hile it’s likely going to take some time before we start to really see and feel the many expected effects of the federal spending bill passed three weeks ago, this week’s cover package on those sweeping FEDERAL CUTS offers a broader view of what we’ve seen so far and a preview of what’s to come. It’s brought to mind a saying many journalists look to as a professional creed: “Comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable.” It’s a tenet the team at the Inlander holds to every day as we report the local news and aim to hold those in power accountable, yet perhaps it carries even more meaning these days. Certainly holding politicians (the comfortable) accountable for how their votes affect their constituents (often the afflicted) remains our focus as we report the stories of real people in our own community who are faced with hardships and slipping through safety nets. To continue carrying out this responsibility to readers, our inbox (editor@ inlander.com or tips@inlander.com) is always open. We welcome folks to reach out if they are willing to share personal stories on how the Trump administration’s federal budget cuts are affecting their ability to seek health care, emergency assistance and myriad other service
— CHEY SCOTT, Editor
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ARE YOU
WORRIED ABOUT
THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION’S FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS?
LANI NACHTSHEIM
I am, absolutely.
Why’s that?
I just feel it affects the most vulnerable. Especially those who don’t have a voice and understand the system, possibly.
Do you know anyone who’s been affected so far? Not yet, but with the upcoming cuts, I know there’s gonna be a lot.
TESS BESCHEL
I am worried about federal cuts. I am a special education teacher, and from my experience, we’re under-resourced and underfunded already. ... I’m just worried about others in my community that are dependent on those sources. Like Medicaid and Social Security, and I’m worried about the health of people — not getting access to the health insurance that they need, which also affects my students more so than, maybe, the average American.
STEVE HUETTL
No.
Why are you not worried?
Because I think it’s saving a lot of waste and taxpayers’ money, and I’m a taxpayer.
RACHEL BUTLER
I’m definitely worried about federal cuts. I think that we are prioritizing harming our citizens over taking care of them, and we’re cutting all of our programs that we have to support people. So I’m very worried.
Do you know people who’ve been affected?
Yeah. I have a lot of friends with the Forest Service. I had a friend who worked with AmeriCorps, a lot of friends have lost jobs. And then just in general, like with the health care issue, a lot of our friends around our age are on federal health care and are really worried about what they’re gonna do.
ZANE BRADLEY
I am worried about federal cuts. It affects a lot of things. It affects health care. It affects food stamps, services that people need. I don’t know anyone personally who’s lost their job, but I know lots of forest firefighters and friends through them, and other friends indirectly.
IINTERVIEWS BY ELLIS BENSON 7/17/25, MANITO PARK
524 W Main Ave, Downtown Spokane thepurgatory.com Sun-Thu 12pm-11pm Fri-Sat 12pm - 12:30am
Generous donations provided lifesaving equipment for baby Cameron, born 14 weeks early and weighing only 1 pound and 6 ounces.
The Giraffe Omnibed helped him grow stronger until his mom could hold him for the first time.
“ It was the best feeling in the world to hold and touch my baby. Those who donated to make that technology available are absolute heroes.”
– Tanisha Townsend, Cameron’s mom
Help patients like baby Cameron: https://foundation.providence.org/wa/eastern
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New Realities Need New Thinking
Cuts to Medicaid offer Gov. Bob Ferguson the opportunity to reform state government to fit into the profoundly reduced federal funding paradigm
BY BILL BRYANT
For all its recklessness and callousness and the other problems I have with what the president calls his Big Beautiful Bill, it does hand Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson a possibly historic opportunity.
The federal law recently passed by Congress and signed by the president, among many other things, cuts billions of dollars to states like Washington that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. For Washington, this could reduce federal Medicaid support by billions a year.
The governor’s office estimates that 250,000 to 400,000 people in Washington will either lose medical coverage or be unable to afford it. “It’s difficult to overstate how devastating these cuts
will be to Washingtonians,” Gov. Ferguson explained. “They will bring our health care system to the brink and harm people in every corner of our state.”
According to the president of the Washington State Hospital Association, “Hundreds of thousands of people will lose health insurance… Important hospital services will disappear, nurses and doctors will be laid off, and several Washington State hospitals are at risk of full closure.”
I am not doubting their predictions, but I also recognize it’s difficult to determine precisely how reduced federal funding will affect Washington residents when we don’t know how new work requirements and federal investments in rural hospitals will be implemented, and more importantly, when we don’t know how the governor and Legislature will respond to these cuts.
The Legislature and governor need to acknowledge that the federal government is beginning to restructure its relationship with the states on the delivery of health
Gov. Bob Ferguson at a July 9 press conference on impacts of federal Medicaid cuts to Planned Parenthood and how the state will help cover the gaps created there. WASHINGTON STATE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE PHOTO
care, and restructure Washington’s health services to accommodate this new relationship.
Unfortunately, rather than seizing an opportunity to reevaluate current policies, procedures and expenditures, some on the political left are calling for new taxes. As callous as it was for Congress to cut Medicaid while extending tax cuts to wealthier citizens, adding new taxes in Washington state is not the answer to this predicament.
Washington state has never collected as much tax revenue as it does now. In just the last few years, a ballooning budget was largely made possible by rising tax revenues. But this heyday of ever-increasing revenue is ending. While recent state revenue projections are up, those paying attention will notice that were it not for the newest taxes and fees, revenue would be down. That is an alarm bell for a governor. Declining tax receipts, combined with the recent cuts in federal funding, combined with Washington’s hospitals losing money even before federal cuts, give Gov. Ferguson all the justification he needs to comprehensibly scrutinize the entire state budget, reprioritize state services, renegotiate generous public employee contracts, reevaluate state payroll levels and innovate ways to deliver key services.
“Now is the time to comprehensively evaluate whether state policies are unnecessarily driving up health care costs…”
Rather than raising taxes or creating new ones, the governor should evaluate which existing taxes and fees should be cut, and which health care policies need revision. The Legislature recently increased taxes and fees on some hospitals, even as legislators decried rising health care costs. The Washington State Medical Association called it “a troubling disconnect between the state’s stated goal of controlling health care costs and policy decisions that directly undermine that goal.”
Now is the time to comprehensively evaluate whether state policies are unnecessarily driving up health care costs and making it more difficult for some people to afford coverage.
The governor said there is no way for the state to backfill billions in reduced federal Medicaid dollars. He’s right if the state keeps spending money as it has, but the way our state has been taxing and spending is not sustainable. Among other effects, the president’s Big Beautiful Bill accelerates Washington’s inevitable reckoning.
Societies can be evaluated by how they treat their most vulnerable, and if we’re going to deny our most vulnerable medical care, we’re not a very admirable society. I agree with Republican President Richard Nixon who in the 1970s told Congress, “Without adequate health care, no one can make full use of his or her talents and opportunities. It is thus just as important that economic, racial and social barriers not stand in the way of good health care as it is to eliminate those barriers to a good education… No American family should be denied access to adequate medical care because of inability to pay.”
I believe many Washingtonians share that sentiment. To make this vision a reality, we need to acknowledge that many of Washington’s hospitals are financially struggling, that the state’s financial obligations for human health are rising, and that we cannot meet those challenges with the budget and bureaucracy we inherited from the 20th century.
The federal Medicaid cuts have forced upon us a predicament no one would wish upon our state and the hundreds of thousands of people whose health coverage could be imperiled. But those cuts do present the governor with a historic opportunity to reform state government for this century. n
Bill Bryant, who served on the Seattle Port Commission from 2008-16, ran against Jay Inslee as the Republican nominee in the 2016 governor’s race. He lives in Winthrop, Washington.
PRIMARY ELECTION
DISTRICT 3 TRIO
Three candidates vying for a Spokane City Council seat will be narrowed to two in Aug. 5 primary election
BY COLTON RASANEN
As the primary election quickly draws near, there’s just one race in the city of Spokane that’ll be on the ballot. Voters in District 3, which includes the northwestern portion of the city, bordered by Division Street and the Spokane River, will choose two of three men to appear on the ballot in November Incumbent Zack Zappone, a North Central High School teacher who was first elected to the council in 2021, faces repeat-candidate and Meals on Wheels Board Member Christopher Savage and Air Force veteran and business owner Cody Arguelles.
Voters have until Monday, July 28, to register to vote or to update their personal information. Primary election ballots have already been mailed out and are due by Election Day, Aug. 5. The two candidates who receive the most votes
will automatically move on to the Nov. 4 general election.
WORK LEFT TO DO
Zappone was first elected to the Spokane City Council in 2021 after facing a competitive five-way race to fill outgoing council member Candace Mumm’s seat.
“I’m really proud of a lot of the progress we made in the last four years that I’ve been on council. But too many families are still struggling to get ahead,” Zappone says. “I want to fight for everyday working middle class families to have that fair shot.”
To do that, Zappone says the City Council needs to focus on affordability, public safety and Spokane’s opioid crisis.
“I’m running because I think we’ve made steps in
the right direction, and I want to keep moving the city in that direction. I want to work on addressing our affordability crisis, from affordable transit to housing to everyday costs of living. I want to address the opioid crisis and our safety in a balanced way that emphasizes treatment and options.”
Early in 2024, the city of Spokane made changes to its zoning laws that now allow developers to build rentals with up to six units on a single residential lot. That along with other changes, such as the zoning ordinances that will eliminate building height requirements downtown and another one that eliminated a requirement for developers to build one parking spot per new apartment, has been beneficial to the city’s growth, he says.
From left: Zack Zappone, Christopher Savage and Cody Arguelles. COURTESY PHOTOS
“The changes to land use has led to the highest number of permits year-over-year in the city. We just got that report last week, we have permitted over 1,000 units in the last year,” Zappone says. “While that doesn’t address the problems people are having with housing affordability on a day-to-day basis, it has slowed down the increase that has led to more affordable rents and more affordable housing.”
When it comes to public safety, Zappone says the city has been able to use revenue from the voter-passed 0.1% Community Safety Sales Tax to enhance its services by hiring more neighborhood resource officers and increasing funding to the fire department for quicker responses.
If he’s elected again, Zappone hopes to focus on creating a land-value tax that would reduce taxes on individual homeowners and renters, and increase the tax burden on vacant lots around the city’s downtown core.
“Right now, they’re being assessed at the same rate as homeowners, but they’re sitting on that land and the value is going up and [owners] are getting rich off it,” he says, “when it could be used for better purposes like more housing.”
He also hopes to update the city’s Safe Streets for Spokane fund to “focus on prioritizing safety and equity across our neighborhoods.” As a part of this, he hopes to create a “27 by 27 network,” which includes building 27 miles of bike lanes by 2027.
“My opponents are being supported by the big businesses of Spokane that just saw the biggest transfer of wealth from the federal government, and they’re using that wealth to reinvest in gaining power here in Spokane,” Zappone says. “I’m here to represent our working people so that they have a fair shot.”
Spokane City Council members are bound by a twoterm limit in the city, meaning that if Zappone is elected again, it will be his final four years representing District 3.
STOPPING SPOKANE’S DECLINE
Savage has lived in Spokane for three decades and has run unsuccessfully for a seat on the council three times, including in the 2021 primary race that Zappone won. However, he says his experience running those campaigns, alongside his work on the Spokane County Water Conservancy Commission, the Spokane Salary Review Commission and the Balboa/South Indian Trail Community Assembly, have uniquely prepared him for this primary election.
Similar to Zappone and Arguelles, Savage’s top three priorities are to address public safety, housing affordability and Spokane’s homelessness crisis.
“I want to focus on those [issues] because every time I’ve run, I’ve seen that the city hasn’t gotten better, it’s gotten worse. And there’s a lot of people that when they run for office, they promise a lot and they don’t deliver,” Savage says. “That’s what’s happening with Zack Zappone … He’s promising a lot and hasn’t delivered over the past four years. I’m tired of seeing our city go from bad to worse.”
For example, he says the “watered-down” Prop 1 (the 2023 ballot measure that prohibits camping on public property and within 1,000 feet of parks, day cares and schools) replacement that Zappone helped introduce last month and was amended and passed on June 30 is not going to help the homelessness situation downtown. (For more, see “Spokane updates its anti-camping rules” at Inlander.com, a story from our July 10 issue.)
If he’s elected, Savage says he would ensure that the ordinance that the council passed last month is amended to “make sure that we’re actually doing what the citizens voted on.” In 2023, the proposition received support from 75% of voters, but the Washington Supreme Court struck the initiative down in April 2025, ruling that the initiative
overstepped what can be decided by voters.
When it comes to addressing the cost of housing, he says there are 10 areas around Spokane that the city could annex from Spokane County to add to housing inventory. Savage did not say which areas he thinks the city should take control of from the county.
“I really follow a free market principle of if you bring enough inventory to satiate demand, you’ll bring the prices down naturally,” he says.
And to address homelessness in the city more adequately, Savage would like to find different service providers. He claims two of the city’s current providers, Catholic Charities and Jewels Helping Hands, “are not doing well with trying to address the homelessness crisis downtown.” Instead, he’d like to see the city work with other nonprofits, such as Adult & Teen Challenge which “provides Christian faith-based, residential care to young people and adults who struggle with life-controlling problems.”
“I’ve seen what’s been going on around Spokane, and I know the history behind it. That means that I can hit the ground running,” Savage says.
While much of Savage’s critique is directed toward the incumbent, he thinks voters should choose him over Arguelles because he’s lived in Spokane longer — 26 years longer to be exact.
FOCUSING ON SAFETY
Five years ago, Arguelles moved to Spokane when he became an Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialist at Fairchild Air Force Base. After four years of service he retired for medical reasons, but he chose to stay in Spokane to open his own business, a private, membership-only cigar lounge called The Late Arrivals Club, that he says will open to members in a couple weeks.
Arguelles argues against Savage’s critique, saying that staying in the city after leaving the Air Force a year ago shows he cares about the community.
Arguelles says he’s running for Spokane City Council because “people don’t feel safe anymore in our neighborhoods” and because he thinks the city shouldn’t introduce any new taxes on its citizens.
“My wife doesn’t feel comfortable going alone downtown, or walking around downtown alone. And I think that’s just unfortunate [because] businesses are having difficulty opening. I know that from firsthand experience,” Arguelles says. “It’s harder to survive in the environment today, housing is becoming less affordable, and drug use and homelessness is only climbing… and the city council keeps kicking that can down the road, and I’m hoping I can fix that.”
When it comes to public safety, Arguelles agrees with Savage that the city should have enacted Prop 1 as it appeared on the 2023 ballot.
“It was just disheartening to see what the current council is doing with that, you know, they could have just implemented the same exact thing when the courts came back and said there’s a technicality,” he says. “It didn’t have to turn into this weird shell of what it’s become now, you know, the current council could have literally just done exactly what the people voted for.”
Additionally, he thinks the city can enhance public safety by introducing a performance-based method to contract with organizations that work to solve homelessness in Spokane. By doing this, he thinks the service providers that are “just trying to take advantage of free money” will be forced to perform better, and the providers that already perform well will begin to focus on the metrics that the city determines.
“I’ve gone to one of the homeless coalitions. I’ve gone to speak with [homeless] individuals who have reached out to tell me about their stories of like, ‘I’m trying to come
off the streets and get clean, and yet, when I go into a tour to some of these facilities there’s people doing drugs in the stairway,’ which is putting everyone else at risk,” Arguelles says. “We need to do everything we can as the city to be an accountable system.”
When asked about which service provider he was referring to, Arguelles said he was talking about stories that homeless individuals told him and that he didn’t want to “put anyone on blast.”
“I think I bring a huge breadth of experience to this environment. I was once homeless in my life. I know what inspired me to get out of homelessness. I know what didn’t work for me,” he says. “I understand what it means to build a business from the ground up, and how hard it is to fight for that, and how difficult it is to invest your family’s resources into that business. I feel the pains just like anybody else you know in our community and I think that’s pretty unique.”
FUNDING & ENDORSEMENTS
So far, the candidates in District 3 have racked up a bunch of endorsements and raised close to $100,000 collectively, according to Washington’s Public Disclosure Commission.
Of the three candidates, incumbent Zappone has raised the least amount of money for his campaign, totaling $24,936. His top contributors include Jerry LeClaire ($1,200), Pasco-based Brian Griffith ($1,200), Avista ($1,200) and the Garland Theater ($750).
Less than $500 ahead of Zappone, Savage has raised $25,430 so far. In addition to the $1,800 he personally contributed, Savage’s biggest donors are Spokane attorney Brandon Casey ($1,200), Spokane pharmacist Erik Nelson ($1,200), the 6th Legislative District Committee ($1,000) and Spokane Valley City Council candidate Mike Kelly ($1,000).
Arguelles, who has never run for election before, has seen the most cash infused into his campaign, raising $41,880 so far. However, unlike Zappone and Savage, who both received the most donations from individuals, more than half of Arguelles’ campaign funds come from businesses. This includes $1,200 from Peppertree Hospitality Group (and another $1,200 from the group’s owner Rita Santillanes), LKB Properties, Backyard Public House and the Rental Housing Association of Washington.
As well as the thousands in campaign funds they’ve received, each candidate has support from important figures and groups throughout the Inland Northwest. Notably, Arguelles and Savage are both endorsed by the Spokane County Republican Party.
“Our goal as a party is to remove the current incumbent from office,” a Spokane GOP email reads. “Due to the Jungle Primary process, with only 3 Candidates running in the Primary, we expect at least 1 Republican will make it through; however, if we can get both through, very much the better.”
Additionally, Savage is endorsed by Spokane City Council member Michael Cathcart, Liberty Lake City Council member Jed Spencer and Spokane Valley City Council members Jessica Yaeger and Rod Higgins. Arguelles was also endorsed by Cathcart and Spokane City Council member Jonathan Bingle, alongside Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels and Spokane County Commissioner Josh Kerns.
