Inlander 07/09/2020

KID STUFF SUMMER READS FOR ALL AGES PAGE 21

WRONG NOTES WILL FERRELL’S FAILED VISION PAGE 28 POP-UP PICNICS

FANCY UP YOUR OUTDOOR MEAL PAGE 24

JULY 9-15, 2020 | LOCAL, INDEPENDENT AND FREE SINCE 1993

AS HE LAY DYING A daughter’s harrowing journey to support her father in his fight with COVID-19

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

PAGE 14

“Dedicated.”

—Amy Koon, President, Keystone Medical

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2 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

INSIDE VOL. 27, NO. 39 | COVER ILLUSTRATION: CALEB WALSH

COMMENT NEWS COVER STORY CULTURE

5 8 14 21

FOOD FILM MUSIC EVENTS

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I SAW YOU GREEN ZONE ADVICE GODDESS BULLETIN BOARD

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T

he toll of COVID-19 is hard to truly grasp.

Sure, we have some numbers: We know that 130,000 Americans have died so far, and we know that’s likely an undercount of the actual total.

But so much of that death and dying — so much of that heartbreak and pain — has been done in locked-down hospitals and nursing homes, outside of public view and practically invisible. No wonder we have some ill-informed skeptics calling the coronavirus a hoax.

In many cases, the sick have been separated from their families, who are left to provide comfort and understanding from afar. That’s the point at which this week’s cover story begins — with a daughter desperately trying to support her ailing father, a veteran of the Vietnam War, who would become one of 70 people infected at the Spokane Veterans Home. The two of them granted EXTRAORDINARY ACCESS to staff reporter Wilson Criscione, and for the past two months, he has listened in on daily phone calls between father and daughter. What do you say when each call feels like it could be the last?

Don’t miss our special report on page 14.

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Connect with us!

COMMENT STAFF DIRECTORY PHONE: 509-325-0634 Ted S. McGregor Jr. (tedm@inlander.com) PUBLISHER

J. Jeremy McGregor (x224)

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU RECOMMENDING THIS SUMMER AND WHY?

GENERAL MANAGER

TANYA CLAIBORNE: For those who love fantasy, The Abhorsen Trilogy.

Fantastic story. If you get it on Audible it’s read by Tim Curry!

EDITORIAL Jacob H. Fries (x261) EDITOR

Dan Nailen (x239)

LINDA GRILE: The Hate U Give

by Angie Thomas: A timely story that was educational for this white person of black experience and perspective, and a great read.

MANAGING EDITOR/ARTS & CULTURE

Chey Scott (x225) FOOD & LISTINGS EDITOR Nathan Weinbender (x250) FILM & MUSIC EDITOR

Derek Harrison (x248) ART DIRECTOR

Quinn Welsch (x279) COPY EDITOR

Wilson Criscione (x282), Daniel Walters (x263), Samantha Wohlfeil (x234) STAFF WRITERS

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Normally, we ask our question of the week of people we randomly encounter on the street. But with the coronavirus pandemic, we instead asked our followers on social media to share their thoughts.

EVA SILVERSTONE: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo! It’s so good and available from Hoopla from Spokane Public Library. I am trying to only read and recommend authors of color right now.

ELIZABETH BAKER: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. This prequel to The Hunger Games tells the story of President Snow. It was so good!! I highly recommend it.

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You matter.

Have you experienced unwanted sexual contact or comments? Have you been made to do something sexually that you didn’t want to do?

Speak to someone who can help.  24/7 Free & Confidential Support Call or Text 509-624-7273 to speak with a Victim Advocate @lutherancommunityservicesnorthwest

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ROB GOLDEN: Tough Love [by] Susan Rice. Honest and compelling autobiography of a talented, thoughtful, educated woman who will be president of the country she loves… someday.

DENNIS LIMING: Angle of Repose

by Wallace Stegner… because I was born in the wrong era and because I need to escape!

ELIZABETH ANNE: White Fragility

by Robin DiAngelo. An incredible researched examination of how white supremacy has been socialized in our country and created many systems of implicit bias and racism, while also providing tools to recognize these attitudes and work to dismantle them.

KATIE BETH: Untamed by Glennon Doyle. It’s a call to courage for women to live their authentic lives out loud.

JEREMY PHILLIPS: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, it’s a fascinating take on the events of Henry the 8th’s England from a different perspective.

LINDA BOOZER HOLLENBECK: The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes. The kind of book that you’re sad to finish because you’ll miss reading it. n

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Brush up on Our History History is happening all around us these past months, making it a great time to learn even more about the American story

BY GEORGE NETHERCUTT

C

ivic learning should be on the upswing in America after years of waning in the public sphere. The COVID-19 pandemic’s “safer at home” orders coast to coast have led to more Americans taking time to read and learn about the country they call home. How many people have used this time at home to get back to basics and spend more time reading?

The better for all our citizenship — knowing about America and our history makes us all better Americans. U.S. history is a story of tragedy and triumph, sacrifice and courage, politics and public service, war and peace, economic success and economic woe — and all things in between.

It’s a story that instructs policymakers in the mistakes of history — how not to conduct public policy — as well as lessons to be learned. U.S. history has plenty for everyone, if only we take time to learn and remember it.

With so many changes for our students this year, it is a unique time for students to study civics and better prepare for the future that awaits them — and learn how best to advocate and engage. Only by studying from and appreciating

the past can young people prepare adequately for the future.

Newsweek and other publications periodically test Americans by giving them the U.S. Immigration Test. Americans routinely fail this civics exam, not realizing why we celebrate the Fourth of July or how many years a U.S. senator serves in federal office. Americans of all ages are routinely undereducated about civic learning. Or they have forgotten what they had been taught in school back when civics was even offered. Perhaps that’s why many states are requiring that high school students must pass the U.S. Immigration Test to graduate, and other states are including civic learning as part of their student curriculum.

Patriotism is an important part of civic learning. As American discussion of politics has become coarser recently, we see that many fellow Americans are less tolerant of those who hold

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The pandemic offers an opportunity to brush up on American history. opposing political views, instead of just “agreeing to disagree” or seeking to persuade a political opponent while still remaining friends. Civility is defined as politeness in speech or behavior.

Patriotism may be defined as devotion to and vigorous support for one’s country. It’s important to remember during these unprecedented times that we can together love our country without disparaging one another and being impolite in the process.

“…it is a unique time for students to study civics and better prepare for the future that awaits them — and learn how best to advocate and engage.”

To that point, civic learning can enhance civility and patriotism as more Americans better recall and appreciate America’s history, reflect on trying times in our nation’s history and hopefully take this time to remember to treat each other with courtesy and politeness, regardless of political differences. It was Ghandi who once highlighted, “There go my people. I am their leader and I must follow them.” If schools — and we as citizens of this country — can be knowledgeable about our history and what makes us great, and we can in turn lead our country back to strong patriotism and civil discourse, others will follow.

Even as we navigate these dark times in the United States and globally, all Americans should take time to recall America’s history and appreciate the tough times previous generations have endured, as well as the successes we have celebrated. Policymakers at home should take time to refresh their knowledge of history and learn what we have done right as a nation to help better prepare for the future. Civilians of all ages should take this time to learn of — and respect — America’s military sacrifices and be thankful for the freedoms we enjoy each and every day.

The pandemic need not paralyze us. This can be a time that inspires us to greatness — a time to learn about civics and remember what it means to be an American. n

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

George Nethercutt represented the 5th District of Washington in Congress from 1995-2005.

JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 7

PROTESTS

WAITING FOR

ANTIFA

Antifa is anonymous, militant and ill-defined — but there’s still little evidence they’re to blame for riots in Spokane

BY DANIEL WALTERS

A

ntifa was planning to riot in Spokane and North Idaho.

That, at least, was the claim put forth in the widely shared images that set local right-wing circles in a tizzy in November of 2017. Antifa never showed. The same claim was shared in November of 2018. Antifa didn’t show.

But this year, there actually were riots, including in Spokane.

While Spokane’s protest on May 31 was largely peaceful, there were exceptions. Windows at downtown businesses like Nike were shattered and merchandise was stolen by looters. Protesters threw water bottles and other

8 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

Antifa activists do exist, like this woman in Bulgaria, but evidence of antifa at recent Spokane protests is questionable at best.

objects at police officers. A man threw a crude attempt at a Molotov cocktail. And that night, Spokane Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich blamed “a group of antifa socialists” for the destruction.

He doubled down in a press conference the next morning.

“There’s a lot of reporters that have contacted me this morning: ‘Are you sure it was antifa?’” Knezovich said. “I’m going to give you one definitive answer. And the answer is yes.”

He says he had information from confidential informants. He says that officers had seen antifa T-shirts. He says that antifa came here in the three vehicles and were communicating with Motorola headsets.

“We had all the earmarks from the Portland area,” Knezovich says. “Let’s just stop the nonsense. Let’s own what’s happened here.”

Today, more than a month has passed since the initial protests in Spokane.

No evidence has been released by law enforcement to support the notion that anybody connected to the antifa movement was directly responsible for any of the looting, destruction or violence at the May 31 rally in Spokane.

Nearly all of the arrests that have been made have been

locals, including several who already had a criminal background.

Antifa is a very loose assortment of secretive groups and anonymous individuals dedicated to aggressively — and occasionally violently — opposing white supremacists and other far-right groups. In the last few years, footage of squads of black-clad and masked antifa activists brawling with right-wing Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer hooligans in the streets of Portland repeatedly made national news.

But ever since the protests against racism and police brutality cropped up in May, antifa has taken on a new role in the public imagination: riot scapegoat. Antifa agitators have repeatedly been blamed for the fires, violence, vandalism and looting that have been perpetuated by a fraction of protesters. And local protest organizers like longtime left-wing activist Dustin Jolly worried that all the antifa blame could obscure their police reform message.

“You have a lot of scared people,” Jolly says. “[A Black Lives Matters protest] isn’t something to be scared of. This isn’t antifa trying to come in and burn all your businesses down.” ...continued on page 10

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JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 9

NEWS | PROTESTS “WAITING FOR ANTIFA,” CONTINUED...

ANTIFA EVERYWHERE AND NOWHERE

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The claim that antifa was to blame for the protest violence was a national phenomenon, put forward by figures like President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr.

On June 22, the Washington Post’s Fact Checker column, in a “Four Pinocchio” fact-check, noted that there hadn’t yet been a “single confirmed case in which someone who self-identifies as antifa led violent acts at any of the protests across the country.”

While a self-proclaimed antifa supporter was subsequently arrested for trying to tear down the Andrew Jackson statue in Washington, D.C., Jessica Reaves, editorial director with the AntiDefamation League’s Center on Extremism, tells the Inlander that “we have not seen any evidence of substantial or organized, quote, ‘antifa’ presence at these rallies,” she says.

In Spokane, however, Jolly confirmed he did see a few people at the week’s first protests wearing gear with antifa logos — and not local activists he recognized. Kurtis Robinson, the president of the local NAACP, says that he referred concerns about potential antifa violence to the Police Department before the first protest.

And Knezovich, who accuses journalists locally and nationally of scrambling to try to shield antifa from responsibility, hasn’t altered his original conclusions. He claims that agitators were accomplices to crimes by directing the young people who committed the violence and destruction using communication gear. So far, however, nobody arrested in Spokane has been tied to antifa.

“We’re still putting cases together on some of those folks,” Knezovich says. “I’m not gonna be able to give you a lot of information.”

To bolster his claims of antifa violence, Knezovich connects Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl into a conference call with the Inlander.

But Meidl doesn’t go nearly as far with his claims. There was an incident, Meidl says, where a number of protesters surrounded a police car, including a woman with a megaphone who identified herself as antifa.

However, in that incident, nobody was harmed and no property was damaged.

“We know there were people claiming to be antifa, and seemed to be trying to rally and stir things up,” Meidl says. But at this point, he says, he hasn’t been able to say they were specifically involved in any damage.

“We’ve never come out and said it was ‘this group’ or ‘that group,’” Meidl says. “Unless we were able to physically make that arrest, it was challenging to identify people involved.”

