Together merchandise and jerseys.

You can see those jerseys on the field this Friday at Avista Stadium, one of several “Fairchild Fridays” happening the remainder of this season. In the future, Klein envisions adding more Operation Fly Together attractions to the fans’ game experience, from having a local veteran raise a flag in right field every Fairchild Friday to perhaps turning a decommissioned KC-135 into a stadium staple. It could be baseball’s most unique hot dog stand.

“We’re going to keep giving out grants, multiple grants every year, because we feel like we’re going to be able to raise good money, and we’re going to want to give it back,” Klein says.

“We’re indebted to our veterans in this community, and there’s a lot of them.

The rough estimate we were given was about 66,000 veterans live in our region, all of North Idaho and Eastern Washington. That says a lot.

They don’t have to move back here and live, but they choose to. So we want to help tell that story of why our veterans are important, and why a lot of airmen continue to come back and serve in our community after they’ve served our country.”

Weichman, one of those veterans who decided to stick around, says he’s ready to help Klein with Operation Fly Together any way he can.

“It’s awesome to hear what he came up with and how it was inspired from our experience,” Weichman says.

“It was amazing.” n

TETHER UP. EARN MORE.

1.51

% APY*

The Spokane Indians play Tri-City July 2 at 7:05 pm on a “Fairchild Friday.” For more information on Operation Fly Together, visit milb. com/spokane/community/ operationflytogether

JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 29

CULTURE | DIGEST

THE BUZZ BIN

Escape your summer day-to-day this way.

SCI-FI SUMMER Summer reading suggestions: Three classic novels from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s

O

BY CHEY SCOTT

ur home library is filled with well-worn vintage paperbacks by some of the most iconic science-fiction authors of the 20th century: Arthur C. Clarke, Frank Herbert, Ursula K. LeGuin, Ray Bradbury, Vonda N. McIntyre, Isaac Asimov and many more. I’ve read only a third of these influential classics, but the goal is to finish them all. It’s a difficult balance to stay abreast of new releases while also catching up on classics, so I’ve devised an every-other strategy: Read something “new,” then “old,” and repeat.

With summer reading season here, I’m recommending three throwback titles (coincidentally all by women authors of the Pacific Northwest) for your to-read list.

THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS

BY URSULA K. LE GUIN (1969) The late Ursula K. Le Guin produced an impressive sci-fi bibliography, including her esteemed Earthsea trilogy geared toward younger readers. The Left Hand of Darkness is considered Le Guin’s other masterpiece, and was awarded the prestigious Hugo and Nebula awards, making her the first woman to receive both. Set on the glacial planet Gethen populated by ambisexual human hybrids — mostly sexless beings who only adopt male or female reproductive traits for a few days each lunar cycle — Left Hand was one of the first sci-fi works to explore androgyny. Another major theme is gender’s influence on culture and politics. The book’s plot largely follows a male diplomat from Earth sent to Gethen to convince its nation-states to join a large interplanetary alliance. He struggles, however, as his own views on gender roles get in the way.

DREAMSNAKE

BY VONDA N. McINTYRE (1978) First, the bad news: Dreamsnake is currently out of

30 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

print, so you’ll have to find a used copy or listen via audiobook. Good news: It’s well worth the effort to track down. Dreamsnake follows a healer fittingly named Snake as she journeys across a brutal, post-nuclearholocaust landscape in Earth’s far future. Healers like Snake use the venom of genetically engineered serpents to treat all sorts of ailments, from tumors to infections, and are revered for their skill. Dreamsnake also won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and its themes still feel ahead of its time. Snake is independent, fierce and smart, and the novel completely flips the lone hero, epic journey trope. I immediately hoped for a followup, but unfortunately, Dreamsnake stands alone. The late McIntyre did, however, write another separate (and also riveting) novel set in the same universe: The Exile Waiting.

THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR

BY JEAN M. AUEL (1980) Don’t let its 500-plus pages deter you: Jean M. Auel’s The Clan of the Cave Bear is an epic prehistoric tale that goes by quickly if, like me, you’re barely able to put it down. The speculative fiction story about Ayla, a Cro-Magnon woman orphaned as a child, and the Neanderthal clan that adopts her, is first in the massively bestselling, six-book Earth’s Children series. As a member of “The Others,” as the clan calls her people, Ayla’s physical and mental differences present numerous challenges as she matures. She constantly struggles to be fully accepted by the superstitious, tradition-guided clan. Contributing even more to this conflict is Ayla’s deep desire to partake in vital rituals such as hunting, a skill she’s far better at than most clan men, and which clan women are strictly prohibited from. Yet despite the many burdens she must overcome, Ayla remains determined and true to herself. n

THE WHOLE STORY? As part of the roll out of their new album, Path of Wellness, Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein recorded a 90-minute Audible Original (Sleater-Kinney: One More Hour) discussing the band’s history, their decade-long hiatus, their creative and personal evolutions, and the keys to finding passion in an artistic pursuit now a quarter-century old. There’s a lot to love for fans of the band playing the FIC Aug. 5 with Wilco. But (and this is a big BUT), they utterly avoid the subject of their divisive last album (2019’s The Center Won’t Hold) save for a performance of “Can I Go On” from that release and the ensuing departure of longtime drummer Janet Weiss. Maybe it’s too painful to talk about, or maybe they’re just over it, but it’s a pretty glaring omission in an otherwise worthwhile listen. Available free with a trial subscription. (DAN NAILEN) PINBALL WINNER With literally thousands of titles to choose from, it can be easy to miss a great indie video game, as is the case with my recent discovery of the absolute hidden gem Yoku’s Island Express. Released in 2018 on all major consoles and PC, the metroidvania-style adventure centers around the most adorable protagonist, Yoku the postmaster, a tiny red beetle who traverses an island world using a bouncy ball that allows him to be rocketed up and over obstacles via pinball paddles and bumpers. This combination of a platform adventurer with classic pinball mechanics is such a well-developed, fresh take. The game’s difficulty (you never die) is forgiving, too, which makes the beautiful in-game scenery, quirky characters and creative platforming all the more enjoyable for players of any age. (CHEY SCOTT) THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST There’s noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online July 2. To wit: LANA DEL RAY, Blue Banisters. The divisive performer’s second album of the year. Props for being prolific.

BOBBY GILLESPIE AND JEHNNY BETH, Utopian Ashes. The vocalists for Primal Scream and Savages swapping vocals for a whole album? Sign me up.

THE GO! TEAM, Get Up Sequences Part One. A soulful blast that screams “summer!” (DAN NAILEN)

Jerusalem Middle Eastern Cuisine sets up weekly at the Garland Summer Market.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

FOOD TRUCKS

FOOD ON THE MOVE From Middle Eastern and Cuban cuisine to pizza and beer, the area’s newest food trucks have it

BY CHEY SCOTT AND CARRIE SCOZZARO

B

y their very nature, it can be hard to keep track of the growing number of locally owned food trucks, trailers and pop-up vendors on constant rotation between community events, farmers markets and other venues around the region. And if it seems like there’s always someone new arriving to the food truck scene, it’s because there is, including the following five who’ve launched in the past year, plus a new stationary spot where these mini restaurants-on-wheels can set up shop regularly.

JERUSALEM MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE

Facebook: Jerusalem Middle Eastern Cuisine and More, 509-998-0549 Recipes for each dish delivered through the window of Majda Ritchie’s bright orange food truck were passed down by her mother, all for favorite dishes enjoyed often while growing up in Jerusalem, Israel. Ritchie, with the support of her husband, Dan (whose family owns Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle and Ice Cream), launched Jerusalem Middle Eastern Cuisine last fall, and through the sum-

mer can be found Tuesday evenings at the new Garland Summer Market, as well as every other Wednesday at the Kendall Yards Night Market. The truck’s concise menu showcases the best of Jerusalem-region Middle Eastern flavors and dishes, including Ritchie’s chicken shawarma wraps ($12) and beef kofta, seasoned with onions, parsley and spices and served in slider form ($12).

“So far people love our shawarma,” she says. “It’s not like gyros, we don’t have tzatziki in Bethlehem. And the falafel also people love. A lot of people tell me it’s different even though there is a lot of falafel in Spokane.”

(CHEY SCOTT)

MAMA TIAZ AUTHENTIC PIZZERIA & MORE

Facebook: MAMA TIAZ Authentic Pizzeria & More, 208-916-1526 Thursdays used to be the slowest day at Mama Tiaz food truck, but not anymore, says founder Talitha “Tia” Tarpley. Now Thursday means the debut of specialty pizzas, like the extremely popular Big Dill with bacon, sliced dill pickles, red onion, mozzarella cheese, and housemade ranch on Tarpley’s Neapolitan-style crust. It’s a

dough recipe seven years in the making, says Tarpley, whose background includes 16 years as a franchise owner of the Coeur d’Alene Jamba Juice. Tarpley opened the truck last spring — it was delayed a few months because of COVID — and is currently parked at the Prairie Pavilion (7777 N. Heartland Drive, Hayden) food truck park, although she’s already set her sights on someday opening a brick-and-mortar pizza place. In the meantime, diners are digging her assortment of cleverly named pies: the Spicy Porker with bacon, ham, pineapple and jalapeno; the Supreme Bender with sausage, pepperoni, bell pepper, and black olives; or the most popular, her Loaded pie with pepperoni, salami and sausage (all 9-inch pies are $12). In cooler weather, look for an expanded menu of entrees, like lasagna and, of course, more specialty pies.

