Inlander 11/28/2019

Epic fu from n n o ’til Ne w w Year’s!

NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2019 | HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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INSIDE

ZESTY PEPP

VOL. 27, NO. 7 | COVER ILLUSTRATION: SHELBY CRISWELL

COMMENT NEWS CULTURE FOOD

5 13 23 27

HOLIDAY GUIDE FILM MUSIC EVENTS

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EDITOR’S NOTE

I

know the holidays are here when… the bilateral negotiations begin in our house, when Michelle and I offer proposals and counterproposals of what we’re going to do over the next few months, who we’re going to see, who we’re not going to see and, just as important, what we’re going to eat and drink.

There are spreadsheets with names, sorted by category (adults, teens/tweens, under 5), and basic menus with corresponding quantities (15 pounds mashed potatoes, 8 pounds roasted root vegetables). Weekends are divvied up and horse-traded — every moment, it seems, is accounted for.

It starts to get exhausting, and just when we’re about to throw ourselves a pity party — oh, poor us, with such abundance — we catch ourselves, take a breath and, with some guilt, recall just how lucky we are for the roof over our head, full bellies, our friends and our family. It is then, I suppose, when I catch myself being an ungrateful jackass, that I truly know the holidays are here.

What tells you that the holiday season has arrived?

We put that question to nine local writers, and their delightful responses — ranging from the heartfelt to the outrageously funny — dot this year’s mega, 40-page HOLIDAY GUIDE, beginning on page 29. It’s got everything you need to make the most of your time from now until New Year’s. Cheers!

— JACOB H. FRIES, Editor

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EDITORIAL Jacob H. Fries (x261) EDITOR

Dan Nailen (x239) MANAGING EDITOR/ARTS & CULTURE

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Feel Fabulous this Fall

JESSICA VAN PATTEN When Thanksgiving gets forgotten.

When is that typically?

When my sister-in-law starts saying “Is it too early to put my tree up?” or when I go into Walmart and there’s nothing to do with Thanksgiving anymore.

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PRODUCTION & SUPPORT

The leaves get cleaned up.

What do you think is the most fun thing to do come Christmas time in Spokane?

Probably visiting the Davenport Christmas tree. That’s when it’s like, “Wow, Christmas is here.”

Wayne Hunt (x232) DESIGN & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Ali Blackwood (x228) CREATIVE LEAD

Derrick King (x238), Tom Stover (x265) SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Rachael Skipper (x231) GRAPHIC DESIGNER Frank DeCaro (x226) CIRCULATION MANAGER Camille Awbrey (x212), Sydney Angove (x242)

JADE SMITH I guess everybody’s vibe kind of changes. More food and treats come around, too. That’s one of the biggest indicators.

What’s your favorite treat?

The cookies.

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INTERVIEWS BY CONNOR GILBERT 11/20/19, RIVERFRONT PARK

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COMMENT | THE CONDON YEARS

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T

o his credit, Spokane Mayor David Condon followed the famous “Daley Rule.” Six-term Chicago Mayor Richard Daley once said that city mayors, no matter what else they do, must plow the streets and pick up the garbage. Get that right, and they can survive some mistakes. Get that wrong, and they’re toast.

When Mayor Mary Verner said, during a particularly bad winter storm, “It’s only snow, people,” I knew she would never be re-elected.

With the mayoral election now over, and Condon approaching his final month in office, it’s a good time to get out the scorecard. And why not start with something as basic as snow plowing? Condon not only avoided any such fatal gaffe, the city’s snowplowing operation also made major strides during his tenure.

SNOWPLOWING: A

I also score him high on a matter that was never highlighted. Mayor Condon quietly supported preservation and rehabilitation projects, even making trips to Olympia to push them forward.

PRESERVATION: A Mayors are the face of the city, and Condon played the part well. He was available, articulate and welcoming, even when meeting with critics like me.

ACCESSIBILITY: A Condon also deserves credit for staying with the Riverfront Park renovation, which faced stretches of bad press and weak leadership.

RIVERFRONT PARK: B

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“There are many studies out there that show that children of color who see a teacher of color have higher graduation rates, have better test scores... ”

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Ramon Alvarez, director of Human Resources for Spokane Public Schools, who says it’s important that school district leaders work toward making the teaching workforce more reflective of the student population. Find that story on page 13.

11

N

LUNCH SPECI A L

ow we get to what he didn’t do so well: What he allowed to happen in the planning department was worse than bad. The problems began when he hired Jan Quintrall and turned her loose to wreak havoc. Condon eventually showed her the door, but too late. Quintrall’s worst decision was forcing out Scott Chesney, who along with a number of builders had come up with some very imaginative ways to rezone and rehabilitate West Central. They even had the support of the Spokane Home Builders. Alas, when Chesney left, so too did all the planning he had done, along with the promise that it held. Kendall Yards developer Jim Frank urged Condon to bring back Chesney.

Alas, Condon stubbornly backed Quintrall, killing innovation.

“Mayor Condon quietly supported preservation and rehabilitation projects, even making trips to Olympia.”

Related to this is the much-discussed Comprehensive Plan.

While the Mayor wants to take credit for the successes driven by the Comp Plan, the truth is that he had nothing to do with the framing of the plan, nor has he ever made clear his ideas for revisions, which are in order. What we do know is that the opposition to Ben Stuckart in this recent election came from interests that would just as soon scrap the Comp Plan, or at least water it down so as to encourage sprawl.

PLANNING: D And then there were the Police Department fiascos. Condon’s handling of the firing of Chief Frank Straub was amateurish in the extreme. Either Straub was fired or he wasn’t, what was it? For months, the public was left to wonder. The ship seems to have been righted, but trust was broken and the fallout continues to be felt, especially in the area of police oversight.

POLICE: C-

A

ll my criticisms over the past years aside, I’d say Mayor Condon has done a much better job than I ever expected.

I’d add that part of his success has been due to a strong City Council and outgoing Council President Ben Stuckart. And that is by design.

As one who was deeply involved in the passage of the strong mayor proposal back in 2000, it’s nice to see the system work the way it is supposed to — a council and mayor not always agreeing, but creating success for the city together.

All in all, Mayor Condon has been the best of a generally unsuccessful string of strong mayors.

STRONG MAYOR: B- n Over the decades as a professor for Eastern Washington University and Gonzaga University, Robert Herold handed out a lot of grades.

FROM THE VAULT NOV. 27, 2003: In 2003, we ran our yearly holiday gift guide, with a specific list of dos and don’ts with giving. One of the don’ts: Don’t regift to the original gift-giver. That still stands. Just a reminder to double-check to whom you were going to regift that basket of various regional cheeses that you received last year and never opened.

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COMMENT | NEWSMAKERS

Q&A LAURA STENSGAR The new CEO at Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort and Hotel has been there from the very start

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

O

n Oct. 31, the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council officially named Laura Stensgar as the new CEO of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort and Hotel.

Before that, Stensgar had been interim CEO for more than a month, but being in leadership at the casino was far from new for her.

From helping the tribe explore whether it even wanted to get into gaming in the early 1990s, to leading the way in marketing the casino and resort in little Worley, Idaho, and developing cultural tourism, Stensgar has been involved at every step. Now with a hugely successful golf course, resort, multiple bars and restaurants and, of course, gaming, Stensgar says she’s ready to lead the casino into its next phase of success.

INLANDER: Tell us a little more about your experience at the casino leading up to this point.

STENSGAR: I actually was involved right when the tribe was deciding whether or not to get into gaming.

The tribe got a committee together, and I was included as a result of working at the planning department. We had heard of the Oneida Tribe in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and that they were doing phenomenal things for their tribe, so we flew there.

I’ll never forget that day when I got off the plane, and just a mile down the road was this amazing resort. They had pretty much what we have today, you know, 26, 27 years ago, which was amazing. I was just in awe. They had a hotel. They had their own outlet mall. They had their own senior housing. They had a wellness center, a fitness center. We toured the tribal housing. It was just amazing what they had and what they were doing with their gaming dollars. So I came back and was inspired and just said, “We’ve got to do this.”

Now that it’s been more than 25 years, what are some of the really important projects for the tribe that the casino has been able to support?

Oh, we’ve done amazing things. We’re good neighbors, we’re good community members. I think that education is the most profound dollar-wise. In 1991, the gaming compact was agreed and signed off on between the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the state of Idaho. I was

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privileged to be there during the negotiation. [A] pivotal moment was when I saw a tribal leader speak up and tell the state that they want to put 5 percent of the net profits towards education, in the agreement. Many people think that it was stipulated by the state, but this was mandated by our tribal leaders.

We were so proud of our tribe at that time. They had no idea what we would have today, the potential, but we followed through with that promise, and to date we have given over $33 million towards education. We view education as an investment in our children, investment in our programs and investment in our region.

What are the cultural tourism opportunities that you offer?

It’s an amazing program, and we’re three years into operations. Initially it started because we recognized that people were associating tribes with casinos. I don’t blame anyone. I mean, we spend a lot of dollars as far as getting out there and advertising our big promotions or events. But we’re so much more than that as tribal people.

We thought it was important that we educate people that gaming is a tool. It’s an effective tool that helps us to gain jobs and revenue for tribal social programs. But it’s not who we’re about. It’s helping us accomplish what has been instilled in us from one generation to the next: That we must take care of each other and look out for each other and provide for the next generation. And so we have cultural tours and activities [such as] bison tours, canoe-kayak tours, hiking tours; and we have activities such as making Pendleton moccasins, making beaded necklaces, basket weaving and storytelling, exhibition dancing, and also traditional food.

Laura Stensgar says: “We view education as an investment in our children, investment in our programs and investment in our region.”

What are your goals for your time as CEO? I want to, of course, maintain profitability. In order to do that, I think we need to clearly understand who we are, and understand what is that special thing that we have to offer, what differentiates us from others, and really capitalize on that. I think what’s key is our employees.

I really want to empower employees to offer that great customer service, what we call traditional tribal hospitality. I really want to focus on that. And then continue to be a good neighbor and work with the community. n

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COMMENT | FROM READERS

Readers respond to an article about recycling batteries for electric vehicles (“Mining What’s Already Been Mined,” 11/24/19):

NIK CORR: Step one is to stop burning coal to make electricity. The only thing that doesn’t also require tons of cobalt is nuclear. Storage and recycling nuclear waste is way more manageable than commonly known, and it’s got the lowest deaths per kilowatt hour of any energy source by a lot. If only this country wasn’t so deeply superstitious, nuclear could have solved our problems a long time ago.

MARIAN NORTON: It’s right up there with charging ahead with nuclear power plants with no forethought on how to deal with the leftovers.

DAVID VALENTA: Hit up the hydrogen conversion with water-as-waste product. Every region is going to have one advantage over another: wind, sun, geo, water, etc. If and when we update the (national) energy grid, it will serve best to have local and regional options that optimize those local advantages. n

Readers respond to an article on Inlander.com about a new report that shows more marijuana businesses in lower income neighborhoods in Washington (11/21/19):

KEVIN P. FINNEGAN: All the “good family neighborhoods” push to keep the shops elsewhere. This isn’t about taking advantage of the poor, other than elitist thinking of “not in my neighborhood!”

JAMES MIRON: There’s a goodly number of outlets in some relatively upscale retail areas. People I know don’t mind driving to their favorite shop for the deals they want. I patronize a specific shop for the military discount, 20 percent off months and $150 ounces despite it being a three-gallon round trip.

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VIRGINIA KNEIB: Um yeah. There are more small businesses in poorer neighborhoods overall. It’s hard to afford retail space anywhere else.

And Kevin P. Finnegan is right.

MICHELLE FLOWERS: Gee, maybe poorer people feel they have more to escape from. Or, they work too damn hard and constantly push a hurting body.

DAVE DORAN: Zoning and local site restrictions are responsible for this result.

TERESA BROOKS: Help the black men who were jailed and penalized for this… then I’d be happy.

ANDI DAUM: No shit! Real estate prices are skyrocketing! Where in the hell do you expect a small business to move to! n

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 11

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EDUCATION

‘LIKE I DON’T BELONG’ As the student population grows more diverse, Spokane teachers are overwhelmingly white.

School leaders want to change that

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

High school senior Zyaira Webb is president of a club at North Central called Shades, a safe environment for students to talk about race.

Z

yaira Webb has never had a black teacher in Spokane Public Schools. Since moving to Spokane as a middle-schooler, only two of her teachers identified as a race other than white.

Often, she’s the only person of color in the classroom at North Central High School, where 94 percent of the teachers are white.

“Being in a white classroom, where I’m the only African-American or person of color and the teacher’s not even of color, it’s kind of like I feel, not embarrassed, but like I don’t belong,” says Webb, 17.

It’s an experience that students share too often both across the country and locally, experts say. Statewide, only 14 percent of teachers were teachers of color in the 2018-19 school year, according to data provided to the Inlander by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. In Spokane Public Schools, that drops to just 7 percent teachers of color. That’s despite the fact that diversity among students in Spokane is growing, and non-white students already make up about one-third of the population.

The disparity plays a major role in student achieve-

ment for children of color, research shows. For example, a 2017 study by the IZA Institute of Labor Economics found that black boys who had a black teacher between third and fifth grades were significantly less likely to drop out of high school, and both boys and girls who were black were more likely to attend college.

Ramon Alvarez, director of Human Resources for Spokane Public Schools, says it’s important that district leaders and regional colleges work toward making the teaching workforce more reflective of the student population.

“There are many studies out there that show that children of color who see a teacher of color have higher graduation rates, have better test scores, and it may impact the discipline of kids of color in schools,” Alvarez says.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Webb says being surrounded by more adults of color would make her more comfortable in school. In the two classes she’s had in Spokane with a non-white teacher, she’s felt more confident raising her hand to answer ques-

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tions. It’s more empowering when she’s around more people who look more like her, she says.

“If there’s no teachers of color, it’s like I can’t make it in life because look who’s around me: people who don’t look like me,” she says.

At North Central, she’s been able to find mentorship in a counselor who is black. Webb says she’s been called the N-word and a “gorilla” by students at school. Both incidents were handled appropriately by the school, she says, but it helped that there was a non-white counselor who understood how she felt.

“I can’t really express racial problems to a non-person of color,” she says.

There’s plenty of research that says students benefit when teachers look more like them. Black teachers tend to have higher expectations of their black students’ potential than white teachers do, a 2016 study published in Economics of Education Review found. At the same time, a Yale study found that preschool teachers hold black students to a higher standard of behavior than white students, leading to harsher discipline. ...continued on next page

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 13

NEWS | EDUCATION “‘LIKE I DON’T BELONG,’” CONTINUED...

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“We do know that when students see teachers who look like them and are engaging in teaching practices that validate how students approach learning, we tend to see higher academic achievement levels coming from those particular students,” says Yolanda Gallardo Carter, the dean of the Gonzaga University School of Education.

But many students locally don’t see teachers who look like them. In several Spokane schools, every single teacher was white last school year, according to state data. One of the schools without a teacher of color was Bemiss Elementary in northeast Spokane. But 45 percent of the student population there was nonwhite.

Teachers of color make up less than 5 percent of the workforce in the Central Valley, East Valley, West Valley and Mead school districts, state data shows.

Maria Flores, who works on educational initiatives for the state that include hiring and recruiting diverse teachers, says school districts are “very aware” of these numbers. She says districts have been trying to recruit and retain teachers from more diverse backgrounds. But so far, it hasn’t made much of a difference for most of them.

“We need to be breaking down these ideas that only women should be teaching because only women know how to connect with other human beings.”

“We’re not seeing the numbers move,” she says.

Flores says there’s plenty that districts can do to move the needle. The few that have increased workforce diversity tend to be more urban school districts who partner with local universities, civil rights or other community organizations serving ethnic communities. They do more than “posting jobs on their website and hoping for the best,” she says.

Still, it won’t always work. Alvarez, with Spokane Public Schools, says the district is doing several things to try to recruit more teachers of color, including advertising in diverse communities and being more strategic about career fairs. The school board has set increasing its teacher diversity as an objective. But when local colleges, where Spokane schools get a huge chunk of their teachers from, aren’t diverse, it’s hard to make much of a difference.

“I just don’t think we have the pool of candidates,” Alvarez says.

CHALLENGING THE SYSTEM

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14 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

It’s not just white people who are most likely to become a teacher.

More specifically, it’s white women. Nearly three-quarters of teachers in Washington are women, state data shows.

Just like schools need more teachers from diverse backgrounds, they need more good male teachers, says Carter, the dean of education at Gonzaga.

“We need to be breaking down these ideas that only women should be teaching because only women know how to connect with other human beings,” Carter says. “That’s simply not true.”

Providing more evidence that students benefit when they’re represented in the teaching workforce, a study that used national data on 25,000 eighth graders from 1,000 schools found that boys fell behind girls when they had a female teacher instead of a male one.

Carter says it’s impossible to say exactly why it’s white women who dominate teaching. But she says it’s the job of everyone in education to acknowledge the disparities and try to encourage the teaching workforce to look more like its students.

“If we are not doing the job of being thoughtful and intentional about recruiting students, prospective teacher candidates, into our programs who are reflective of the student population

they are going to be teaching, then what we’re saying is we don’t really value and have in mind the people we’re going to be serving,” Carter says.

Tara Haskins, chair of the Education Department at Eastern Washington University, says there are several barriers in the way of people of color becoming teachers. Before this year, a main barrier was the fact that teaching candidates of color — many of whom learn English as a second language — had trouble passing the Washington Educator Skills Test-Basic, which was a requirement to become a teacher. Earlier this year, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill that eliminated a minimum score to pass the test, which could help admit more teachers with diverse backgrounds.

Haskins also says between paying for tests, graduation and submitting fingerprints and other expenses, it’s pricey to become a teacher. And the salary for teachers hasn’t always been a strong selling point.

But Haskins says EWU is making progress. The diversity of education students at EWU is getting closer to the diversity of the university at large, she says. Teachers typically don’t travel too far from where they grew up, and Haskins says EWU has tried to leverage that with outreach in more diverse communities.

Carter, who started at Gonzaga this year, says increasing diversity is something Gonzaga focuses on as well. This year, LETTERS the college of education began Send comments to offering a degree in community, editor@inlander.com. culture and language. That, she says, can be an “anchor program” to explore these issues. It’s important for aspiring teachers to ask questions like why students of color, students living in poverty and students with disabilities are constantly trying to make up an achievement gap in education, she says.

“Is it because those people don’t know how to approach learning? Is it because they’re inferior? No,” Carter says. “It’s because we aren’t challenging systemic inequity within the institution of education.”

CULTURALLY COMPETENT

Even if schools and colleges make significant progress in recruiting teachers from more diverse backgrounds, it will still be years before teachers in the Spokane region start to look more like their students.

What schools can do in the meantime is encourage teachers to better understand their students. Schools in Washington, including Spokane Public Schools, do a range of cultural diversity training.

Jennyfer Mesa, founder of Latinos en Spokane, an advocacy group, says Spokane Public Schools needs to prepare for an increasingly diverse student population. Recently, with programs like the Spanish Immersion program, she’s seen progress.

“If we can see diversity as something positive, as something that can enrich a classroom, then we can get ahead,” Mesa says.

Jenny Slagle, who was just elected to the Spokane Public Schools Board of Directors, has previously done work with the district to try to increase its teacher diversity. As someone who grew up on the Yakama Reservation without any teachers of color in her public school system, she says she’ll push to implement a racial equity policy in the district once she takes her school board seat. She says she’s encouraged by the diversity training happening within the district, but she’d like to see more of it.

“I think it needs to happen across the board, with administration and all teachers,” she says.

It’s crucial to emphasize that teachers can’t just take one class and be culturally competent, says Flores, the state education official. It’s a “lifelong journey” to understand their own biases and background and how that can influence teaching of culturally sensitive topics.

“I’m not disparaging all white teachers — many are teaching diverse and complex narratives,” Flores says. “But there is something to be said about the lived experience of growing up in America as a person of color, helping not just students of color, but also white students.” n wilsonc@inlander.com

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 15

NEWS | BRIEFS

Digging Out Avista moves away from coal in a proposed rate settlement

I

n a proposed settlement that will set higher electricity and gas rates for Avista customers in Washington state, the utility has also proposed several measures that signal its move away from coal power.

Avista will pay off the debt on its portion of the COLSTRIP coal-power plant in Montana about a decade earlier than planned, and won’t support any capital upgrades that would keep the plant going after 2025, according to the proposed settlement, which still needs to be approved by the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC).

Paying off the debt sooner is required under the new 100 percent clean energy bill Washington passed this year.

“When a utility builds and constructs a plant like Colstrip, you don’t pay it off outright, you pay it off over time like you would a house or a car,” says Matt Nykiel with Idaho Conservation League. “For a long time, Avista and other utilities have seen Colstrip to be operating into the 2040s. What’s significant is although Avista is not saying retirement of the plant is at 2025, they’re saying we will have paid it off by 2025.”

But specifically saying they won’t help the plant last past 2025 is even more significant, according to environmental groups.

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16 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

The coal-powered plant in Colstrip, Montana.

“That is really important, because that implies we are now ramping down funding on Colstrip in anticipation of either retirement, or at a minimum, it no longer being useful to Washington ratepayers,” says Doug Howell, a senior campaign representative with Sierra Club. “Montana’s owner of Colstrip is trying to keep the plant open for decades.”

The settlement also proposes a $3 million contribution from Avista to a community transition fund for Colstrip, Montana, where the main source of employment is the plant.

The proposed settlement with UTC staff also includes electricity and gas rate increases that are lower than Avista’s initial proposal, but still not fully agreed

PUGET SOUND ENERGY PHOTO

upon by the state attorney who represents the public.

Avista’s electric revenues would increase 5.7 percent and natural gas revenues would increase by 8.5 percent under the settlement.

The three-member utility commission doesn’t have to agree to all the elements of the settlement, which will go to a hearing some time before April. Comments from the public can still be made at utc.wa.gov/comments.

(SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)

VALLEY SCHOOLS THREATENED

Spokane Valley schools received a rash of apparent SCHOOL THREATS within two days, causing classes to be cancelled during an investigation.

Early Friday morning, Nov. 22, resource officers at Central Valley High School found a threat written on the bathroom wall, forcing the school to go on lockdown before students were sent home. School and law enforcement officials have not disclosed what the message said specifically, but Mark Gregory, spokesman for the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, says it included a date and was not directed at a specific person.

A few hours later, another message was found on a bathroom wall at East Valley High School reading “11-25-19 Don’t come to school. Don’t gotta believe me.”

Deputies arrested a 15-year-old the next day for posting a school threat on Snapchat, but that threat does not appear to be connected with the other two, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say the suspect referenced Central Valley and said in a video he was “not playing with you” and that he was “gonna put one of these in your temple” while holding a bullet. The boy told deputies it was supposed to be a joke.

The boy was not a student at Central Valley High School.

Gregory says it doesn’t matter whether it was a hoax or a joke or not — it is still illegal.

“People may think this is somehow funny or somehow cool,” Gregory says. “But to do these types of things, you could very well be held criminally liable, and at a minimum it’s spreading fear in our communities.”

Marla Nunberg, spokeswoman for Central Valley School District, says there was extra security at both of the district’s high schools Monday. She says she did not notice any drop in attendance.

Kelly Shea, superintendent of East Valley School District, wrote in a message to the school community that the district is asking for additional law enforcement for security as the district tries to determine the credibility of the ominous message written on the bathroom wall.

“These events create fear and anxiety for all of us,” Shea says.

(WILSON CRISCIONE) n

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“ S N O W Y O W L ” BY D E B B I E H U G H B A N K S

HOW DOWN N W O T T O

F I R S T F R I DAY E DITION

NEWS | HOMELESSNESS

A Space for the Displaced When the downtown library closes for construction, where will the homeless go to get warm?

BY DANIEL WALTERS

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18 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

D

uring the past election, downtown Spokane’s public library became a flashpoint. Nadine Woodward, who won a tight race to become mayor, pointed to drug use in the library bathrooms and a fight between a homeless man and a library security guard to argue that the library was unsafe. She even indicated that the library should consider banning homeless people until the drug problems were addressed. Woodward recently told KXLY she regretted making those comments.

But come February, the debate over homelessness and the library is about to change: The downtown library will be closed for two years for renovation, and a much smaller temporary library will be reopening at the STA Plaza. So what happens to the homeless people who use the downtown library for shelter when that shelter goes away?

A

t least some of the patrons, of course, could simply relocate to the temporary library at the Plaza.

“We’re continuing to do our normal operations, which means any person who’s cold can be at the STA Plaza,” STA spokesman Brandon Rapez-Betty says. “If someone needs to come inside and be warm, it’s a public building.”

The entire second floor of the STA Plaza will be converted into the temporary library. That’s 9,800 square feet, larger than the Hillyard Library. Yet, Rapez-Betty also notes that about half of that space is office space. Much of the rest of that space will be dedicated to art exhibits, a conference meeting room, self-service checkout kiosks, and collections of high-circulating books, DVDs

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The second floor of the STA Plaza will become a temporary home for the downtown library. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO and CDs. On the one hand, there will be about 8-10 computer terminals, often spots that homeless people use to check their email, conduct research and update their social media accounts. But that’s one-third of the number of computer spaces currently available at the downtown location. But these computers will be time-limited — capped at 30 minutes per person.

Council President-elect Breean Beggs brings up another issue: What about people who have been banned from the STA Plaza, but not the library? Right now, according to Rapez-Betty, 146 people currently aren’t allowed to set foot in the Plaza because of a violation of the law or of Plaza policies.

Where will they go to get warm? Beggs asks.

“It’s on our radar,” says city spokeswoman Kirstin Davis.

“Our [Community Housing and Human Services] staff have already met with library staff and are also coordinating with homeless services providers to come up with alternatives when libraries are closing.”

Andrew Chanse, executive director of the Spokane Public Library, says he’s been in frequent conversations with the city about how to prepare those who rely on the downtown library for shelter for the transition.

“That’s something we have talked about in the months leading up,” Chanse says. “Can we get some outreach in this facility to really connect with people to make them aware of what their alternatives are going to be when this facility closes?”

But right now, it’s not entirely clear to the library what those alternatives will be.

“I know there’s been some controversy over what those options are the last couple of weeks with the city funding,” Chanse says. “I think the city is still trying to land on their strategy for what to do for this season.”

In the long term, Beggs says, there needs to be a daytime homeless shelter for men.

“If we did, I believe that will ease some of the problems that people report on both sides of the activists on this issue,” he says.

City Councilwoman Kate Burke, one of the most ardent voices on the council about homelessness, worries that history will repeat itself. She thinks back to last year, when the closure of the House of Charity’s 24/7 shelter resulted in the streets being flooded with homeless people, sparking community backlash.

“What happens is the businesses call in and say, ‘Where did all the homeless people come from?’” Burke says. “You can’t just expect people to go away. They still need a place to go.” n danielw@inlander.com

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 19

NEWS | CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Treating Violence Why some say Spokane County urgently needs a specialized court for domestic violence

BY JOSH KELETY

W

hen it comes to domestic violence, Spokane County is an outlier in the worst way. Since 2005, the rate of reported domestic violence incidents per 1,000 residents in the county has been higher than the state average, according to a 2019 joint report from the Spokane Regional Health District and the Women Helping Women’s Fund. Additionally, an estimated one out of three perpetrators of domestic violence reoffend within two years, according to the Health District.

The phenomenon has prompted an awareness campaign pushed by the Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Coalition dubbed “End the Violence,” which promoted a documentary on the issue that aired earlier this year on local news stations.

But for some, there’s a glaring hole in the justice system’s response to the issue: Spokane County doesn’t have its own specialized domestic violence court, which proponents argue could improve victim safety and reduce offender recidivism by, for starters, speeding up cases and requiring that some offenders attend domestic violence perpetrator treatment programs.

“We know that domestic violence is having a huge impact in our community and that our rates are very high here,” says Annie Murphy, chair of the Spokane Regional Domestic Violence Coalition. “Anything that we can do to make victims safer in our community should be a priority.”

W

hile there are a variety of types of domestic violence courts nationwide, local officials and advocates frequently point to Boise where Ada County has operated a centralized domestic violence court for years that handles both civil protection orders and misdemeanor domestic violence cases. It also features dedicated judges and other court staff trained specifically in domestic violence issues.

Ada County’s model has garnered national recognition: It was dubbed a “national mentor court” in 2013 by the U.S. Department of Justice that other jurisdictions should look to as a model.

The idea, proponents say, is for domestic violence courts to be problem-solving tools — in a similar vein to drug courts — that improve outcomes for both parties.

For instance, victims are able to obtain civil protection orders in the same court that they’re acting as a witness in.

“Domestic violence is unique in the sense that often families are involved in multiple aspects of the legal system at the same time,” says Robyn Mazur, director of gender and justice initiatives at the National Center for Court Innovation, a reform-minded think tank that provided guidance to Ada County while it developed its system. “There may be a criminal case, a family law matter, and that’s encompassing of a lot of things including

20 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

civil protective orders and custody matters.”

Proponents of domestic violence courts argue that victims are often dissuaded from pursuing charges because they have to move between various courts to address behavior from one perpetrator. Additionally, judges in different courts may issue conflicting orders on the same defendant.

“These are all separate cases that are happening at the same time, maybe with conflicting orders,” says Crissy Anderson, a former legal supervisor at YWCA Spokane. “It creates problems for accountability, it creates problems for victims.”

“That’s really what best practices say you should be doing,” says Lynden Smithson, chief assistant prosecutor with the Spokane City Attorney’s Office and long-time proponent of centralized domestic violence courts. “A defendant should see one judge, the judge gets to know that person, the issues, and the victims.”

Offenders, meanwhile, are frequently ordered to attend various treatment programs to help address behavior — such as substance use disorder treatment or domestic violence perpetrator treatment — and are required to attend frequent hearings to ensure that they are complying with court orders. Additionally, domestic violence cases are accelerated in the program.

“When we have two or three cases together, it is easier to gain compliance,” Smithson says.

“In that domestic violence court [defendants] are automatically assigned to a probation officer who is following up and holding them accountable,” says Spokane Police Sgt. Jordan Ferguson, supervisor of the department’s domestic violence unit. “Right now, so many times, a judge will order conditions of release and there’s no way for anybody to follow that person or check with that person to make sure that they are following the rules set for them by that judge.”

While there’s no definitive studies on the effectiveness of Ada County’s domestic violence court, academic literature examining similar models around the country indicate success. A 2014 study from North Dakota State University on Clay County’s domestic violence court showed that participants reoffended at a lower rate than similar offenders who didn’t go through the program.

