Inlander 02/27/2014

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FEB. 27 - MARCH 5, 2014 | FREE

P. 38

Breaking Blu Behind the lies, mismanagement and shattered dreams at the region’s Blu-ray plant

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COMMENT | BOISE

Neglecting Our Needs All the political posturing among the Republicans who rule the statehouse is driving Idaho right into the ditch

BY MARY LOU REED

R

epublican legislators in Boise are itching to get home to their primaries. So far the legislative session has about reached the corner of “Time Out” and “Who’s On First?”

But re-election jitters always take precedence over the peoples’ business. My guess is the legislative session will sine die sometime around Friday, March 21.

Going home early may be the smartest strategy available to legislators, considering the number of surprise bloopers that came at us, rat-a-tat-tat, right from the starting gun. (Figure of speech. The NRA hasn’t armed the legislative staff — yet). Who can guess what administrative stumble will next see the light of day?

T

These sample gaffes alone total a tidy $27.2 million. A million here, a million there — pretty soon they may add up to real money. And these folks call themselves conservatives!

Let me also mention the $90 million in federal money that Idaho will lose because heartless Republicans don’t want to have anything to do with Obamacare. Never mind the 50,000 working-for-less Idahoans who will go without medical care because Republican legislators are afraid of their potential political primary opponents, who lean even further to the right.

he most serious misstep was revealed by the Legislative Services audit performed on the Office of the State Treasurer, a poichael Ferguson, who served as chief sition held by Republican Ron Crane of Nampa. economist for six consecutive Idaho The facts show that the State Treasurer altered governors, recently retired from state the figures of the assets of one account under his government to start the nonprofit Idaho Center safekeeping and favored another. In so doing, the for Fiscal Policy. Last month, Ferguson made state account lost $10.2 million, maybe more. public an alternative budget to that of Governor Auditors recommended an accountability Otter. board be assigned to the State Treasurer’s office, The Ferguson budget would eliminate the to make sure transactions involving similar large Governor’s proposed personal property tax amounts of money are free from such looseyrelief of $30 million, give a 4 percent pay raise to goosey deals with a suspiciously fishy smell. teachers and state employees, add a Treasurer Crane denies wrongdoing total of $70 million in additional funds and boldly announced he is running for to public schools, and add $35 million another term, his fifth.

Send comments to to Health and Welfare, which would Superintendent of Public Instruceditor@inlander.com. yield more than $100 million when tion Tom Luna has earned kudos and matched with federal dollars. The catcalls at the same time. Luna deserves budget also would leave Idaho with a $66 million praise for recommending a $77 million increase surplus. in the public schools appropriation, more than Ferguson justified his budget’s increased twice as much as Governor Butch Otter has reinvestment in education and health, plus teacher quested. At the same time, Luna shares the blame and state employee adjustments for inflations, for the complicated mess surrounding broadband with the following statement: “In the 1990s, services to Idaho schools. That debacle involves when we collected more revenue than we needed, a serious lawsuit, which may have prompted the our economy grew faster than almost all other feds to put a hold on payments for the broadband states. Today, after more than a decade of reservices. It appears to have set members of the duced investments, that trend has reversed. Idaho Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee to is now the second poorest state in the nation with scratching their heads in dismay, maybe even the highest percentage of minimum wage jobs: disgust. and we invest substantially less in education than The plot thickens. Luna’s sister, Teresa all but one other state.”

Luna, is the director of the Idaho Department of It is unlikely that the Republican-led Idaho Administration, which asked members of JFAC legislature will heed the advice of this Idahofor $14.45 million in “bridge money” to cover the savvy economist. But the possibility exists for legunpaid bills for broadband services. islators to turn down the unwise and uncalled-for Unlike Treasurer Crane, State Superinten$30 million in tax relief. It is also crazy to reject dent Luna won’t be running for re-election to the $90 million from our own federal governanother term. Luna has been criticized in the past ment to expand health care coverage to Idaho’s for receiving thousands of dollars in campaign working poor. funds from buddies in the for-profit education inAn Idaho legislator’s best option is to forget dustry. He undoubtedly will find a six-figure job about primary election opponents and concensomewhere in that corporate circle. And on his trate on doing what’s best for the citizens of way out the door, he has requested $2.5 million Idaho.  more from JFAC.

M

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COMMENT | PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Slow Down and Enjoy

BY TED S. McGREGOR JR.

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D

ownton Abbey just finished its fourth season with no signs of slowing — viewership is up 25 percent from Season Three, and Season Five is coming. It’s the biggest British import since the Beatles, and this show about the haves and have-nots living under the same roof seems to have created its own cultural moment.

Our opinionators demand we pick a side: Are you with the lords and ladies or their live-in staff?

George Will recently cited the show as proof of a coming class war, warning that we all could soon be living in the basement of “Obama Abbey.” Others — including one who called Downton “a silvered tureen of snobbery” — argue that our global economic divide is dragging us back to the ’20s, and that most of us already serve the 1 percenters. Downton just airbrushes exploited laborers into happy, devoted servants, they argue.

Julian Fellowes, the show’s creator (and an actual English “Lord”), shared a different view with the Wall Street Journal: “I think the — well, not even the subtext, the supertext — of Downton is that it is possible for us all to get on, that we don’t have to be ranged in class warfare permanently… ” Fellowes offers a character for everyone — from Lord Grantham, who is wrong about most everything but still a decent guy, to Tom Branson, the Irish socialist who marries into the family he once detested. There’s Daisy, who finds hope in just doing her job; Lady Edith, the emerging feminist; Violet, the dowager countess and geyser of endless zingers; and Mrs. Hughes, who, along with stoic Mr. Carson, holds the entire improbable operation together.

(And “improbable” fits, as it is someone’s actual job to help Lady Mary on with her evening dinner gloves.)

And that’s one of the delights of the Great British Period Piece — the constant reminders that, “Wow, this is how some people lived!” The drama itself — light and soapy — is anchored to the constant march of modernity, bearing down on the Abbey, but always kept just at bay. (Change terrifies all aristocrats, from Lord Grantham to George Will.) Fellowes knows when to take the drama up a notch by inflicting pain on his characters — often in the form of a killed-off spouse. But he has an eye for the beautiful moment, too.

The grand ball and the day at the beach from Sunday’s finale unfolded at a relaxed pace and were just plain delightful to watch.

Slowing down seems to be another of Fellowes’ supertexts; depicting the time before cellphones and hyperscheduling has its own escapist appeal.

“The Downton world seems like an ordered world at times,” Fellowes says, “and ours feels like a rather disordered world.” And you don’t have to be endorsing a return to feudalism to agree.  JEN SORENSON CARTOON

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What will you build?

COMMENT | LETTERS ON OUR FACEBOOK

Do you try to drink local?

BECCA OSBURN: I bought only local beer and wine for my wedding and generally seek out No-Li when I can.

SALLY KONEN MCKEN: Northwest wines are terrific! Supporting the winemakers, bottlers, distributors, ag suppliers, etc., all contributes to the economy. If I had a business I would want my fellow Northwesterners to support me!

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JOE SNODGRASS: Why should it have to be local? Why deny what the rest of the world has to offer?

TODAY! Check out why we build & why you should too.

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Change in Colorado As changes in cannabis law come, here’s a quick look back

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BY ALLEN BEST

I

n 1936, the editor of a newspaper in Alamosa, Colo., wrote a letter to Henry J. Anslinger, commissioner of the federal government’s Bureau of Narcotics. The letter, introduced as evidence into a congressional hearing, informed Anslinger about a “sex-mad degenerate” who had recently “brutally attacked a young girl” while under the influence of “marihuana,” as it was then spelled.

“This case is one of hundreds of murders, rapes, petty crimes, [and] insanity that has occurred in southern Colorado in recent years,” proclaimed Floyd K. Baskette, city editor of the Alamosa Daily Courier. “Can you do anything to help us?”

The next year, Congress passed the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which subjected sales of cannabis to taxation that required a permit.

Soon after, a 23-year-old from Trinidad, Colo., named Moses Baca became the first person arrested under the new law. He was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. So began our long adventure in the criminalization of marijuana.

In 1970, Congress defined marijuana as a controlled substance, further giving muscle to eradication efforts in 1973 by creating the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Now, of course, 20 states and the District of Columbia have allowed some use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, and in Colorado and Washington state, the federal government has chosen to ignore recreational use as long as the two states block sales to young people and control by cartels.

Figuring out how to govern this new use

has been a fascinating challenge here in Colorado. Many towns want nothing to do with marijuana; others embrace sales, and the taxes they generate. One ski town, Breckenridge, even expects to get $1 million in taxes this year.

Most sales seem to be to tourists.

When I think of the past, what I find most interesting — and disturbing — was the logic we used to prohibit marijuana. It was the stuff of do-gooders. Various histories of the drug war point out that reformers associated marijuana with jazz musicians and others on the racial, economic and cultural margins.

By the 1960s, pot was linked to the “tune in, turn on, drop out” culture. Tainted by these associations, the drug could then be targeted as a villainous erosion of American values.

The letter from Alamosa in 1936 points to confusion about causality. According to that newspaper editor, back then you could blame marijuana for sexual assault and even murder.

In 1937, the American Medical Association wanted more evidence before it agreed that marijuana should be banned, but Congress was in a rush. Evidence such as the letter from Colorado was enough.

The 77-year lesson here is that it doesn’t take leafy, herbaceous substances to make people muddleheaded. Even when we’re stonecold sober, we’re fully capable of making stupid choices.  Allen Best publishes the Denver e-zine Mountain Town News. This article first appeared in High Country News (hcn.org).

WILLIAM MAUPIN: I care more about drinking good beer than drinking local beer. Fortunately most beers from around here are are high quality.

THOMAS CROSKREY: I definitely hold strong preference for local stuff.

It’s not only drinks, it’s anything I eat.

But... there are too many good beers and wines (and to a lesser degree, liquors) around the world to insist on drinking only locally.

KRISTIE MICHELE MENERE: I love buying local beers but not strictly Spokane. One of my favorite breweries is Fort George out of Astoria.

MEGAN VAN HOVER: Local is a great place to start, sure! We have a lot here in Spokane — fortunate, we are — but other places have great stuff to try, too, and they are local for somebody...

SHELL DUDLEY: I’m not a big wine drinker but Barrister is great and the people who own it are awesome.

LOU ZOLDY: Yes. I care a great deal.

When I ask what’s on tap it irritates me when they start with Bud, Bud Light, Coors, Coors Light, etc. We have so many craft breweries in and around Spokane (nevermind WA and OR in general) that, to me, there is no reason not to have almost all local offerings.

GOFF DAILY: I drink so local I brew my own beer. My friends make beer, cider, mead, etc.

JOHN O’BRIEN JR.: Yes, I drink at home all the time! That’s local, right?

But seriously, Northwest beers are fabulous. I would like to try Dry Fly’s wheat whiskey and rye whiskey too.

Maybe sooner than later. 

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10 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

COMMENT | SATIRE

The Secret is Out T

BY ANDY BOROWITZ

he state of Arizona found itself in the middle of a conundrum this week as it awoke to the awkward realization that gay people have money and buy stuff.

Just days after the Arizona legislature passed a law that would enable businesses to discriminate against gays, it emerged that gays spend billions of dollars in Arizona each year — an unexpected development that seemed to take many legislators by surprise.

Carol Foyler, a Tea Party Republican who supported the anti-gay law, said that the startling bombshell that gays play a role in the state’s economy put her and her fellow lawmakers “in a tight spot.”

“Quite frankly, we were blindsided by this,” she said. “We had no idea that gays had money and bought things just like regular people do.”

Acknowledging that her vote for the anti-gay law might have

been calamitous for the state’s economy, Foyler placed the blame for it squarely on the shoulders of one group: the

gays themselves.

“How was I supposed to know what gay people do with their money, etc., when I don’t personally know any gay people?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, but it was up to the gays to tell us.”

Elsewhere, citing the scandals embroiling Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the Republican Governors Association this week ordered its members to discontinue the use of email, “effective immediately.” n For more fake news from Andy Borowitz, visit borowitzreport.com.

COMMENT | THE ECONOMY

A Boom — For Some W

BY JIM HIGHTOWER

ho says the economy is down and that consumers aren’t willing to spend, spend, spend in order to stimulate new economic growth?

The problem with gloomy economists and skittish policymakers is that they don’t know where to look for signs that BOOM TIMES are back, baby! For example, take auto sales. Yeah, overall they’re putzing along at a moderate-to-low pace.

But open your eyes, people! Do you not see that Maserati sales were up 55 percent last year, or that RollsRoyce, Lamborghini, Porsche and Bentley also produced double-digit increases?

Listen to Matt Hlavin, a Cleveland high roller who told the New York Times that he bought three Mercedes last year — one for $237,000, another for $165,000 and an auxiliary $97,000 number for the wife. Extravagant? It’s all a matter of perspective: “I look at it as, I don’t have a boat,” Matt explains.

There ya go — economics is all about having a positive attitude.

So with a booming stock market, high-tech wealth bubbling like crazy and Fortune 500 CEOs

making big bales of hay while the sun shines, what’s not to like about America’s economic future? An automotive lifestyle consultant told the Times, “Luxury is not a dirty word anymore.”

Now isn’t that a telling insight?

You see, when Wall Street crashed six years ago, then got bailed out by Washington while the middle class sank, many of your 1-percentersand-higher got squeamish about living the luxurious life they deserve. But that’s not the American way — hey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it!

Surely we can all see the social value of top-end buyers who are willing to step up to make big-ticket purchases again. By leading the consumer charge, those bold luxury buyers are providing a role model that your lower classes need to do their own part in reviving America’s economy. n For more from America’s populist, check out jimhightower.com.

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 11

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12 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

JONATHAN HILL ILLUSTRATION

Where Are All The Doctors?

Providing care when shortage is the new normal

BY HEIDI GROOVER

I

n the Northwest, indictments of the mental health care system bring up several familiar refrains. Washington and Idaho have cut millions from their mental health care budgets. Both rank near the bottom — Washington 50th of 50 states — in the number of hospital beds per 100,000 people. But there’s another challenge facing the system that some mental health care providers say is just as dire.

“I can open more beds, but if I don’t have more psychiatrists, what’s the use?” says Kamal Floura, medical director at Eastern State Hospital, where he counts five unfilled vacancies for psychiatrists.

Nationwide, about 30 percent of people live in areas designated by the government as having insufficient mental health care providers, determined by the ratio of psychiatrists to population (shortage areas have more

than 30,000 people per psychiatrist). Kootenai County and parts of Spokane County are designated shortage areas and the city of Spokane is considered a shortage area for low-income and homeless people. Between the two states, 80 mental health care practitioners are needed to remove the designations. That’s on top of the nearly 300 more primary care providers the states need. ...continued on next page

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 13

NEWS | MENTAL HEALTH “WHERE ARE ALL THE DOCTORS?,” CONTINUED...