(CARRIE A. SCOZZARO)

THE CUBAN WAY FOOD TRUCK

Facebook: The Cuban Way Food Truck, 907-987-1042 A passion for sharing family recipes passed down ...continued on next page

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Jerusalem Middle Eastern Cuisine’s best-selling falafel sandwich.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“FOOD ON THE MOVE,” CONTINUED... through generations is also partly what inspired Jose Sosa to launch The Cuban Way this spring, after waiting out the pandemic in 2020. Sosa hopes to bring joy to the community through his food, and to give back through his business.

The truck’s top-selling item so far is the El Jefe Cubano sandwich ($14.50), but Sosa says he has about 200 recipes he plans to rotate on and off the menu. His popular sandwich is made on Cuban-style bread, which is similar to French bread but softer and fluffier, Sosa says, and piled with 16-hour slow-roasted pork, Swiss cheese, ham, pickles and yellow mustard.

“When you mix those flavors, it’s just a bomb of flavor that explodes in your mouth,” Sosa says.

While many customers return again and again for the Cubano, Sosa encourages diners to sample the truck’s whole menu, which includes Cuban-style roasted pork, chicken and beef ($15-$16), and a traditional bread pudding ($4) and flan ($5) for dessert. The Cuban Way mostly rotates around to local breweries during dinnertime, and weekly schedules are always shared on Facebook.

“I want to bring to Spokane the flavors that Spokane has been missing for a long time,” Sosa says. “People always say ‘Your food is so delicious,’ and I am grateful for that.” (CS)

NORTHWEST TAPS

Facebook: NorthwestTaps, NorthwestTaps.com 208-968-2337 If there’s been any upside for the food and beverage industry during COVID, it must include the new and inventive ways vendors can now sell, serve and even deliver alcohol. Parked among a plethora of other food trucks at the popular Prairie Pavilion food court in Coeur d’Alene, NorthwestTaps offers assorted adult beverages for on-site consumption or to go. Canned drinks include the classics like Kokanee and Modelo, while draft beer rotates through regional options like Elysian’s Space Dust IPA or brews from Coeur d’Alene’s Trails End Brewery. The pop-up bar also serves wine, canned cocktails and alcohol-free beverages, along with food like wings ($9.50) or German sausage ($4.25). On Wednesday, get a dog or sausage and a beer for just $8. (CAS)

OPA! GREEK MEDITERRANEAN FOOD

Facebook: OPA Food Truck After several seasons in Sandpoint serving Greek food inspired by her grandmother at such events as the annual Festival at Sandpoint, Adia Burton has finally gone mobile with her Opa food truck. Most days you can find her near Misty Mountain Furniture (502 Cedar St.), but she’s also a staple at MickDuff’s Beer Hall (220 Cedar St.) and recently helped christen the new Sand Bar (formerly Roxy’s, at 215 Pine St.).

Have a savory lamb and beef gyro with slathering of hummus and all the trimmings ($12), which in the Aegean style means lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives, tangy Feta cheese and the delightfully creamy, garlicky sauce known as tzatziki. Try crispy, fried falafel (ground chickpea) wrapped in a pita bread ($12) or just jump ahead to dessert with baklava ($5). Burton makes hers with walnuts (versus pistachio) and just a touch of cinnamon. (CAS)

HILLYARD FOOD TRUCK PAVILION

5108 N. Market St., Facebook: Hillyard Food Truck Pavilion, 509-998-5572 The newly launched Hillyard Food Truck Pavilion offers a space for up to five mobile vendors to operate simultaneously in a spacious lot along Market Street in the historic Hillyard District, adjacent to the Hillyard Heritage Museum. Owned and operated by Kailey Vallee and Kyle “Chef Freak” Bowlby, the pavilion debuted this spring and hosts a handful of trucks on rotation during the week.

Friday evenings, however, are a weekly highlight when the park hosts its market and open mic night from 5 to 9 pm with several rotating vendors on site, a chance for local musicians to perform live, and lawn games and other all-ages activities. Amenities for diners include a covered seating area, portable bathrooms and handwashing stations. Food trucks get power and water hookups.

“We want to bring the Hillyard District back to life,” Vallee says.

Adds Bowlby: “I want this to be a destination hub. I’m from Coeur d’Alene and see the markets there getting huge, like the Prairie Pavilion, and I want that here in town.” (CS) n food@inlander.com

FOOD | UPDATE

Summer Vibes

MickDuff’s Brewing Co. in Sandpoint opened a new location in late 2020.

The Sandpoint food scene sees new faces and places while continuing to navigate pandemic challenges

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

A

s if you needed a reason other than the lake to make the beautiful drive to Sandpoint, the picturesque Idaho Panhandle town is chock full of dining opportunities, most within walking distance of the lake and each other. Over the past year, new places and dining options have appeared along with some new faces behind the counter of longtime favorite spots.

MickDuff’s Brewing Company (mickduffs.com) isn’t new to Sandpoint, but they do have a new location on Second Avenue, which opened in December 2020. Brewing brothers Mickey and Duffy Mahoney spent more than a year remodeling the stately, two-story brick building that served as a federal building, library and post office throughout its nearly 100-year history.

Although they’re keeping most of their brewing operations at their Beer Hall on nearby Cedar Avenue, the new MickDuff’s location does feature a small pilot brewing setup like the old location.

Spud’s Waterfront Grill (spudsonline.com) has relocated to 202 N. Second Avenue while construction continues to shore up its First Avenue location above Sand Creek. Visit spudsonline.com for updates to renovations or to order online, like the always-fresh daily soups.

There have always been dining facilities at the Sandpoint Elks Lodge #1376, which includes a nine-hole golf course open to the public. What’s new is the Ponderay Club, which is slated to open by the end of summer and will feature an elevated dining experience still in the planning stages.

S

everal Sandpoint-area venues have also recently added or expanded their dining options, including Laughing Dog Brewing Company (laughingdogbrewing.com). The new food menu has a chili bowl with pork, beef and andouille sausage ($7), a pastrami sandwich ($11) or pound of chicken wings ($13). Pair that with the 7B Hazy IPA and a quiet outdoor seating area where dogs, of course, are always welcome.

Several longtime favorites are now under new management, including Connie’s Café (facebook.com/ thecon2018), which has no plans to change much of ’50era diner.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” says Lars Hall, who took over Connie’s with business partner Chris Ankney a few months ago.

The modest changes they plan to make includes cosmetic upgrades to the diner’s iconic neon sign, and “showing some love” to the lounge with aesthetic improvements and a revamped cocktail program.

Otherwise, says Hall, Connie’s is still one of the best places for bloody marys and eggs benedict, plus plenty of hearty comfort foods.

Cedar Street Bistro has new management and is now called Taysty’s Eatery and Wine Bar, (facebook.com/ Taystys.EateryandWinebar) and serves a similar menu as the former venue: scratch-made baked goods, pizza, coffee and gelato. And, of course, the view from the bridge over Sand Creek is just as amazing as ever.

Farmhouse Kitchen + Silo Bar changed owners

CARRIE SCOZZARO PHOTO

and rebranded in spring of 2020 as Farmhouse Burgers, BBQ & Events (farmhouseponderay.com). Look for house-smoked meats like brisket ($17) and upscale burgers ($12-$13), plus southern-inspired items like fried chicken ($16).

The same owners also run Breakfast Cantina (breakfastcantina.com) across Highway 95, offering breakfast bowls, burritos, tacos and smoothies. Try the chilaquiles bowl ($9) or shredded chicken molé tacos ($9).

And because they’re not busy enough, owner Patrick Shepler jokes, he’s also added a food truck typically parked at 120 Cedar St. that offers foods from both establishments.

B

eing busy is a good thing for area food establishments, yet the staffing issues being felt elsewhere in the country are hitting Sandpoint businesses, too, with several posting curtailed hours or unexpected temporary closures due to being short staffed.

MickDuff’s, for example, loves the large, covered outdoor patio in its new location, yet had to get creative when it comes to orderENTRÉE ing. They’re working Get the scoop on local with a QR-code system food news with our weekly so patrons on the patio Entrée newsletter. Sign up can self-order some at Inlander.com/newsletter. items.

“I think some of [the staffing issues] is people leaving the industry,” says Mickey Mahoney.

MickDuff’s pub manager Carrera Swarm has seen a lot of out-of-state applications that lack contact info and wonders if those are people simply fulfilling unemployment filing requirements. Locally, however, she’s also noticed a gap in applicants in the 20- to 30-year-old age group.

“We’re also concerned about the price to live here and where are employees going to live,” adds Mahoney, articulating a very real issue many towns and small cities will likely continue to grapple with long after the summer dining season has ended. n

JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 33

History Lesson

Shine In” — was perceived as “not Black enough,” and how important it was for them to be received by a Black audience.

Yet there’s a more poignant undercurrent to the memories of those who were there as audience members.