Even then, it’s not like antifa activists generally carry membership cards in their wallets.

Reaves says the days of being able to identify antifa activists or anarchists by their black clothing, helmets, or masks are over — they’ve been widely adopted by protesters of all stripes. And with the spread of coronavirus, masks are often a sign of following the law, not breaking it.

Spokane Street Aid founder Rebecca Daignault-Walker passes out fliers to protesters that tell people to mask up for multiple reasons: “Not only are masks and goggles vital for slowing the

spread of COVID-19, but they’re also good for helping to remain anonymous while protesting.”

To Knezovich and Meidl, carrying gas masks, wearing body armor, and lugging around jugs of tear-gas neutralizing milk is evidence protesters are ready to riot. But some protesters say it’s more about being prepared for violence from the police.

“Police have shown they are not afraid to fire on peaceful protesters,” Daignault-Walker says.

WHAT DOES ANTIFA MEAN TO YOU?

Even for those who proclaim their allegiance to antifa’s principles, the meaning is amorphous.

To Knezovich, antifa is a leaderless terrorist group, the latest incarnation of anarchists “dedicated to the overthrow of the capitalist system of America.”

“Antifa is a domestic terrorist threat,” Knezovich told an Idaho GOP group this March during one of his signature “Threats We Face” presentations. “There’s no ifs ands or buts about it.”

The radical who was killed last year while trying to bomb the ICE detention center in Tacoma with a propane tank claimed in a manifesto to be antifa.

But to others, “antifa” is more of a philosophy or a tactic than an organization. Anyone opposed to neo-Nazis and white supremacists is antifa, a definition so broad as to include Martin Luther King Jr., Indiana Jones and Knezovich himself.

“People were saying ‘antifa is everywhere,’ but we’re saying ‘No, they’re not.’ They’re not driving everywhere.”

“Everyone at a Black Lives Matter protest is antifa because they’re all there to protect black people from fascism,” says Jeremy Logan, vicechair of the Spokane’s Democratic Socialists of America.

Still, the Inlander reached out to the established antifa groups in the region and asked for comment.

A message sent to the Emerald City Antifa Facebook page resulted in a response that the Inlander’s questions sounded like they came from “either a grifter or a fed” and that we should accept “the copious amounts of evidence and reports showing that cops are lying sacks of shit.”

“What do you want, a schedule of where all the antifas were and what we were all doing instead of plotting made-up shit in Spokane?” the Emerald City Antifa wrote. (“You’re expecting these groups to say, ‘Yeah, we are involved in starting riots?’” Knezovich scoffs.)

A voicemail message left with the website associated with Portland’s Rose City Antifa resulted in a phone call a week later from an antifa activist who uses the pseudonym “Morgan.”

Citing the risk of right-wing backlash or law

enforcement repression, her group is strictly anonymous, making it difficult to verify any of their claims.

Still, when asked if Rose City Antifa sent anyone to the protests in the Inland Northwest, Morgan laughs.

“No,” she says. “We respect the autonomy of organizers and activists in Spokane and Northern Idaho to determine how they want to respond to things.”

But Jolly and other progressive activists the Inlander spoke with weren’t aware of any local antifa groups.

Morgan says there had been a group with a similar philosophy to antifa — Spokane Anti-Racist Action — but wasn’t aware if it was still active. Their last Facebook post was nearly a year ago.

Morgan suggests Rose City Antifa has been involved in the protests in Portland, but stresses that they haven’t led them or organized them. But she won’t talk details. As a matter of principle, antifa won’t reveal tactics, even to condemn them. They won’t say who’s a part of antifa and who’s not.

Asked how I should know, then, if any action is associated with antifa, Morgan is blunt.

“You don’t,” Morgan says.

And yes, she knows that can be a problem.

“As long as we remain anonymous, which we will forever, people can choose to think whatever they would like about the group of mystery people,” Morgan says. “It does open us up to a lot of unfounded conspiracy theories and attempts to make us out to be boogeymen.”

Groups like antifa are used as an excuse, she adds, to “avoid addressing the actual concerns of black people and black organizers.”

THE MASQUERADE

Anyone can wear the antifa mask. Even far-right trolls.

On May 31, @Antifa_US Twitter account announced that “tonight’s the night, comrades” that they would attack residential areas and “take what’s ours.” It was a hoax perpetrated by Identity Evropa, a genuine white supremacist group.

Fake Twitter and Facebook accounts with names like “Beverly Hills Antifa” have abounded in the last three years, including in Spokane.

“What we are seeing is a fair amount of disinformation from right-wing extremists targeting antifa,” says Reaves, with the ADL. In early June, the rumor that antifa was traveling from town to town in vans or buses, starting riots, was pervasive in rightwing circles across Idaho, Washington and Montana. In Forks, Washington, locals cut down trees to prevent a multiracial Spokane family of campers from leaving, believing them to actually be a busload of antifa members.

On June 2, the Washington Fusion Center, a public safety intelligence hub for Washington state agencies, warned police chiefs and sheriffs to be wary about putting out information about antifa without verifying it, warning of an ongoing “disinformation campaign.”

“Information like antifa was driving around in vans everywhere and coming to every little community,” Washington State Patrol Lt. Curt Boyle, director of the Fusion Center, tells the Inlander. “People were saying ‘antifa is everywhere,’ but we’re saying ‘No, they’re not.’ They’re not driving everywhere.”

The incorrect info was so pervasive and coming from so many different directions, Boyle says, that they weren’t able to determine whether it was intentional disinformation or simply mistakes that went viral.

To this day, Knezovich says, his department hasn’t been able to “nail down” any of the three antifa vehicles he claimed had arrived in Spokane. While he says that vehicles with Seattle-based license places parked in “strategic locations” in Spokane during the third week’s protest, there wasn’t any violence during the third week protest.

But once currently confidential information comes to light, Knezovich is certain that he will be vindicated.

“Eventually, I hope we can release some of this,” Knezovich says. “I want to have that conversation. It’s time. I’ve never seen people work so hard to discredit anything.” n danielw@inlander.com

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NEWS | HEALTH

A Growing Wave As coronavirus cases spike, Spokane health officer warns first wave could last into another flu season

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

J

ust in time for Memorial Day weekend, Spokane County got what leaders had been hoping for: Approval to move to Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan.

As Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward and County Commissioner Al French had called for publicly, and as business owners had pushed for in the background, the county was able to start reopening for things like in-person dining in time for the holiday. People swiftly reacted by going out for the first time in months, with bars, patios and tables soon filling up to their new limited capacities.

A little more than a month later, the county is seeing a dramatic uptick in COVID-19 cases. While local leaders have continued to call for loosening restrictions on the economy, record single-day case counts have been pouring in.

Spokane Regional Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz points to the over-enthusiastic response to reopening as the cause.

“What happened? It’s called May 25th, Memorial Day. It’s called pent up quarantine fatigue,” Lutz says.

“We went to Phase 2 on May 22, and people took the liberty of thinking that was Phase 4.”

Spokane remains in the second phase, which maintains bans on events and gatherings of more than a handful of people, with social distancing and capacity restrictions inside businesses. But many people have pretty much stopped following the distancing guidelines, Lutz says.

On May 22, Spokane County had 450 confirmed cases. Fast forward to the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and on Sunday alone the county had 98 new reported cases, bringing the total to 1,730 confirmed cases as of Monday.

In the last week alone, cases went up by about 34 percent.

Many who had been contacted by the health department for contact tracing efforts this weekend said they were not out at crowded bars and restaurants but at family gatherings, including Father’s Day get-togethers and bridal showers, Lutz says.

Community spread of COVID-19 is a major concern, according to Spokane Regional Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz.

“I think people need to realize we’re not in the second wave, this was just a really slow wave to develop,” Lutz says.

Initially, Phase 2 did not require customers to wear masks. As of Tuesday, July 7, Gov. Jay Inslee and Washington state Secretary of Health John Wiesman mandated businesses to require masks for all employees and customers, strengthening their face covering requirements from two weeks before.

If people don’t take the order seriously, and if case counts continue to skyrocket, Lutz says this first wave may last until the cold and flu season picks back up.

“We will not see a second wave nationally because that would mean the first wave went away. The wave has not crested,” Lutz says. “This will take us into the fall at this point.”

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Young people have contributed the most to the spike in cases across the nation and in Spokane County, where people in their 20s make up nearly one-third of all cases.

“You’re seeing a significant shift in who’s getting the virus because of who is socializing,” Lutz says.

Statewide, young people 20 to 39 make up 37 percent of cases, but only about 12 percent of hospitalizations, which are more likely for those over 40. As of press time, 22 Spokane County residents are hospitalized for the virus, and 40 people from the county have died overall.

Similar to Spokane, Kootenai County and North Idaho have seen a spike in cases recently, with Kootenai County’s cases nearly doubling over the last week to 440 as of Monday, with many new cases linked to bars and

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gathering places. Only one COVID death in that region has been reported.

As the spike in infections makes it more difficult for contact tracers to keep pace, it is only clear who infected someone in about 46 percent of cases now. A month ago, the health district was able to connect the dots in about 85 percent of cases. That change indicates sweeping community spread, where people are picking up the virus from unknown sources while they’re out in public.

“It’s definitely of great concern,” Lutz says. “I think right now with as much community-wide spread of COVID-19 exists, people really need to be aware of where they are.”

That means wearing masks or face coverings in public, even outside at times when people are unable to stay at least 6 feet apart. It also means continuing bans on gatherings, and maintaining good hygiene, Lutz says.

“It’s even more important in my mind than it was two months ago when our community spread was minimal,” he says.

The virus has spread very effectively between people, largely helped by the fact that so many are carrying it without having any symptoms, Lutz says. That’s why it’s key to keep up distancing rules and wear masks, because you don’t know if you’re contagious or someone near you might be, he says.

“The virus does not stop at the Idaho-Washington state border or other counties around us,” Lutz adds.

“People come down here to work, to shop. If they’re not doing those basic things they can either get it here or, importantly, take it back. That’s why you’re seeing such an uptick nationally in cases in rural counties.”

MASKS & ENFORCEMENT

It’s a challenge for health officials to enforce isolation protocols for people who test positive for the virus. Not everyone is answering their phones to speak with contact tracers, and it’s likely people would get annoyed by a daily check-in from the health district, Lutz says.

But for two very unique situations, Lutz ordered people to isolate.

Last week, the Spokane County Commissioners and county Jail Director Mike Sparber questioned Lutz’s call to house a COVID-19 positive person at the jail’s medical facility, saying in a news release that they were “distressed about this forced action.”

However, Lutz explains that he worked with Sparber and health district staff to find any other alternative for the homeless individual, who wasn’t sick enough to be admitted to the hospital.

Finding no family members willing to take the individual in, Lutz and Sparber settled on placing him in a negative airflow room in the jail’s medical area as “the place of last resort.”

“I had to put an order in place because living homeless was a risk to other community members,” Lutz says. “Given that we are all so concerned about outbreaks in shelters, because it will run through there like wildfire, I had no option.”

The other order was for a man who refused to isolate after testing positive. The order was issued after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence multiple times while he was supposed to be isolating.

Requiring face coverings and masks has otherwise become the largest emphasis to stem the increase in infections as businesses reopen.

While Black Lives Matter protests brought out thousands of people in Spokane in the first weeks after moving to Phase 2, health officials haven’t linked new positive cases to those large outdoor gatherings, where most people wore masks.

Many people, however, are now protesting the recent facecovering requirements, with videos going viral nearly daily showing customers refusing to wear masks in stores as they’re asked to leave.

It’s unclear how the statewide mask order in Washington will be enforced. Lutz says he’d be surprised to see Spokane law enforcement agencies enforce the rule, even though it is illegal to disobey it.

“Hopefully there will be enough social norming and changes that people will realize, ‘You know, I should do this,’” Lutz says.

“But I think the enforcement piece is gonna be really challenging.”

Overall, Lutz says, he hopes people who’ve been exposed simply follow the rules and stay home. Without that and widespread adherence to mask requirements and distancing, the region is far from being in the clear.