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The problem is widespread, but especially Eastern Washington, but during the recession dramatic among psychiatrists, who can prescribe even those few spots were closed due to budget and manage the medications given credit for cuts. (While the program stopped accepting new allowing many with mental illness to live in the residents, it allowed those already participating to community instead of in hospitals. Psychiatrists finish. The last resident will graduate this year.) are aging — the portion of psychiatrists who are Now Layton, with help from Floura and 55 and older is about 15 percent higher than the others, is working to bring back the psychiatric average among other types of doctors — and few residency program, in hopes of improving access are ready to replace them as the number of medito care in the region and attracting more psychiacal students specializing in psychiatry dwindles. trists to Spokane. If accredited this spring, the Area psychiatrists say the profession suffers program will accept its first psychiatric residents from some stigma and the fact that, compared next year. Not only will they make likely candito other specialities, it’s among the lowest paid. dates for Spokane jobs once they’re finished, but Floura says he’s seen psychiatrists at Eastern, one they’ll be available to advise undergraduate preof Washington’s two state-funded adult psychiatmed students at the growing Riverpoint campus ric hospitals, take jobs at Sacred Heart or the VA east of downtown.

Medical Center simply “You need that whole because the pay was pipeline, undergraduate higher, sometimes by through residency,” says as much as $80,000 Layton, who’s director of a year. the current program.

“You have gone to lsewhere, providmedical school. You ers are working have student loans, with what they’ve this loan, that loan, EDITOR’S NOTE: This report is part of our got. The practice of and you have spent continuing “State of Mind” series delving into telepsychiatry, in which 10, 12 years of your the issue of mental health. Send feedback to doctors consult with life coming to this editor@inlander.com. For the entire series, patients over video chat, point,” he says. “You visit Inlander.com/stateofmind. is growing. Floura spends want to be rewarded one weekend a month for something for in Wenatchee, where he treats patients with no which you did the hard work.” regular access to mental health care. Even in the Along with increased pay, offering multiple face of funding and provider shortages, Frontier levels of medical education is a way to attract Behavioral Health, the region’s biggest provider psychiatrists, says psychiatrist and Washington of mental health services, has taken a bold step.

State University professor Matt Layton. DocPeople looking for services are no longer told tors are likely to stay in the place where they about the next available appointment — which completed their residency, the in-hospital training may be weeks or months away — but to come in done after medical school. Yet despite estimates on the same day if they can. Since the change, that the region has a higher rate of serious demand for services has grown 20 percent. mental illness than the rest of Washington state, “It’s been enormously beneficial for those the count of psychiatry residency slots in the area individuals who get the care they need,” says is dismal. Central and Eastern Washington offer Frontier CEO Jeff Thomas, “but there’s not been less than one psychiatry residency slot for every 20 percent increase in federal or state funding 100,000 people, compared to a national average coming to our county, and therein lies the chalof 23 slots per 100,000 population and a ratio of lenge.”

18 per 100,000 on the western side of the state, While psychology has not faced the same according to a 2011 University of Washington shortages as psychiatry — in fact, psychology study of graduate education. Spokane’s slots students have struggled to find internships as were filled by University of Washington medical more people gravitate to the field — working students specializing in psychiatry who were therapists are seeing their own challenges. Both offered the chance to do half their residency in

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14 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

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Kamal Floura, medical director at Eastern State Hospital psychologists and psychiatrists say they struggle with low insurance reimbursements. (The national and state push for parity between insurance coverage of physical and mental care is meant to help address that.)

In a tranquil office with a babbling fountain in the waiting room, psychologist Laura Asbell says she’s one of the lucky ones. Asbell has been practicing for nearly 25 years and says she’s seen insurance reimbursements decline as her operating costs have only increased. Since she’s been in business long enough to build up a reputation and gain clients through word of mouth, Asbell says she can choose not to accept certain insurance plans if they don’t pay enough. But new psychologists may not have the same freedom, and with every plan a psychologist chooses not to accept, a patient may have more trouble finding care.

“I’m on some [insurance] panels that don’t pay very much because Spokane is not a wealthy community,” she says, drawing a comparison to Seattle, where some of her colleagues take no insurance at all. “If you have wealth, you can access good care.

If you don’t have wealth, there are roadblocks that make it more difficult.”

B

ack in the dated halls of Eastern, Floura emphasizes that patient care at the hospital hasn’t suffered, even as he’s struggled to find psychiatrists to fill the vacancies. Everyone steps in to fill the gaps, he says. Even he works directly with patients and takes his turn on-call overnight. He’s confident that state lawmakers eventually will step up in the same way to increase mental health funding so he can offer psychiatrists competitive pay. The way he sees it, there’s not much of an alternative.

“These are the patients [who] when nobody can take care of them in this community, they come here. We are the last resort for these folks,” Floura says. “We have to sustain it. Where are these folks going to go?”  heidig@inlander.com

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NEWS | DIGEST

NEED TO KNOW

The Big News of the Past Week

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1.

The Spokane City Council voted Monday to reverse its 2012 stance opposing the Spokane Tribe’s proposed West Plains casino project. While the mayor has opposed the project and Council President Ben Stuckart has supported it, the resolution takes an officially neutral stance.

2.

Rail companies that carry oil and other volatile cargo have agreed to new voluntary safety rules, including slowing speeds through major cities. The new measures don’t address outdated rail cars that have been blamed for explosions of derailed oil trains.

3.

The Spokane Police Guild voted to approve a new, five-year labor contract that includes raises and some increased authority for the city’s Office of Police Ombudsman.

4.

In a five-year budget plan, the Defense Department has proposed sharp cuts to the Army, focused on lowering costs and investing in technology and equipment.

5.

After a two-month-long deployment, Staff Sgt. Isaac Bucklin greets his wife, Staff Sgt. Cassandra Bucklin, on Tuesday as she holds 16-month-old Emma. He had been stationed at the Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, and returned on one of the last flights back to Fairchild Air Force Base. The Center is being shut down later this year after the Kyrgyz parliament voted to end the lease agreement with the U.S. government.

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NEWS | BRIEFS

Tucker also found jail nurse Kerrie Fernlund acted appropriately when she measured Parker’s blood sugar at 416 mg/dL, but did not order transport to a hospital as suggested by a long-standing protocol limiting jailhouse care to levels below 400 mg/dL. Tucker says a separate policy set the threshold at closer to 500 mg/dL. “Jail Nurse Fernlund[’s] actions were not a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would exercise in the same situation,” a decision memo states.

— JACOB JONES

Obamacare Check-Up New data on Washingtonians signing up for health care; plus, a ruling on Christopher Parker’s death PROGRESS REPORT

More than 717,000 people have enrolled in HEALTH CARE COVERAGE through Washington state’s online insurance marketplace, according to a new data from the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. Roughly 50,000 have come from Spokane County.

The vast majority of enrollees in the state exchange — about 86 percent — were eligible for Medicaid. The rest — more than 101,000 people — have signed up for private insurance plans. More than half of them have chosen middle-tier “silver plans.”

Of those, about 20,000 young adults, ages 18 to 34, have enrolled in private plans, a slight uptick from the end of December. Although nearly half of the uninsured population in Washington state are young adults, so far they represent only 22 percent of new enrollees. Their participation in the exchange is crucial for balancing the higher costs of insuring older and sicker individuals.

March 31 is the last day of open enrollment in private insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act. Anyone who hasn’t bought insurance after that will face a penalty.

State officials hope to insure 280,000 people in private plans by the end of the year.

— DEANNA PAN

THE HILL

NO CHARGES IN JAIL DEATH

A year after the death of 33-year-old CHRISTOPHER PARKER in the Spokane County Jail, the County Prosecutor’s Office has determined jail staff followed proper protocols and acted without criminal negligence. Charges will not be filed in the death of the diabetic drywall worker, who called 911 for medical help after ingesting meth, but later wrestled with corrections deputies and died in a jail restraint chair.

Prosecutor Steve Tucker announced Friday he had found no criminal culpability in how staff interacted with Parker, who arrived at the jail on Feb. 24, 2013, with extremely high blood sugar as well as meth in his system.

When Parker became uncooperative, deputies Tasered him twice and doubled him over in a restraint chair.

Tucker says an autopsy determined Parker died from a combination of three factors: his diabetes, meth intoxication and physiological stress from being forced into restraints. While the manner of death was found to be “homicide,” Tucker says that does not establish criminal liability.

“The Tasering didn’t kill him,” Tucker says. “The restraint didn’t kill him. It’s only in combination with the meth.”

“Superintendents and educators are always talking about the hill they’re willing to die on, but they never seem to find it,” East Valley School District Superintendent JOHN GLENEWINKEL told the Inlander three years ago, discussing the controversy over the district’s decision to eliminate middle school and keep students at the same school from kindergarten through eighth grade. “This is the hill I’m sort of willing to die on.”

Now, he sort of has. At the end of four years of tireless opposition, a sweeping bond defeat last spring and a balance-shifting school board election last fall, Glenewinkel submitted his resignation on Feb. 12. The board approved it on Valentine’s Day. “As we talked about policies that might need to be changed, [Glenewinkel knew that] it was going to be a tenuous situation,” says recently elected board chairman Mike Novakovich.

Novakovich says he’s open to keeping at least one traditional school as K-8, assuming enough parents are supportive of the idea. This Thursday, Feb. 27 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, and Saturday, March 8 from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm, the board will hold public workshops.

“We need to quickly have a clear picture of which direction we’re going to head,” Novakovich says.

— DANIEL WALTERS

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NEWS | MEDIA

The Leading Edge

For news outlets, what’s the value of Facebook discussion?

BY SCOTT A. LEADINGHAM

R

acism and all of its ignorant offshoots have periodically popped up in the Inland Northwest. Aryan Nations? Yeah, we dealt with that. A white supremacist trying to detonate a bomb at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day march? See Spokane, 2011.

Whenever such stories appear here or elsewhere, news outlets grapple with tough decisions.

How much attention to give the issue? If people are ANALYSIS just looking for attention or perverted glory, how do we report the story without giving perpetrators the attention they seek?

In some cases, is it best to ignore the “news”?

That question is made more complex in this age of instant Internet sharing and social media “engagement.”

KHQ-TV seemed to face that last week by posing a question on Facebook that, by local news standards, went “viral.” It started with the station posting a picture of First Lady Michelle Obama, with this note: “Question: Today we had a Facebooker refer to our First Lady as a ‘monkey.’ It’s 2014, do you feel like our country

is handling racism any better than we did 20 years ago?”

As of Monday, the post had received nearly 700 comments — remarks that covered the spectrum from decrying the person who made the “monkey” comment to decrying KHQ for even posing the question. And of course there were plenty who joined in the racism.

For its part, KHQ defended its post in the Facebook comment thread after someone accused the station of “trying to fuel the ‘race’ war”: “Really? You think we are fueling the race card? Do you have any idea how many racist comments we see on our Facebook threads every day? There are too many to count. Typically we just ignore them but we wanted to try and bring awareness to the issue by starting a positive discussion.”

Jeff Hite, KHQ’s assistant news director, adds: “We felt that the topic was a good conversation starter on Facebook, as opposed to our website (or on air). We do like to engage the audience in a thoughtful way.”

It’s sometimes difficult to see how a “thought-

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ful” conversation could come from Facebook comments, or any website comment section. News outlets have been trying to start community dialogue since the dawn of the Internet, but now some, like Popular Science, have shut down web comments entirely, ceding that negativity without substance undermined their editorial mission. Locally, the Spokesman-Review took a “ holiday break” from web comments in December.

It’s perfectly laudable (and necessary) for news outlets to encourage discussion around topics of societal importance. As the recent Florida murder trials of George Zimmerman and Michael Dunn show, race is still a topic of national conversation. But as KHQ’s attempt to generate debate shows, it’s easier said than done.

“Do you have any idea how many racist comments we see on our Facebook threads every day?”

Before asking such questions on their Facebook pages, or in their printed pages, news outlets should consider what kind of discussion they’re trying to have, and what kind of “engagement” they seek. If 700 (or more) argumentative comments is how we measure successfully discussing a topic as deeply divisive as race, then KHQ seemingly succeeded.

But there’s something to be said about stripping away the veil and distance the Internet allows us all. If KHQ (and other news outlets and community organizations) had instead convened a community forum to discuss the issue, we’d expect a different, more constructive tone to the comments. That is, if anyone would have bothered to show up — because true engagement is hard. It takes time and energy, and journalists themselves have to get out from behind their computers. n Scott A. Leadingham is director of education for the Society of Professional Journalists and editor of its magazine, Quill.

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NEWS | MENTAL HEALTH

‘Preventable Tragedies’ Advocates say Washington’s Involuntary Treatment Act needs an update

BY DEANNA PAN

L

ast summer, on the morning of July 5, Joel Reuter, a 28-year-old software engineer living in Seattle, was shot and killed in a standoff with local police.

He was ranting and waving a handgun from the balcony of his Capitol Hill condo. After hours of negotiations with police, Reuter fired a shot. He was killed by a sniper’s bullet. He thought he was defending himself against zombies.

Reuter had bipolar disorder; at the time, he was manic and spiraling out of control. He threatened to kill his parents and his best friend. He said he would detonate a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles, that he would burn down the White House. His parents and friends made dozens of calls to mental health officials and local authorities to have him committed.

But Reuter didn’t meet the criteria for involuntary commitment under Washington state law until months later, in May. By then, his parents say, it was “too little,

20 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

too late.”

“He was so far gone by then it would have taken him months rather than weeks to get well,” his mother, Nancy Reuter, said in emotional testimony before the House Judiciary committee earlier this month.

Reuter’s parents moved to Olympia about six months ago to lobby for House Bill 2725. The measure would revise the state’s Involuntary Treatment Act by allowing family members to appeal to the court if a mental health official denies a loved one emergency hospitalization for failing to meet Washington’s strict civil commitment criteria.

After the Reuters’ moving testimony, the House unanimously approved the bill two weeks ago. It has since moved to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Rep. Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, says its passage will result in more people receiving emergency mental health treatment.

“We have stigmatized mental health treatment very badly in this nation,” Jinkins says. “It’s just another form

of being sick. It’s very treatable and people can recover from it, but we don’t treat it like other health care problems, like a broken arm.”

Reuter’s death constitutes what the pro-commitment Treatment Advocacy Center calls “preventable tragedies” — far too common incidents of violence involving people with mental illness that could have been avoided had they received timely treatment.

“People hurt themselves or they hurt others,” says Kathryn Cohen, a legislative and policy counsel at the Treatment Advocacy Center. “They become victims when they don’t get the proper treatment they need.”

Under Washington’s Involuntary Treatment Act, only a “designated mental health professional” (DMHP) working for the county can petition the court to have individuals civilly committed if, as a result of mental illness, they are “gravely disabled” or an “imminent” danger to themselves or others. Those who meet the state’s criteria can be hospitalized at a psychiatric facility for up to 72 hours.

“They become victims when they don’t get the proper treatment they need.”

Washington is one of a few states that doesn’t allow citizens to directly petition the court for inpatient commitments. At least 45 states, including Idaho, do. Although the House bill doesn’t go that far, Cohen calls it a “step in the right direction.”

“I think that family members are more aware of what is going on with their loved ones than a mental health professional who is just with them for a minute or two,”

Joel Reuter, 28, was shot by Seattle police last summer. His parents are now trying to make it easier to have someone committed.

Cohen says. “It also makes it easier for someone to get treatment.”

According to a Washington State Institute for Public Policy study, 1,500 to 2,000 people were investigated for involuntary treatment every month between 2002 and 2009. People met the criteria for involuntary commitment and received treatment in less than 40 percent of these investi-

gations.