Zappone has been endorsed by Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown, state Sen. Marcus Riccelli, Spokane County Commissioners Chris Jordan and Amber Waldref, and organizations such as the Spokane Education Association, Washington Conservation Action and the Spokane Firefighters Union. n
It Takes a Village
West Spokane to get a 30-unit tiny home village. Plus, STA chooses a new leader; and nine Spokanites were detained by federal agents last week
BY INLANDER STAFF
By late September, Spokane’s West Hills Neighborhood could be the location of a 30-unit tiny home village for those experiencing homelessness. Built on a property owned by Waters Meet Foundation, formerly Empire Health Foundation, the interim housing pilot project aims to create a pathway for those transitioning to permanent housing. Alongside 30 temporary tiny homes, around 100-200 square feet each, there will be communal spaces including a kitchen, indoor showers and toilets. The site will operate within the city of Spokane’s shelter system, however, as the project is in the initial stages of site planning and community outreach, the shelter operator has yet to be chosen by the city. The tiny home village is being built in the West Hills because the city prohibits these types of shelters from being built on a transit line or within 1,000 feet of a school. “The funds behind this project were set to be returned to the state, but through innovative partnership, we are keeping them here in Spokane so they can make a direct impact for people who need support most,” said Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown in a press release. (DORA SCOTT)
WHO’S DRIVING THIS BUS?
After a lengthy hiring process that began when former Spokane Transit Authority CEO Susan Meyer announced her retirement in July 2024, a replacement has been chosen. At a meeting last week, the STA Board of Directors decided to elevate former interim co-CEO Karl Otterstrom to the top leadership position. The search, which was conducted solely by the STA Board Operations Committee — without any input from public officials or current STA employees — came down to three finalists in May. Otterstrom has nearly 20 years of experience in public transportation, 15 of those spent at the STA, where he helped lead the implementation of the City Line Rapid Bus Transit project. This week at the board’s regular meeting, members will vote to officially approve Otterstrom’s contract as CEO. While you’ve got buses on the mind, check out STA’s Instagram (@spokane_transit) for some top-notch reels about the organization’s new double-decker buses that have been the talk of the town for a few months now. (MADISON PEARSON)
ARRESTED, AGAIN
Last week, U.S. Marshals arrested nine people in Spokane connected to a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on June 11 in an attempt to prevent agents from transporting two men legally seeking asylum to ICE’s detention facility in Tacoma. Some of the protesters, including former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart, Spokane Human Rights Commission member Justice Forral, Thalia Ramirez and Erin Lang, were arrested during the June protest. However, the five other arrestees, Spokane Community Against Racism (SCAR) co-executive director Jac Archer, Mikki Hatfield, Bobbi Silva, Collin Muncey and Bajun Mavalwalla II, had not been arrested by local law enforcement in relation to the protest. All nine defendants pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiring to impede or injure officers at a July 15 hearing in front of U.S. District Magistrate Judge James Goeke. “Let’s be perfectly clear about Trump’s unconstitutional immigration crackdown: He is diverting limited federal resources away from pursuing violent criminals to instead round up individuals with no criminal record — and now, apparently, he’s going after peaceful protesters as well,” U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said. “We cannot be silent and I will be contacting [the] DOJ directly regarding this gross abuse of federal resources.” (COLTON RASANEN)
Annual Manual
Directing the Districts
Two Spokane fire districts have competitive races on the August primary ballot
BY BEE REISWIG
Spokane County Fire Districts 3 and 4 are each electing fire commissioners, and the Aug. 5 primary election will determine which two candidates move forward in each race.
The Insider’s Guide to the Inland Northwest
Fire District 3 serves around 30,000 residents in Medical Lake, Spangle and southwest Spokane County, across approximately 570 square miles. The majority of calls that the district’s 11 fire stations respond to involve medical emergencies.
Fire District 4 covers around 330 square miles of north Spokane County, including Deer Park, and also responds to a few surrounding counties, such as Stevens and Pend Oreille. They had 104 first responders working out of 10 stations last year, and received 4,227 calls, which averages to about 11.5 per day.
Each district has a three-member board of commissioners, with one seat up for election this year.
Here are the candidates for each race.
FIRE DISTRICT NO. 3 COMMISSIONER POSITION NO. 1 MIKE MEYER, 71
After his 37-year military career with the Air Force and the Air National Guard, Meyer retired as a chief master sergeant. His position involved managing communications, the mobile unit, and supervising both part-time and full-time staff. Post-retirement, he was a firefighter in Fire District 3 for 15 years. He currently works as a volunteer firefighter, or a “weekend warrior.”
Meyer wants to “bring across the perspective that it’s people that fight fires, it’s not equipment. So we need to have good relationships up and down the line to make this whole thing work.”
Managing the connections between career firefighters, volunteer firefighters and district staff is important to Meyer. Additionally, he hopes to oversee the budget as the district continues to grow quickly. He wants to ensure that firefighters are being paid comparably to other districts of similar sizes and that the district is wise in its spending.
TIM FLOCK, 62
Flock, a retired combat veteran of the Washington Air National Guard, has served District 3 as a volunteer firefighter since 2013. He has 31 years of firefighting experience, including as a duty officer
and battalion chief, and currently serves as the second fire commissioner on the district’s board.
He says he intends to continue the financial stewardship of the district’s resources that he and his predecessors have worked for, as the district is growing quickly.
“I take that real seriously, and trying to anticipate the hazards that come with that,” Flock says.
He wants to expand the training offered for both volunteer and career firefighters, including more preparation for unknown challenges that may arise. It is important to him to support the district’s firefighters while maintaining a respect for their budget.
“I look forward to using a lifetime of experience in this new role,” Flock says.
KENT REITMEIER, 62
Reitmeier worked as a farmer in Medical Lake for most of his career. In August 2023, the Gray Fire broke out. He worked to help with the fire, filling up a tank of water on his trailer and going out to try and extinguish flames. Reitmeier was involved with the Spokane County Regional Fire Recovery group for the incident.
His goals for the district involve assisting the area with its growth and diversity. He explains that each corner seems to have something different, from agriculture to forest timber, and housing to industry.
“I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve seen how the district has grown,” Reitmeier says. “It’s such a challenge and I want to be a part of that.”
He also hopes to be a bridge between the public and his potential fellow commissioners, bringing the community’s voices to the table.
FIRE DISTRICT NO. 4
COMMISSIONER POSITION NO. 1
ROGER KRIEGER, 68
Krieger has been a fire commissioner for Fire District 4 since 2010, when he took over for a man who died. He finished that term and has completed two more six-year terms while also working in
Mike Meyer
Tim Flock
Kent Reitmeier
Deer Park’s government. He retired from his public sector work about a year-and-a-half ago.
He says that when he first took the position of fire commissioner, the organization was mostly made up of volunteer and part-time firefighters. Now, the district has full-time firefighters and fewer volunteers than before the pandemic.
One of the issues he has pushed as a commissioner is getting the district into paramedic services. The district now has a transport license, which means they can provide paramedic as well as ambulance services.
“My goal is to make sure that we stay within our means relative to the taxes we receive,” Krieger says.
Since it is a smaller district, it may be hard to find funding to add extra equipment or firefighters to the fire trucks, he says. Though Krieger was not part of the union, he volunteered as a firefighter for years, and wants to continue helping the community and serving the public.
DAN GARNER, 57
Garner started as a volunteer firefighter in 1991 and became a career firefighter a year later, which he continued doing alongside work as a paramedic for 30 years. Since retiring from his position as station captain in Fire District 9, Garner has worked part-time in the summer managing larger fires for the Department of Natural Resources. For the last six years he has also taught wildland firefighting for Spokane Community College’s fire science program.
“I just want to continue serving my community, and I feel that the best way I can do that is make the biggest impact as a fire commissioner,” says Garner, who is endorsed by the Spokane County Fire District No. 4 Firefighters Local 5363.
His main priorities include safety for both the public and firefighters. His goal would be to get three people staffing the trucks, rather than two, which he would intend to do through reevaluation of the budget.
Garner says the national standard allocates around 80% of funds to manning fire trucks, while District 4 allocates 50%.
He also hopes to improve the education in place for new firefighters, making sure they go through a career firefighter academy as opposed to the volunteer academy.
SEAN SIEGEL, 50
Siegel is almost finished with his master’s degree in public health, which he is pursuing after 20 years of fire and emergency medical experience. After he finishes this degree he intends to earn his master’s in emergency management from the University of Southern California.
“My whole goal if elected is to, you know, leave it better than I found it,” Siegel says.
Some of his main focuses include wildfire suppression, education and prevention. He would also like to increase staffing at the outlying stations. He would consider hiring seasonal wildland firefighters and placing them at outlying stations.
Siegel has also heard from his community that they sometimes don’t feel that their voices are being heard, so he hopes to improve representation and create better access to the fire commissioners. He says that it is important that he is not endorsed by the union, so he can “work and advocate for the residents of Fire District 4.” n
Roger Krieger
Dan Garner
Sean Siegel
Flowing with Fire
Spokane-based fire-spinning troupe Burn Works fosters community with flames
BY DORA SCOTT
Fire is often rightfully viewed as something to fear, a force that can destroy starting with a single spark.
But for Spokane-based fire-spinning troupe Burn Works, the element becomes an entrancing partner, tamed and spun into a dance with fuel-lit props like poi (balls on a metal chain), fans, hoops and staffs.
While now commonly a subset of “flow” arts — movement-based disciplines like juggling, object manipulation, and dance that emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s in festival and rave scenes in the U.S. — fire spinning’s origins date back to ancient Polynesian war dances with knives. Fire was added to the blades in the 1940s, thanks to Samoan-American performer Uluao “Freddie” Letuli after he was inspired by a Hindu fire-eating act.
Founded in 2022 by longtime fire spinner Teri Simpson, Burn Works brings together a close-knit community of performers and students.
Simpson’s fire-spinning journey began over 10 years ago at the Okanogan Family Barter Faire in north Central Washington. There, she spotted a performer, Argent Lloyd, tossing a flaming staff lit at both ends high into the air before catching it.
“I was just in love,” says Simpson about the art.
“Love-at-first-sight type of deal.”
After that chance encounter, Simpson approached Lloyd to learn, and he became her mentor. They started meeting weekly at parks in Spokane, and what began as a hobby soon transformed into a passion, then a way of life.
“It was amazing,” Simpson recalls of her first time spinning with fire. “It was frightening, for sure, but it’s exhilarating as well.”
Simpson joined fire-spinning workshops and traveled to festivals like Burning Man, Shambala and Sacred Acre, honing her art and gaining connections within the firespinning community.
Back in Spokane, Simpson and her friend, Willow O’Hara, began meeting weekly at a “secret” park spot. People eventually caught on, some joining in and others asking to learn.
“So we decided, ‘Why don’t we start having people pay to learn from us, and we’ll teach them?’” Simpson says.
Simpson founded Burn Works as an official business, offering structured fire-spinning classes and performances. The troupe now consists of about five core members for professional shows and a wider community of students and experienced fire spinners.
Burn Works offers a variety of workshops ($45/single class, $165/four-week series), including a foundational fire safety class where participants learn how to keep themselves and others safe, and to understand how fire behaves, what clothing to wear, and about the different props. More advanced workshops cover techniques like fire-eating, which Simpson describes as more of an illusion than actually inhaling any dangerous fumes.
“It’s dangerous, I’ll tell you that, but people love it,” Simpson says. “That’s one of people’s favorite things to learn at Burn Works is the fire eating.”
Students must be at least 18 years old to participate, and Burn Works strictly upholds a sober environment while any of its students or members are working with fire.
“We are pretty strong about no alcohol, no drugs,” says Simpson, noting the importance of focus and control when handling a volatile element.
In addition to classes, Burn Works performs at private parties, luaus, community events and even retirement homes. The troupe has a few prepared 30-minute shows with themes ranging from steampunk to luau and cabaret to winter wonderland, each extensively rehearsed. They’re also able to customize shows for an event.
Permitting is a crucial part of Burn Works’ operations. The troupe obtains fire permits and insurance for each public performance and maintains a strong relationship with the local fire departments. Simpson notes how, especially in the past and before Burn Works was formed, passers-by would often call the fire department on local fire spinners.
“I work very close [with them], like, I consider the fire department to be my friends,” she says. “[We] try to be friendly, respectful and show them, ‘Here’s my fire extinguisher, here’s our fire blankets.’”
Beyond formal performances, Burn Works also hosts open fire jams about four times a year at Patera Temperance Lounge (1507 E. Sprague Ave.) in East Spokane. For $20, community members
— whether experienced fire spinners or newcomers — can practice and connect with one another.
“We want people that are going to at least try to spin fire,” Simpson says. “Because then it creates this nature about itself of we’re all working on something, we’re all part of this community instead of performing.”
The session starts out inside the yoga studio attached to Patera, where participants can use a variety of training props and see their movements in the mirrors. The group then heats things up, heading to the back parking lot to spin fire.
Those interested can find open fire jam announcements on Burn Works’ Instagram (@burnworks_fire_and_flow), via their email list, or through their WhatsApp group.
While fire spinning might seem intimidating, Simpson stresses that injuries are rare with proper training. Performers wear natural fiber clothing like cotton, bamboo or hemp, which is less likely to melt and stick to the skin in the event of an accident. Students are also trained to avoid wearing anything loose fitting and to fire spin in pairs for spotting and safety.
“The majority of things that happen, I like to call a fire kiss, where it touches something that just touches your skin,” Simpson says. “You just wash it off, and you take care of it with just basic first aid.”
For Simpson and the Burn Works community, fire spinning is more than entertainment — it’s a lifestyle and artistic expression that connects them to a global network of other fire spinners.
“It means a lot to me because it’s a lifestyle, it’s a business, it’s a passion,” she says. “In every major city there’s a flow art community, there’s a fire art community. It’s just a whole world.” n
Aiko Terao spins fire in the parking lot behind Patera Temperance Lounge.
Something Fresh Is Growing This July at the Scale House Market!
Roll up your sleeves, grab a friend, and join us for a summer full of fun, food, and learning!
Hands-on classes and workshops for every age and interest.
WHAT
YOU’LL LEARN:
• How to prep a meal using ingredients from the Market
• Tips for food preparation and preservation
• Garden-based activities for all ages
• Insights from real farmers and food makers
Whether you’re 9 or 90, these lively, interactive sessions will teach you something new — and connect you with the local food, flavors, and community that make this region shine.
Grow your skills. Fill your plate. Feed your soul. JULY CLASS FOCUS: KIDS IN THE KITCHEN, COOKING FUNDAMENTALS FOR ALL AGES, AND CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS IN FOOD.
Want to know about our latest events and classes? FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL!
Lyin’
Tamer
Inland Classical Theatre debuts with one of Shakespeare’s more fraught plays — and a contemporary response
BY E.J. IANNELLI
Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew isn’t exactly a play that has won universal acclaim for its progressive attitudes.
Its central courtship — admittedly, a loose application of the word — is between the characters of Petruchio and Katherina. Yet Katherina really just isn’t that into him. For her, becoming Petruchio’s fiancée is closer to resignation than romance.
tonight, the new local drama troupe Inland Classical Theatre is wasting no time implementing its M.O. — described by Abby Burlingame, the organization’s artistic director, as “bold interpretations of classics” — by engaging with the thorniness of The Taming of the Shrew head-on.
That doesn’t simply mean performing Shakespeare’s play. The staged music-stand reading of Taming of the Shrew at Spokane Children’s Theatre will be presented in repertory (in other words, alternating performances) with Fletcher’s response.
“What makes this unique is that the two pieces are going to be in conversation with one another. When we pair it with The Tamer Tamed, we have the opportunity to actually explore the misogynistic themes in Taming of the Shrew to their full value,” says Inland Classical Theatre’s executive director, Jeffrey St. George.
St. George also happens to be directing Shakespeare’s contribution to this conversation. In an effort to make it “a little shorter, a little snappier,” he and members of Inland Classical have excised whole sections.
To win over the strong-willed, independent Katherina (the “shrew” of the title), Petruchio’s goal is to “tame” her with acts that might better be described as gaslighting and torture. He denies her food and clothing on spurious grounds. He deploys convoluted logic to get her to accept things that are demonstrably false, like the idea that the sun is actually the moon and that a male acquaintance is in fact a woman.
By the end of the play, Katherina has become yielding and obedient, much to the very vocal approval of all the men — including her own father.
It’s message that, when taken at face value, didn’t sit well with audiences even in Shakespeare’s day.
One contemporary playwright, John Fletcher, wrote The Woman’s Prize, or The Tamer Tamed as a direct response to the overt misogyny of The Taming of the Shrew. Fletcher’s work inverts Shakespeare’s plot, ultimately giving Petruchio a taste of his own medicine at the hand of his second wife, Maria.
For its very first production, which opens
Among the cuts are the famous opening scene, called the induction, which sets up Shrew as a play nested in a play — “two Inception levels,” St. George jokes — and therefore puts a question mark over how seriously Shakespeare wants us to interpret its apparent moral.
“There’s arguments made that The Taming of the Shrew is encapsulated in this little play within a play to separate the audience from it. I did not want to separate the audience from this play,” he says.
The supporting narrative, “the more wholesome lover plot” between Bianca and Lucentio, has also been pared down for this production. The effect is to eliminate some of the aspects that soften Petruchio’s treatment of Katherina.
“I think one of the wonderful aspects of working with Shakespeare is that his plays are malleable. So there was intentionality in the cutting [to] really lean into the evident cruelty that takes place for the purposes of providing intentional commentary on the modern day,” St. George says.
If that sounds a little full-on, that’s partly the
Inland Classical Theatre director Abby Burlingame COURTESY PHOTOS
point. But turning up the dial on the play’s cruelty doesn’t mean sacrificing its more farcical and slapstick comedy.
“There’s a lot of very classical early Shakespeare shenanigans that are very much crowd-pleasing elements that we’re going to keep as a callback to the tradition and hopefully recontextualize,” he says.
While St. George is the one directing Shrew, Burlingame is at the helm for Tamer Tamed
“The appeal of The Tamer Tamed for me, I guess, is the fact that it’s a response piece. Right off the bat, we have female characters on stage pronouncing some very modern feminist viewpoints,” she says.