In part it’s simply the recollections of seeing so many black faces together in one place; in part it’s the giddy memories of making up a story of going to visit an aunt so parents wouldn’t know where they were really going; in part it’s a flashback to the fashions, the feeling, even the smells of that particular historical moment. But perhaps most powerfully, it’s being startled by the conviction that this event — after half a century of being a footnote, speakers including Jesse Jackson and then-New York City almost lost to history — actually happened. After observaMayor John Lindsay. tions from the footage’s original director, Hal Tulchin, If Summer of Soul had done nothing more than chronabout how nobody was interested in buying the rights to icle the musical performances that took place on those the Harlem Cultural Festival recordings, we hear an offsummer days, it still would have been a terrific experiscreen voice say, “We hold this truth to be self-evident: ence. There’s a fascinating kind of passing-of-the-torch That Black history is going to be erased.” It’s hard to in a performance of “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” argue with that notion after what we’ve seen in 2021. where an ailing Mahalia Jackson offers most of the lead As is the case with most of American hisvocal duties to Mavis Staples. We get a rare glimpse tory, there’s a narrative of what we call “The of Stevie Wonder going to town not just on his Sixties” that centers on the White experience. keyboard, but behind a drum kit as well. Simone SUMMER The contextual footage Questlove employs in provides an electrifying intensity when she leads the OF SOUL Summer of Soul explains not just the notion of a crowd in a call-and-response version of David NelRated PG-13 Harlem still recovering from the 1968 uprisings son’s revolutionary poem “Are You Ready?” The Directed by music is uniformly spectacular, and it’s a joy to see Ahmir “Questlove” in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, but a community uncomfortable with some of these legends at the height of their powers. Thompson police presence at the Harlem Cultural Festival, We do also get insights from some of a few of and reacting to the Apollo 11 moon landing the surviving performers about their experience at with a much more cynical eye than White Americans did. the Harlem Cultural Festival, and those interviews offer Summer of Soul reminds us that plenty of young Americans some perceptive glimpses of that particular moment. It’s in 1969 didn’t think of Woodstock as their defining event perhaps most enlightening to hear former 5th Dimension and how easy it is for some defining events to drift away vocalists Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. talk about because some people don’t think they’re the kind of histhe way their group — which had hit it big with a medley tory worth preserving. n of the hippie musical Hair’s songs “Aquarius/Let the Sun

Summer of Soul captures the kind of American event that still seems too easy to ignore

BY SCOTT RENSHAW

J

ust six months ago — when Summer of Soul (… or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, and subsequently won the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize — there was no way of knowing how weirdly relevant it would feel upon its theatrical/streaming release. Because while Summer of Soul is primarily a concert film, its subtext is quite clearly, “Why is it that this film of a concert more than 50 years ago is only now seeing the light of day?” And the answer, as anyone who has been paying attention to the manufactured furor over “critical race theory” understands is, “Come on … you know why.”

The event chronicled here by director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, in theaters and on Hulu starting Friday, is the Harlem Cultural Festival, which took place over six summer weekends in July-August 1969, coinciding with that other big musical festival taking place 100 miles away in Woodstock, as well as with the Apollo 11 moon landing. The lineup put together by promoter Tony Lawrence represented a remarkable array of talent from the worlds of soul, blues, funk, jazz and gospel — performers like Stevie Wonder, the 5th Dimension, Nina Simone, B.B. King, Mahalia Jackson, Hugh Masekela, and Sly & the Family Stone — plus comedians like Moms Mabley and

34 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

Sly Stone’s performance is a bonus, but Summer of Soul shines as important American cultural history.

FILM | SHORTS

IC LANTERN THEATER MAG

OPENING FILMS AGAINST THE CURRENT

THE FOREVER PURGE

THE BOSS BABY: FAMILY BUSINESS

SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)

In this documentary, a woman undertakes the daunting task of kayaking around the entirety of Iceland, but that challenge pales next to what she faced when she decided to undergo gender reassignment six years prior. At the Magic Lantern. (DN) Not rated

The boss baby (Alec Baldwin) and his big brother (James Marsden) are all grown up in this sequel, and they’ve drifted apart only to come back together when a new boss baby shows up in their lives. (DN) Rated PG

On the morning after the annual bloodletting purge, a masked gang attacks a wealthy ranch family in Texas, and the family of ranch hands who work for them, forcing the two families to band together and fight. (DN) Rated R

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A Twitter thread-turned-feature film documents a wild weekend endured by a Detroit server and a customer who convinces her to take off for a round of partying and dancing. Mayhem, naturally, ensues. (DN) Rated R n

NOW PLAYING: SUMMER OF SOUL WEREWOLVES WITHIN AGAINST THE CURRENT IN THE HEIGHTS RENTALS STARTING AT $99!

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Questlove directs this documentary about 1969’s Harlem Cultural Festival, featuring incredible performances by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Nina Simone and more.

(DN) Rated PG-13

Find movie times, trailers and more reviews at Inlander.com/film.

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NOW PLAYING 12 MIGHTY ORPHANS

Luke Wilson plays a high school football coach who turns a ragtag team from a Texas orphanage into Texas state champions in this inspirational tale inspired by a true story. (DN) Rated PG-13

THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

The latest chiller about supposed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, investigating a murder suspect who claims to be possessed by a demon. (NW) Rated R

CRUELLA

Disney’s puppy-skinning villainess gets her own origin story, as Emma Stone portrays the enterprising seamstress turned devilish fashionista. (NW) Rated PG-13

DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN

A feature-length follow-up to the popular anime series, which has already broken box-office records in its native Japan. (NW) Rated R

F9 THE FAST SAGA

The long-awaited ninth episode finally hits theaters, bringing Vin Diesel’s Dom back into action to foil a plot hatched by his long-forsaken brother Jakob (John Cena). (DN) PG-13

THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR: MEET THE BLACKS 2

Author Carl Black (Mike Epps) moves his family back to his hometown of Chicago, only to be convinced his neighbor (Katt Williams) is a vampire out to take his family. (DN) Rated R

THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD

Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson are an odd couple hitman and bodyguard combo back for another actionpacked adventure, this time with Salma Hayek in the mix as a world-class con artist. (DN) Rated R

IN THE HEIGHTS

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Bronx-set musical hits the big screens under the direction of John Chu (Crazy Rich Asians), tracking a bodega owner’s dreams of forging a better life in a neighborhood full of colorful characters (and a whole lot of music). (DN) Rated PG-13

PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY

Here comes a Peter Rabbit sequel in which the mischievous rodent finds a place beyond the garden where he’s accepted for his roguish charm. Is that enough to keep him from going home?

(DN). Rated PG

QUEEN BEES

Think Mean Girls, but set in a retirement home instead of a high school.

Ellen Burstyn is the newbie trying to navigate romantic pitfalls and interpersonal politics, joined by AnnMargret, James Caan, Jane Curtin and more. At the Magic Lantern. (DN) Rated PG-13

A QUIET PLACE PART II

A sequel to the hugely popular 2018 horror hit, following the original film’s family as they continue to evade monsters with hypersensitive hearing. (NW) Rated PG-13

RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT

A documentary dedicated to the Puerto Rican actress who rose to Oscar-winning glory and success on the Broadway stage. At the Magic Lantern. (DN) Rated PG-13

SPIRIT UNTAMED

A young girl befriends a rebellious horse named Spirit after moving to a small town, and must foil the bad guys’ plans to capture Spirit and his herd in this animated family flick featuring the voices of Julianne Moore and Jake Gyllenhaal. (DN) Rated PG

SEARCHABLE

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by Theater, or Movie

TOVE

A biopic of Finnish painter Tove Jansson tracks how her unconventional approach to life pushed back at her father’s staid ways and led to a creative outburst that included writing, comic strips, illustrations and more. At the Magic Lantern. (DN) Not rated

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WEREWOLVES WITHIN

A new forest ranger (Sam Richardson) and postal worker (Milana Vayntrub) try to uncover the mystery of a creature terrorizing the small town of Beaverfield as the town’s residents are trapped together by a snowstorm in this comedy/mystery. (DN) Rated R

WRATH OF MAN

The latest thriller from Guy Ritchie stars Jason Statham as a shadowy figure who becomes the guard of an armored truck. (NW) Rated R n

JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 35

Brandi Carlile is playing shows at KettleHouse Amphitheater in Montana July 2-4 and at the Gorge on Aug. 14.

Not So Broken

Brandi Carlile’s memoir reveals an artist forged by fiery religion and a hardscrabble upbringing in rural Washington

BY MINDY CAMERON

B

randi Carlile’s life as told in Broken Horses has a mythical quality. As a four-year-old she survived near death after a meningitis-induced coma. Early in her career, she received a bottle of fine wine, a bouquet of flowers and a phone call from her teen idol, Elton John. Recently, as her many fans in Washington state know, she has been a multiple Grammy winner.

36 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

The root of all of this is a drama of life on the edge.

Carlile was born to a musical family. She describes her parents as “charismatic.” Home was a trailer in a wooded area on the outer edge of Seattle. The family moved often — 14 times by Carlile’s count, sometimes because of evictions or new jobs.