“We’ve got a long ways to go before we’re going to ‘flatten that curve.’ I’d just like to see it stop being so steep,” Lutz says. “It really is going to require a collective effort on the part of all of us to stem the tide of this wave we’re in now and get back to where we can do things a little more normally.” n samanthaw@inlander.com

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CLOSE CALLS

COVID-19 divides families, separating the sick from their loved ones and, in this case, an ailing father from his daughter whose daily phone calls deliver messages of hope, love and strength

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

14 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

I

n his bed at the Spokane Veterans Home, Leonardo “Butch” De Angelis can’t escape the killer creeping toward him. The virus first strikes the caregivers at the nursing home. Then it hits the veterans down the hall. Then it sneaks into his own room, sickening his roommate.

At 75, Butch survived the Vietnam War — where he was doused with Agent Orange by his own government and suffered lifelong health issues as a result. Now, he might die alone in this strange room overlooking a parking lot, far away from home.

And he can only wait.

“If I get it, I’m a goner,” he tells his daughter, Lacy Russell, over the phone.

Lacy is just as terrified. But she doesn’t show it.

“You can’t think like that,” she says. “You’re going to survive it.”

When the virus gets to Butch in late April, it hits hard. Within days he can’t eat. He can hardly breathe.

His fever spikes. And his daughter can’t be there with him.

“I just want to be there. I just want to hold his hand and tell him that I love him,” she tells the Inlander in early May.

These are the heartbreaking scenarios none of the charts or data sets put out by health officials capture.

Across the country, millions of sick people are kept away from those they want to see most. Veterans like Butch can be isolated in hospital rooms and hooked up to ventilators — never counted as a COVID-19 “hospitalization” — while family members like Lacy can only send support over the phone or through a crack in the window. And vulnerable adults can be counted as a “mild” COVID-19 case even as the virus causes severe long-term damage, and sometimes death.

Though she can’t be in the room with him, Lacy calls her dad every day after he tests positive. With Butch and Lacy’s permission, the Inlander listens in on these calls, witnessing firsthand the grief and devastation felt by a father and daughter separated by a deadly virus.

On one end of the line, a father struggles to speak as the virus saps his strength and attacks his lungs and heart and his will to live. On the other end, a daughter listens helplessly, unable to sit by his bedside.

“This has been such a crazy, f---ed up roller coaster from hell,” Lacy says.

B

y the time the Inlander gets in touch with Lacy and Butch, it’s been five days since he tested positive. He’s been transferred to the MannGrandstaff Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Spokane.

He still has a hard time keeping down food due to the medication he’s on, and Lacy fears he’s spiraling in the wrong direction.

In the first call the Inlander listens to on May 5, they talk about the peppermints and sugar-free hard candy she sent him.

“I’m sorry that I can’t be there. But I can do what I can from out here,” she says. “If you need anything, I can get you anything. Do you want or need anything?”

“Nope. I’m good,” he says.

“No, you’re good? After you got your candy?”

They laugh together. She asks about his temperature, his medication, and she can tell he doesn’t have as much strength as he’s letting on.

“Well, I love you, Dad,” she says.

“I love you, too,” he says.

Lacy wells up. She thinks about how she can’t be there with him, how he’s all alone in there.

“I miss you,” she says.

“It will be over soon,” says her dad.

Lacy, 39, yearns for a closer relationship with Butch like she once had, long ago, as a young girl growing up in Flagstaff, Arizona. They’d go on walks, they’d go fishing, and she’d swell up with pride when her dad would brag to friends that she caught a bigger fish than him.

Her parents divorce when she’s 5, and she ends up in a new home, hundreds of miles away from her dad.

The fishing trips end. As she builds a life in the Pacific Northwest, eventually landing in Spokane and opening a photography business, she lacks the kind of close connection with her father she’s always wanted. ...continued on next page

At the Spokane Veterans Home, 46 residents tested positive for COVID-19.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 15

COVID-19 “CLOSE CALLS,” CONTINUED...

Down in Arizona, her dad’s health deteriorates.

Agent Orange won’t quit its continuous onslaught on his health. He has tremors, diabetes, a heart attack.

He has three surgeries in the span of a few years to remove tumors pressing against his spine. It becomes obvious he can’t live alone anymore — he can’t get his own groceries, and every other day he falls down and can’t get up.

In 2019, Lacy brings him to Spokane where she can monitor him more closely. But he still needs more intensive physical therapy to get back on his feet, and she helps him move into the Spokane Veterans Home.

For a time, it’s like she’s the young child growing up in Flagstaff again. She can be with her dad when she wants. She takes him out of the Veterans Home for holidays, for movies, for walks in the park, and

by March he’s feeling better and almost ready to get discharged and build a life in Spokane alongside her.

Then COVID hits.

The Veterans Home deals with a rash of respiratory infections in early February, quarantining residents and preventing Lacy from seeing Butch. At the time, testing for COVID-19 isn’t available, and when it is, in March, it’s slow. In late March, an employee at the home has mild COVID-19 symptoms and gets tested. The test results lag. Feeling no symptoms for a few days, the employee returns to work.

The virus explodes inside the home, especially on the first floor where Butch stays. The facility tries to control it, but there’s no space, so veterans share rooms with only a curtain separating them, even if their roommate is sick. The Spokane Veterans Home quickly becomes the largest cluster of cases in Spokane. COVID-19 would infect 46 residents — more than half of the residents there — and 24 staff members. Ten veterans would die.

When her dad tests positive, Lacy fears the worst. Across the country, deaths in nursing homes add up. Butch has underlying conditions putting him in grave danger. She knows she had no choice, that she couldn’t have predicted this pandemic, but she can’t shake this guilty feeling — did she kill her dad by putting him there?

She calls him every day. She can only talk to him for a few minutes before she breaks down, so she keeps the calls short.

Yet, even as she tries to shield it, even though she’s not in there in the hospital room, Butch can sense that his daughter is struggling. From his hospital bed, wearing an oxygen mask, he does his best not to worry her. When she asks how he’s doing, he always says he’s “doing pretty good,” even in his darkest moments.

“Pretty good?” Lacy asks May 6.

“Yeah,” he says. He tries to change the subject.

“So how are things there?”

“They’re fine,” she says. “You don’t feel like this virus is kicking your butt?”

Butch lets his guard down, if only a little. Yet his answer somehow manages to make his daughter laugh.

“Yeah,” he says. “It’s kickin.’”

I

n mid-May, stuck on his bed in the specialized COVID-19 unit at the Mann-Granstaff VA Medical Center, Butch watches the TV news to find out when one of the veterans down the hall dies.

“They had two more kick the bucket,” he tells Lacy on May 12.

They are the seventh and eighth deaths associat-

16 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

ed with the outbreak at the Spokane Veterans Home, the VA says. They wouldn’t be the last.

Local politicians, including Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward, want to start lifting the stayhome order Spokane had been living under since March. New case counts per day are in the single digits. Only four people are hospitalized in Spokane, according to data from the Spokane Regional Health District at the time.

Butch, in his hospital bed, is forgotten in those counts. So are the dozens of other veterans there with him. Unless they are rushed to a local hospital with acute symptoms from COVID-19, they’re not counted as “a hospitalization.” They were brought to the hospital for better monitoring and a more isolated setting, where they don’t have to share rooms, but most of the veterans have what health officials consider “mild” symptoms.

Lacy is furious. She wants local leaders to show some concern about what’s happening to her dad, to the veterans who served this country and are locked away in hospital rooms.

“It’s so frustrating when you see people like, ‘open the economy back up.’ Like, our veterans are dying, and nobody’s acknowledging it,” she says.

“Maybe it’s because it’s not personally affecting them so they don’t understand.”

Alone in the hospital, meanwhile, Butch is haunted. One Saturday morning in early May, he tells Lacy he “had people worrying about him last night” — this time, not because of his fever or oxygen levels.

“What happened?” Lacy asks.

“I started running around in my sleep, and they woke me up, and I started doing all kinds of weird things last night,” he says. “Yelling, screaming.”

“Ohh,” Lacy says sympathetically. “Like the PTSD stuff?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, Dad.” “It’s OK.” “This must be a stressful time for you, a stressful situation, being in the hospital, alone like that,” Lacy says.

“Yeah.”

He’s feeling better physically, two weeks since his positive test. If the virus was going to kill him, he tells Lacy, it would have by now. His dry, endearing sense of humor comes out. As the nurses try to cheer him up, he jokes that he’s “cursed” with an irresistible charm and he should bottle that charm up and sell it.

But he’s starting to go stir-crazy. He can’t talk to the other veterans in the COVID-19 unit at the hospital. The entertainment and distractions are limited. They have checkers, but no board, and nobody to play against.

The hospital keeps testing him, and he keeps coming back positive. Each time, it means another week isolated.

He asks again and again if he can see his dog, Shiloh, a 100-pound Catahoula husky mix, but Lacy says she can’t get anywhere near his window at the VA hospital. She’s only half-joking when she says it seems like he wants to see the dog more than her.

“I know you’re probably really bored in there,” Lacy says.

“Yeah, that’s only half of it,” he says. ...continued on page 18

When he could no longer breathe, Butch De Angelis was put on a ventilator at Providence Sacred Heart hospital. LACY RUSSELL PHOTO

“It’s so frustrating when you see people like, ‘Open the economy up.’ Our veterans are dying and nobody’s acknowledging it.”

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COVID-19 “CLOSE CALLS,” CONTINUED...

“What’s the other half?”

“Bored, bored, bored,” he says.

While he’s stuck in the hospital, other veterans return to their rooms at the Spokane Veterans Home.

Caregivers greet them with “Welcome Back” banners. He desperately wants to be back there.

But the virus isn’t finished with him. It isn’t finished with Spokane.

A

s cities in May deal with the aftermath of an influx of COVID-19 patients in their emergency rooms, doctors across the country scramble to learn more about it.

It becomes apparent that it’s much more than just a respiratory illness. Rather, it smothers the entire body.

And as Butch would soon find out, just like Agent Orange, it can leave damage that can prove lethal long after it’s gone.

Paramedics find themselves picking up more stroke patients. Kids — thought to be mostly safe from the virus’s deadliest symptoms — come down with a rare illness causing their hands and feet to swell, and their eyes to go red. Patients dubbed “long-haulers” report lingering symptoms that they have difficulty explaining, lasting for months.

One day, Butch tells Lacy he can’t use one of his legs.

“You’re not able to walk anymore?” Lacy asks.

“Not with my left leg.”

He says they’re going to do an X-ray and find out why, but it later comes back negative. Lacy is confused.

“You were walking yesterday,” she says.

“Well, I’m not doing it now,” he says.

“Do they think it’s related to COVID or do they think it’s something else?”

“They don’t know,” he says.

On May 19, a Spokane Veterans Home resident dies a week after returning from the hospital virus-free. It’s the 10th resident who tested positive from the Veterans Home to die and exactly what Lacy fears for her dad.

She grows particularly concerned when she reads how the coronavirus can affect the heart, since Butch had a heart attack 15 years ago.

Lacy visits her dad, Butch, through the window at the Spokane Veterans Home in June. finally, on May 25, Butch calls Lacy with some good news: He tested negative for COVID-19.

Within days, he’s back in his room at the Spokane Veterans Home, where at least he has Lacy’s photos on the wall and he can look outside at the turkeys in the bushes.

With the Spokane Veterans Home still quarantined, Lacy visits his window. She brings his dog, Shiloh, who stands on his hind legs and shoves his snout through the window crack, where Butch’s hand is waiting to be licked.

It’s been months since Lacy could hold her dad’s hand, and even now, she still can’t. She can barely make out the shape of her dad in a white T-shirt through the reflection of herself in a mask. He doesn’t have the strength to sit up close to the window to talk.

Then, days later, a social worker finds Butch in his room, pale and shaking, low on oxygen. They run some tests and a nurse tells Lacy that Butch has congestive heart failure. Lacy’s terrified.

She calls her dad and tells him what she’s been told.