The unexpected modernity of Fletcher’s work is something that she hopes will encourage today’s audiences to reflect on their assumptions about gender roles as well as what those same assumptions might have been among Elizabethan and Jacobean theatergoers.
“It wasn’t just that people were misogynistic back then, but we’ve overcome that. It’s part of a continuing conversation and continuing struggles that we want to explore on stage,” she says.
Still, to maintain the momentum of that conversation, The Tamer Tamed is seeing a few cuts as well, mostly to keep focus on the core couple and rein in some of Fletcher’s excesses.
“He loves a rant with a lot of insults, a lot of alliteration,” Burlingame says. “They’re good fun, but there are a lot of them throughout the piece. So I’ve trimmed some of those.”
To better establish the parallels between the two plays, almost all of the actors are in the same or similar roles across each one. Justin Bees, for example, is Petruchio in both. Abby Constable, Inland Classical Theatre’s board president, is Katherina in Shrew and Maria in Tamer Tamed. And Carrie Bostick, another board member, is in the role of Hortensio and Sophocles, respectively.
“They are both best friends of Petruchio. In Tamer Tamed, Sophocles is swayed both by Maria and Petruchio and is kind of playing diplomat to both. Hortensio in Taming of the Shrew is a lot more involved in the complicity of Petruchio’s plot to bring in Kate and have her change and basically remodel her mind,” Bostick explains.
“That’s why it’s a very complicated script to be approaching — to be playing somebody who is OK with that happening, who’s OK with their best friend going off and doing that to their potential wife,” she continues.
If dynamics like that leave you feeling a little ambivalent, you’re in centuries’ worth of good company. Audiences and academics have been vigorously debating the merits and the morals of The Taming of the Shrew ever since it appeared. Even Cole Porter wasn’t above using it as a framing device and template for his enduring musical Kiss Me, Kate
“Shakespeare is a hard writer to pin down,” Burlingame says. “I think we love him because we’re never quite sure what Shakespeare thinks. He’s always presenting two arguments, two viewpoints. Obviously, Taming of the Shrew tips a little far in one direction, but in the presence of The Tamer Tamed, [it] tells us that Shakespeare was entering into a conversation that was a lot more complex.” n
The Taming of the Shrew • Thu, July 24 & Sat, July 26 at 7:30 pm • The Woman’s Prize, or The Tamer Tamed • Fri, July 25 at 7:30 pm and Sun, July 27 at 2 pm • $10/show • Spokane Children’s Theatre • 2727 N. Madelia St. • inlandclassical.com
Director Jeffrey St. George
The Stories We Tell
The Inlander team was celebrated by journalism professionals for work published in 2024 in both the SPJ and AAN awards
BY TED S. MCGREGOR JR.
In newsrooms around the Pacific Northwest and across the United States, it’s awards season, when writers, editors and designers find out how their work has fared when judged by juries of their peers. The Society of Professional Journalists’ Region 10 covers all the newspapers and magazines in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. That’s a lot of journalism going on! And for work published in 2024, the Inlander won 11 first- or second-place awards. Firstplace awards in the Newspapers category include:
For Portrait Photography, Young Kwak’s photos of Hannah Cvancara, whose story we told of fighting to serve as a military nurse — despite having no left foot — in “Best Foot Forward” (6/20/24). “It’s likely most people will focus on the face in this shot at first,” wrote the judge. “Then, you see the artificial limb and the photograph takes on a whole new meaning. How? Where? When? Terrific portrait.”
Under Arts & Culture reporting, Chey Scott’s feature on a 93-year-old North Idaho man’s mission to finally publish his mother’s seven-decade-old children’s book in “Discovering Mr. Deedle” (6/13/24) also earned a first-place nod.
And in the Review category, Chase Hutchinson won for his review of the film His Three Daughters. (9/19/24) As the judge put it, Hutchinson “does what good reviews do best — gives us enough to understand the broad strokes of a film, analyzes the filmmaker’s choices and unpacks the themes that draw us to stories in the first place.”
Colton Rasanen won a second-place award in Education Reporting for “Irratio-
And for Print Page Design, Ali Blackwood and Leslie Douglas won for a series of layouts, including stories about a sleek Schweitzer ski chalet and tech worker/sheep farmers living on the urban edge. “Nice cohesive and clear designs that align with and strengthen the storytelling,” the judge wrote.
nal, Transcendental and Infinite” (3/14/24) about how local teachers use Pi Day to engage with their students. And Seth Sommerfeld took second place under Sports Feature for “The Gem State’s Coaching Gem” (8/29/24) — a profile of University of Idaho football coach Jason Eck.
We also entered work published in our Inlander Health & Home glossy magazine. First-place awards in the Magazine category include:
Under Health & Science, E.J. Iannelli’s story on the health benefits of spending time on a good trout stream, “Angling for Benefits” (July-August 2024), took top honors.
Health & Home Editor Anne McGregor and Nate Sanford earned second place in the Technology, Business & Economics category for their collaboration “Affordable Housing Solutions” (May-June 2024). As the judge put it, “The housing shortage is everywhere in the country. New ideas and projects to try to solve the problem are evident in the article… Nicely done.”
Eliza Billingham took second in Food & Restaurants for “Heat, Heart and Honky Tonk” (September-October 2024), about a Texas-born chef doing barbecue right in Hillyard. E.J. Iannelli also won the second slot under Health & Science for “Walk this Way”
Young Kwak’s SPJ-topping portrait of Spokane nurse Hannah Cvancara
Two of Erick Doxey’s AAN award-winning photos
(September-October 2024), about the surprising benefits of an outdoor stroll. And look at that, I won a second place as well, in the Personality Profile category, for “Family Ties” (May-June 2024), about the generational intersection between the Opera House built for Expo ’74 and the local Kobluk family.
Meanwhile, in the world of urban weeklies, we compete every year against papers a lot like ours: Seven Days in Vermont, the Austin Chronicle, the Nashville Scene, Willamette Week in Portland and many others. The Association of Alternative Newsmedia runs this competition, and the Inlander came home with three first-place wins — second most of any paper in the country.
In Health Care Reporting, Samantha Wohlfeil won first place for her harrowing, comprehensive look inside the fentanyl crisis in Spokane, “Fighting Fentanyl” (11/7/24). “I was drawn in from the beginning,” the judge wrote. “The personal stories interwoven with the format of the piece brought the fight to end the fentanyl crisis to life in a meaningful way. Not only was it a ‘good read,’ but I walked away with a better understanding of the challenges being faced.”
Photographer Erick Doxey came out on top for a portfolio of his images from 2024, including scenes from Scarywood, bull riding at the Spokane Arena, the Spokane Pride Parade, Gonzaga men’s basketball and a portrait of Vika from local band Vika and the Velvets.
This year, AAN included a Special Publication category, so we entered our Annual Manual, and our massive must-have issue was judged the best. “Inlander smokes it with this Annual Manual,” commented the judge, “complete with some real numbers and infographics in the ‘Annual Report’ section. Food and drink, local shopping, recreation, snow sports, nightlife, cannabis — this is the in-flight magazine for Spokane — and it’s the complete package.”
Annual Manual
Columnist CMarie Fuhrman landed a second-place win for a selection of her commentaries — or, as the judge put it, “columns as prose poems.” Eliza Billingham took an honorable mention for “Decarbonizing Cattle” (10/17/24) in the Environmental category, as did Derrick King for his work designing the front covers of the Inlander, including for issues like our Expo ’74 commemorative edition and our annual March Madness issue with an old PeeChee vibe.
We’re proud of our team and the work we do every week here, and we want you all to know we are producing some of the best weekly journalism in the country. Thanks for reading! n
Ted S. McGregor Jr.
First-place layouts from Inlander Health & Home
by Ali Blackwood and Leslie Douglas
ARTS
The Magic Number
33 Artists Market is going big — three times bigger, in fact — for its summertime event
BY E.J. IANNELLI
There’s a reason why 33 Artists Market adopted that particular number and not, say, 12, 78 or 205.
For Gwyn Pevonka, who founded the market in 2022 when she was still an artist in residence at Spokane Public Library’s The Hive, the name was based on a concept she had in mind called “artist to artist.” It’s something she describes as grassroots, word-of-mouth event organizing.
In her imagined scenario, three core artists would recruit a friend or two, then that second round of artists would recruit their own friends, and so on until you had a group large enough for a buzzworthy market.
“I connected with Rose Honey of Ink & Honey Co., and she’s actually the person who’s behind the branding and the logo and just kind of was my soundboard for all of it,” Pevonka says.
“And then the third person that we had […] was Mallory Battista, who’s been doing great things all around town. And then from there people were just inviting people,” she continues. “So it’s like a big web.”
And why choose 33 as the magic number? Simple. It was her age at the time. It also seemed like a number that would be large enough to draw a crowd but small enough to keep things cozy and community-feeling. After all, connecting with other artists was important to Pevonka, who back then had recently relocated to Spokane from Tennessee.
“I just felt like there was a need in Spokane,” she says, because “there wasn’t anything that was regularly happening for emerging and established artists where we all came together under one roof.”
Regularly is the watchword in that sentence. Although there are established annual markets for artists and makers, such as ArtFest, the Manito Park Art Festival or Terrain’s Bazaar and BrrrZAAR, there can be stretches of quiet months. That made it hard, in Pevonka’s view, for working artists to get out and engage with prospective buyers face to face. She envisioned a recurring market that could pop up and fill the gaps.
In the nearly three years since 33 Artists
Market got its start, the number in its name has remained unchanged, but other aspects haven’t been so steadfast. The event quickly moved from The Hive to The Wonder Building. Its artist roster has varied, sometimes slightly exceeding 33 participants.
But what would prove the most challenging for Pevonka was when 33 Artists Market shifted from a quarterly to a monthly event last year.
“That basically almost killed me,” she says of the monthly schedule. “What in the heck was I doing? I don’t know. But I think, in my mind, I was like, I want artists to make a living that is sustainable on a monthly basis.”
The monthly schedule was more than an administrative and logistical lift. It also changed how the public interacted with the event. Rather than create a “farmers’ market” vibe that brought patrons back month after month to see what was new and visit with their favorite vendors, it became more of a casual experience with less emphasis on sales.
“I noticed that people were just showing up to browse or showing up to the fun events, grabbing a beer, walking through, and it was not sustainable.”
The return to a cadence of four markets per year coincided with a new location, the Woman’s Club of Spokane. Pevonka worried that it might be
a make-or-break moment.
“You can do all your marketing. You can put your posters everywhere and you can have all your influencers helping you. You can be on the radio and you can be on the TV. But are people going to show up? You never know,” she says.
“But they did. Spokane just outpoured love on 33 Artists Market in November and in March at the same location.”
That success got Pevonka thinking bigger for the market’s summertime event, which takes place this Saturday. The venue has changed again — this time to the indoor-outdoor Pergola Event Center near Gonzaga Prep — and the standard number of participating artists has almost tripled.
“I had a vision of doing, like, 33 times three. Make it a mega show,” she says.
Along with new and returning artists like Linnea Tobias, Stained and Broken, Cecil Studios and Which Witch Handmade, there’ll be an assortment of food vendors to highlight the culinary arts. Heads Up Portrait Club will be on hand to draw live portraits. At least one vendor, Stories n’ Stoneware, is launching a new collection of items exclusively for this 33 Artists Market.
“I had a vision of doing, like, 33 times three. Make it a mega show.”
Pevonka sees the enthusiasm among the vendors and special guests as indicative of the sense of community that 33 Artists Market has cultivated even as it’s grown and evolved. Likewise, she’s developed relationships that go beyond assigning booth spaces 1 through 33 — or, in the case of this upcoming event, 1 through 99.
“There are ways that I make my artists feel like they’re not just numbers on my vendor map. I really genuinely care about who they are and what they’re creating,” she says. “This show is going to be way, way different than any other show, but it will still have the heart of 33.” n
33 Artists Market • Sat, July 26 from 11 am to 6 pm • Free admission • Pergola Event Center • 2928 N. Madelia St. • 33artistsmarket.com
The market was hosted at the Woman’s Club of Spokane for a time. PHOTO COURTESY GWYN PEVONKA
33 Artists Market founder Gwyn Pevonka. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
When people lose their health insurance, they’re more likely to wait until health issues are so bad they need to go to the emergency department.
NATIONAL NIP TUCK
As millions stand to lose federal Medicaid insurance, Inland Northwest patients could have a harder time accessing care
BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
Between rescinding already appropriated spending, firing federal employees and passing new cuts as part of a major budget reconciliation bill, the last several months have seen virtually every major government agency impacted by some kind of federal cut. And now the Inland Northwest is bracing for the impacts.
On July 17, Senate Republicans passed a $9 billion clawback bill, rescinding spending that had already been approved by Congress for international assistance programs as well as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. House Republicans soon followed, passing the measure July 18, with only two Republicans (from Pennsylvania and Ohio) opposed.
Two weeks prior, President Donald Trump signed his “One Big Beautiful Bill” into law on the Fourth of July. The White House indicates the major policy changes included will cut $1.5 trillion in federal spending over the next decade.
Despite the cuts, the country’s deficit is expected to increase by $3.4 trillion from 2025 to 2034 due to tax cuts (including the continuation of Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which is now permanent) and additional military and other spending included in the bill, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.
Perhaps the program most impacted by the cuts in the reconciliation bill is Medicaid, which stands to be reduced by roughly $800 billion with the removal of millions of people from its coverage. (Estimates vary from 5 million to 16 million, or more.)
The insurance for low-income and disabled Americans is majority funded by the federal government, with states paying about 17% to 39% of the cost for their enrolled members.
Medicaid has been expanded in 40 states under the
Affordable Care Act to allow nondisabled people who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level to enroll. For 2025, 138% of the federal poverty level is an annual income of $21,597 for an individual, or $44,367 for a family of four.
Washington has been one of the strongest adopters of the Affordable Care Act, which required everyone to get health insurance — in 2023 the state had an uninsured rate of just 4.8%, according to a January report from the state Office of Financial Management.
Unfortunately, that means Washington is poised to lose the most of any state in the entire country, percentagewise. The nonpartisan nonprofit KFF (formerly Kaiser Family Foundation) estimates Washington will lose at least 17% of 10-year baseline federal Medicaid spending; By comparison, Idaho stands to lose 10%, and some southern red states will see cuts closer to 5% or 6%.
WAITING TOO LONG
Among other changes, Medicaid expansion adults will need to meet work requirements, and prove their eligibility every six months. The changes won’t take effect until January 2027, after the mid-term election.
Those who work in the medical field in the Inland Northwest warn that the consequences of changing the program could be dire.
Kishanee Haththotuwegama, who is starting her third year at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, says patients who lose insurance coverage are more likely to wait until health issues are dire before seeking care, typically in emergency rooms.
“They’ll wait around until they’re so sick they’re reaching a life-threatening level. That’s not a good way to
get care,” Haththotuwegama says. “Like, with Type 2 diabetes, we can manage that before it gets bad, or they see these irreversible things like nerve damage or sight damage. But if people have to wait to get care until something irreversible happens, there’s not really anything we can do to get some functions back.”
Many medical students themselves enroll in Medicaid to receive coverage while attending school. Among them is 33-year-old Anna MacCamy, who is entering her second year at WSU’s medical school and previously enrolled in Medicaid between seasonal jobs multiple times.
Though MacCamy is well educated and says Washington makes the application as easy as possible, even the current process has still been confusing for her at times. She worries about the administrative burden of the increased eligibility paperwork for people who may be elderly, not speak English as their first language or face other challenges.
“I can’t imagine how much more difficult that will be for people with less experience in the health care system,” MacCamy says.
Dr. Luis Manriquez, who works in the emergency rooms at hospitals in Chewelah and Colville and is the director of Community Health Equity for WSU’s medical school, says the changes are concerning for both patients and federally designated “critical access hospitals,” which serve the rural communities outside the Spokane area in Congressional District 5.
“Part of the designation [for critical access hospitals] is recognizing they’re not financially viable without additional support, and that’s worth spending money on as a society,” Manriquez says. “We want people to have access to hospitals outside of big cities.”
He explains that small hospitals may only have one
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
doctor, such as himself, working at any given time, supervising everyone who has been admitted or comes to the emergency department. These hospitals, which are already not financially sustainable without state and federal support, could have to cut services or even close as Medicaid funding is reduced, he says.
Many critical access hospitals have what are called “swing beds,” which can also serve as skilled nursing beds for elderly people. Because Medicare — the nation’s insurance for Americans over 65 — doesn’t cover stays in assisted living facilities, Manriquez says many elderly people have to do what is called the “spend-down,” selling off all their assets (their home, their car) until they are poor enough to qualify for Medicaid and can get into a nursing home.
“You’ve got to pay cash until Medicaid will cover you because you’re indigent now. That in and of itself is a big problem in medicine,” Manriquez says. “But that means nursing homes may not be able to make ends meet in a rural community,” if even Medicaid isn’t there to help cover costs.
Manriquez is skeptical the changes to Medicaid will actually save the program money, because more administrative workers will be needed to repeatedly check which people are eligible, more often than the current yearly cycle.
To address various concerns about the impacts on rural hospitals, Republicans included a $50 billion rural health transformation fund ($10 billion per year from 2026 to 2030) in the “big beautiful bill.”
Fifth District Republican Rep. Michael Baumgartner (whose office did not respond to an emailed interview request) issued a statement applauding the bill’s passage.
“I’m especially proud it includes $50 million for rural health care — a longtime priority of mine since sponsoring the legislation to establish the WSU Medical School during my time in the state Senate,” Baumgartner stated. “Strengthening care in our communities has always been personal to me. And by finally reining in the wasteful spending Washington has ignored for too long, the bill reflects a serious commitment to responsible, results-driven government.”
As of April, there were 1,377 critical access hospitals across the country, according to the Rural Health Information Hub. If each received an equal amount from the fund, it would equate to more than $36 million per hospital.
CARRYING ON
Kelley Charvet, the chief administrative officer for CHAS Health, says that as a community health center, CHAS provides care to people regardless of whether they have insurance.