This book is a gift to her longtime fans and those just

discovering Carlile after her Grammy successes. Chapters are short and end with candid photos of the period she is writing about, and the lyrics to three or four songs.

As an author she is clear-eyed about how her humble early years grounded her life and music and ambition.

Her story is about devotion to both family and musical colleagues.

The title reveals another kind of devotion. She had two horses in her life, fulfilling a childhood dream. Both were discards, one due to injury, the other, an Arab, too small for the show circuit.

To Carlile they were not “broken,” but companions for rare peaceful moments in an always hectic life. Readers are charmed when, in the prologue, she explains the title. After days of discussion with her wife and two young daughters about the difficulty of finding a title she liked, her daughter Evangeline reminds her mother of the story she tells of being so poor she could only afford broken horses. “You should name your book broken horses,” she said.

Religion was an important part of Carlile’s childhood. In family lore, her survival from meningitis was “God’s will.”

Her belief was tested when she prepared for baptism by Pastor Steve, a minister she had become close to during summer church camps. This was about the time of what she calls “an uncomfortable and awkward emergence” as a lesbian. She went to church for the baptism she had prepared for, but Pastor Steve refused because she was a “homosexual.” She bolted the church.

As she looks back on this incident, readers see the songwriter A meteoric career, dissected. Carlile became, finding grace everywhere: “Grace in the outrage my public rejection incited in my family” and in the tiny town where they lived. “That’s how real ‘heart change’ is made,” she writes, “where mercy creeps in.”

In the aftermath she became obsessed with the song “Hallelujah” — an obsession that transformed “into a fantasy future life full of concert stages and deep and meaningful relationships with friends.” It was the birth of the Brandi Carlile now known to a global community of listeners. The fantasy became reality.

Carlile claims her career as a performer began with an onstage appearance when she was eight or nine years old. The applause “was the nail in the coffin of any other path I might have gone down in life. I never wanted to leave that stage.”

One of the striking aspects of Broken Horses is the litany of artists, including producers and writers, that became a part of Carlile’s professional life. Many of them also entered her personal life as she collects colleagues and holds them close, almost like family. Fans who have followed her career for years probably already know one astounding fact about her career: Her band today still includes the twins Tim and Phil Hanseroth, friends who performed with her from the start, write songs and travel with her today in her concert tour bus.

Spouses and children of band members also go along for the ride. When we learn that the one-month-old daughter of Brandi and her wife, Catherine, was aboard for a recent tour, you don’t know whether to celebrate their togetherness or commiserate.

Carlile’s awareness of her place in the music industry today and her own self-confidence are revealed as she writes about her efforts to help other women advance. “Live music has become increasingly difficult for women,” she asserts. She came to this conclusion when she tried to book performers for a weekend festival of female artists. “I started to uncover how systemic the gender disparity in music is.” And it’s ALL kinds of women, she writes, LGBTQ and women of color.

In her memoir, Carlile is as outspoken about social issues as she is with her song lyrics. Having acknowledged her singing voice is quite loud, she proves in Broken Horses that her writing voice also is loud enough to be clearly heard. n Mindy Cameron, a former newspaper editor and columnist, now lives in Sandpoint. She can be reached at mindycameron@gmail.com.

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COMMUNITY LIBERTY LAKE MOVIE NIGHTS

After being on hiatus last summer due to the pandemic, Liberty Lake’s summer festival at Pavillion Park is back and ready for weekly movie nights and community activities.

Kicking things off this weekend is a showing of The Croods: A New Age (pictured), so bring the whole family to get outdoors and back in the swing of summer. Bring your own chairs and blankets for seating on the grass, and bring some movie snacks to munch on. The Liberty Lake Kiwanis’ concession stand is also open during movie nights, with popcorn, nachos, candy, hotdogs, chips, cotton candy and soft drinks available for purchase. Also at Pavillion Park this holiday weekend are fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July on Sunday, and more movies to come in the following weeks, including Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, Onward, Frozen 2 and Avengers Endgame.

— LILLIAN PIEL Liberty Lake Summer Festival • Sat, July 3, at dusk, and weekends throughout the summer • Free • Pavillion Park • 727 N. Molter Rd., Liberty Lake • pavillionpark.org

38 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

COMMUNITY LIGHT UP THE SKY

MUSIC CONCERTS AT THE CLOCK

Drive-In 4th of July Fireworks • Various locations in Spokane • Sun, July 4 at dusk; parking starts at 8:30 pm • Free • spokaneparks.org/4thofjuly

Fridays at the Clock • Fridays in July at 6:30 pm, starting July 2 • Free • Bryan Hall Clocktower • WSU Pullman campus • music.wsu. edu • 509-335-7696

Once again in 2021, Riverfront Park will not host its traditional sparkly visual feast, and instead there will be no less than four different spots where you’ll be able to take in some patriotic flair. The Dwight Merkel Sports Complex, Avista Stadium, Ferris High School and Plante’s Ferry Sports Stadium are all hosting explosive shows.

They’re all free, all start at 10 pm, and all run about six minutes.

Other cities in the region are hosting fireworks shows as well, including Pullman, Liberty Lake and Coeur d’Alene.

— DAN NAILEN

When the clock strikes 6:30, music will fill the air of WSU’s main campus in Pullman for the School of Music’s new summer concert series, Fridays at the Clock. Held every Friday in July and kicking off this weekend, the outdoor concerts invite all comers to spread out a blanket or lawn chairs to enjoy a picnic dinner while faculty and friends from the School of Music entertain. On July 23, the concert theme is geared toward families, with a sing-along and more.

When you head to campus, follow the iconic Bryan Hall clocktower — CHEY SCOTT

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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.

MUSIC NEATO NIGHTS

ADAM IVERSON PHOTO

It’s happening! It’s really happening! While announcements of outdoor concerts helped get us through spring, it’s the arrival of actual club gigs that many music lovers have pined for, and they’re back, baby! At Baby Bar to be exact, where their first live, in-person shows since the pandemic’s onset arrive this week, featuring shows by The Smokes, Pit and Big Raffle on Thursday; Dark White Light with DJ Normo and Motavation Friday; and Belt of Vapor with Gotu Gotu on Saturday. You might have caught some of these bands doing virtual performances over the last year-plus, but it’s been awhile since you had them right in front of you, blasting out music while you contemplate whether to get a burrito or (another) Oly. Hell, the Smokes were living in Minnesota when live music shut down. Now they’re back, and so is your chance to meet your friends at a gig.

— DAN NAILEN Return of Live Music at the Baby Bar • Thu-Sat, July 1-3, at 9:30 pm • All ages • $5 • Baby Bar • 827 W. First Ave. • facebook: Baby Bar Spokane

VISUAL ARTS A LOCAL MASTER

Award-winning Spokane watercolor artist Stan Miller hasn’t had too many solo shows in his hometown, but a rare opportunity to view his artistic repertoire is happening this month. Throughout July, Miller’s paintings are on display at Barrister Winery downtown, with an opening reception during July’s First Friday events. After profiling Miller for Inlander Health & Home last fall, which offered a behind-the-scenes tour of his home studio and gallery, I can say that seeing his incredibly lifelike, highly detailed work up close and in person is a can’t-miss.

— CHEY SCOTT Stan Miller Painting Exhibition • July 1-31; reception Fri, July 2 from 5-8 pm, tasting room open Sun-Thu from 12-7 pm, Fri-Sat from 12-9 pm • Barrister Winery • 1213 W. Railroad Ave. • stanmiller.net • 509-465-3591

EVENTS | CALENDAR

COMEDY

COMEDY NIGHT WITH MIKE COLETTA The Social Hour Comedy presents Mike Coletta, a nationally touring comedian who entertains audiences with his quick wit, high energy and positive outlook. Coletta has been featured at Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Bumbershoot, Treefort Fest, and is co-host of The Hug Life podcast. July 1, 7:30-9 pm. $10. Ruby River Hotel, 700 N. Division St. fb.me/e/2hbeDg4Eq COMEDY NIGHT WITH SIMON KAUFMAN The Social Hour Comedy presents Simon Kaufman, who’s performed on Comcast Cable and Up Late Northwest. He’s appeared on Bravo TV’s “Millionaire Matchmaker” and was in the movie “Silver Skies” with George Hamilton and Dick Van Patten. July 8, 7:30-9 pm. $10. Ruby River Hotel, 700 N. Division St. fb.me/e/1zYfGsPG8 JEFF ALLEN Jeff Allen’s rapid-fire humor, which centers on marriage and family, is a hit with all ages. A live comedy favorite, Jeff has appeared on Showtime, Comedy Central, VH1 and more. July 8, 7:30 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (318-9998) MIKE EPPS Epps has appeared in the Universal Studios ensemble comedy “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins,” opposite Martin Lawrence, James Earl Jones and Joy Bryant. July 9, 7:30 & 10:30 pm, July 10, 7:30 & 10:30 pm and July 11, 7:30 pm. $40-$55. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)

COMMUNITY

ENTERTAINMENT IN THE PARK Evening programming features children’s entertainment at 6 pm followed by musical performances at 7 pm. The series aligns with the Moscow Public Library’s summer reading program, which encourages school-aged children to engage in reading and learning throughout the summer. July 1 and July 8. July 1, 6 pm and July 8, 6 pm. East City Park, 900 E. Third St. moscowchamber.com ROOTS OF WISDOM Children and families discover the unique partnership between cutting-edge western science and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples. The exhibition offers visitors real life examples of how complementary solutions to ecological and health challenges are being applied to improve our world. Through Sept. 5; Tue-Sun 10 am-5 pm. $5-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org DUNGEONS & DRAGONS FOR TEENS Play a virtual game of Dungeons and Dragons with other teens in the Spokane area. All skill levels are welcome.