I

n 2016, a group of officials and advocates from Spokane’s criminal justice system travelled to Boise to learn about its domestic violence court. Afterward, a workgroup was formed to consider adopting a similar model, but the efforts fizzled. And since then, no real attempt has been made to reboot the initiative.

“The project just lost steam, for whatever reason,” Murphy says.

Smithson says that the main roadblock to establishing a domestic violence court is a lack of motivation to collaborate among the local judiciary. “District Court and Municipal Court don’t really play well together,” he says, while noting, however, that the city and the county do work together to run the Spokane Regional Mental Health Court.

Tracy Staab, presiding judge in Spokane Municipal Court, says that while she’s open to the concept of domestic violence court models, she hasn’t seen empirical evidence showing that they produce outcomes.

Judge Patti Walker, who oversees a domestic violence docket in Spokane County District Court, says that while it would be “great” to have a combined court, a lack of funding for support staff and existing projects — such as reforming the court’s fee system known as “legal financial obligations” — get in the way.

“I’m not sure it’s on anyone’s radar right now,” she says.

There’s also a lingering distrust of domestic violence perpetrator treatment, a crucial component of the Ada

Perpetrator treatment provider Ginger Thompson is frustrated by how few domestic violence cases result in treatment referrals. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO County court, among judges and defense attorneys alike. Many point to the cost of treatment — insurance programs don’t cover perpetrator intervention treatment — as well as a past report produced by Washington State Institute of Public Policy that found little impact on recidivism.

“Some courts didn’t ever order anybody to [domestic violence] perpetrator treatment program,” Walker says.

“That was either because the judiciary didn’t have confidence in it or the lawyers wouldn’t agree to have that as part of a plea agreement.”

Judge Staab says that the financial burden of treatment is a big factor: “It’s always a consideration when you’ve got someone in front of you who is indigent and can’t afford treatment and treatment is not covered by any sort of program,” she says.

Smithson is skeptical of those criticisms: “It’s all over the place. People are very against domestic intervention treatment because they’re like, ‘Oh gosh, we’ve sent people there, but the recidivism rate doesn’t change much.’

These are the judges that say stuff like this, but they will repeatedly send people to drug or alcohol treatment, and they’ll come out and abuse, and they’ll send them back.”

The lack of referrals has long frustrated domestic violence treatment providers like Ginger Johnson, who runs Relationship Advantage in Spokane.

“How come we have all of these individuals being arrested and almost none being sent to treatment? That just doesn’t make sense,” she says.

Meanwhile, Judge Walker recently acquired a $15,000 grant from United Way to help cover treatment costs for indigent clients. (At Relationship Advantage, for instance, an initial evaluation costs between $100 and $250 while subsequent weekly sessions cost $50, Johnson says.)

“In my time on the bench, having worked with all of the different providers that we’ve had in Spokane over the years, I’ve seen great success,” Walker says, referring to perpetrator treatment programs. “We see the change and we don’t see them back again.” n joshk@inlander.com

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 21

You’re so money. financial educ ation presented by stcu.

Money and happiness.

It’s complicated.

You often hear that money doesn’t buy happiness. Yet, many people believe they’d be happier if they just had more money.

Experts say the answer is more complicated.

Without adequate food, clothing, and shelter, people struggle with happiness. Earning more money can increase happiness, but only to about $75,000 per year, studies have repeatedly shown.

If you’re still unhappy after that, money may not be the answer.

Basics

$75,000/year income

$75,000/year income

Relationships and connections are where we find happiness, so focus on those areas of your life:

Retail therapy may feel good in the short-term, but often leads to impulse purchases that can add to financial stress.

Helps:

Help others

Experiences

Happiness increases the likelihood of:

Job offers

Sadness and powerlessness

Time-saving services

Flip the script. Focus on happiness over money and you might get both.

Positive evaluations by supervisors

Anger and guilt

Don’t fall for the comparison trap. There’s always someone with more.

Do compare:

Past self v. present self

Sources: Psychology Today, Forbes, and Entrepreneur magazines.

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22 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Does not help:

Don’t compare:

Friends

Neighbors

Celebrities

COMEDY

BORN THIS WAY Kevin Nealon is a stand-up comedy lifer

BY DAN NAILEN

K

evin Nealon figures he hasn’t gone more than two weeks without getting on stage for a stand-up set since he started doing comedy in the late ’70s.

That’s a pretty impressive run of consistent performing for sure, and all the more so considering the career Nealon’s had on TV and in films along the way. Nine seasons on Saturday Night Live, seven on Weeds and a steady diet of movie roles alongside old SNL peers all could have conspired to keep him away from the standup stage. But Nealon can’t imagine that.

“It’s really my forte,” Nealon says in an interview from Los Angeles. “I am, I think, by and large a standup. That’s what I am. I’m a stand-up comedian.”

That’s why, even though he’s in the middle of filming episodes of CBS sitcom Man With A Plan and his own Hiking With Kevin YouTube series, Nealon is swinging through Spokane for four shows at the Spokane Comedy Club on Thanksgiving weekend. ...continued on next page

Kevin Nealon is as tall as he is funny.

DIANA RAGLAND PHOTO

CULTURE | COMEDY “BORN THIS WAY,” CONTINUED...

“It’s really something I need in my life,” Nealon explains. “I don’t know what it is, I just like every aspect of it. I like the craft.

I like creating jokes and the wordsmithing of it all. And then performing it on stage, and then being spontaneous on stage, creating the moment. I love it. From the second I went on stage, I was hooked. I became an addict. I needed it, it was such a rush for me. To this day, even though I don’t get as nervous, there’s still that exhilaration I get from it.”

Nealon was so driven by stand-up that he moved across the country from his Connecticut home to get his start in the legendary Improv club in Los Angeles. He ended up tending bar there for years before getting his big break with a spot on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show and later joining the cast of Saturday Night Live. But it took him a little while to actually get up the nerve to hop on the stage that helped launch the careers of Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Jay Leno and Larry David.

“It took me like five weeks to actually get on stage,” Nealon recalls. “First, I would just park outside (on open-mic night). The next week, I made it into the bar area. I was like a feral cat that had to come sort of very slowly up to the food.”

“From the second I went on stage, I was hooked. I became an addict. I needed it, it was such a rush for me.”

MICHAEL M C DONALD

PAT SIMMONS

TOM JOHNSTON

JOHN M C FEE

WITH SPECIAL GUES T

SEPTEMBER 8 SPOKANE ARENA T I CKE T S O N S ALE NE X T FR I DAY D ECEMBER 6TH AT 10AM AT T I CKE T S WE S T.C O M

24 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Once Nealon made it up there, there was no stopping. While he notes that early on he emulated the styles of his comedy heroes like Steve Martin, Albert Brooks and Andy Kaufman — “I like that whole misdirection, that kind of uniqueness” — he eventually developed his own style. That style is probably best described as “affable Everyman, but twisted.” Consider his Subliminal Man from Saturday Night Live as a pretty good example, although Nealon notes that, like all comedians, he’s always evolving. While working in stand-up hasn’t changed much since he started, Nealon says, stylistic changes have made their way into his act.

“There’s a lot more ‘alternative comedy’ now, confessional comedy, more attitude and style as opposed to setup and punchline, which is great,” Nealon says. “I’ve been influenced by that, too, it’s really a mixture of everything in my act.”

Which means you might get jokes about electric cars or parenting a few minutes before you head into a surreal story about his wandering eye competing with his lazy eye.

Nealon’s comedy works nicely in his newest project, Hiking With Kevin, in which he hoofs around the Hollywood hills with famous friends, doing an interview and cracking jokes along the way. The show was inspired by a hike he did with actor Matthew Modine a few years ago, when Nealon pulled out his phone and recorded the two friends gasping for air after a steep ascent as they talked about roles Modine had turned down after making Full Metal Jacket.

“He rolled his eyes and said, ‘Oh man, I turned down so many roles. I turned down the Tom Hanks role in Big, and the Michael J. Fox role in Back to the Future, the Tom Cruise role in Top Gun,’” Nealon says. “We both laughed and I posted that and it got a good response.”

Nealon launched the third season this fall, adding hikes with Patton Oswalt, Eddie Izzard and Tiffany Hadish to popular past episodes with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jack Black and Marie Osmond.

When he hears that a fellow former SNL Weekend Update host is in Spokane at the same time he is, Nealon says, “Maybe I’ll hike with Chevy Chase when I’m there, we’ll see.” n Kevin Nealon • Fri-Sat, Nov. 29-30, 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm • $25-$32 • Spokane Comedy Club • 315 W. Sprague Ave. • spokanecomedyclub.com • 318-9998

CULTURE | DIGEST

Chasing Chevy RICK ROLLED I was surprised to find the first episode of Rick and Morty season four on Adult Swim for free a couple weeks ago. Yeah. Like, just sitting there waiting for me to press play. It was amazing, considering it’s been more than two years since season three. Morty develops evil superpowers to get with his crush and Rick finds himself in a world ruled by crustacean fascists.

After eagerly awaiting episode two, I realized a little “key” icon next to its title. You can’t just watch the subsequent episodes. You have to log in with your “cable service provider”? (What the hell is that?) If you’re willing to pay up front, you can apparently get new episodes via YouTube TV and Hulu+. (QUINN WELSCH)

C

BY DAN NAILEN

hevy Chase’s appearance at the Fox Theater Friday for a screening of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and chat about his career sold out so quickly that many probably didn’t even know the show was happening before they were too late to buy tickets.

You could simply watch your worn-out VHS tape of the 1989 holiday favorite, but let me suggest that your time would be better spent watching one of Chase’s other movies. I mean, Christmas Vacation isn’t even the best movie featuring Chase as Clark W. Griswold. Here are some alternative flicks from Chase’s heyday to enjoy this weekend: FOUL PLAY Chase’s first movie after becoming a star on Saturday Night Live, Foul Play blends slapstick comedy with some action-adventure vibes as policeman Chase and librarian Goldie Hawn team up to stop an assination attempt on the pope in San Francisco.

Featuring foul-mouthed dwarfs, albino mobster hitmen and a Dudley Moore cameo that still kills.

THE BUZZ BIN SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES Penned by Neil Simon, this romantic comedy again teams Chase and Hawn as exes — he’s a writer kidnapped from his cabin and then falsely accused of a crime, she’s a public defender married to a candidate for governor (Charles Grodin). When Chase turns to Hawn for help, hijinks and a rekindled flame ensue. Fluffy good fun.

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST Some noteworthy new music arrives online and in stories Nov. 29. To wit: THE FLAMING LIPS, The Soft Bulletin: Live at Red Rocks. The band’s best album performed with the Colorado Symphony.

PRINCE, 1999 Deluxe Edition. A remastered version of His Royal Badness’ brilliant 1982 release comes in a variety of packages that includes live shows and extra songs.

MOTLEY CRUE, Dr. Feelgood 30th Anniversary Edition. It comes with a doctor’s bag you can throw up in when power ballad “Without You” comes on. (DAN NAILEN)

NO KITTEN AROUND Take a break from routine, bundle up the family and head up to Cat Tales Zoological Park in Mead to meet three of the cutest, fluffiest and littlest residents of the wildlife refuge. The park recently welcomed two baby cougars (aka pumas), who, at the time of this writing, are about nine weeks old: Jackson and Hope. The siblings are joined by their friend, a three-month-old female bobcat named Oakley. The three kittens are currently making short appearances in the Cat Tales nursery; check the zoo’s Facebook page for the latest updates and times: facebook.com/CatTalesZoo. (CHEY SCOTT)

GRIM FUTURE The U.S. has been actively engaged in conflict in Afghanistan for almost 20 years, making it the longest running war in U.S. history. And what do we have to show for it? Not a lot, Luke Mogelson shows in a recent piece in the New Yorker, “The Shattered Afghan Dream of Peace,” available at newyorker.com. Peace talks with the Taliban have bottomed out, ISIS militants still have a foothold, and civilian casualties are climbing as the Trump administration increasingly mounts indiscriminate airstrikes and secretive CIA-sponsored night raids. The United Nations estimates that during the first half of 2019, Afghan and U.S. forces killed more civilians than ISIS or the Taliban did. The U.S. may be gearing up to withdraw troops from the region — per Trump’s urging — but the violence will almost assuredly continue. (JOSH KELETY)

FLETCH This isn’t included because Chase plays an investigative reporter taking down dirty, drug-dealing cops on Venice Beach. No, it’s the litany of memorable one-liners (“It’s all ball bearings nowadays!” “You using the whole fist, doc?”) and Chase’s ease playing a slew of aliases as he goes undercover — from country clubber to beach bum to Los Angeles Laker. Wait, that last one was a dream sequence.

FUNNY FARM For some reason the ’80s was rich in shows about couples moving to unfamiliar environs (The ’Burbs being the best). In this one, Chase is a sports writer who quits his job to move to the Vermont countryside with his wife (Madolyn Smith) to write a novel. His descent into madness begins when the movers’ truck gets lost, and watching Chase melt down as his dream life falls to pieces is extremely Griswoldian.

VACATION Yes, this choice is an obvious one, but there’s no denying the best Chevy Chase movie of them all. Released in 1983, it relies less on physical slapstick than Christmas Vacation, and has far better characters and more laughs thanks to the presence of legends like Imogene Coca, Eugene Levy and John Candy filling even the minor roles. Even Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) is better — probably because there’s less of him. n

FOR REAL THIS TIME While an unfortunate filming conflict forced Napoleon Dynamite star Jon Heder to cancel his planned Lilac City Comicon appearance this year, event organizers recently announced he’ll be back on the guest roster for 2020. Tickets ($5-$30) for the 14th annual convention June 6-7 at the Spokane Convention Center are on sale at lilaccitycomicon.com. Keep up with the latest announcements about special guests and more on the comicon’s social media pages. (CHEY SCOTT)

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 25

CULTURE | ANALYSIS

ALIKA JENNER PHOTO

WSU ATHLETICS PHOTO

This will be the only Apple Cup showdown between UW’s Jacob Eason (left) and WSU’s Anthony Gordon.

An Inauspicious Season Ends Whether WSU’s Mike Leach can finally beat UW’s Chris Peterson might be the best (and only) reason to watch this year’s Apple Cup

BY DAN NAILEN

T

he last two years Washington State entered their rivalry game with UW with a chance to go to the Pac12 championship, only to have the Huskies dash those hopes in both dramatic (2018’s unexpected Snow Bowl in Pullman) and undramatic fashion (a 41-14 trouncing in Seattle in 2017).

This year’s 112th edition of the Apple Cup will have to rely on the rivalry to generate excitement, because honestly there’s not a lot either team is playing for this time around. Sure, a win or loss might upgrade or downgrade the quality of bowl game they land in, but we might just be talking about whether you prefer Las Vegas or El Paso in December (Vegas, the answer is always Vegas). For the first time since 2014, neither team is ranked in the national polls, and they’re too far behind Oregon in the Pac-12 North Division standings to make a win or loss matter. They are, like much of the Pac-12 as a whole, utterly mediocre.

That’s not a happy place to be for teams that not long ago were contending for a national championship (that would be UW) or just last year rode a wave of good vibes and fake mustaches, courtesy of one-anddone quarterback Gardner Minshew, to one of the best seasons in school history and an Alamo Bowl win (that would be WSU).

To some degree, it’s not shocking both the Cougs and Huskies are having a down year in 2019. In Seattle, they had to replace four-year starting quarterback Jake Browning, and all the fans who complained about him for much of his career found out this season how hard it is to plug in a new QB

26 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

and just keep rolling along. Yes, Minshew did it at WSU last year, but he’s obviously a freak with magical powers in that mustache and is currently working in the NFL. UW turned to Georgia transfer Jacob Eason, a guy with all the attributes you could want in a quarterback. And he’s been… OK. The Cougs likewise had to replace Minshew, and to do that they tapped a guy who’s been in Pullman and coach Mike Leach’s “Air Raid” system for four years, and was Minshew’s backup a year ago. All Anthony Gordon has done was go completely apeshit on the WSU record books. He already broke the Cougs’ singleseason record for touchdown passes (held jointly by his two predecessors, Minshew and Luke Falk). He leads the entire country in passing yards and touchdowns, and he’s on several end-of-season award lists. Why doesn’t Anthony Gordon get the love Minshew enjoyed a year ago? I blame the lack of stylish facial hair.

W

SU’s 2019 woes certainly can’t be blamed on Gordon. And sophomore running back Max Borghi, despite being arguably underused, is a top-10 back in the conference. If anything, it’s been defensive lapses against UCLA (when the Cougs gave up 50 second-half points to lose 67-63), Utah, Arizona State, Oregon and Cal — all of whom scored more than 30 points on the Cougs.

WSU’s defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys quit shortly after that UCLA debacle, and in the first season of a new three-year contract reportedly worth about $650,000

annually, so he must have really wanted out.

Maybe he’d been the target of some of coach Mike Leach’s barbs typically reserved for his “student-athletes.” The oh-so-charming Leach called his players “fat, dumb, happy and entitled” after losing to Utah.

That’s enough to bum anyone out, even a guy like Claeys with a couple million bucks waiting in his contract.

If there’s one reason to watch this year’s Apple Cup, it might be to see if Leach can finally get the best of one of Peterson’s teams. UW is 5-0 in the Apple Cup since Peterson took over for Steve Sarkisian, and last year’s 13-point win was the closest game of the bunch. UW might be down, but they have a quarterback who’s likely to get a look in the pros (and probably pretty soon), the third-best defense in the conference and a great running back in Salvon Ahmed.

Next season, Leach will again be looking for a new quarterback, will likely be looking for a new defensive coordinator, and will hope to get the Cougs back in contention for a conference title. Peterson will likely have the Huskies back in fighting form, he’s too good a coach not to. Beating UW this year, when the national spotlight won’t be anywhere close to the game, might be Leach’s best shot to finally win an Apple Cup against his cross-state nemesis.

But I’m a betting man, and I wouldn’t bet on it. n dann@inlander.com WSU vs. UW • Fri, Nov. 29 at 1 pm • Husky Stadium, Seattle • Airing on Fox

The shrimp pho at Vien Dong.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

ROUND UP

SOME LIKE IT HOT Winter is coming; warm up with these five local Vietnamese restaurants’ rich, brothy pho noodle soup

BY INLANDER STAFF

S

ay what you will about the awful darkness and ice of an Inland Northwest winter: It’s time to shift into soup mode! What better way to start than with a steaming bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup, or pho?

Whether you bring some takeout home when you’re feeling crappy or sit inside a steamy-windowed restaurant booth while it rains or snows outside, the piping hot broth and any spicy condiments added provide instant warmth from the inside out. It’s really not the worst trade-off for cold-weather living.

VIEN DONG 3435 E. Trent Ave.

What we got: beef pho with shrimp, $10 This local institution was, for years, as famous for the quality of its food as the tiny, Pepto Bismol-pink building

that housed it. Small quarters, sure, but they were serving up large portions. Last spring, the restaurant closed its corner space on East Sprague and was out of operation for a while, but they’ve since opened a new location on Trent. The space is brighter and certainly bigger than the previous digs, and it also offers more seating, which is a plus — on a recent Wednesday visit around lunchtime, nearly every table was occupied. What hasn’t changed is the food itself, which is as filling and soothing as it has always been. The savory pho broth is salty with just a hint of sweetness, and all the veggies and proteins — from brisket to chicken to tendon to tofu — are fresh and colorful. We opted for the shrimp pho, and could have eaten a whole second portion when it was all gone.

(NATHAN WEINBENDER)

VINA ASIAN RESTAURANT 2303 N. Ash St.

What we got: large chicken pho, $10.25 ($9.25 small) I’ve never been a big fan of traditional American-style chicken noodle soup (I blame the blandness of the fast and cheap stuff in a can we ate as kids), but give me a steaming bowl of chicken pho and I’ll slurp it down hungrily, any time. Vina’s pho is simple and traditional, but totally customizable using many condiments and sauces stationed on each table — hoisin, soy, fish, hot chile, sriracha — if you like it saltier, spicier or both. Pile on as much as you like of Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime and jalapeno peppers served separately with each bowl. For its chicken pho (there’s also traditional beef and seafood on the menu; all come in large or small portions) Vina ...continued on next page

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 27

FOOD | ROUND UP

How to use

“SOME LIKE IT HOT,” CONTINUED...

THIS

doesn’t skimp, filling the already brimming bowl with a generous amount of shredded white meat that floats above the pile of thin rice noodles. Don’t be afraid to slurp, ramen-style, as you pull bunches of noodles from the bowl with your chopsticks, and don’t leave too much of that savory broth behind.

(CHEY SCOTT)

PHO VAN 2909 N. Division St.

What we got: beef pho with eye round steak and meatballs, $11 Add Pho Van to my rotation of cheap eats in Spokane. Think you can’t get full off soup? Talk to me after you’ve had a large order of pho from this Division Street eatery. For $11, I got a steaming bowl of pho thai bo vien big enough to drown in, filled with rice noodles, broth, beef and meatballs. Don’t forget to toss in the hoisin, sriracha, bean sprouts, Thai basil and jalapenos before making the inevitable mess.

And what better way to avoid the diseases floating around this time of year than by slam dunking your own head into a bathtub-sized bowl full of spicy pho? I also ordered egg rolls and a Thai iced tea and, still, my bill was under $20, tip included. (QUINN WELSCH)

PHO LIBERTY

23505 E. Appleway Ave., Suite 100, Liberty Lake What we got: beef pho with eye round steak and brisket, $10 large ($9 small) On a cold, rainy early winter day after a few hours running errands and other banal activities, pho was just the ticket: Hot, fragrant, fast and customiz-

able for spice. Although the broth was not as rich as I’d have liked, the meat and all the accoutrements were perfectly done. Pho Liberty also gets points for price — less expensive than my experience in North Idaho, which is usually the reverse — and pho options. In addition to six beef soups, there’s a chicken and vegetarian noodle version, as well as one with seafood like squid and shrimp, and soup with pork.

Another plus; they have boba tea smoothies, a detail worth remembering for warmer weather. (CARRIE SCOZZARO)

PHO THINH 6022 N. Division St.

What we got: large pho tai with thinly sliced steak, $9.50 ($8.50 small) The exterior isn’t much to look at, and probably had something to do with why I’d driven by the place and never stopped in. That was my bad, because now that I’ve been, I’ll definitely go back.

The interior of the family-owned place is clean and inviting, and the two colorful large fish tanks almost hide the fact you’re sitting in what was clearly at one point home to a fast food joint or something. The pho will make you forget that even faster, though, thanks to a rich broth serving as a base for my bowl featuring thin strips of steak that cooked as I slurped.

There are other pho options, from adding meatballs and tendons to phos featuring chicken and seafood, not to mention plenty of non-soup options as well, like curries and rice vermicelli dishes. The pho is served up with all the extras — jalapenos, sprouts, Thai basil — and the table had a nice selection of hot sauces and oils, too. (DAN NAILEN) n

ALSO TRY

PHO CITY 112 N. Howard St. THREE SISTERS 4003 E. Sprague Ave. and 10615 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley

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Pull down then out NOT eggnog.

FOOD

CONTINUES AFTER HOLIDAY GUIDE

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2019

SUPPLEMENT TO THE INLANDER

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 29

30 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Upscale resale clothing, accessories and gift items.

The Holidays Are Here When...

W

e reminisce. We bake and cook and eat. We reunite with loved ones, and remember those gone too soon. We listen to holiday music, decorate trees, go to church, volunteer, help strangers and support our community in myriad ways. We shop, we give and we receive.

Signs the holidays have arrived are diverse and mean something different to each of us, yet there’s something universal in them that also connects us, no matter our station in life, our age or our beliefs.

For this year’s Inlander Holiday Guide, we asked some of the region’s best writers to share their favorite holiday memories and traditions that signal the season has arrived. They responded with heartwarming, funny and even Traditions PAGE 32

music PAGE 36

theater PAGE 40

food PAGE 44

sorrow-tinged pieces touching on everything from unfulfilled wishes and too-tall Christmas trees to creepy nutcrackers, nativity pageants and “soft pants season.”

We hope you enjoy and can somehow relate to the nine pieces within, and that they inspire you to reminisce, smile or revive an old family ritual of your own.

If you’re looking for new and old traditions to share with those you hold dear, look no further than our recommendations for holidayrelated events across the region, and even some that have nothing to do with Santa, jingle bells or gift shopping.

Cheers!

— CHEY SCOTT, Holiday Guide editor arts PAGE 48

CONTRIBUTORS

holiday free PAGE 50

Elissa Ball, Kris Dinnison, Mary Cronk Farrell, Connor Gilbert, Kelly Milner Halls, E.J. Iannelli, Inga Laurent, Kate Lebo, Claire Rudolph Murphy, Dan Nailen, Trent Reedy, Chey Scott, Carrie Scozzaro, Nathan Weinbender, Ellen Welcker

Cover Illustration By Shelby Criswell

EVENTS PAGE 55

Join us for our first annual Sparkle Party December 5TH at 6PM

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s n o i t i d a Tr

Come for Coeur d’Alene’s tree lighting — stay for the fireworks!

COEUR D’ALENE RESORT PHOTO

Happiest of Holidays

Family friendly events to festively celebrate the season, with twinkling holiday lights galore

By Chey Scott and Connor Gilbert Nov. 29

COEUR D’ALENE LIGHTING CEREMONY PARADE

Mark the start of another holiday season with one of the region’s biggest traditions, a holiday lighting ceremony and parade through downtown scenic Coeur d’Alene. This year marks the 29th annual parade, complete with floats, marching bands, music and dancing down Sherman Avenue to the Coeur d’Alene Resort. There, crowds gather for an official countdown to switch on the twinkling lights for the season, followed by a fireworks show. Options to view the holiday lights abound in the following month, including aboard a cruise boat on the lake during daily excursions. Find ticket prices, times and more details for those activities at cdaresort.com. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, free, 5 pm, cdadowntown.com (CHEY SCOTT)

32 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Through Dec. 23

SANTA EXPRESS

The holidays are an excellent time to stress the importance of gift giving and charity, and there are few better ways to impress that upon young ones than with Santa Express. Through Dec. 23, shoppers from ages 4-12 are welcome to come browse (with the assistance of an “elf”) for inexpensive gifts for everyone on their nice list. Best of all, the proceeds support the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery which helps local kids in need. Parents can also shop at the Santa Express Boutique (this year located in the old Runner’s Soul space in downtown Spokane) while they wait, but there’s a strict no-peeking policy for gifts, so be warned. 221 N. Wall, open MonFri 11 am-8 pm, Sat 10 am-8 pm, Sun 11 am-6 pm, santaexpress.org (CONNOR GILBERT)

Through Jan. 1

WINTER GLOW SPECTACULAR

You might not enjoy setting up Christmas lights, but they’re definitely great to look at. Winter Glow cuts out the hard part and gives you the best of both worlds. The 40-day celebration of all that is the holidays, complete with an abundance of bulbs, is coming into its sixth year in existence. This year the festivities are moving to Liberty Lake’s Orchard Park for the first time. Walk or drive through dozens of light displays with animations and music that will keep the whole family entertained for the wonderful price of free. Liberty Lake’s Orchard Park, free, spokanewinterglow.org (CG)

Nov. 29-Jan. 5

FESTIVE FUN IN DOWNTOWN SPOKANE

AWARD-WINNING WINES

Between holiday shopping and other festive activities, take time to explore some of the seasonal sights and sounds spread throughout downtown Spokane. Starting the day after Thanksgiving, old-fashioned carriage rides are offered Friday through Sunday, creating an opportunity to slow down, sit back and enjoy the city’s urban winter scenery. Rides depart from 221 N. Wall St. through Christmas Eve. The next day, on Nov. 30, holiday window displays from the old Crescent department store are unveiled at the Davenport Grand Hotel, viewable on the building’s Main Avenue side. Marvel at the cute woodland creatures, Nutcracker ballet dancers and other magical scenes. That evening, also on Nov. 30, and starting at 4 pm, Riverfront Park hosts a tree lighting celebration at the skate ribbon and main entrance to the park from Spokane Falls Boulevard. Leading up to the lighting of the park’s iconic 60-foot spruce at 6:25 pm, families can enjoy performances by community groups, crafts and other activities. Downtown Spokane, free, times vary, details at downtownspokane. org (CS)

The best time to visit the Gaiser Conservatory, in our opinion, is around 4 pm.

Dec. 13-22

GAISER CONSERVATORY HOLIDAY LIGHTS

Head up the South Hill to ooh and ahh at thousands of twinkling lights covering every leaf and branch of the warm weather plants inside Manito Park’s balmy Gaiser Conservatory. For around two decades now, the Friends of Manito have hosted this magical holiday display, a favorite local tradition for all ages. While the conservatory is open at 8 am daily, the lights don’t go on until noon after the plants are watered. The best time for viewing is around 4 pm when the sun sinks below the horizon, thus the greenhouse is open until 7:30 pm during the lights’ 10-day display period. Don’t forget a camera, and make sure to bundle up as there’s usually a line to enter on peak nights.

Manito Park, donations accepted, daily from 12-7:30 pm, thefriendsofmanito.org (CS)

WEDDINGS, RECEPTIONS, AND PRIVATE PARTIES

A Unique Venue for that Special Event Gallery • Barrel Room • Courtyard

Dec. 14-29

CAMPBELL HOUSE HOLIDAYS

Explore what it was like to celebrate Christmas, circa 1914, while visiting one of Spokane’s grandest historic landmarks: the Campbell House. For 12 days this holiday season, the Kirtland Cutter-designed mansion on the MAC’s campus is transformed into an early 20th century wonderland, complete with era-appropriate decor and a grand Christmas tree. Guests can explore the home at their own pace and observe local actors portraying various members of the household, including the family’s cook and chauffeur. After your festive visit, head back over to the museum to explore the ongoing Norman Rockwell’s America exhibit, which also highlights traditional American holiday celebrations over the years. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, $7-$12, Dec. 14-15, 17-22 and 26-29 from 12-4 pm, northwestmuseum.org (CS) Dec. 31

NEW YEAR’S EVE: BEETHOVEN’S NINTH

Join millions of revelers around the world also welcoming in the fresh beginnings of the New Year with a performance of Beethoven’s triumphant Ninth Symphony. Most know this work — the composer’s final complete symphony and one of the most performed symphonic works in the world — for its famous fourth movement, “Ode to Joy.” The Symphony, under the direction of resident conductor Morihiko Nakahara, performs the complete work alongside guest vocalists and the Spokane Symphony Chorale during this annual culmination of the season. Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, $14-$65, 7:30 pm, spokanesymphony.org (CS) n

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Turtle Island Quartet: Winter’s Eve SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2PM Joyous music from holiday celebrations around the globe

DIE NUSSKNACKER

By Kate Lebo

I

The Night Before Christmas Carol

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 7:30PM Join Charles Dickens on the night he creates his ghostly masterpiece 34 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

’m sure my grandmother’s nutcrackers did not, at time of purchase, seem like garbage that people who love her would one day be unable to throw away. In 1955 they were fistsized, with human hair and fingerless hands holding beer steins and ski poles, a cockeyed nullity in their un-pupiled eyes, Westdeutschland stamped beneath their feet. In 1965 the nutcrackers were forearm length, and most wore military jackets.