Still, “having access to health insurance helps people feel confident they can get care when they need it in a preventative way, rather than waiting for an issue to arise,” Charvet says.
When people preventatively address health issues such as diabetes, heart disease and mental health, that’s better for everyone, and that care has been more accessible for lowincome patients under the Medicaid expansion, she says. But if people wait, “ultimately that makes care much more expensive across the system.”
With Medicaid expansion adults now being required to meet work qualifications (though Charvet points out that most recipients already work) and ensure paperwork is properly filled out repeatedly each year, it’s likely people will lose coverage.
“Across the system, there’s decreased funding and support for hospitals, for health centers like CHAS Health, that will mean that we’re going to have more uninsured patients. So how do we provide that same service to those who are uninsured, with less resources? It is a major challenge,” Charvet says. “Our goal is always to provide services to everyone, but we will see impacts across the board even for insured patients. Access will become a problem. At some point there has to be hard decisions that are made.” n
INLAND NORTHWEST
HOSPITALS RESPOND
Providence, whose network includes Sacred Heart Medical Center, Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, Holy Family, and a variety of clinics in Spokane, as well as St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chewelah and Mount Carmel Hospital in Colville, declined an interview, but sent a statement.
Providence says the new law threatens the health and well-being of our communities, and puts essential health programs at risk while stripping health care access from millions.
“Eliminating nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and the ACA marketplace funding over the next decade will impact every patient. These sweeping reductions will limit health services; lead to care delays and longer wait times, especially in emergency departments; and place undue strain on overburdened health care providers,” Providence states. “Our nearly 170-year tradition of meeting the needs of the community and serving the poor and vulnerable remains steadfast as we continue to support our communities through this time of uncertainty, including providing assistance with medical bills, such as free or discounted care, to those who qualify. Patients can learn more on Providence’s financial assistance website.”
MultiCare Health System, which includes Deaconess and Valley hospitals, as well as Rockwood Clinics, similarly declined an interview and released a statement noting the system is committed to serving the community and providing local access to health care. MultiCare is still evaluating the impact the cuts will have on its system and patients.
“Hospitals are facing a challenging financial landscape with cuts to Medicaid at the federal level and additional cuts and new taxes at the state level,” MultiCare states. “From a patient’s perspective, the biggest concern is access to care as these cuts will make it harder for patients to get health insurance coverage and keep that coverage. When people lose their coverage, their medical needs don’t go away. … Despite the financial challenges ahead, MultiCare remains committed to serving our community’s health care needs.”
HOW MANY STAND TO LOSE COVERAGE?
Los Angeles-based law firm Manatt Health estimates that 40,000 people in Idaho and 248,000 people in Washington could lose Medicaid.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson stated at least 250,000 people in Washington will lose Medicaid coverage, and another 150,000 will be priced out of the state’s health care exchange, where other plans can be purchased.
HOW MANY ARE SERVED LOCALLY?
From January through June, here’s how many patients receiving local care were on Medicaid at:
Providence: 30% of patients (does not include patients seen by Providence Medical Group’s primary care and specialty offices).
Though Providence Inland Northwest Washington did not provide the specific number of patients, spokeswoman Jen York says, “Providence serves a majority of the Medicaid patients in the region.”
MultiCare: Approximately 25% of patients (about 38,000 people through the end of May)
CHAS Health: 54% of patients (more than 50,000 people across health and dental clinics in Washington and Idaho).
HOW MUCH FUNDING WILL BE LOST?
Washington currently spends $21 billion on Medicaid each year, including $13 billion that comes from the federal government, according to Gov. Ferguson’s office.
The nonpartisan health information nonprofit KFF estimates that Washington could lose at least $3 billion per year in federal Medicaid funding over the next decade.
“It is impossible to overstate just how devastating this legislation will be for Washingtonians,” Ferguson stated shortly after the bill passed on July 3. “This morally bankrupt decision will cause our most vulnerable Washingtonians to lose their health care coverage and likely force hospital closures across the state, all to pay for tax breaks for the richest Americans.”
In 2022, Idaho spent $3.6 billion on Medicaid, of which federal funds covered $2.9 billion, according to KFF. The nonprofit estimates Idaho could lose around a total of $3 billion over the next 10 years.
NEW REQUIREMENTS
Starting in 2027, which happens to be shortly after the midterm election, people will need to comply with “community engagement” requirements to be eligible for Medicaid.
Adults who are covered under Medicaid expansion will need to prove they meet these requirements at least every six months.
Ways to comply include showing that during the previous month, someone:
• Worked at least 80 hours
• Completed at least 80 hours of community service
• Participated in a work program for at least 80 hours
• Was enrolled at least half-time in an educational program
• Did a combination of at least 80 hours of the four things above
Compliance is not required for:
• People under 19 years old
• Those who were incarcerated at any point during the prior three months
• An otherwise “specified excluded individual,” including:
• Some Native Americans
• The parent/guardian/caregiver for a child under 13 or a disabled individual
• Some disabled veterans
• Those who have special medical needs such as blindness; substance use disorder; a disabling mental disorder; physical, mental or intellectual disability; or a complex medical condition
• Those enrolled in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program
• Inmates
• Those who are pregnant or entitled to postpartum medical assistance
States may offer optional exceptions to the community engagement requirements for people who’ve experienced a short-term hardship, such as:
• Receiving inpatient hospital services, nursing facility services, intermediate care facility services for an intellectual disability, inpatient psychiatric hospital services, or similar acuity services (including for outpatient care)
• Living in a county where the president has declared an emergency or disaster
• Living in a county where the unemployment rate is the lesser of 8% or 1.5 times the national unemployment rate
• Needing to travel outside your county to treat a serious or complex medical condition (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
FEDERAL CUTS EDUCATION
A ROUGH START
The Trump administration and Congress take aim at federally funded early education; plus, other recent impacts on the nation’s ed system
BY COLTON RASANEN
Between calls to kill the U.S. Department of Education just two months into President Donald Trump’s second term — which the Supreme Court recently paved the way for after reversing a lower court’s ruling that paused the mass firings — and the withholding of nearly $7 billion in already approved education grants, the nation’s schools are on shaky ground.
Plus, with major changes to student loans and a tax credit that favors private education included in the spending bill signed into law on July 4, the future of public education is uncertain.
Soon after Trump took office, he froze congressionally approved grant funding across the board.
For Head Start — the 60-year-old early education program meant to assist low-income families with children under 5 — that meant waiting on nearly $1 billion nationwide, including more than $36 million in Washington. Approximately 15,000 kids are enrolled in the state’s Head Start programs, and about 1,600 of them are served by Spokane Colleges, which runs the program in Spokane.
Joel Ryan, executive director of the state’s Head
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION IMPACTS
Start program, says that without that money, many local programs came close to shutting down because they weren’t able to pay rent or staff. A program in Sunnyside, Washington, even had to close its doors for a week amid the lack of funding. The money was later disbursed to programs after a Rhode Island judge blocked the funding freeze in March.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also began consolidating the Head Start program by closing half of its regional offices, including the Region 10 office that serves Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska, and firing close to 100 employees from the national and regional offices.
“Obviously it’s political … they’re trying to kneecap the program,” Ryan says. “If you don’t have people who give out the grants on a regular basis, and you don’t have people who you can depend on for guidance if you have questions or you need waivers or interpretation, that’s going to gum up the works.”
Then in mid-April, USA Today reported that the Trump administration was considering a budget proposal that would “zero out funding for Head Start,” a provision
> On Monday, July 14, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration and lifted an injunction that had paused the president’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education — including the firing of more than 1,000 employees. The court’s majority did not explain its decision, while Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote the dissent.
> On July 4, President Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” his administration’s major budget bill, into law. Within it are a few changes to student loans for higher education and tax credits that benefit private schools.
listed in the Heritage Foundation’s guiding conservative policy document, Project 2025.
“I don’t know why they would do that, but they did,” Ryan says. “It’s a continuing assault on the Head Start program and the families that are served by it, and it’s just really mean-spirited.”
That cut didn’t end up making its way into the budget bill, but the damage was already done. On April 28, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint in the federal court for the Western District of Washington to “stop the dismantling of Head Start,” on behalf of Head Start programs based in Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Oregon.
Brent Low, a staff attorney for the ACLU of Washington, which is based in Seattle, says his office hoped the court would provide relief for the children and families who’ve been affected by the federal government’s disruption.
“We were in that period where we are waiting for the court to make a decision on 1) whether or not to have a hearing, and 2) whether or not to grant the relief we were
> Beginning July 1, 2026, college and graduate school students will have a total borrowing limit of $257,000 for all federal student loans. Grad students who receive unsubsidized student loans will be capped at $20,500 per year, with an increase to $50,000 per year for those obtaining professional degrees, such as to become doctors and lawyers. Right now, students can borrow up to the full cost of attendance. It currently costs $310,000 to attend four years at WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and $386,000 to attend four years at UW’s School of Medicine— meaning doctors-in-training will need to find 10s of thousands of additional dollars to get through med school.
Direct PLUS loans, which cover expenses not covered by the rest of someone’s financial aid, will be cut entirely.
> The bill also includes a tax-credit scholarship program. Individuals who donate to a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships to private school students can deduct $1,700 from their taxes. State participation is optional, and there is no cap on how many people may receive the tax credit.
(COLTON RASANEN)
Head Start programs operate like many preschools where students learn inside and outside the classroom.
seeking through the motion for the preliminary injunction,” Low explains. “During this waiting period is when the federal government made the change to the interpretation of a law from 30 years ago that puts Head Start programs in a very different position now.”
The ACLU’s complaint was amended July 15 after Health and Human Services announced it was rescinding a 1998 interpretation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Health and Human Services claims the old interpretation improperly extended federal public benefits, such as Head Start, to “illegal aliens.”
“Head Start’s classification under the new … interpretation puts American families first by ensuring taxpayer-funded benefits are reserved for eligible individuals,” said Andrew Gradison, the acting assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families at HHS.
Low says that interpretation of the law is incorrect and illegal, and specifically contrary to provisions in the Head Start Act.
“This law says Head Start has to help kids who are most in need, it has to help kids who are below the poverty line, and it has to help kids who may be dealing with homelessness. All these things also intersect with children who happen to have a particular legal status in this country. So how can you follow both sets of directives when they seem to be in conflict?” Low says.
The new interpretation, he continues, is instilling fear “in the folks who are seeking help through Head Start [and] are now wondering if Head Start is a safe place for immigrants or people of color, even if they would be considered as qualified under the new directive from HHS.”
The other challenge with the recent directive is that it went into effect immediately without any guidance on how to comply, says Ryan, the Washington state Head Start director.
“If you’re going to put something out, you typically also provide guidance. So what you’re probably experiencing if you contact a Head Start program in Spokane is like, ‘I don’t know what we should do. Am I going to disenroll people who we’ve enrolled for the fall? What kind of documentation does somebody need?’” Ryan says. “What my experience has been from the Trump administration is that they try to be purposely vague so people over comply, and what this really causes is a chilling effect.”
While the federal government is closing Head Start offices and saying fewer children are eligible, it hasn’t directly cut funding to the early education program yet.
However, as state lawmakers tried to shore up Washington’s $16 billion deficit this year, they cut $65 million in funding to the state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, which Ryan also directs.
“Because the state is in such a difficult budget climate, they’re having to withdraw from the early learning space to some degree,” Ryan explains. “Then you double that down with the sort of the fragility of the Head Start program because of what the Trump administration has been doing. The combination of all those things means that, from a family standpoint, there’s fewer options.”
He says the state funding cut means there will be 3,000 fewer slots for 3- and 4-year-olds across the state at the beginning of the school year in September. n
NEW SPENDING
While most focus has been on what’s being cut, the budget bill includes trillions of dollars
in new spending, including:
MILITARY
$145+ billion in new speding, bringing the annual budget to $1.01 trillion
$29.2 billion for shipbuilding
$24.4 billion for integrated air and missile defense
$16.7 billion for munitions and “defense supply chain resiliency”
$16.3 billion to improve the “readiness” of the Department of Defense
$15 billion to scale low-cost weapons into production
$14.7 billion to enhance resources for nuclear forces
$12.6 billion to improve capabilities of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
$8.64 billion for “air superiority
$7.47 billion to improve the quality of life for military personnel
$380 million to improve efficiency and the Department of Defense’s cybersecurity
COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION
$24.6 billion for “Coast Guard Mission Readiness”
$11.1 billion for “Air Traffic Control Improvements”
$9.2 billion for Mars missions, Artemis missions and the Moon to Mars program
NEW CUTS
ENVIRONMENT/NATURAL RESOURCES
Many of the climate improvement projects funded under massive spending bills passed under former President Joe Biden are being rescinded.
Remaining funding or unobligated balances are removed or rescinded for:
• Clean heavy-duty vehicle initiatives
• Greenhouse gas reduction fund
• Diesel emissions reductions
• Addressing air pollution, including at schools
• Low emissions electricity program
• Implementation of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act
• Enforcement technology & public information
• Greenhouse gas corporate reporting
• Methane emission and waste reduction incentives for the petroleum and natural gas industries
• Greenhouse gas air pollution plans and implementation assistance
• Environmental Protection Agency efficiency and accurate and timely reviews
• Low-embodied carbon labeling for construction materials
• Environmental & climate justice block grants
• Endangered Species Act recovery plans
• Environmental and climate data collection
• Neighborhood access and equity grants
• Federal building assistance
• Low-carbon materials for federal buildings
• General Services Administration emerging and sustainable technologies
• Environmental review implementation
• Low-carbon transportation materials grants
• “Certain funds” for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
AGRICULTURE
Increased by a total of $65.6 billion, according to the Farm Bureau Among other increases, the budget reconciliation bill increased the available funds for the Commodity Credit Corporation’s animal disease prevention and management program, ranging from $120 million to $233 million for each fiscal year (2026-30). In 2031 and after, the annual allocation drops to $75 million.
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND HOMELAND SECURITY
$45 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain single adults and families
$10 billion for Department of Homeland Security State Border Security Reinforcement Fund
$10 billion for Homeland Security to safeguard the border
$6.2 billion for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to secure the border
$1 billion to plan for the 2028 Olympics
$625 million for 2026 FIFA World Cup security
$500 million for state and local tracking of drone threats
Credits and deductions ended for:
• Hydrogen production
• Clean vehicles (including previously owned and qualified commercial)
• Energy efficient home improvement
• Energy efficient commercial buildings
• New energy efficient homes
• Clean electricity production and investment
The budget reduced the Corporate Average Fuel Economy penalties to $0, removing the financial burden placed upon carmakers that don’t comply with federal fuel efficiency requirements. Between 2011 and 2020, the most recent years that data is available, manufacturers paid more than $1 billion in those penalties.
PUBLIC MEDIA
The rescission bill clawed back the entire $1.1 billion allocated for the next two years from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which partially funds NPR/PBS
TOURISM
The Travel Promotion Fund, which began in 2009 to increase tourism in the states, saw its funding cut from $100 million to $20 million in the budget reconciliation bill.
NATIONAL PARKS
While an original provision calling for the sale of millions of acres of public land around the U.S. was removed after bipartisan opposition, previously earmarked funding of $267 million for National Park Service staffing was rescinded. Additionally, the bill allows for more leasing and drilling on public lands near protected
areas. Since January, the NPS lost nearly a quarter of its total staff in DOGE-orchestrated layoffs (about 1,000 people). Meanwhile, the NPS saw a record number of visitors — more than 331 million people — in 2024.
The budget reconciliation bill does include an addition of $150 million to NPS to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
FOOD ASSISTANCE
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is cut by about $186 billion, or about 20% of the program’s funding, through 2034 under the budget reconciliation bill.
WORKER SAFETY
DOGE laid off many workers in the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, including in Spokane. Though the Spokane Research Lab was set to close in June, more than 80 workers remain on paid leave while lawsuits play out. The office focuses on mining safety.
FOREST SERVICE
DOGE cut 10% of the U.S. Forest Service work force (more than 3,000 workers).
TAX CUTS
While not direct cuts to programs, reductions to revenue gathered by taxes to pay for programs have steep costs. Extending the 2017 tax cuts and other reductions just enacted will cost $4.46 trillion over 10 years, and add $3.4 trillion to the national debt, according to the New York Times and NBC News. (INLANDER STAFF)
COMPETITION FOR CREATIVES
Inland Northwest
museums, libraries and
art organizations compete for local resources after funding cuts to three federal agencies
BY MADISON PEARSON
On March 31, an urgent threat arose to some of the things American citizens hold closest to their hearts: arts, history and culture.
The so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, (then headed by billionaire Elon Musk) announced it would cut up to 80% of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ grant programs and rescind grants that had already been awarded.
A month later, in May, the White House released the president’s 2026 budget proposal, which clarified that the administration was calling for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
These three agencies are dedicated to supporting and funding museums, libraries and arts nonprofits across the country. With crucial funding being temporarily withheld or eliminated completely, organizations that relied on these funds have been scrambling to figure out next steps, including in the Inland Northwest.
ARTS
With art-related events happening nearly weekly in the summer and attendees coming out in droves, it’s safe to say that Inland Northwest residents take art and culture activities seriously.
Katie Patterson Larson, the founder of Spokane’s
nonprofit creative reuse store Art Salvage, says the organization first felt the impacts of federal funding changes when a nearly $20 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment was canceled. Of that funding, $2.6 million was allocated for the creation of the Community Climate Action Fund to allow Spokane community-based organizations to apply to use some of the money. Art Salvage was going to apply for a specific project under that community fund.
“It was a very large grant,” Larson says. “The minimum amount was $300,000, and so it was [going to be] a pretty big lift for us to submit this grant. There are a lot of elements that go into submitting a federal grant, so for us to put that much work into submitting it, knowing that it probably wouldn’t be funded, wasn’t worth it.”
Gonzaga is now seeking other funders to pay for the work proposed under the Climate Action Fund.