We are playing the “Dragon of Icespire Peak” campaign. July 2, 3:15-5:15 pm and July 16, 3:15-5:15 pm. Register at spokanelibrary.org/event/5070789 FIRST FRIDAY LAWN PARTY Each First Friday, the Longshot hosts DJs, local vendors, artists and makers on the front lawn. There’s also an outdoor camper bar with beer and wine. First Fridays from 4-11 pm through Sep. 3. Free. The Longshot, 102 S. Boyer Ave., Sandpoint. longshotsandpoint.com DROP IN & RPG Bring your curiosity, imagination and thirst for adventure and experience the unique form of role-playing games. In these sessions,

participants build a shared narrative using cooperative problem solving, exploration, imagination and rich social interaction. Priority seating for participants age 17 or younger. First and Third Sat. of every month, 1-3:45 pm. Free. spark-central.org IDAHO STATEHOOD DAY PARADE Ring in Idaho and America’s birthdays with a big parade down the town’s main drag. July 3, 5:30 pm. Free. Wallace, Idaho. wallaceid.fun 4TH OF JULY DRIVE-IN FIREWORKS The City of Spokane Parks & Rec Dept. and community partners host this year’s 4th of July drive-in fireworks celebration. Participants can park at one of the four locations — Avista Stadium, Ferris High School, Plante’s Ferry Sports Stadium or Dwight Merkel Sports Complex — or watch the fireworks from home. Parking lots open at 8:30 pm and fireworks begin at 10 pm at all locations.

July 4, 10 pm. Free. my.spokanecity. org/parksrec/4th-of-july/ FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR In addition to offering its annual pyrotechnic display (10 pm), Northern Quest’s outdoor venue features music, food vendors and carnival activities for all ages beginning at 4 pm with kids’ activities and a selection of culinary offerings.

At 9 pm, see a video salute to Kalispel Tribal Members and NQ team members who’ve served in the Armed Forces, followed by a performance of the National Anthem in Salish by EmmaRose Sullivan. July 4, 4-10 pm. Free. Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com/july-4 FOURTH OF JULY AT THE COEUR D’ALENE RESORT Ring in the Fourth of July with exquisite cuisine and front row seats to the fireworks show over Lake Coeur d’Alene. While ticketed events at the Resort are sold out, fireworks show still viewable from other locations in Coeur d’Alene. July 4. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com (208-765-4000) PAVILLION PARK SUMMER FEST: FIREWORKS Liberty Lake’s annual Fourth of July fireworks show and community gathering. Fireworks at dusk. July 4. Free. Pavillion Park, 727 N. Molter Rd. pavillionpark.org (755-6726) PULLMAN FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS Fireworks are again launched from Sunnyside Park, but this year’s event does not include a community barbecue, music or additional facilities to the park as done in the past.

The community is welcome to watch the show from the park but is strongly encouraged to continue practicing social distancing. July 4. Free. Sunnyside Park, 147 SW Cedar. pullmanchamber. com/events/4th-of-july SANDPOINT FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION Sandpoint Lions host downtown parades in the morning, festivities at City Beach in the afternoon and a fireworks display over Lake Pend Oreille at dusk. July 4. sandpointchamber.org EXTREME SCIENCE WITH RADICAL RICK: LET’S MAKE CARTESIAN DIVERS Explore the power of air, which is all around us. We’ll discover what air pressure can do and try out some demonstrations to help us understand that air is compressible. Grades K–5+.

Access this program online July 5-18.

Free. extremesciencefun.com/spokanecounty-library-programs.html DROP IN & CRAFT Join Spark for crafting projects that are fun for all ages,

creating art that is as simple or complex as you like. Every other Thurs., 5:30-7 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org POST FALLS FESTIVAL The annual community festival offers three days of live music and entertainment, a beer garden, games, movie in the park, food and artisan vendors, car show, craft fair and more. J Most events in Q’emiln Park, some at other locations in Post Falls. July 9-10 from 10 am-8 pm, July 11 from 10 am-4 pm. Free. postfallsidaho. org/departments/parks-recreation/ post-falls-festival/ GREAT SPOKANE ROAD RALLY Teams navigate Spokane County to find a pit stop, conquer a challenge and then head down the road to the next destination. Get your passport to prizes, swag bags, an auction, raffle, vendor fair, food and fun at GreatSpokaneRoadRally.com. All proceeds benefit Great Spokane County Meals on Wheels and the seniors it serves. July 10, 8 am. $25/ person. Airway Heights Recreation Center, 11405 W. Deno Rd. greatspokaneroadrally.com (509-418-2186) LOCAL AUTHOR STORYTIME Bring your family to the Sandpoint Library as talented local authors read their stories, lead a children’s craft project, and answer your questions. Book signing to follow (bring your copy or copies will be available for purchase at the event).

July 10, Aug. 21 and Sep. 11, at 10 am.

Free. Sandpoint Library, 1407 Cedar St.

FILM

MOVIES IN THE PARK A family-friendly event every Friday, June 25-Aug. 27, in Sally’s Park. All movies begin at sundown. Bring blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy the outdoors with safe distancing. Snacks and drinks available, with all proceeds benefiting The Salvation Army’s local youth programs. Free.

The Salvation Army Spokane, 222 E. Indiana Ave. salvationarmyspokane.org TOP GUN As students at the United States Navy’s elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom. July 2, 7-8:50 pm and July 3, 7-8:50 pm. $7/ adults, $3/12 and under. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org VANDAL SUMMER CINEMA SERIES Classic throwbacks, suspenseful action and comedies are center stage for the University of Idaho’s Summer Cinema series. Half of this year’s movies are part of the Screen on the Green series on the Theophilus Tower Lawn; the other half are at the Moscow Drive-In at the ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center parking lot (Lot 57). Each movie starts at approximately 9 pm, primarily on Fridays, June 18-Aug. 26. See complete schedule and details at uidaho.edu/summercinema PAVILLION PARK SUMMER FEST: THE CROODS A NEW AGE Liberty Lake’s annual summer event series, with weekly outdoor movies at local parks; starts at dusk. July 3. Free. Pavillion Park, 727 N. Molter Rd. pavillionpark.org FILMED IN NORTH IDAHO MOVIE NIGHT: DANTE’S PEAK Drive-in style screenings of movies filmed in North Idaho. Dante’s Peak was shot in Wallace, Idaho. July 7, 7-10 pm. $10. Hayden Discount Cinema, 300 W. Centa Ave. museumni.org (208-664-3448) ...continued on page 41

JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 39

truth came to you. We loved each other.

We can be really happy together. I still have the coconut you gave me after that night. I still love you, doubly so since then. Nikita, I want you to marry me, will ya? -C

I SAW YOU YOU GOT CAUGHT To the pizza coworker who likes to switch tags, if your antics at work leave others looking bad and costing the company money, do you really think you will continue to get away with it? YOU GOT CAUGHT TONIGHT, AND IF YOU DO IT AGAIN, I WILL NOT BE VENTING TO THE INLANDER. I may be new, but at least I am nice with sincerity, unlike your fake ass smiles.

LOSER AT THE GAS STATION I saw some guy at the gas station that looked like a loser. You know who you are.

HANDSOME MAN AT THE CAR WASH I was at the Coeur d’Alene Metro car wash when I saw you in your work pickup that had “Airway Service Inc.” on the side. I don’t know who you are, but you are very handsome and struck my attention. You had Texas plates, so hopefully by chance you run across this.

YOU SAW ME HIT WITH A COCONUT You saw me cooking dinner, and the strangest thing happened. A coconut bonked you on the noggin, and suddenly a sensational

SOUND OFF

COMING OUT Hi! I was a trainwreck of a comedian, a mediocre improviser with jokes about hooking up with dragons and being a polite schoolgirl. I podcasted, I tried to be undeniable and above all I loved the Spokane comedy scene.

But I couldn’t get anything to work, no matter what. When my mother passed, madness claimed me. I was trying like hell to burn all bridges and upset the right people enough to get hate crimed by local fascists. None of it worked.

When I started playing nonbinary or cross-gender characters, I was facing the idea that I didn’t really identify with masculinity. When I started playing the one I’m known for as “agender,” I didn’t realize I was testing the people around me for amenability to that sort of thing, and I was scared of all the people failing that test. So I went back to the weird edgelord routine until my mother passed and my family disowned me, and I just let insanity claim me. I didn’t see any road back, nor a place I wanted to return to, and I genuinely thought my obit would include the words “senseless tragedy.” But I’m here now, and I can’t just keep sitting in the shadows waiting for old friends to notice me, so here I am with a message: I, the voice of Doctor Donut, the absent technical improviser, the embodiment of mania themselves... they are a trans she/her, and now I no longer have to lie about it and whatever that does to my reputation, so be it. I’m not afraid anymore, and I have nothing to lose. If you know me... come say hi!