Experts say that regardless of whether or not the House bill passes, Washington likely will see a rise in civil commitments this summer. In 2010, lawmakers approved several revisions to the involuntary treatment guidelines allowing DMHPs to consider historical behavior and patterns of deterioration when evaluating people for forced detentions. The implementation of the changes was postponed until July 2014 due to funding constraints.

“The problem is that the judge [families are] going to appeal to is going to use the same standards the DMHP uses,” says Gregory Robinson, senior policy analyst for the Washington Community Health Council, who testified in opposition to the bill. “We expect the new criteria will result in ameliorating the situation for the families. Honestly, until that happens, I can understand the families might be skeptical.”

That’s why the Washington chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness has for years advocated expanding the state’s civil commitment criteria by removing the “imminent” requirement under the Involuntary Treatment Act. Sandi Ando, the chapter’s policy chair, says amending the statute’s language would result in more people receiving lifesaving emergency treatment.

“We hope this is going to be helpful, but we fear that it may not be,” Ando says. “We need to get people treatment before they’re at the edge of the cliff.” n deannap@inlander.com

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FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 21

Wiza the

of Spokane

S

pokane believed in Erick Hansen.

It’s Nov. 2, 2007, and the 5 o’clock news is on. A KXLY anchor starts his spiel with a smile. “Chances are the next movie you buy on DVD or a Blu-ray disc will have been made right here in Spokane,” he says, before switching to a live shot of a bright-eyed reporter standing downtown. In the background, banners promoting Blue Ray Technologies hang from a building on First Avenue.

“Inside the historic Commercial Building,” the reporter begins, “the future of movie technology.” At the bottom of the screen are the words, in all caps, “JOBS COME TO DOWNTOWN.” “We’re doing it right there as we speak,” Blue Ray president Erick Hansen tells the TV reporter. He’s got a round face, a John Edwards haircut, and holds a glass plaque with his name on it. The camera pans across shots of business leaders and politicians, of swinging robot arms and pumping pistons, of TVs broadcasting high-definition video and big machines

pressing Blu-ray discs.

“Right now, Blue Ray Technology produces about 18,000 discs a day — it hopes to expand, though, and produce 100,000 discs a day,” the reporter continues.

“First-year revenue has been reported to reach $25 million.”

Hansen doesn’t just want to launch a Blu-ray disc factory. He says he wants to transform the three-story building into an entertainment complex with videogame, music and movie companies.

Then Hansen gives Spokane the exact beats of flattery it yearns to hear. “I travel all over the world, I get to go to the most wonderful places, and you know what, I’m very proud. I think this is one of the most beautiful cities in the world,” Hansen says. “And we want to help change this beautiful city into a place that creates jobs for their children.”

The raid comes six years later, almost to the day.

That morning — as commuters skid and crash in a mess of ice and snow — a team of at least seven FBI agents, a forensic accountant, a U.S. Attorney’s Office

investigator, a Secret Service agent and an evidence control technician march into Hansen’s building.

They walk across dark hardwood floors, through doorways outlined in blue trim, past the high-tech equipment below. A massive framed print of two big cats — leopards or cheetahs — dominates the wall of an office. A metal Blue Ray Technologies logo still sprawls across the lobby, even though Sony forced Hansen to change the company’s name to BlueStar Technologies in September 2008.

The agents copy computer hard drives and clear out filing cabinets, office drawers and banker boxes.

They take investor filings, tax returns, invoices, meeting agendas and receipts, filling 26 boxes in total.

The FBI and Washington State Department of Financial Institutions have been investigating Hansen since April 2012. FBI Agent Lisa Jangaard — the white collar crime expert who took down Ridpath Hotel con artist Greg Jeffreys — has been interviewing witnesses and searching financial documents, looking for evidence that Hansen and his cohorts are guilty

zard E r i c k H a n s e n c o n v i n c e d e v e r y o n e . Po l i t i c i a n s .

Rich investors. Even Michael Jackson’s dad.

Then the FBI yanked back the curtain.

By Daniel Walters

of wire and mail fraud. Jangaard sees probable cause that they’ve lied about assets, expenditures and even, at times, the company’s ability to manufacture Bluray discs at all, records show.

After the raid last fall, BlueStar promised investors that all the accusations would be answered and that they’d hold a press conference. They never did. Hansen’s lawyer, Chris Bugbee, says there are allegations against Hansen that are untrue, but he won’t give any specifics. Through Bugbee, Hansen declined to be interviewed. “Mr. Hansen wants to talk about his company and what he intends to do,” Bugbee says. “[But] he’s waiting until the investigation completes.”

To date, Hansen hasn’t been charged in the FBI’s investigation. But for at least 15 years, he’s faced repeated accusations of lying, omitting crucial facts and breaking investment law. He’s been saddled with bankruptcy, debt and a perpetual string of lawsuits.

He’s left a long trail of disillusioned partners, disgruntled employees and furious investors.

Talk to those who’ve taken a risk on BlueStar, and some see bad luck. Some see bad management.

Others see lie after lie. After all, the line between dreams, hopes, wishful thinking, delusion and outright fraud can be a fine one.

“Economic Development Deal of the Year” Optimism filled the air: Hansen’s company hit Spokane in 2007, the same year as the Davenport Hotel Tower opened, the same year the Fox Theater, Saranac and Magic Lantern were renovated.

Spokane’s leadership held the high-tech company aloft like a trophy. Mayor Dennis Hession gave a speech citing the company as an example of what Spokane was becoming. Greater Spokane Inc. was so proud that it submitted Blue Ray for the 2007 “Economic Development Deal of the Year” award in Business Facilities magazine.

Blue Ray ended up winning a Judge’s Choice

award, and for good reason. Hansen’s venture was supposed to create 400 new jobs and $183 million in direct economic impact. And GSI, the magazine praised, helped the company find a location that fit its needs. It landed in the creaky old Commercial Building on First Avenue, in a run-down block of downtown.

One problem, though: People were living there.

Forty-seven low-income residents, many suffering from mental illness and substance abuse issues, occupied the second- and third-floor apartments. People like Stephen Harris, who suffered from seizures so bad he couldn’t safely cook with a stove or drive a car. And Garry Campbell, who struggled with serious depression and repeatedly had been homeless.

The location put residents close to bus lanes, a nonprofit medical clinic and food kitchens like City Gate.

The Commercial Building also had a food bank, a clothing bank and a licensed mental health expert within its walls. ...continued on next page

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 23

CO V E R S TO RY | BU S I N E S S “THE WIZARD OF SPOKANE” CONTINUED...

The property had been upgraded in the mid’90s, with the city and federal government chipping in hundreds of thousands of dollars with the understanding that owners would provide low-income housing at least through 2010. However, owners lost the building to foreclosure in 2007, and a company led by Hansen bought it at auction, giving tenants 30 days to vacate.

At the time, Barry Pfundt was a 33-year-old law student intern at the nonprofit Center for Justice. “It just had injustice written all over it,” Pfundt says.

Many residents never got their deposits back, though they were given $100 and allowed to take their room’s furniture with them. In the midst of the foreclosure and looming eviction, one of Campbell’s friends in the building, a 42-year-old named Roger Buckles — a guy who loved fishing and cooking — was found dead in his room. Campbell thought he’d committed suicide. “I think it was related to, you know, the feeling that the Commercial Building was his last resort,” he said in a deposition. (The medical examiner later ruled the death accidental, citing a brain hemorrhage.”)

Though it’s possible the tenants would have been evicted even if the tech company hadn’t arrived, Pfundt believes Spokane’s leadership could have fought harder to keep the low-income housing.

“It happened down there, in a neighborhood that has a somewhat jaded history,” he says. “But what if it were 100 houses in the South Hill, and someone came in and said, ‘You all need to move out, because we’re putting in a bigger, better project here?’”

In October 2007, with the Center for Justice’s help, Campbell and Harris sued Blue Ray, arguing that federal law prohibited the company from kicking out those subsidized tenants without a year’s notice. The court ruled that the Center was right on the law, but it was too late for anything to be done in response.

To Pfundt, it was clear Spokane had made a value judgment. “These jobs, this high-tech success story, is more attractive than this other story, which is low-income people struggling to find adequate housing in Spokane,” he says.

Ultimately, Spokane got neither the jobs nor the high-tech success story.

“Promises, promises, promises” Joe Vogt is not a big-time investor or venture capitalist or tech guru.

He’s just a father of two young boys, the owner of a small concrete-polishing business in Kansas City, the last sort of person you’d ask to bankroll a tech startup. “I still work on my hands and knees for my money,” Vogt says.

But then, completely out of the blue, Blue Ray calls. He’s never received a phone call like it before or since. The call comes on his business phone — the voice on the other end says he has an investment opportunity for Vogt, a way to get in on the ground floor of something big, a just-about-to-open Blu-ray disc plant.

He has to choose fast, the man says. Blue Ray needs to launch in time for the Christmas rush.

“That meant they had all their ducks in the row,” Vogt assumed.

He bites. In three installments across three months in 2007, Vogt says he bought stock in the fledgling company. It was his first and last dance with private equity, his one big financial risk. It cost him $75,000, but he was promised he’d make all that money back, plus a percentage of two years of profit.

Vogt was joined by investors from places like Missouri, Hawaii, Illinois, California and Spokane County. There were at least 175 in all, shelling out

more than $10 million to Blue Ray. Others told the FBI they were promised they’d see their money multiply by 300, 500, 1,100 percent.

Vogt didn’t go in blind: He asked an engineering friend to check over the company’s equipment and even called up a Spokane TV reporter to ask if everything seemed right — and everything seemed solid. But he didn’t know to search the archives of the California Department of Corporations and find the two desist-and-refrain letters from 1999, ordering Hansen and his team to stop lying and omitting facts. Hansen had been illegally selling unqualified securities — shares that hadn’t been approved by the state — through an unqualified broker, and had been misrepresenting what would happen to investors’ funds. It wouldn’t be the last time Hansen would face that accusation.

Blue Ray kept calling Vogt. Even after he’d invested three separate times, they asked for more.

“Out of the goodness of Erick’s heart, Erick is willing to give us some of his personal shares at a fire sale, but you have to buy within the next 24 hours,” Vogt remembers being told.

In April 2008, Blue Ray sent him a letter with a message signed by Mary Verner, then mayor of Spokane, explicitly endorsing the company: “I urge you to consider helping Blue Ray Technologies grow into a cornerstone for Spokane and Eastern Washington,” Verner wrote. The mayor had penned it at Hansen’s request.

That was before Blue Ray had an occupancy permit, a Blu-ray license or even certified equipment, but Verner said it would “be the foundation of new opportunities in the area driven by their developmental technology.” It fit her vision for Spokane, she wrote.

“As companies come here to work with Blue Ray, they will see why Forbes ranked Spokane the ninth best city to work and live out of the largest

When a company led by Erick Hansen bought the Commercial Building in 2007, it kicked out 47 low-income tenants. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

24 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

200 cities in the United States,” wrote Verner.

The letter just added to the hype. “It was an additional vote of confidence,” Vogt says. He talked with his wife, wondering if they were screwing up by not investing more, but his wife said no.

The next year Forbes named BlueStar directly — in an article calling Spokane the “Scam Capital of America.”

Today, Verner explains that she never vouched for the company’s fiscal stability and believes that the city should now dig deeper into a business before spending community resources or offering even “tepid support.”

A month after the Verner letter, the state of California hit Hansen again, accusing him and his associates of continuing to violate the 1999 order. They were still cold-calling unqualified investors, the department said, illegally selling unqualified shares. Hansen had raked in more than $4 million from investors, omitting that the state had previously chastised him for his investment practices.

On top of that, add an outright lie: “Defendants represented they were affiliated with the Disney and Sony corporation, which in fact was not true,” the California department said. Hansen didn’t admit or deny the claims. He settled. The state fined him and his cohorts $50,000 and ordered him to offer any California investors their money back, plus 10.5 percent. The result was a $657,475 judgment. He eventually paid the fine — but the FBI believes he did it with money from subsequent investors. In other words, investors not only were not told about the California judgment, they weren’t told they were paying for it.

“It’s obvious, when you have over 200 shareholders, you’re going to have one or two that are going to be dissatisfied no matter what you do,” says Robert DeRosa,

an advisor to Hansen, in a message to shareholders last fall.

There were more than one or two. As the court orders surfaced, investors like Vogt found each other, forming an ad hoc community. They’d send emails, share frustrations and forward news clippings, videos and documents.

“I have a list of over 40 investors that are upset,” says Larry Lambeth, a Spokane investor who owns a company specializing in background checks. “I know of one investor that has well over a million dollars in this.”

When Lambeth saw Hansen advertise plans to open additional facilities in Montana and Rome, he began to question Hansen’s strategy.

“Nothing from the very beginning made sense,” Lambeth says. “No legitimate businessman would be out opening other plants when he couldn’t get this one open.” Records show one Washington state business owner told Jangaard, the FBI investigator, that they had to file for bankruptcy protection, in part because of their investment in BlueStar.

“I’m a salesman, and he sold a salesman,” says Kathy Moore, a local real estate agent. It’s one thing that even Hansen’s most rabid critics praise him for — the man can talk. “He’s good at it,” says Moore.

After Blue Ray became BlueStar, Hansen’s investment practices were hit for a third time in 2011. The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions’ cease-and-desist order had the longest list of accusations yet: more unregistered securities, more cold calling, more major omissions, more grand claims, more fraud.

But even as investors grew angry, and as lawsuits popped up and state financial agencies fired off cease...continued on next page

WAS HANSEN A “DVD INNOVATOR?”

Even the headline of the SpokesmanReview article, reporting on the FBI raid of BlueStar, referred to Hansen as a “DVD innovator.” It’s clearly true that, when Hansen’s Optical Disc Media was launched in 1995, it was among the first American DVD companies.

But his claims go further than that: He claims to have helped created the first multi-angle DVD and says he’s an expert in anti-piracy and digital delivery.

In 2006, a press release from Hansen claimed Blue Ray Technologies was finalizing patents that would “revolutionize the manufacturing process,” vastly decreasing the errors in Blu-ray production. But Reed Jessen, patent analyst at Spokane patent firm Lee & Hayes, says there’s no evidence of Hansen creating or BlueStar owning any such patents.

Neither BlueStar, nor any of the former companies he has run, have patents assigned to them.

In fact, Hansen only has two patents to his name. Both involve not a substantial change to the DVD or Blu-ray format, but the idea of embedding an electronic tag directly into a DVD or CD in order to prevent shoplifting. He was one of three inventors of the device.

There’s another claim Hansen has often repeated: “We created the first DVD-ROM video game, which was Wing Commander, for Electronic Arts and Creative Labs,” Hansen says in a video newsletter to shareholders. Wing Commander IV was among the first DVD-ROM video games, but the extent of Hansen’s involvement is questionable.

“I have racked my brain regarding Erick Hansen and really have never heard of the guy,” says Mark Day, the internal producer for Wing Commander IV for Electronic Arts. He says it’s possible that Hansen’s company was involved in manufacturing or encoding the discs, but says those were very minor aspects of the process, akin to copying a VHS tape.