“Oh, well,” he says dismissively.

“It’s not ‘oh, well!’ They said they were going to try you on new medication and see if that helps. And if not, you might have another surgery,” she says.

“No,” he says stubbornly. “No more.”

“No more surgeries?” Lacy says, her voice softening.

“No more surgeries.”

Lacy can’t hold it in. He can’t give up.

“Dad! Please do not leave me!”

“I’m not leaving you! I’m a tough old bird.”

Lacy cries.

“Dad, it’s congestive heart failure and you’ve already had a heart attack!”

And then, Butch changes his mind. Maybe he knows she’s right. Maybe he just wants to make her feel better.

“OK, I’ll — I’ll get the operation.”

“You’ll get the operation?”

“Uh-huh,” he says.

“OK.” “I’ll get the operation,” he says, “if it comes to that.”

“All we can do is hope, you know, that this thing here will blow over and get outta here. It’s taken too many lives.”

The death toll in the U.S. continues to grow. Lacy and Butch both feel helpless, frustrated, overwhelmed.

They blame the government.

“All we can do is hope, you know, that this thing here will blow over and get outta here,” Butch tells Lacy. “It’s taken too many lives.”

“It’s already taken over 100,000,” Lacy says. “That’s crazy — just in the United States.”

“Yeah.”

“Because our government dealt with it like idiots,” Lacy says.

“Well,” he says. “Did you expect anything different?”

“No, I don’t,” she says. “I don’t expect our idiot government who drafted a bunch of people into Vietnam and then doused them all in Agent Orange to know anything.”

“Nope,” he says.

Outside his room, on May 22, Spokane gets the OK to move onto the next phase of the state’s “Safe Start” reopening plan. Within days, local cases shoot up. But

18 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

O

WILSON CRISCIONE PHOTO

n June 6, it’s been nearly two weeks since Butch has been virus-free, but he’s still sick. He’s frustrated that he doesn’t have the power to get up and walk to the other side of the room and grab his coloring book.

That’s what the nurse call button is for, Lacy tells him.

“I like to do things myself,” he says.

“I know you do,” she says. “But that’s dangerous.

Especially when your legs aren’t working.”

“Well…”

“Your stubbornness has gotten you this far in life, I guess,” Lacy says.

“Yep,” he says.

He pauses.

Lacy sighs.

Then, he says, “I’ll beat this thing.”

That morning, they talk for nearly 15 minutes, one of the longer conversations they’ve had in a while. He imagines what life will be like when this is over, when he can sell his house in Arizona and find a place in Spokane and be around his daughter and his dog. Lacy thinks he’s back to being himself — the ornery, stubborn father she loves.

By 11 pm that night, everything changes. He’s rushed to Providence Sacred Heart hospital with the same symptoms as when COVID first hit him, only worse. His fever spikes, his oxygen drops and he’s throwing up.

They say it’s bilateral pneumonia.

A couple days pass, and he’s discharged back to the Veterans Home. But he crashes again. On Wednesday morning, June 10, an ambulance takes him to the emergency room a few blocks away.

The doctors do everything they can to keep him alive.

He’s given norepinephrine, or adrenaline, to keep his heart beating. He’s given eight liters of oxygen, double what he had a month earlier with COVID-19. It takes two hours just to stabilize him. He nearly dies.

That’s when the doctors tell Lacy that Butch has a living will that says they only get one shot to bring him back to life. After that, if he can’t breathe on his own, they won’t put him on a respirator. If his heart stops, they won’t try to save him.

Lacy calls her dad over and over again that afternoon.

He finally answers at 3 pm. Her voice cracks as she asks again how he’s feeling. Is he eating? On an IV? Is he in pain?

“Nope, no hurt,” Butch manages to say. ...continued on page 20

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An Inlander staff writer since 2016, Wilson Criscione writes stories related to education, social services and, more recently, the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the people of the Inland Northwest. He can be reached at wilsonc@inlander.com.

HOW THIS STORY WAS REPORTED

The dialogue in this story comes from more than two dozen recorded phone calls between Butch and Lacy along with daily interviews conducted from early May until the end of June. The father and daughter agreed to give the Inlander rare access to these deeply personal conversations because of their desire to show the reality of COVID-19.

+

Now on Inlander.com: National and international stories from the New York Times to go with the fresh, local news we deliver every day JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 19

COVID-19

Butch will likely be on oxygen for the rest of his life, but at least he’ll be able to fish with his daughter Lacy.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“CLOSE CALLS,” CONTINUED...

Lacy is desperate to help. She tells him to keep his phone close so he can answer when she calls and to ask the nurse for some Jell-O. He agrees. She tells him she loves him.

Just like always, he says it right back.

She says it again.

The third time, her voice gets shakier.

“I love you very much,” she says. “You’re a good dad.”

He doesn’t know what to say. There’s a grunt, and the phone shuffles around.

Lacy needs to make sure he heard her.

“Dad?” “Yeah?”

“You’re a really good dad.”

“Well, thank you.”

“And I love you very much.”

This time, he really hears her.

“Well,” he says, “I’m glad somebody loves me.”

T

he next day the doctors tell Lacy her dad has acute interstitial pneumonia.

Don’t Google it, they say.

She doesn’t. If she had, she’d find that the mortality rate is over 60 percent.

He’s still free of the coronavirus. Doctors can’t explain exactly what role COVID-19 may have played, but they know that at the very least it attacked his heart and lungs, leaving his body defenseless against a bacterial infection sprouting in his lungs. When they do X-rays, it looks like ground-up glass covering his insides.

It leaves Butch unable to breathe, even with his oxygen turned up as high as it’ll go. The doctors know his only chance to survive is to put him on a ventilator.

Butch tells them to defer to his daughter. She has power of attorney.

“Do everything you can to save my dad,” Lacy tells them.

He’s put on a ventilator in the ICU around 4 am on June 15. It’s hardly a promise that he’ll pull through — studies say more than a third of patients requiring mechanical ventilation die.

20 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

Lacy visits him, since he’s allowed one visitor per day. He’s surrounded by blinking lights, machines humming, a tube shoved down his throat and IV’s hooked up to his body. She tells him his only job is to rest, and breathe, and get better. This time, he can’t talk back.

Wearing a blue latex glove, Lacy reaches down for her dad’s hand. She latches on to his index finger and holds on. His fingers curl around hers. It’s the first time she’s able to hold his hand in months.

After 14 hours, he’s taken off the ventilator.

Somehow, he beat the odds.

A

s Butch recovers in the hospital once again, his mind wanders back again to Vietnam.

One of his doctors was in the military. When Lacy visits one day, Butch tells the doctor how he was drafted into Vietnam in 1966, a combat engineer for the Army. He describes Agent Orange. They sprayed it everywhere, he says. It blanketed the landscape, the animals, the plants. There was no regard for the troops on the ground, whether they were Vietnamese or U.S. troops.

Lacy will never forget what he said next, staring off into space, envisioning the chemical cloud falling from above.

“We were just bodies to them,” he says.

He couldn’t escape it, and it left permanent damage that he’s lived with his entire life.

So, too, will COVID-19.

On Monday, June 29, Butch is discharged from the hospital, back to the Spokane Veterans Home. The doctors are amazed with his recovery. He really is a tough old bird, they say. But he probably won’t be able to breathe on his own again for the rest of his life, meaning he’ll be hooked up to supplemental oxygen wherever he goes.

As he’s discharged from the hospital, Spokane sets a new daily record in new COVID-19 cases with 79 on June 29, a record broken again on the next day. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is heckled off the stage in the TriCities as he urges people to wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus. As North Idaho gets its own surge

of cases, cars sit for hours waiting for a test at Kootenai Health.

In Spokane and in many parts of the country, younger adults account for the spike in infection. But it’s older, vulnerable populations that will suffer the most.

The more the virus spreads in the community, the more time people like Butch spend locked away in their rooms, unable to see family, hoping the virus won’t sneak in.

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities are linked to 11 percent of all U.S. cases, a New York Times analysis finds, and 43 percent of all U.S. deaths. In Washington and Idaho, 60 percent of coronavirus deaths are linked to nursing homes.

Those numbers still don’t fully take into account cases like Butch’s. Had Butch died when he was hooked up to the ventilator in midJune — weeks after the virus left his system — he may not have LISTEN counted as a COVID-19 death.

Hear the phone calls State and local health officials between Lacy and couldn’t provide any clarificaButch by reading this tion to the Inlander on how he story on Inlander.com. would have been counted — though Spokane County Health Officer Bob Lutz says that generally those situations fall into the “gray zone,” due to the evolving information about COVID-19.

But feeling discounted is nothing new for Butch. He takes it in stride and just tries to focus on one day at a time. It’s an outlook on life that he says he got in Vietnam, where he was constantly aware of the fact that each day could be his last.

“I think in a positive way,” Butch tells the Inlander. “If you think positive, you’re going to be OK. If you don’t think positive, then you’re gonna suffer for it.”

Though he’s still stuck in the Spokane Veterans Home, unable to see visitors, he says he has one thing to look forward to when he gets out: Spending time with his daughter.

“Maybe we’ll go fishing,” Lacy suggests.

“Yeah, we’ll go fishing,” he says. “I got my fishing poles.” n

BOOKS

Attention Young Book Lovers Book Tips from the Pros: Wishing Tree Bookstore suggests some reads for kids of all ages

BY DAN NAILEN

D

uring the pandemic, we’ve been checking in with area bookstores to get some tips on new reads to help stoke our passions and intellects. With summer upon us and hopefully some opportunities for the whole family to lounge by a lake, or at least around the backyard, I hit up the gang at Wishing Tree Books.

They delivered a list focused on the kids, from toddlers to 12 (and older), courtesy of owner Janelle Smith and her employee and Spokane author Sharma Shields.

The child-centric charming shop in the South Perry district opened last fall in a sweet little house, and they’re ready to get you and your kids reading fresh new books that will definitely help get you through house quarantine with young’uns. Check out wishingtreebookstore.com and see what’s available for a “porch pick-up” Mondays through Saturday’s from 10 am to 3 pm, or visit for instore shopping on Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm.

Here are Wishing Tree’s recommendations, relayed via email in Shields’ words:

FOR YOUNG KIDS (TODDLERS/PRESCHOOLERS)

RONAN THE LIBRARIAN, by Tara Luebbe and Becky Cattig, illustrated by Victoria Maderna A hilarious book for bibliophiles and library lovers of all ages about a Viking barbarian who becomes a librarian, realizing that the true treasure in life are stories/ books.

GOODNIGHT VEGGIES, by Diana Murray, illustrated by Zachariah OHora “Cuddly cauliflowers, droopy pods of peas / Rhubarbs reading stories to worn-out broccolis.” Sweetly illustrated and penned with thoughtful, smile-inducing rhymes, this is the perfect bedtime read-aloud. The book

highlights a colorful variety of vegetables and gently urges kids to appreciate the importance of rest for all growing bodies.

the dog sets out on a journey to find his sister, accompanied by his friends Ivan (a gorilla) and Ruby (an elephant).

THE FORT, by Laura Perdew, illustrated by Adelina Lirius A pirate and a prince learn to share a woodland fort in this wondrous book about imagination and playtime.

Awesome illustrations.

GARDENING WITH EMMA: A KID-TO-KID GUIDE, by Steven and Emma Biggs This is a great gardening manual for kids ages 8 to teen, filled with full-color photographs and stellar gardening advice from teen-peer Emma Biggs.

IN A JAR, written and illustrated by Deborah Marcero A beautiful book about friendship, missing someone, and collecting and sharing memories. Touching and magical.

MIDDLE READER NOVELS

KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES,

by Shannon Messenger Our owner Janelle recommends this book for kids who read very swiftly and need an engaging and meaty series. The series features a telepathic girl and a rich fantasy landscape filled with elves and goblins and more.

ADVENTURES OF A GIRL CALLED BICYCLE, by Christina Uss A girl crosses the country on her bike in this lauded novel that, according to a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly, “elegantly blends elements of mystery, adventure, and fantasy.”

THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Patricia Castelao This is the much-anticipated sequel to The One and Only Ivan, which won the Newbery medal. In this novel, Bob

ACTIVITY BOOKS FOR KIDS

PAPERTOY MONSTERS: 50 COOL PAPERTOYS YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF, by Brian Castleforte, illustrated by Robert James and photography by Jen Browning When your kids need a break from homework, hand them this fun, crafty, wacky book and let them unleash their inner creative. “Paper airplane meets origami meets Pokemon,” ‘nuff said.

STITCH CAMP: 18 CRAFTY PROJECTS FOR KIDS & TWEENS, by Nicole Blum and Catherine Newman As a kid, I loved stitching and braiding projects for my friends, although my talent left much to be desired.

If only I’d had this book! Kids can make badges, gloves, embroidered “art pillows,” jewelry and more. As the book says, “Busy hands make happy brains.”

TEEN (12 AND UP)

DRAGON HOOPS, by Gene Luen Yang This will be a hit for basketball fans and graphic novel fans alike. This is a memoir about Yang’s own life in comics and how he uncharacteristically became interested in a high school basketball team, documenting their quest to win a state championship. n

JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 21

CULTURE | BOOK REVIEW

The Time ow Questions of Faith is N S.M. Hulse’s new Eden Mine delivers a protagonist who will linger in readers’ minds long after the last page

BY MINDY CAMERON

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E

den Mine, by S.M. Hulse, is a compelling story for our time and our place. An act of terrorism shocks a small, former mining town in northwestern Montana. The perpetrator flees, but a surveillance camera identifies him as a local resident, Samuel Faber. The bomb was placed at the courthouse and severely injures a 9-year-old girl when the blast sends glass flying into the storefront church across the street. What follows is both a page turner about the search for Samuel and a character study of Jo, his sister, and first-person narrator of the story. Jo is soon visited by the sheriff, a longtime friend of the Faber family, and, later, by an FBI agent.

More than a dozen pages into the story the reader learns that Jo is a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair. The FBI agent has come to talk to her and finds her in the barn dismounting from her beloved mule, Lockjaw, using a bar to swing off the mule and into her chair, then rolling up the zigzag ramp Samuel has built for her.

Jo is in her early 20s; Samuel is seven years older. They have lived on their own for nearly a decade, since their mother was murdered in the home by a violent boyfriend. Jo was injured in the shooting, a spinal injury, and she hasn’t walked since. Their father had died in the Eden Mine collapse when Jo was just 1 year old.

Those details unfold gradually as the tension around Samuel’s disappearance and the mystery of his motives stymie law enforcement officials, who turn to Jo to learn more about Samuel. As narrator, she moves the story forward even though she has little to tell them about her brother. The FBI has learned what she already knew — that Samuel dabbled in a variety of far-right groups and voiced hateful opinions that she did not share. As the story begins, Jo is packing up for a move. The state has declared eminent domain and soon will remove their house for a new highway. Is that Samuel’s

motive for the bombing?

Hulse, formerly of Spokane, changes the trajectory of the novel, turning from the backstory and the ongoing search to focus on Jo. One small, delicious scene has Jo noticing the FBI agent’s shiny clean cowboy boots — Justins, she says — assuming they are meant to build trust with the rural folks. The FBI agent corrects her: “They’re Luchese, actually.”

Mostly, however, Jo is cautious as she absorbs the magnitude of her circumstances and growing concern for her brother, who has taken care of her since their mother’s death, even disappearing with her for several weeks to prevent child welfare officials from placing Jo in foster care. Where did they go? That question will loom large later in the story.

Here the story slows down. Jo becomes more than a worried young woman in a wheelchair. Hulse has cast her not only as strong and independent, but also an amateur artist whose landscape paintings occasionally sell to tourists.

Now, her art takes on greater meaning as she faces an unknown future.

The world around her looks different and she is inspired to blend paints with soil and grit from the land, creating work that is darker, shadowy.

In an odd narrative twist, Jo develops a friendship with the pastor of the church that was damaged in the bombing. Issues of faith and belief — does God exist? — are explored as their friendship grows and the story turns to a suspense-filled and ultimately satisfying finale.

In Eden Mine, Hulse has created an unusual and compelling lead character, a strong young woman who is faithful to the brother she loves even as she knows he has committed a terrible crime. The story ends, but Jo Faber will linger with readers, along with mysteries of love, truth, faith and friendship. n

CULTURE | DIGEST

What does it mean to be American?

VASTER AND VASTER UFO enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists should like this one. The Vast of Night tells the story of two kids in a small town in New Mexico in the 1950s who stumble on a strange signal emanating from the local radio station. One of the station’s listeners, “Billy,” knows what the sound is, though. The screen goes black as Billy details disturbing evidence of extraterrestrial technology that evokes a call-in on Coast to Coast AM. At a brisk, 90-minute pace, the entire film takes place over the course of a single night as the two kids try to learn more. Paying homage to the original Twilight Zone, The Vast of Night is an eerie, but fun, ride. Find it on Amazon Prime. (QUINN WELSCH)

A

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

s we enter another major civil rights movement, we’re reminded to ask, what does it really mean to be a citizen? To be free?

Those are foundational questions at the heart of Jonathan Holloway’s online class “African American History: From Emancipation to the Present.” In prerecorded lectures, Holloway explores the last few hundred years, highlighting the struggle for freedom amidst an immensely unjust system.

I was invited to watch Holloway’s Open Yale course recently by a Facebook friend, who asked a group of us to refresh the history lessons we may have forgotten and to illuminate things we never learned.

One thing I’d never quite thought about is how the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t actually free anyone.

Holloway notes in his second lecture that the 1863 document immediately freed the slaves in states rebelling against the Union, but not within the Union.

Effectively, Abraham Lincoln tells seceded states that they don’t own their slaves anymore, but they obvi-

THE BUZZ BIN

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Some noteworthy new music hits online and in stores July 10. To wit: THE JAYHAWKS, XOXO. Criminally underrated alt-country crew sounds excellent on their highly collaborative 11th album.

GLASS ANIMALS, Dreamland. The title track indicates a dose of dreamy electro-pop on the way on the band’s first album since 2016.

MARGO PRICE, That’s How Rumors Get Started. The brilliant Price is back with a third set of vivid songs, co-produced by Sturgill Simpson. (DAN NAILEN)

ously don’t care what he says, Holloway notes. Meanwhile in Maryland, say, slave owners weren’t affected.

“So in terms of literally freeing people, the Emancipation Proclamation doesn’t,” Holloway says. “It is still one of the most important documents in the history of the United States. Because when you think of politics, there’s the literal effects and there is the philosophical or cultural, symbolic effects.”

But before Holloway lectures on Reconstruction, sharecropping, “black codes” and more, he starts out the course with the story of John Jack, a slave and a cobbler in the mid-1700s who was allowed to keep a tiny portion of his earnings, eventually saving enough to buy himself.

Let that sink in. He saves enough to buy himself.

Shortly after, he drinks himself to death.

I implore my relatives and others responding to this moment in history — with memes like, “Why can’t you just get over it, I’ve never owned a slave and you’ve never been a slave” — to really think about that. Think what it took to fight against all the power structures keeping someone in slavery, and the insane struggle to try and make a life afterward.

Think about how 250 years ago the Founding Fathers, who literally claimed (as Holloway notes) that they felt like slaves to the throne, owned slaves themselves.

“Freedom and slavery were intertwined,” Holloway says. “You could not separate the denial of freedom from the quest of freedom.”

Lastly, I challenge you to learn about the power structures that continue to be stacked against African Americans and ask, are all Americans really equal? n

MEMORIES OF MURDER True crime writer Michelle McNamara spent years researching a California serial murderer she dubbed the Golden State Killer, but she died unexpectedly before her book about the crimes, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, was published and before the real culprit was identified and arrested. Now the book has been adapted into a six-episode series on HBO, which serves both as a chronicle of a truly terrifying crime spree and as a portrait of an armchair sleuth who helped point authorities in the right direction. The six-episode series airs Sundays at 10 pm through Aug. 2. (NATHAN WEINBENDER)

SCAVENGING SEATTLE Set five years after the first edition released in 2013, Last of Us Part II follows Ellie on a journey for revenge around overgrown and post-apocalyptic Seattle.

You’ll find yourself having to keep track of your resources and scavenge as you hide and fight your way through viscerally animated, spooky, scarred cultists.

Those who have been to Seattle will see several familiar spots, though they may look a little different in this reality where a dangerous fungi has taken over the world and driven people mad. Available exclusively on PS4. (JEREMEY RANDRUP)

ROOTS-ROCK ROOTS This summer marks the 30th anniversary of Uncle Tupelo’s debut album, No Depression. Haven’t heard of Uncle Tupelo? Not a shock, but you’ve probably heard one of the myriad bands influenced by the Illinois crew that, after splitting, would result in two alt-country bands of note, Wilco and Son Volt. If you’re a fan of Drive-By Truckers, Jason Isbell, Blitzen Trapper, Margo Price, etc., drop by nodepression.com (a website named after this very Uncle Tupelo album) and read the fine reflection “Can’t Look Away: Musicians, Writers and More Reflect on 30 Years of Uncle Tupelo’s No Depression.” (DAN NAILEN)

Watch free at oyc.yale.edu/african-american-studies/ afam-162.

JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 23

PROFILE

Al Fresco Fete Pop Up Picnic Spokane brings the dinner party outdoors with personalized dining setups

BY CHEY SCOTT

A

mid the vibrant colors and fragrant aroma of Manito Park’s iconic rose garden, the luxurious picnic setup is inviting and summery, like a scene from the pages of a high-end lifestyle magazine.

A crisp white quilt is spread atop the lush green lawn and piled with plush pillows and cushions. Atop the blanket, a low table at the perfect height for sitting on the ground is set with sparkling crystal goblets and tumblers and a delicate lace runner from end to end. A vase of fresh, coral-hued roses accented with sprigs of baby’s breath adds a pop of color to the arrangement of mostly white and pastel pinks.

The tableau is one of many offered by Pop Up Picnic Spokane, a mobile picnic service that brings a chic outdoor dining experience to nearly any locale. Founded by Rachel Killpack in spring 2019, the business offers thoughtfully curated dining settings for everything from weddings to baby showers, engagement proposals to birthday parties.

“Picnicking like this is quite popular in the U.K., and when you go over especially to the continent, and you go to France, you see lots of families enjoying picnics and it’s not just a rug on the ground, it’s a table and chairs and they really bring the whole dining room outside,” Killpack says. “It’s very European.”

So far this year, Killpack has styled a dozen or so private picnic dinners and bookings are picking up as the weather warms. The British transplant, a former teacher whose husband serves in the U.S. Air Force, was inspired to launch the business after seeing a friend’s similar operation in Australia, where her family lived before moving to Spokane a year and a half ago. The creative venture also pairs perfectly with Killpack’s love of the outdoors.

“I was following and watching what they did, and thought ‘I would love to be able to do that,’” Killpack recalls. “I did it as a family picnic first, and posted a photo on Facebook just to get feelers out and see if anyone would book it, and straight away I got bookings. I’ve been really busy ever since.”

Pop Up Picnic Spokane hosts intimate arrangements that can seat two people as well as large outdoor banquets for 30 guests and can set up picnics in public parks, at private venues like Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, or in clients’ backyards. The latter is a popular option this season and one that Killpack encourages due to COVID-19 restrictions. ...continued on page 26

24 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

Pop-Up Picnic Spokane owner Rachel Killpack with one of her picnic table set-ups at the Manito Park Rose Hill. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

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JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 25

FOOD | PROFILE

Pop Up Picnic Spokane packs the table, you pack the food .

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“AL FRESCO FETE,” CONTINUED...

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26 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

“I think that adds to the experience,” she says of hosting a picnic at home. “You can enjoy it without interruptions and you’re guaranteed a spot.”

While Killpack only provides the physical elements for a luxe outdoor dining experience — blankets, pillows, tables, place settings and festive table decor — she encourages customers to order food from local caterers or restaurants.