Larson says the grant would’ve been used to cover Art Salvage’s operational costs, but now the organization is looking into non-federal grants to ensure stability. While Art Salvage has not received federal funding in the past, grant money issued locally or statewide now has even more competition.
“Now all of these smaller organizations just like us are going for the same, small pots of money,” she says. “We aren’t necessarily hurting from this, but it adds another layer of difficulty to receiving funding.”
LIBRARIES
Spokane’s two public library systems rely on tax revenue, not state or federal money, to fund their operating costs. However, when funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS, was frozen at the beginning of April, Spokane County Library District, or SCLD, staff feared essential resources it provides to the community would be eliminated.
“Historically, we have used IMLS funds for innovation projects,” says Patrick Roewe, SCLD’s executive director. “That includes new resources for the public and ways we can build upon our base and expand our services.”
In the last five years, the county library system has received approximately $92,000 in IMLS funds, federal grants administered by the Washington State Library. Some went toward services related to COVID response, but the funding also paid for free Wi-Fi hotspots, iPads and Chromebooks for patron use.
Most recently, in 2022, the county libraries received a grant for a new app called Beanstalk, which tracks participation and provides activities for kids involved in the library’s summer reading program.
“We saw a 70% increase in engagement through that app,” Roewe says. “That would not have been possible without that seed money from IMLS funds to launch that program.”
Art Salvage lost out on the chance to apply for $300,000 under an EPA grant. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS
Shortly after the funding freeze was announced, Washington became one of 21 states suing Trump to protect libraries, museums and other small agencies.
Many rural and underserved communities in Washington and around the country rely on federal funding to maintain their libraries. Without that IMLS support, libraries may struggle to sustain programs that provide critical resources.
Sara Jones, the state librarian for the Washington State Library, describes the day she heard about the funding cuts as “the worst April Fool’s prank imaginable.”
“They determined that they were going to cancel the grant we were in process with,” Jones says. “It was terrible because we had payroll to dole out. After Washington and other states sued Trump … they decided the money legally had to come to us, and the grant was turned back on.”
The two Washington State Library branches in the Spokane area — inside the Airway Heights Corrections Center and at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake — rely on IMLS funds to provide services to inmates and patients.
Russell Roe, Airway Heights Corrections Center’s branch services program manager, says the work there goes beyond checking out books to inmates and is essential to a smooth re-entry process for those being released.
“Libraries are one of the last true third places where people can remove themselves from the daily complications of, let’s say, an incarcerated setting,” Roe says. “There are serious restrictions on digital tools in prisons, but we make sure inmates have a library card when they leave, tech skills and information in the form of documents we provide to them.”
Those documents often include resources on federal student loan applications, recovery from drugs and alcohol, food assistance, emergency services, LGBTQ+ resources, U.S. citizenship and more.
The Washington State Library is guaranteed federal funding through September 2026. But after that, the future is uncertain.
“Our budget is already tight,” Jones says. “Until we get more [state] general funds or Congress decides to fund state libraries, we have little to no money for new materials or new hires.”
MUSEUMS
The region’s largest museum, the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture in Spokane’s Browne’s Addition neighborhood, has fared fairly well due to receiving reimbursements before grant cuts began.
“Federal funding does not fund day-to-day operations for the MAC,” says Marit Fischer, the MAC’s chief marketing officer, “but it can support our exhibitions, archives, programs and services.”
Cuts and changes to the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the IMLS will, however, affect the museum directly and indirectly, she says.
“While we are not in jeopardy of losing already-promised grants this cycle,” Fischer says, “the closures and new guidelines are shifting our focus to alternative foundations and potential funding sources.”
In 2024, the MAC applied for a $249,955 Museums for America grant to fund a threeyear project that would allow its staff to digitize, catalog and provide free online access to 20,000 nitrate and acetate negatives from its photo-
The state library at Airway Heights Corrections Center relies on federal library funding.
graphic collection. After submitting the grant, the MAC was informed it would be notified about the outcome this August.
“The IMLS remains in a limbo state right now following the court injunction preventing its dismantling,” Fischer says. “August is just a few weeks away. While we are always cultivating donors, seeking meaningful corporate sponsorships, and looking to build upon existing and diversifying potential grant opportunities, now, without national funding, we are rising to the challenge of finding new paths to explore.”
Because of the relative urgency to preserve those delicate photo negatives, the MAC is looking for other ways to pay for the project.
“It’s true the pond is smaller, and there are more, worthy organizations coming to drink,” Fischer says. “No one knows how this will all play out. I believe, though, that together, we rise. To me, open resilience in the face of hard times comes in the form of taking care of one another and the organizations that make our community better.” n
MORE ARTS & HUMANITIES ORGS AT RISK
We’ve been covering some local impacts of the Trump administration’s sweeping federal cuts since he returned to office in January. Readers can find related prior coverage on the president’s intention to defund public media — including the national Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) in the Inlander’s online archives from our June 19 issue.
On May 22, we reported how cuts at the National Endowment for the Humanities resulted in the loss of $6 million in grant funding for Humanities Washington, Washington’s statewide humanities council. Those programs had already been completed but not paid for. The Idaho Humanities Council was also affected and had to pause several programs, largely in rural communities. Coeur d’Alene’s Museum of North Idaho, which recently moved to a new location and is still planning to expand there, also learned its application for a $500,000 NEH matching grant was canceled. (CHEY SCOTT)
Well, Hello Maddie’s
Zozo’s owner opens new cafe in Dolly’s old spot in north central Spokane
BY DORA SCOTT
For decades, Jennifer “Jenn” Hesseltine was a regular at Dolly’s Cafe at the corner of West Indiana Avenue and North Washington Street, bringing her daughter along to indulge in the longtime diner’s chicken fried steak.
Today, Hesseltine doesn’t often find herself seated in one of the restaurant’s old-fashioned booths. Instead, she’s back in the kitchen cooking up breakfast and lunch classics that nod to the location’s history, but with a fresh spin for its next chapter as Maddie’s Corner Cafe, which opened on June 25.
Hesseltine also owns Zozo’s Sandwich House on North Monroe, named after her dog Zozo. While she envisioned reopening Dolly’s Cafe under its original name, the building’s lease didn’t allow it.
“So I thought, why not give Maddie her own place, too?” Hesseltine says of her other dog, a gray pit bull. “Maddie is 11, [and] she has cancer. She won’t be with us too much longer.
“Even though I did have to change the name, it’s still [a] breakfast, lunch-style restaurant just like Dolly’s has always been,” she adds.
Though not the same recipe, Hesseltine’s favorite dish of chicken fried steak and eggs ($18.95) is now the diner’s
most popular menu item. The cutlets are sourced and diced by Sonnenberg’s Market & Deli in East Spokane, then handbreaded, fried in beef tallow and smothered in scratch-made sausage gravy. (A tip from our waitress during a recent visit: Order a side of biscuits to mop up any leftover gravy and eggs. It also comes with a serving of jam to satisfy that sweet tooth).
“We only use beef tallow so it gives it a very crisp, clean flavor, and it’s different than any chicken fried steak you’ll have in Spokane because of the beef tallow,” Hesseltine says.
Another early contender for Maddie’s top-selling breakfast ticket are the eggs Benedict ($16.95), offered in three styles: classic, country-style with sausage patties and sausage gravy, or loaded with veggies.
Don’t sit out on the breakfast burritos ($16.95), either, which come loaded with choice of meat, scrambled eggs, cheese, grilled onions, sweet peppers and hashbrowns, topped with ranchero sauce and sour cream.
Can’t decide between the Benedict or the burrito? Choose both with the Bene Burrito ($16.95) that features key ingredients like ham, eggs and hollandaise sauce.
Egg-lovers are treated to a vast selection of combinations, including a Philly cheesesteak ($16.95) and veggie
($15.95) omelet or scramble. Most of the savory breakfast dishes also come with a complementary choice of hashbrowns and toast, tomatoes and cottage cheese, or seasonal fruit.
If you don’t think you can stomach a full plate of Maddie’s generous portions, look for the diamond icon next to menu items to indicate that a lighter version is available for a lower price.
That extends to the sweet section of the breakfast menu, too. You’ll find the trifecta of sugary carbs in a stack of sweet cream pancakes ($10.95/two, $13.95/three), waffles and French toast. Each comes with Maddie’s signature maple butter syrup, made from real butter and 100% Vermont maple syrup. Customize by adding toppings ($4.95) like banana and walnut dusted with cinnamon sugar, bacon or chocolate chips.
“[The maple syrup] is not like those imitation syrups or anything,” Hesseltine says. “It’s made every day inhouse and people love it. It’s very good, it’s very rich and decadent.”
Fans of Zozo’s will be pleased to also find several popular sandwiches from that menu like clubs ($17.95) and BLTs ($16.95) on Maddie’s lunch
Find all the morning classics at Maddie’s. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS OPENING
menu, along with an assortment of burgers.
“There were some lunch items that do very well at Zozo’s that I brought here,” Hesseltine says. “Not exactly the same, but in a different way, like our cheesesteak.”
Maddie’s cheesesteak ($18.95) stuffs shaved steak, white American and provolone cheese, garlic aioli, grilled onions, sweet peppers, and mushrooms into a hoagie bread roll.
Lunch comes with a choice of salad, seasonal fruit, chili or fries. For a bit extra, upgrade to garlic fries, another Zozo’s staple that Hesseltine thought would be a crowd-pleaser on Maddie’s menu. The only difference, however, is that the fries at Maddie’s are cooked in beef tallow.
For the first time in the location’s 60 years, the diner also serves alcohol.
“We’re not a crazy party atmosphere, but we just offer a couple different beers, the mimosas, mimosa flights, bellinis, cheladas — no hard alcohol or anything, just brunchy-style drinks,” Hesseltine says.
Numerous Dolly’s regulars have stopped by since Maddie’s opened to share fond memories with Hesseltine of eating in the small, 47-seat diner.
Dolly’s Cafe was originally opened by Dolly Muller in 1958. However, after running the restaurant less than a year she was killed by a drunk driver while crossing a street. Dolly’s has changed hands a few times since, operated by Candy Weaver back in the early-1980s, then owned by Desiree Olsness for a 30-year stretch until selling in 2022. Its most recent former owners, Nicole Derose and Luae Benlitifah, gave the building a new coat of white paint and upgraded its signage to a more modern style. When Dolly’s shuttered again in 2023, Hesseltine reached out.
“A friend of a friend knew who owned the building, and it was just sitting here empty,” she says. “So it took a lot, but I eventually convinced them they needed to lease it and they did.”
While its small size adds to its coziness, it also poses challenges, from seating customers to navigating a tight kitchen space.
“Every aspect of this place is challenging as far as size goes. So we unfortunately can’t accommodate big parties,” Hesseltine says. “I mean, we can, if they don’t mind sitting separately, but we have nowhere to put a party of 12 together.”
The parking lot has limited space, too. However, Hesseltine notes that the lot will soon gain 10 more parking spaces.
What made Dolly’s stand the test of time for so long, besides its tasty brunch fare, was its atmosphere. That’s why, besides some decor elements and a deep clean, much of the interior remains unchanged. Booths with maroon-colored upholstery and cushy brown leather seats border two walls. Bar stool seating in the inner section gives patrons a look inside the kitchen.
Decorative metal vines still cover the walls, but Hesseltine also hung a painting of Maddie by local artist Mark Webber to honor the restaurant’s new namesake.
“I love everything about my dining room,” she says. “The former owners took great care of this place, and it was left in great condition. And so I just like the feel — it feels like home.” n
Maddie’s Corner Cafe • 1825 N. Washington St. • Open Tue-Sun 7 am-2 pm • 509-919-4671
Jennifer Hesseltine of Zozo’s Sandwich House took over the historic Dolly’s Cafe spot.
REVIEW
STRETCHED THIN
The
Fantastic
Four:
First
Steps charts a promising new course for Marvel, but doom still looms
BY CHASE HUTCHINSON
In the opening moments of Matt Shakman’s fun yet flawed The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we are treated not to some big galaxy-hopping space battle or yet another desperate brawl to save planet Earth from complete annihilation. Both of those do come later, striving to inject what remains a struggling Marvel franchise with just enough of a new spark, but this film also has other things on its mind. Specifically, it’s preoccupied with new life and the responsibility that comes with it. In this case, it’s the mysterious child of superhero power couple Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm aka the Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), who we learn are on their way via a clunky though still cute little scene where the latter breaks the news to the former. It’s a charming, slightly cheeky start to the film, as one can’t help but read it as a blunt metaphor for Marvel looking for new life after past MCU entries have been dead on arrival.
superhero slop movie, but a general sense that we are not just going back through the motions of how these rides typically go. In so many ways, it’s the best Fantastic Four movie yet. Even as this may sound like faint praise considering how poor those prior attempts were, everything from excellent production design to a stellar score by the great Michael Giacchino gives the film an extra boost.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Rated PG-13
Directed by Matt Shakman
Unfortunately, this is also a work that stretches its promising elements perilously thin until they risk coming apart before your eyes. They never entirely do, but it prevents one from fully getting on board with the experience.
Starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Ebon Moss-Bachrach
Fortunately, after a run of misfires like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Deadpool & Wolverine, and the particularly tiresome Captain America: Brave New World, this latest film does succeed where others have failed. It feels largely unburdened from franchise obligations and is mostly able to sidestep familiar origin story beats to instead embrace what are frequently more adventurous avenues. It benefits from not just the thrilling space battle that is visually closer to something like Interstellar than a
Once we get introduced to our heroes, which also includes Johnny Storm aka the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm aka The Thing (Ebon MossBachrach), and their 1960s-esque alternative Earth via a serviceable montage, the looming crisis risks sucking up all the oxygen in the film. This involves a giant planetconsuming space god known as Galactus (voiced with proper gravitas by Ralph Ineson) who says he will spare humanity if Reed and Sue give up their child. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the heroes must quickly hatch a plan to avert destruction while also trying to see if they can get Galactus’ herald, the sleek Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), to assist with their predicament.
The film attempts to ground this conflict in more intimate emotions and mostly succeeds. Much of this is due to the cast all doing strong work, with an awkwardly
dorky Pascal and the more assured Kirby emerging as particular standouts. However, when the smashing and crashing of the eventual final battle arrives, it nearly drowns them out. Some of this is a reflection of the state of superhero movies in 2025, where there is a need to still go big post-Avengers: Endgame, though one can’t help but miss the days of Sam Raimi’s spectacular Spider-Man films where everything was infinitely more engaging when it focused on the human elements within these grand battles. Even as The Fantastic Four: First Steps makes some good faith gestures toward a similar sense of humanity, there are a whole host of emotional moments that fall flat in the finale as it becomes a weightless CGI mess. Even worse, this conclusion has many quite ugly visual moments that leave a bad taste in the mouth. One where we see the all-important child screaming over a poorly rendered backdrop elicited more of a laugh at how strange it looked than it did genuine emotion. You still care for all the characters when it slows down, but it can take awhile to get there. Without then tipping off what the big post-credits scene is, it nearly made me sour on the entire experience because of how it reminded me that even a fun and relatively self-contained film like this still must pay its franchise dues to what already feels like it may be a creatively bankrupt future waiting around the corner. One can only hope future films hold onto the new life this found. I’m rooting for ya kid, but even now you can feel this new start teetering on the edge of growing old once more. n
The best Fantastic Four movie, First Steps is a solid course correction for the MCU.
All Tied Up
BDSM-flavored rom-com Oh, Hi! isn’t as daring as it’s made out to be
BY JOSH BELL
Writer/director Sophie Brooks’ Oh, Hi! opens like a horror movie, with ominous background music as a car pulls up to a secluded house late at night. “I did something bad,” Iris (Molly Gordon) tells her best friend, Max (Geraldine Viswanathan), when she opens the door. Even the subsequent smash cut to 33 hours earlier, as Iris and Isaac (Logan Lerman) are cheerfully on their way to a weekend in the country, carries the threat of that impending “something bad.”
It’s a bit disappointing, then, that Oh, Hi! isn’t a horror movie, because at least that would entail Brooks following through with one of the many narrative swerves that she introduces and backs away from. For a movie about two people going to extreme lengths to define their relationship, Oh, Hi! has a real problem with commitment, and that takes the sting out of its surprising twists. The cast, which also includes John Reynolds as Max’s boyfriend, Kenny, keeps things lively, but they can only do so much to prop up the thin storytelling.
The specter of the opening flash-forward hangs over the seemingly idyllic vacation for Iris and Isaac, who’ve been dating for four months and appear to be perfectly matched. There are occasional hints of the darkness to come, but otherwise the first 20 minutes or so of Oh, Hi! offers a sweet and almost cloying romance.
That is, until one wrong response from Isaac changes the whole dynamic, and suddenly the BDSM equipment that Iris found in the rental house’s closet serves a new, more sinister purpose. From there, Oh, Hi! turns into what could have been a biting satire about modern dating, like a rom-com version of Stephen King’s Misery, but Brooks opts for cutesiness over complexity, squandering the opportunity for something truly demented.
Gordon remains charming and funny even in Iris’ most unforgivable moments, but a character this unhinged needs someone to match her freak, and Lerman’s Isaac is too passive and withdrawn. Part of that is because of the situation that the plot puts him in, but if the characters aren’t equally cunning and devious then their conflict falls flat. Oh, Hi! is gentler than similar recent dark psychosexual comedies like Sanctuary and Piercing, but it relies on the same set-up of two people exploring potentially complementary kinks within an extreme scenario.