— DANIEL WALTERS

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FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 25

CO V E R S TO RY | BU S I N E S S “THE WIZARD OF SPOKANE” CONTINUED... and-desist orders, company newsletters kept bursting with exclamation points.

The May 2012 newsletter said BlueStar had “acquired a public company, and [would] be trading freely in approximately six to eight months under the name Blue Star Entertainment Technologies.” Going public can mean a big payout — it’s a carrot that BlueStar has repeatedly dangled in front of investors.

The claim seemed solid: In late 2011, the Solarte Hotel Corp., a small company formerly involved in luxury Panamanian real estate, had appointed Hansen its president and changed its name to Blue Star Entertainment Technologies. The plan was to take over BlueStar in Spokane, then go public.

But later SEC filings showed Hansen didn’t actually own any stock. He’d wanted to merge the company with the Spokane plant, but first an audit of BlueStar had to be completed. The audit never happened. The same month the newsletter went out, the sole Solarte shareholder kicked Hansen out of the company. Nearly three years later, BlueStar still hasn’t gone public.

To this day, Vogt says, BlueStar has never sent him detailed financial information. “Not one spreadsheet, not any balance sheet,” he says. “As of late, we can’t even get the K-1s for tax information.”

If he had viewed such records, he would have seen a company hemorrhaging money: From 2008 to 2011, documents show the company lost more than $3 million.

In 2012, BlueStar made $62,000 in “gross profit” from disc sales but lost nearly $1 million. They had more than twice as many current liabilities as current assets.

Vogt’s disillusionment came slowly. He started out as a true believer, but the steady stream of empty hype wore him down. “They’re telling you stuff that’s flat-out lies,” Vogt says. “They kept saying promises, promises, promises, and our fortunes were right around the corner, right around the corner, right around the corner. And nothing materialized.”

“Manage the perception” Like the others, local real estate agent Barb Pielli was sold Blue Ray shares on a big promise. For her, it was a deal about to be finalized with Blockbuster — and she had to invest quickly to benefit. But unlike most investors, she got an inside view.

“We saw firsthand what wasn’t going on there,” Pielli says.

In January 2008, after a tour of the plant, she walked into Hansen’s office, sat down at his desk and signed a check for $25,000. “Our return was going to be millions,” Pielli says. “His explanation was, ‘We’re going to be rich.

We’re going to change the world.’”

Over the sound of discs being pressed at Blue Ray, Erick Hansen told KXLY his plant would bring jobs and entertainment companies to Spokane. KXLY PHOTOS But five months later, she learned that manufacturing still hadn’t started — Blue Ray didn’t even have an occupancy permit. Her husband, a contractor, agreed to help Hansen with the permit, and she agreed to help him with the bookkeeping. “We were assured many, many times that all we need is a certificate of occupancy to make discs,” Pielli says. “All we need.”

As soon as she started volunteering, she saw the chaos up close. Sticky notes littered the floor of Hansen’s office. A shin-high pile of mail sat unopened in the corner.

When they’d prepare for a tour group to come in, Pielli says Hansen had a catchphrase: “Manage the perception.” Do what it takes to impress potential investors. “He was bringing people in off the street to be warm bodies,” Pielli says, to show “that there are all these people who believe in Blue Ray, that we’re legit.”

In his tours, Hansen had touches of showmanship.

He’d throw open the closet door — an alien prop would pop out screeching. Meanwhile, Blu-ray discs would play on high-def TVs, but they weren’t created at Blue Ray. In fact, during the company’s first four years in Spokane, none of the discs being created — seen on tours, newscasts or videos — were sold. They were all test discs, bound for the wastebasket.

Blue Ray didn’t have the license, and the machines didn’t have the proper electrical setup, to legally manufac-

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ture discs in the United States. The equipment came from Europe, with different electrical standards — and even the plug-ins didn’t initially fit into American outlets. “We had to put [in] all kinds of fuse banks and switches,” says Allen Pabst, an engineer at Blue Ray. By the time Pabst left for a better-paying job in August 2008, the required electrical upgrades still hadn’t been finished.

At times, the company had no engineers to run the machines. Other times, the machines were broken: In 2011, a consultant told BlueStar they needed to bring in a technician from Germany to refine the TEST DISCS specifications, replace During the company’s first four years, none of the discs oxidized parts, train created were sold. They were operators and upgrade all test discs, later disposed. the chilled water supply. Even when the machines did work, they’d only produce single-layer Blu-ray discs — when many major studios wanted at least dual-layer.

Creditors would call Pielli, demanding they get paid, threatening lawsuits. “When I’d come to him and say, ‘Erick, you’ve got to pay this bill,’ he’d say ‘f--- ’em,’” Pielli says. “‘Let them take me to collections. I can get 10 cents on the dollar.’”

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the same. Both won their cases against BlueStar.

Investors also would call Pielli, she says, demanding to know what was going on. She’d pass along information about contracts with Costco and Michael Jackson, tell them the company was about to go public, that they were opening up new plants on Indian reservations in Montana and California. But when Pielli asked to see the contracts, she says Hansen wouldn’t show them.

“I realized I was lying to the investors,” she says. She says she later called two of the investors, apologizing for allowing to be deceived.

Finally, on Sept. 9, 2008, Pielli and her husband presented Hansen with his occupancy permit and asked when they could start making discs. She remembers him telling her Oct. 1, giving a salute, and quoting the Russell Crowe movie Gladiator: “Strength and honor.”

And then, nothing.

“He turned around and walked away. Never made a phone call,” she says. “Didn’t order supplies, didn’t do anything to move forward.” They didn’t even have the money to order supplies, she says. They wouldn’t have the license to sell discs for more than two years and wouldn’t actually begin selling discs until December 2011, witnesses told the FBI. Pielli repeatedly asked for her money back. She tried to lead a revolt of employees and a revolt of shareholders, to seize financial control from Hansen. Neither worked. Instead, she went to the authorities and filed three lawsuits.

One was to get access to financial documents shareholders were entitled to. Another accused Hansen of fraud. The third was to recoup the $24,000 she and her husband spent on getting the occupancy permit.

It wasn’t the first time Hansen’s company had been sued: Yelena Simonyan, former Chief Financial Officer of

Blue Ray, also sued to get access to the financial documents. But Hansen’s attorney accused Simonyan of just trying to impact the buyout of her stock, after a potential investor group found out Simonyan had an earlier fraud conviction and Blue Ray fired her.

Hansen pushed to seal the court files, worrying if the local media accessed the financial information, it would hurt the company’s investment opportunities and “make it difficult for Blue Ray, Inc. to stay competitive,” records show. Simonyan lost her case and was charged attorney fees.

Pielli’s fate was different, however. She won all three cases. To its other investors, BlueStar portrays Pielli as an unhinged outlier, the source of a vast majority of BlueStar’s problems.

“She’s a very small investor. … She tried to undermine Erick so many times,” Sean Michael, executive vice president of global business development, says. “She’s just vicious.”

But to Spokane Superior Court, there was “clear, cogent and convincing evidence” establishing BlueStar had committed all nine elements of fraud. Hansen had told Pielli the shareholders owned the Blue Ray building and that a Blockbuster deal was imminent, the court found — but neither was true. Hansen hadn’t mentioned the California cease-and-desist orders when she invested. The court awarded her $62,400 in damages and fees and fined Hansen an additional $10,000 for violating the Consumer Protection Act. BlueStar still disputes the verdicts to shareholders, telling them it intends to make transcripts of the case available.

As for Pielli’s stock, it was a lost cause: Hansen had ...continued on next page

MOVIE MOGUL?

In October 2011, with BlueStar nearly empty, Hansen made an announcement at yet another beauty pageant: He was launching the BlueStar Entertainment Division.

“You’re going out into the movie business to produce movies? That’s freaking insane,” Roy Hahn, former BlueStar director of communications, recalls saying. “Erick, you’ve got to be kidding me — your core business is producing Blu-ray discs. All your money you raised should go into the factory to produce Blu-ray discs.”

Hansen wasn’t swayed. For more than a year, he’s been working on an alien invasion movie called Dominion, due to be completed by April 2014. Hansen wrote the story and BlueStar provided the financing. Most experts warn that, in general, film makes for a very risky investment. But director Rico Lowry says Dominion is micro-budget, the entire investment is tax-deductible, and BlueStar easily will earn back its money. Still, Lowry doesn’t say whether BlueStar will be producing Blu-ray discs of Dominion.

That’s important, because Hansen hasn’t always been upfront about BlueStar’s movie deals. According to the FBI, Hansen told an investor he had the rights to distribute an animated movie called The Illusionauts, when in reality all he had was a courtesy copy.

And an April 2012 press release claimed BlueStar was finalizing a three-picture deal to “manufacture, market and distribute” Rapture, Continuum, and Janus Experiment, three low-budget movies also involving Lowry. But Lowry says that while Hansen had expressed interest in those movies, “BlueStar has nothing to do with Rapture, Continuum or Janus Experiment.”

— DANIEL WALTERS

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FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 27

1999

CO V E R S TO RY | BU S I N E S S

FEB. 2 The California Department of Corpora-

tions issues two desist-and-refrain orders against Erick Hansen and several others selling investments for Optical Disc Media.

2002

APRIL 10 Hansen’s Optical Disc Media files for

bankruptcy, owing creditors $4.5 million.

2003

FEB. 7 Comerica bank wins a $621,800 judg-

ment against Hansen and his wife. Today, the amount owed has increased to $1.1 million.

2007

APRIL 19 Hansen’s Pacific First West LLC

purchases the foreclosed Commercial Building at a trustee’s sale.

2008

MAY 27 The California Department of Corpora-

tions issues a complaint for injunctive relief against Hansen and several others for continuing to break California investment law, omit facts and make untrue statements. The judgment against Hansen is $657,475, which the FBI alleges he paid with investor money.

SEPTEMBER Blue Ray changes its name to BlueStar Technologies after being sued by Sony for copyright infringement.

2009

AUG. 20 Hansen appoints Brian Main Executive

Vice President of European Markets. Main had been one of con artist Greg Jeffreys’ partners in his controversial Ridpath Hotel dealings.

2011

APRIL 29 Real estate agent Barb Pielli files

another lawsuit against Hansen and BlueStar.

Spokane Superior Court eventually finds him guilty of fraud and assesses more than $62,000 in damages and attorney fees, and an additional $10,000 for violating the Consumer Protection Act. SEPT. 15 Lease agreement hands over the second floor of the BlueStar building to Nicola Mann, with the intention of it being used as student housing for the University of Digital Technology.

OCT. 26 The Washington state Department of Financial Institutions sanctions Hansen for his investment practices.

2012

FEBRUARY Hansen settles with the Depart-

ment of Financial Institutions and agrees to comply with investment rules. Despite this, FBI reports that multiple investors say they have been contacted to attract more investments.

2013

OCT. 11 Park Avenue Suites’ low income tenants

are given 30 days notice to leave by BlueStar.

NOV. 5 The FBI conducts a search warrant on

the BlueStar plant in Spokane.

2014

JAN. 21 Sean Michael, the executive VP, asks

investors to send Erick Hansen thank-you notes.

28 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

TOP: Contestants for the BlueStar International Fitness and Beauty Pageant, held in the Bahamas. BOTTOM RIGHT: Joe Jackson (far left) and Erick Hansen (far right).

“THE WIZARD OF SPOKANE” CONTINUED...

created so many entities, it was impossible to tell where her shares even were. “The bookkeeping is horrendous,” the court wrote, “and there is no proof that Barbara Pielli’s shares have any value.”

Bikinis, Bahamas, BlueStar It was October 2009, and at the “world’s most expensive resort,” Nygård Cay in the Bahamas — with its white sand beaches and replica Mayan pyramids — BlueStar was staging a photo shoot for the BlueStar International Fitness and Beauty Pageant. The pageant’s flyer outlined it all: DVD pioneer Erick Hansen was “looking for the BlueStar Girls to represent his impressive list of clients.” They’d party with Playboy Playmates and NFL pros, be pampered with free clothes and lingerie, face off in jet skiing, volleyball and kayaking competitions and star in music videos.

“You’ve got this dream, and you’ll do anything in your power to keep it alive,” says Roy Hahn, former CEO of PlayerXT and former director of communications for BlueStar.

Hahn put on events like these for high rollers all the time, but Hansen got so excited and drunk that first night, Hahn says, that he vomited all over himself, and Hahn had to get him a replacement shirt from the gift shop.

On another night, Hansen — in a white sweater and rectangular, blue-tinted glasses — ended up sharing the stage with the King of Pop’s father: Joe Jackson.

Jackson was in the Bahamas to audition performers for the “We Are the World All Nations Talent Search,” intended to be an American Idol-style reality show, with Joe Jackson, Chi-Lites singer Marshall Thompson, and Erick Hansen as

the judges. They planned to travel across the United States, Europe, Nigeria and Egypt, recruiting and judging top talent.

Hansen would produce Blu-ray discs of the experience.

Jackson wasn’t just a celebrity sponsor. He attended Hansen’s parties and spoke during BlueStar tours. At the 2009 BET awards, Jackson and Thompson angered Michael Jackson fans by talking about “Blu-ray technology” on the red carpet only three days after Michael’s death. That turned into yet more publicity for BlueStar.

The surrounding fervor sparked Jackson’s management to look into exactly who Hansen was, says Lowell Henry, Jackson’s business manager. “Suffice it to say, after a background check done by the Jackson family attorneys, Mr. Hansen’s results never passed the litmus test,” Henry says.

By November 2009, their joint venture had been shut down, Henry says. But for years, Joe Jackson’s name continued appearing among the “Board of Advisors” in BlueStar newsletters.

“Mr. Hansen continued to use Mr. Jackson’s name, yet Mr. Jackson had absolutely no involvement with Mr. Hansen or his company,” Henry says by email. “We’ve been even informed that he continues to use a picture of Mr. Jackson in his offices!”

Jackson wasn’t the only celebrity with a Hansen connection. Hansen previously partnered with Terminator director John Daly. Record executive Russ Regan is a BlueStar shareholder, and former LucasFilm president Charlie Weber has been on its advisory board. Investors and collaborators say Hansen claims to have worked with Steven Spielberg, was personally praised by James Cameron, met Pope John Paul II and once sat on Mariah Carey’s lap. “As you know, I talked

Mr. Disney into the DVD business,” Hansen says in a shareholder video.

Several people tell the Inlander that Hansen has a phrase that he’d repeat, like a sad mantra: “I just want my life back.”

“He referred to the life he had before, when he was a successful DVD mogul,” Hahn says. “He wanted to relive the days of when he was a bigwig in Hollywood producing DVDs.” Most of Hansen’s adult life has been spent surrounded by the film industry. In 1998, when Jerry Seinfeld held the final Seinfeld wrap party, he gave each cast member a gift of his favorite episodes on DVD — manufactured by Erick Hansen’s Optical Disc Media company. There was a time when he and his wife owned his-and-hers 1999 and 2000 Porsche Carreras and two properties in California, a condo in Encino and a family home in Valencia.

But all that collapsed, and hard. In 2002, Optical Disc Media filed for bankruptcy, owing creditors — including banks, the L.A. County Assessor and plastic, chemical and packaging firms — $4.5 million. The court proceedings lasted more than a decade and were ugly enough that the bankruptcy trustee eventually sued Hansen himself for $60,000.