Bites & Treats Catering is one local company she often suggests for its charcuterie-style graze boards.

Pop Up Picnic Spokane is essentially open as long as the weather allows, from late spring to early fall, but indoor picnics are also an option in the off-season. As the sole employee of her business — outside of help from her 15-year-old son, Will — Killpack can usually host just one event per day, and averages two or three a week.

Pricing starts at $99 for a picnic for two, and goes up to $450 for the largest option, seating 30 guests. Details on each booking option are listed at popuppicnicspokane.com. Each picnic is typically about two hours long, but can be extended or shortened. And if the weather doesn’t cooperate, Killpack doesn’t charge a cancellation fee; instead she’s happy to work with clients to reschedule for another time.

“You can’t always predict the weather, especially a month in advance,” she says. “And it won’t have the same ambiance if we have to put a tent over it, either, so I try to get people to postpone if they can.”

While most picnics she sets up are within the Spokane area, clients further away can still book events with an added fee for the extra distance.

Most locations are fair game, but Killpack asks that there’s nearby parking so she and her son don’t have to haul the setup too far. For spots more off the beaten path, she also offers a traditional picnic basket ($50) that’s easier to carry, along with blankets and a few pillows. For picnics in public areas, however, she cautions that alcohol is usually not allowed.

K

illpack finds inspiration everywhere for new picnic themes, and currently has decor for setups that range from romantic to whimsical.

“I love the creative side of it, so I truly try to set it up so each picnic is a little different,” she says. “I have more of a little girl’s picnic with a

teepee and all the bunting and things like that, but I always go with what the celebration is. I have all different colors of cushions, and I can do it really formal, or more relaxed and fun.”

The blankets, place settings and decor she sources from various big box hobby, department and discount stores, but the low tables and all the cushion and pillow coverings were custom made

by Killpack.

“I am a very crafty sort of person, and I love making things,” she says. “If someone came to me and said ‘Could you do a Harry Potter or Seahawks theme?’ or something like that, I can adapt and personalize.”

By sewing her own pillow coverings, Killpack not only saves money, but cleanup between events is a breeze since she can take off the cases and wash them, versus having to wash — and store — dozens of pillows in different colors and patterns.

“I would have to move houses if I had more cushions,” she says, laughing.

Next on Killpack’s schedule is a bachelorette party in a client’s backyard, and her first time ever setting up for a marriage proposal. Recent events she’s coordinated include a local woman’s celebration with friends for becoming free of breast cancer, and a lunch organized by a group of mothers of special needs children. Her first picnic of the year was indoors, a surprise planned by a father to celebrate his daughter’s graduation from Gonzaga University after the formal ceremony was canceled.

“He organized for me to set up a picnic in a lounge room for her and her roommates, and then got food delivered to them,” Killpack says.

“I thought that was really special since their original plan was for him to fly here and they couldn’t do that because of the lockdown.”

For all of her events, whether a surprise for someone or a preplanned celebration, Killpack simply relishes being able to contribute to her clients’ significant life moments.

“It’s really rewarding, and for people who have a reason to celebrate, you are planning part of that celebration and it’s really satisfying.” n cheys@inlander.com Follow Pop Up Picnic Spokane on Facebook (@popuppicnicspokane), Instagram (@pop_up_picnic_spokane) and popuppicnicspokane.com.

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JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 27

STREAMING

TONE DEAF

Will Ferrell and Jon Stewart drop dated comedy bombs onto streaming platforms

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

EUROVISION SONG CONTEST: THE STORY OF FIRE SAGA (NETFLIX)

If you’ve never heard of the Eurovision Song Contest, stop reading right now and go fall down a YouTube rabbit hole of its most famous televised performances. It’s been an annual tradition since the 1950s and has produced superstars like ABBA and Celine Dion. It’s one of those long-standing cultural traditions that has, over the decades, settled into the perfect blend of earnestness and goofiness that would seem ideal for a movie parody.

But a new Netflix film with the ungainly title Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is a mostly laugh-free farce about a couple of idiots who bumble their way into Eurovision and — surprise, surprise — become unlikely favorites in the competition. They’re played by Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, lifelong friends who have started a terrible band called Fire Saga and who dream of representing their native Iceland in Eurovision.

There’s no way they’d make the cut in a normal year, but a series of bizarre circumstances (including a yacht explosion) lands them a spot as Iceland’s representative musicians. Soon they’re in Scotland for the big show, rubbing elbows with a flamboyant Russian pop star played by Dan Stevens (the brightest spot in the film) and desperate to prove their critics wrong.

All of this sounds funnier than it actually is: Somehow the idea of Will Ferrell singing a dance-pop song while running inside a giant hamster wheel isn’t as amusing in practice as it probably seemed on paper.

The already thin premise is stretched out to two hours, so that it drags on and on and on, repeating a lot of jokes that weren’t all that hilarious the first time.

Director David Dobkin is best known for comedies like Wedding Crashers, but he’s also got a background in music videos, and Eurovision Song Contest works best when it becomes a

full-blown musical extravaganza. The only really good sequence in the movie comes about an hour in, when our heroes go to a party with past Eurovision contestants and perform a mashup of songs while the camera swirls around them. The fake songs, meanwhile, are pretty believable: A ’90s house-inspired song called “Double Trouble” is genuinely catchy, as is the barroom sing-along “Ja Ja Ding-Dong,” an incessant earworm built on childish double entendres.

But goofy songs only get you so far. The film was made with the cooperation of Eurovision, and maybe that’s the problem. There’s almost too much reverence here and not enough bite. It has apparently already found a devoted following in the two weeks it’s been on Netflix, so maybe you’ll find it funnier than I did.

IRRESISTIBLE (DIGITAL RENTAL)

Irresistible purports to be a satire of our current political climate, and yet it somehow seems completely unmoored not only from contemporary politics but from the real world and normal human behavior. What’s most surprising about it is that it was written and directed by Jon Stewart, who hasn’t been a regular TV presence since 2015, which may explain why his satirical muscles have apparently atrophied.

The movie stars Steve Carell as a Democratic strategist and Clinton family confidante

named Gary Zimmer, still licking his wounds from losing the 2016 election. He sees his possible redemption in a popular YouTube clip that shows a farmer and former Marine in rural Wisconsin defending the rights of his immigrant neighbors. Zimmer thinks he can transform that virality into political success, so he hops on a private jet and heads to the Midwest.

What he finds is like the Twilight Zone as directed by Frank Capra, a small town so hospitable that it’s almost creepy. But Zimmer successfully convinces that farmer (Chris Cooper) to run for mayor as a Democrat, and it causes enough of a ruckus in the media that Zimmer’s right-wing counterpart (Rose Byrne) shows up to throw her weight behind the sitting mayor.

Now, I’m willing to grant the film its premise of the entire country turning its attention to a measly mayoral election, but did we really need tired jokes about how people from big cities like organic food while people from small towns like burgers and beer, or dated references to people like Joe the Plumber? Stewart never settles on a tone, either, and he often lets Carell mug in ways that feel less like character choices and more like, well, an actor mugging in front of a camera. A third-act plot development sort of explains away some of the movie’s weirdest choices, but it also reverses the entire purpose of the story and then cuts to black.

I came of age when Stewart was the sharpest voice in political comedy, when he took to Comedy Central every night to point out the hypocrisy on both sides of the ideological aisle. He now seems as out-of-touch as the elitists he’s lampooning: There are times when he appears to be aiming for the caustic, all-sides-are-bad nihilism of Alexander Payne, or the bombast of Sidney Lumet’s all-time great media satire Network (the latter’s most famous line gets a shoutout here), but he’s too glib and didactic to nail either one. n

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

28 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

ESSAY

SAY IT AIN’T SO How I learned to stop worrying and love Weezer

Weezer: So good and so bad.

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

W

eezer is one of my all-time favorite bands.

When they were at the top of their game, their music was culturally literate and emotionally vulnerable, catchy and full of personality and endlessly re-listenable. And yet there isn’t another band that I love as much that has also produced so much music I hate.

The chasm between Weezer’s best songs and Weezer’s worst songs is so vast that Evel Knievel would refuse to jump over it. The prevailing attitude amongst so many superfans is that Weezer put out two of the greatest albums of the ’90s — 1994’s Weezer (better known as The Blue Album) and 1996’s Pinkerton — back to back, went away for a few years, and then returned sounding like a parody of itself.

I’ve been thinking about this ever since Weezer announced a show at Northern Quest Resort & Casino — it’s since been canceled — but it’s hardly a new observation. The band’s most ardent early supporters have been saying it for years. There was even a Saturday Night Live sketch that found host Matt Damon passionately defending the band’s late period to an increasingly agitated Weezer purist played by Leslie Jones.

“You just don’t understand what Rivers is going through right now!” Damon exclaims.

“I understand Rivers better than he understands himself!” Jones retorts after breaking a champagne flute in her bare hands.

That’s how fans, even those who only revere the first two albums, talk about the band and frontman Rivers Cuomo. He’s just “Rivers.” He was once so nakedly honest in his lyrics, particularly on the diary entries-setto-music that make up their sophomore LP Pinkerton, that we feel like we know him, like we’re on a first-name basis with him.

Pinkerton is arguably Weezer’s masterpiece, a raw, feedback-drenched catalog of Cuomo’s own romantic entanglements and personal insecurities, filled with emotional admissions that few rock stars would ever have the guts to admit in public. It’s the dictionary definition of a cult classic, derided upon release and now widely considered a genre-defining record. In 1996, Rolling Stone readers voted it one of the worst albums of the year; by 2002, they had decided it was one of the greatest albums of all time.

Fans have theorized that the initial response to Pinkerton is specifically what brought about the end of Weezer’s golden period. Rivers had, to quote his own lyrics, made a record of his heart, and the general public had rejected it. Their third album, also called Weezer but known colloquially as The Green Album, dropped in 2001, and singles like “Hash Pipe” and “Island in the Sun” were slickly produced but missing the verve of their earlier work.

I was a teenager at the time, and those new songs led me back to the (much better) older ones. It wasn’t until the 2005 single “Beverly Hills,” still the band’s only song to crack the Billboard Top 10, that I joined the naysayers’ camp: It’s a fatuous ode to California wealth that’s also kind of taking the piss out of it, but it’s not sharp enough to work as either tribute or satire. I wasn’t mad. I was just disappointed.

“Beverly Hills” is driven by a kind of tongue-in-cheek detachment that poisons the band’s next several albums: It was as if Rivers was afraid of baring his soul like he had on Blue and Pinkerton and so decided to use irony as armor, writing deliberately silly songs about partying and chasing girls even as he creeped toward his 40s.

So I grew resentful: Here was a guy who had once spilled his soul onto wax and was now cashing in on name recognition and sleepwalking through mediocre

pop garbage.

It wasn’t until I became an actual adult that I realized it was a waste of energy to resent a band for not conforming to my own notions of what they should sound like.

If Rivers was happy making silly albums with titles like Raditude, then why should we decry him for no longer treating the recording studio like a confessional?

And besides, I can revisit the old stuff whenever I want. I still know every lyric on Pinkerton. I’ve hung onto a vintage Weezer shirt that I bought at Value Village in 2002 or 2003, and I wear it often despite it having a huge hole in the left armpit. I’ve been skimming through the band’s later period as I write this, and even though some of it is damn near unlistenable (if there’s anything more embarrassing than middle-aged white dudes covering “No Scrubs,” I don’t want to hear it), I’ll occasionally unearth a gem that I’d previously never given the time of day.

I’ve only seen the band live once, but it’s one of the best concert experiences of my life. It was in 2011, as the band was in the middle of a mini-tour catered specifically to old, cranky fans like me: They played every song from Blue, took a break, and then played every song from Pinkerton. And that was it. Everyone in the crowd knew all the words, and we all sang along with the ferocity and earnestness of a church service. There was a sense of togetherness in that concert hall, the overwhelming feeling that these songs were just as formative to thousands of other people as they were to me.

We’re still listening. n The Weezer show scheduled for July 14 at Northern Quest Resort & Casino has been canceled along with the rest of the venue’s 2020 summer slate. A rescheduled 2021 date is in the works.

JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 29

Abominable

FILM FRESH AIR CINEMA

The odds are high that traditional summer movie season simply isn’t happening this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your film fix. Family-friendly outdoor movies have been an entertainment staple every summer, and they make even more sense now in this era of social distancing. This Friday night, you can head to Valley Mission Park for a free outdoor screening of the recent DreamWorks animated comedy Abominable, about a group of kids trying to get their Yeti friend back to his family. On Friday, July 24, catch a screening of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on the west lawn of the nearby CenterPlace Regional Event Center. The film is accompanied by a Potter-themed farmers market. Both screenings feature kidfriendly activities an hour before the movies begin at sunset.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER Spokane Valley Movies in the Park • Fri, July 10 at dusk • Valley Mission Park • 11123 E. Mission Ave. • Fri, July 24 at dusk • CenterPlace Regional Event Center • 2426 N. Discovery Pl. • Free • spokanevalley.org/moviesinthepark

WORDS ZOOM IN

One of the few benefits of this whole pandemic thing is that so many of us have become Zoom-savvy! Actually, no, the benefit I’m thinking of is the ability to join all manner of artists via Zoom for online conversations that probably wouldn’t have happened if those artists had been able to do their normal touring. Author conversations have proved particularly rewarding, and Thursday the Spokane Public Library is hosting local YA author Chris Crutcher for a freewheeling talk and Q&A about his decades in publishing books that often draw on his experiences as a teacher and therapist, including his most recent book, Loser’s Bracket.

— DAN NAILEN Zoom Meeting with Chris Crutcher • Thu, July 9 from 3-4 pm • Free • Register at events.spokanelibrary.org

30 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

ARTS STROLL AND SEE

For more than four decades, the arts-loving city of Sandpoint has hosted its annual summertime ArtWalk, inviting locals and the usual influx of seasonal tourists to celebrate the talent of dozens of regional artists. This year’s ArtWalk is still on, offering a chance for visitors and locals to linger — keeping socially distanced and with face masks on, of course — over exhibitions at galleries, shops and other businesses in the downtown core. For a complete list of venues and participating artists, as well as a walking tour map, visit the Pend Oreille Arts Council website, artinsandpoint.org. While an opening reception is set for this Friday, art can be viewed any time through late August during each location’s regular business hours.

— CHEY SCOTT 43rd Annual Sandpoint ArtWalk • Fri, July 10 from 5:30-8 pm; runs through Aug. 28 • Free • Downtown Sandpoint • Map and details at artinsandpoint.org/artwalk

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BENEFIT RALLY TIME

Meals on Wheels of Greater Spokane County’s Great Spokane Road Rally is still taking place this year, with a few modifications to comply with social distancing and other state orders. Participants work in teams of at least two people (driver and navigator) to drive around town on a scavenger hunt as they try to win challenges. All teams head back to the finish line once they’ve completed their challenges to find out their score, and the top three teams get a prize. Modifications to this year’s event include separate starting lines, no-contact games and takeout lunches. All proceeds support Meals on Wheels, delivering home meals to seniors in need. Participants (including riders) must be 21+.

— JEREMEY RANDRUP

independent, local journalism has never been more apparent. So we’re launching the INLANDER INSIDER program. With your help, the Inlander’s reporters, editors and photographers can stay focused on what they do best: in-depth, community-focused journalism that highlights issues and topics important to the Inland Northwest.

Meals on Wheels Great Spokane Road Rally • Sat, July 11 from 9 am-2 pm • $50-$75/team • Starting locations vary • spokaneroadrally.com

MISSING KIDS SCHOOLS SCRAMBLE TO REACH STUDENTS PAGE 12

WORKER PROTECTIONS UNIONS RUSH TO THEIR MEMBERS’ DEFENSE PAGE 8

OPENING AMID A PANDEMIC THESE NEW FOOD BUSINESSES SOLDIER ON PAGE 23

APRIL 23-29, 2020 | THINK GLOBAL. LIVE INLAND.

ARTS WATERCOLOR WONDERS

Starting this weekend, the Spokane Art School is hosting a vibrant watercolor art exhibit featuring work from members of the Spokane Watercolor Society.

The show is free and open to the public each Friday and Saturday through the end of July. Jodi Davis, office manager at the Spokane Art School, says that only five viewers are allowed inside the gallery at a time, masks are required and social distancing is being taken very seriously to abide to COVID-19 regulations. The July show features 103 watercolor pieces in total; each work measures 8-by-8-inches in size, and are showcased together on two walls. Paintings are hung only two inches apart, giving a feeling of togetherness while also celebrating the differences of each individual artist behind them.

— LIZZIE OSWALT Spokane Watercolor Society: Alternative Finishes • July 10-31; open Fri-Sat from 10 am-2 pm • Spokane Art School • 811 W. Garland Ave. • spokaneartschool.net • 325-1500

Inlander.com/Insider JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 31

the larger things happening in the world.

But if it’s too much, know that I respect your feelings. I’m going to share some good news with you after this is posted and maybe at that point we can move forward? And if not, I understand. I don’t think there is a manual for this. I’m just trying to be my authentic self, nothing more and nothing less. Either way, thank you for taking me seriously, and for your generosity of spirit.

YOU SAW ME

I SAW YOU HOUSE OF PAIN I remember you when you and another associate mocked a member of the secretary staff referring to her as “Barbie” behind her back. But, as it turned out, her cosmetics were used to cover a childhood injury. Is that why both of you left suddenly? I remember you.

S.P.C. LKA: BROWNE’S I saw on FB you are back in Spokane. May the odds be in your favor, Karma LIFE IS GOOD AND ALSO STRANGE I’m not sure how I made the connection, but I listened to my intuition just as you did.

Maybe that scared me a bit? This IS deep and intense, and I’m an awkward person who doesn’t know how to handle things sometimes. But I know what I told you some time ago to be true: I really value and respect your opinion. I meant it when I wrote that I don’t want to cause any stress or anxiety. I’m sorry if I, too, have sent mixed messages. I’m going through a lot of personal changes right now, in addition to the larger things at play for all of us in this country. If I overshare my thoughts, then know that it’s only because I feel that I can be honest with you. If I ask you what you think, it’s only because I value your insight.

I only hope that things can be as they were, that we can talk about our mutual interests and maybe how they relate to

MINDING MY OWN. You saw me minding my own business and keeping My distance. Maybe I had a mask this day, and maybe not. You had YOUR mask on and kept 6 feet apart, so why would you even attempt to bully another person for not wearing one, or getting too close to you at the market?!? Tattling and snitching, or peer pressure (as the governor put it)... this is how tyranny starts people!

Small, little changes until it becomes normal. People turning in small businesses, or threatening to shame people for wanting to breathe fresh air. How dare you all. This kind of behavior and thinking is dangerously close to socialism. This is the road we are heading on if you people don’t WAKE the hell UP! Worry about you and yours, and keep your distance from the others.

WENDY’S NEAR THE Y IN (SPOKANE) 7/2/2020 close to 10 pm: You had the drive-thru cashier tell me you like the Science Fiction Stickers on my back Jeep window. We gave each other a thumbs up. Since moving here a couple of years ago it’s been work and not much socializing now with COVID-19 not many chances to socialize. I am a Geek of course ISO of like-minded to socialize with in the future. Tell me which show most interests you. See Craigslist for contact info!

AND I SAW YOU SEEING ME... I’m not going to offer numbers. I don’t go out enough to gather a viable cross section of nasty looks, but I gotta wonder. Why do so many of the people waxing irate over the issue of face masks, bare such striking similarity to people you’d see

under white pointy hoods? Yes, having to wear face masks is a pain in the ass. So are parking meters, Out Of Order signs and getting short changed at the grocery store. Masks don’t kill people, COVID-19 kills people.

CHEERS TWO YOUNG MEN @ HAYDEN WALMART Wednesday July 1st @ 730 pm. I just wanted to say Cheers! To the two young men, who when leaving Walmart, noticed and assisted a lady by

“

JEERS MASKLESS GYM MEMBERS To those downtown gym members who do not wear masks. You are putting the lives of all the others in the gym at risk. And your selfishness will eventually cause the gym to close again. Perhaps for good due to bankruptcy. Exercise that muscle between your ears more often.

RACE BY COLOR The Human Species matters regardless of the color of their skin. The moment you start placing peo-

of one’s actions or inactions. However, not wearing a mask, endangers those around you & perhaps your loved ones.

Look around at all the people who do care, by wearing a mask. Grow up and participate so we can put this pandemic behind us. No excuse whatsoever to not wear a mask. If you don’t, I could care less if you get infected for being really inconsiderate, in fact plain stupid. Mask Wearers United!, & let the corona wanna bees know how ridiculous they really are. Let’s all stand up for the good of our community and forbid their entrance into any and all businesses.

Grow up and participate so we can put this pandemic behind us. No excuse whatsoever to not wear a mask.

loading her vehicle with her purchases before continuing on their way. I don’t know any of you but seeing the look on the womans face and the other onlookers who noticed, it was so nice to witness the exchange. Thank you. God Bless.

ple in “color” categories is the moment where you may be a racist. Black, White, Red, Yellow and Blue... come on people we are all Americans from the HUMAN RACE, we aren’t crayons

BAD AT COMPLIMENTS I just wanted to tell you how much your compliment meant to me. I haven’t been told by many that my love and care for my work is obvious. It honestly meant so much to hear and I appreciate you! Thank you again!

MASK OR NO MASK It’s my right to wear a mask or whether not to. If I’m inside I follow the rules but if I’m outside then it’s not a state requirement. Just remember that my freedom doesn’t end where your fear begins. Also if you are so worried about people at Walmart and Costco then maybe it’s best that you stay home and stop judging people that dont.

CHEERS! Cheers to the Inlander for printing all those Jeers about folks not wearing masks. It was quite entertaining, and eye-opening, to see how many people whine about what OTHER people are doing and repeating the mainstream media’s narrative as gospel! I sure hope the Inlander continues to print ALL viewpoints for us, and not just the popular herd view!

YAWN Cheers to the graduating class of 2020. Now put a fork in it.

SOUND OFF

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

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

NO MASK NO SERVICE Time to care for the well being of all of us. No excuses.

If you have a medical condition to not wear a mask, what are you doing outside? If you can’t breathe, stay home.

Constitutional right, Not! Don’t tell me what to do, think again. You’re already being told, speed limit signs, get a drivers license, pay taxes, both state and IRS. Get a marriage license, perhaps a blood test first, passport for international travel, commit a crime, go to jail, or pay a fine. There are consequences for all

”

VOTING NOT ENOUGH You are right.

When only 55% of voters nationally actually vote. Only 61% in our state voted in 2016 where you can vote from home.

Imagine what can be accomplished if 90% vote. Low voter participation is the weak foundation of our democracy. The electoral college is not the problem. Lazy non-voters are. n

THIS WEEK'S ANSWERS K N O P F

M I S E R

S U U S S C A O P M I A T H O A L

S P B A C A R C S O Y O E R N T Z O B A G F L O I U M N E S A D L T S O

A I W A

S K I D O G O U N E L T A T W A

T I L E R

E D N I D E

A N I A M B W E A C O R T A D O E W E E K S R A G A S T I R S E N O H O S T R U T H H U W I N O N A A N D N O W

G E T O V E R I T

E M I L E Z O L A

D O S E R S E G

T E R S E

E A T I T

R U S E S

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.

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RESEARCH

Legalize Science Despite its legal status in Washington, cannabis research is still tangled in red tape

BY WILL MAUPIN

I

n recent years, there has been a steady stream of studies on the effects of cannabis coming out of Washington State University. Which makes sense, right? Cannabis is legal in Washington, after all. Well, the answer is a resounding “kind of.”

We spoke with WSU professor of psychology Dr. Carrie Cuttler, a renowned cannabis researcher, to get a feel for the state of cannabis science.