Red army, green army.

By 1975 their helmet-covered hair that wasn’t human, wasn’t even animal, would in fact, if grabbed during a Christmas-light-sparked house fire, melt brown or blond plastic into the skin. By 1985 the nutcrackers were knee height, bucktoothed, bought at Walmart and still dressed for war. The majority were made in China. None of them could crack nuts.

Nutcrackers are guardians of the house and symbols of good luck, square- and glass-jawed, as Fritz discovers in Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, where breaking Clara’s nutcracker turns Fritz into an asshole and the nutcracker into a human prince.

They came from Germany in the rucksacks of

WWII soldiers like my grandfather, who married my grandmother, had children, and collected objects to delight and protect their children. And so: all my life, toddler-sized nutcrackers bossed kitten-sized nutcrackers into protective formation, poised and ready for the war on Christmas.

Not long ago, my grandfather locked the keys in his still-running car and fell down walking home, precipitating a move to assisted living.

They’d delayed leaving their house as long as they could. The move was agonizing. A relief.

That is how I came into my inheritance: 100 nutcrackers in various states of limb, paint, and hair loss. My grandfather’s dead now, my grandmother still alive. She’s 97. Through the manic glitz of Christmas, no Lebo goes unguarded. n Kate Lebo is the author of the cookbook Pie School, the poetry chapbook Seven Prayers to Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and co-editor with Sam Ligon of Pie & Whiskey: Writers Under the Influence of Butter and Booze, a collection of writing and recipes from the Pie & Whiskey reading series.

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 35

Cirque Dreams comes to the FIC on Nov. 29.

M u si c

Hear the Holidays Celtic, country and classical: The Christmas concerts that could become your newest yuletide tradition

By Nathan Weinbender Nov. 29

CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE

Who says you have to schlep off to Vegas to take in Cirque Dreams? The Florida-based troupe’s biggest profile is in Sin City, but they tour all over the country with their annual Holidaze show, which ushers in the Christmas season with real razzle dazzle. It’s a variety show filled with musical numbers and dance-heavy set pieces that evoke holiday iconography, with elaborate costumes and gravity-defying acrobatics. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 7:30 pm, $38-$68, inbpac.com Nov. 30

THE TENORS: WONDER OF CHRISTMAS

The holidays are all about harmony, and the Tenors take that notion to its most literal extreme. The Canadian trio of Victor Micallef, Fraser Walters and Clifton Murray have voices that blend together about as well as a dollop of honey melting at the bottom of a hot cup of lemon tea, and their setlists include songs both secular and spiritual — expect standards, carols, showtunes and even a few pop hits. It’s a night of old-fashioned entertainment that even your grandmother could enjoy. Bing Crosby Theater, 7:30 pm, $38-$53, bingcrosbytheater.com Dec. 7

SPOKANE JAZZ ORCHESTRA: NUTCRACKER SUITE

Since 1975, the Spokane Jazz Orchestra has been bringing the swing to the Inland Northwest, and their Christmas concerts always draw a crowd. The centerpiece of their upcoming December program is Glenn Miller’s Nutcracker Suite, the 1940s jazz composer’s reinterpretation of the Tchaikovsky opera.

The orchestra is joined by local singer-songwriter Cami Bradley, performing her own jazzy arrangements of Christmas standards. Bing Crosby Theater, 7:30 pm, $19-$32, bingcrosbytheater.com Dec. 7

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS

It’s hard to find a band that everyone in the family can agree on, but Mannheim Steamroller is a good candidate. The project of musician Chip Davis started in the 1970s producing instrumental rock of the New Age persuasion, but it quickly became synonymous with Christmastime, having released dozens of holiday albums, compilations and box sets. The Steamroller makes its regular December pilgrimage to our neck of the woods, and this time it’s celebrating the 35th anniversary of its famous Christmas showcase. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 7:30 pm, $51-$115, inbpac.com

36 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Dec. 10

MARK O’CONNOR: AN APPALACHIAN CHRISTMAS

Fiddler extraordinaire Mark O’Connor came through the Inland Northwest same time last year, and he obviously had a good time because he’s back again with his Appalachian Christmas concert. Known for a style that blends jazz, bluegrass, country and classical, O’Connor treats this yuletide show as both a celebration of Applachian music — by way of Christmas standards, of course — and as a nod to the importance of family traditions. Keeping true to that notion, he’ll be performing with members of his own family, who have aptly christened themselves the Mark O’Connor Band. Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, 7:30 pm, $30-$65, foxtheaterspokane.org

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Dec. 15

AFFINITI CELTIC CHRISTMAS

The angelic voices of Affiniti will transport you right to the rolling hills of Ireland. Emer Barry, Aisling Ennis and Mary McCague are all classically trained, and they also bring harp and violin into the mix, bringing a Celtic lilt to songs from all over the world. They’ve become regular Spokane presences around Christmastime, and this truly international act comes with a regional twist: They’ll be joined at Bing Crosby’s namesake theater by the crooner’s nephew, vocalist Howard Crosby, and you can probably guess which song they’ll be singing. Bing Crosby Theater, 7 pm, $22, bingcrosbytheater.com Dec. 21

BLUE CHRISTMAS WITH SAMMY EUBANKS

When Elvis sang about having a “Blue Christmas,” he might have been referring to a show like this. Spokane blues guitarist Sammy Eubanks has been a local institution for years, and anyone who has paid every cursory attention to our music scene has seen him shred at least once. He tours around the country pretty regularly, but we always relish a hometown concert, and his now-annual Christmas concert is one you won’t want to miss. Expect Eubanks and his ace group of backing musicians to put their own spin on some classics, alongside fellow locals Tuck Foster and the Tumbling Dice. Knitting Factory, 8 pm, $5, sp.knittingfactory.com

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Dec. 21 & 22

HOLIDAY POPS WITH VANESSA WILLIAMS

The final Symphony Pops concert of the year is quite a doozy. Actress and singer Vanessa Williams has been one of the biggest stars of adult contemporary radio for decades, and she’ll be performing a roster of yuletide standards with the Spokane Symphony the weekend before Christmas. But don’t be surprised if Williams dips into her roster of pop hits, from “Dreamin’” to “Save the Best for Last” to the Oscar-winning “Colors of the Wind” from Disney’s Pocahontas. And rumor has it — Santa Claus might stop by.

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PEACE ON EARTH

By Claire Rudolf Murphy

I

know it’s the holidays when neighbors gather to celebrate the season. I’ve been lucky to live in friendly neighborhoods most of my life. Growing up on 24th Avenue, every December Mrs. Higgins directed a nativity pageant with the kids on our block.

Afterwards parents, actors, and older neighbors sang Christmas carols and enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies.

One year was especially memorable. A yellowed newspaper clipping jogs my memory. A photo and article about our pageant ran on the society page of the Dec. 22, 1960, edition of the Spokane Daily Chronicle.

That year I got to play Mary. In the photo I am kneeling beside the manger, my hands folded in prayer.

Across from me is my big brother Jim, as Joseph. Behind us stand the angels, neighbor girls draped in white sheets, halos on their heads. Seated around us are the boys, shepherds dressed in bathrobes and holding staffs, Stevie Higgins and my brother Matt among them. The three kings are there, too. My brother John’s crown is rakishly perched on his head.

Years later I recreated the Christmas pageant with our children and family friends in Alaska. Family videos and photos reveal a similar joy to my childhood. Away from shopping and holiday cards for one evening, we had such

fun.

My thoughts about the nativity have evolved over the years. But no matter one’s faith tradition, I believe it is a gift, a story of hope. A baby bringing peace, a brave young mother and a devoted husband, stars and shepherds, singing angels and kings bearing gifts.

Nowadays, my husband and I celebrate by gathering on the Solstice with our neighbors, sharing good food

and filled with gratitude for their generous and friendly spirits.

My Christmas wish for Spokane? Community, good will, and peace on earth. n Claire Rudolf Murphy is the author of 18 awardwinning fiction and nonfiction books for children and young adults.

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By Ellen Welcker

I

am seasonally possessed by the Ghost of Christmas Past, which manifests in high-priority rummaging through low-priority packages of nostalgia my mom occasionally sends me in search of an old cassette recording of my brother and me when we were… one and three? Two and four? I don’t know.

It’s gray, with a magenta stripe. Unlabeled. I haven’t found it in a while. On this tape, if you can find a device on which to play it and turn the volume all the way up, you can hear some authentic early ’80s white noise. But beyond that — if you are totally silent — and your ear is pressed to the speaker — and you want it badly enough — you can hear little preliterate me reciting “The Night

Before Christmas.” Even the deeply confusing “luster of midday to objects below.” Even the mysterious “dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly.”

As usual, my brother steals the show with his adorable baby babble, but I need you to hear me, which means, I’m sorry to say: no small talk, 100 percent attention on this shitty recording of a kid you didn’t know hurdy-gurdying one of the best-known holiday poems of all time.

What’s the big deal? Truthfully, nothing — it makes me laugh that I even care — but if you’ve ever had the experience of hearing yourself before you remember yourself, you know… there’s something magical about

that. Something enigmatic. Something dust to dust and nevermore. Body replacing itself every seven to 10 years and all. To glimpse that, even for a moment, even if it means forcing a room full of your friends into SILENCE so you can reach backward and forward at once toward an old and a newly imagined “you”— well, that’s the spirit now. I’m filled with it. Possessed. It’ll pass. ’Til next year. n Ellen Welcker is the author of Ram Hands (Scablands Books, 2016), The Botanical Garden (Astrophil Press, 2010) and several chapbooks, including The Pink Tablet. Her website is ellenwelcker.com.

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Theater

Catch The Nutcracker with the Spokane Symphony Dec. 5-8.

Seasonal Stage Magic SEVEN holiday performances to enjoy, from time-honored classics to magicians, comedy improv and acrobats

By E.J. Ianelli

Nov. 29-Dec. 15

A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL

Whether you’re a devotee of the 1983 movie or just a casual fan, this acclaimed stage adaptation sticks fairly close to the original while adding songs and choreography for that little something extra. There’s Ralphie, of course, who wants nothing less than an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle under the tree. And then there’s his fussy kid brother, the pink bunny suit and the leg lamp fiasco. All of those beloved characters and memorable moments get some Broadway-style razzle-dazzle with numbers like “Ralphie to the Rescue!” and “It All Comes Down to Christmas.” Lake City Playhouse, $25, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm, lakecityplayhouse.org

40 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Nov. 29-Dec. 22

ELLEN TRAVOLTA PRESENTS: CHRISTMAS MIRACLES

A classic song-and-story evening hosted by Ellen Travolta, Christmas Miracles draws on heartwarming personal anecdotes submitted by members of the public. They might be funny, inspiring or even bring a tear to your eye, but they all revolve around the surprises and coincidences that seem extra special when they take place during the holiday season. This marks the show’s seventh year and, as always, it features some of the most renowned talent in the local performing arts community, including singer Abbey Crawford, director Troy Nickerson and bassist Eugene Jablonsky.

Optional room packages (from $249) include two show tickets and a $50 dining credit. Coeur d’Alene Resort, $27.50, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 5 pm, cdachristmas.com

Nov. 29-Dec. 22

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

During the holiday season, it’s not uncommon for folks to step back and take some time to reflect on the things they’re grateful for.

And few stories are better at prompting that exercise in gratitude than It’s a Wonderful Life. This is the story of small-town everyman George Bailey, who, in the depths of his despair, is shown how the small acts of selflessness throughout his life have made the world a better place. The fact that his epiphany takes place on Christmas Eve makes it all the more poignant. Marianne McLaughlin directs.

Spokane Civic Theatre, $35, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm (no show Nov. 30), spokanecivictheatre.com

December 3 - December 15

Nov. 29-Dec. 22

‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

“‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house / Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” You can almost certainly recite the opening lines (and other verses) of Clement C. Moore’s famous poem. But what’s the story behind it? With a cast of both child and adult actors along with some fun creative liberties, Spokane Children’s Theatre dramatizes how Moore drew inspiration from the seasonal sights and sounds to create this enduring holiday poem. The matinee on Dec. 1 is an ASL-interpreted performance. Spokane Children’s Theatre, $12-$16, 4 pm (Nov. 29 only), Fri at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm, spokanechildrenstheatre.org

Drawing December 14

2nd Floor - East Wing

Drawing December 15

Dec. 5-8

THE NUTCRACKER

Morihiko Nakahara conducts the Spokane Symphony in this annual production of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, which traces its origins back to a whimsical holiday-themed novella by E.T.A. Hoffman titled The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. While the symphony performs instantly recognizable pieces like the twinkly “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” dancers from California’s State Street Ballet make the choreography’s challenging pas de deux look effortless. More than 75 local dancers from across the Spokane area also participate. Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, $19.50-$82, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 2 pm, spokanesymphony.org Dec. 6-27

SEASON’S GREETINGS

We’ve all got our favorite holiday tales. For some it’s Frosty or Rudolph, for others it’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. And as much as we love them, it’s awfully nice to see them in a different light every now and then. In its weekly, all-ages Season’s Greetings show, Blue Door Theatre’s improv troupe takes the classic stories you suggest and reinterprets them through the filter of reality TV. Think A Christmas Carol in the style of Ghost Hunters. Elf reframed as The Bachelor. Or The Nutcracker if it were Dancing with the Stars. This improv show runs every Friday throughout December. Blue Door Theatre, $8, Fri at 7:30 pm, bluedoortheatre.com

18 Fabulous Trees and Gifts, including “CASH” trees at The Davenport Hotel and at River Park Square.

For details and full schedule of events, go to www.spokanesymphonyassoc.org

Celebrate the Holidays with Dry Fly PHOTO BY: TYLER KNOTT

Adam Trent has a magic touch.

Dec. 22

HOLIDAY MAGIC

Adam Trent thinks the holidays are a magical time. In fact, he wants to make them even more magical — by adding, well, more magic. His upbeat holidaythemed production features high-tech effects as well as interactive illusions that involve plenty of audience participation. Until launching his own touring show, Trent was most recently known for his work on the Broadway hit The Illusionists, and his musical guest star has her own high-profile claim to fame.

Known for her angelic voice, teenaged singer/songwriter Evie Clair was a finalist on America’s Got Talent in 2017. Bing Crosby Theater, $25-$40, 2 pm and 7:30 pm, bingcrosbytheater.com n

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 41

PAJAMA PARTY

By Inga Laurent

I

know it’s the holidays when Old Navy displays panoplies of holiday pajamas.

Unfortunately, I no longer have any immedi-

42 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

ate family. My mother Rose, the light and love of my life, was the last branch of origin on that tree. In 2010, she helped me move across the country and during that

last journey we did see: A rare summer rainstorm in the Badlands, that forceful Old Faithful, Mt. Rushmore, and Montana’s meandering, babbling brooks. But come September we discovered cancer and by December’s end, she was gone. I could scarcely imagine another year when the joy of the season would outweigh its sadness.

While I’m thankful I never had to spend a Christmas alone, many thin smiles veiled aches as folks attempted to shoehorn me into existing family traditions.

Luke and Ginger, dear friends, had always demanded that I put down some roots in this town. After nearly seven years of resistance, I relented. They immediately initiated me into all family rituals not as an afterthought, but with complete integration.

Now, every holiday season seems sacrosanct. Time well-spent together, #blessed and brimming with plenty of local artisan presents, the Muppets Christmas Carol, impromptu Pentatonix dance parties (“O Come, All Ye Faithful,” the front-runner favorite), Christmas Day casseroles (one gluten-free!) and even a trip to see a movie. But of all those traditions the very best might be the donning of matching pajamas, one pair reserved just for me.

Merrily grounded now here I stay, a bright sense of belonging renewed on this day.

Now you’ve heard my story and can certainly comprehend — when those jammies hit the shelf, I can’t help but stop and smile to myself. I’ll leave you with some experiential advice: Try being open and willing to admit, any love that you find in exactly the right fit. n Inga Laurent moved from Cleveland in 2010 for a job at Gonzaga University and has slowly been falling in love with Spokane ever since. While she believes the natural beauty of this place is unrivaled, she’s more enamored with the beautiful people in it.

TOYS OF CHRISTMAS PAST

By Kelly Milner Halls

I

know it’s Christmas when toys haunt my dreams.

You’d think other sugarplums would dance through the head of a woman of 62. But I’ve never been a typical gal. So Christmas toys were a source of frustration.

“Can Santa bring me a cap-gun?” I’d ask my very traditional 1960s mother.

“No,” she’d reply. “Santa brings cap-guns to little boys. But I’m sure he’ll leave you a beautiful doll.”

Sure enough, Christmas revealed a delicately dressed baby in a toy stroller — one just like the one my older sister adored.

Unfortunately, even the thought of ribbons and petticoats send me running for the woods, where I shaved the doll’s head. My mother was not amused.

When I asked for a banana bike like my best friend Craig’s, Mom said, “Those are for boys. But Santa will find something better.”

“Better” meant an enormous girl’s bike I had to stand on a box to mount — an enormous bike that guaranteed

I’d have skinned knees for the balance of my little kid life.

Each attempt to turn me into a proper girl failed.

Then Santa pulled a fast one.

“Can I have a bug keeper for Christmas?” I asked my mother, starry eyed at the thought of the tall, plastic insect habitat, complete with a snap off bottom and top to allow for insects of every size. “Or does Santa only give those to boys?”

“We’ll see,” my mother answered. I prepped for a Barbie I’d ignore.

To my astonishment, the official bug keeper was tucked safely under the tree, flanked by a microscope and a book on every North American insect.

I cried that Christmas. My mom did, too. “Santa heard me this year,” I said through grateful tears.

“Yes he did,” my mother said, wiping my face. “And I think he’ll hear you from now on.”

Now I wonder… does Santa make banana bikes for senior citizens? It just might be worth a try. n Kelly Milner Halls has paid a mortgage freelancing for 21 years, writing for publications including the Chicago Tribune, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Denver Post and the Spokesman Review. Her stack of nonfiction books for kids is more than 50 titles high and growing. She’ll never be rich, but she is happy.

And that’s how she defines success.

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 43

A little turkey a la Norman Rockwell.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION

Food

WINTER Treats and Eats Ten food and drink events for any age or interest: aspiring mixologists, home bakers, sweets lovers and more

By Chey Scott Nov. 30 and Dec. 14

HISTORY OF YUM

Local food historian and professor Monica Stenzel returns to the MAC this season for two holiday feasting-themed classes in the museum’s “History of Yum” series. The first comes just days after the Thanksgiving food frenzy and is tied to the museum’s ongoing Norman Rockwell’s America exhibit (which attendees should definitely check out after stopping by for either of these classes; it’s open through Jan. 12).

“History of Yum: Norman Rockwell’s Thanksgiving” explores the history of food displayed in some of the artist’s most famous paintings, including his Thanksgiving dinner and soda fountain scenes. After this class, attendees of all ages can enjoy cookies and cider.

Closer to Christmas, Stenzel returns for her now annual “History of Yum: Gingerbread” session, which explores the history of gingerbread and why we make the festive cookies in the shape of little people. Attendees of this session can decorate their own gingerbread cookies from local bakery Madeleine’s Cafe & Patisserie.

Register online for one or both sessions. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, $18-$25, Nov. 30 from 11 am-noon and Dec. 14 from 11 am-12:30 pm, northwestmuseum.org Dec. 3, 6, 14

HOLIDAY CLASSES AT MY FRESH BASKET

Dust up on your baking skills with local experts and enjoy one of the best parts of the holidays — treats, duh! — at a series of special events hosted by My Fresh Basket market in Kendall Yards. Offerings begin with a holiday cookie session with Eva Roberts, owner of local bakery Just American Desserts, on Dec. 3 ($45). Roberts shares her favorite holiday cookie recipes and other time-tested tips for baking success. Next up, on Dec. 6, aspiring young bakers and pastry artists can come by the store to decorate cookies with Santa during a popular free session held on the store’s second floor balcony for as long as cookies and decorating supplies last. Finally, the store hosts a gingerbread house decorating class on Dec. 14 ($29), offering pre-built houses and all the supplies, along with hot cocoa to sip on while you pipe icing. Two sessions of this workshop are offered, from 1-3 pm or 4-6 pm. My Fresh Basket, times vary, myfreshspokane.com

44 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Dec. 8

GINGERBREAD BUILD-OFF

This year, the annual Gingerbread Build-off benefiting local nonprofit Christ Kitchen celebrates its 15th run in a new hosting venue. Moving from the Davenport Hotel to Northern Quest, the sweet showdown has local culinary teams competing to build the grandest, sweetest holiday gingerbread creation. Guests and spectators can vote for their favorites, and try their own hand at sugar-based architecture by purchasing a miniature gingerbread house kit for $7. Other reasons to attend: live music, photo opps, snacks, drinks and a wholly festive atmosphere. If you can’t make it to the main event, the spectacular gingerhouses created by local pastry pros will be on display at Northern Quest through Dec. 22. Proceeds from the annual fundraiser allow Christ Kitchen to offer job training, support and fellowship for women in poverty in the Spokane area. Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 10 am-4 pm, christkitchen.org Dec. 8

HOLIDAY COCKTAIL CLASS

Holiday entertaining really can be a breeze — even mixing up tasty classic cocktails for your friends and family — as long as you know what you’re doing before the party starts. Enter local cocktail experts Simon Moorby (Hogwash) and Renée Cebula (Raising the Bar), who co-host this special entertaining education session in one of downtown Spokane’s coziest bars.

Guests can master how to make three different cocktails while learning the history behind each drink. All tools and ingredients are provided, along with snacks from Hogwash chef and owner CJ Callahan. Don’t wait to reserve your seat, as this class is only open to 20 people. Hogwash Whiskey Den, 3-5 pm, $50, facebook.com/drinkhogwash Dec. 15

VINTAGE CHRISTMAS DINNER

Feel like you’ve been transported to a nostalgic Christmastime past by heading to the annual holiday farm-to-table dinner at Mont Lamm Farm north of Spokane. Amid the fields and in view of nearby mountains, Mont Lamm transforms into a sparkling holiday wonderland to welcome guests to a multicourse dinner featuring prime rib on the menu for the first time and prepared by guest chef LJ Klink. During dinner, guests are serenaded by live music, including holiday carols familiar and new. Don’t wait to make reservations if this sounds like the perfect highlight to top off the peak of this year’s holiday season. Mont Lamm Events, $65, 4:30-8 pm, montlamm.com/contact

Mochi is a Japanese snack typically enjoyed around New Year’s.

Dec. 29

Celebrate the coming of 2020 with a, perhaps, new-to-you cultural tradition during the Spokane Buddhist Temple’s annual Mochi Fest. Mochi, a Japanese rice cake made by pounding sweet rice into a smooth and gelatinous texture, is traditionally eaten around the New Year to ensure the coming year is filled with strength and good fortune. At this local celebration, guests are invited to purchase and sample traditional mochi and sweet mochi desserts along with other Japanese bake sale items. Proceeds support the temple’s minister education. Spokane Buddhist Temple, 11:30 am-1 pm, spokanebuddhisttemple.org Dec. 31

NEW YEAR’S EVE DESSERT CRUISE

Ring in the New Year in sweet style aboard a dessert-laden cruise across the glassy black waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene. The two-hour cruise is open to all ages, and offers some of the best views of the resort’s midnight fireworks show. Guests of this particular NYE cruise are treated to a dessert social and champagne toast. Too tired to make the drive back home after? Consider booking a room at the resort for the whole family. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, $30.50-$40.50, 10 pm-12:30 am, cdacruises.com n

OAC. Insured by NCUA

MOCHI FEST

CAMERA READYNOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 45

PLAY IT AGAIN, SANTA

By Kris Dinnison

I

know it’s the holidays when we start playing holiday music at our stores, Atticus and Boo Radley’s.

We have a strict policy about holiday music: We start playing it the day after Thanksgiving and we stop playing it at close on Christmas Eve. Turkey to Jesus, it’s all holiday music all the time. For some people that sounds like a nightmare, but I’m one of those weirdos who loves listening to Christmas music. I look forward to the different versions of “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

I love hearing all the songs from the old Rankin/Bass Christmas Specials (“Year Without a Santa Claus” is my favorite). And every year I sing along joyously to “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” and “I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas.” I can even enjoy the Jingle Cats and Dogs for a little while.

And yeah, I’m also one of those weirdos who remembers most of the words to all the songs. Retail during December involves long hours and even longer lines. It can be tough, but mostly it’s a lot of fun. We sing, we

46 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

dance, we wear silly hats and ugly sweaters. We help people find gifts for their loved ones and hopefully a little bit of the joy that sometimes goes missing during a busy, hectic season. These songs have carried me through 26 years of working retail during the holidays. I can honestly

say, I couldn’t do it without them. n Kris Dinnison writes stories and works retail in downtown Spokane. If you see her, or anyone else working retail this holiday, please be nice.

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 47

A rt s

Shop and Awe

Make your own wreath this season.

Where to see and purchase original, locally made artisan gifts this holiday season

By Carrie Scozzaro Nov. 29-30

TERRAIN SMALL WORKS FUNDRAISER

The holiday shopping season supposedly begins the day after Thanksgiving, aka Black Friday, followed by Small Business Saturday. Start your holiday shopping season with Terrain’s “not Black Friday” fundraiser at the nonprofit’s flagship gallery, featuring 25 local and regional artists offering highly affordable original works.

Then, finish your shopping at Terrain’s popular one-day indoor winter arts market BrrrZaar — this year on Saturday, Dec. 14 — across all three floors of River Park Square, which is also where you’ll find Terrain’s From Here shop, just in case you didn’t find that perfect gift. Terrain Gallery, Fri. Nov. 29 from noon-8 pm and Sat. Nov. 30 from 2-8 pm, terrainspokane.com

48 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Ongoing

GET CRAFTY AT THE SPOKANE PUBLIC LIBRARY

While others are gearing up for the holiday shopping season, your neighborhood Spokane Public Library branch is getting ready for holiday and winter-themed crafting sessions. Make gift bags at the Hillyard location on Friday, Nov. 29, for example, or cards at the South Hill branch on Thursday, Dec. 5, and at the East Side location on Saturday, Dec. 12. All activities are free and open to most age groups, although some events require a signup. Various Spokane library locations and times; details at spokanelibrary.org/calendar

Dec. 6

ART + AEROSPACE PARTY

Get a sneak peek into the Historic Flight Foundation at Felts Field (6005 E. Rutter Ave.) with a unique holiday party and fundraiser put on by the publisher of Art Chowder magazine and Northwest Aerospace News. Proceeds help benefit the Foundation’s STEM education efforts and participating artists, including local favorites Terry Lee and Arlon Rosenoff, set up next to vintage aircraft that guests get to see before the Foundation’s official opening on Dec. 17. Historic Flight Foundation, $20, 5-8 pm, bit.ly/35lQux5

Dec. 6-Jan. 17

CUP OF JOY

The boxes of ceramic mugs and cups have already begun to arrive at the Trackside Gallery from all over: New York, North Carolina, Colorado, Florida, Canada and, of course, plenty from local artists, too. At four items per artist and 38 artists participating, there’s loads from which to choose. Come early, advises organizer Gina Freuen, as some artists’ work consistently sells out the first day. Look for tried and true favorites like Seattlite Sam Scott and local Tybre Newcomer, as well as newly participating artists Maya Rumsey and Daniel Perez, plus 34 others. Trackside Studio Ceramic Art Gallery, Dec. 6, Jan. 3 and Jan. 17 from 5-8 pm; Dec. 7, Dec. 14 and Jan. 4 from noon-4 pm, tracksidestudio.net

fig tree home

Dec. 7

MAC HOLIDAY ARTIST STUDIO TOUR

Home for the holidays takes on a whole new meaning when the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture teams up with local artists. For the third year in a row, the MAC has invited regional artists for its Holiday Artist Studio Tour, this year featuring Hazen Audel, Ira Gardner, Kathleen Cavender, Larry Elingson, Suzanne Ostersmith, Tim Ely and Wendy Zupan. It’s a self-paced event, so participation is as simple as buying tickets, choosing which of the seven artists you’d like to visit (of course you want to see all of them!) and planning your route with the provided map. For an extra $10, join the artists at Barrister Winery for an elegant yet informal reception following the tour’s conclusion and featuring jazz music and the opportunity to win original artwork or a painting lesson. You might even find a few treasures for your own home. Locations vary, $10-$20, 9 am-3 pm; reception 3-5 pm, northwestmuseum.org

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Dec. 7, 14

MOSCOW WINTER MARKET

The 1912 Center building in Moscow makes market days feel like something out of the Old World: a bustling array of artisans, from regional artists to local food producers, all indoors. Check the annual event series out in December and plan a return trip in 2020 (Feb. 1, Mar. 7). 1912 Center, 10 am-2 pm, 1912center.org Dec. 8

WINTER WREATH WORKSHOP

Firehouse Flowers didn’t have to go very far to source some of the materials for its first collaborative workshop with Athol’s Lone Mountain Farms. Using hop vines grown on the Idaho farm, participants can learn how to transform the vines into a stunning winter wreath. Even better, they’ll get to sample one of the Farm’s latest brews using those very same hops. Lone Mountain Farms, $45, 1-3 pm, bit.ly/2qs8Ei4 Through Jan. 3

UNWRAP THE CREATIVE

It wouldn’t be the holiday season in Coeur d’Alene without the Art Spirit Gallery’s annual Small Works exhibit, now celebrating its 21st year. The popular exhibition, which began on Nov. 8, offers hundreds of artworks — paintings, sculpture, enamels, ceramics, prints — by a combined 80 or so regional artists. Meet some of them at the free reception on Dec. 13, 5-8 pm. The Art Spirit Gallery, Tue-Sat from 11 am-6 pm, theartspiritgallery.com n

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 49

e e r F y a d i l Ho

Something Different Eight options on the town that will let you forget about the holidays for a night

By Dan Nailen Dec. 5

HARRIET BROWN

A most excellent way to take a night off from the Christmas spirit while keeping your soul intact is this free gig by R&B up-and-comer Harriet Brown.