In 2003, things got even worse. He and his wife divorced. He owed $70,000 on his car, and she owed $55,000 on hers. To this day, debt collectors hound Hansen. He owes Comerica bank more than $1.1 million, thanks to an Optical Disc Media loan he and his wife had personally guaranteed, plus a decade of interest. A lawyer representing Comerica recently contacted a former collaborator asking if he knew where Hansen was.

Yet all that debt hasn’t stopped Hansen from living large. A BlueStar to-do list, obtained by the Inlander, includes “Pay for Rolex” as one of its first items. An invoice

shows BlueStar spent more than $2,000 in a single day on limousines for people in the entertainment industry.

Investor Kathy Moore says that when she was showing Hansen houses, he made a bid on a $2.5 million house in Liberty Lake’s Legacy Ridge comminity.

When the FBI began to dig into BlueStar’s banking records, it found Hansen spent $500,000 of investor money on travel, food and entertainment for himself and his employees. Pielli says Hansen once called her up and demanded she immediately forward him $4,500 at a casino.

“He wanted to relive the days of when he was a bigwig in Hollywood producing DVDs.” Things got worse when Hansen got a young girlfriend, Hahn says, and began to spend significant sums of money on her. “She wanted something, he’d get it for her: trips to Miami, trips to Park City, trips to Hawaii,” Hahn says. “Lingerie, expensive dresses, stays in expensive hotels. … She was a very, very, very pretty girl.”

Linda Bray, briefly a BlueStar bookkeeper, testified during Pielli’s lawsuit that investor money was put into Hansen’s personal account. “All I can tell you was that money was transferred from accounts to accounts,” Bray

says. “When I tried to reconcile them, he would never bring in the copies of his personal accounts.”

Hansen can get defensive about BlueStar’s finances.

“I still have enough to buy your freakin’ paper,” he said when a Spokane Journal of Business reporter questioned the company’s financial viability in 2009.

According to financial documents obtained by the Inlander, in 2011, BlueStar had only one employee on payroll — yet racked up 10 times more in “travel expenses” than the employee’s salary. That year, more than $180,000 in expenses were categorized under “other expenses” with no explanation. As late as 2012, Hahn says, Hansen would meet in luxurious suites at places like the W Hotel in Los Angeles.

“He got caught up in the Hollywood crowd and was pulled in 100 different directions,” Hahn says. “He was doing it with the money of his investors.”

Left in the cold A long way, in every sense, from the Hollywood limousines and the Bahamian beauty pageants, in an apartment above BlueStar, a tiny insect that looks almost like an appleseed skitters across the cream-colored blanket of 67-year-old Ardyth McGough’s bed.

Bed bugs.

“They bit me bad,” McGough says. “Mine swelled up as big as a 50-cent piece and it got all hot. I never had anything itch like that.”

It was unexpected: Even after all the effort and money BlueStar expended to evict the Commercial Building’s low-income residents, the second floor again became home to struggling tenants, who filled the space left by another of Hansen’s failed dreams: the University ...continued on next page

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CO V E R S TO RY | BU S I N E S S “THE WIZARD OF SPOKANE” CONTINUED... of Digital Technology.

“Blu-ray, 3D and international Internet publishing are all in the curriculum at a new school, the University of Digital Technology,” read a December 2010 email to investors. Hansen said students would get experience with Blu-ray disc development and study marketing, publishing and journalism. The curriculum, or even the school, didn’t yet exist.

“You believe every word that is coming out of his mouth,” says Nicola Mann. She had been a business lecturer in British universities for more than three years when Hansen brought her in to start UDT. She arrived in Spokane on June 15, 2011. At that point, the building only had one other employee, and Hansen said he was leaving for Utah.

Hansen downgraded his original promise to provide $500,000 for the university to $50,000, and Mann stripped down the university’s ambition. It would be a blended online and in-class school, offering three bachelor’s and master’s programs focusing on technology in business.

By September 2011, she managed to get 26 dorm rooms up and running, intending to serve as student housing for local colleges until UDT launched. Hansen chose the name Park Avenue Suites for the dorm rooms, Mann says — though they weren’t remotely close to Park Avenue and weren’t remotely close to suites.

Mann saw two sides to Hansen. The charismatic, friendly side, the excitable salesman who’d offer monologues about his aspirations. Then the darker side. Redfaced, screaming, pumping his fists.

“He swore a lot,” Mann says. “When he would get angry, he would just walk around screaming the F-word.”

He’d take a 20-second breather, she says, and start screaming all over again.

Mann rapidly grew more suspicious of Hansen and doubtful about the prospects of actually opening the school, and by November she realized, “I have to just admit to myself it’s never going to happen.”

The University of Digital Technology was dead before it even started. All her savings were gone, poured into Park Avenue. She’d had her hotel and meals paid for, but wasn’t receiving an actual salary. She went back to England.

The students who were living there moved out and were replaced by low-income residents, drawn by cheap deposits and short-term leases. McGough, who’d previously lived in a car for two years, moved in. So did a man named Mike Almada, who stayed there with his brother and his mother Jane, who has a heart condition.

Soon, the elevator stopped working, Mann says, and

Thomas Forbes was among the residents given 30 days to vacate the Commercial Building last October. she had to pay BlueStar’s elevator bill to get it running again. Hansen — or one of his staff members — also would unplug vending machines and washing machines to save power, she says.

“They wouldn’t turn the boilers on,” Jane Almada says. Winter hit, and inside the building it was freezing.

“You could see your breath.”

Mann responded by buying several space heaters and handing them out to tenants who requested them.

“Despite four requests to turn the heat back on, our tenants are living in temperatures as low as 31 degrees at night … this is unlawful and unethical,” Mann wrote in an email to BlueStar officials.

Mann and BlueStar kept firing off letters at each other, accusing each other of not paying bills. When the Park Avenue property manager left suddenly, Mann had to make a decision.

“I knew very well that those tenants would not be treated fairly,” she says. “I didn’t have a choice. I’m too afraid to go back. I have this little boy, I’m afraid of what Hansen will do.” Tenants received a letter from Hansen in May 2013, informing them BlueStar was taking over.

Bit by bit, everything began to be shut off. The apartments originally had cable and Wi-Fi, but they were both turned off. Lights burned out in the ceiling and weren’t replaced. The bed bugs came back, Jane Almada says.

The heat went off again, and Almada says she had to call Meals on Wheels to bring her a heater.

These were problems BlueStar didn’t want to deal with. “It was supposed to be for students, not habitual

drug offenders,” says Sean Michael, the executive vice president. “Nobody paid rent there.”

On Oct. 11, 2013, Michael, wearing a cowboy hat, went door to door, armed with a Glock pistol in his holster — it was a place with “known felons,” he says — and handed out eviction notices.

“It scared the crap out of me,” Mike Almada says.

They were given 30 days to leave and weren’t given back their deposits. BlueStar had kicked out all of its tenants again. But this time TECH SCHOOL there wasn’t the storm Hansen’s University of of media attention Digital Technology died or Spokane Housing before it even got started.

Authority vouchers or relocation assistance. It was just 10 people, quietly losing their homes.

The tenants have struggled to find new places.

Mike and Jane Almada share their stories while sitting in the lobby of the Ramada Inn, where they’ve been staying since. They can’t get an apartment. One tenant, computer programmer Tom Forbes, wrote a lengthy email to Mayor David Condon a few days after being evicted, imploring him to find rehousing help for the tenants.

“As projects like the Ridpath progress, the city of Spokane can’t be like that other River City and march to the music of any flashy bandmaster,” Forbes wrote. “You must protect the most vulnerable before you protect the bottom line. A strong dose of due diligence seems a good first step.”

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It wasn’t until Dec. 30 that Forbes received a reply: It merely said to dial 211 for rehousing help, outlined Condon’s overall housing strategy and described how effectively the city had helped previous tenants evicted from the Commercial Building.

“$25, $50, $100 million company” It’s mid-February 2014. The white BlueStar company van parked in Railroad Alley outside the building looks like it hasn’t moved in years. The California tabs are from March 2007. It sags on a slashed tire, and a spiderweb of impacted glass ripples across the windshield.

But BlueStar still lives. Inside the building, the light is on. A knock on the glass, and Allen Pabst, the red-headed engineer, answers.

When he was rehired back in October, he says, he discovered the machines had been dormant for about a year. During that time, he says, the company contracted out their actual Blu-ray manufacturing to a separate company in California. Pabst estimates it took about $20,000 to bring the machines — the same ones they had back in 2007 — back into working order. “I had to do cleaning, lubrication, changing parts, checking the quality of the discs coming out,” Pabst says.

In the past four months, they’ve sent out one order produced at the plant, Pabst says. He still runs test discs, just to make sure the machines remain up to code. (There are numerous accusations online claiming Pabst ran a scam selling fake airline tickets on Craigslist using stolen identities. Pabst says he’s innocent — another victim of the scammer’s identity theft.)

A week after the FBI came knocking this past No-

vember, BlueStar released a video newsletter to shareholders, full of familiar promises. “I work for each and every one of the shareholders in this company,” Hansen says. “It’s like being a captain of a ship, and seeing a storm. Yes, it’s been tough.”

Hansen could have given up, the video says, but he didn’t. Today their sales are increasing, it said. They have plans to take the company public, to expand into Germany, possibly Korea. They want to buy brand-new, state-of-the art equipment to churn out ultra-high-def 4k Blu-rays.

“It’s time for us to become a $25, $50, $100 million company, hopefully. That’s what this is all about,” Hansen said. “We’re looking for four to five facilities around the world to handle the various jobs.”

But Hansen’s past continues to haunt him. In May 2013, a press release went out announcing that Imprint Entertainment, the studio that created the first few Twilight movies, was sinking $10 million into BlueStar.

Cain McKnight, Imprint’s managing director, says the plan was to dump BlueStar’s management and then purchase and roll out 20 to 30 machines in Spokane and other locations throughout the world. “We were already [preparing] to expand the company in Europe,” McKnight says. “We were literally going to take over the company.”

To double-check the company’s viability, they sent bankers to tour the facility. That’s when an employee “was asked by Hansen and [Sean Michael] to ‘fire up the machines’ and essentially put on a show that the factory was in full operation,” according to the FBI investigator. (Says Michael: “No, that’s not what I said. I said be energetic, don’t lie.”)

The employee dressed up a janitor and a prop-

erty manager in lab coats to appear to be working on the equipment, records state. But the deal never went through. In a shareholder video, Hansen says that after careful consideration for the shareholders, “we decided that their offer, and their ability to perform, just wasn’t there.”

McKnight strongly disputes that, saying that Imprint ended the deal. McKnight says Hansen had sent out the press release too early. As soon as it went out, McKnight was called by several people who’d been burned by BlueStar, warning that Hansen still owed them money.

He saw questionable spending. And when the bank came back with their verdict on BlueStar’s financials, the decision to cut ties was obvious.

“We washed our hands of it,” he says.

But BlueStar still has believers. Michael has made more than $330,000 at BlueStar — he says he gets paid about $100,000 a year, and says he’s worth it. There was a time he was temporarily fired by Hansen, and there was a time that Michael threatened to resign. But few are more insistent that Hansen hasn’t done anything wrong, or more effusive in their praise.

“Erick’s got this Blu-ray thing in his blood,” Michael says. “I believe in him, I believe in him, I believe in him.”

On Jan. 21 of this year, Michael sent out a frantic email, rife with spelling errors, titled “Good News to All of our Partners,” asking all investors to send a thank-you letter to Hansen for all his hard work, for sticking with it despite the challenges.

“If we loose Ericks heart we loose and you loose BlueStar Forever and all this time was for nothing,” he writes. “Thank you Erick for Dreaming that we could have a American Blu-ray company!”  danielw@inlander.com

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Bridge Between Two Worlds Lama Lakshey Zangpo is working to build, and keep, a strong connection between Spokane and Tibet

BY CLARKE HUMPHREY

G

eometry teaches us that two lines that aren’t parallel always meet at some point.

Spokane and Tibet are as unparalleled as it gets: the technology and luxuries like indoor plumbing here don’t come standard there. Tibet, by and large, is the third world, resembling an America from more than a century ago, but there’s at least one intersection between the two.

You’ll find this collision of cultures at Tsinta Mani Choling, a Tibetan Buddhist cultural center near Spokane’s Corbin Park, where Lama Lakshey Zangpo Rinpoche teaches most Sundays, covering topics including wisdom, emptiness and

the idea that Buddhist philosophy is for anyone, regardless of your own religious background.

“People of other faiths can absolutely benefit.

I’m not concerned with converting people to Buddhism, but rather teaching people and allowing them to be informed,” the Lama says. “It doesn’t matter what you believe or don’t believe, there’s a benefit.”

In his home near Manito Park, Lama Lakshey Zangpo has a room to himself and the opportunity to shower every day for as long as he likes — extravagances he couldn’t even have imagined as a little boy in Tibet. With iPhone and

iPad in hand, he flips through photos of the life he left behind years ago.

He spent his formative years in Tibet living as a nomad. His family relied on livestock, eating and trading animals to support themselves, living in tents and moving around as the seasons changed. He comes from a family that included 10 children, so educational opportunities were limited because his whole family needed to work to make ends meet. His parents allowed him to pursue the path that led to his becoming a Lama, but not all his siblings were as fortunate.

When he finished his studies at the monastery, ...continued on next page

The Sengdruk Taktse School in Eastern Tibet, founded by Lama Lakshey Zangpo. LAMA LAKSHEY ZANGPO PHOTO

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 33

CULTURE | RELIGION “BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO WORLDS,” CONTINUED...

Jazz Mass

by Dan Keberle

Jazz Orchestra & St. Mark’s Choir Tuesday, March 4th 7:00 pm St. Mark’s Lutheran Church 24th & Grand Blvd Preacher: Rev. Janeen Steer,

Gonzaga University Campus Minister *The tradition of Fat Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday) is to feast on fat things before the lean weeks of Lent

he wanted that situation to change. He wanted access to education to be easier.

“After I graduated from Buddhist academic school, I worked to support Tibetan orphans and provide an education for them,” he says. So in 1999, he and two other Tibetan masters established Sengdruk Taktse School in eastern Tibet.

“We admit boys and girls equally and give them the opportunity to study,” he says. “And we don’t focus on what they believe; that is 100 percent their decision and up to them. When they grow up and graduate from our school, they can go wherever they want to go. We support them in whatever they will become.”

A

n American volunteer at the Tibetan school invited the Lama to to study English and create the Joru Foundation in 2007. The foundation aims to raise money and find other resources to continue providing food, shelter and learning opportunities for the students at Sengdruk Taktse School. Lama Lakshey says interest in Buddhist teachings was growing when he arrived in the U.S. and people invited him to teach in California, Oregon and Washington.

“That’s why I’m here. To teach and develop the Buddhist community called sangha. To serve that community,” he says. The three most important parts of Buddhism are the Buddha (the man whose teachings formed the basis of Buddhism), the Dharma (the teachings themselves) and the sangha (the group). The sangha remains hugely important, Buddhists believe, because it’s nearly impossible for people to reach enlightenment without support from others. The Lama hopes to strengthen the sangha in Spokane to offer people that path should they choose to take it.