CHEERS GOOD NEIGHBORS Cheers to the folks at Barrister Winery and the Meals on Wheels for spending time, energy and supplies to pick up trash and abate the

rampant graffiti along the alley outside their doors! Downtown’s a neighborhood too — let’s support businesses that treat it that way!

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have witnessed an extreme case in family court with multiple hearings completely fail after a hearing in Feb 2021.

How can a father that was arrested/ charged for felony (article 15) abuse

A coconut bonked you on the noggin, and suddenly a sensational truth came to you.

THANK YOU TO THE WOMAN AT HOME DEPOT I didn’t even catch your name, I’m sorry! But I am so grateful you helped me get that vanity home from Home Depot. I really appreciate your kindness, and will definitely pay it forward. :) DOG LOVER AT THOMAS HAMMER Thank you to the kind gentleman who stopped on his way into the Thomas Hammer parking lot on the South Hill to offer water and treats to our dog. For no other reason than his love of dogs.

Cheers friend!

JEERS RE: CAMPING FEES DOUBLE FOR WASHINGTON RESIDENTS As a wise man once said, “We (Washingtonians) will quit playing in Idaho when you (Idahoans) quit working in Washington.” Daily thousand of residents of Idaho come to Washington to take advantage of higher wages and benefits. Maybe we should penalize them for using our highways and roads.

Also when a Washington resident works in Idaho they are required to pay Idaho income tax even though they don’t live there. Idaho please be fair with your camping fees.

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.”

40 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

A MISSED CUSTOMER SERVICE OPPORTUNITY Jeers to a lighting store for their behavior over the return of an order from a good customer. From the time the order was placed, there

was no customer follow-up. Part of the order was lost, no calls, no apologies, no notification when the order arrived at the store and when the order turned out to be the wrong size, only excuses.

When I returned the product, I was treated coldly and again with no sign of apology on the horizon and, worse, no offer to see if a new order could be placed. Loss of a customer for good and a warning to others.

THE CITY OF SPOKANE & THE SPD Thank you for doing absolutely nothing to help the homeless and drug pandemic in Spokane right now. This morning, I watched a man use a rubber tourniquet, shoot up, then toss the used needle on the ground. He did this hiding behind a car that’s been parked in the wrong direction for several weeks now. These are all things I report, but nothing is done. It’s a public safety matter when there’s used needles, drugs, human urine and feces in the same park kids are supposed to play in. #MakeBrownesCleanAgain JEERS TO A FAILED SYSTEM Jeers to a failed court system. What happened to protecting DV survivors and abused children? I no longer question the amount of DV cases with sad endings in Spokane or abused children allowed unsupervised visits with their abuser. I

”

against a child, a psychotherapy mental eval (proves abusive narcissist) and multiple counselors determined “no visits with children or supervised” have unsupervised and overnight visits? How does a judge just take the risk? Jeers to a very poor decision from a very poor judge that was never looking out for the safety or well-being of a child. This is a sad reality to why Spokane has more reoccurring domestic violence cases than any other county in Washington — it’s the man behind the wooden box with a robe that has failed. Prayers that it’s not another tragedy on the news because of a system that has failed again. n

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS J U N E A U

O N E G A M E

T H E G A N G

E G O L E A M L K L I N E S H A A L F

F A A E A R D D L E D O U P I N A N O B E R T I T H E T H E M A P J R E A D B R T I A K I N G O K S

I L L N S O R O A N E A G T O D Y E B I S

S I A M

O L M O S

E D E N N A Z E X A C T

D A R E D

O P T E D I R N E I N D A I M P G A R U L Y O K O

R A A D T A O I R K I E E N D L I N E

A S E N S E

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

EVENTS | CALENDAR CRUELLA Estella is a young and clever grifter who’s determined to make a name for herself in the fashion world. She soon meets a pair of thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they build a life for themselves on the streets of London. July 8-10 at 7 pm; July 11 at 4 pm. $7. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

FOOD & DRINK

HILLYARD FOOD TRUCK PAVILION: FRIDAY NIGHT MARKET & OPEN MIC The weekly market features area food trucks on site, along with an opportunity for local musicians to sign up for an open mic session. Also includes lawn games, crafts, and other all-ages activities. Fridays from 5-9 pm through Sep. 24. Free.

Hillyard Food Truck Pavilion, 5108 N. Market St. facebook.com/Hillyard-FoodTruck-Pavilion-100232218924654 RIDE & DINE Every Friday in July and August, enjoy a scenic gondola ride, live music and a savory mountaintop barbecue. Lift ticket included in the price; also includes an option to mountain bike back down the mountain. Menu consists of huckleberry barbecue ribs and rotating chicken, fish and seafood options paired with classic summer side dishes. Fridays from 3-7 pm, June 25-Sept. 3. $8-$55.

Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com (208-783-1111) ROCKET WINE CLASS Rocket Market hosts weekly wine classes; sign up in advance for the week’s selections. Fridays at 7 pm. Call Kevin at 509-343-2253 to reserve a seat or register online. Rocket Market, 726 E. 43rd Ave. rocketmarket. com (509-343-2253) RIVERFRONT EATS FOOD TRUCK SERIES The outdoor food truck series in the park (on the orange bridge) each week features a new lineup of locally owned food trucks; see complete schedule at link. A portion of proceeds support free and low-cost community programming in Riverfront Park. Tuesdays from 11 am-2 pm through Aug. 31. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.com PAIRINGS IN THE PINES Experience the magic of Pine Street Woods and celebrate the community forest together. Enjoy locally-crafted food paired with wines while immersed in the sights and sounds of nature at the forest’s edge under the open sky. Celebrate the return of being together with friends, acoustic music and the land that inspires us. Two departure times available. Each session is limited to 50 guests. Ages 21+. July 8, 4-7 pm. $125.

Pine Street Woods, 11915 W. Pine St. kaniksu.org/events/pairings-in-the-pines PARTY ON THE PATIO Monthy summer parties on the patio, co-hosted by the Inlander and Three Peaks Kitchen with live music, lots of food and drink specials, giveaways and more. Upcoming dates: July 8 and Aug. 12, from 5-8 pm. Free.

Three Peaks Kitchen + Bar, 14300 W. SR Hwy. 2. inlander.com/partyonthepatio FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS Downtown Spokane is shutting down Wall Street every Friday this summer to offer a variety of local food trucks and entertainment.

Fridays from 11 am-2 pm. downtownspokane.org SANDPOINT BEERFEST Sample local and regional brews and enjoy a festive beach party during this annual event by the Sandpoint Chamber. July 10, 12-5 pm.

City Beach, Sandpoint. SandpointChamber.com (208-263-2161)

MUSIC

LEE GREENWOOD This is a free Coeur d’Alene Casino customer appreciation show; attendees must be 18 and older.

Doors open at 6 pm; show starts at 7 pm. *Limit of two free Lee Greenwood concert tickets per Coeur Rewards member, while supplies last. Must redeem offer inperson. See the Coeur Rewards booth to receive the free ticket offer or for more details. July 1, 7-10 pm. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com MUSIC ON MAIN Music on Main happens in Pullman’s Pine Street Plaza each Thursday evening from 6-8 pm from through September. Enjoy local artists and bands; follow the Chamber’s Facebook page for updates or go to pullmanchamber.com BOULEVARD NIGHTS On the the first Friday of each month, Boulevard hosts a local musician and brewery from 6-8 pm.

Come shop, enjoy the music and have a beer. July 2, 6-8 pm. Free. Boulevard Mercantile, 1012 N. Washington St. facebook.com/boulevardmercantile FRIDAYS AT THE CLOCK The WSU School of Music is hosting this new outdoor summer music series. Located between Bryan Hall and Holland Library, concerts take place every Friday in July at 6:30 pm. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs and picnics to enjoy family friendly concerts and our pleasant Palouse weather.

Concerts include performances by School of Music faculty and friends; the July 23 show is a special children’s concert with a sing-along and more. Free. Bryan Hall (WSU), 605 Veterans Way. events.wsu. edu/event/thursdays-at-the-clock/ POP SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: BEN KLEIN AS ELVIS Prince of Peace Lutheran Church is hosting its 15th annual POP Summer Concert Series through July.

Each family-friendly concerts is held on the hillside lawn of the church. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and picnics. July 7, 7-9 pm. Free. Prince of Peace Lutheran, 8441 N. Indian Trail Rd. popspokane.org (509-465-0779)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

BARRE ON THE BRIDGE Strengthen and tone your entire body with emphasis on core stability and balance, and complete with low impact and high intensity cardio bursts. This class is suitable for novice and experienced fitness enthusiasts alike.