He’s a Bay Area native now tearing up the Los Angeles funk scene with a sound rooted in classic soul while still incorporating plenty of modern sonic elements. He’s a one-man gang, writing, producing and recording all his own stuff, and the songs on his second album, Mall of Fortune, are full of sexy, funky fun. Lucky You Lounge, free, 8 pm, luckyyoulounge.com Dec. 6

FIRST FRIDAY SPOKANE

Yes, many of the galleries and other art-supporting places taking part in Spokane’s monthly art stroll will lean right into the holiday season. But not all of them will. And for you, the strolling art lover, there are ample opportunities simply to soak in some incredible visual wonders from local artists, sip a glass of wine or two, and embrace a night downtown among the holiday revelers.

Various locations, free, 5 pm, downtownspokane.org/first-friday Dec. 13

MOVING IN STEREO, STONE IN LOVE

Have I ever seen Cars tribute band Moving In Stereo? I have not. Does that mean I won’t be on hand to see the Cleveland-based crew play Spokane?

No it doesn’t. Such is my love for the New Wave killers with a deep catalog of hits like “Let The Good Times Roll,” “You Might Think” and “Just What I Needed” that I will happily go dance to their music. Given the fact Cars leader Ric Ocasek died this year, I can’t think of a more fitting memorial. Although I can imagine he might not be thrilled to know the fake Cars are sharing a bill with a fake Journey, Stone In Love, who joins Moving In Stereo for this show.

Knitting Factory, $20, 8 pm, sp.knittingfactory.com Dec. 15

QUEENSRŸCHE

The Zags take on UNC on Dec. 18.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

50 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

A mere two months after the band’s original singer came through town, Queensrÿche arrives for a show in Airway Heights to show they’re not simply a retro band but one still creating powerful new music with singer Todd La Torre. The band’s latest album, The Verdict, arrived this year boasting more of a thrashy vibe than the prog-metal the band was known for back in the ’80s. Rest assured, they’ll be playing the hits from Operation: Mindcrime and Empire, too — there’s no way Queensrÿche leaves a stage without playing “Silent Lucidity,” right? Northern Quest Resort & Casino, $39-$59, 7:30 pm, northernquest.com

Dec. 18

GONZAGA VS. NORTH CAROLINA

You might be one of the lucky 6,000 people who gets to jam the Kennel for what is arguably the biggest home game in the history of Gonzaga hoops, and if that’s true, congrats! The rest of us will have to hover around a television set at 6 pm that Wednesday to witness North Carolina, one of the most-storied college basketball programs in the country, visit Spokane for what could be a showdown among Top 10 teams. Sure, you could watch at home, but it will be a lot more fun to join Spokane’s basketball fans at the bars across town when the showdown between the Bulldogs and the Tarheels goes down. Better yet, bundle up and hit the free Watch Party at the Pavilion. 6 pm, airing on ESPN2.

Lilac City Live!, the late-night show in the public library. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO Dec. 19

LILAC CITY LIVE!

Spokane’s award-winning live talk show probably won’t totally ignore the holidays. Host Ryan Tucker and his co-conspirators seem far too festive for that. But you can bet whatever the Lilac City Live! crew delivers at its December episode at the Downtown Spokane Library won’t fall into any traditional realm of Santa shenanigans. Show up early to join in on the Cocktail Hour Crafting at 7 pm before the show kicks off at 8 pm with live music, comedy and more. Downtown Spokane Library, free, 8 pm, spokanelibrary.org.

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Dec. 26-28

DAN CUMMINS

If you’ve yet to get into Spokane native Dan Cummins’ comedy, why not make a late-year resolution to fix that right now? Consider the four shows he’s doing over three days right after Christmas an ample opportunity. He’s the popular host of the Timesuck podcast that delves into all manner of weird history — from serial killers to Scientology — and Cummins’ curiosity lends himself to some stellar stand-up, too. These shows are part of his “Happy Murder Tour,” so if your sensibilities are at all delicate, he might not be for you. But you’ll have to go to find out for sure. Spokane Comedy Club, $18-$35, Dec. 26-27 at 7:30 pm; Dec. 28 at 7:30 pm and 10 pm, spokanecomedyclub.com Dec. 27-28

MIDLAND

This neo-traditional Texas trio is having one hell of a year thanks to the success of their Let It Roll album, their sophomore release this summer that hit No. 1 on Billboard’s country album chart. Steeped in killer harmonies, Midland’s songs are reminiscent of everything from George Strait to the Eagles, and their sound has clearly struck a chord just two albums into their career. In 2018 they were named New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, and they haven’t slowed down since. Lucky for the Inland Northwest country fans, they’re here for two shows. Coeur d’Alene Casino, $95-$125, 7 pm, cdacasino.com n

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 51

SOFT PANTS SEASON

By Elissa Ball

I

know it’s the holidays when the cruel needle of fallback-an-hour pops my Halloween weekend balloon and marks the start of a bleak three-month period I call Soft Pants Season. You know how in cold months it seems impossible to leave your warm, cozy couch once you’ve slipped into your favorite fleece sweatpants that are Jackson Pollocked with soup stains? That’s Soft Pants Season. Early sunsets and the urge to veg mean it’s hard to find friends who will actually zip into jeans and meet up after dark, making post-Halloween evenings extra isolating.

Soon after the fall-back sting comes a rapid ramping up of seasonal depression, cold and flu viruses, and football madness (hard to tell which annoys me most). What can I say? I equate the holidays with misery.

But Elissa! What about Thanksgiving? You love root vegetables and squash! Sure do, yet I have major problems with a tradition that distorts history and repackages centuries-long oppression and mass murder of Indigenous

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Americans as a friendly feast. I know I sound like Lisa Simpson. It’s true though.

You can likely guess how I feel about Christmas: Can’t stand it. From the showy consumerism (the more you spend, the more you care? What?!) to the cloying carols to the co-opting of the Pagan Winter Solstice celebration, Christmas irks me to the core. The hypocrisy of churches that display PROTECT THE UNBORN signs yet do not protect “born” children from their own

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abusive clergy sickens me.

Somehow New Year’s is steeped in sadness, too.

What’s supposed to be a fresh start usually feels like a sulky regret parade. Soft Pants Season finally winds down once the red velvet and dark chocolates of Valentine’s Day pop up and my heart starts to thaw. n Elissa Ball is a poet, freelance writer, tarot reader, stand-up comic and dog mom originally from Yakima.

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PRESSING CHRISTMAS MOMENTS

By Mary Cronk Farrell

I

know it’s the holidays when Mom stands on a stool to reach the high kitchen cupboard and pass down the box holding the cookie press. A dozen aluminum disks stand in their slots, but we’ve only ever used the tree and the wreath. The rest of the year the dough gets dumped onto the pan by the spoonful.

But for Christmas, the dough is colored green and red. It’s chilled for an hour in the fridge. Mom fills the press and my sister and I try to produce something resembling trees and wreaths. It takes years, but by sixth grade they’re almost recognizable.

One Christmas in my thirties, I ask Mom for the cookie press.

“Sure. Take it.” Mom never cared about “stuff.”

I don’t press cookies with my daughters because when I take the box from my high kitchen cupboard, I see the press is broken. I put it back in the cupboard.

Move it to three different houses. Until one day I see one at a garage sale.

I keep them both high in the cupboard until the

next time I move, when I swap out the broken parts. A niggling voice says it’s not technically your mother’s cookie press anymore. But in my new kitchen I stand on a stool and put the box in a cupboard above the refrigerator.

The first Christmas after my mother’s death I think about making cookies in the shape of trees and wreaths.

But maybe I’ve lost the art, and it won’t bring her back.

It won’t bring back precious childhood moments, the excitement of Christmas coming, the fun of a contraption that squeezes out perfect trees and wreaths once you learn to end the “press” at the exact right nanosecond.

The niggling voice says I ought to stop saving stuff.

My daughters don’t care about stuff. And the understanding is deep in my bones now, the knowing that moments are fleeting and never recaptured. Even those stored safely away in the highest kitchen cupboard. n Mary Cronk Farrell is an award-winning author and former journalist who writes about little-known historical women finding courage and strength through struggle. Learn more about her books at marycronkfarrell.com.

(sold separately) 232 W Sprague Ave. nynebar.com 474-1621 NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 53

‘LITTLE FULL, LOTTA SAP’

carry it out. A minor design flaw in my pickup meant insufficient room in the bed for the entire tree, but that didn’t stop us!

At home, Amanda and I endured the prickly needles and struggled to push the tree upright in the stand.

Well, it was almost upright. “Huh.” I frowned at the top of the tree crunched up against the ceiling.

“I guess it’s 12 feet at its highest, but slopes down closer to 10 near the windows.

Hold it! I’ll get my trimmer!”

“Hurry,” Amanda said. “It’s really heavy.”

After lopping two feet off the top, the tree stood right up!

“It’s so wide,” Amanda said. “We can’t even walk in here now.”

“Easy fix!” I did a little cutting, some reshaping. “Perfect!”

Never had I been so grateful for hardwood floors as when the sap began to rain down from that tree.

Oh, that Christmas tree was majestic. It was a battle to set it up, but the branches, needles, most of the sap, and Amanda’s frustration over the whole mess was eventually behind us. The fun family memories will last forever. n

By Trent Reedy

I

know it’s the holidays when the family goes to Swenson’s tree farm. There we enjoy a coffee and head into the woods with a saw, searching for the perfect Christmas tree.

No plastic trees for us. We leave the tiny trees for Charlie Brown. We have a high, sloping living room ceiling so we hunt for the biggest tree for maximum Christmas fun.

“You sure it will fit in the house?”

Amanda asked three years ago as we beheld a glorious large spruce.

“Of course! Ceiling’s crazy high!” I said.

Amanda kept our young daughter at a safe distance while I sawed and sawed.

At last the tree fell. A man helped me

Historic Downtown Cheney

Trent Reedy is an author of several novels for young people including Words in the Dust, the Divided We Fall trilogy and Gamer Army. He lives with his family in the woods outside of Cheney and absolutely loves Christmastime in Spokane.

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54 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

EVEN MORE EVENTS...

Watch teams complete in a gingerbread build-off benefiting Christ Kitchen on Dec. 8 at Northern Quest Resort & Casino.

BENEFIT

COLVILLE TREE OF SHARING Help local families have a happier holiday season by donating or picking up a tag from the Tree of Sharing at Key Bank (211 S. Main, Colville). Through Dec. 12; Mon-Thu 9 am-5 pm, Fri 9 am-5:30 pm. Unwrapped gifts and/or donations need to be returned by Fri, Dec. 13. (509-251-1251) THANKSGIVING DAY YOGA CLASS Nonperishable food or monetary donations are accepted at the door. All donations go to local food banks and the Latah Recovery Center to help families this holiday season. Nov. 28, 9-10:15 am. Free, donations accepted. Moscow Yoga Center, 525 S. Main St. moscowyogacenter. com (208-883-8315) BLACKSHEEP FRIDAY Skip the sales and spend a day volunteering with fellow supporters and the resident animals of River’s Wish Animal Sanctuary. Nov. 29, 11 am-2 pm. River’s Wish Animal Sanctuary, 11511 W. Garfield Rd. bit.ly/376A6Cm

FESTIVAL OF TREES The annual display supports the Kootenai Health Foundation to help keep local patients close to home. Events include the “Friday Night d’Lights” on Nov. 29 (5-8 pm) offering the first viewing of this year’s displays, the black-tie Festival Gala on Nov. 30 (5 pm; $215), Family Day and Children’s Workshop on Dec. 1 (11 am-4 pm) and Holiday Luncheon on Dec. 2 (11 am-1:30 pm; $27-$106). Nov. 29-Dec. 2. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. bit. ly/2Knu4Um (208-765-4000) TREE OF SHARING The annual community gift giving event supports families and children in need. Visit a gift table and pick a tag from someone’s wishlist, then shop and drop your gift off by Dec. 16.

Tables at Spokane Valley, NorthTown and River Park Square malls. Nov. 29-Dec. 16.

Spokane, Wash. treeofsharing.org CORK PARTY FUNDRAISER A festive evening of wine and crafting. Ticket includes a glass of Maryhill wine and access to three DIY craft tables hosted by

Art Salvage to make upcycled gifts and holiday decorations with wine corks. Dec. 5, 5:30-7:30 pm. $25. Maryhill Winery Spokane, 1303 W. Summit Pkwy. maryhillwinery.com (773-1976) SECOND ANNUAL DECK THE HALLS The event raises funds for One More Time, which helps adults with life-limiting conditions to have a memorable experience... one more time. View trees before the event before the auction and raffle.

Dec. 5, 6 pm. $25-$100. Garden Plaza of Post Falls, 545 N. Garden Plaza. gardenplazaofpostfalls.com (208-773-3701) JINGLE BELL RUN Wear a holidaythemed costume, tie jingle bells to your shoelaces and show off your ugly Christmas sweater to this annual 5-kilometer run or walk supporting the Arthritis Foundation. Dec. 7, 8 am. $30. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. bit.ly/2Ojen1M POST FALLIDAYS TINY TREE FESTIVAL The fourth annual brunch event includes a mimosa bar, tiny tree auction and entertainment. All proceeds benefit

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pieces, vote for a favorite and create mini versions of your own ($7). Includes holiday music, photos with Mr. & Mrs. Gingerbread, plus snacks, beverages and raffle tickets available for purchase. Gingerbread are displayed through Dec. 22.

Dec. 8, 10 am-4 pm. Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com (242-7000) CHRISTMAS TREE ELEGANCE HOLIDAY LUNCHEONS Music Director James Lowe and musicians from the Spokane Symphony present “Christmas on the Orient Express,” with a silent auction that includes a collection of holiday wreaths.

Dec. 10, 11 am and Dec. 11, 11 am. $55.

Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. thedavenporthotel.com (800-899-1482) CIDER ROOM PUPPIES Puppies from Path of Hope Rescue come to the Cider Room, where $1 of every pint sold supports the nonprofit. Dec. 12, 5-8 pm.

Trailbreaker Cider, 2204 N. Madison St. bit.ly/32JCPhX (509-279-2159)

›

Christmas at Westwood Gardens

BROWNE’S BISTRO Open Thanksgiving 9am-1pm

educational programs and opportunities through the Post Falls Chamber of Commerce. Dec. 7, 10 am-noon. $30.

Templin’s Red Lion, 414 E. 1st Ave. postfallschamber.com (208-773-1611) SANTA PAWS PHOTOS Bring your furry friends to have their holiday photo taken with Santa Paws to support SpokAnimal. Dec. 7, 10 am-2 pm. By donation.

The General Store, 2424 N. Division. bit. ly/2KDpGAC (509-444-8005) SPOKANIMAL UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PUB CRAWL Registration starts at Logan Tavern, then pub crawlers can head out to Jack & Dan’s, Geno’s, Pita Pit, DiNardi’s Pizza and the Star before returning to Logan by 8:45 pm. All proceeds support SpokAnimal. Dec. 7, 5 pm. $20. Logan Tavern, 1305 N. Hamilton. bit.ly/2qdVeWQ (509-474-0584) GINGERBREAD BUILD-OFF Kick off the holidays with the 15th annual gingerbread house competition benefiting Christ Kitchen. Guests can watch local culinary teams create sweet master-

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 55

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COMEDY

JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER Let us know what you’re looking for — a genre, subject matter, time period — and the world wide web will help us find the book. Nov. 29 at 7:30 pm. $8.

Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. (747-7045) KEVIN NEALON Best known for his 9-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, Nealon has received critical acclaim for his role in the Showtime series “Weeds.” Nov. 29-30 at 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm. Nov. 29 and Nov. 30. $25-$32. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com SEASON’S GREETINGS Too much going on, stuff got you down, need a break? Join the BDT for a night of laughs and improvised comedy celebrating the holiday season. Fridays in December at 7:30 pm. $​ 8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland. bluedoortheatre.com TREVOR WALLACE The LA-based standup comedian and actor can be seen just about everywhere on the internet and has collectively built a digital thumbprint of over 300 million views since 2018. Dec. 9, 7:30 & 10 pm. $25/$50. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com DAN CUMMINS: THE HAPPY MURDER TOUR Inland Northwest native Dan Cummins has been a guest on multiple Late Night shows, including Conan, the Tonight Show, This is Not Happening and more. Dec. 26-28. $18-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (318-9998)

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LIGHT UP THE NIGHT Community groups and organizations have decorated trees for the park’s Holiday Tree Walk, which are displayed adjacent to the Numerica Skate Ribbon from Through Jan. 5. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. spokaneriverfrontpark.com SANTA EXPRESS The annual holiday retail store for kids (ages 4-12) offering

gift items priced from $1 to $10. Proceeds from the store benefit the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery, a safe shelter for kids in crisis situations. Nov. 23-Dec. 23; Mon-Fri 11 am-8 pm; Sat 10 am-8 pm; Sun 11 am-6 pm. This year located at 221 N. Wall (old Runner’s Soul space).

Through Dec. 23. santaexpress.org SANTA’S REINDEER AT RITTERS Before their big night out, Santa’s magical reindeer are hanging out at Ritters, with Santa photos starting Nov. 29. Reindeer are available to visit from 9 am-6 pm through Dec. 22. Free. Ritters Garden & Gift, 10120 N. Division St. bit.ly/2KpiLLh TURKEY LEG RUN While your turkey roasts, come run, jog or walk and help raise money to fund new children’s books and fun activities for the Palouse Library. Race begins at 117 E. Main St., Palouse. Nov. 28, 7:45 am. By donation.

Palouse, Wash. whitco.lib.wa.us WINTER GLOW SPECTACULAR This year, the city of Liberty Lake hosts the Winter Glow Spectacular. Orchard Park is lit up with holiday lights and displays, including animation and music. Walkable or drivable around the perimeter.

Daily through Jan. 1. Free. Orchard Park, 20298 E. Indiana. facebook.com/spokanewinterglow CHRISTMAS MARKET AT THE DEPOT Shop for gifts including local food, handmade candy, local honey, and bean soup. Non-edible gifts include local artists’ paintings, pottery, soap kits and cards. The Depot is also selling holiday poinsettias, and the local FFA is selling wreaths and handcrafted iron products for a fundraiser. Nov. 29-30 from 10 am-5 pm. 222 E. Commercial Ave, Dayton, Wash. daytonhistoricdepot.org (382-2026) COEUR D’ALENE LIGHTING CEREMONY PARADE The 29th annual holiday kickoff parade down Sherman Avenue features marching bands, dancing, music and festive floats before crowds gather on the Coeur d’Alene Resort lawn for carols, fireworks and a countdown to turn on millions of holiday lights. Nov. 29, 5 pm. Free. Downtown

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Coeur d’Alene. cdadowntown.com COLVILLE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING The Colville Chamber of Commerce invites all to this holiday celebration, featuring a locally sourced evergreen tree decorated with ornaments made by local students. The tree lighting event features live music, warm beverages, a visit from Santa and more.

Nov. 29, 5 pm. Free. Downtown Colville, Wash. (509-680-2841) DOWNTOWN HORSE & CARRIAGE RIDES Enjoy the sights of downtown from a horse-drawn carriage and sing your favorite carols with family and friends. Rides start at 221 N. Wall St. and are offered Fridays, 3-8 pm, and Sat-Sun, 12-5 pm, through Dec. 22, in addition to Christmas Eve rides Dec. 24 from 12-3 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane. downtownspokane.org THE FESTIVAL OF FAIR TRADE The 35th Annual Festival of Fair Trade benefits people and the planet through an international marketplace with 100s of handmade products from around the world. Nov. 29-Dec. 1; 10 am-5:30 pm.

Free admission. Community Building, 35 W. Main. bit.ly/356kaP0 (232-1950) GREENBLUFF CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE Take a 20 minute horse-drawn sleigh or wagon ride across the bluff, through the trees and back. The sleigh stops at Christmas tree farms where you can pick out and purchase a U-cut tree ($40-$60), walk around, get hot cocoa or walk down for wine tasting at Townshend Cellars winery. When done, hop on the next sleigh for a return ride.

Offered Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Dec. 7-8, 14-15, 21-23 from 10 am-3:30 pm. $15-$20.

High Country Orchard, 8518 E. Green Bluff Rd. bit.ly/32Iv63y JOURNEY TO THE NORTH POLE LAKE CRUISES Take a festive cruise across the sparkling waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene and view more than 1.5 million twinkling holiday lights on the way to visit Santa Claus and his elves at the North Pole waterfront toy workshop. Nov. 29-Jan. 1; daily departures at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 pm. Kids 5 and under free. $8.50-$23.25.

Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com WINTER BLESSING The annual celebration and preparation for the new year features traditional tribal storytelling, a canoe blessing and dance exhibition, along with fry bread and huckleberry jam. Nov. 29, 6 pm. Free.

Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw, Worley. cdacasino.com/event/ winter-blessing (800-523-2467) AIRWAY HEIGHTS WINTER FESTIVAL Activities include the Sunset Elementary PTO movie and popcorn night (Fri, 6:30 pm) and events all day Saturday, including a pancake breakfast, Santa photos, winter storytime, community tree lighting, carols, carriage rides and fireworks show. Nov. 30 at 6:30 pm, Dec. 1 from 8:30 am-8 pm. Free. Airway Heights, Wash. cawh.org CRESCENT WINDOWS AT THE GRAND View revitalized historic window displays from the Crescent department store this holiday season in the Main Avenue windows of the Davenport Grand. Nov. 30-Jan. 5. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. downtownspokane.org HOLIDAY CELEBRATION & FIREWORKS Celebrate the holiday season and Small Business Saturday with a fireworks show, holiday lights, live music, face painting, live reindeer, food, hot cocoa and much more. Bring a food donation for Our Place Ministries. Nov. 30, 5-7 pm. Free. Kendall Yards, West Summit Parkway. bit.ly/2CEkmbW NUMERICA TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION Kick off the holidays with Spokane’s official tree lighting celebration. The event includes free performances by Company Ballet School, Spokane Symphony Chorale and Crescendo Community Chorus, along with special appearances by the Spokane Civic Theatre, favorite character princesses, and Santa. Nov. 30, 4-6:30 pm.

Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. spokaneriverfrontpark.com PHOTOS WITH SANTA Support Teen & Kid Closet Charity through this Santa photo event, offering a 10-min private visit with Santa, activities, warm apple cider and a 4x6 photo magnet. Pets welcome. Monetary and clothing donations for Teen Closet also accepted.

Nov. 23-24, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, Dec. 14-15. $30. Creative Catch Studio, 1804 E. Sprague. santa.thecreativecatch.com SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY EVENT Shop from more than 120 vendors, crafters and local small businesses.

This family friendly event includes swag bags, door prizes, samples and more. Nov. 30, 11 am-4 pm. Free. Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan Rd. mirabeauparkhotel.com (570-4614) SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY FT. GUEST BOOKSELLERS Auntie’s participates in Indie’s First, the national campaign in support of independent bookstores on Small Business Saturday. Twelve local authors are in store, acting as honorary Auntie’s employees and signing books. Schedule: 10 am: Ben Cartwright and Erin Pringle; 11 am: Chris Cook and Trent Reedy; 1 pm: Jess Walter, Shawn Vestal and Jack Nisbet; 2 pm: Sherry Jones and Cindy Hval; 3 pm: Ellen Welcker, Kate Lebo and Sam Ligon. Nov. 30, 10 am-4 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 402 W. Main. auntiesbooks.com SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY: EAT, DRINK, BE MERRY & SHOP Spend Small Business Saturday in Tekoa,

Wash. and enjoy a hayride through town, take a picture with Santa, watch the tree lighting, visit Tekoa’s museum, view the old-fashioned Christmas photo display, and more. Nov. 30, 9 am-4 pm. Free. Tekoa, Wash. tekoawa.com OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS STAR LIGHTING Join Spokane Valley UMC for a lighting ceremony, games and crafts.

The lighting event, live Nativity and Christmas carols begin at 4 pm, followed by hot chocolate and cookies in the chapel. Dec. 1, 3-6 pm. Free. Spokane Valley United Methodist Church, 115 N. Raymond Rd. spokanevalleychurch.org (924-7262) SANTA CLAWS FOR PEOPLE & PETS! The annual event hosted by Washington Basset Rescue features pet friendly vendors, a raffle, adoptable animals, Santa photos ($10 donation) and more. Dec. 1, 11 am-4 pm. Free admission. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. bit.ly/32FeuK5 (590-9667) CHRISTMAS TREE ELEGANCE The 37th annual fundraiser for Spokane Symphony Associates features 18 holiday displays valued up to $5,000 and raffled off to support the nonprofit.

Raffle tickets $1/each. Dec. 3-14 at the Historic Davenport Hotel (10 S. Post) and Dec. 3-15 at River Park Square (808 W. Main). spokanesymphony.org SANTA VISITS AVISTA STADIUM Get a photo taken with Ole Saint Nick, Mrs. Claus and OTTO the Mascot. Includes complimentary coffee and hot cocoa, and 25 percent off most items in the Spokane Indians team store. Dec. 3 and 5 from 5-7 pm. Free. Avista Stadium, 602 N. Havana. spokaneindians.com CHRISTMAS SHOPPING AT THE INN Attendees start with a cocktail in the lounge, which hosts live music, followed by a holiday shopping experience in hotel rooms to purchase goods from local vendors. Dec. 4, 6 pm. Best Western Coeur d’Alene, 506 W. Appleway Ave. (208-765-3200) FROSTED HOLIDAY TREES Add frosting and decorate an edible holiday tree using an ice cream cone. The library provides all supplies to create a masterpiece, while they last. Kids 8 and under must bring an adult. Dec. 4, 3:305:30 pm. Free. Otis Orchards Library, 22324 E. Wellesley. scld.org CELEBRATION OF LIGHTS The annual event includes holiday music from the Bowdish Middle School band and choir, a reading from the classic book “The Night Before Christmas” by members of Spokane Valley’s City Council, the lighting of the tree and a visit from Santa. Dec. 5, 5:30 pm. Free. Spokane Valley City Hall, 10210 E. Sprague. spokanevalley.org OPEN HOUSE & TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY Vera Water and Power’s (601 N. Evergreen Rd.) fourth annual open house. Stop by for a hot chocolate and sweet treats. While you’re there, learn about energy-saving LED holiday lights. Dec. 5, 4-6 pm. Free. verawaterandpower.com DECK THE FALLS TREE LIGHTING + PARADE The annual holiday kickoff in Metaline Falls includes the parade, Santa’s arrival, hot food and drink in the park and other festivities. Dec. 6, 5 pm. Free. Cutter Theatre, 302 Park St., Metaline Falls. cuttertheatre.com (509-446-4108)

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 57

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HOLIDAY MARKET Urban Art Co-op hosts this event featuring artists in pottery, print, jewelry, fiber art and more.

Opening night of the juried show features appetizers for a $5 suggested donation.

Dec. 6, 6-9 pm; Dec. 7, 10 am-6 pm; Dec. 8, 10 am-4 pm. Urban Art Co-op, 3209 N. Monroe. urbanartcoop.org JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM The annual walk-through Christmas pageant features a cast of more than 100 actors from eight denominations, and many live animals, including sheep, goats, donkeys and a camel. Dec. 6 from 6-8 pm and Dec. 7-8 from 5-8 pm. Free. South Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church, 5607 S. Freya St. jtbspokane.org (448-6425) KENDALL YARDS ARTISAN MARKET Shop local at this holiday marketplace offering handcrafted jewelry, art and crafts from over a dozen of talented vendors.

See link for complete vendor list. Dec. 6, 4-8 pm; Dec. 7, 10 am-3 pm. Kendall Yards, Summit Pkwy. bit.ly/32K5jYB MILLWOOD TREE LIGHTING & GINGERBREAD BUILD After the annual tree lighting, build and decorate a house with graham crackers, icing, and candy. The library provides building materials. (Activity is limited to one per family, while supplies last.) Dec. 6, 6:30-8:30 pm.

Free. Millwood Masonic Center, 3219 N. Argonne Rd. scld.org/events (893-8260) WINTERFEST COMMUNITY CELEBRATION Kick-off the holiday season with family and friends at this community festival offering a local vendor market, lighting of a community tree, caroling choirs, outdoor campfires, historic tours, food drive and more. Events take place at Post Falls City Hall Plaza. Dec. 6, 4-8 pm.

Free. bit.ly/2KD5Sxu ADVENTURE OUTPOST This annual alternative Christmas marketplace provides an opportunity to refocus priorities in the midst of this busy season. Eat food, listen to live music, visit a petting zoo and support local and global missions such as World Relief, Partners International, UGM and many others. Dec. 7, 10 am-2 pm.

Free. Whitworth Community Presbyterian, 312 W. Hawthorne. bit.ly/2QwxWGy BING CROSBY HOUSE MUSEUM OPEN HOUSE The museum (508 E. Sharp Ave.) on the Gonzaga campus is decorated for the holidays, and offers free hot cider and cookies to visitors. Built in 1911, the home is where the star of film, song, radio and more grew up and lived until leaving for Hollywood in 1925. Dec. 7, 1-4 pm. Free. bingcrosbyadvocates.org (328-4220) BREAKFAST WITH SANTA Breakfast includes pancakes, sausage and fruit.

Guests can take photos with Santa and decorate a gingerbread house ($7). Dec. 7, 9 am-noon. $25/family of five; $2 per additional person. St. Charles School, 4515 N. Alberta. anastasiaallen11@gmail. com HOLIDAY BALL Wear your holiday best and join a beginner Rumba lesson. Following the lesson at 8 pm is general dancing, refreshments, mixers, door prizes, and fun. Dec. 7, 7-10 pm. $5-$9. Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 S. First Ave. (208-699-0421) HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE Featuring samples of local food products for gift giving.

Dec. 7-8 from 10 am-6 pm. Dec. 7 and Dec. 8. Free. Dahmen Barn, 419 N. Park Way., Uniontown. artisanbarn.org

58 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

There’s no shortage of opportunities to take in community tree lightings, including Millwood’s on Dec. 6.

LIVE NEIGH-TIVITY & SANTA VISITS Visit an animal petting stable, manger scene photo booth and enjoy carolers, hot chocolate, coffee and a visit from Santa. In Sherman Park Square. Dec. 7, 1-4 pm. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. cdadowntown.com SPA HOLIDAY CELEBRATION AND FUNDRAISER Celebrate the holidays with Spokane Preservation Advocates at the historic Knight house (1715 N. West Point Rd.) with self-guided tours of the residence, appetizers and drinks. Dec. 7, 6-9 pm. $25-$30. spokanepreservation. org (344-1065) TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION Activities include ornament decorating, hot cocoa, cookies and more. Dec. 7, 4-5 pm.