He found a place to call home and develop that community in Spokane, where he’s lived since 2009. He’s developed friendships with people in Spokane, teaching meditation courses at Spokane Falls Community College where he met Dr. Dexter Amend, an instructor who’s been studying Buddhism since 1985. Over the past few years, the two have offered unforgettable cultural immersion experiences for Americans to bridge the gap between Spokane and Tibet.

“After we’d been working together that way [at SFCC], we applied for a grant to set up a cultural excursion to Tibet that would be available to people in the community, not just people at SFCC,” Dr. Amend says.

L

ama Lakshey and Dr. Amend, along with former SFCC students, took their first trip to Tibet in the summer of 2011. The program included a visit to the Lama’s school where they helped as teacher’s aides and taught English to the students.

“The trip was an amazing experience and I learned a lot about Buddhism and the culture there,” says Lenny Moore, an SFCC graduate who went on that first trip.

“That was the reason I went: to learn more about that stuff. It was my first time abroad, my first time getting away from my own country and seeing something new. It was life changing.”

The trip was eye-opening for the visiting Americans, but the Lama wasn’t finished changing lives. When it was time to head back to the

34 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

Lama Lakshey Zangpo States, he worked it out so that two young men who’d just graduated from his school were able to return with them to study at SFCC, now a sister school to Sengdruk Taktse School.

“We have paid for their tuition, medical bills, housing, food — everything. Because they are international students, they don’t have papers to work here and they don’t have any income, so I am fully responsible for these two young men,” the Lama says.

The young men, Dawa Jigmed, 25, and Jigmed Tubtie, 24, are set to graduate next winter quarter, and the hope is that they’ll serve others by offering education opportunities to younger generations in schools on the Tibetan plateau. If there aren’t any problems renewing their visas or raising money, the pair wants to continue their studies here before going back home.

“So far, it’s been so good. We are supported by the Joru Foundation, but I don’t know if they can continue to support us,” Jigmed says. Both Jigmed and Tubtie are hoping to earn bachelor’s degrees from Eastern Washington University before returning to teach at the school in Tibet that opened doors for them.

There is a short hiatus on cultural immersion trips to Tibet until 2015. In the meantime, Lama Lakshey and Dr. Amend are teaching a new class at SFCC next quarter called The Psychology of Personal and Interpersonal Peace, where students will learn psychological methods to resolve conflicts and reach peace from both Eastern and Western perspectives, exploring mental processes associated with violence and nonviolence.

The Lama has a few goals for his teaching here. One, of course, is to develop the community because that means he can serve it. Secondly, he’d like to help everyone simply realize the need for harmony and unity.

“My one purpose is to show that Buddhism is not against any religion, it’s a contribution to any faith or religion. I think I have some opportunity to bring our human brothers and sisters more understanding of each other, because we are all the same. I can focus on that if I stay here,” he says. n Movie Night with Lama Lakshey Zangpo Rinpoche • Thu, March 6 at 6:30 pm • $20 • Magic Lantern • 25 W. Main • 235-8063

CULTURE | DIGEST

THEATER REVIEW WIT “D

eath be not proud, though some have called thee/ Mighty and dreadfull,“ says Dr. Vivian Bearing, quoting aloud in Wit from John Donne’s famous 17th century sonnet. Dr. Bearing — to her, her title is paramount — is an expert on Donne and, of far greater importance, is facing death from ovarian cancer.

Though death be not proud, Dr. Bearing (played by a gaunt-faced, shaven-headed Diana Trotter) certainly is: a smug, haughty woman, quick to remind us of her intellectual superiority, her academic success, her unflagging rigor in teaching and research. When she steps onstage for her opening fourth-wall-razing monologue — barefoot, ball-capped, dressed in that uniform of abasement, the hospital gown — there’s nothing humble about her.

She grips her wheeled IV stand like a scepter. She mocks the insulting superficiality of the bedside manner of Dr. Posner (Brandon Montang) and nurse Susie (Janelle Frisque) with her own insults.

One of Dr. Bearing’s complaints is the dehumanizing aspect of her medical treatment; but to be fair, she barely seems human herself. That is partly intentional. In an overt parallel to her literary hero, she takes refuge in intellectual acrobatics rather than confront her own mortality. But at times her revelatory journey seems like an academic exercise in itself, with just enough pedantic discourse on poetry to massage the pretensions of Pulitzer judges, and the linguistic equivalent of name-dropping to feed popular ivory-tower stereotypes.

As Dr. Bearing’s disease spreads and its experimental treatment destroys what remains of her body, her sneer-

CYT Presents

Diana Trotter (left) and Dave Rideout in Wit. GEORGE GREEN PHOTO ing becomes self-pity, which does little for her likability.

When it comes, her death invites sorrow because all death invites sorrow, not because she will be mourned by anyone as “my noon, my midnight, my talk, my song,” in the words of a more contemporary poet.

Wit’s dialogue is dense enough on the page, let alone memorized and spoken, and Trotter’s mastery of it is admirable, although her pinpoint enunciation can make her character seem overly stiff. This production, directed

by Troy Nickerson, errs on the side of theatricality when some naturalism is in order, but on the whole it still packs the necessary punch.

— E.J. IANNELLI Wit • Thu-Sat, 7:30 pm; Sun, 2 pm; through March 9 • $11-$17 • Lake City Playhouse • 1320 E. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene • lakecityplayhouse.org • (208) 667-1323

For Your Consideration

BY DANIEL WALTERS

February 28th - March 2nd

MAR. 2ND | 5PM | FREE ADMISSION | $15 Suggested Donation Proceeds benefit CDA Summer Theater & Friends of the Bing

Guest appearance by Patty Duke MOVIE TRIVIA, OSCAR BALLOTING AND MORE! Jadd Davis performs famous movie music

NETFLIX | Let’s be clear: HOUSE OF CARDS, now with its second season unleashed for binge-watching on Netflix, is not a great show, for all its Southern-fried intimations to the contrary. Its political world bears very little resemblance to reality and many of its second-season plotlines have already been done before, and better, on shows like Scandal and The Good Wife. But the show has style, flair and occasionally even a dollop of ambition. And that’s enough to keep us glued to long enough for the Netflix next-episodewill-start-in… counter to tick down to zero.

BOOK | When most business writers author books, they focus on the successes: The star CEO, the wunderkind developer, the flourishing company. But with THE UP SIDE OF DOWN, Bloomberg business blogger Megan McArdle focuses on the magic of failure. The business world, of course, has as many clichés about failure as it does success, but McArdle dives down into actual data.

She attempts to explain why some failures become the compost for future victories, and others just lead to ruin.

COMPUTER GAME | If you are a modern jock looking to bully a modern nerd, you’re bound to eventually choose jabs based on two specific properties: Computer game World of Warcraft and collectible card game Magic: The Gathering.

HEARTHSTONE, the free-to-play, card-dueling game from the World of Warcraft developer, combines the best of both worlds. Dismiss it too quickly and miss out on a fun, simple and streamlined game that will result in you losing practically every round you play.

Tickets at Ticketswest.com and 1-800-325-Seat WWW.STEEPCANYON.COM WWW.ROUNDER.COM 116610648 2POS1

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 35

CULTURE | THEATER

The Spokane Civic Theatre’s cast of the age-old classic The Mousetrap. MEGHAN KIRK PHOTO

Keep It Like a Secret The Mousetrap has run for more than 25,000 performances without giving away its ending

BY E.J. IANNELLI

B

36 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

y many metrics, Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time — a standing that’s even more impressive now that nearly 40 years have elapsed since her death.

With that in mind, it only seems fitting that her play The Mousetrap should enjoy similar preeminence. Since opening on London’s West End in 1952, this murder mystery has run for more than 25,000 performances. That makes it the longestrunning theatrical show of any kind.

Still more impressive: Despite the hundreds of thousands of theatergoers who’ve seen the play by this point, its ending is still a closely guarded secret. The iconic West End production typically asks patrons not to reveal the “who” in the whodunit, and the satellite productions that take place across the globe each year tend to respect this tradition too. It’s as if witnessing The Mousetrap makes you a card-carrying member of a secret society, an automatic initiation in which most audience members are only too happy to take part.

When The Mousetrap opens on the Civic’s main stage this Friday, the theater will stick close to tradition. The playbill asks audiences to keep mum on the killer’s identity, and according to director Wes Deitrick, the production itself will be more or less by the book.

“It’s Agatha Christie,” he says. “You’re not going to change a whole lot.”

But the play also has its share of melodrama.

“And sometimes melodrama doesn’t play that well in contemporary theater. So instead of saying, ‘Dead! Dead! Dead!’ you might just say, ’Dead!’ There are those kinds of melodramatic moments that don’t make or break the story,” says Deitrick, bringing the back of his hand to his forehead and feigning a swoon.

“But at the same time I want to embrace that whole period. It’s a balancing act,” he says.

Part of that balancing act calls for appropriate casting. There’s no shortage of actors itching to play characters like roué Mr. Paravicini, disdain-

ful Mrs. Boyle or the maniacally off-kilter Christopher Wren; but not everyone can convey the play’s characteristically British veneer of decorum and deliver its casual conversational barbs with the requisite aplomb.

In the role of Mollie Ralston, proprietress of the guest house where Christie’s murder mystery is set, Deitrick has cast KXLY meteorologist Kris Crocker. The two of them previously worked together in the Civic’s production of On Golden Pond last year — Crocker’s first onstage appearance since ninth grade.

Although that performance “reignited a longdormant acting bug” that brought her back for The Mousetrap, Crocker says she’s still bridging the psychological gap between a TV studio camera and a live audience.

“Acting is a whole different craft and art,” she laughs. “It’s much more nerve-wracking.”

“Whether she knows it or not, she has a comfort [onstage],” Deitrick says, noting that all of the Civic’s volunteer actors are able to draw on the unique demands of their day jobs. “Everyone who comes here has a profession, and they all have a creative outlet here.”

Just as every Civic actor leads a kind of double life, the characters in The Mousetrap have hidden sides that make each of them a suspect.

“I seem like I’m the quintessential hostess, but I have a colored, checkered past,” says Crocker.

“There’s a backstory that’s revealed over the course of the play.”

That, says Deitrick, is a quality that extends to the play itself. “You think it’s all surface. You think it’s a fluffy little murder mystery, but when you start to look at what [Christie] has done with these characters, it’s a lot deeper than you might think.”  The Mousetrap • Feb. 28-March 16: Thu-Sat, 7:30 pm; Sun, 2 pm • $18-$25 • Spokane Civic Theatre • 1020 N. Howard • spokanecivictheatre.com • 325-2507

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Ben and Christy Lukes in the new Perry Street Brewing facility.

BREWING

From the Hops Up The soon-to-open Perry Street Brewing gives us a look at the birth of a brewery

BY MIKE BOOKEY

B

en Lukes has been thinking about his brewery before it ever had a name, or even a physical location. As he stands among the laboratory-clean equipment of his seven-barrel brewing system, he takes a long look at a small glass of the IPA, inspecting the end result of years of work to open his own brewery.

Through the doors, tables from an old chemistry classroom have chairs stacked upon them as the remaining minutiae of the Perry Street Brewing tasting room — benches made of reclaimed wood, light fixtures, the sound system — are finalized. In the coming weeks, this will be Spokane’s newest brewery and as good an indicator as any of the health of the city’s thriving craft beer industry.

Lukes, who is starting the fledgling operation with his wife Christy, loves beer, brewing, brewery culture and everything else that comes along with it — but owning and operating his own brewery has been a long time coming,

38 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

with every step well calculated.

“Early on as a brewer — even a home brewer — you talk with your friends and say, ‘We should start a brewery,’” says the 34-year-old Lukes with a laugh.

He’s thankful he didn’t do just that as he began to take brewing seriously. Although he’d caught the home brewing bug as a student at the University of Montana, Lukes graduated with a journalism degree, and headed to Portland to pursue his dream of sports photography.

But when his work at a small weekly publication had him shooting Easter egg hunts rather than football games, he enrolled in the American Brewers Guild’s science and engineering course.

From there, he and Christy found their way back to Missoula where Lukes interned and was eventually hired on at Big Sky Brewing, makers of the popular Moose Drool and Trout Slayer. He worked his way up the ladder at Big Sky, eventually heading up quality control and op-

YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

erating the brewery’s laboratory, where he honed the sort of scientific know-how he’s employing at Perry Street.

“I was lucky to be able to stay there for six years and work in so many positions. I really got to see every facet of it, and I gained so much working there,” says Lukes.

Lukes is a beer scientist; you can see that in the six beers he has ready to serve to clientele upon opening.

There’s a single-hop pale ale, a bier de garde (essentially a French saison), a milk stout, a Czech-style pilsner, a winter warmer and the aforementioned IPA. Whereas most breweries use just one yeast style for all their beers, Lukes has five at his disposal, allowing him to brew a diverse tap list while staying true to the beer style.

“I want to do every style with the appropriate ingredients from the region and with the yeast that it was meant to have,” says Lukes, who, at least for now, plans only to make his beer available at the brewery.

This sort of detail requires tailoring his malts and even the water itself to get the beer where he wants it — and just a glimpse into the sort of forethought Lukes and other brewers give to their creations. It’s all part of the identity he and his wife wanted to cultivate before opening, lest they wind up just another brewery: “I’m not trying to limit myself by saying, ‘Hey, we’re a Northwest-style brewery and we’re going to do pales and IPAs.’”

W

hen the Lukes began contemplating opening a brewery, they looked to Christy’s hometown of Spokane. This was almost two years ago, and Spokane’s brewery scene was reawakening after having fallen dormant since the mid-to-late 1990s.

“The culture change was already in motion in Spokane when we decided to come here,” says Lukes. “People seek out good beer here, and that’s reflected in how people have supported other breweries in town.”

As the number of breweries nationwide increased by a shocking 34 percent between 2012 and 2013, the increase in Washington kept that same pace. (See graphs on this page.) The Washington Beer Commission, the legislature-created commodity commission for the beer industry, tallied about 300,000 barrels (one barrel equals two kegs) of craft beer produced in the state last year. It’s an industry that supports more than 13,000 full-time jobs — a figure that’s expected to grow — in the state.

In Spokane, Lukes has found support in existing breweries (and brewers) who’ve cheered him along as he’s jumped through all the regulatory hoops required to get his doors open. For a new brewery in Spokane, both Ben and Christy say they’ve had nothing but positive experiences with the other businesses that outsiders might view as competitors.

“We’re all about doing the same thing — finding local beer that we enjoy,” says Lukes.

The number of breweries in the U.S. more than doubled between 2004 and 2013.

3,699

2,751

1,635

1,741

1,896

The number in Washington is 251 second only to California, and has nearly tripled over the past decade.

189

$17.Salad9Entrée5 Dessert

NEW 3-Course Dinner Menu 5-9 pm daily

SALADS Green salad or Caesar salad

148

2,131 106

ENTRÉES Baby back ribs Safari Room gumbo Braised short ribs Creole chicken pot pie Herb grilled wild salmon

109

85

’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13

’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ’13

SOURCE: BEER INSTITUTE DATA BASED ON FEDERAL LICENSES

W

hen Ben and Christy Lukes talk about their favorite breweries, you’ll frequently hear the word “culture.”

They’ve studied the environment of their favorite breweries over the years and want to bring that to their operation.