Bring a yoga mat and water. Class on the Barbieri Bridge near the Centennial Hotel. Thursdays from 7-8 pm through July 15. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.com SPOKANE INDIANS VS. TRI-CITY DUST DEVILS Home game series; July 3, 6:30 pm and July 4, 5:09 pm. $5-$14. Avista Stadium, 602 N. Havana St. milb.com/ spokane/schedule/2021-07 (535-2922) FOURTH OF JULY SHOTGUN TOURNAMENT Celebrate Independence Day at Circling Raven with a day of golf, BBQ and fireworks. July 4, 11 am. $50. Circling Raven Golf Course, 27068 S. Highway 95. cdacasino.com (800-523-2464) RIVERFRONT MOVES: SPIN AT THE PAVILION Come lose yourself at Riverfront on a spin bike with a high-intensity, fullbody, cardio workout while jamming to great music. Fifteen spots available for registration; five for walk-in. Registration to open one week prior to each class.

Tuesdays from 6:30-7:30 pm, through July 20. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N.

Howard St. riverfrontspokane.com CIRCLING RAVEN COUPLES DATE NIGHT This foursome scramble makes the perfect date night. Grab your favorite golf couple and get ready for an unforgettable evening. Don’t have a foursome? Don’t worry, we’ll match you with another couple. July 9, 5 pm. $50/person. Circling Raven Golf Course, 27068 S. Highway 95. cdacasino.com THE SHOOTOUT AT SILVER MOUNTAIN An archery competition with 70 targets spread over four courses on top of Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg. Scoring for fun or competition with an $8,000 prize pool. July 10-11. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com SPOKANE SHOCK VS. SIOUX FALLS STORM Arena football. Game also scheduled to air on radio, TV and YouTube. July 10, 7:05 pm. $8-$58. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. thespokaneshock.com

THEATER

YOU CAN UNMUTE BY JESSICA CHIPMAN Presented by U of I Theatre Arts as a livestream Zoom reading with Kelly Quinnett. A play about long-time friendship, complicity, and what is left unsaid, “You Can Unmute” confronts contemporary issues and asks the question, “what do we do?” as three former college roommates reconnect on a wine-soaked Zoom call. Their conversation glows with gossip, boys and debauched parties. As the past is dredged, secrets are revealed and traumas exposed. For mature audiences, contains adult language and situations. $10 individuals, $20 group pass (2 or more), matinee is pay what you can. Free for UI students. July 9-10 at 6 pm, July 11 at 2 pm. $0-$20. uidaho.edu/ class/theatre/productions-and-events/ unmute (208-885-6465)

VISUAL ARTS

AMERICAN ORIGINAL: THE LIFE & WORK OF JOHN JAMES AUDUBON An exclusive selection of original prints, paintings, manuscripts and personal possessions of an American icon. The exhibition tells the incredible story of a man who overcame so many obstacles to attain international recognition through his creativity and initiative on projects such as the ubiquitous “The Birds of America.”

Through Sept. 19; Tue-Sun 10 am-5 pm. $5-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931) ART & HEALING: WORKS BY JIM DINE AND CORITA KENT This exhibition of works from the museum’s Jim Dine and Corita Kent print collections helps demonstrate some of the healing aspects of art: Rich and vibrant use of color may make the viewer feel strong and healthy, while cool colors or pastels may be found soothing and calming. Through Aug. 7, Tue-Sat 1-4 pm, Sat 10 am-4 pm. Free.

Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum.wsu.edu FIGURE Figure features work in a range of styles and mediums exploring the human form in contemporary, regional artwork. The group show includes Spokane artists Hannah Charlton, Janelle Cordero, Sally Jablonski, Posie Kalin, Kayleigh Lang, and Egor Shokoladov, and Idahobased artists Lindsey Johnson and Meagan Marsh Pine. Currently online-only.

Through July 30. spokanearts.org GUEST ARTIST KELSI KIMURA Luscious drippy gold details, classy creamy white glazed swirls, edgy moon faces, and “all

seeing” eyes, is how artist Kelsi Kimura describes her work. Kelsi makes a range of hand-built functional ceramics, but prefers small and precise pieces. July 1-31, 10 am-7 pm. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington St. Potteryplaceplus.com JUSTIN GIBBENS: BIRDS & BEASTS Trained in both scientific illustration and traditional Chinese fine line bird-andflower painting, Ellensburg-area artist Justin Gibbens has been drawing animals and fauna since childhood. His subversive zoological watercolor drawings are inspired from both real-life specimens and natural history sources. This show is displayed in conjunction with “American Original: The Life and Work of John James Audubon.” Through Sept. 19; TueSun 10 am-5 pm. $5-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931) MOSCOW FIRST THURSDAY The city’s monthly community arts celebration, featuring art displays around the downtown area, live music and more. Monthly on the first Thursday, from 5-8 pm. See link for details: facebook.com/moscowfirsthursday POAC ARTWALK Local artisans, galleries and business owners throughout downtown Sandpoint collaborate each summer to showcase local artists and encourage all ages to explore this free city-wide event. Maps of the walking tour are available throughout downtown and online.

Continues through Sept. 3. Downtown Sandpoint. artinsandpoint.org/artwalk STAN MILLER PAINTING EXHIBITION Stan Miller, internationally recognized watercolor artist, is exhibiting more then 60 paintings, watercolor and egg tempera during the month of July. July 1-31, 12-5 pm. Free. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave. barristerwinery.com (509465-3591) WHAT WE MAKE: NATURE AS INSPIRATION Delve into the vital relationship between makers and nature. Discover how the landscape inspires art-making through the works and relationship of Northwest artists Wesley Wehr and Joseph Goldberg. Explore the natural motifs, tradition and importance of beaded bags in the plateau cultures. Investigate the use of natural materials in millinery and its many different forms. Learn the story of a blacksmith who flew the first plane in the Inland Northwest, illustrating our obsession with flight over the ages.

Through Jan. 9, 2022; Tue-Sun 10 am-5 pm. $5-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org/ (509-456-3931) ART SPARK: FROM THE MAKERS OF THE MOON A show featuring artwork by gallery members and artist consignors.

July 2-31; Thu-Sat from 12-5pm; open for First Friday (July 2) 5-7 pm. Free. New Moon Art Gallery, 1326 E. Sprague. newmoonartgallery.com FIRST FRIDAY Art galleries and businesses across downtown Spokane and beyond host monthly receptions to showcase new displays of art. Receptions held the first Friday of the month, from 5-8 pm. Details at firstfridayspokane.org FIRST FRIDAYS WITH POAC First Friday arts events in Sandpoint, organized by the Pend Oreille Arts Council. First Friday from 5:30-7:30 pm. Pend Oreille Arts Council Gallery, 110 Main St., Sandpoint. artinsandpoint.org (208-263-6139) SARA LONG: DUNE WOMAN Dune Woman is a painted story of returning home. This series explores the physical and spiritual microclimates within the

beach dunes of Trinidad, California. July 2 from 5-8 pm; July 3-7 from 12-4 pm. Free.

Kolva-Sullivan Gallery, 115 S. Adams St. kolva-sullivangallery.com (509-458-5517 or 509-768-0309) TRACY FOWLER & SAM WHITE Meet the gallery’s two fine artists: Tracy Fowler and Sam White, who work in wood carving and acrylics, respectfully. On display through July 31; Fri-Sat 11 am-4pm. Free.

Avenue West Gallery, 907 W. Boone Ave. avenuewestgallery.org (509-838-4999) SECOND FRIDAY ARTWALK Every second Friday of the month, from 5-8 pm, join the community to stroll the streets of downtown Coeur d’Alene and enjoy locally and nationally acclaimed artists, along with local shops, restaurants and businesses. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. (208-415-0116) PAPER MARBLING INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED: PATTERNS & PAPER Students continue their learning of paper marbling and up their game with more intricate and complex design creation, marbling with metallic paints and onto colored papers. July 10, 10 am. $50. Spokane Print & Publishing Center, 1925 N. Ash St. facebook.com/spokaneprint SECOND SATURDAYS & ART WALK IN PALOUSE Downtown Palouse features local culture and activities for all ages, including live music, shopping and socializing. Second Sat. of every month from 10 am-3 pm through Oct. 9. Palouse, Wash. visitpalouse.com (509-878-1811)

WORDS

3 MINUTE MIC Spokane’s First Friday open poetry mic returns, hosted by Chris Cook. All are welcome to read or listen.

Keep an eye out for additional hosts and guests. This is a free speech, uncensored event. For now, the event is taking place virtually via Zoom. See Auntie’s site for event link and updates. First Fri. of every month, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main. auntiesbooks.com BOOK-TALK TEASERS Need good book recommendations? If you love to talk about what you’re reading, this booktalk session is for you! We’ll read chapters aloud and have book cage matches.

Which book will come out on top? Ages 13+. Registration required. July 7, July 20, Aug. 4 and Aug. 18, 1-2 pm. Free. scld.org ARTCURIOUS WITH JENNIFER DASAL Join Auntie’s for a Zoom event with Jennifer Dasal, who’s discussing zany art history with artist Carolyn Janssen. ArtCurious is a fascinating and delightfully offbeat look at the untold stories of the art stories world, from the creator and host of the popular ArtCurious podcast.

July 8, 7-8 pm. Free. auntiesbooks.com FIND YOUR VOICE POETRY WORKSHOP Lost Horse Press and the Sandpoint Library host this poetry workshop with Mark Neely and Thomas Mitchell to explore techniques and methods for developing your poetic voice. July 8, 10 am-4 pm. Free; registration required.