Free. Pines Cemetery, 12113 E. 16th Ave.

fairmountmemorial.com/events WINTER MARKET Shop from more than 30 local vendors at this annual market at the 1912 Center. Dec. 7 and 14 from 10 am-2 pm. 1912 Center, 412 E. Third St., Moscow. (208-669-2249) HOLIDAY SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE Pause and remember loved ones who are no longer with us this season during an inspirational memorial ceremony with music by the Gonzaga Prep Women’s Choir. This touching holiday event includes personalized memorial tributes for your departed loved ones, remembrance gifts, door raffle prizes and seasonal appetizers and beverages. Guests must RSVP by Dec. 4; call 509-328-2600 or email wecare@hennesseyfuneralhomes.com. Dec. 8, 2-5 pm. Free. Hen-

nessey Funeral Home, 2203 N. Division. hennesseyfuneralhomes.com HOLIDAY LIGHTS AT MANITO The Gaiser Conservatory is decked out in lights throughout the holiday season, offering wonderful photo ops and a festive setting. While the conservatory opens at 8 am daily, holiday lights don’t come on until noon (plants are watered in the morning and need to dry before lights go on.) Dec. 13-22 from 12-7:30 pm (closed 12/25). Free, donations accepted. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. thefriendsofmanito.org STAR WARS INFLATABLE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR See a 16-foot-tall Darth Vader and more than a dozen other Star Wars inflatables. Includes a meet-andgreet with various Star Wars characters

and more. Bring a donation for Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army. Dec. 13-15 from 6-8 pm. Dec. 13-15, 6-8 pm. 15604 N. Freya St., Mead. bit.ly/2KphuUv CAMPBELL HOUSE HOLIDAYS Join the MAC for 12 days in December to celebrate the holidays in historic Campbell House. Explore the house at your own pace, enjoy the Christmas tree and decorations, participate in a craft activity, and interact with living history characters. Dec. 14-15, 17-22 and 26-29 from 12-4 pm. $7-$12. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org (456-3931) FRIENDS OF MANITO HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE On the first weekend of this year’s holiday lights display in the greenhouse, families can decorate holiday cookies, visit Santa and see this year’s display. Dec. 14-15 from 3-6 pm.

Free. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. thefriendsofmanito.org (456-8038) HILLYARD NORTH POLE A community event offering Santa photos, a tree lighting, hay rides, Christmas caroling, a food drive, cookies and hot cocoa and more. Dec. 14, 2-6 pm. Free. 6018 N. Regal St. bit.ly/2CHAYzu HOLIDAY ON THE AVE Celebrate the holidays with Sprague Union District retail shops and eateries in one of Spokane’s oldest shopping districts. Activities include photos with Santa, holiday shopping, ice carving demos, a scavenger hunt and local bites and treats at vendors throughout the district. Dec. 14, 10 am-6 pm. Sprague Union District, 2400-1600 E. Sprague. bit.ly/376V5oN JACK FROST FEST Celebrate all that

winter has to offer with music, food, beverages for all ages, and a celebration of nonprofits that make the season brighter and safer. Dec. 14, 4:30 pm. $10$20. Heartwood Center, 615 S. Oak St., Sandpoint heartwoodsandpoint.com RE*IMAGINE CHRISTMAS WINTER FESTIVAL Visit downtown Medical Lake and step back in time for a 5K (costumes and pets welcome), free kid’s activities, crafts, a petting nativity, live reindeer, horse and wagon rides, parade and the annual tree lighting and fireworks show, followed by the free bus tour of lights. Dec. 14, 1-5 pm. Free. medicallake.org/wf SPOKANE FAMILY HOLIDAY POWWOW The Gathering at the Falls Powwow committee hosts their inaugural Spokane Family Holiday Powwow, an event open to families and kids of all ages with dancing, contests, special appearances and chances to win gifts.

Dec. 14, 5-9 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main. facebook. com/RiverfrontParkPowwowSpokane TERRAIN’S BRRRZAAR The holiday market on all three floors of River Park Square features regional vendors of handmade, artisan goods for gift giving, along with family friendly activities, a beer garden, live music, photo booth and more. Dec. 14, 10 am-9 pm.

Free. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. terrainspokane.com/brrrzaar WINTER WONDERLAND ON GARLAND The third annual event unites Garland District businesses and the community for a day of food, festive activities, entertainment, and more.

This year’s charity beneficiaries are Fos-

tering WA and Embrace WA, two organizations that provide support to foster parents and their children in the community. Dec. 14. garlanddistrict.com BODHI DAY BUDDHIST SERVICE Bodhi Day is the day Buddhists celebrate the Buddha’s enlightenment. According to tradition, Buddha (Siddhartha) had forsaken years of extreme ascetic practices and resolved to sit under a Pipul tree and meditate until he found the root of all suffering, and how to liberate one’s self from it. Guest speaker Rev. Dr. Takashi Miyaji presents. Dec. 15, 10:3011:30 am. Free; donations accepted.

Spokane Buddhist Temple, 927 S. Perry St. SpokanBuddhistTemple.org LILAC CITY LIVE! Hear from local authors, musicians, artists, comedians and more. Doors at 7, show at 8. Dec. 19, 8-9 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org SCHOOL’S OUT DAY CAMP Camps are packed with activities: swimming, rock climbing, gym games, art, cooking and more. Lunch and two snacks included.

Offered Dec. 30, Jan. 2 and 3, from 8:30 am-3:30 pm. $32/$40. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. kroccda.org ELLA’S SECRET NYE PARTY Ella’s Supper Club hosts a roaring 20s-themed NYE party, offering two times: East Coast (6:30-9 pm) and West Coast (8:30-midnight). Both include a dinner buffet, live music, a midnight toast, dancing and more. See link for details. Dec. 31, 6 pm. $50-$105. Montvale Event Center, 1017 W. First. bit. ly/2NN91wr (509-413-2915)

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NOON YEAR’S EVE PARTY FAMILY CELEBRATION A special celebration of the New Year without having to stay up late, offering crafts and a snack. For families and kids of all ages; young children should be accompanied by a caregiver. Dec. 31, 11 am-noon. Free. South Hill (3324 S. Perry) and Indian Trail libraries (4909 W. Barnes) spokanelibrary.org PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA The annual NYE gala hosted by Spokane Symphony Associates includes a three-course dinner, live music by the MasterClass Big Band, live entertainment, a midnight toast and more. Dec. 31, 9 pm. $150. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. spokanesymphony.org

CRAFTS

UPCYCLED HOLIDAYS WITH WINE Prepare for the holidays with hands-on, historically-inspired activities that creatively reuse materials for sustainable wrapping, tags, decorations, gifts and even regifting with Miss Manners’ blessing. Bring old Christmas cards to share and enjoy some honey wine from Hierophant Meadery.

Ages 21+ Nov. 30, 2-3:30 pm. $27/$30.

The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org WINTER WREATH WORKSHOP Bring some gloves and a friend and make a fresh wreath to hang on your front door this season. Bring any decorations you’d like to add. Dec. 3, 5-7 pm. $25. The Plant Farm, 14208 E. Fourth Ave. (926-9397) MACRAME WORKSHOP Create a macrame Christmas tree. This workshop includes instruction, supplies, and a cider of your choice. Call or DM on Facebook

to reserve your spot. Dec. 5, 6-8 pm. $35.

Coeur d’Alene Cider Company, 1327 E. Sherman Ave. cdaciderco.com HOLIDAY CRAFT & BAKE SALE Featuring homemade baked goods, decor, woodcrafts, paper and fiber arts, sewn and quilted items, gifts, hats, scarves, shawls, jewelry and more. Proceeds support various charitable programs. Dec. 7, 10 am-4 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Community Church of Christ, 11515 E. Broadway Ave. (535-2513) DECK THE FALLS ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR Shop from local and regional vendors and enjoy lunch in the Room at the Ramp.

Dec. 7, 10:30 am-3 pm. Free admission.

Cutter Theatre, 302 Park St., Metaline Falls. cuttertheatre.com (509-446-4108) HOLIDAY WREATH MAKING CLASS Flex your crafty muscles this holiday season and create a one-of-a-kind holiday wreath. Each ticket includes all materials needed for an evergreen wreath, as well a pint of craft beer. Proceeds benefit Inland Northwest Nature Connection, and help provide outstanding outdoor education to students in the Spokane area. Dec. 8, 12-2 pm. $50. Community Pint, 120 E. Sprague. bit.ly/37mro36 SVAS CRAFT FAIR Several local vendors offer handmade items, holiday decor and more. At Spokane Valley Adventist School, 1603 S. Sullivan Rd. Dec. 8, 10 am-4 pm. Free admission. tinyurl.com/ svascraftfair2019 WINTER WREATH Using an assortment of fragrant evergreens, learn to make a traditional holiday wreath, with pinecones and a bow. In SCC Bldg 10, Rm 105.

Dec. 9, 6-8 pm. $40. Spokane Communi-

The downtown Spokane public library is hosting a free viewing of 2019’s Lion King on Dec. 11. ty College, 1810 N. Greene St. (279-6030) ELVES WORKSHOP Drop in and make cards and gifts for your loved ones and yourself this holiday season. Dec. 14, 10 am-noon. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org HOLIDAY CENTERPIECE Create a twocandle centerpiece with fragrant evergreens, miniature carnations, holly, twigs and spider mums. Holiday treats included. Dec. 17, 6-8 pm. $40. Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St. (279-6030) CHEEKY CROSS-STITCH Unleash your inner snark, blow off steam and take

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a little time for yourself with a simple cross-stitch project. Beginners and experienced adult crafters welcome; registration required. Dec. 19, 6-8 pm. Free.

North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. scld.org

FILM

AN EVENING WITH CHEVY CHASE After a screening of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” Chase gives an hour-long talk and answers audience questions. Nov. 29, 7:30 pm. SOLD OUT. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. (624-1200)

15TH ANNUAL BACKCOUNTRY FILM FESTIVAL Selkirk Outdoor Leadership & Education (SOLE)’s annual fundraiser screening event supports getting underserved youth in the community unplugged and connected to their winter wildlands. Dec. 6, 5 pm. $7-$35. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., Sandpoint. panida.org (208-255-7801) MOVIE NIGHT: THE LION KING (2019) The new, live-action remake of Disney’s The Lion King directed by Jon Favreau.

PG. Dec. 11, 5:45-7:45 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main. spokanelibrary.org (444-5300)

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BING CROSBY HOLIDAY FILM FESTIVAL The 14th annual festival features some of the best-loved films starring Spokane’s own Bing Crosby, along with a photo gallery, film clips and a special live musical performance by Howard Crosby (son of Bing Crosby’s brother Ted) and the Zonky Jazz Band, featuring music from the Crosby era. See link for complete film schedule. Dec. 14, 10:30 am-7:30 pm. $10.

Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. bingcrosbyadvocates.org MOVIE NIGHT: JINGLE BELLS ROCKS! An exclusive backstage pass into a fascinating underground world of alternative Christmas music. Starring an eclectic cast of characters: The Flaming Lips, Run DMC and John Waters, plus two dozen original songs. Dec. 18, 6-7:45 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org (444-5300) SUDS & CINEMA: NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION The Inlander, Horizon Credit Union and Rainier host this annual holiday tradition, offering screenings at 6 and 9 pm, with preshow activities, beer specials and more.

Dec. 19 at 6 and 9 pm. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland. garlandtheater.com

FOOD & DRINK

HISTORY OF YUM: NORMAN ROCKWELL’S THANKSGIVING Take part in this fun, family-friendly introduction into the history of food displayed in Rockwell’s illustrations, including a savory Thanksgiving dinner and the soda fountain.

Then enjoy cookies and cider. Nov. 30, 11 am-noon. $18/$20. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

DOCKSIDE SUNDAY BRUNCH WITH SANTA Enjoy Dockside’s legendary Sunday brunch service with Santa. Sundays from 9 am-2 pm, Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22.

Reservations suggested. Dockside Restaurant, 115 S. Second St., Coeur d’Alene Resort, Lobby Floor. docksidecda.com SIP & PAINT: HOLIDAY WINE GLASSES Create a pair of festive wine glasses while enjoying a pint of craft beer or a glass of wine. Choose an advertised design, or come with your own in mind, and an artist will help you bring it to life. Dec. 2, 7 pm. $32. Beerocracy, 911 W. Garland Ave. facebook.com/beerocracy509/ HOLIDAY COOKIES Join local pastry chef Eva from Just American Desserts for a demonstration on her favorite holiday cookie preparations. Dec. 3, 6-8 pm. $45.

My Fresh Basket, 1030 W. Summit Pkwy. bit.ly/2CKA9WB (509-558-2100) ELLA’S SUPPER CLUB A classic threecourse dinner from chef Adam Hegsted with live jazz inside the historic Montvale venue. Dec. 4, 6 pm. $19.99-$45. Montvale Event Center, 1017 W. First. montvalespokane.com/event-center COOKING WITH CHEF AARON FISH: HOLIDAY APPETIZERS! Join chef Fish in a hands-on cooking class focusing on impressive and easy appetizers to amaze holiday guests. Wine, sparkling cider and appetizers served. Dec. 5, 6-8 pm. $50.

Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St., Post Falls. thejacklincenter.org TASTEFUL THURSDAYS The series highlights local brewers, winemakers and artisans who meet the public while offering free samples, gift ideas and information about their goods. Held on the first three Thursdays of November and December,

Chef Aaron Fish is teaching how to cook holiday-inspired dishes at the Jacklin Center in Post Falls on Dec. 5. from 5-7 pm. Free. Moscow Food Co-op, 121 E. Fifth St. moscowfoodcoop.com COOKIE DECORATING WITH SANTA Kids can decorate a holiday cookie and have their picture taken with Santa. This event runs while supplies last. Dec. 6, 4-6 pm. Free. My Fresh Basket, 1030 W. Summit Pkwy. bit.ly/2QbTqYY (558-2100) 12 ALES OF CHRISTMAS Tickets include 12 winter beers, an all-you-can-eat buffet, event shirt, goodie bag and a cab ride home. The event includes an ugly sweater contest, DJ and prizes. Dec. 7, 6-11:30 pm. $50. Capone’s, 751 N. Fourth St, Coeur d’Alene. bit.ly/37qCX9C COOKING WITH CHEF BOB BLACK: HOLIDAY FEAST Learn how to prepare butternut squash and crab bisque; Caesar salad with white anchovies; garlic

and herb-crusted roast beef tenderloin; mushroom bordelaise sauce; pan-seared asparagus with lemon parmesan gremolata; potatoes dauphine and Christmas trifle. Wine, champagne and sparkling cider served. Dec. 10, 5:30-7:30 pm. $50.

Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St., Post Falls. thejacklincenter.org HOLIDAY WINE TOUR & TASTING Resident beer and wine expert Jackson hosts a casual tour of the wine department, where he’ll highlight selections perfect for holiday entertaining. Afterwards, join him for a private wine tasting and light snacks while he shares ideas for a perfect holiday wine list. Dec. 10, 6-7:30 pm. $25.

My Fresh Basket, 1030 W. Summit Pkwy. myfreshspokane.com (509-558-2100) HOLIDAY CHEESE TOUR An informative

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tour of the store’s cheese department with resident cheese monger Stacey.

She’ll go over selections and trends while sharing best buys for holiday entertaining needs. Dec. 11, 5-6 pm. $15. My Fresh Basket, 1030 W. Summit Pkwy. myfreshspokane.com K VINTNERS WINE EXPERIENCE Each wine featured in this tasting has scored 94-98 points in various wine publications. Chose a tasting time: 4:30, 6 or 7:30 pm. Dec. 11, 4:30 pm. $20. Nectar Wine & Beer, 1331 W. Summit Parkway. nectarkendallyards.com (509-290-5239) BAD SANTA PUB CRAWL Check in at Borracho between 5-8 pm and donate a new, unwrapped toy for a chance to win prizes. After hitting all the stops, head back for an after party, costume contest

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62 HOLIDAY GUIDE NOVEMBER 28, 2019

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and live DJ. Dec. 14, 5 pm. $20. Downtown Spokane. spokanepubcrawls.com COOKING WITH CHEF RICKY WEBSTER: HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING Learn a few tricks to entertain stress-free and in style this holiday season from awardwinning Spokane chef Ricky Webster.

Dec. 14, 11 am-noon. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING Decorate a pre-assembled gingerbread house with supplies from Sweet Frostings’ decorations, candy, sprinkles and edible glitter. Call or email to make a reservation. Dec. 14, 2-4 pm. $40. Sweet Frostings Blissful Bakeshop, 10406 N. Division St. bit.ly/2QB1zqd (509-368-9811) HISTORY OF YUM: GINGERBREAD Spice up your holiday season with this popular class on the history and creative art of festive gingerbread. Includes cookies to decorate and enjoy from Spokane’s Madeleine’s Café & Patisserie. Dec. 14, 11 am-12:30 pm. $22.50/$25. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING Get creative for the holidays and decorate a gingerbread house while sipping on some hot cocoa. Ticket includes a prebuilt gingerbread house, plus decorations. Sessions offered Dec. 14 at 1 and 4 pm. $29. My Fresh Basket, 1030 W. Summit Pkwy. (509-558-2100) HOLIDAY CALLIGRAPHY + WINE WORKSHOP Modern calligraphy basics are covered, including how to use essential tools and alphabet practices before moving onto whole words. Each ticket includes a glass of wine. Dec. 15, 1-2:30 pm. $55. Terra Blanca Winery, 926 W.

Sprague. (340-9140) VINTAGE CHRISTMAS DINNER The annual holiday edition of the venue’s farmto-table dinner series, with a menu by chef LJ Klink and live music during dinner service. Dec. 15, 4:30-8 pm. $65. Mont Lamm Events, 7501 Enoch Rd., Clayton. montlamm.com (276-7636) MOCHI FEST To celebrate this annual Japanese New Year’s tradition, the temple is selling traditional mochi, mochi desserts and other bake sale items, along with other Japanese and Buddhist items.

Dec. 29, 11:30 am-1 pm. Spokane Buddhist Temple, 927 S. Perry (534-7954)

MUSIC

SAVED BY THE BELLES The Coeur d’Alene Chorus’s annual holiday concert, featuring the Coeur d’Alene Sweet Adelines, Arvid Lundin, Front Porch Swing Quartet and other local music groups.

Nov. 30, 3 pm. $12-$15. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. cdachorus.com THE TENORS: WONDER OF CHRISTMAS TOUR The Canadian vocal supergroup — Clifton, Fraser and Victor — return to the Bing in time for the holidays, Nov. 30, 7:30 pm. $35-$50. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. bingcrosbytheater.com HANDEL’S MESSIAH Spokane Kantorei & Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Timothy Westerhaus, perform Handel’s complete “Messiah” to kick off the holiday season, featuring local soloists. Dec. 1, 3 pm. $10-$30. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave. stjohns-cathedral.org (509-838-4277) A SEASONAL SALUTE TO THE CHIL-

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DREN’S VILLAGE The Coeur d’ Alene Chamber Music Society presents a concert of seasonal brass ensemble music in tribute to all the wonderful work of the Children’s Village. Dec. 1, 2-3:30 pm. Free.

Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth St., Coeur d’Alene. (208-659-1631) BACHFEST WINTER CLASSICS: BEETHOVEN’S 250TH BIRTHDAY Northwest BachFest Winter Classics begin a complete cycle of the Beethoven String Quartets to celebrate the composer’s 250th birthday with the Ariel String Quartet. The cycle will be completed in Week One of the Northwest BachFest, February 23-29, 2020 with the Attacca String Quartet. $40; $15/students. Dec. 3 at 7:30 pm (CdA, Hagadone Event Center) and Dec. 4 at 7:30 pm (Barrister Winery). nwbachfest.com SPOKANE SYMPHONY: THE NUTCRACKER BALLET The story of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince is brought to life by the Santa Barbara-based State Street Ballet and more than 75 local dancers.

Tchaikovsky’s beloved score is performed live by the Spokane Symphony. Dec. 5-7 at 7:30 pm, Dec. 7-8 at 2 pm. $19.50+.

Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. spokanesymphony.org CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS PIANO FAVORITES Selections for this performance

by Del Parkinson range from Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” through Debussy’s “Clair de lune.” Parkinson’s down-toearth narration gives the background of each piece in order to heighten the listening experience. Dec. 6, 6 pm. Free. Memorial Community Center, 415 Wellington Pl., Hope, Idaho. idahohumanities.org

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 63

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COEUR D’ALENE SYMPHONY: A FESTIVE CELEBRATION The symphony’s annual holiday concert program. Dec. 6 at 7:30 pm, Dec. 7 at 2 pm. $10-$20. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. cdasymphony.org CRESCENDO COMMUNITY CHORUS HOLIDAY CONCERT Celebrate the holidays as the choirs sing beautiful music in the spirit of the season. The concert is followed by a cookie reception with prizes for a holiday raffle. Dec. 6, 7-8 pm. Free.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 5720 S. Perry St. crescendocommunitychorus.org JAZZ AT THE JACC: HOLIDAY EDITION Michael Jaramillo and a new group of accomplished musician friends ring in the season with jazz. Doors open at 6:30 for art viewing, hot cider, wine and refreshments served. Dec. 6, 7-9 pm. $10. Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St., Post Falls. thejacklincenter.org AN ACAPELLA CHRISTMAS The Pages of Harmony Barbershop Chorus presents “An Acapella Christmas” featuring the chorus and quartets performing Christmas and holiday music in the barbershop style. Desserts and beverages available, includes a raffle and auction. Dec. 7, 6:30-8 pm. $5/$15. Millwood Presbyterian, 3223 N. Marguerite Rd. (710-7444) AMAHL & THE NIGHT VISITORS An opera performed by students in the U of I’s Lionel Hampton School of Music. Dec. 7 at 4 pm and 7:30 pm, Dec. 9 at 7:30 pm. $5-$8. The Forge Theater, 404 Sweet Ave. uidaho.edu/class/music/events CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS CONCERT Gonzaga’s 125 singers combine to present multicultural carols from around

the world and participatory carols. Also featuring the Spokane Brass Quintet.

Conducted by Amy Porter, Joshua Shank and Timothy Westerhaus. Dec. 7 at 7:30 pm and Dec. 8 at 3 pm. $10-$25. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/music FREEDOMBOUND WINTER LAUNCH + LIVE MUSIC FROM JACOB MAXWELL A pre-shopping event featuring Freedombound’s winter collection, with live music

by Jacob Maxwell, silent auctions, coffee and more. Freedombound sells ethical clothing made by survivors of human trafficking to fund projects fighting human trafficking in East and West Africa.

Dec. 7, 7-9:30 pm. $25. Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, 504 E. Sherman Ave. evansbrotherscoffee.com HONEYBEE CELTIC WINTER CONCERT Celtic fusion with identical twin sisters Deby Benton Grosjean and Pamela Benton, featuring Taylor Belotte on the drums. Dec. 7, 3-5 pm. $15-$18. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS The program celebrates the group’s recent anniversary of 30 years since the first Christmas album and 40 years since the first Fresh Aire album and includes multimedia effects performed in an intimate setting. Dec. 7, 7:30-9:30 pm. $44.50-$100. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. broadwayspokane.com (800-325-7328) SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS Featuring the North Idaho College Wind Symphony under the direction of Bryan Hannaford, with the Cardinal Choral and NIC Chamber Singers. Dec. 7 at 7:30 pm and Dec. 8 at 2 pm. North Idaho College, 1000 W.

See the Spokane Chiefs on Nov. 29-30 and Dec. 3, 7 and 28. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO Garden Ave. nic.edu (208-769-3300) SPOKANE JAZZ ORCHESTRA: A GLENN MILLER CHRISTMAS FT. CAMI BRADLEY Featuring Glenn Miller’s jazz arrangement of The Nutcracker Suite with local vocalist Cami Bradley. Also featuring the Ferris High School Symphonic Choir under the direction of Barbara Tappa. Dec. 7, 7:30 pm. $17-$30. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. spokanejazz.org WASHINGTON IDAHO SYMPHONY: FAMILY CHRISTMAS A program of holiday classics, including music from Frozen. Dec. 7, 7:30 pm. $10-$25. Pullman High School, 510 NW Greyhound Way. wa-idsymphony.org (509-332-1551) COMMUNITY HOLIDAY CONCERT Open to local choirs, duets and soloists; includes a holiday sing-along. Dec. 8, 6 pm.

Free. Cutter Theatre, 302 Park St., Meta-

line Falls. cuttertheatre.com HOLIDAY ON PIPES An evening of Christmas carols, including an audience sing-along, featuring organist Scott Foppiano. Dec. 8, 6 pm. Free; donations accepted. Spokane First Nazarene, 9004 N. Country Homes Blvd. (509-467-8986) THE HOMETOWN COUNTRY CHRISTMAS CONCERT A concert featuring Christian country and Southern gospel recording artists: The Parks Family, Barry Lee White, The Huseby’s, New Anointing and Patti Parks. Dec. 8, 6-8 pm. Free.

Journey Church, 4224 E. Fourth Ave. journeychurchspokane.com JOY TO THE WORLD CONCERT Featuring the Lake City String Quartet of, Lirico Chamber Singers of University High School and Spokane soprano Hannah Kimball-Fuller, performing secular and

sacred Christmas music and holiday favorites for the Chewelah Arts Guild’s fourth annual Christmas concert. Dec. 8, 2-4 pm. $15. Abundant Life Fellowship Church in Chewelah. chewelahartsguild.org TUBACHRISTMAS An annual event in more than 280 cities where tuba and euphonium players of all ages gather to play traditional Christmas carols. Conducted by Verne Windham. Dec. 8, 3:305 pm. Free. Spokane Transit Plaza, 701 W. Riverside. spokanetransit.com AFFINITI: A CELTIC TRIO CHRISTMAS CONCERT The award-winning Irish trio, along with special guest Howard Crosby (nephew of Bing Crosby) bring the haunting sounds of Ireland and the magic of Christmas to the Panida Theater. Dec. 10, 7:30-9:30 pm. $16-$18. Panida Theater, 300 N. First, Sandpoint. panida.org

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CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT Chorale Coeur d’Alene presents Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece “A Ceremony of Carols,” featuring harpist Janna Bisceglia Engell, and the heartwarming Joseph Martin cantata “Tapestry of Praise: A Celtic Christmas,” accompanied by professional string ensemble, harp, and classical guitar. Dec. 13 at 7 pm, Dec. 14 at 2 pm. $15-$25. Trinity Lutheran Church, 812 N. Fifth St. choralecda.com SINGING NUNS: ONLY A BABY CAME The Sisters present guests with a wide variety of Christmas melodies at their historic home, Mt. St. Michaels. Refreshments available for purchase and the gift shop is open. Shuttle services available from URM Gate #1 on N. Freya until fifteen minutes before each concert. Dec. 14 at 2 and 7 pm, Dec. 15 at 2 pm. $12/$15.

Mt. St. Michael’s, 8500 N. Saint Michaels Rd. singingnuns.com/events TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET: WINTER’S EVE Turtle Island’s unique brand of jazz chamber brilliance evokes visions of a frosty winter’s eve and year-end celebrations from around the globe. Dec. 14, 2-4 pm. $30-$40; $20/student, youth. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu (313-2787) WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL CONCERT Celebrate the season with the annual concert, this year titled “Love Be Our Song.” The production features 120 student performers, as well as instrumentalists and narrators.

The theme is elevated through works drawn largely from the English choral tradition, as well as readings and carols for audience and choirs. Dec. 14 at 8 pm and Dec. 15 at 3 pm. $15-$20. Martin Woldson

Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. foxtheaterspokane.org (624-1200) AFFINITI: A CELTIC CHRISTMAS The group’s annual show at the Bing is special due to their deep and long-lasting friendship with Howard Crosby, Bing’s nephew, who joins them on stage. Featuring a host of Celtic and Christmas songs. Dec. 15, 7 pm. $22. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com AFFINITI CELTIC CHRISTMAS Featuring favorites such as their chart-topping version of “O Holy Night” and “Walking in the Air” alongside some of Ireland’s most beloved music. Dec. 16, 7 pm. $26. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. kroccda. org (208-667-1865) CLARION BRASS: THIS IS WHAT CHRISTMAS SOUNDS LIKE Every year, artistic director William Berry gathers the crew for some merriment in the form of beautifully rendered traditional carols and quirky original takes on holiday favorites. Dec. 17, 7:30-9:30 pm. $28. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. figarotunes.com/clarion WHAT MORE ASTOUNDING: THE OAKS CHRISTMAS CONCERT Celebrate the season with the Oaks Classical Christian Academy at their annual Christmas concert. Dec. 17, 7 pm. Free and open to the public. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. (624-1200) SPOKANE SYMPHONY HOLIDAY POPS WITH VANESSA WILLIAMS American pop icon Vanessa Williams stars in this season’s Holiday Pops, conducted by Music Director James Lowe. Vanessa sings selections from her two popular holiday albums, and other festive songs. Dec. 21 at 8 pm and Dec. 22 at 2 pm. $33+. Mar-

tin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. spokanesymphony.org CHRISTMAS IN SPOKANE: A NOT SO SILENT NIGHT A family-friendly Christmas music event, featuring favorite songs performed in multiple genres. Dec. 22, 8:30 am. Free. ONE* Church Spokane, 15601 E. 24th Ave. ChristmasinSpokane. com (926-3254) CHRISTMAS CANTATA The St. John’s Lutheran Church Choir presents a “Christmas Cantata, Everlasting Light: the Promise of Christmas.” Dec. 29, 3-4 pm.

Free. St. John’s Lutheran Church, 5810 S. Meadowland Rd. sjlspokane.org NEW YEARS EVE WITH SAMMY EUBANKS An acoustic performance by the Spokane-based, award-winning blues musician. Evening entertainment and stay packages available. Dec. 31, 6 pm. $17. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (227-7404) SPOKANE SYMPHONY’S BEETHOVEN’S NINTH ON NEW YEAR’S EVE Say “farewell” to 2019 and celebrate the start of the new year with the Spokane Symphony’s tradition of performing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Resident Conductor Morihiko Nakahara is joined by the Spokane Symphony Chorale under the direction of Kristina Ploeger-Hekmatpanah.