They want it to be family friendly, which is why they have no hard liquor or 21-and-over area. They want people to hang out, so they’ll be booking live music. And they want people to enjoy the rest of the South Perry neighborhood, which is why they kept their food menu simple, letting their patrons enjoy a beer before hitting up one of the restaurants just down the street for dinner.

“It’s important for us to develop a community feeling for this brewery,” says Christy.

The couple originally looked into space in downtown Spokane, but when Christy’s childhood friend, Cody Coombs of DMC Properties, got to know her husband, he told him about his company’s plans for a commercial space on South Perry. Soon, Coombs’ company razed the two houses that were on the property and got to work, tailoring much of the space for a brewery.

The other portion of the sleek building — designed by architect Matthew Collins of Uptic Studios — is occupied by Wollnick’s, a home and kitchenware store operated by Greencupboards.com.

Coombs says the brewery fit into his company’s vision for a neighborhood that was rapidly establishing its own identity.

“The brewery and its beer is something that’s made locally and people can take ownership in it,” says Coombs.

Back in the brewery, Lukes offers a sampling of the crisp Czech Pilsner and recounts all the challenges he encountered on his journey — from struggling to find brewing equipment to regulators misplacing paperwork. It was frustrating, but he can now laugh if off; the finish line (or starting line) is near. Soon, Lukes can let the neighborhood taste what he’s been up to on this corner. He’s happy to roll it all out there and see what happens.

“I would rather put out these beers and we’ll let the public decide what we do best,” he says. n

MINI DESSERTS German Chocolate Cake • Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Crème Brûlée • Chocolate Mousse • Key Lime Pie • Cheesecake

Baby Back Ribs

509 789 6800 • Davenport Tower 111 S. Post St., Downtown Spokane • davenporthotelcollection.com

Perry Street Brewing • 1025 S. Perry • Opening in early March

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 39

GRAND OPENING

FOOD | COOKING

A Heart for the Hearth Culinary Stone aims to keep you armed with all the necessary kitchen gadgets

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

I

join us February 28th for painting, wine, and fun!

Enjoy painting your own masterpiece while sipping on a delicious local wine or microbrew. girl’s night out • date night • private parties

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Paint. Drink. Have Fun. Conveniently located in the Spokane Public Market, Downtown Spokane

32 W 2nd Ave • Suite 100 SpokaneSoDo@PinotsPalette.com 40 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

t wasn’t much of a leap from children’s therapy to kitchen therapy for Sandra Gunn, co-owner of the Culinary Stone in Coeur d’Alene.

Growing up, family dinners were the norm, says Gunn, yet she sometimes noticed a difference in the troubled kids and families with whom she worked as a child therapist.

“One of the first things I assessed was how [the families] spent their time,” she says.

It made her wonder about the role of the hearth in the heart of the family. She remembers spending time with her Italian grandfather, a chef, and grandmother, who infused all her own olive oils. That and her mother’s encouragement to follow her passion led to Gunn’s transition out of child therapy into her own culinary-based business.

First there was the Coeur d’Alene Olive Oil Company, which Gunn formed in 2003, selling standard and infused oils to farmers markets and then through a modest storefront downtown.

The business recently relocated to the Culinary Stone’s 5,500-square-foot Riverstone facility, where customers can sample the oils, as well as browse anything cooks might need: gadgets, cookware, even a gourmet deli and wine section.

One of the Culinary Stone’s most unique features is the salt bar, which includes a salt cooking stone and several dozen flavored and finishing salts, ranging from white truffle to lemon chili lime margarita.

Gunn sees the store as more than just a place to buy things; it’s a full culinary experience,

Spices and more can be found at Culinary Stone. CARRIE SCOZZARO PHOTO she says, where sampling, asking questions and learning are welcomed. A reading area in the cookbook section encourages browsing, while the kids’ kitchen invites children to play and experiment.

A teaching kitchen and dining area regularly hosts cooking classes, including courses taught by former Herbie’s Deli owner Bob Black, whom Gunn talked into coming out of retirement to manage her deli counter. Black is also in charge of the Culinary Stone’s new wine tastings (Mondays through Saturdays, 4:30-6 pm), one of many services Gunn and business partner Sandy Volkar plan to offer. n The Culinary Stone • 2129 Main St., Coeur d’Alene • Open Mon-Sat, 10:30 am–6 pm; Sun, noon-5 pm • culinarystone.com • 208-2774116

Five Course

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At the Lincoln Center

Ski & Ride

FOOD | COFFEE

Monkey Business Coeur d’Alene gets a new coffeehouse hangout

BY JO MILLER

C

aleb Duke and his wife Nicole named their coffee shop Grumpy Monkey to stand out a bit from other shops, and of course to give people something to laugh about when they came in.

“We just kind of liked the idea,” Caleb says. “It’s hard to say something like that without cracking a little bit of a smile.”

Their toddler daughter, Lila Belle, who the couple calls their “little monkey,” also inspired the name. Her name is even on one of the coffee blends. The Lila Belle blend is always on hand, along with a couple of other rotating blends, such as single origin coffees from Guatemala or Kenya, or a French roast.

When the Dukes opened Grumpy Monkey — a spacious yet cozy café — in December with the help of their family, they came up with a list of “favorites” for the drink menu to go along with the cappuccinos, lattes, mochas and other coffee shop staples (sizes: 8, 12, 16, 20-ounce). Caleb says his mother-in-law told him that she doesn’t know what to order in a coffee shop if she can’t see it on the menu, so they invented a few drinks that would appeal to the majority of customers.

For a little bit of a kick with your coffee, there’s the cayenne mocha ($2.95-4.45), a mixture of dark chocolate and cayenne pepper. For a fruity flavor, try the Eighth Wonder of the World ($3.30-4.80), a banana and coconut mocha. Or go for the Ape Escape ($3-4.50) with white chocolate and almond.

You can also choose between regular hot chocolate ($1.593.25) or cioccolata calda ($2.35-4.75), dense Italian hot chocolate.

Instead of regular milk, you can opt for almond, soy or hemp milk. To top off the drinks, Grumpy Monkey makes homemade whipped cream daily.

Also made in-house, you’ll find an array of baked goods.

A few items like chocolate chip cookies ($2.10) and croissants ($3.25) are available daily; other items rotate, such as blueberry cream cheese crumbles, brownies, raspberry oat bars ($2.50 each) and muffins ($2.25). In the next couple of weeks they’ll start serving soups and sandwiches, too, says Caleb.  Grumpy Monkey Coffee & Bakery • 2102 N. 4th St., Coeur d’Alene • Mon-Fri, 6 am-7 pm; Sat, 7 am-7 pm; Sun, 8 am-4 pm • 208-665-5879 • facebook.com/grumpymonkeycoffee

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Purchase 8 gallons of gas and pick the Powder Pack of your choice from participating Conoco/76 stations in the Inland Northwest.

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This offer cannot be comined with any other discount offered at Mt. Spokane, Silver Mountain. This ticket must be used the same day as purchased, has no cash value and cannot be used to resell. Stamped gas receipt must accompany voucher. *Mt. Spokane, Silver Mountain, participating Conoco/76 stations, member, affiliate, subsidiary companies and their retailers/wholesales and the employees, officer and agents of each entity are not, liable for any claims, demands, actions or causes of action on account of any injury to participating participant in this promotion.

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FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 41

FOOD | UPDATE

VISIT US

During Inlander Restaurant Week!

Escape the ordinary.

TRINITY AT CITY BEACH

The view of Lake Pend O’Reille from Triniy at City Beach. CARRIE SCOZZARO PHOTO

58 Bridge St. | Sandpoint (208) 255-7558

A Bistango Martini Lounge || 108 N. Post || Spokane

509.624.8464 Like us on facebook

sk savvy tourists the best time for lakefront dining and they might say off-season. That’s when places like Trinity at City Beach really shine. Catering to tourists and townies alike, the restaurant is located inside Best Western’s adjacent Edgewater Hotel. A daily full-service menu, breakfast through late night, and full bar allow it to run the gamut from fine dining to festive community events.

Dinner might be filet mignon with brandy-sautéed blue crab and Gorgonzola cream sauce, or a burger in the bar with a pint of locally brewed Laughing Dog beer

during a KPND ski party, open mic night or evening of live music.

Much of the menu honors Southern and Cajuninspired cuisine, given a little Southwestern twist under chef Thane Jenness. In addition to staples like corn crawfish chowder, blackened chicken pecan-crusted salad and pulled pork enchiladas, newcomers include Cajun mac & cheese and house-smoked pork belly with chipotle mayo. Comfort foods, yes, with just enough heat to keep you warm well through the winter.

— CARRIE SCOZZARO

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FOOD | UPDATE

RUNNING START INFORMATION NIGHT

High school sophomores, juniors and their families are invited to attend an Information Night. http://outreach.ewu.edu/running-start.html

Patty’s Scottish Egg dish from O’Doherty’s YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Inlander Restaurant Week Continues Y

ou weren’t alone if you waited awhile to get a table during the kickoff weekend of Inlander Restaurant Week 2014.

Several of this year’s participating restaurants were so packed with eager diners last Friday and Saturday that some walk-in customers couldn’t get tables. The obvious takeaway here is to make reservations, and if you haven’t already — make them now. The second annual local culinary event continues through #INRestWeek this Sunday, March 2.

Menus from all 74 of this year’s participating restaurants can be found at Inlanderrestaurantweek.com.

Looking for appetite inspiration or suggestions about where to go? We’re continuing to

Tuesday, March 11, 2014, 6:30 p.m.

109 Showalter Hall, EWU Campus in Cheney Free parking after 5 p.m.

Running Start provides an opportunity for juniors and seniors in Washington’s public high schools to enroll in courses at Eastern Washington University. The program offers academically motivated and qualified students the opportunity to take college courses.

post lots of beautiful photos on the Inlander’s blog all week, along with local celebrity diners’ Restaurant Week experiences, including that of state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, who ate at Santé Restaurant & Charcuterie for the first time with his wife.

“My wife and I loved our first foray into Restaurant Week, and we hope it grows,” Baumgartner says. “As we left the restaurant we were talking about all the other participating restaurants we’d like to try. My only complaint is that it’s in February, the same time of year I have to be away in Olympia!”

To see what others are eating or share your own food pics, use the Twitter hashtag #INRestWeek. n

For more information contact: EWU Running Start Office 509.359.6155 runningstart@ewu.edu Look for us on Facebook and Twitter

Thur 2/27, Inlander

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FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 43

Little Gold Men

The slam dunks, outside chances and everything else you’ll see on Oscar night

BY SCOTT RENSHAW

O

ver the years, I’ve written long and often about my evolving relationship with the Academy Awards, but that relationship can safely be summarized as follows: The Oscars and I agree to disagree about what they mean.

It’s easy for hard-core film buffs to fuss and fume over that little gold statuette, and point to all the ridiculous historical shortsightedness represented by past winners. But it’s easier to make peace with the reality that the Oscars are a show; they’re an industry’s big national stage for telling the world how it wants to be seen. And once you accept that — in the immortal words of Unforgiven — “deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it,” it’s easier to enjoy the ceremony as part of a lively conversation about contemporary movies.

It also becomes easier to make predictions. And so, in the spirit of not caring a whit about whether I’d vote for them myself, here are my predictions for this year’s winners.

THE SLAM DUNKS

The engraver is already at work on putting these names on Oscars. Several of the technical awards have been conceded to Gravity for months, particularly Visual Effects, but also likely Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. The juggernaut that is Frozen, meanwhile, can safely assume that Original Song (“Let It Go”) and Animated Feature are in the bag.

And in the one major category where nearly every other significant indicator is pointing in one direction, Jared Leto can probably prepare yet another acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor in Dallas Buyers Club.

SAFE BETS

Dark horses have at least a bit more of a shot in these categories, but the smart money is on the favorites. Gravity could add to its haul in technical categories including Editing, Cinematography and Original Score. The Matthew McConaughey Career Resurgence Tour that got off to a rip-roaring start in 2012 continued with three noteworthy performances in 2013, and he’ll probably top it off with a Best Actor win for Dallas Buyers Club. 12 Years a Slave, meanwhile, looks to have the inside track for Adapted Screenplay, as well as Best Supporting Actress for Lupita Nyong’o as the tormented slave Patsey (though I suppose we should never underestimate Hollywood’s ongoing infatuation with all things Jennifer Lawrence).

44 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

LEANING TOWARD

Now things start to get interesting. Cate Blanchett’s performance in Blue Jasmine has been a Best Actress favorite for months, in addition to winning plenty of pre-Oscar tune-up awards. But is there any chance the Woody Allen ugliness shifts the voting? I’m still guessing she winds up at the podium, but Amy Adams — the only nominee in the category who hasn’t previously won — could be the choice for an upset.

The Act of Killing was one of the year’s most remarkable films of any kind, and a strong contender for Documentary Feature, but I’m playing a hunch that the crowd-pleasing 20 Feet from Stardom sneaks in here. Costume Design features plenty of period garb in other contenders, but American Hustle edges them out for Adams’ conspicuously plunging necklines.

In the Directing category, Alfonso Cuarón’s dazzle in Gravity should nose out 12 Years a Slave’s Steve McQueen. Dallas Buyers Club feels like the respectable choice in Makeup/Hair, since it’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to deal with the phrase “Academy Award winner Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.” There can always be wild cards in the Foreign Language category, but Paolo Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty has taken many of the key precursor awards and would seem to be the favorite. Meanwhile, tradition holds that the Original Screenplay category is a place to recognize unique, daring work that’s unlikely to get recognized in other categories — which would seem to give the edge to Spike Jonze’s screenplay for Her.

ANYBODY’S GUESS

Most folks are winging it when it comes to the short films, but the fantastical tale told to a terminally ill boy in Helium looks like a Live Action Short winner, and the you-are-there intensity of cameramen capturing an attack on peaceful protesters in Yemen in the Documentary Short Karama Has No Walls will be hard to pass up. I’m taking a shot that the unique watercolor look of the Animated Short Feral will make it stand out from the CGI competition. And I’m going with American Hustle in two toss-up categories: Production Design and a little thing called Best Picture. Gravity and 12 Years a Slave may be topping other prediction lists, but you never know when it’s smarter to assume that the Academy is going to do one of those crazy things that makes you remember what it is, and what it’s not. n The 86th Academy Awards • Sun, March 2, at 4 pm • Televised on ABC

FILM | SHORTS

OPENING FILMS ANCHORMAN 2, SUPERSIZED

In Anchorman 2, Ron Burgundy and your favorite newscast struggled to stay classy. But now, class is completely out of the question. This R-rated version of the hilarious sequel is coming back raunchier than ever. With the same all-star cast the legend continues, but this time with all new (much dirtier) jokes. (CF) Rated R

AS THE PALACES BURN

This documentary was supposed to be a simple rock film following popular metal band Lamb of God on a worldwide tour, but soon turned into something much, much darker. While in Prague for a concert, the band’s vocalist, Randy Blythe, was arrested on accusations that he pushed a fan who had climbed on stage to his death at a show two years earlier.