Rated R
ALSO OPENING
THE HOME
Pete Davidson stars in this horror film about a man who’s sentenced to do community service at a retirement home, only to discover there are sinister secrets in the complex’s off-limits fourth floor. Rated R
SHOSHANA
This biographical drama chronicles the true story of Thomas Wilkin, a British intelligence officer working with the Palestine Police, who fell in love with Shoshana Borochov, a leader of Labor Zionism, in the tense climate of 1930s/40s Tel Aviv. Not rated At the Magic Lantern
SORRY, BABY
One of the most acclaimed films so far in 2025, this dark A24 dramedy from writer/ director/star Eva Victor follows a college professor trying to manage her life while still dealing with the fallout from a severely traumatic event. Rated R
NEW TO STREAM
HAPPY GILMORE 2
Adam Sandler reprises his iconic role as the rough-around-the-edges, hockey-playerturned-golfer in the sequel to the 1996 sports comedy classic. Netflix
the opening scene, with the arrival of Max and Kenny at around the halfway point. There’s some amusing dry humor as the apparently more functional couple contemplate possible solutions to Iris’ predicament, with a deadpan approach to life-or-death stakes that recalls the underrated Reynolds-starring series Search Party
None of these comparisons does Oh, Hi! any favors, though, and what look like big swings result in surprisingly minimal consequences, both for the characters and the progression of the plot. The biggest letdown is when moments that come off as delightfully shocking are dulled into irrelevance. A late-film flashback to Iris and Isaac’s third date brings back the sappiness of the initial romance, and Brooks might have been better off just making a straightforward romantic comedy.
That underwhelming exploration gets exhausted fairly quickly, and it helps when the story circles back to
Gordon and Lerman have appealing chemistry, Viswanathan could play the quirky best friend role in her sleep, and Reynolds offers solid support as the befuddled hanger-on. Turning the story into a pseudothriller doesn’t make it more romantic or more provocative. Like the opening scene, it just amounts to an elaborate and self-conscious bit of superficial misdirection. n OH, HI!
Life After Death (Cab)
Reflecting on the 20th anniversary of Death Cab for Cutie’s melancholy magnum opus, Plans
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
The battlefield that is the music industry is littered with the remains of amazing alternative rock bands that flourished in the underground music scene only to crash out after signing with a major label. Countless bands fall off when making a play for the mainstream for myriad reasons: folding under the stress of having presumably one shot at the big time, being coerced to make changes to their sound to appeal to wider audiences, complete mismanagement by said major labels (a frequent occurrence), etc.
Death Cab for Cutie was in this make-or-break spot 20 years ago. After forming in Bellingham and then moving down I-5 to Seattle, the group had become a beloved act in the indie rock circuit. The band began tipping their toes into the mainstream in 2003 via a few disparate entrance points. That year saw the release of what’s widely considered Death Cab’s best album, the gorgeous and stinging mediation on long distance relations that is Transatlanticism. The band was also very prominently featured on the hit Fox series The O.C., written into the show as character Seth Cohen’s favorite band.
Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard also found the biggest success of his career the same year with the release of a side project album that was pieced together via mail sent between the singer and electronic musician Jimmy Tamborello. The pair dubbed their band The Postal Service and put out the instant classic Give Up, which proved Gibbard’s
intricate sad romantic lyricism could be a commercial hit.
Needless to say, the pressure was firmly on Death Cab for Cutie when the group signed on with Atlantic Records to release their next album. But it turns out there was no need to fear.
Plans arrived on August 30, 2005, and propelled the band to rock stardom. The stunning 13-track collection saw Death Cab for Cutie further expand its sound without compromising a bit. Despite its abundant melancholy, it caught on with critics and fans alike, eventually going platinum while establishing Gibbard as one of his generation’s premiere songwriters and fully mainstreaming indie rock.
Starting July 31, Death Cab for Cutie will play seven shows in Seattle, Chicago and New York City to mark the 20th anniversary of Plans. The night before that all kicks off, the band plays at Riverfront Park’s Pavilion. While it’s not officially a Plans anniversary show, it’d be pretty shocking if the band didn’t heavily lean on cuts from the album considering how much they’ll be playing those songs over the next couple weeks.
It’s as fitting a time as ever to dive deep into what makes Plans a resonant classic, one that still stands up two decades later as Death Cab for Cutie’s high water mark.
Atrumpeting fanfare of organ swells welcomes listeners to Plans with the optimistic sheen of seeing a shining beacon of hope rising up in the distant
horizon. “Marching Bands of Manhattan” subtly bridges Transatlanticism to its follow-up, as Gibbard begins his declaration of abounding love by emphasizing distance once again, wishing his arms could envelope the isle of Manhattan and bring it to the love who is not by his side. The song slowly ramps up under the masterful guidance of producer, guitarist and keyboardist Chris Walla, adding layer upon layer to make Gibbard’s ode go from almost a whispered dream to a bombastic declaration of romanticism in the face of sorrow, the kind that “drips into your heart through a pinhole” until it becomes an overwhelming tidal wave that could drown out any love. It’s optimism in the face of defeatism, an idea that will unravel further as the album progresses.
The second track fully keeps up the momentum, as “Soul Meets Body” might be the best song in all of Death Cab’s oeuvre. Without a single misplaced element, it’s the platonic ideal of an indie rock song. Gibbard begins lyrically yearning for a fusion of the metaphorical and the physical and love that transcends, only to swerve and have the first chorus be a blissful sing-along-friendly “ba da” collection instead of prose. The second chorus shifts to lyrics, but also to Gibbard and bassist Nick Harmer performing a gleeful riff interplay. And if you need proof why drummer Jason McGerr might be the most underrated drummer in modern rock — because his brilliance lies in subtlety rather than showiness — just listen to the
INDIE ROCK
beat he lays down for the intro to a pop song here.
“Soul Meets Body” floats with the weightless glory of a balloon catching rays of sun as it drifts into the atmosphere, but it also provides the first real hint of the deeper thematic message of Plans when Gibbard starts the chorus singing, “And I do believe it’s true, that there are roads left in both of our shoes // But if the silence takes you, then I hope it takes me too.”
After downshifting to the ballad of coming-of-age heartache that is “Summer Skin,” which radiates a warm, slightly sour nostalgia for the type of love that can last that’s so beautiful that it hurts to think back on, and the pain whispered through ghostly reverb of “Different Names For the Same Thing,” Plans fully comes into focus on “I Will Follow You Into the Dark.”
Plans is Death Cab for Cutie’s death album.
With nothing but his voice and an acoustic guitar, Gibbard crafts an undeniably enduring song about enduring love. Opening, “Love of mine, someday you will die // But I’ll be close behind, I’ll follow you into the dark,” the singer-songwriter finds a way to make forever seem less scary. There’s a warm cleverness in his approach to the eternal dark, where heaven and hell have vacancy signs. As hinted at in “Soul Meets Body,” so much of Plans revolves around the fear of dying alone. What we’re all searching for is someone who mutually shares the feelings Gibbard expresses here — that when our time comes we won’t be afraid because of love. “It’s nothing to cry about // ’cause we’ll hold each other soon in the blackest of rooms,” Gibbard declares, holding the vowel on “rooms” with just a touch of a vocal strain that comes across as nothing short of full earnest devotion.
But love doesn’t always work out. As the album progresses, that reality is expressed through songs like “Someday You Will Be Loved” and “Crooked Teeth.” The former boasts a downtrodden, cascading waltz-like feel as it agonizes about wanting someone who loves you deeply to find the person who can fully love them the way they deserve… because sadly you cannot be that person. The latter gives the second half of Plans a much-needed injection of angular pop rock pep, a swaying musical pick-me-up and injection of mirth despite being about a Floridian couple keeping each other captive in this place and relationship despite a long-term substantive future being highly unlikely.
But after the comparative sugar rush of “Crooked Teeth,” Plans’ final few songs downshift to really hammer home Gibbard’s somber, lyrical explorations of love filtered through mortality. “What Sarah Said” is the even more direct companion to “I Will Follow You Into the Dark,” as Gibbard directly ruminates on watching a loved one die over a gorgeously forlorn, piano-driven indie rock soundscape, punctuated in the outro by electronic keys flatlining like an EKG. Most poignantly, he delivers the lines that act as the Rosetta Stone to decode Plans: “Love is watching someone die” followed swiftly by repeating “So who’s gonna watch you die?” It’s the dying-alone gutpunch that hits the mark on every listen, bluntly articulating the dramatic tension the album has unfurled.
“Brothers on a Hotel Bed” follows that emotional wallop with a crushing reflection on partners growing old and love fading in their twilight years until there’s seemingly a chasm between the two souls sharing the same bed. “Stable Song” then acts as Plans’ softly sad off-ramp, accepting the inevitability of finality.
While Transatlanticism was an album about yearning for love, Plans is an album about accepting that all love will eventually be lost due to the choices we make or the mortality that none of us has a say in choosing. Love is bigger than all of us and endures beyond us, and every moment we get to experience it in this lifetime is a tiny treasure. It’s something we can forget or take for granted simply because we want so desperately for it not to be the case. We don’t want to stare into the impending darkness, but when that despair begins to weigh heavy, Death Cab for Cutie’s Plans is there to clasp our hands so tight, finding comfort in the coping — a warm embrace of care in the blackest of rooms. n
’BIRD WATCHING
Minnesota folk group Humbird makes everywhere feel like home
BY MADISON PEARSON
It started with an agonizing seven-hour drive straight south at the end of March.
The sun had just started to peek through the clouds for the first time this year, so I put sunscreen on my hands before I left and turned on the AC in my car for a gentle breeze.
I had driven to Boise several times for concerts or to visit friends before, but something about this late spring day was particularly grueling. I hadn’t been to a music fest in years — not since the 2016 edition of the now-defunct Sasquatch Festival — and I felt woefully unprepared to dive into Boise’s Treefort Music Festival.
I had to get to the fest in time to pick up my press badge, check in to the AirBnB I would call home for the week and also figure out how to get around a mostly unfamiliar city all while thinking about how to write a story about my experience.
The first two days were spent figuring things out, running between the festival’s over 50 venues trying to catch all of the bands I had placed on my packed hourly schedule. I was exhausted, my feet hurt, and my ears needed respite from 2 am hardcore shows at The Shredder. I woke up with a headache nearly every day and relied on coffee and ibuprofen to keep me sane.
Amid another day of running from tiny venue to tiny venue, I received a text from my fellow festival-attending friend Cam: “Mainstage bandshell. Come here.”
Who am I to deny such a simple request?
On the bus over, my phone dinged again: “Get over here. I’m so serious.”As soon as I’m on festival grounds, I made my way to the stage — a glorious bandshell at
Julia Davis Park with phenomenal acoustics — and to Cam’s side. He said nothing, and just pointed to the stage — a librarian-esque request to listen closely.
There stood Humbird, a folk band from Minnesota consisting of songstress Siri Undlin (pictured above) and regular contributors Pat Keen on bass and synth and Pete Quirsfeld on percussion.
I knew nothing about Humbird before walking up to the stage, but suddenly everything in life aligned perfectly. For a few sweet minutes, I was floating above it all, fully indulging in the moment.
“But when I think of loons, I think of you,” Undlin sang, her voice reverberating out of the bandshell, cutting through the dozens of souls holding their breath in the audience.
The song is from the group’s January 2025 EP Astrovan: The Love Song Vignettes, consisting of 11 songs — all under about two minutes— simply about love. A poignant, yet short, showcase of all of the different kinds of adoration.
Humbird’s 2024 album Right On is heavily inspired by the people and places Undlin has seen while touring the country. In that moment at Treefort, I was one of them.
All at once, while Undlin sang the line “Tornado siren, tumbleweed, Christmas lights on main street. Cornfields, roadkill, bird song, hoping still,” I felt acutely aware that I was 400 miles away from home and from Main Street and the wheat fields that line the outskirts of my own hometown of Medical Lake.
But, I was more so overcome with the feeling of
homesickness for the place Undlin was painting with her words right in front of me. A few tears slipped down my face as I stood in complete silence for the rest of the set next to friends and strangers who I could tell felt the same.
Leaving the park, I felt like I had left a piece of myself out there scattered at the foot of the bandshell, but I somehow felt heavier, too. A weighty sonic blanket had been draped upon my shoulders, and I wasn’t quite ready to shed its enveloping embrace just yet.
Even after two more days of constant music and happenings, my mind kept wandering back to Humbird’s set and how it felt like a momentary escape from a week in this unfamiliar city, a sort of comforting reminder that the stability and familiarity of home was waiting for me seven hours north of Boise.
The drive back was less grueling than the one I’d made a few days prior, taking in a slightly different view of the pine trees lining I-84 that always make me feel right at home.
Only now, I had Humbird emanating from my speakers for the return trek. I felt like I could spend hours driving through the forests and admiring the mountains as long as Undlin was there softly cooing my worries away. The length of the journey no longer felt so daunting, because Humbird’s music made anywhere feel like home. n
Humbird, Karli Fairbanks • Tue, July 29 at 8 pm • $22 • 21+ • The District Bar
916 W. First Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com
Humbird singing in the dead of night... JULIET FARMER PHOTO
For 140 years, we’ve been partnering locally to support communities in the ways they need it most. Because healthy communities need more than health care.
AMERICANA SIERRA FERRELL
INDIE POP REGINA SPEKTOR
Thursday, 7/24
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, James Berkely
J J THE BIG DIPPER, Skating Polly, Black Ends, Itchy Kitty
BOTTLE BAY BREWING CO., Son of Brad
J COEUR D’ALENE PARK, Pamela Benton Band
GARLAND DRINKERY, Speak Easy: Open Mic Night
PJ’S PUB, The Dirty Champions
J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin
RED DRAGON (THIRD AVENUE), Thursday Night Jam
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Thurrsdays EDM Night
STELLA’S ON THE HILL, Dr. Phil & the Enablers
J TRUE LEGENDS GRILL, Jimi Finn
J WAR MEMORIAL FIELD, Festival at Sandpoint: Neon Trees, kylekelly ZOLA, X24, Frances Browne
Friday,
7/25
AK ASIAN RESTAURANT, James Motley
BING CROSBY THEATER, Bohemian Queen
GARLAND BREW WERKS, Son of Brad
J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire
GREEN CITY SALOON, DJ KJ
HELIX WINES, Evan Denlinger
THE JACKSON ST. BAR & GRILL, The Dirty Champions
J KNITTING FACTORY, Blind Pilot, John Craigie
LIVE AT ANDRE’S, Sophie B. Hawkins NIGHT OWL, Four On The Floor Fridays
J PARK BENCH CAFE, The Ronaldos
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Brian Jacobs
J PUEBLA MEXICAN RESTAURANT, Latin Dance Party
J RATHDRUM, Soul Proprietor RED DRAGON (THIRD AVENUE), Eternal Jones
THE GOODY BAR AND GRILL, Midnight Open Mic
J TRUE LEGENDS GRILL, Nate Ostrander
WHISPERS LOUNGE, JoJo Dodge
ZOLA, Jason Perry Band, Ben True and Soundtrack Trivia
Saturday, 7/26
ALBERTINI’S GEM BAR, Son of Brad
J THE BIG DIPPER, Silent Theory, Micah Ariss, Hitlist
J BING CROSBY THEATER, Queen Revisited
J BRICK WEST BREWING CO.,
Inland Sessions Live: RCA and the Radicals, Mungo & Company
THE CHAMELEON, Bald and Boujee: The Pitbull Party
Sierra Ferrell is making a strong case to be the new queen of Americana music. The colorful West Virginian with a charming Appalachian twang combines various roots influences from folk and bluegrass to gypsy jazz and throwback alt-country to create a whirlwind sound capable of getting any hootenanny popping. Her acclaimed 2024 album Trail of Flowers earned her four Grammys, including Best Americana Album. Her freewheeling alternative spirit and sometimes flamboyant sense of fashion help her stand out in the sometimessleepy genre, making her the must-see act on this year’s Festival at Sandpoint lineup. — SETH SOMMERFELD
Sierra Ferrell, The Brudi Brothers • Fri, July 25 at 7:30 pm • $69-$105 • All ages • War Memorial Field • 801 Ontario St., Sandpoint • festivalatsandpoint.com
J REPUBLIC BREWING CO., The Cruz Contreras and The Black Lillies
hen singer-songwriter Regina Spektor first surfaced in New York City in the early 2000s she had a piano and a dream to share her music with the world. From her classical-inspired piano backing to her soft-spoken, high-pitched voice that’s a staple of indie pop to the sensitive and thoughtful lyricism in songs like “Samson” and “Après Moi,” Spektor’s music defies expectations about categorization. Even if you don’t instantly recognize her name, you’ve probably heard her music with songs in popular TV shows, including Orange is the New Black’s theme song, “You’ve Got Time.” Spektor takes to the stage to showcase her genre-bending style when her Midsummer Daydream Tour arrives at Spokane’s historic Fox Theater. — COLTON RASANEN
Regina Spektor • Tue, July 29 at 8 pm • $50-$55 • All ages • The Fox Theater • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • foxtheaterspokane.org
THE GOODY BAR AND GRILL, Midnight Open Mic
J J WAR MEMORIAL FIELD, Festival at Sandpoint: Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Jayhawks, Sixpence None the Richer
WHISPERS LOUNGE, Ryan Schneider
ZOLA, Blake Braley, The Ronaldos
Sunday, 7/27
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Starcourt
J THE BIG DIPPER, Fall of The Conscience, Hermano Kuya, jay
J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Alison Krauss & Union Station with Jerry Douglas, Willie Watson J
TRVST • 120 N. Wall St. ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 509-624-2416
On Stands August 21
The Inlander’s annual philanthropy guide highlights many of the region’s non-profit organizations and the di erence they’re making in our community. Don’t miss your chance to reach Inlander Give Guide readers!
The 1997 Fox film Anastasia remains easily the best “Disney animated princess musical” that wasn’t actually made by Disney. The story centers on a young Russian woman who’s forgotten her past and becomes quickly (unknowingly) cast as the lost-long Princess Anastasia by a couple of con men aiming to bilk the royal family out of some reward money. The twist? She actually is Anastasia (and begins to fall for one of the young hustlers). The Broadway stage adaptation of the music removes the magical antagonist Rasputin, but still features plenty of adventures and timeless songs like “Once Upon a December” and “Journey to the Past.” Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s production features national-level talent in actors Melody Munitz and David Eldridge and choreographer Antoinette DiPietropolo (all on break from The Addams Family national tour). While Coeur d’Alene may be far from the rumors in St. Petersburg, at least it’s relatively close to a Moscow. — SETH SOMMERFELD
Anastasia • Through Sun, July 27; Thu-Fri at 7:30 pm, SatSun at 2 pm • $56-$200 • Schuler Performing Arts Center • 880 W. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene • cstidaho.com
COMMUNITY THAT’S DEEP
Look up to the sky. What do you see? Probably some twinkling stars or the vast expanse of darkness that makes up the night sky. Sue Linch, a graduate of Kellogg High School and the University of Idaho, saw endless possibilities. Now, she works as the Lockheed Martin Lunar Exploration Campaign spacecraft manager, working on space station and shuttle projects while studying deep space. At this presentation at the Camas Wellness Center and hosted by the Selkirk Alliance for Science, Linch will discuss her path to studying space, the projects she’s worked on and the future of deep space exploration.