Dec. 31, 7:30-8:30 pm. $14+. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. spokanesymphony.org (624-1200) SWINGIN’ IN THE NEW YEAR: BACK TO THE 20’S Ring in the New Year in style with live music, a ball drop, food, wine, dancing, champagne and magic. Dec. 31, 8 pm. $50. Bridge Press Cellars, 39 W. Pacific Ave. bit.ly/373EBxE (838-7815)

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

BRRC TURKEY TROT The annual event hosted by the Bloomsday Road Runners Club to collect food and cash for Second Harvest Food Bank. Runners/walkers have the option of 2-, 3- or 5-mile routes.

Includes prizes, coffee, cider and prefeast opportunity to burn calories. Nov. 28, 9-11 am. Free, donations accepted.

Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. facebook.com/bloomsdayroadrunnersclub SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. VANCOUVER GIANTS Includes a 35th anniversary celebration. Nov. 29, 7:05 pm. $11-$26.

Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon. spokanechiefs.com (279-7000) STATE PARKS FREE DAY Visit Washington State Parks without a required Discover Pass ($10/day or $30/year). Nov. 29. Includes day access locally to Riverside, Mt. Spokane and Palouse Falls State Parks. Nov. 29. Free. Riverside State Park, Spokane. parks.state.wa.us/281/Parks LEARN TO SKATE Learn with coaches from Lilac City Figure Skating Club in sessions for kids ages 5 and up and adults. Classes teach fundamental skills, including safe falling, gliding, stroking forward and backward, stopping, turns and beginning spins and jumps. $20/ drop-in sessions, $99/six week class; $148/private lessons. Wednesdays from 6-7 pm and Saturdays from 10:30-11:30 am through Dec. 14. $20-$99. Eagles IceA-Rena, 6321 N. Addison. lilaccityfsc.org SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. VICTORIA ROYALS Promos include the Avista “Way to Save” and 35th anniversary poster give-

away. Nov. 30, 7:05 pm. $11-$26. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon. spokanechiefs.com EAGLE WATCHING CRUSIES Every year, 100s of American Bald Eagles visit Lake Coeur d’Alene on their annual migration in December and January. Take a cruise to Wolf Lodge Bay to see these magnificent birds in the wild. Cruises offered Dec. 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and Dec. 26-Jan. 1 at 10 am, noon and 1 pm. $13-$25. cdacruises.com (855-379-5478) FREE ICE SKATING LESSONS Riverfront Park offers weekly ice skating lessons at the Numerica Skate Ribbon, rentals included. Registration available on-site; lessons are on a first-come, first-served basis. Sundays at 11 am through February.

(Paid lessons also available; see website for details). Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org (625-6600) CHEAP SKATE MONDAY Admission to the ice ribbon includes free skate rentals all day. Mondays from 11 am-8 pm through the season. $5.25/$7.25. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard. spokaneriverfrontpark.com (509-625-6600) LET’S GO SNOWSHOEING! Join Holly Weiler from the Washington Trails Association for a fun and informative class on how to get ready for snowshoeing, covering equipment, preparation and places to go. Dec. 3, 6:30-7:30 pm. Free. East Side Library, 524 S. Stone. (444-5300) SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS Promo of the night is the player magnet giveaway. Dec. 3, 7:05 pm. $11-$26. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com (279-7000)

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Millwood Brewing Company, 9013 E. Frederick Ave. bit.ly/2qOLzG9 (3689538) SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. TRI-CITY AMERICANS Includes the annual Teddy Bear Toss and Family Feast Night. Dec. 7, 7:05 pm. $11-$26. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com (279-7000) WSU MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. NEW MEXICO STATE WSU students get free admission with ID. Dec. 7, noon. $10$60. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon. spokanearena.com (279-7000) SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. TRI-CITY AMERICANS Promo: Family Feast Night. Dec. 28, 7:05 pm. $11-$26. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com

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A CHRISTMAS STORY Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, the musical follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts. Nov. 29Dec. 15; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $23-$25. Lake City Playhouse, 1320 E. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene. lakecityplayhouse.org ELLEN TRAVOLTA PRESENTS: CHRISTMAS MIRACLES The Travolta Christmas show is a local holiday tradition. Starring Ellen, sister Margaret Travolta, daughter Molly Allen and featuring Abbey Crawford, directed by Troy Nickerson with accompaniment

by Jennifer Twitchell on piano and Eugene Jablonsky on bass. Nov. 29-Dec. 22; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 5 pm. $27.50. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE The saga of George Bailey, the Everyman from small-town Bedford Falls whose guard-

ian angel descends on Christmas Eve to save him from despair and remind him that his has been, after all, a wonderful life. Nov. 29-Dec. 22; Thu-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. A special Wed, Dec. 11 performance benefits Lutheran Community Services NW. $15-$35. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS It’s four days before Christmas, and the New York Evening Post needs a holiday feature. But writer Clement Moore has writer’s block. Besides that, he must work at home amongst his five children who are very anxious for St. Nicholas to arrive. Nov. 29-Dec. 22; Fri at 7 pm (except Nov. 29, 4 pm); Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $12-$16. Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. spokanechildrenstheatre.org ELEMENTARY HOLIDAY A series of 36 holiday mini-plays written by local elementary kids, performed by teens and adults. Dec. 6-15; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sun at 3 pm. $7-$12. Pend Oreille Playhouse, 236 S. Union Ave., Newport. pendoreilleplayers.org (447-9900) HO HO HOMICIDE MURDER MYSTERY An interactive murder mystery event.

With the Christmas season well on its way, everyone at the North Pole is working hard, but productivity is at an all-time low, upsetting many and putting Santa’s legacy at stake. Dec. 6, 7-10 pm. $25-$80. House of Cards Bar & Grill, 830 N. Spokane St., Post Falls.

(208-369-3695) LITTLE WOMEN: THE MUSICAL This timeless, captivating story of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March is brought to life in this glorious musical. Dec. 6, 7, 12 and 14 at 7:30 pm; Dec. 8, 14 and 15 at 2 pm. $6-$22. U of Idaho Hartung Theater, 875 Perimeter Dr. uidaho.edu/ class/theatre/ MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET A reader’s theater production of the 1947 Lux Radio Theatre classic. Dec. 6-7 and 13 at 7 pm, Dec. 14 at 6 pm (dinner theater, $30) and Dec. 8 and 15 at 3 pm. $5-$10.

StageWest Community Theatre, 639 Elm St., Cheney. stagewestct.org (2352441) SESAME STREET LIVE! When magician Justin visits Sesame Street to put

on a magic show for the whole neighborhood, Elmo wants to be part of the event. Dec. 8, 2 & 6 pm. $22-$77.

Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon. spokanearena.com OUR VERY OWN NUTCRACKER An evening of Christmas magic presented

by Spokane’s faith-based Jubilee Dance Studio. Straight from the Land of Sweets, join the Nutcracker’s own storyteller Shelly Monahan for this Christmas production performed by Jubilee dancers. Dec. 11, 6:30-8 pm. $3 (kids under 6 free). Ferris High School, 3020 E. 37th Ave. spokaneschools.org/ferris CHRISTMAS AT SIXTH STREET An original production written and directed by Jesaray Harpel. Dec. 13-14 at 7 pm, Dec. 15 at 2 pm. $13-$15. Sixth Street Theater and Melodrama, 212 Sixth St., Wallace, Idaho. sixthstreetmelodrama.com (208-752-8871) A CHRISTMAS CAROL The holiday classic, performed as a radio drama.

Dec. 13-15 and 19-22. Pullman Civic Theatre, 1220 NW Nye St. pullmancivictheatre.com (509-332-8406) TRADITIONS OF CHRISTMAS A Radio City Music Hall-style show featuring kick line numbers, a USO performance, grand Nativity and Christmas classics brought to life through song and dance.

The show features a cast of 70, live animals, and more than 400 costumes.

Dec. 13-14 and 19-22 at 7 pm; Dec. 1415 and 20-23 at 3 pm. $21-$34. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd., Coeur d’Alene. traditionsofchristmasnw.com HOMICIDE AT THE TACKY SWEATER SHINDIG A holiday-themed murder mystery event. Party guests mingle in tacky sweater garb, yet rumors are there are plans for revenge. Dec. 14, 6-10 pm. $25-$75. Historic Jameson Hotel, 304 Sixth St., Wallace, Idaho.

(208-369-3695) EUGENE BALLET’S THE NUTCRACKER For the 32nd year, Clara’s adventures through the Land of Sweets with the Nutcracker Prince come to life on the Panida stage during this favorite holiday performance. Keep an eye out for the Baby Mice, Bon Bons, Angels, and Party Children, all played by local dance students. Dec. 18, 7 pm. $13.59-$32.49.

Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., Sand-

point. artinsandpoint.org A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A RADIO PLAY The Charles Dickens holiday classic comes to life as a live 1940s radio broadcast, complete with vintage commercials for fruitcake and the magic of live sound effects and musical underscoring. Dec. 19-21 at 7:30 pm, Dec. 22 at 2 pm. $27. The Innovation Den, 415 E. Lakeside Ave., Coeur d’Alene. cdasummertheatre.com (208660-2958) THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS CAROL Join Charles Dickens in his study on Friday the 13th, 1843 in a oneman play crafted by Dickens scholar and author Dr. Eliot Engel. Acclaimed actor David zum Brunnen portrays Charles Dickens and 17 favorite characters from Dickens’ ghostly classic “A Christmas Carol,” giving personal, social, and historical context to the familiar holiday story. Dec. 19, 7:30-9:30 pm. $15-$25. Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center, 211 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu (313-2787)

STAGE

CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE The troupe’s latest reimagined live family holiday spectacular is both a Broadway musical and a new Cirque adventure wrapped into the ultimate holiday gift. Nov. 29, 7:30 pm. $36-$66. First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. inbpac.com CLARA’S CHRISTMAS STORY Artistry in Motion Dance and Performing Arts Studio presents “Clara’s Christmas Story,” featuring the students of the school in an evening program of dance, song and Christmas cheer. Dec. 11, 7 pm and Dec. 12, 7 pm. $12-$24. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com (227-7404) JAZZY NUTCRACKER Studio 1 Dance Academy’s holiday performance of “Jazzy Nutcracker.” Dec. 14, 5:30-7:30 pm. $5-$15. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave., Sadnpoint. s1academysandpoint.com HOLIDAY MAGIC WITH ADAM TRENT Broadway and TV star Adam Trent brings his performance filled with technological illusions, music and comedy to the Bing, all with a special holiday twist. Featuring special guest star Evie Claire, an America’s Got Talent finalist. Dec. 22 at 2 and 7:30 pm. $22-$37. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. bingcrosbytheater.com

VISUAL ARTS

21ST ANNUAL SMALL ARTWORKS INVITATIONAL The Art Spirit unveils its 21st annual holiday exhibition featuring small artworks by over 50 local and regional artists. Through Jan. 5; reception Dec. 13 from 5-8 pm, open Wed-Sat from 11 am-6 pm. Free. Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene. theartspiritgallery.com NORMAN ROCKWELL’S AMERICA A remarkable collection of 22 oil paintings, seven charcoal/graphite studies, original posters and all 323 vintage Saturday Evening Post magazine covers spanning six decades. This exhibition reviews selected works in chronological order, making the stages of Rockwell’s career recognizable and his images more poignant. Through Jan. 12; Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm; third Thursdays from 10 am-8 pm. $5-$10.

Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum. org (456-3931) ORNAMENT & SMALL WORK SHOW The Spokane Art School’s annual holiday showcase features art by more than 40 local artists, with most items priced under $50. Mon-Fri 10 am-5 pm through Dec. 23. Spokane Art School, 811 W. Garland. spokaneartschool.net HOLIDAY POP-UP SERIES Get started on holiday shopping while enjoying Washington Wine. The winery hosts local photographer Ira Garner and fiber artist Laurie Ann Greenberg. Dec. 5, 4-8 pm. Free. Helix Wines, 824 W. Sprague. helixwine.com (206-7554963) FANTASTIC CIRCUMSTANCE Featuring paintings of Kim Long with friends Lisa Maddux, Melissa Cole, Ric Gendron and Tim Lord in a group exhibition of new works. Dec. 6-27; reception Dec. 6 from 5-9 pm with music by Daniel Edg. Free. New Moon Art Gallery, 1326 E. Sprague. newmoonartgallery.com (413-9101) FIRST FRIDAY Art galleries and businesses across downtown Spokane and beyond host monthly receptions to showcase new art. Dec 6 from 5-8 pm.

Details at firstfridayspokane.org SARANAC SMALL WORKS SALE Saranac Art Projects presents its annual winter show, featuring original works ideal for holiday giving; small, affordable works in a range of media by SAP members and guest artists. Dec. 6-28; Thu 2-6 pm; Fri-Sat 12-8 pm; Sun 2-6 pm (closed 12/25). Saranac Art Projects, 25 W. Main. facebook.com/Saranac.artprojects WINTER ART MARKET & ORNAMENT DISPLAY The 5th annual market at the POAC Gallery features small artworks by local fine artists, including handmade gifts from painting to jewelry and ceramics to handmade ornaments. Dec. 6-27; Mon-Fri 10 am-5 pm.

Also Dec. 7 from 10 am-4 pm. Pend Oreille Arts Council Gallery, 110 Main St., Sandpoint. artsinsandpoint.org (208-263-6139) BANK LEFT HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE An open house featuring ornaments, paintings, gifts, art and installations by Dick Domey, Nelson Duran, Louanne Deerkop and Tamara Helm, along with original vintage paintings, a Christmas bakery and luncheon (11 am-3 pm), and a pop-up at the Shady Acres Farm (15912 SR 27 Pullman Hwy.) Dec. 7, 8:30 am-3 pm. Free. Bank Left Gallery, 100 S. Bridge St., Palouse, Wash. bankleftgallery.com (509-878-8425) THIRD ANNUAL MAC HOLIDAY ARTIST STUDIO TOUR Visit seven local artists in their studios to see where and how they work. Art is available for purchase, including sculpture and jewelry by Hazen Audel, oils and pastels

by Kathleen Cavender, mixed media

by Larry Ellingson, manuscript books and limited edition prints by Tim Ely, fine art photography by Ira Gardner, acrylics and watercolors by Suzanne Ostersmith, and mixed media whimsical sculptures and drawings by Wendy Zupan. Tour from 9 am-3 pm; reception 3-5 pm at Barrister Winery. Dec. 7, 9 am-5 pm. $10/$20. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (456-3931) n

Gold Mountains Gallery

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit!

600 S. Clark Ave. • Republic, Wash. • (509) 775-8010 • Open Tues.-Sat. 10-5

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MORE EVENTS Visit Inlander.com for more local events.

Hamilton & Sharp in the GU District • logantavernspokane.com NOVEMBER 28, 2019 HOLIDAY GUIDE 67

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FOOD | OPENING

FOOD | TO GO BOX

Dine in an Igloo Crafted Taphouse embraces the cold; plus, local pies for the holidays and an update on Spokane’s forthcoming cat cafe

BY CHEY SCOTT

W

Cozy Up

Bijou owners Tyson and Shelayna Skidmore.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Spokane’s newest and smallest bar, Bijou, opens in Browne’s Addition

hile downtown Coeur d’Alene is arguably one of the most magical places during the holiday season, a little pocket of the lakeside city just got even more whimsical. Crafted Taphouse + Kitchen on Sherman Avenue recently unveiled a special seasonal seating arrangement on its expansive patio: four transparent, outdoor “igloo” domes complete with twinkling lights, heating and enough space to seat eight guests.

Public response to the restaurant’s social media posts about the igloos has been overwhelming, and as such Crafted recently posted an FAQ about the temporary feature. Guests can reserve an entire igloo for an hour and a half for $80 ($10/person), or a table for four or fewer for $40, and can order anything from the restaurant and bar’s full food and drink menus. The spaces are open to all ages, but no animals are allowed inside. Reservations for the popular feature opened on Nov. 20, but the tables inside will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for no reservation fee if not already in use or reserved.

BY CHEY SCOTT

U

nless you’re one of seven patrons seated at the bar, the standing-roomonly section of Bijou craft cocktail bar is perhaps an even tighter fit.

Bijou opened Nov. 1 inside a previously vacant, pocket-sized building — 277 square feet in total — that last housed an ice cream and coffee shop on the southern edge of Spokane’s historic Browne’s Addition Neighborhood.

Bijou, which means trinket, jewel or something small and elegant, is owned by Spokane couple Shelayna and Tyson Skidmore, both longtime local bartenders who also make and sell aromatic bitters through their business Skidmore Alchemy. The dozen or so flavors of bitters in their lineup are available for purchase at Bijou.

“We’d been looking for a space for our bitters for a while, but we wanted it to be somewhere people could come and learn about bitters and different liquors,” Shelayna Skidmore says. “It’s an educational space as well as a space to have fun and drink.”

After initially looking at the building in June and thinking it too small, the couple later reconsidered, feeling it was the ideal size to allow them better customer interaction.

In addition to using their own bitters, a highly concentrated spirits-based flavor additive, the couple is making their own tea-infused syrups for use in Bijou’s cocktail and espresso menu.

The syrups are made using organic blends from Rishi Tea to create flavors like cinnamon plum, orange blossom, vanilla black tea and chamomile. For its coffee menu, Bijou is using Doma Coffee.

The craft cocktail menu features 16 options, all $9 each, split evenly between house recipes created by the Skidmores, and classics. Of course, they’ll also mix up any drink on request.

For house specialties, there’s the Catholic Rebellion, featuring peach, aromatic bitters, bourbon, yellow Chartreuse, Benedictine, amaro and demerara simple syrup. The titular Bijou is gin, green Chartreuse and sweet vermouth.

On the classics side, traditional favorites include the Paloma, Sazerac, Corpse Reviver No. 2 and Paper Plane.

While the bar seats seven guests at five stools along the bar top plus two more in plush chairs tucked in a cozy corner, the couple was told by the fire marshall that the space’s maximum capacity is 30.

Early on a recent Friday evening, steam from the dishwasher had fogged up the bar’s floor-to-ceiling windows facing Fourth Avenue and the railroad tracks across the street. It didn’t take long for all seven seats to fill up, leaving a couple of guests to stand and sip while waiting for other seated guests to depart.

“People have one or two [drinks] and leave, and they’ll stand until someone leaves and take a seat,” Shelayna notes. “It kind of rotates and we haven’t had any issues with the smallness.”

Despite the space challenges, Bijou will open a large front patio space when warmer weather returns. The couple plan to set up several tables, a few bar games like cornhole and ladder golf, and another outside bar top. They hope to partner with local food trucks and host live music, too.

“We have always loved this neighborhood and feel like there’s a lot of industry people here, and with the artisticness of the neighborhood it would be a good fit for what our vision is,” Shelayna says. n Bijou • 1925 W. Fourth Ave. • Open daily 11 am-midnight • facebook.com/bijoubeverages • 413-2379

The seasonal "igloos" are available for reservation now.

COURTESY OF CRAFTED TAP HOUSE + KITCHEN

BEAN & PIE’S SPOKANE POP-UP

You’ve seen them at local farmers markets, now in time for holiday feasting, Coeur d’Alene-based Bean & Pie is offering a seasonal pop-up inside the new Wonder Market in downtown Spokane, inside the historic Wonder Building at 835 N. Post St. While the biggest pie holiday may have just passed (depending on when you’re reading this), the local bakery is hosting weekly pop-ups at the Wonder Market through the end of the year where customers can purchase pickup orders placed online (beanandpie.com) and a limited number of unreserved pies. Coeur d’Alene customers can pick up their Thanksgiving pie preorders and try their luck at a lastminute, ready-made pie at a pickup inside Evans Brothers Coffee (504 E. Sherman Ave.) from 7-10 am on Thanksgiving Day.

HELP LAUNCH KITTY CANTINA CAT CAFE

Spokane’s first cat cafe, slated to open in the first quarter of 2020, is seeking the community’s help to get started. Owners Justyn and Tori Cozza recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter seeking $12,500 to help build out and furnish the cafe space in North Spokane. As of this writing, there are two weeks left (the campaign closes at 8:30 pm on Dec. 11) to support the cafe, plans for which were announced in mid-2019.

The cat cafe will be a haven for cat lovers to sip coffee, tea, beer, wine and cider while enjoying baked goods and other snacks served in a separate area that’s in view of the cat room, called the “Kitty Lounge.”

Food and drink can be brought into the lounge, too, for those seeking kitty snuggles from the adoptable felines that come by way of a partnership with SpokAnimal animal rescue. While the Cozzas plan to offer walk-in availability for the Kitty Lounge, the safety of both cats and guests means reservations will be visitors’ best bet to get playtime with the cats once the cafe opens.

For more details on what to expect when Kitty Cantina opens, and to support the first-of-its-kind business model in the Inland Northwest, visit kck.st/36R6c50 or search “Kitty Cantina” on Kickstarter. Backer rewards range from gift cards to T-shirts, and mugs to private parties. n

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 69

FAMILY PLOT Someone’s dead and everyone’s a suspect in the slight but engaging all-star whodunit Knives Out

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER

W

atching Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, I was reminded of my middle school English teacher Mrs. Soderbergh, who loved Agatha Christie books almost as much as she loved diagramming sentences. There was a week when she brought in a box stacked high with her own Christie paperbacks, set it down in front of the classroom and had each of us pick a book based solely on the plot summary on the back.

After we read our selections, we had to summarize it to the class without giving away the solution of the mystery.

So I’ll apply the same strategy in reviewing Knives Out, which demands that its third-act twists be kept secret.

Mrs. Soderbergh probably would’ve enjoyed the movie, which feels like the work of someone who has read his fair share of Christies and took exhaustive notes in the margins. But I’m sure she would have also described its central mystery as somewhat “insipid,” a word I recall her using with great regularity.

Anyway, the movie contains all the requisite building blocks of a classic whodunit — an isolated country estate, a death with questionable circumstances, a wide pool of suspects and a quirky detective with unorthodox methods. The house in Knives Out, which comes complete with spires and sprawling porches and guard dogs and always seems enveloped in fog, belongs to Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), one of the bestselling mystery authors of all time. The film opens on the night of his 85th birthday, when he’s surrounded by

70 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

his self-absorbed, ever-sniping family, each of them more insufferable than the last.

Harlan is found dead in his study early the next morning, having slit his own throat with a dagger, though the crime scene has some inconsistencies that suggest foul play. And besides, doesn’t it seem fishy that Harlan would end up dead on the very night he had a closeddoor argument about the contents of his will?

Enter our detectives — a straight-shooter (Lakeith Stanfield) from the local police precinct, and the brilliant, unconventional private dick Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig with a shaky Foghorn Leghorn accent), who has been summoned to the scene by way of a mysterious envelope of cash. They immediately turn their attention to Harlan’s longtime caregiver Marta (Ana de Armas), who worries a criminal investigation could draw attention to her mother, an undocumented immigrant. She also has a strange but helpful condition that causes her to vomit whenever she’s not telling the truth, making her something of a human lie detector.

While she seems the most reliable, the most obvious suspects appear to be Harlan’s grown children: his eldest daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), a real estate magnate, and his son Walt (Michael Shannon), who oversees his father’s publishing empire. There’s also the matter of Harlan’s cocky grandson Ransom (Chris Evans), who assumes he’ll be inheriting his family’s vast wealth. And there’s also Linda’s pigheaded husband (Don Johnson);

A who’s who of stars headline the whodunit Knives Out. his widowed sister-in-law (Toni Collette), who runs a new age healthy-living corporation a la GOOP; Walt’s teenage son (Jaeden Martell), described as an “alt-right troll dipshit;” and Harlan’s seemingly ancient mother. (“How old is she?” someone asks. “Nobody knows” is the response.)

Of course, the very nature of the whodunit dictates that most of this will turn out to be needless information, extraneous details meant to throw us off the scent. But it doesn’t really matter, because the true pleasure of Knives Out is in simply watching these actors tear into their boorish roles — and into Johnson’s brisk, colorful dialogue — with relish. This belongs to that esteemed subgenre of movies about rich white people yelling at each other in luscious cable-knit sweaters.

After the big-budget sci-fi of Looper and The Last Jedi, Johnson is back in the territory of his earliest films — the moody high school noir Brick (2005) and the quirky heist comedy The Brothers Bloom (2008). As in those efforts, KNIVES OUT Knives Out features nods to Rated PG-13 other, better movies — 1985’s Directed by Rian Johnson Clue, the 1976 spoof Murder Starring Daniel Craig, Ana de

by Death, and even 1973’s Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee overlooked The Last of Sheila, Curtis, Christopher Plummer an all-star murder mystery with a dark comic edge. All the weird figurines and statues littering the Thrombey mansion recall the classic two-hander Sleuth, and it also conjures comparisons to Christie adaptations like Death on the Nile (1978) or The Mirror Crack’d (1980), which had arch sensibilities bordering on camp.

As a mystery, Knives Out is merely OK. It’s difficult to pinpoint the deficiencies of its payoff without spoiling the whole thing, but what I’ll say is that the explanation — delivered at the end in a long, breathless monologue — is almost too straightforward, too clean. We keep waiting for that additional twist atop the twist, but there really isn’t one. As an evisceration of awful one-percenters, on the other hand, it works brilliantly, and its final shot is as satisfying as a good punchline. n

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 71

FILM | SHORTS

OPENING FILMS KNIVES OUT

Rian Johnson’s all-star whodunit centers on the death of a wealthy patriarch, and the craven relatives that would profit off his demise. As a mystery, it’s merely OK. As an evisceration of the one percent, it’s satisfying. (NW) Rated PG-13

MARRIAGE STORY

From writer-director Noah Baumbach, this humanist drama examines a couple (Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson) and their son as they go through a messy divorce. At the Magic Lantern.

(NW) Rated R

QUEEN & SLIM

A black couple are pulled over on their first date, the cop ends up dead and they go on the run, becoming villains and folk heroes in the process. Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith star.

(NW) Rated R

Marriage Story

NOW PLAYING 21 BRIDGES

In this throwback to gritty ’70s dramas, Chadwick Boseman stars as a New York cop who becomes the latest target of his corrupt fellow officers. (NW) Rated R

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

A lovely ode to the power of kindness, with an Esquire journalist learning to live more authentically after writing about none other than Mister Rogers.

Tom Hanks, Hollywood’s nicest man, plays the beloved TV personality. (MJ) Rated PG

CHARLIE’S ANGELS

The ’70s TV show gets yet another bigscreen adaptation, with a new trio of secret agents — Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska — engaging in global espionage. (NW) Rated PG-13

DOCTOR SLEEP

Making a sequel to the horror classic The Shining seemed a fool’s errand, but director Mike Flanagan succeeded. Now grown-up, Danny Torrance encounters a girl who shares his gift for telepathy and is being chased by child-killing vampires. (MJ) Rated R

FANTASTIC FUNGI

The culinary, medicinal and psychotropic properties of mushrooms are explored and celebrated in this scientific nature documentary. At the Magic Lantern. (NW)

FORD V. FERRARI

From director James Mangold, a slick dramatization of the relationship between the Ford auto designer (Matt Damon) and the pro driver (Christian Bale) who set out to beat Ferrari in the ’66 24 Hours of Le Mans race. (ES) Rated PG-13

72 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

FROZEN II

The requisite sequel to the Disney juggernaut, with the returning characters searching for the origins of Elsa’s icy powers. Will any of the songs be as inescapable as “Let It Go”? (NW) Rated PG

THE GOOD LIAR

Ian McKellen is a career con artist who worms his way into the life of a widow played by Helen Mirren, who has secrets of her own. The central performances are fun; the plot is preposterous. (NW) Rated R

HARRIET

The humanitarian and abolitionist Harriet Tubman finally gets a biopic deserving of her legacy, anchored by an electric performance by Cynthia Erivo.

Old-fashioned filmmaking of the highest order. (MJ) Rated PG-13

THE IRISHMAN

Martin Scorsese’s decades-spanning epic is one of his best, the saga of a mid-level gangster (Robert De Niro) who cultivates a relationship with the ill-fated Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). At the Magic Lantern. (NW) Rated R

JOJO RABBIT

In Taika Waititi’s WWII-set satire, a little boy with an imaginary friend who looks just like Hitler befriends the Jewish girl being hidden by his mother. Its juggling tones and bleak subject matter might not work for everyone. (ES) Rated PG13

JOKER

The Clown Prince gets his own origin story, with Joaquin Phoenix as a failed stand-up who violently lashes out at

CRITICS’ SCORECARD THE INLANDER

NEW YORK TIMES

VARIETY

METACRITIC.COM

(LOS ANGELES)

(OUT OF 100)

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

80

DOCTOR SLEEP

60

FORD V FERRARI

81

THE GOOD LIAR

54

THE IRISHMAN

94

JOJO RABBIT

58

THE LIGHTHOUSE

82

DON’T MISS IT

WORTH $10

society. A Scorsese pastiche that’s not nearly as edgy as it thinks it is. (MJ) Rated R

LAST CHRISTMAS

Paul Feig directs this holiday dramedy about a reckless 20-something (Emilia Clarke) who starts to get her act together after falling for a mysterious, handsome stranger. (NW) Rated PG-13

THE LIGHTHOUSE

WATCH IT AT HOME

SKIP IT

The few good ideas of the original are traded in for endless spectacle resembling a video game cut-scene. (NW) Rated PG

MIDWAY

The 1942 Battle of Midway gets the noisy epic treatment from schlock king Roland Emmerich, with a sprawling cast that includes Woody Harrelson and Dennis Quaid. (NW) Rated PG-13

Robert Eggers’ follow-up to The Witch is another slow-burn period piece, with Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as isolated lighthouse keepers going stir crazy. But unlike The Witch, this unnerving sea chantey is more bemusing than terrifying. (ES) Rated R

PLAYING WITH FIRE

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL

The sixth Terminator installment finally brings Sarah Connor back into the fray.

Too bad it’s another rehash of what we’ve seen before, more evidence that this franchise remains stuck in the past.

(MJ) Rated R n

The Sleeping Beauty villain returns, again played by Angelina Jolie and here going cheekbone to cheekbone with wicked queen Michelle Pfeiffer.