“The issue with being in a legal state,” Cuttler says, “is most of us work at institutions that receive federal funds, and because of that we have to abide by federal law.” ...continued on page 36

Federal regulations stand in the way of the best possible cannabis research.

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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.

JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 33

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RESEARCH “LEGALIZE SCIENCE,” CONTINUED...

Cannabis is illegal under federal law and research done on the plant is strictly regulated. It requires a long process of jumping through hoops with the Drug Enforcement Administration and other bureaucracies to get approvals. It’s a process that can take years. Once approved, you have to use cannabis provided by the federal government. And their weed sucks.

“What happens in a legal state though, is now our participants can purchase their own cannabis, and they can use their own cannabis, and we can observe them using it, we just can’t ever touch the drug,” Cuttler says.

That gives researchers like Cuttler the ability to study the way people traditionally use cannabis. Cuttler’s studies involve people reporting from home and using products available on the market.

It creates external validity for the research because the study applies to the real-world situations it set out to understand.

On the other hand, researchers can’t conduct the gold standard of studies: double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. To do those, they’d need government weed. And using that weed presents a trade-off. Researchers have more control, but it results in less external validity.

“You can imagine the experience of getting intoxicated in your living room might be different than getting intoxicated in my research laboratory,” Cuttler says.

Both approaches are necessary to help people better understand the effects of cannabis. Legalization in Washington, and in all the other states that have followed, has been a boon for cannabis research. Studies like those from WSU, on real people in real settings with real cannabis, are groundbreaking. There’s still a ways to go, however.

“We’ve come a long way in that we’re now doing this research on the actual sorts of products that people are buying legally in recreational dispensaries,” Cuttler says. “But, what we need is to be able to [do] double-blind, placebo-controlled trials with those products and right now that’s not possible.” n

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36 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

AMY ALKON

My roommate just found out her ex-fiance is terminally ill and is likely to pass away soon. Though they had a weird relationship, I can tell she’s taking it pretty hard. I really want to be supportive, but I honestly don’t know what to do or say around a grieving person. I’m worried about saying the wrong thing, especially because I’m really uncomfortable with grief. I told her I am here for her if she needs anything. What do you do and say for a person who’s in such a terrible situation?

—Clueless

When we’re around other people, especially other people who are upset, we tend to get uncomfortable with silences and rush to fill them with words.

Unfortunately, not being Confucius or the Dalai Lama, we reach into our memory and pull out whichever condolence cliches are closest to the top, like, “Soon he’ll be in a better place.” (Where...an urn?)

Though we mere mortals tend to fail at profundities, we can do profoundly kind acts. What people who are suffering need at a time like this is compassion.

Compassion gets confused with empathy (which a number of researchers define as “feeling with” a person). However, compassion is more than a feeling; it’s empathy with an action plan: the motivation to try to alleviate another person’s suffering.

There’s a temptation to be vague in offering help — “I’m here for you if you need anything” — probably because it’s hard to know what would help and also because you want to avoid offering the “wrong” thing. But what really count are your intentions. Consider that she has a lot of emotional weight on her now, and she probably doesn’t have her usual energy for routine chores like making dinner, picking up her prescription, or washing her car. If you step in and do these, let her know it’s about giving her a little help while she’s struggling. It should mean a lot.

You’re telling her she’s not alone, but in a way that doesn’t take poetic eloquence or attempts to cheer her up (because her sadness is uncomfortable for you). The reality is, 80 percent of success in amateur grief counseling is knowing better than to put the “fun” in funeral. The other 20 percent is just showing up — with pizza and pot edibles.

SEE MONSTER

Months of quarantine have made FaceTime first dates the new thing. I’ve been chatting with a few guys on dating apps, and some of them have asked to schedule FaceTimes. Many of my friends have done it, but it still feels weird to me. Though my photos are right in my dating profile, talking with someone over video feels too revealing and not in a good way. Should I try it anyway, or should I wait until it’s safe to meet in person? —Resting Shy Face When people advise that you shouldn’t reveal too much on the first date, I think they’re talking about your areolas.

There’s a lot of important information you’re missing when you’re communicating without seeing someone’s facial expressions. Zoologist Irenaus Eibl-Eibesfeldt, who studied human animals in addition to the kind with paws and tails, explained emotional expressions as “the grammar of social interaction.”

Facial expressions (as well as body language) give us a nuanced understanding of other people’s feelings and intentions in the way punctuation marks shape how we understand a set of words (for example, “Want to eat, Grandma?” versus “Want to eat Grandma?”).

In fact, people will often say one thing with their words (like, “Really, I’m fine”), but to get the whole of what they’re expressing, you need to add the “pictures”: the emotions they’re displaying. For example, social psychologist Dacher Keltner, who researches emotional expressiveness, observes that “when a colleague shows signs of anger — with tightened lips, furrowed brow, and slightly raised upper eyelid — I learn that he or she is frustrated, is appraising the current interaction as unfair, will likely act antagonistically, and may feel a sense of righteous indignation.”

Men, especially, have very visually driven sexuality, so if you won’t FaceTime, you’re probably at a disadvantage compared with women who will. Chances are your real fear is that a guy won’t find you attractive. But if a guy’s not that into your looks, a screen won’t change that. Finding out where he stands as soon as possible could keep you from getting attached to somebody you’ll ultimately have to pry yourself away from. On the the other hand, revealing more of yourself will make the right guy more interested. And yes, there are people who even get married without seeing each other’s faces, but just in cultures where the marriage is conditioned on one’s father giving the other’s father 14 goats, five oxen, and a 1967 Subaru. n ©2020, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

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64. “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester 65. “Stranger Things” star Ryder 66. “Sprechen ____ Deutsch?”

67. “Let’s not forget ...”

68. “Presenting the next act ...”

69. UFO occupants DOWN 1. Big name in book publishing 2. Cheapskate 3. Vanzetti’s codefendant in 1920s crime 4. Hipster beer, for short 5. Japanese consumer electronics brand 6. Snowmobile brand 7. Flooring installer 8. “____ of discussion!”

9. Conk out 10. Enliven

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36. Line part: Abbr.

39. “____ Is Betta Than 45 46 Evvah!” (1976 album) 40. McKinnon of “SNL” 49 43. Transfixed by 46. Infomercial knife 51 52 53 54 55 brand 48. Yogi’s sounds while 57 58 59 meditating 49. He plays Steve in 62 63 “Jobs” 50. City on the Missouri 66 River 51. “Row, Row, Row Your 69 Boat,” e.g.

53. To the point “TRUTH HURTS” 26. A following?

54. First Top 40 hit for 27. They may come calling Weird Al Yankovic 29. The Brady Bill, e.g.

55. Tricks 31. Their, in Spanish 58. “What have I done?!”

32. Image on the back of a $50 bill 61. Pan Am rival 33. Annual June sporting event 62. ____ Tin Tin 34. Reactions at a petting zoo 63. Hem’s partner 39

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35. Greek god with wings 37. ____ port 38. Fact! It’s a length of time equal to 604,800 seconds 41. Madagascar, par exemple 42. Heroin, slangily 44. They rank below capts.

45. Motley 47. Bobbing on the waves 49. Italian wine region 50. Fact! They were a series of historic conflicts that ended with 1842’s Treaty of Nanking 52. Go in 56. Coal country workplaces 57. “Well, looky there!”

59. 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker Junior 60. Ever so slightly 61. 2019 #1 Lizzo hit suggested by the answer’s initials in 17-, 25-, 38- and 50-Across

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1. Eur. distance measures 4. Placed text, perhaps 10. Went from 1 to 10, say 14. Actress Vardalos 15. It has a top and a bottom with nothing in between 16. Pixar clown fish 17. Fact! He wrote “There is no sin except stupidity” 19. “Can this be true?”

20. Bench presser’s pride 21. Suffix for citrus drinks 22. Whac-____ (carnival game) 23. Ice cream alternative, familiarly 25. Fact! This spider is named after the oval shape of its webs 28. Thus 30. Explorer Hernando 31. “Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak” writer 34. Commotion

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JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 37

COEUR D ’ ALENE

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

SCENIC VIEWS Best Beaches

Where to carve out your spot in the sand in North Idaho

C

oeur d’Alene, Hayden, Hauser, Pend Oreille, the Spokane River…

North Idaho is rich with waterways, including designated swimming areas that, although typically untended by lifeguards, offer easy spots to wade or dive in for a much-needed beach day.

SILVERMT.COM 38 INLANDER JULY 9, 2020

In Post Falls, Q’EMILN PARK is larger than it looks. In addition to outdoor cooking and picnic areas, the 78.5-acre park features restrooms, two covered shelters, volleyball courts and a designated swimming area. Parking is $5/car per day, with season passes available too.

Hayden’s HONEYSUCKLE BEACH is a LAKE COEUR D’ALENE has more than 100 favorite spot for swimming, floating and miles of shoreline, and although some of launching your SUP or kayak. The dock it is rugged and tree-lined or belonging forms a square, enclosing the swimming to private interests, numerous areas area and providing an ideal wall for are both public and perfectly flat with beginning swimmers to hang on as free, nearby parking. Hike Tubbs Hill then needed. Although unguarded, there is reward yourself with a dip in the waters an attendant on duty. The beach also off Sanders Beach, a flat expanse of sand includes public restrooms, shaded sandy with beautiful views and grassy areas of the nearby Coeur and a few picnic SWIMMING SAFELY • Swimming in rivers and lakes requires additional d’Alene Resort golf tables, with free knowledge and skills than in a pool course and distant parking both along • Always swim with a buddy. shores. On the other the beach and just • Be sure you are water competent for natural side of Tubbs Hill environments before swimming a short walk away.

— this is not your home pool. and just past town is • Always enter unknown or shallow water feet first City Beach, with its Heading north • Watch out for currents, waves iconic step-wall and along Highway and underwater obstructions • Supervise others sober, and without distractions popular beach and 95, you’ll find such as reading, or talking on a cell phone park area for seeing some of the area’s Source: The American Red Cross and being seen. best beaches.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

At FARRAGUT STATE PARK, you can boat or drive in, then camp, hike, ride your horse or bike and delight in the nearby town of Bayview, including the Museum at the Brig.

Swim at Beaver Bay Beach, which can be very popular for its shallow areas and easy access, or walk a short bit to the more secluded Buttonhook Bay, which includes a boat dock and a protected lagoon that’s great for families with young swimmers. A $5 entry fee is required for all state parks and can be purchased at the visitor center.

SPIRIT LAKE and its nearby lake of the same name offers a classic laketown vibe, especially at the Silver Beach Resort.

Rent a cabin and check out a day-use visitor pass for $10, which includes parking.

Don’t forget about BOULDER BEACH, which is included with paid ticket entry to Silverwood Theme Park in Athol. Hang out in one of two wave pools, float in Elkhorn Creek, race down the Riptide slide, or ride any of the cool waterpark attractions featured at Silverwood and leave the sand to other beachgoers this summer.

And if you don’t mind the drive — so beautiful — head farther north to SANDPOINT or the majestic and pristine PRIEST LAKE for a unique way to beach it in North Idaho.

C O E U R

D ’A L E N E

Upcoming Events Concert on the Green JULY 10

Turn Tuesdays into date night at the Circling Raven golf course. Every Tuesday night features free live music (not to mention stunning scenery), food and drink specials and music provided by Flipside Entertainment. 6-8:30 pm.

Toyota Tuesday at Silverwood JULY 14

Mark your calendar Toyota owners! The driver of any Toyota gets in free at Silverwood Theme Park when they bring an admission coupon from any Inland Empire Toyota Dealer.

Bands on Boats JULY 26

Ready to rock out on Lake Coeur d’Alene? The Bands on Boats series is back! The July 26 threehour cruise features the ever-popular Hayes Carll.

Tickets $27.50; boarding begins at 6:30 pm at Independence point. Ages 21+.

For more events, things to do & places to stay, go to cda4.fun Just North of Coeur d’Alene in beautiful North Idaho RESERVE TICKETS ONLINE COEUR D’ALENE

SILVERWOODTHEMEPARK.COM JULY 9, 2020 INLANDER 39