— MADISON PEARSON
Why We Explore Deep Space • Sat, July 26 at 6 pm • Free • Camas Wellness Center • 1821 N. LeClerc Road, Cusik • selkirkscience.org
COMMUNITY MAKE A SPLASH
Celebrate the Armenian festival of Vardavar, a “water festival” that dates back to pagan times and traditionally involves people of all ages splashing water on one another to wish them new beginnings, growth and goodwill. Whether you have Armenian roots or would just like to experience Armenian culture, everyone is welcome. Hosted in downtown Spokane along a block of Wall Street, expect to see traditional Armenian dance and music as well as good food, wine and beer from Skewers Armenian Restaurant. This event is part of the Downtown Mini Cultural Grant Series on Wall Street, which has the goal of uplifting and celebrating Spokane’s rich history of cultural diversity.
MARTA SYZMANSA
Armenian Festival • Sun, July 26 from 1- 5 pm • Free • Wall Street Corridor • 211 N. Wall St. • skewersspokane.com
GET LISTED!
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COMMUNITY LEMONS INTO…
For many of us, our first work experience came from impromptu lemonade stands. This hallmark of childhood is practically an initiation ritual, giving kids an early taste of responsibility and money skills. Lemonade Day, a nationwide program that fosters these entrepreneurial skills via classic summer drink stands, takes this summer rite of passage to the next level. Kids participating in the program learn business skills by executing their very own business. While they’re allowed to keep the money they earned, a select few stands are raising money for the Red and Blue Foundation in support of the families of firefighters impacted by the Canfield Mountain incident. If you’re in the mood for lemonade and want to support local kids and charities, swing by any of the stands located on the Lemonade Day website’s handy map.
— ELLIS BENSON
Lemonade Day • Sat, July 26; hours vary • $1-$3 • Visit link for location details: local.lemonadeday.org/kootenai-county
FOOD & DRINK PUCKER UP
As I’ve learned while trying to share my enthusiasm for sour beers, it’s not a flavor profile for everyone (look, I’m not big on super hoppy IPAs, either…). But for those who do love the often fruity, tart acidity of a good sour, this celebration is for us. In the history of beer, sour beers go way back on the timeline when sterilization and refrigeration weren’t standard practices and thus beers often developed funky, wild flavors thanks to the many unique microorganisms in a brewing environment. Within the last decade, brewers have gotten super creative in the sour realm, as this festival celebrates. Attendees can choose from several ticket package options, which include a special event glass, tasting tickets, and the chance to sample six unique sours from Natural 20, as well as guest brewers.
— CHEY SCOTT
CHEERS
MY MISSING PIECE AKat, these last 6 almost 7 weeks, have been pure HELL. I feel like a huge part of my heart has been missing since you’ve been gone. I want to say how sorry I am for my part in everything, if I could go back and change even just one thing, I’d do it in an instant. I hope you never forget exactly how much I love you. You make me feel whole. 12 years together isn’t enough, I want 100 more with you. I want to tell the world how much of an amazing woman you are. You have made so many changes and you help me change for the better, too. For me, you, and our son. I love you for always and ever. 381<3
THE BAD SEED, 7/19 Our full family (2 kids, 2 adults) contributed to this cheers for our server, Dave, at the Bad Seed. He seemed genuinely happy to help us and add to the conversation. He also brought out a fun kids’ book that our youngest said she remembered from school. He sparked a lively conversation about travel, asking about our experience and sharing his own aspirations. You are going to have such great experiences in your travels around the country because of
your curiosity and adventurous spirit. Thank you for making a spontaneous night out so enjoyable and for being so kind.
FLOWERS: CHRISTMAS IN JULY Cheers to the people who plant their entire yard in flowers instead of grass. Your hard work brightens my day. Its like spotting a house with really great Christmas lights in July when I see an entire yard filled with sunflowers as tall as a house (near CHAS Maple Street) or day lilies in every square inch (Queen Ave) or a rainbow of colors and species that transforms your little portion of the block into a scene from a Ghibli movie (Hawthorne). You inspire me.
THANK YOU TO MY FUTURE MOTHER-INLAW Through everything I have seen, been faced with, or even just had to live through the experience on my own even if I had aquaintances, friends, or so-called family members to talk to and express everything that i was stressed out about emotionally in some past years ago. I can’t say or do anything about how well you have just listened to all my experiences I’ve ever faced in my reality. I Highly appreciate you for allowing me to stay with you while your eldest son gets his priorities straightened out! Thank you for being the sweet, loving, amazing, and wonderful mother that you are today! Sincerely, your Future Daughter-in-Law
RIVERSIDE CHEERS Thank you to Andy at Spokane Parks and Rec who was so helpful and flexible with our big group at Nine Mile Falls for the Little Spokane River shuttle on Saturday! We not only got on
and never has been in their best interests. I refer to his stand on absentee property owners and management companies paying for their own security and code enforcement, rather than sponging off of city resources. Kiemle-Hagood crying about no more subsidies? Oh please. Maybe if they and their ilk don’t want to have to pay for the upkeep on the vacant properties in their charge, they just shouldn’t have so many of those properties in the first place.
parents with strollers could cross without having to fight the pedestrian challenges at street level. The sign says the skyway doors are broken but in reality it’s been many weeks, and the real reason seems to be that the mall doesn’t want them.
TO THE PEACEFUL VALLEY PEACE KILLER... I don’t know why you think it’s okay to play your sh*tty music with thumping bass at
the fireworks the next night. After all, they might have to hire someone to watch the fireworks. Or, they might have to secure them. Or, they might have to send out a news release that the fireworks were delayed due to idiocy. Now, I’ll tell you what Spokane does right. That’s enforcing the law! For example, you won’t see any illegal license plates on these streets because those people are pulled over and ticketed. Great job leaders!
the river at the same time and could be together, but you made us feel welcome and our day was beyond fantastic. Highly recommend this stretch of beautiful river; thank you for making it possible for us to really appreciate it and not have to worry about logistics.
CHEERS TO ZACK ZAPPONE! It’s great seeing an elected representative actually stand up for the citizenry and take a wellworded stance against a practice that’s not
Maybe lowering rents, or keeping sale prices down in the realm of the reasonable would help small, locally owned businesses get a foothold against the ever-encroaching chains and keep those empty commercial spaces filled? Regardless, it’s about time this city made developers, property mismanagers and absentee landlords pay their fair share; they’ve gotten away with too much for too long and all on our dime. This is just a start, but it’s a positive sign.
JEERS
STOP THE GASOLINE SUBSIDY! for the 2% EV hater, from Google and my last registration bill: In Washington state, electric vehicle (EV) owners pay an annual registration fee of $150 and a $75 transportation electrification fee, in addition to standard vehicle registration and licensing fees. As a plug-in hybrid driver, I’m paying gas tax on all my long trips, AND the EV registration fee, which does exist for all EVs. Compared to a 30 mpg gasoline vehicle, an EV doesn’t break even until ~12,000 miles.
PICKLEBALL NET THIEF Shame on whoever stole the 8 portable pickleball nets out of the storage box at Comstock Park over the weekend (July 12/13). Your Mother would be really proud of you. YOU are why we can’t have nice things!
MALL DOESN’T WANT LIBRARY USERS The skyway from the Mall over to Central Library was an excellent idea, allowing library users who were in the Mall to come over without being outside in inclement weather and
5:30 in the morning, regardless of the day of the week. I don’t know why the city has decided quiet hours just don’t apply to cool cats like you.
CHEERS TO THE CITY’S AUTO-REPLY SYSTEM Jeers to the City of Spokane for once again closing out my lighting code complaint without doing a single thing. For the third time, I’ve reported a glaring spotlight at 820 S McClellan that blasts directly into my bedroom window all night—violating your own code. Each time, the case is marked “resolved,” but no inspection happens, no shielding is added, and the light still robs me of sleep. Cheers to the City’s auto-reply system, though—at least it’s fast, even if it’s completely useless. Maybe next time a human could stop by after dark.
RE: NGBD SHOW - WRONG SEAT??? I sympathize with your mobility problem but cannot empathize with your choice to accept the wrong seat and then blame the usher. You stated you had purchased the tickets months prior to the show, which is ample time for you to read the ticket and see your seating assignment. You should not have accepted the seat no matter who guided you to it and the venue was in the right for not refunding you.
RE: SPOKANE FIREWORKS With respect to the jeer about the Spokane fireworks being set off anyhow despite the crowd being cleared due to a false active shooter report, haven’t you figured out yet that is the Spokane way? The so-called leaders in Spokane do whatever works best for them. It would have been impractical to shoot off
BAUMGARTNER LET DOWN EASTERN WASHINGTON We thought you would serve your constituents, be more aware of our needs than your predecessor, CMR. If you had voted “no” on Trump’s bill to stop payments to NPR & PBS “it” would have still passed, but you caved. I, as many other Democrats, voted for you because we thought you would be more human. But our votes in your next election will not be for you. We will do everything in our power to defeat you.
DISPLAY THE PROPER SIZE FLAG Shame on Spokane County for displaying the wrong size United States flag atop the iconic Spokane County Courthouse. There is a suggested/recommended size of flag relative to the length of pole, and the “postage stamp” size flag displayed atop the courthouse fails to meet the standard. Considering that pole is one of the most visible in the entire greater Spokane area, I would think the folks who control the purse strings could provide the funds necessary to display the proper flag. n
NOTE: I Saw You/Cheers & Jeers is for adults 18 or older. The Inlander reserves the right to edit or reject any posting at any time at its sole discretion and assumes no responsibility for the content.
EVENTS | CALENDAR BENEFIT
GLASS ON GRASS CORVETTE CAR
SHOW A showcase of local Corvettes with food trucks and other activities. Proceeds benefit Spokane Shriners Children’s Hospital. July 26, 9 am-2:30 pm. Free. Mirabeau Park Meadows, 13500 Mirabeau Parkway. spokanecorvetteclub.org (509-844-4064)
BROTHERS FLOORING ANNUAL FOOD
CHALLENGE: SCOOP THERE IT IS! An ice cream eating contest fundraiser for Wishing Star Foundation. Teams of four will compete to see who can eat ice cream the fastest, The winning team receives free ice cream from The Scoop for a year. July 30, 6-8 pm. By donation. Brick West Brewing Co., 1318 W. First Ave. wishingstar.org/scoop-there-it-is
BRICK WEST X MANZANITA BENEFIT
NIGHT A benefit concert to support Manzanita House featuring live music from Dry and Dusty with raffle prizes and beer sales benefitting the nonprofit. Aug. 2, 6-10 pm. Free. Brick West Brewing Co., 1318 W. First Ave. manzanitahouse.org (509-279-2982)
COMEDY
SHAYNE SMITH Through his excellent storytelling and unique style, Shayne Smith is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about comedians on the scene. July 24-26, July 25-26, 9:45 pm.
$25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
EXPEDITION A family-friendly improv show featuring the Blue Door Theatre players playing a variety of improv games with audience suggestions. Every Saturday at 7:30 pm.$9. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar St. bluedoortheatre.org (509-747-7045)
TODD ROYCE Todd Royce is a comedian and former professional wrestler who blends his unique background with sharp wit and self-deprecating humor. July 26, 4 pm. $17. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
COMICS UNDER THE INFLUENCE Comics perform a set while sober, get a few drinks in them and then perform again while intoxicated. July 27, 7 pm.
$13-$19. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
JASON MEWES Indie film icon, Jason Mewes, is perhaps best known as the vocal half of the on-screen comedic duo, Jay and Silent Bob. July 31, 7 pm.
$30-$37. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
LATE LAUGHS Each show features a rotating lineup of performers from independent troupes to new voices performing 20-minute sets that push boundaries, test new formats and take creative risks. Every First Friday of the month at 9:30 pm. $6. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Ceda . bluedoortheatre.org
COMMUNITY
THE 1967 SUNDANCE FIRE: A LASTING LEGACY Mick Schanilec talks about the 1967 Sundance Fire, one of the hottest and fastest fires ever recorded with numerous images to explain the fire and its ongoing effects. July 24, 7-8 pm. Free. The Inn at Priest Lake, 5310 Dickensheet Rd. priestlakemuseum.org
COFFEE IN THE GARDEN An event highlighting a new creative each week
including demonstrations, activities and refreshments. Artists include Shaun Deller, Lynn Walters, Bill Moore, Linda Cassella and more. Thu from 10 am-noon through Aug. 21. Free. Create Arts Center, 900 Fourth. createarts.org
BLACK LITURGIES FOR STAYING HU -
MAN This community gathering invites nonviolent, intersectional and interfaith meditation and reflection practice. The theme for this month will be Bearing the Heat. July 24, 5:30-6:30 pm. Free. Liberty Park Library, 402 S. Pittsburgh St. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
FIRE: REBIRTH AND RESILIENCE An exhibition exploring the catastrophic 1889 fire that destroyed more of Spokane’s downtown core. The exhibit features information on historic and contemporary fires, illustrating how destruction is a catalyst for rebirth and resilience. Tue-Sun from 11 am-5 pm through Sep. 28. $9-$15. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
NETWORKING AND CORNHOLE
TOURNAMENT Network with local professionals and play in a cornhole tournament to win prizes. July 24, 5:30-7:30 pm. $23. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. spopro.org (509-456-8038)
RIVER RUN: ECOLOGY OF THE SPO -
KANE RIVER Learn more about the ecology of the Spokane River and the animals that call it home through movement and hands-on exploration. July 24, 1-2 pm. Free. Indian Trail Library, 4909 W. Barnes Rd. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
SHIBARI AND FLOW: GOTH NIGHT
Shibari instructors and performers showcase burlsque, dance and aerial performances. July 24, 7 pm. $35. The Chameleon, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. chameleonspokane.com
SIP, SHOP & CULTURE Wander through the nursery grounds and admire the work of local artists, sip on delicious wine and listen to live music from Laketown Sound. July 24, 4:30-8 pm. Free. New Leaf Nursery, 12655 N. Government Way. newleafnurseryhayden.com
AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
A mobile blood drive with American Red Cross. Appointments are not required, but they are encouraged. July 25, 11 am-4 pm. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St. spokanelibrary.org
33 ARTISTS MARKET An all-day art market featuring 95 vendors selling handmade goods, jewelry, art and more. Also features live music by Rosethrow, coffee, food offerings and more. July 26, 11 am-6 pm. Free. The Pergola Event Center, 2928 N. Madelia St. 33artistsmarket.com (803-603-5179)
AMERICAN BULLY KENNEL CLUB
DOG SHOW A dog show hosted by the American Bully Kennel Club featuring judges John Certeza, Vanessa Cuevas, Rhianna Wright and Damien Ornelas. July 26, 10 am-7 pm. $20-$30. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. abkcdogs.net
ARMENIAN FESTIVAL A festival celebrating Armenian culture featuring authentic Armenian music, food, dance and more. Located on Wall St. between Main St. and Spokane Falls Blvd. July 26, 1-5 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane. skewersspokane.com
BRIDGING COMMUNITY CELEBRATION An event to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act featuring live entertain-
ment, over 20 resource booths, World Market, Kids Zone and free food and t-shirts while supplies last. July 26, 11 am-3 pm. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. dacnw.org (208-883-0523)
WHY WE EXPLORE DEEP SPACE Sue Linch, Spacecraft Manager for the Lockheed Martin Lunar Exploration Campaign, presents this program on space exploration. She has worked on space station and shuttle projects, Earth atmosphere and solar studies, deep space asteroid monitoring, and lunar communication and navigation systems. July 26, 6 pm. Free. Camas Wellness Center, 1821 N. LeClerc Road. selkirkscience.org
YOUTH LEARN TO SEW: SUMMER NECK COOLER Learn basic operation of a sewing machine, threading and adjusting to make a neck cooler. July 26, 12-4 pm. $35. Gizmo-CDA, 283 N. Hubbard Ave. Suite 102. gizmo-cda.org
SUNDAYS AT THE CROSBY HOUSE A series of educational workshops featuring local authors, historians and various experts who share information about Bing Crosby and his hometown. July 27, 3:30 pm. Free. Crosby House Museum, 508 E. Sharp Ave. gonzaga.edu
BEGINNING BUDDHISM Tibetan Buddhist nuns Venerable Thubten Samten and Venerable Thubten Monlam teach a solid foundation for understanding the Buddhist world view, based on the book, “Open Heart, Clear Mind” by Sravasti Abbey founder, Venerable Thubten Chodron. Wed from 6-7:30 pm through Sep. 24. By donation. Spokane Buddhist Temple, 927 S. Perry St. sravastiabbey.org (509-447-5549)
MAC AFTER HOURS A night out at the museum featuring live music, special programming relating to museum exhibits, drinks and more. Each month has different programming, check website for specifics. Last Wednesday of the month from 5-8 pm. $4.50-$6. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