John Cena stars as the captain of an elite firefighter squad that meets its match when it takes in a trio of troublemaking kids. (NW) Rated PG

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE

TER GIC LAN N THEATER MA TH TH FRI, NOV 29 – THU, DEC 5 TICKETS: $9

THE IRISHMAN (200 MIN) FRI/SAT: 7:30 SUN: 6:30

WEEKEND ONLY

MARRIAGE STORY (136 MIN) FRI/SAT: 2:50, 4:50 SUN: 12:50, 3:50 MON-THU:2:10, 5:00 HARRIET (125 MIN) FRI/SAT: 2:30 SUN: 1:30 TUE-THU: 2:30 FANTASTIC FUNGI (79 MIN) FRI/SAT: 5:20 SUN: 11:50am MON-THU: 7:30 JOJO RABBIT (108 MIN) FRI/SAT: 7:00, 9:10 SUN: 3:30 MON/WED/THU: 4:40 THE LIGHTHOUSE (108 MIN) SUN: 5:45 MON/WED/THU: 6:50

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AMIA ART PHOTO

POP

Spokane’s Eliza Catastrophe mines a decade of shortand-sweet pop songs on her new album You

Mad About E You

BY NATHAN WEINBENDER liza Johnson considers herself a hoarder, but of the digital variety. She’s obsessed with keeping all the music she’s ever owned as sound files, and with arranging them just so. To prove it, she pulls out her laptop and clicks on an icon on the crowded desktop, revealing a sort of virtual discography: Each album that she plans to release under her Eliza Catastrophe moniker has its own folder, and those folders contain yet more

74 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

folders, each one representing a track and sequenced in the proper order.

Some of the song folders are empty. Others contain completed audio files. The songs are all written; it’s just that some of them just need another coat of sonic paint before they go out into the world.

“Those are songs I wanted to give love to,” Johnson says.

In the meantime, Johnson’s newest album, You, is being released this weekend, and she’s promoting it as a Black Friday special. It features 15 short-and-sweet pop tunes built upon what she describes as “strengths based on weaknesses” — there’s always a catchy hook and witty, sometimes punny lyrics, and it never takes too long to get to the chorus.

Growing up in Spokane, Johnson was a theater and choir kid, and she started playing guitar at 13 and wrote her first original song two years later. Her father was a poet, “so poetry and wordplay were always really impor-

MUSIC | VINYL

tant in the house,” she says. That’s reflected in the playful nature of her lyrics, which cover subjects as diverse as inherited wealth, terrible breakups, terrible bosses and Star Trek.

Johnson began performing as a solo artist when she was 18, but she has also played bass for the defunct pop band Friends of Mine and briefly fronted her own rock four-piece called Violet Catastrophe.

She’s back in solo mode as Eliza Catastrophe, a project that has her choosing from a well of songs that were written over the course of 13 years — some from when she was still in high school, others from just a couple months ago.

You might think it’d be awkward or embarrassing, standing before an audience and earnestly expressing your own teenage feelings as a 28-yearold. But Johnson says she keeps those older songs in rotation because… well, they’re good songs.

“There’s a really sick riff in one, and a great vocal part in another,” she explains. “If I could, I would rewrite the lyrics to some of these and keep the melodies. There are two songs on the album — one’s [about] ‘he hurt me,’ one’s [about] ‘why aren’t you more sensitive?’ — and both of them, I’m past and beyond. But the hooks are just so good.

“I have good relationships with everyone I’ve written songs about, so hopefully we can all view it as a time capsule. It’s a snapshot of my feelings in that moment.”

Johnson says she initially set out to finish You as a New Year’s resolution, and she’s finally making good on it, albeit down to the wire. She also aimed to record, engineer and release the album herself, and to do it for next to no money.

“Poorness is my medium,” she says. “And I wanted whatever I put out to reflect only on me.”

Most of the songs on You are predicated on Johnson’s distinct sound — acoustic guitar mixed with electronic beats and squiggly synth sounds, courtesy of a MIDI keyboard Johnson got last Christmas.

The album is a sequel-of-sorts to an earlier Violet Catastrophe LP called I, and a companion album, Oh, is already on the horizon. (Johnson says this titular trend is inspired by a childhood quirk wherein she removed consonants from words and only spoke in vowel sounds.)

You, so named because all of its songs have the word “you” somewhere in the lyrics, will eventually be available on all the usual digital channels. But for the upcoming Black Friday show, Johnson is employing an unusual physical release strategy: She ordered 50 off-brand MP3 players and uploaded the album to each one — they come with charging cables and earbuds, as an all-in-one package. It’ll be like buying a band’s cassette and having it come with a boombox, albeit far less cumbersome.

Despite the lo-fi charm of You’s release, Johnson is already thinking big picture, and thinking about the future. After all, digital files could go away, but iPods are forever. Sort of.

“I’m kind of building my legacy through this album. I’ve been thinking lately, I’m going to have Eliza Catastrophe on my tombstone, so people going by will look up my music,” Johnson says. “The way technology is, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re listening to music that’s made today a hundred, 200 years in the future. And that’s more than I could ask.

That’s my way of living forever.” n Eliza Catastrophe Album Release with Bandit Train and Water Monster • Fri, Nov. 29 at 8 pm • Free • 21+ • Berserk • 125 S. Stevens St. • facebook. com/berserkbarspokane

Black Friday Finds We thumb through the vinyl bins and pick our favorite releases of upcoming Record Store Day

BY DAN NAILEN & NATHAN WEINBENDER

B

ecause vinyl junkies aren’t content to have just one annual Record Store Day, there’s another one coming up this Black Friday. While everyone else is swarming department stores for deals on electronics and appliances, music nerds will be quietly thumbing through the racks at their local vinyl purveyors, hunting for limited editions and reissues. You can see a complete list of the day’s releases at recordstoreday.com, but here are the six box sets and collector’s discs that’ll have us dropping our dollars. (NATHAN WEINBENDER) PATSY CLINE, SWEET DREAMS: THE COMPLETE DECCA MASTERS 1960-63 One of the best things in Ken Burns’ recent Country Music documentary series was the reminder of what a badass Patsy Cline was, not only as a performer but as an inspiration for future badasses like Loretta Lynn. Cline gets a reverential Record Store Day treatment from Jack White’s Third Man Records, and this triple-LP contains a whopping 51 songs recorded for the Decca label. It includes every hit you can think of, and the records come in a sweet tri-gatefold sleeve, pressed on pink, yellow and purple pastel vinyl. It probably won’t come cheap if you can score one. (DAN NAILEN) JONI 75: A JONI MITCHELL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Recorded last November, Joni 75 was a one-night-only celebration of Joni Mitchell on her 75th birthday, with artists paying tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter.

The evening’s performances, now available on this 2-LP set, include some of Mitchell’s contemporaries and collaborators — Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, James Taylor, Graham Nash — alongside those who took influence from her, like Brandi Carlile, Rufus Wainwright and Norah Jones. Amongst the standouts are the artistsong pairings you wouldn’t expect to work, such as Chaka Khan’s “Help Me” and Los Lobos’ take on “Nothing Can Be Done.”

(NW) A SLICE OF DELICIOUS VINYL: RARE SINGLES & RMXS The L.A. label Delicious Vinyl has specialized in indie and underground hip-hop since the ’80s, releasing rappers that would have otherwise stayed under the radar.

They have occasionally crossed over into the mainstream, first storming the charts with the one-two punch of Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina,”

and serving as a platform for popular artists like the Pharcyde and Young MC. But this particular compilation is as far from Top 40 radio as you can get: It’s a collection of rare Delicious Vinyl singles, pressed onto bright red wax, including obscure tracks from the likes of Def Jef, Fatlip, Kenyatta, Masta Ace and more. (NW) MOTOWN: RARE & UNRELEASED Whether you’re a rabid vinyl collector or only maintain a few choice titles, having something from the legendary Motown label is a no-brainer. This platter includes some never-before-released stereo mixes from beloved artists, and one song (the Originals’ “If I Ever Lose This Heaven”) never before released. All 12 songs are making their debut on vinyl, and you can’t go wrong with a compilation that includes Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and more. That’s what they call a surefire people-pleaser. (DN) SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS’ GREATEST HITS You’d be hard-pressed to find a more mid’90s artifact than this quirky collection, which features alt-rock and grunge artists of the era covering the jingle-y theme songs from the cartoons of their youths. This colored vinyl reissue features the same tracklist from the original release: You’ve got Liz Phair la-la-laing to The Banana Splits (it’s stuck in your head now, isn’t it?), Juliana Hatfield and Throwing Muses’ Tanya Donelly taking on Josie and the Pussycats, the Ramones lending their distinctive style to Spider-Man, and Semisonic teaming up with Mary Lou Lord on the Archies’ bubblegum classic “Sugar, Sugar.” Put on your PJs, grab a bowl of your favorite cereal and spin.

(NW) CHEAP TRICK, ARE YOU READY? LIVE 12/31/1979 Sitting on the corner of classic rock and power pop for, oh, nearly 50 years now is Cheap Trick, who continue recording solid new material and touring behind the classics from their late ’70s heyday. This live double-LP was recorded at the Los Angeles Forum on New Year’s Eve (hence the inclusion of “Auld Lang Syne,” duh) on the tour supporting their then-new Dream Police album. The band’s 1978 live At Budokan album was their breakthrough, and I’m betting they were in fine form on this set recorded just 18 months or so after those Japan shows. (DN) n

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 75

MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

HIP-HOP ALL STAR OPERA

M

erging slick flow with even slicker melodies, Seattle’s All Star Opera makes suave hip-hop injected with R&B flavor. The group is made up of a couple MCs backed by a band, busting out fat basslines and brass licks, and their self-titled 2017 LP is a great encapsulation of their style — smooth vibes interspersed with bursts of funky energy.

This weekend, the Opera will be joined on the Lucky You stage by fellow Seattlites SUS and Real Don Music, and since it’s the day after Thanksgiving, you can pay your good tidings forward by bringing a canned food donation to the show — perhaps something you ended up not needing for your own feast.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER All Star Opera with SUS and Real Don Music • Fri, Nov. 29 at 8 pm • $5 • 21+ • Lucky You Lounge • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • luckyyoulounge.com

ROCK MOOTSY’S THANKSGIVING

A

h, Mootsy’s. It’s one of the best downtown dives on any given night, but it really comes alive on Thanksgiving weekend. Folks have actually made their Turkey Day pilgrimage into a tradition, camping out at the watering hole to see their favorite local rock bands. That annual practice gets started on Thanksgiving night, with Double Bird, Lip Sick and Pit bringing the heavy garage rock and punk. The following evening, finish up your Black Friday shopping and head back to Mootsy’s for a co-headlining bill featuring Belt of Vapor (pictured) and Dead Serious Lovers.

Get all warm and cozy, bump into old friends and dance off all that tryptophan.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER

KRISTEN BLACK PHOTO

Mootsy’s Thanksgiving and Black Friday Shows feat. Double Bird, Lip Sick, Pit, Belt of Vapor & Dead Serious Lovers • Thu-Fri, Nov. 28-29 at 9 pm • 21+ • Mootsy’s • 406 W. Sprague Ave.

J = THE INLANDER RECOMMENDS THIS SHOW J = ALL AGES SHOW

Thursday, 11/28

J BABY BAR, Dance & Dranksgiving with DJs Twin Towers and DJ Ca$e J MOOTSY’S, Double Bird, Lip Sick, Pit (see facing page) NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Donnie Emerson & Nancy Sophia Trio

Friday, 11/29

12 TRIBES RESORT CASINO, Geoffrey Castle 219 LOUNGE, Devon Wade 1210 TAVERN, Usual Suspects ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Isaac Walton J BERSERK, Eliza Catastrophe Album

76 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

Release (see page 74) with Bandit Train & Water Monster BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn BIGFOOT PUB, Alisha and the Loose Change BOLO’S, My Own Worst Enemy BOOMBOX PIZZA, Karaoke CHINOOK STEAK, PASTA AND SPIRITS (CDA CASINO), Kosh CORBY’S BAR, Karaoke CRUISERS, Karaoke with Gary CURLEY’S, Alley Cat FREDNECK’S, Just Plain Darin IDAHO POUR AUTHORITY, Harold’s IGA THE IRON HORSE (COEUR D’ALENE), Pastiche THE JACKSON ST., Kenny James Miller Band

J LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, All Star Opera (see above), SUS, Real Don Music; DJ Unifest (basement) MAX AT MIRABEAU, Bobby Patterson Band MOOSE LOUNGE, Dragonfly J MOOTSY’S, Belt of Vapor, Dead Serious Lovers (see above) MULLIGAN’S BAR & GRILLE, Ron Greene MY PLACE, DJ Dave NASHVILLE NORTH, Ladies Night with Luke Jaxon and DJ Tom NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Karma’s Circle THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos: Dinner and a Show PACIFIC PIZZA, Shirkers Reunion

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Echo Elysium THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler J SARANAC COMMONS, Kevin Partridge STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, DJ Danger ZOLA, The Cronkites

Saturday, 11/30

1210 TAVERN, 3 Way Street ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Isaac Walton J BARLOWS AT LIBERTY LAKE, Just Plain Darin BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn THE BIG DIPPER, House Therapy

BIGFOOT PUB, Alisha and the Loose Change BOLO’S, My Own Worst Enemy BRANDYWINE BAR & BOTTLE SHOP, Katie Fisher J BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB, Jon & Rand CURLEY’S, Alley Cat EICHARDT’S, John Firshi GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Usual Suspects IDAHO POUR AUTHORITY, Turn Spit Dogs THE IRON HORSE (COEUR D’ALENE), Pastiche THE JACKSON ST., Karaoke KENDALL YARDS, Nick Grow LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, DJ Official Caleb (basement)

MUSIC | VENUES

Sunday, 12/1 CRAVE, DJ Dave

GET LISTED!

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

DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS, Rev. Yo’s VooDoo Church of Blues Jam GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Karaoke HOGFISH, Open Mic IRON HORSE (VALLEY), Dan Conrad LINGER LONGER LOUNGE, Open Jam MARYHILL WINERY, Jessica Haffner MATCHWOOD BREWING CO., Brian Jacobs THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos: Dinner and a Show O’DOHERTY’S IRISH GRILLE, Traditional Irish Music J THE PIN, Dragged Under, Ghost Heart RED ROOM LOUNGE, Jason Perry Trio THE ROXIE, Hillyard Billys J SOUTH HILL GRILL, Just Plain Darin ZOLA, Glass Honey

Monday, 12/2

THE BULL HEAD, Songsmith Series J CALYPSOS COFFEE ROASTERS, Open Mic CRAVE, DJ Dave EICHARDT’S, Monday Night Jam with Truck Mills THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos: Dinner and a Show RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic with Lucas Brookbank Brown

Tuesday, 12/3

219 LOUNGE, Karaoke with DJ Pat

BOOMBOX PIZZA, Karaoke CRAVE, DJ Dave GARLAND PUB & GRILL, Karaoke THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos: Dinner and a Show J THE PIN, Bear Grillz RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL, Open Mic Jam THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Country Swing Dancing THE ROXIE, Open Mic/Jam TAPP’D OFF, Karaoke on the Patio THE VIKING, Songsmith Series ZOLA, Desperate 8s

Wednesday, 12/4

J 291 BREWHOUSE, Just Plain Darin BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn CRAVE, DJ Dave CRUISERS, Open Jam Night Hosted by The Jam Band GENO’S TRADITIONAL FOOD & ALES, Open Mic with Host Travis Goulding J GONZAGA UNIVERSITY HEMMINGSON CENTER, Perfect Mess IRON HORSE (COEUR D’ALENE), Open Jam IRON HORSE (VALLEY), Clint & Troy Darnell THE JACKSON ST., Karaoke LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Carey Brazil LUCKY’S IRISH PUB, DJ D3VIN3 MAD BOMBER BREWING COMPANY, Open Mic

Upcoming Events NOV FESTIVAL OF TREES GALA

30

The Coeur d’Alene Resort: 5:00pm - 10:30pm / Tickets: $215

DEC

FESTIVAL OF TREES LUNCHEON

2

DEC

13

DEC

14

The Coeur d’Alene Resort: 11:00am - 1:0pm / Tickets: $27 - $106

LEAVENWORTH HOLIDAY TOURS

Alpha Omega Tours & Charters: 6:00am - 10:00pm / Other Date - Dec. 21 / Tickets: $89

HOLIDAY GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING My Fresh Basket: Tickets: $29

DEC

MOTOWN CHRISTMAS

NOV

NEW YEARS EVE MASQUERADE PARTY

14 16

t Plan Your Nex ENCtE !

PlanE XYou PErRINex EXPERIENCE !

MAX AT MIRABEAU, Bobby Patterson Band MOOSE LOUNGE, Dragonfly NASHVILLE NORTH, Ladies Night with Luke Jaxon and DJ Tom NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Karma’s Circle THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos: Dinner and a Show PACIFIC PIZZA, DJ Orange J J PANIDA THEATER, The Shook Twins “Giving Thanks” Concert with Honeysuckle and John Craigie PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Truck Mills THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler SPOKANE VALLEY EAGLES, Jan Harrison Blues Experience STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, DJ Danger ZOLA, The Cronkites

House of Soul: 8:00pm - 12:30am / Tickets: $15 - $30 House of Soul: 8:00pm - 2:00am / Tickets: $15 - $30

NOV

30

BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE AT NORTHWESTTICKETS.COM

New Years Everty Masquerade Pa

THE NYC PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos: Dinner and a Show J THE PIN, Bored with Fire, Andrew Matherly, 3113 and Those Damn Kids J POOLE’S PUBLIC HOUSE (SOUTH HILL), Justin James J RED DRAGON CHINESE, Tommy G RED ROOM LOUNGE, Blowin’ Kegs Jam Session THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Dueling Pianos feat. Christan Raxter & Steve Ridler STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON, Sara Brown ZOLA, Cruxie

Coming Up ...

J KNITTING FACTORY, Kai Wachi, Sam Lamar, Dec. 5 LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Harriet Brown, Dec. 5 J KNITTING FACTORY, The Dead South, Dec. 6.

PACIFIC PIZZA, 528 Tribe, Dec. 6 J BING CROSBY THEATER, Spokane Jazz Orchestra: A Glenn Miller Christmas feat. Cami Bradley, Dec. 7 PACIFIC PIZZA, Tyler Aker, Dec. 7 J MARTIN WOLDSON THEATER AT THE FOX, Mark O’Connor’s Appalachian Christmas, Dec. 10 J KNITTING FACTORY, Hellyeah, Nonpoint, Deepfall, Dec. 11 J NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO, Kenny G, Dec. 11

219 LOUNGE • 219 N. First, Sandpoint • 208-2639934 A&P’S BAR & GRILL • 222 N. First, Sandpoint • 208-263-2313 ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. • 927-9463 BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 847-1234 BARLOWS • 1428 N. Liberty Lake Rd. • 924-1446 BEEROCRACY • 911 W. Garland Ave. BERSERK • 125 S. Stevens • 714-9512 THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington • 863-8098 BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 467-9638 BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 227-7638 BLACK DIAMOND • 9614 E. Sprague • 891-8357 BOLO’S • 116 S. Best Rd. • 891-8995 BOOMERS • 18219 E. Appleway Ave. • 755-7486 BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE • 24 W. Main Ave. • 703-7223 BRIDGE PRESS CELLARS • 39 W. Pacific • 838-7815 BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main, Moscow • 208-882-5216 THE BULL HEAD • 10211 S. Electric • 838-9717 CALYPSOS COFFEE & CREAMERY • 116 E. Lakeside Ave., CdA • 208-665-0591 CHECKERBOARD BAR • 1716 E. Sprague Ave. • 535-4007 COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw Rd., Worley, Idaho • 800-523-2464 COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, CdA • 208-664-2336 COSMIC COWBOY GRILL • 412 W. Haycraft, CdA • 208-277-0000 CRAFTED TAP HOUSE • 523 Sherman Ave., CdA • 208-292-4813 CRAVE• 401 W. Riverside • 321-7480 CRUISERS • 6105 W Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208773-4706 CURLEY’S • 26433 W. Hwy. 53 • 208-773-5816 DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS • 6412 E. Trent • 535-9309 EICHARDT’S PUB • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-263-4005 FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • 279-7000 FIZZIE MULLIGANS • 331 W. Hastings • 466-5354 FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague • 624-1200 THE HIVE • 207 N. First, Sandpoint • 208-457-2392 HOGFISH • 1920 E. Sherman, CdA • 208-667-1896 HONEY EATERY & SOCIAL CLUB • 317 E. Sherman, CdA • 208-930-1514 HOUSE OF SOUL • 25 E. Lincoln • 598-8783 IRON GOAT BREWING • 1302 W. 2nd • 474-0722 IRON HORSE BAR • 407 E. Sherman Ave., CdA • 208-667-7314 IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL • 11105 E. Sprague Ave., CdA • 509-926-8411 JACKSON ST. BAR & GRILL • 2436 N. Astor St. • 315-8497 JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. Sixth St., Moscow • 208883-7662 KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 244-3279 LAGUNA CAFÉ • 2013 E. 29th Ave. • 448-0887 THE LANTERN TAP HOUSE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 315-9531 LEFTBANK WINE BAR • 108 N. Washington • 315-8623 LION’S LAIR • 205 W. Riverside • 456-5678 LUCKY YOU LOUNGE • 1801 W. Sunset LUCKY’S IRISH PUB • 408 W. Sprague • 747-2605 MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy, Ste. 100 • 443-3832 MAX AT MIRABEAU • 1100 N. Sullivan • 924-9000 MICKDUFF’S • 312 N. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208)255-4351 MONARCH MOUNTAIN COFFEE • 208 N 4th Ave, Sandpoint • 208-265-9382 MOOSE LOUNGE • 401 E. Sherman • 208-664-7901 MOOTSY’S • 406 W. Sprague • 838-1570 MULLIGAN’S • 506 Appleway Ave., CdA • 208- 7653200 ext. 310 NASHVILLE NORTH • 6361 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-457-9128 NORTHERN QUEST RESORT • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • 242-7000 NYNE • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 474-1621 O’SHAY’S • 313 E. CdA Lake Dr. • 208-667-4666 PACIFIC PIZZA • 2001 W. Pacific • 443-5467 PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545 THE PIN • 412 W. Sprague • 385-1449 POST FALLS BREWING CO. • 112 N. Spokane, Post Falls • 208-773-7301 RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL • 10325 N. Government Way, Hayden • 208-635-5874 RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague • 838-7613 REPUBLIC BREWING • 26 Clark Ave. • 775-2700 RIDLER PIANO BAR • 718 W. Riverside • 822-7938 SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 209 E. Lakeside Ave. • 208-664-8008 THE SHOP • 924 S. Perry St. • 534-1647 SOULFUL SOUPS & SPIRITS • 117 N. Howard St. • 459-1190 SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon • 279-7000 STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON • 12303 E. Trent • 862-4852 ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 624-2416

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 77

COMMUNITY SPREADING LOCAL LOVE

The Saturday after Thanksgiving has been celebrated as Small Business Saturday since 2010, so make sure to hit up all your favorite local shops including Auntie’s Bookstore, which also celebrates Indies First, a campaign to support independent bookstores. For this year’s local shopping celebration, Auntie’s invited area writers to be guest booksellers for a day. The roster includes plenty of familiar names (including several who also contributed to this issue, in our Holiday Guide): Jess Walter, Shawn Vestal, Sharma Shields, Sam Ligon, Jack Nisbet, Sherry Jones and many more. See the complete schedule of who’s there and when on Auntie’s website in case you need some books specially signed.

— CHEY SCOTT Small Business Saturday & Indie’s First with Auntie’s • Sat, Nov. 30 from 10 am-4 pm • Free • Auntie’s Bookstore • 402 W. Main Ave. • auntiesbooks.com • 838-0206

78 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

OUTDOORS DITCH THE MALL, HIT THE TRAIL

If rampant consumerism has you feeling down, choose to #OptOutside this Black Friday as part of REI’s nationwide decision to close its stores and encourage people to spend time outside instead. As part of that initiative, REI Spokane is partnering with local environmental and recreational organizations to host outdoor work and cleanup parties across the region.

Join the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy in trail building at Palisades Park and Riverside State Park; help clean up the Spokane River at People’s Park with the Lands Council; take a trash cleanup hike with the Dishman Hills Conservancy and team up with Wander Spokane to clean trails and hike at the Haynes Estate Conservation Area. Times for each volunteer session vary; find all the details and sign up to help at the link below.

— CHEY SCOTT #OptOutside with REI • Fri, Nov. 29; times and locations vary • Details at rei.com/opt-outside

WORDS GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Coeur d’Alene photographer Adam Schluter has a knack for finding a compelling portrait. That is obvious with just a cursory glance at some of the images on his website, hellofromastranger.com. And now he’s compiled some of his best images from a yearlong project he undertook to step away from technology, travel, and simply approach real people — in person — and ask to take their picture. He calls the process that led to his book The World I See a life-changing one, and no doubt that passion comes through in the anecdotes and stories he includes for each of the images in the book — culled from more than 1,000 portraits he shot in 19 countries. He’ll share stories from his travels at his book-release party this weekend.

— DAN NAILEN Adam Schluter: The World I See release party • Sat, Nov. 30 at 6 pm • Free • The Art Spirit Gallery • 415 Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene • theartspiritgallery.com • 208-765-6006

NOW OPEN EXPERIENCE THE inland Northwest’s coolest new venue.

Never mind its namesake: Northwest BachFest’s upcoming roster of Winter Classics concerts will be paying tribute to another fixture of the classical canon. 2020 marks the 250th birthday of the great Ludwig van Beethoven, and the local organization is marking the occasion with four engagements heavy on Beethoven compositions, including his 16 string quartets. It’s quite an undertaking: The ensemble won’t make it through all of them until next year. These December programs are rounded out by pieces from contemporary Chinese composer Tan Dun, Hungarian master Béla Bartók, Dmitri Shostakovich and, naturally, Mozart.

— NATHAN WEINBENDER Northwest BachFest Winter Classics • Tue-Sun, Dec. 3-8; times and locations vary • $35-$40 • See nwbachfest.com for venue and showtime information

L i v e M u s i c w i t h K a r m a’ s C i r c l e November 29 & 30 9pm - 1am

NO COVER CHARGE. FULL BAR & FOOD MENU AVAILABLE.

1 800 523-2464 | CDACASINO.COM |

Worley, Idaho v

MUSIC BEYOND AND BACH

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 79 CoeurDAleneCasino_Nighthawk_12819_12V_JI.pdf

we both did. I love more now than I ever have. I don’t want to make you unhappy and I am miserable. I know I put a lot of blame on you. So now, I’m going to look at me. I have done me wrong. I am taking responsibility for me. I am going to get off my butt and stop living in my fears. I am going to change me. Not for you but for me! I love you, with all my heart. If you need to go then I wish you much happiness.

I want to be your best friend again. I want to be the one you want. If not, well I guess I won’t make you coffee any more. What’s it going to be?

I SAW YOU I’M SORRY Ma’am, I visited very briefly with you on Nov. 19 in the book section of the UGM Thrift Store on Boone. You shared with me that your husband died earlier this year and that, more painful than your husband’s death was the recent death of your daughter from a brain tumor. Please forgive me if I did not share the correct response to comfort you in your grief. The Lord Jesus knows and will comfort you in your grief.

I DO I saw you on that beautiful fall blue sky 4th day of November... I saw you looking deeply back into my eyes, your eyes filling with happy tears when you said “I DO.” It is a moment and memory I won’t forget my love. I look forward to spending the rest of our years growing old together... wait I already am old :) Love you from the bottom of my heart. Steph XOXO FIRST CUP It’s been almost 9 years since I made you your first cup of coffee. Not sure if you remember. We both have changed so much, some good, some not so good. Every time I think we might get it right, get on the same page, well, it just doesn’t go that way. I made a lot of mistakes,

MARGARITAS AND SMILES I saw you at Chilli’s on Sunday. You looked so cool with your gray athletic shirt and curly ponytail. I can’t get over the magnetism of your smile. $5 margaritas on me next time?

YOU SAW ME NOVEMBER 8 ON TALLMAN About 5:30 at night. I started swerving on that dirt road, and ended up pointing in the opposite direction on the right side of the road. You slowed at my window and shouted “Are you OK?” I put my fingertips to the glass and looked out, seeing only the night’s reflection. You must have called the ambulance. Thank You. That call saved my life. Thank you to the Deer Park Volunteers and all who came to bring me back from the gone.

CHEERS THERE’S ALWAYS ONE...

Cheers, cheers, cheers to Frankie Doodles restaurant! This has always been one of my favorite places to eat, especially because of their super huge cinnamon rolls! The service has always been outstanding, and the owner is just the best person you’ll ever meet.

SOUND OFF

That being said, there is always one...

Cheers to Frankie doodles! But a big jeers to one of their servers. While everyone else there is super friendly

“

PLEASE FLUSH... Seems as if leaving your urine in the toilet is fast becoming a new thing. At just about every place we go... the new Costco and

your car and it’s horn are both pieces of garbage just like you, dirtbag. So, take your own advice you gave in front of your little kids and just f--- off, you

More painful than your husband’s death was the recent death of your daughter from a brain tumor. Please forgive me if I did not share the correct response to comfort you in your grief.

and accommodating, she comes off as rude and cold. My advice... Sit anywhere else that is not her section.

THANK YOU SPD! Thanks so much to Officer Wells of the Spokane Police Department. I’ve been having an issue with a neighbor kid and you got back to me, listened, showed up and assisted me with a (hopefully) final solution to the problem. I appreciate all the work you do for our community.

JEERS POTUS We’ve all been there: had to kiss the ass of a superior. That included doing a “favor” for a special preference. Quid pro quo is: do this, you get a treat. The more valuable the treat, the more demanding the favor. We know you’re guilty of a quid pro quo.

It’s the degree of the favor and treat that really matters. Ask your dog!

OH WHAT A SURPRISE... That the cohort who turns to entertainers and other celebrities for their political opinions denigrates the people who voted for a former news reporter.

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

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

Trader Joe’s even? I have watched you fancy dressed and “high-class” females leave the stall, and leave your nasty waste for the next girl to flush.

You think they all auto-flush (did you hear it flush), or are you too damn special to flush the toilet like real lady?!?

That fancy costume doesn’t cover the stench your nasty waste.

HONKING IDIOT Spokane has a lot of really great people. It also has a lot of morons. Here is a message to a mouth breather who isn’t bright enough to understand this message. At noon on Saturday, you honked your horn loudly in front of PetSmart at Northpoint.

Upon my comment that the horn was loud, you began to repeatedly honk the horn of your little inferior car. You then uttered a profanity from your silly little mouth. Meanwhile, you had three little kids with you. I hope the mother(s) of those kids know you can’t control your temper and use profanity in front of the kids. My guess is she’s smarter than you and can actually read and understand this message.