Sandpoint Library, 1407 Cedar St. losthorsepress@mindspring.com (208-2554410) GOSSIP GIRLS LIVING HISTORY PROGRAM A special event in the Campbell House full of gossip, games and calling cards. Test your skills against living history actors in a game of croquet; or offer a calling card as you discuss the important news of the day. July 10, 17, 24 and 31 from 11 am-3 pm. $5-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931) n

JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 41

Forget the chocolates — here are yummy treats to beat the heat.

Keeping It Cool Three edibles to tide you through the summer heat

BY WILL MAUPIN

I

t’s been really hot lately. Like, turn your edibles into meltables hot. Candies, chocolates and chews are some of the most popular kinds of infused foods out there, but they’re all particularly susceptible to melting in the heat. While those products dominate edible sections at cannabis stores, they aren’t the only ones on the shelves.

Here are three to try that you won’t have to worry about melting on the trip back from the store.

FAIRWINDS TINCTURES

One of the leaders in the nontraditional infused product market, Vancouver, Washington’s Fairwinds makes everything from inhalers to suppositories, but it’s their tinctures that are most widely available locally. Whether you’re looking for something CBD-forward, something high in THC or something in between, Fairwinds’ line of tinctures has something for everyone.

42 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

Being that it’s a tincture, the products are naturally hotweather-resistant. Some are even heat-inducing, like their sriracha tincture that packs a 6,000 scoville unit punch. Jalapeños, for comparison, max out around 8,000 scoville units. If you’re someone who hasn’t been able to get enough of this heat, maybe that’s the product for you.

delivering 10mg of THC. They’re available at most dispensaries around the region, but not every store carries every flavor. Leafly’s online menu tool is a great way to find the flavor you want, and locate where it’s in stock, before you go.

JUNE’S PRETZELS

Northwest Cannabis Solutions’ Left-Handed brand of seasonings is perhaps the most versatile edible on the market. With four products — salt, sugar, cinnamon and sugar, and ramen seasoning — all infused with 10mg of THC per serving, Left-Handed offerings are equal parts edible and ingredient.

Making dinner on the grill? Finish it off with some infused salt.

Pouring a glass of lemonade on a hot day? Sweeten it with some infused sugar. Eating hot soup in the middle of summer for some reason? Throw in the infused ramen seasoning, I guess. n

Savory snacks can save the day during a heat wave when sweet snacks would melt away. Chocolate covered pretzels? Not this time of year.

June’s Pretzels from Smokey Point Productions offer eight different flavors, like salt and vinegar or jalapeño ranch, that would fit right in on the chip aisle at the grocery store. Which means, no candy coating to worry about melting off onto the bag or your fingers. They come in packs of 10, with each individual pretzel

LEFT-HANDED SEASONINGS

JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 43

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THIS PRODUCT HAS INTOXICATING EFFECTS AND MAY BE HABIT-FORMING. CANNABIS CAN IMPAIR CONCENTRATION, COORDINATION, AND JUDGMENT. DO NOT OPERATE A VEHICLE OR MACHINERY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS DRUG. THERE MAY BE HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSUMPTION OF THIS PRODUCT. FOR USE ONLY BY ADULTS TWENTY-ONE AND OLDER. KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. ALL DISCOUNTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. DISCOUNTS ARE FOR REGULAR-PRICED ITEMS ONLY. NO ADDITIONAL OR STACKING OF DISCOUNTS. SOME RESTRICTIONS/EXCLUSIONS MAY APPLY. ALL DISCOUNTS ARE APPLIED IN-STORE AT TIME OF PURCHASE. PLEASE CONTACT OUR STORE FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

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NOW TAKING DEBIT CARDS! WARNING: This product has intoxicating affects and may be habit forming. Smoking is hazardous to your health. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Should not be used by women that are pregnant or breast feeding. Marijuana products may be purchased or possessed only by persons 21 years of age or older. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination and judgement. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug.

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JULY 1, 2021 INLANDER 45

RELATIONSHIPS

GREEN ZONE

Advice Goddess THEY BLOW UP SO FAST

I’m a man in my 30s, and I’m looking to settle down and start a family. I was falling in love with the woman I’ve been seeing for six months, who seems lovely, intelligent, and kind. Recently, I arrived at her place early and overheard her arguing with her mother on the phone. She was yelling, swearing, and being very nasty. I’m close to my parents and can’t conceive of speaking to them this way. She never mentions her parents, beyond saying she isn’t close with her mother. She’s only been sweet and AMY ALKON doting to me, and she seems well-liked by her friends and co-workers. Could she have hidden anger issues?

—Shocked 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.

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

46 INLANDER JULY 1, 2021

“Till death do us part” tends to come earlier than expected if your wife’s idea of marital compromise is either you say, “Yes, Dear” or she garrotes you with the wire on a cat toy.

It’s understandable you’re worried there’s a rage-filled, profanity-spewing ladymonster just under the sweet girlfriend veneer. However, because someone expresses anger in an ugly way at another person doesn’t necessarily mean: 1.

They are out of control; or 2. They will express themselves this way with everyone.

(To be fair, it can mean one or both of these things.)

Anger often gets a bum rap, demonized as a “toxic,” “negative” emotion. Aristotle knew better, suggesting only fools never get angry (though he didn’t get into the subject of screaming a string of profanities at Mom). Our emotions, including socalled negative emotions like anger, are our protectors: motivating us to act in ways that make us more likely to survive, mate, and pass on our genes. For example, anger surges in us when we perceive that another person is treating us unfairly: shorting us on what we feel entitled to — whether money, love, respect, or our fair share of cake.

Anger seems to function as a bargaining tool to incentivize better treatment, explains evolutionary psychologist Aaron Sell and his colleagues. “Acts or signals of anger” communicate that unless the other person mends their unfair ways, we might “inflict costs” (maybe go all screaming maniac on them) or “withdraw benefits” (possibly exile them from our circle of friends). This suggests it might be in their interest to “recalibrate” their behavior in our favor: stop being so disrespectful, stingy, and/or cake-hoggy.

Anger as a selective “hey, don’t do me like that!” tool is different from anger as a way of being: “high trait anger,” a chronically angry disposition. People with this disposition have “a short fuse,” flying into a rage at the slightest provocation, explains evolutionary social psychology researcher Julie Fitness. They see the world and others in narrow terms — “right” or “wrong” — and are grievance hunters, ever on the lookout for “apparent injustice.” They are quick to lash out and blame others when things don’t go perfectly, and in relationships, they create a “climate of fear and loathing, with anger or the threat of it serving to intimidate and control” their partner.

If your girlfriend were this sort of person, wouldn’t you know? One could argue she might be a scary-explody person who’s managed to hide her true nature. That seems unlikely, given how the chronically angry tend to see a sick plot against them if the diner gives them three less raisins on their oatmeal than the guy at the next table.

You’re shocked — partly because you wouldn’t talk to your parents this way.

Consider the possibility that your girlfriend has a different sort of parent: unloving and toxic. And consider a reason people jack up the volume and ugliness: They repeatedly perceive they aren’t being heard. (This is especially painful if you’re speaking to your parent and they have a history of being physically present but emotionally vacant.)

If your girlfriend feels like an unloved daughter (or some shade of that), she might be ashamed of it and see it as something to hide. She might suspect there was something wrong with her, unlovable about her (rather than understanding her mother as broken: unwilling or unable to be loving in the way every kid needs from their mother).

To encourage your girlfriend to open up to you, ask about her mom in a way that suggests she should redirect any shame she might be feeling. Tell her you feel bad her mom seems to be a continuing source of pain for her and that she deserved — and deserves — better. Getting her to talk about her relationship with her mother — plus observing, over a few months, how she reacts in tough situations — should help you figure out whether there are any big red flags. As the saying goes: “Love is never having to scream, ‘I will end you! And then bury you in 36 pieces in a shallow grave!’”n ©2021, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

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39. Cousin of -trix 40. Publication for people with big heads?

46. Thompson of “Back to the Future” 47. Suitable 48. Comical Carvey 50. Time’s 1963 Man of the Year, informally 53. Pigged out (on), briefly 57. Tags 58. Model appropriate behavior ... or a hint to solving 19-, 32- and 40-Across 62. Subject of Newton’s first law of motion 64. Deal 65. Preparing a martini for 007, say 66. Postwinter floods 67. TV character with a rippled snout 68. Green lights

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21. Small battery size 22. iPod model discontinued in 2017 23. “You’re not the only one” 26. “... on second thought, pass” 28. ____ v. Wade 31. Vex 32. “Sesame Street” duo featuring the first king of England and one of the show’s regulars?

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35. Sub (for) 36. Split ____ (new wave band from New Zealand) 37. Senate majority leader before McConnell 45 40. Horror film street 41. It might be hair-raising 49 42. Growth around an acorn 43. “That’s not ____!” (parent’s admonishment) 44. “A House for Mr. Biswas” author V.S. ____ 45. Football boundary 49. Kind of, after “in” 51. Yank 52. 1:2, for instance 54. Actress Mazar and others 55. ____ change “EG” 56. Took a chance 59. Drop shot in tennis 60. Bellhop’s burdens 61. Restaurant boss: Abbr.

62. “That ____ fact!”

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