ART ON THE GREEN Explore over 120 fine art booths including painting, pottery, jewelry, woodworking, metal work, photography, glass, clothing, fiber, leather, clay and more. Aug. 1-3; Fri from 11 am-7:30 pm, Sat from 10 am7:30 pm, Sun from 10 am-4 pm. Free. North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Ave. artonthegreen.com
COEUR D’ALENE STREET FAIR A street vendor fair featuring 250+ booths selling food, fine arts, clothing, crafts and more. Aug. 1-3; Fri-Sat from 10 am-8 pm, Sun from 10 am-5 pm. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. cdadowntown.com (208-415-0116)
SUMMERWEEN PARTY A part that with a costume contest, cake walk, pie contest, scary movie screenings and more. Aug. 2, 4-10 pm. Free. Crime Scene Entertainment, 3960 W. 5th Ave. crimesceneentertainment.com
HILLYARD FESTIVAL An annual event celebrating Spokane’s Hillyard neighborhood featuring food, unique vendors, a parade and activities for all. Aug. 2, 8 am-10 pm. Free. Hillyard, Spokane. hillyardfestival.com
SPOKANE HIGHLAND GAMES Enjoy traditional features of Scottish Highland Games such as massed bands, band exhibitions, individual piping, heavy athletics, highland dancing and more. Aug. 2, 9 am-5:30 pm. $5-$12. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana. spokanehighlandgames.net
EVENTS | CALENDAR
FILM
ART HOUSE THEATER DAY: NIGHTS OF CABIRIA Cabiria, a spirited, independent sex worker navigating heartbreak and hope in postwar Rome. July 24, 7-9 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)
SUMMER FAMILY MATINEE: PADDING -
TON 2 Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy’s 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen. July 24, 1-3 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)
OUTDOOR MOVIES IN THE PARK: TOP GUN A screening of Top Gun in Balfour Park. Snacks are available for purchase, bring your own seating. Movie begins at sunset. July 25. Free. Balfour Park, 105 N. Balfour Rd. spokanevalley.org
SUMMER MOONLIGHT MOVIES: SURF’S UP A free screening of Surf’s Up in Airway Heights’ Sunset Park. Bring lawn chairs, blankets and snacks. Movie begins at dusk. July 25. Free. Sunset Park, 924 S. Lawson. airwayheightsparksandrec.org
MOVIES IN THE PARK: THE WILD ROBOT A screening of The Wild Robot in Pavilion Park. Movie starts at dusk. July 26. Free. Pavillion Park, 727 N. Molter Rd. libertylakewa.gov (509-755-6726)
STAGE TO SCREEN: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate. July 27, 2-4:30 pm. $20. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com
SUMMER FAMILY MATINEE: HAPPY FEET Dive into the world of the emperor penguins, who find their soul mates through song, a penguin is born who cannot sing. But he can tap dance something fierce. July 31, 1-3 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main. kenworthy.org
OUTDOOR MOVIES IN THE PARK: INSIDE OUT 2 A screening of Inside Out 2 in Mirabeau Point Park. Snacks are available for purchase, bring your own seating. Movie begins at sunset. Aug. 1. Free. Mirabeau Point Park, 2426 N. Discovery Place. spokanevalley.org (509-688-0300)
FOOD & DRINK
WINE TASTING The Kitchen Engine staff gives a tour of their wine selections and gives their recommendations based on what you like. Includes crafted small bites. July 25, 3:45-7:30 pm. $10. The Kitchen Engine, 621 W. Mallon Ave. thekitchenengine.com (509-328-3335)
ACID TRIP: A SOUR BEER FESTIVAL A beer festival honoring the history and resurgence of sour beers. The event features six unique sour beers to taste plus additional taps from local breweries. July 26, 12-10 pm. $19. Natural 20 Brewing Company, 13216 E. Sprague Ave. natural20brewing.com (509-413-3663)
THE DINNER DETECTIVE TRUE CRIME MURDER MYSTERY DINNER SHOW
Solve a hilarious true crime murder mystery while you eat dinner. July 26, 6-9 pm. $83.72. Ruby River Hotel, 700 N. Division St. thedinnerdetective.com
JUST THE WURST PAIRING DINNER
Cellar & Scholar sommelier, Justine and the WURST chef Oscar prepare bratwurst and wine pairings. July 27, 4-7 pm. $35. Cellar & Scholar, 15412 E. Sprague Ave. cellarandscholar.com (509-218-6226)
WINE TASTING: EL CORAZON A wine tasting with Spencer Sievers, owner and winemaker of El Corazon Winery. July 27, 5-8 pm. $25. Nectar Wine and Beer, 1331 W. Summit Pkwy. nectartastingroom. com (509-290-5239)
RIVERFRONT EATS A lineup of local food trucks serve up savory dishes, sweet treats and everything in between on the orange Howard Street bridge in Riverfront Park. Every Tuesday from 11 am-2 pm through Aug. 19. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. rivefrontspokane.com
WINE WEDNESDAY DINNER SERIES
World’s collide with a fusion of food between two regions and flavors. Experience Chef Steven’s creativity in this unique dining exploration. The menus are paired with three wines presented by Nectar owners, Josh and Katie Wade. July 30, 5-8 pm. $30. Fête - A Nectar Co, 120 N. Stevens St. nectarcateringandevents.com (509-951-2096)
PRODUCE SWAP Bring in your extra fresh produce and take home something different from another garden. Leftovers will be donated to a local food bank. Aug. 1. Free. Cheney Library, 610 First. scld.org
MUSIC & CONCERTS
AFTERGLOW BACH TO BEAT BOX
Zuill Bailey and Helen Kim will play J. S. Bach’s Double Violin Concerto in D minor arranged for violin and cello followed by The Biriba Union. July 24, 7-9 pm. $10$40. Barrister Winery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave. nwbachfest.com (509 326-4942)
GIRLS ROCK LAB CONCERT An evening of performances by the bands created at Girls Rock Lab summer camp hosted by Spark Central. July 25, 6-7 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
THE JAXY DUO Singer Madeline McNeill and pianist Jackie Sandberg play classic jazz standards. July 30, 7-9 pm. Free. Emma Rue’s, 15 S. Howard St. emmarues. com (509-552-9681)
MUSIC BRIDGES BORDERS Student musicians from Mexico perform orchestral music. July 31, 7 pm. Free. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. thejacklincenter.org (208-457-8950)
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
CHAIR YOGA Join certified yoga teacher Steve Peck for a chair yoga practice. Bring a water bottle. Chairs and blocks are provided. July 31, 9:30-10:30 am. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
GREATER SPOKANE PARKS CHALLENGE Visit as many parks in the Spokane area as you can by Sept. 30. Prizes are given to monthly and challenge winners. Register to play and to access challenges. Through Sep. 30. Free. sccu.net
OPEN PLAY PICKLEBALL Play pickleball at the HUB. Every week Mon-Thu from 10 am-noon or 1-3 pm. $5.50-$7. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo Ave. hubsportscenter.org (509-927-0602)
EAGLE AVIARY TOUR A tour of the first
tribal Eagle Aviary in the Northwest, owned by the Coeur d’Alene tribe. July 25, 8:45 pm $65. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com
NORTHWEST CUP 2025 A downhill race series featuring fastest lines, seeding runs and more races. July 25-27. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker. nwcup.com
RAFTING THE CLARK FORK RIVER An all-day excursion in which whitewater rafting experts guide participants through 4-6 notable class lll-lV rapids with many small rapids in between. See website for location information. July 25 and 27, 9 am-2:30 pm. $89. Clark Fork. my.spokanecity.org
CYCLE CELEBRATION A summer ride with three different routes for riders of various skill levels. Choose from the 10, 25 or 50 mile option. Each comes with a sack lunch and a shirt. July 26-27, 8 am-1 pm. $34. Mirabeau Point Park, 2426 N. Discovery Place. cyclecelebration.com
KAYAK LITTLE SPOKANE RIVER TOUR: Paddle a single sit-on-top kayak seven miles down the Little Spokane River. Meet at the Little Spokane River Takeout. July 26, 9 am-1 pm, Aug. 10, 9 am-1 pm and Sep. 27, 11 am-3 pm. $69. my.spokanecity.org
SPOKANE VELOCITY VS. SACRAMENTO
REPUBLIC Regular season game. July 26, 7 pm. $17-$95. ONE Spokane Stadium, 501 W. Gardner Ave. uslspokane.com
SPLASH BASH An inclusive, affirming space with private pool access, all-gender changing rooms, accessibility features, snacks, community resources and fun giveaways hosted by Spectrum Center, Trans Spokane and Odyssey Youth Center July 27, 5-7 pm. Free. A.M. Cannon Park, 1920 W. Maxwell Ave. spectrumcenterspokane.org
SPIKE & DIG: An outdoor, co-ed, six-onsix volleyball tournament with over 200 teams competing. Registration opens Aug. 2. $230-$300. Dwight Merkel Sports Complex, 5701 N. Assembly St. spikeanddig.com
SPOKANE MIDNIGHT CENTURY A 100-mile bike ride through Spokane, to Liberty Lake, through the Palouse, into Spangle and back into Spokane. There is no registration required for this ride. Aug. 2, 11:59 pm. Free. The Elk Public House, 1931 W. Pacific Ave. midnightcentury.com
THEATER & DANCE
ANASTASIA A brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home. Thu-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm through July 27.. $68. Schuler Performing Arts Center, 880 W. Garden Ave. cstidaho.com (208-254-0504)
TORCH SONG This play follows Arnold Beckoff—a drag queen and torch singer searching for love and acceptance in 1970s New York. July 17-Aug. 2, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm. $37.50. Hamilton Studio, 1427 W. Dean. theaterontheverge.com
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS The Wind in the Willows follows Mole, Rat, Badger and the impulsive Mr. Toad, whose need for speed lands him in trouble. Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through July 27. $20-$35. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com
CARRIE Based on a Stephen King thriller and the subsequent film adaptation, this production gives the musical treatment to a story about a shy, bullied young teenager who has the dubious gift of telekinesis. Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. 7:30 pm and 2 pm through July 27. $25. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third Ave. brightcomettheatre.com
SILVER SPURS DANCERS REUNION Celebrate 78 years of dancing and friendship while reconnecting with teammates and remembering performances throughout the years. July 26, 4-10 pm. $15-$40. Southside Community Center, 3151 E. 27th. silverspursyouthfolkdancers.org
JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT The beloved musical by Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Weber reimagines the biblical story of Joseph, his father Jacob, eleven brothers and the coat of many colors. Aug. 1-17; Wed-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $25-$48. University High School, 12320 E. 32nd Ave. svsummertheatre.com (509-368-7897)
VISUAL ARTS
BEN FRANK MOSS: PRESENCE AND ABSENCE A collection of paintings and drawings by Ben Frank Moss, a Whitworth University graduate and instructor at Gonzaga University. Mon-Sat from 10 am-4 pm through Aug. 30. Free. Jundt Art Museum, 200 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/jundt (509-313-6843)
CITY OF MOSCOW PORTABLE COLLECTION The Portable Collection is comprised of over 120 works, which are prominently displayed in City of Moscow buildings. It represents a broad spectrum of artistic media and styles and reflects the City of Moscow’s commitment to the arts. Mon-Fri from i am-5 pm through Aug. 28. Free. Third Street Gallery, City Hall, 206 E. Third St. ci.moscow. id.us/230/Third-Street-Gallery
GIGGLES: HUMOR IN ART A show created by Diane Rowen Gamire featuring regular New Moon artists’ humorous work. Wed-Sat from 11 am-5 pm through July 31. Free. New Moon Art Gallery, 1326 E. Sprague. manicmoonandmore.com
KRISTA BRAND, BRADD SKUBINNA, VAL WAHL AND CYN SHORT: FOUND Artists Krista Brand, Bradd Skubinna, Val Wahl and Cyn Short explore the use of common, sometimes discarded materials to compose installations or create new objects. Thu-Sat from 4-7 pm through July 27. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe St. terrainspokane.com
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE PRINTS A display from the museum’s permanent collection featuring a selection of thirty mid- to late 20th century Japanese prints. Mon-Sat from 10 am-4 pm through Aug. 30. Free. Jundt Art Museum, 200 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/jundt (509-313-6843)
PACKING, STORING AND SHIPPING
YOUR ART: THE CRAFT OF PRESERVATION Professional art handler Megan Finch brings her experience from ten years working back-of-house in Chicago galleries and museums to you with all you need to know about how to safely pack your art for shipping or storage. July 24, 5-7:30 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org
TESA KAWAKAMI: WHAT IF YOU STAY Artwork from Seattle-based artist Tesla Kawakami whose oil paintings xplore themes of nostalgia, destruction, identity and transformation. Mon-Fri from 8 am-5 pm. through Aug. 29. Free. Chase Gallery,
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanearts. com (509-321-9416)
ARTSHOW! LIVESHOW! A showcase of visual artwork by Skyler Weitz and live music by the Apopheniaks. July 25, 3-8 pm. Free. Browne’s Addition Wellness Center, 2013 W. Fourth Ave., Suite 2. brownesadditionwellnesscenter.com
PAINT BOOKISH BRICKS Paint a brick to look like the book you love most. Use it as a whimsical outdoor decoration or a charming bookend. Pinot’s Palette provides the bricks and supplies, just bring your favorite book for inspiration. Registration is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome. July 26, 3-5:30 pm. $19. Pinot’s Palette Spokane, 1919 E. Sprague Ave. pinotspalette.com (509-530-1334)
POP-UP ART SHOW A pop-up show featuring eight local artisans displaying handmade goods. July 26, 12-5 pm. Free. The Artisans Guild, 4727 N. Division St. theartisansguild.shop (509-808-2694)
LAUREN URLACHER: DAHLIA DAYS OF SUMMER Lauren Urlacher, a Spokanebased floral artist, displays paintings of dahlia flowers. July 30-Aug. 30, daily from 10 am-7 pm. Free. Liberty Building, 203 N. Washington St. potterplaceplus. com/liberty-gallery (509-768-1268)
WINDOW MURALS: SHADES OF SUMMER Kids and teens design and draw on library windows using special window markers. July 30, 1-2 pm. Free. Hillyard Library, 4110 N. Cook St. spokanelibrary.org
WORDS
FORAY FOR THE ARTS An evening of performances across creative disciplines featuring Alex’s Trash Puppet Jam, Kat Smith, Rick Robbins, Saxtooter, Leah Hampton, Seterra Bell, Oran Bordwell and Tabitha Smith. July 25, 6-9 pm. Free. Lumberbeard Brewing, 25 E. Third Ave. foray4thearts.org (509-381-5142)
BRIAN KIMMEL: BLUE SKIES, TROUBLED WATERS Join co-author Brian Kimmel for a reading and signing of the historical memoir, Blue Skies, Troubled Waters. Kimmel will share his grandmother’s incredible true story of survival, from a leap into Brooklyn Harbor to a WWII POW camp in Indonesia. July 26, 2-3 pm. Free. Barnes & Noble, 4750 N. Division St. briankimmel.com
ROZ NOONAN: THAT MISSING PIECE IS KILLING ME A signing and meet-andgreet to celebrate the release of Noonan’s latest cozy mystery That Missing Piece is Killing Me. July 29, 6-7 pm. Free. The Well-Read Moose, 2048 N. Main. wellreadmoose.com (208-215-2265)
WRITING WORKSHOP: CREATING MEMORABLE CHARACTERS Novelist Tara Karr Roberts leads a fun summer writing workshop for teens featuring fun exercises and inspiration from great stories. July 30, 4-5 pm. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry. spokanelibrary.org
CREATIVE FICTION WORKSHOP Join Livia Koh, Tara Hills Matthews from ALTCEW and Aimee Brooks from Spark Central for a wriitng workshop designed for people living with cognitive changes, memory loss or dementia. Call to reserver your spot. July 30, 11 am-12:30 pm. Free. Spark Central Studio, 1206 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org (509-777-1629)
SCLD ONLINE AUTHOR SERIES: PRIA ANAND The Mind Electric tells the stories we tell ourselves about our brains, and the stories our brains tell us. Discuss the book with the author and ask questions. July 31, 11 am. Online. Free. scld.org n
BEAT THE HEAT
Chill Out
You can use cannabis to help cool down during hot summer weather
BY WILL MAUPIN
The summer heat is often inescapable in the Inland Northwest. Dealing with summer heatwaves can be stressful on the body and the mind, and many turn to cannabis to ease their stress.
The problem is, cannabis consumption isn’t always the coolest thing to do. The majority of cannabis products available require combustion or vaporization — heat — to be consumed.
Waterpipes like bongs and bubblers are a tried-andtrue method for cooling down smoke, but regular water is just the tip of the iceberg.
Many bongs, especially higher-end models, feature built-in ice catchers — you can tell if yours has one by looking for indentations near the bottom of the neck. These allow users to drop some ice cubes in and pull the
smoke past the frozen water before it enters their lungs.
If your bong does not happen to have this feature, fear not. You can also slide some cubes into the neck, just be careful as there will be nothing to stop them from crashing into the downstem and potentially breaking the glass. Just turn the neck at an angle and slide them in with care.
Not all cannabis products require inhaling hot smoke or vapor, however. Edibles do exist, after all.
However, in hot weather, many classic edibles like chocolates and gummies can start to melt. Sure, you could throw them into the fridge, but popping back a cold chocolate will only cool you down so much.
A cold beverage, on the other hand, will not only cool you for longer but can help keep you hydrated, an important concern in such hot weather.
Dispensaries around the region now feature shelves, often refrigerated, stocked with drinks to please any palate.
True to their name, Stevens County’s Dogtown Pioneers were among the first to break into the beverage game with their iconic line of Ray’s Lemonade. Farther afield but still this side of the Cascades, the line of Sungaze Selzter from Yakima Valley’s Bale Breaker Brewing Co. is a more recent but popular addition to the market.
Whether you’re looking for a high-powered shooter or something sippable, local stores now carry something for everyone, so stock up your fridge and feel refreshed.
When the mercury starts to rise and sundown does little to bring relief, you can still turn to cannabis to find some comfort. Just remember to cool it before you consume it. n
BE
and selling
in
under federal
In Washington state, consuming
driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.
NOTE TO READERS
Be aware of the differences in the law between Idaho and Washington. It is illegal to possess, sell or transport cannabis in the State of Idaho. Possessing up to an ounce is a misdemeanor and can get you a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine; more than three ounces is a felony that can carry a five-year sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.