Regardless, do your kids a favor and leave them with their mom. You’re actually too dumb for them. Oh, and

WALKING OUT DURING PERFORMANCE Jeers to the many people who got up and walked out of the Fox Theater during the credits for the Nightmare Before Christmas, while the lights were still down, and while the orchestra was still performing. This was not just a movie that you were watching, but was first and foremost a performance by a group of talented musicians. You should have stayed until the end, and showed your appreciation! n

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insignificant little man! You really are just a foul mouthed moron with a temper and the mother of your children should keep her kids away from you.

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EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

THANKSGIVING DAY YOGA CLASS Non-perishable food or monetary donations are accepted at the door to support local food banks and the Latah Recovery Center to help families this holiday season. Nov. 28, 9-10:15 am. By donation. Moscow Yoga Center, 525 S. Main St. moscowyogacenter.com BLACKSHEEP FRIDAY Skip the sales and spend a day volunteering with fellow supporters and the resident animals of River’s Wish Animal Sanctuary.

Nov. 29, 11 am-2 pm. River’s Wish Animal Sanctuary, 11511 W. Garfield Rd. bit. ly/376A6Cm (509-951-3650)

COMEDY

JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER Let us know what you’re looking for — a genre, subject matter, time period — and the world wide web will help us find the book. Nov. 29 at 7:30 pm. $8.

Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com (747-7045) KEVIN NEALON Best known for his 9-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, Nealon has received critical acclaim for his role in the Showtime series “Weeds.” Nov. 29-30 at 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm. $25-$32. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com AFTER DARK Catch a late-night mature audience version of the BDT’s longform improv show. First/last Saturday of the month at 9:30 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland. (747-7045) SAFARI The BDT’s version of “Whose Line,” a fast-paced short-form improv show with a few twists added. Fridays at 7:30 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. bluedoortheatre.com STAND-UP COMEDY Phillip Kopczynski and Harry J. Riley take the stage. Dec. 1, 4 pm. $12. Kelly’s Bar & Grill, 324 W. Fourth St., Newport. (447-3267)

COMMUNITY

EXHIBIT: THE HANFORD SITE The Hanford Site, in Richland, Washington, is home to the development of the atomic bomb during WWII and houses the most high-level nuclear waste in the U.S. This exhibit shares what it was like to live in a town centered around a top secret project and what’s done at the decommissioned site today, exploring the science and history behind Hanford.

Through Nov. 30; open daily during

library hours. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. (893-8350) TURKEY LEG RUN While your turkey roasts, come run, jog or walk and help raise money to fund new children’s books and fun activities for the Palouse Library. Race begins at 117 E. Main St., Palouse. Nov. 28, 7:45 am. By donation.

Palouse, Wash. whitco.lib.wa.us WINTER GLOW SPECTACULAR This year, the city of Liberty Lake hosts the holiday lights display with animation and music. Walkable or drivable around the perimeter. Through Jan. 1. Free. Orchard Park, 20298 E. Indiana. facebook. com/spokanewinterglow COEUR D’ALENE LIGHTING CEREMONY PARADE The 29th annual holiday kickoff parade down Sherman Avenue features marching bands, dancing, music and festive floats before crowds gather on the Coeur d’Alene Resort lawn for carols, fireworks and a countdown to turn on millions of holiday lights. Nov. 29, 5 pm. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sherman Ave. cdadowntown.com (208-415-0116) COLVILLE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING The Colville Chamber of Commerce invites all to this holiday celebration, featuring a locally sourced evergreen tree decorated with hand-painted ornaments made by local students. The tree lighting event features live music, warm beverages, a visit from Santa and more. Nov. 29, 5 pm. Free. Colville, Wash. (509-680-2841) THE FESTIVAL OF FAIR TRADE The 35th annual event benefits people and the planet through an international marketplace with 100s of handmade products from around the world. Nov. 29-Dec. 1; 10 am-5:30 pm. Community Building, 35 W. Main. bit.ly/356kaP0 JOURNEY TO THE NORTH POLE Take a festive cruise across the sparkling waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene and view twinkling holiday lights on the way to visit Santa and his elves at a waterfront workshop.

Nov. 29-Jan. 1 at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 pm. $8.50-$23.25. Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com WINTER BLESSING The annual celebration and preparation for the new year features traditional tribal storytelling, a canoe blessing and dance exhibition, along with fry bread and huckleberry jam. Nov. 29, 6 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com/event/winter-blessing AIRWAY HEIGHTS WINTER FESTIVAL Activities include the Sunset Elementary PTO movie and popcorn night (Fri,

6:30 pm) and events all day Saturday, including a pancake breakfast, Santa photos, storytime, tree lighting, carols, carriage rides and fireworks. Nov. 30 at 6:30 pm, Dec. 1 from 8:30 am-8 pm.

Free. Airway Heights. cawh.org HOLIDAY CELEBRATION & FIREWORKS Celebrate the holidays and Small Business Saturday with a fireworks show, holiday lights, live music, face painting, live reindeer, food, hot cocoa and more. Bring a food donation for Our Place Ministries. Nov. 30, 5-7 pm. Free. Kendall Yards, Summit Parkway. bit.ly/2CEkmbW NUMERICA TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION Kick off the holidays with Spokane’s official tree lighting celebration.

The event includes performances by Company Ballet, Spokane Symphony Chorale and Crescendo Community Chorus, Spokane Civic Theatre and Santa. Nov. 30, 4-6:30 pm. Free. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard. spokaneriverfrontpark.com (509-625-6600) SALISH GRAMMAR WORKSHOP An event for Salish language learners to deepen their understanding of underlying mechanisms of Salish languages, particularly the Southern Interior dialects of Salish which include Okanagan, Moses-Columbia, Coeur d’Alene, Spokane/Kalispel/Bitterroot. Nov. 30, 9 am. $40. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com KSPS EVERY CHILD READS STORYTIME Spark a love of language and literature in kids ages 3-5 during a hour dedicated to reading, interactive stories, songs, crafts, and free take-home educational resources. Dec. 2, 10:30-11:30 am.

Free; registration required. KSPS TV, 3911 S. Regal St. ksps.org/storytime DOLLARS & SENSE: GIVE YOURSELF A RAISE Learn how to take control of your money, make achievable goals, and recognize predators. Dec. 3, 6-8 pm. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. (893-8400) DROP IN & READ Read books from Spark’s collection and play games based on what you’ve read. Grades 1-8.

First/third Tuesday of the month, 3:305:30 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org HOMEBUYER EDUCATION SEMINAR Explore major aspects of the homebuying process with SNAP Spokane instructors certified by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission.

Registration required. Dec. 3 and 5, 6-8:30 pm. Free. Moran Prairie Library, 6004 S. Regal. snapwa.org/education-

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 81

RELATIONSHIPS

Advice Goddess SPURNING CURVE

I was feeding my meter the other day, and this guy started chatting me up outside his store and got me to take his number. He seemed sweet, but things quickly got weird when he wanted to come over the next night.

I said that didn’t work for me, but I offered to swing by his work and say hi during the day. He responded angrily: “No. I wanna come to your house, but you aren’t ready for it.” I politely explained that I didn’t know him AMY ALKON at all and wasn’t into casual sex anymore. If that didn’t work for him, that was totally cool and we could just be friends. He got angry again, saying (bizarrely), “I’m not a negative person” and then “But now you’ll never know how awesome I am!” I was dumbfounded. Why do some guys get so jerky when you turn them down or just want to take things slow? ­ —Baffled Sure, you might miss out on how “awesome” he is. You might also miss out on trying to call 911 with your face while zip-tied to the coffee table.

Of course, we can’t know exactly why the guy went so nasty on you. The easy assumption is that he just wanted sex and went all brat-o when he didn’t get it.

However, research on men’s responses to romantic rejection suggests some interesting possibilities, including strong masculine “honor beliefs.” Social psychology doctoral student Evelyn Stratmoen explains, “Masculine honor beliefs dictate that men must respond aggressively to threat or insult in order to create and maintain their desired masculine reputations.”

“Honor beliefs” come out of a “culture of honor.” It rises up in places with weak or nonexistent formal law enforcement. It’s why men of yore fought duels. In modern life, we see it in gangs and especially in prison. Literary scholar Jonathan Gottschall explains in “The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch” that a “culture of honor” is a “culture of reciprocation.” “In a tit for tat fashion,” a man “returns favors and retaliates against slights.” His building a “reputation for payback” protects him physically, socially, and even economically, signaling to others not to cross him.

In two studies that Stratmoen and her colleagues ran, they found that as men’s “honor beliefs increased” — that is, when individual men had more intense honor beliefs -- “so did their perceptions that a man’s aggressive responses to the woman rejecting his attempt to initiate a relationship with her were ... appropriate.” The Stratmoen team’s findings suggest that being romantically rejected “is perceived as an insult to the man’s honor,” making him, say, feel insulted and like less of a man and justified in using “aggressive behaviors, possibly in an effort to restore his lost honor.”

Other research by social psychologist Khandis Blake and her colleagues found that men showed heightened aggression following romantic rejection by a “sexualized” woman: a woman wearing revealing, sexy clothing and expressing attitudes that “give an impression of sexiness and availability for sexual encounters.” The researchers grant that “women have varied reasons for self-sexualizing,” like finding it “empowering and enjoyable.” Their motivations may even be “nonsexual in nature.”

However, women with a sexualized look and demeanor activated a sexseeking mindset in men (primed “sexual goals,” as the researchers put it) in a way nonsexualized women did not. This sex goal activation -- plus the presumption that a sexualized woman is “more interested in having sex” — increases “the expectancy that romantic interest is reciprocated.” Any romantic rejection that follows has a worse bite — “a greater ego threat,” especially in men with shaky self-esteem — triggering aggressive responses.

Now, this is not a call for women to start shopping at Burka Barn or Amishcrombie & Fitch. Wearing a miniskirt (or expressing “liberated” attitudes about sex) does not make you responsible for men’s behavior any more than serving chocolate cake at a party makes you responsible for a guest’s subsequent struggle to fit into their favorite pants.

In short, you did everything right, asserting what works for you in kind and dignity-preserving ways. Though this guy’s party manners fell off faster than a bumper Scotch-taped to a car, other aggro men might be better at hiding their Mr. Scary Side. With those guys, your new “take it slow” approach should serve you well. And with the good guys out there, your not wanting to rush into anything is ultimately a signal: You’re a woman worth having — and for more than relationships that begin at 11 p.m. and end at 1, give or take 20 minutes after the guy’s shoe is confiscated and dragged off to a secure location by your sociopathic Pomeranian. n ©2018, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. • Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

82 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

EVENTS | CALENDAR

FOOD

THANKSGIVING DINNER BUFFET The restaurant’s traditional all-you-can-eat holiday buffet is served from 11 am-8 pm, with a holiday dinner menu available from 5-11 pm. Buffet prices: Adults, $49.95; seniors (65+) $39.95; ages 5-12, $24.95; ages 4 and under free. Call for reservations. Nov. 28, 11 am-11 pm. Max at Mirabeau, 1100 N. Sullivan Rd. maxatmirabeau.com (922-6252) THANKSGIVING DAY FEAST Dockside offers a grand Thanksgiving buffet with all the classics: turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and more, with views of the lake during dinner. Nov. 28. Dockside Restaurant, 115 S. Second St., Coeur d’Alene. docksidecda.com HISTORY OF YUM: NORMAN ROCKWELL’S THANKSGIVING A fun, familyfriendly introduction into the history of food displayed in Rockwell’s illustrations, including savory Thanksgiving dinner and the soda fountain. Nov. 30, 11 am-noon. $18/$20. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org SIP & PAINT: HOLIDAY WINE GLASSES Create a pair of festive wine glasses while enjoying a pint of craft beer or a glass of regional wine. Dec. 2, 7 pm. $32. Beerocracy, 911 W. Garland Ave. facebook.com/beerocracy509/ TAPAS TUESDAYS A showcase of tapas plates featuring charcuterie and cheese, baguettes and topped flatbreads. Tuesdays from 4-6 pm. $10.

Wanderlust Delicato, 421 W. Main Ave. wanderlustdelicato.com (822-7087)

MUSIC

SAVED BY THE BELLES The Coeur d’Alene Chorus’s annual holiday concert, featuring the Coeur d’Alene Sweet Adelines, Arvid Lundin, Front Porch Swing Quartet and other local groups.

Nov. 30, 3 pm. $12-$15. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. cdachorus.com HANDEL’S MESSIAH Spokane Kantorei & Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Timothy Westerhaus, perform Handel’s complete “Messiah” to kickoff the holiday season. Dec. 1, 3 pm. $10-$30. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave. stjohns-cathedral.org WINTER CLASSICS: CELEBRATING BEETHOVEN’S 250TH BIRTHDAY Northwest BachFest artistic director Zuill Bailey presents The Ariel Quartet.

Dec. 3, 7:30 pm. $16.74-$42.99. Hagadone Event Center, 900 S. Floating Green Dr. nwbachfest.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

BRRC TURKEY TROT The annual event hosted by the Bloomsday Road Runners Club to collect food and cash for Second Harvest Food Bank. Runners/ walkers have the option of 2-, 3- or 5-mile routes. Nov. 28, 9-11 am. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. facebook. com/bloomsdayroadrunnersclub APPLE CUP AT THE VIKING Watch the game on the bar’s six big screens and enjoy drink specials with happy hour starting at 1 pm. Nov. 29, 1-4 pm. The Viking, 1221 N. Stevens. bit.ly/37p6ksQ #OPTOUTSIDE SPOKANE Since 2015, REI has closed its retail doors on Black Friday to #OptOutside. This year, it’s doing more, inviting the local commu-

nity to join a nationwide day of action.

Activities in Spokane include trail maintenance and trash cleanup. Nov. 29. Details at rei.com/opt-outside SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. VANCOUVER GIANTS Includes a 35th anniversary celebration. Nov. 29, 7:05 pm. $11-$26.

Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com (279-7000) STATE PARKS FREE DAY Visit Washington State Parks without a required Discover Pass ($10/day or $30/year).

Nov. 29. Includes day access locally to Riverside, Mt. Spokane and Palouse Falls State Parks. parks.state. wa.us/281/Parks THUNDERSTRUCK 18 The Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center present a screening of the film Thunderstruck 18, a spell-binding, mind-numbing ode to extreme snowmobilers. Nov. 29, 6-8 pm. $8-$12. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org (208-255-7801) SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. VICTORIA ROYALS Promos include the Avista “Way to Save” and 35th anniversary poster giveaway. Nov. 30, 7:05 pm. $11-$26.

Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com (279-7000) EAGLE WATCHING CRUSIES Every year, 100s of American Bald Eagles visit Lake Coeur d’Alene on their annual migration in December and January.

Cruises offered Dec. 1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-22 and Dec. 26-Jan. 1 at 10 am, noon and 1 pm. $13-$25. cdacruises.com LET’S GO SNOWSHOEING! Join Holly Weiler from the Washington Trails Association for a class on how to get ready for snowshoeing, covering equipment, preparation and places to go. Dec. 3, 6:30-7:30 pm. Free. East Side Library, 524 S. Stone St. (444-5300) SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS Game promo is the player magnet giveaway. Dec. 3, 7:05 pm. $11-$26. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com

THEATER

THIS IS OUR YOUTH In 1982 on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, teenagers who were children in the ’60s have emerged as young adults in a country that has resoundingly rejected everything they were brought up to believe in. Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm through Dec. 8 (No show 11/28). $13$25. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard. spokanecivictheatre.com VENUS IN FUR This sizzling 90-minute play is a witty, unsettling look at the power dynamics not only of the sexes, but the actor and the director. Through Dec. 8; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm (no show 11/28). $15-$25. Stage Left Theater, 108 W. Third. spokanestageleft.org (838-9727) A CHRISTMAS STORY The musical follows Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts: an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200shot Range Model air rifle. Nov. 29-Dec. 15; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $23-$25. Lake City Playhouse, 1320 E. Garden Ave. lakecityplayhouse.org ELLEN TRAVOLTA PRESENTS: CHRISTMAS MIRACLES The Travolta Christmas show at the Coeur d’Alene Resort is a local holiday tradition. Starring Ellen, sister Margaret Travolta, daughter Molly Allen and featuring Abbey Crawford, and directed by Troy Nickerson with accompaniment by

Jennifer Twitchell on piano and Eugene Jablonsky on Bass. Nov. 29-Dec. 22; Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 5 pm. $27.50. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE The saga of George Bailey, the Everyman from the small town of Bedford Falls, whose guardian angel descends on Christmas Eve to save him from despair and to remind him, that his has been, after all, a wonderful life. Nov. 29-Dec. 22; Thu-Fri at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $15-$35. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokanecivictheatre.com (325-2507) ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS It’s four days before Christmas, and the New York Evening Post needs a holiday feature story. But writer Clement Moore has writer’s block and must work at home amongst his five children who are anxious for St. Nicholas to arrive. Nov. 29-Dec. 22; Fri at 7 pm (Nov. 29, 4 pm); Sat-Sun at 2 pm. $12-$16.

Spokane Children’s Theatre, 2727 N. Madelia. spokanechildrenstheatre.org

ARTS

SMALL ARTWORKS INVITATIONAL The 21st annual holiday exhibition featuring small artworks by over 50 local and regional artists. Through Jan. 4; Wed-Sat 11 am-6 pm. Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman. theartspiritgallery.com NORMAN ROCKWELL’S AMERICA A remarkable collection of 22 oil paintings, seven charcoal/graphite studies, original posters and all 323 vintage Saturday Evening Post magazine covers spanning six decades. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm; third Thursdays from 10 am-8 pm through Jan. 12. $5-$10. The MAC, 2316 W. First. northwestmuseum.org ORNAMENT & SMALL WORK SHOW The Spokane Art School’s annual holiday showcase features art by more than 40 local artists, with most items priced under $50. Through Dec. 23; Mon-Fri 10 am-5 pm. Spokane Art School, 811 W. Garland Ave. spokaneartschool.net

WORDS

NO RETURN TICKET: A TRUE YARN OF 20TH CENTURY ADVENTURE AT SEA Captain Skip Rowland speaks about chucking it all to sail to the beauty of the South Pacific Islands. Program repeated at Shadle on Dec. 1 at 2 pm. Nov. 30, 4-5 pm. Free. South Hill Library, 3324 S. Perry St. spokanelibrary.org SIGNING: DIAMOND WILSON The bestselling author brings her YA adventure series “The Quest for the Queen” to Spokane. Dec. 1, 11 am-4 pm. Free; books are $11. Barnes & Noble, 4750 N. Division. (482-4235)

PERFORMANCE

CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE The troupe’s latest reimagined live holiday spectacular. Nov. 29, 7:30 pm. $36-$66.

First Interstate Center for the Arts, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. inbpac.com NETFLIX & DRAG Local queens transform their favorite Netflix shows into a drag spectacular. Nov. 29, 8-11 pm. $10.

The Pin, 412 W. Sprague. (385-1449) THE BOMBSHELL REVUE’S UNTAMED & UNRULY A variety show featuring local performers: drag kings/queens, burlesque and boylesque, aerialists, vocalists and more. Nov. 30, 7 pm. $20.

The Pin, 412 W. Sprague. (385-1449) n

EDIBLES

Sugar and Spice How to make the perfect cannabis Christmas cookies

BY WILL MAUPIN

F

or many this time of year, baking and decorating cookies is a tradition as important as putting up decorations or making time for friends and family.

Whether you’re an experienced baker full of holiday spirit or a novice just looking to try your hand and have some fun, you can’t go wrong with this simple recipe for shortbread cookies.

Why shortbread? Aside from being a great cookie for decorating — shortbread cookies keep their shape very well in the oven and come out just strong ENTRÉE enough to play with Get the scoop on local without being too hard food news with our weekly to eat — it’s also a great Entrée newsletter. Sign up cookie for the canat Inlander.com/newsletter. nabis enthusiast. The amount of butter used in shortbread cookies pairs wonderfully with the typical strength of homemade, weed-infused butter.

Plus, they’re easy. I turned to local chef Jake Fast when putting this together because he has a massive restaurant-style kitchen in his home. But really, you can make this just about anywhere with an oven. The only piece of equipment required for this recipe that I don’t have in my personal kitchen is an electric mixer, but I know plenty of people who would’ve let me borrow theirs. All-in-all, it’s a timeless recipe that takes almost no time at all. Ten minutes of prep and 15 minutes of baking, then decorate to your heart’s content. ...continued on next page

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 83

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EDIBLES “SUGAR AND SPICE,” CONTINUED...

SHORTBREAD CANNABIS CHRISTMAS COOKIES 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup room-temperature weed-infused butter 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of coarse salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

While oven is preheating, use an electric mixer to beat butter and powdered sugar. Mix until combined and smooth.

Add vanilla and continue to mix. Then add flour and salt and mix until those two have just combined with the rest of the dough.

WILL MAUPIN PHOTO

Transfer dough to a lightly floured, flat and smooth surface and roll out until about a quarter-inch thick.

Using a lightly floured cookie cutter, cut shapes out of dough and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Take the dough scraps, combine and re-roll to quarter-inch thickness and repeat.

Transfer cookie sheets to middle rack of preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, at which point cookies should be lightly browned around the edges and on the bottom.

Remove from oven and let cool until you are ready to decorate.

Depending on the size of your cookie cutters, this recipe should yield 10-16 cookies. My batch resulted in 13 cookies, which we cut into a handful of holiday shapes like Christmas trees, candy canes and a maple leaf, for some reason.

The decoration process was certainly the most stressful part of the entire experience, mostly because, as I learned, I’m not too skilled with icing. Even if my cookies didn’t look as artistically inclined as I had hoped, I still had a great time making and eating them. Decorating cookies during the holiday season was a blast from the past that I’ll definitely be bringing back as an annual tradition, whether the cookies get me high or not.

This year, though, they certainly will. n

84 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

SPOKANE

MOSES LAKE

OTIS ORCHARDS

Holiday �les

b l ac k f r i day FRIDAY 29TH SATURDAY 30TH

NOV 2 0 1 9 ECONOMY

VALUE

LUXURY

OUNCES

76 50

185 122

275 182

EIGHTHS

16

11

30

20

42

28

INFUSED PRE-ROLLS

5

3

9

6

15

10

EDIBLES (10 PACK)

12

8

18

12

30

20

CARTRIDGES

30 20

42

28

54

36

CONCENTRATES

18

12

30

20

54

36

FRIDAY 29TH SATURDAY 30TH

SPOKANE

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 85

GREEN ZONE

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

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

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NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 89

GREEN ZONE

Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas

MOVIES

Mood Movies

who gets wrapped up in a terrorist hostage situation high up in a Los Angeles skyscraper. There are guns, explosions, millions of dollars and countless lives on the line.

Oh yeah, and it all takes place on Christmas Eve so it’s seasonally appropriate, at the very least.

Find the comfiest corner of the couch and plant yourself for these holiday films

JINGLE ALL THE WAY (1996)

BY WILL MAUPIN

Y

ou can’t escape them this time of year and you’re bound to find yourself watching at least one before the season is over. You have to accept this fate, but you don’t have to do it sober. Get some pot, pop some popcorn and pick from our list of weed-friendly films sure to get you into the holiday spirit.

EMMET OTTER’S JUG-BAND CHRISTMAS (1977)

Jim Henson set aside his usual Muppets for a cast of woodland creatures in this made-for-TV adaptation of a Russell Hoban children’s book of the same name. The story follows Emmet Otter and his Ma, a happy but poor family of, you guessed it, otters, living in Frogtown Hollow. Strapped for cash with Christmas approaching, the pair separately set out to win a $50 talent show prize in order to purchase a gift for the other. Musical numbers, performed by puppets on intricate sets, highlight this

90 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

wacky but uplifting take on the spirit of Christmas.

HOME ALONE (1990)

Forgotten at home when his family leaves on a Christmas trip to Paris, 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is left to fend for himself in suburban Chicago.

Kevin’s newfound freedom quickly loses its luster as a pair of bumbling burglars repeatedly target his house.

But, the 8-year-old brain, similar to the stoned brain, works in mysterious ways.

DIE HARD (1988)

Perhaps the most controversial Christmas movie of all time, in the sense that three decades have passed since its release and people still can’t agree on whether or not it’s actually a Christmas movie. What people can agree on is that it’s a high-octane action movie led by a peak-form Bruce Willis, playing NYPD detective John McClane,

It’s Arnold Schwarzenegger versus Sinbad in a Christmas Eve showdown. Except, this is no Terminator. The two play a pair of caring but hapless fathers who set out at the last minute to get a very specific, and popular, gift for their children: a Turbo-Man action figure. Schwarzenegger playing a normal person is funny enough sober, but downright bizarre after a couple of puffs.

THE POLAR EXPRESS (2004)

If you want a traditional Christmas experience, take in the beautifully illustrated children’s book on which the film was based. If you want to get exceptionally weirded out, watch the movie. In both, a young boy boards a train bound for the North Pole on Christmas Eve. In the film adaptation, the characters are nothing short of creepy looking. And it’s not just the weed playing tricks on you. The motion capture animation of the characters falls into the so-called “uncanny valley,” a concept that hypothesizes when something looks almost too human, but not quite human enough, people react to it in a cold, creeped out way. n

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This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

NOVEMBER 28, 2019 INLANDER 91

GREEN ZONE

NEWS

Cannabis Clusters Weed shops are more prevalent in poorer Washington neighborhoods, a WSU study finds

BY WILSON CRISCIONE

C

annabis businesses in Washington are concentrated more strongly in poorer neighborhoods than in affluent ones, according to a new study by researchers at the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.

The study looked at data from nearly 1,500 census tracts in the state from 2014 through 2017. The researchers found that in low socioeconomic neighborhoods, there were higher rates of cannabis processors and retailers.

The researchers hope the research will be valuable for state policymakers.

“Our main aim was really to put it out there and let policymakers think about it in a way that maybe they didn’t think about it before,” says Ofer Amram, one of the authors of the study.

Low-income neighborhoods saw a 258 percent increase in retailer density from

92 INLANDER NOVEMBER 28, 2019

GrowOp Farms in Spokane Valley.

2014-2017 compared to higher-income neighborhoods, according to the study.

Those neighborhoods also saw a 159 percent increase in producer density and a 120 percent increase in processor density.

The study didn’t examine specifically why pot shops are located in poorer neighborhoods. But Solmaz Amiri, the lead author of the study, says it’s plausible that land is cheaper in those neighborhoods and that the more affluent neighborhoods have more resistance to having weed shops there.

This isn’t unique to Washington. In Colorado, the Denver Post found, cannabis businesses proliferate in poorer neighborhoods.

Amiri says they conducted the study to learn more about how cannabis impacts communities. This, she says, is the first step.

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

“We are going to follow the trend and any kind of health outcomes that people may have in the state over time, and related to location of [cannabis] businesses,” she says, “to see if they really are impacting these lower socioeconomic communities.”

Of course, she says, it’s possible that the location of the businesses doesn’t correlate with the communities that use cannabis. People may be more than happy to drive out of their way to a cannabis retail shop, she says.

The researchers say they have shared the study with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. The goal is to provide state regulators and lawmakers with a better understanding of cannabis legalization and its ramifications. n A version of this article first appeared on Inlander.com.

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NOVEMBER 21, 2019 INLANDER 93

COEUR D ’ ALENE

this holiday season

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Get into the holiday spirit during Small Business Saturday in Coeur d’Alene

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oeur d’Alene is the place to be for Small Business Saturday, Nov. 30, which kicks off the holiday season with more than 120 places to shop, eat and explore — all within a few block radius.

“Downtown Coeur d’Alene is absolutely magical during the holidays,” explains Emily Boyd with the Downtown Association.

“Between the world-class holiday lights display, roaming carolers, Elf on the Shelf spottings and more, it’s such a festive and charming shopping experience.”

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Plus shoppers will find treasures at locally owned shops you simply can’t find in big box stores. For instance, the team at FIGPICKELS TOY EMPORIUM scours the globe for toys and games you won’t find at Target or Walmart, while at the same time offering comparable prices to Amazon.

This Christmas season, Figpickels will once again present its Gifting Tree, which provides supplies for local teachers. “There’s a place for online shopping, but know that the money spent in our community goes back to our community. The more that we make, the more we give,” explains Devin Sommer, director of operations with Figpickels.

Some shops regularly schedule events for this busy shopping day. Stop by COEUR D’ALENE GALLERIES, for example, and view art-in-the-making by a bevy of talented artists from 1-4 pm.

Holiday Lighting Ceremony and Parade

Opening Day at Silver Mountain Resort

There’s no better place to welcome in the most wonderful time of year than Coeur d’Alene. Experience the annual Lighting Ceremony Parade on picturesque downtown Sherman Avenue starting at 5 pm, then watch as the switch is flipped on one of the most magical lighting displays in the country at 6 pm.

Wax those skis and tune those boards, Silver Mountain opens for business the day after Thanksgiving! Make sure you check out the new sports shop in the village, as well as the fresh glades off of Bootlegger, Lower Paymaster and Terrible Edith.

NOVEMBER 29

NOVEMBER 29

There’s plenty happening past Small Business Saturday, too. Look for Elf on the Shelf figurines hiding in participating businesses every Saturday and Sunday through Dec 22nd. Find the merry little doll first thing each day to win a gift card to the business where that day’s prize was hidden.

You’ll also get a raffle ticket for a drawing on Dec 23rd where you could win Seahawk tickets, overnight stay at the CDA Resort, or Mac & Cheese Festival tickets.

Many businesses offer complimentary treats through December. MIX IT UP, for example, has hot cider and cookies and will gift wrap that special something you found at no charge.

Have hot cider while you shop at ALL THINGS IRISH and get in the mood for the holidays instantly at CHRISTMAS AT THE LAKE, which features ornaments and decorations to fit any theme.

Coeur d’Alene makes it easy to spend the day downtown. Park free at more than half of the 2,268 available spots downtown, including up to two hours from 9 am-6 pm Monday through Friday, all day Saturday and Sundays right now, and after 6 pm daily.

That means you have plenty of time to shop, eat and then stay until dark when the HOLIDAY LIGHT DISPLAY transforms your favorite lake city into a winter wonderland.

Christmas Miracles NOVEMBER 29-DECEMBER 22

Each season, the Coeur d’Alene Resort features a timeless, original, holiday theater production by Ellen Travolta, capturing the spirit of the Christmas season. This year’s production, “Christmas Miracles,” directed by Troy Nickerson, features Ellen and Margaret Travolta, Molly Allen, Abbey Crawford, Jennifer Twitchell and Eugene Jablonsky

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