The remainder of the film, directed by veteran rock doc maker Don Argott, follows Blythe’s trial and the struggle his band faces with its lead singer in jail on the other side of the world. At Magic Lantern on Wed, March 5 at 6:30 and 9 pm (MB) Not Rated

NON-STOP

Federal Air Marshal Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) was bored with his uneventful life in the sky until one transatlantic flight from New York to London. When he begins to receive a stream of threatening text messages ordering him to have the government transfer $150 million to an offshore account, Marks realizes this won’t be an ordinary flight. With this mysterious enemy killing off passengers every 20 minutes, Marks must go to work to protect the innocent 40,000 feet in the air.

(CF) PG-13

THE PAST

After four years an Iranian man, Ahmad, returns to Paris to finalize a divorce with his soon-to-be ex-wife, Marie. He comes back to find her in a relationship with an Arab man, Samir, whose wife is in a coma. Both Ahmad and Lucie, Marie’s daughter from a previous relationship, have a difficult time supporting this new romance. In this French drama, love and disapproval create tensions among this complicated family. (CF) PG-13

SON OF GOD

This film will capture audiences and take them through the journey of Jesus, portrayed here by Diogo Morgado, who also played Jesus in the History Channel’s mini series The Bible. Using captivating cinematic techniques, Son of God tells the story of this religious figure from birth to ultimate resurrection. We can’t know for sure whether seeing this film will count

as going to church for the week, but you can give it a try. (MB) PG-13

STALINGRAD

Director Fedor Bondarchuck’s epic dramatizes the battle that was the turning point for Russia in World War II. Six Russian soldiers fight to hold onto a strategic building against the German army, and fall irrevocably, passionately in love with a woman who has refused to flee the city.

The film is a beautiful contrast between the brutality of war and the subtleness of love, as the soldiers strive to protect their homeland. Presented in 3D IMAX at AMC. (ER) Rated R

When international spy Ethan Renner (Kevin Costner) discovers he is dying, he takes on one last mission in exchange for retirement and medical treatment. Before he can give up his high risk life and finally spend quality time with his family, he must hunt down the world’s most dangerous terrorist. (CF) Rated PG-13

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THE WIND RISES

Popular anime director Hayao Miyazaki (Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away) has once again crafted a simplistically styled but good-looking film that features a meandering storyline and a running time that wears out its welcome.

It’s a biopic about Jiro Horikoshi who, as a boy dreamed of flying, but as a young man ended up designing rather than piloting aircraft. The story moves in mood from horrific (a deadly earthquake) to whimsical (dream sequences in which Jiro chats with an Italian plane designer) to romantic (in a plotline that feels tacked on). Oddly, the film’s pacifist hero turns out to be the man who designed the planes that attacked Pearl Harbor. Mixed messages abound. (ES) Rated PG-13 RETURNING

KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM

Spokane is finally getting its chance to see this sci-fi/horror comedy film shot here more than three years ago. Prepare to learn all about the intricacies of LARPing — live action role playing, that is.

Knights takes viewers on a crazy LARPing adventure with friends Eric (Steve Zahn), Hung (Peter Dinklage) and their nonLARPing roomie, Joe (Ryan Kwanten).

But when a supposedly fake spell goes wrong, the trio accidentally summon a blood-sucking demon and they’ve got to stop it before everyone dies. At Magic Lantern on Sun, March 2 at 5 pm only.

(CS) Rated R

PRESENTS

RESTAURANT WEEK

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

With snappy, southern drawls and huge screaming fiascos, August: Osage County delves into a family feud that has been going on for years. Brought together because of a missing patriarch, three sisters (Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis and Julianne Nicholson) are once again subjected to their vicious, pill-popping mother’s (Meryl Streep,) verbal abuse. . At Magic Lantern (ER) Rated R

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(CF) Rated R ...continued on next page

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FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 45

FILM FILM||SHORTS SHORTS

THE MAGIC LANTERN

NOW PLAYING

OSCAR WEEK

FRI FEB 28TH - THUR MAR 6TH

PHILOMENA (96 MIN PG-13) Fri/Sat: 1:45, 6:15, Sun: 1:00, Oscar Tues-Thurs: 4:30 Four Nominations!

AMERICAN HUSTLE

Coming off the splendid Silver Linings Playbook, director David O. Russell is back, bringing the stars of that film, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, along. This time, the subject matter is a little more intense: He takes us back to the glittery 1970s for a crime drama about a group of corrupt politicians living the high life in New Jersey. (MB) Rated R

Four Oscar

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When Ron Woodroof’s wild lifestyle is interrupted by an HIV diagnosis, his eyes are opened to the lack of approved medications in the U.S. Only given 30 days to live, the Texan goes to Mexico and finds a world of alternative treatments. Ron teams up with a fellow spirited person living with AIDS, Rayon, to establish a “buyers club,” where others can find access to the treatments they smuggle into the U.S.. Ron may be dying, but he shows unwavering strength to fight the ignorance. At Magic Lantern (CF) R Set in 1965 Spokane, this locally produced film tells the true story of Lyle Hatcher (who co-wrote and co-directed the film with Don Caron), who befriended a wheelchair-bound boy at his school suffering from muscular dystrophy. The film tells the story of how Hatcher, full of copious amounts of energy, tried to teach his friend to run as the two became inseparable, getting into no shortage of trouble along the way. At AMC only. (MB) Rated PG

FROZEN

Frozen is a princess story; Disney is doubling down on the princesses — there’s two of ’em here. But Disney is also doubling down on the hints of nascent feminism Brave hinted at, the sort of barebones feminism which accepts that girls and women might possibly want more out of life than to get married. The princesses are sisters — the elder Elsa (the voice of Idina Menzel) and the younger Anna (the voice of Kristen Bell) — and this is mostly the story of their troubled relationship because Elsa is known to turn things into ice with her magical powers. (MJ) Rated PG

INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

Joel and Ethan Coen, following their own footsteps of filling a film with music, as they did in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, this time take on the early ’60s Greenwich Village folk scene. The title character (Oscar Isaac) is a multi-talented folkie who has no people skills and is likely ahead of his time. The people around him seem to cause nothing but crises, but the determined Llewyn sings on, against all odds. At AMC (ES) Rated R

THE LEGO MOVIE

From the directing team (Chris Miller and Phil Lord) who gave us the pretty good Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and the hip and raunchy 21 Jump Street comes a delightful surprise. Yeah, The Lego Movie is colorful and has a message about being creative and working together to solve problems and tells of the fight between good and (corporate)

find themselves exploring America looking for answers. At Magic Lantern (KS) Rated R

evil, but it’s also totally whacked, from its dizzily stunning visuals (Legos everywhere! Non-stop action!) and its plentiful supply of references that only adults will get. (ES) Rated PG

LONE SURVIVOR

Grab your tissue box and prepare to bawl out your eyes in the movie adaption of one soldier’s true story of survival. As the title reveals, four Navy Seals go on a mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative and are ambushed by enemy forces and, tragically, only one returns.

The story though, is not only about survival, but also about the ties of brotherhood, and the consequences of choices made seemingly for the greater good.

(ER) Rated R

POMPEII

Director Paul W.S. Anderson tries to take one of history’s most well-known natural disasters into a big-screen smash and comes up a bit short. Surely, swordplay, star-crossed romance and revenge should be adequate to bide the time until Vesuvius blows its top — right? Not quite. Even with Mila Jovovich, Keifer Sutherland, Emily Browning and Game of Throne’s Kit Harington, the film drags along until the damn volcano finally does its thing. (MB) Rated PG-13

ROBOCOP

George Clooney’s fifth outing as a director has him in a co-starring role, opposite a great ensemble: Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett and John Goodman, among them. It’s the (mostly) true story of the men and women who took it upon themselves to save great works of art and architecture from plundering Nazis and gung-ho, ever-bombing Allied forces during WWII. (ES) Rated PG-13

Not many remakes of iconic films get it right (think Keanu Reeves in The Day the Earth Stood Still), but RoboCop is a surprising exception. The roots are still there: Good guy Detroit cop is left for dead but re-emerges, via technology, as invincible man-machine. But this film, while still quite violent, has been stripped of its brutality as well as, some will lament, its corny humor. Instead there’s nicely done emotionalism along with edges of politics, philosophy, sociology and black satire. Lots of storytelling in the first half, plenty of action in the second. Gary Oldman and Jackie Earle Hayley give standout performances. (ES) Rated PG-13

NEBRASKA

WINTER’S TALE

THE MONUMENTS MEN

Finding a Publishers Clearing House envelope stating that he’s won a million bucks, Woody Grant, a reckless, lonely boozer played by 77-year-old Bruce Dern, heads out from Montana to Nebraska to claim his fortune. He takes along his skeptical son (Will Forte), who’s humoring him, as Woody tells everyone he knows that he’s become a millionaire, gathering clingy new money-hungry friends along the way. At Magic Lantern (MB) R

PHILOMENA

Philomena Lee, an elderly British woman, confides in her daughter that she gave birth to a son in Ireland 50 years earlier.

Unwed at the time, she was forced to give him up for adoption. Martin, a former government adviser and journalist out of a job, is looking for a story idea to bring to his editor. At a party, he hears of Philomena. Together, he and Philomena investigate the life of her lost son and

The tables are turned on a master thief in this film when his heart is stolen by a beautiful heiress. When he learns of her fatal condition, he is determined to use his power of reincarnation to bring his love back to life. But with a death sentence of his own, this task won’t prove easy. Starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay and Russell Crowe, this film tells a timeless story of the battle of good and evil and the power of undying love. (CF) PG-13

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Martin Scorsese’s satirical adaptation of a memoir by Jordan Belfort (played here to the tune of an Oscar nomination by Leonardo DiCaprio), who rose from Long Island penny stock swindler to shady Wall Street power player, is so over the top that it risks becoming what it sets out to mock. Jonah Hill also received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Belfort’s depraved sidekick. (SS) Rated R. 

CRITICS’ SCORECARD THE NEW YORK INLANDER TIMES

VARIETY

(LOS ANGELES)

METACRITIC.COM (OUT OF 100)

American Hustle

89

The Wind Rises

83

The Lego Movie

82

Labor Day

59

The Monuments Men

58

Robocop

52

Pompeii

41

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Anime takes to the sky in The Wind Rises.

Flimsy Farewell

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BY ED SYMKUS

I

Intended Publication Date(s): Friday, February 28, 2014. Saturday, March 01, 2014. Sunday, March 02, 2014.

Published WA, Inlander [I_Directory_Update to Publish or Proof] 1.7" X 11" Produced: 7:00 PM ET, 2/25/2014 022514070030 Regal 865-925-9554

f you want to be a fair, reliable film critic, The film’s muted pastels are nicely balanced you’ve got to go in each time, mind open, by a far brighter color palette in its many fantasy past prejudices forgotten, ready to approach scenes. One of the coolest elements is that when each film as a new experience. But I have to Jiro seems to drift off into yet another dreamy confess — that was hard to do for revered director sequence of meeting up with his idol Caproni, Hayao Miyazaki’s last film (he’s retiring), The usually soaring through the skies while both are Wind Rises. Having now sat through five anime standing atop an outrageous-looking triplane, it’s features, I am comfortable in admitting that I near impossible to know whether it’s Jiro’s dream don’t like anime. The drawing with Caproni in it or Caproni’s dream style is too simplistic, the faces THE WIND RISES with Jiro in it. show very little expression, the stoThe Wind Rises works on some Rated PG-13 ries are convoluted, and the films levels as a biopic. Jiro Horikoshi and Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki often go on far too long.

Giovanni Caproni were airplane The Wind Rises is guilty on designers nearly a century ago. It’s all counts, yet I found myself wrapped up in it, revealed late in the film that the events are taking sometimes fascinated by small details such as place in the 1920s and ’30s. According to the the rendering of cigarette smoke and sunlight script, Caproni built warplanes but longed to sparkling on bodies of water, sometimes disconbuild passenger planes. Jiro, eventually landing certed — yet still fascinated — at how the film a job designing planes at Mitsubishi, also had freely jumps around in time and space, leaving pacifist leanings: Told that one of his planes was viewers to figure out when and where things are too heavy, he suggested removing the guns. happening.

But even with that antiwar message, history There’s no problem in the film’s early tells us that Jiro is the man who designed the moments: Jiro Horikoshi is a young boy who Zero fighter plane, the aircraft that was used in dreams of flying, realizes that his eyesight is too the attack on Pearl Harbor. This turns out to be poor to become a pilot, and after a series of imaga film that’s hard to follow, with a protagonist inary conversations with Italian plane designer who’s hard to root for. That Miyazaki compliGiovanni Caproni (Jiro has a very vivid imaginacates matters more by tossing in an unnecessary tion), opts for a career of designing planes rather doomed romance angle makes enjoying it even than flying them. more of a challenge. 

POMPEII

PG-13 Daily 9:30 Sat-Sun (10:20) In 2D Daily (2:45) (5:00) 7:20 Sat-Sun (12:30)

ROBOCOP [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(1240 320) 715 1000 Sun.(1240 320) 605 850 LEGO IN REALD 3D [CC,DV] (PG) ★ Fri.(1230 PM 300 PM) 530 PM Sat.(300 PM) 530 PM Sun.(1230 PM 300 PM)

In his final film, anime master Hayao Miyazaki offers a convoluted story

THREE DAYS TO KILL

PG-13 Fri-Sun (1:50) (4:30) 7:10 9:50 Sat-Sun (11:15) Mon-Thu (4:15) 6:40 9:25

LEGO [CC,DV] (PG) Fri. - Sun.(1130 200) 430 655 920 RIDE ALONG [CC,DV] (PG-13) Fri. - Sat.(120 345) 730 955 Sun.(120 345) 620 845 LONE SURVIVOR [CC,DV] (R) Fri. - Sat.(1250 PM) 630 PM Sun.(1250 PM) 610 PM

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THE LEGO MOVIE

Fri-Sun 9:25 Sat-Sun (10:15) Mon-Thu 9:05 In 2D Fri-Sun 7:15 Daily (2:00) (2:45) (5:00) Sat-Sun (12:30) Mon-Thu 7:00

MONUMENTS MEN

PG-13 Daily (3:50) 6:30 9:00 Sat-Sun (10:50) (1:20)

WINTER’S TALE

PG-13 Fri-Sun 6:45 9:35 Mon-Thu 6:15 9:05

FROZEN

PG Daily (3:50) Fri-Sun (11:00) (1:30)

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Joke’s On Us For 24 years, Tool has had a lot to say — much of it inspired by a stand-up comic

BY LEAH SOTTILE

T

ool is not a funny band. Well, at least that’s what most people think.

For the past 24 years, Tool has sung of things that to most are the exact opposite of humorous: death and destruction and the deepest of depressions. From its earliest days, Tool has been a band that makes bold statements. Its first video, 1992’s “Hush,” shows the members stark naked with parental advisory stickers over their crotches and black duct-tape X’s over their mouths. Out of the gates,

Tool gave the impression they were just as much about message as they were about music.

At a time when alternative rock was storming radio airwaves, when punk rock’s anti-establishment mentality was becoming more widely accepted, when teen angst seemed to be at an all-time high, Tool released its first full-length record, Undertow: an album with song titles like “Prison Sex.” Inside, the liner notes featured imagery meant to make most people squirm: naked obese women, torturous contrap-

tions, a human face covered in needles (that photo was an image of the band’s original bass player Paul D’Amour, who grew up in Spokane). With a less talented band, we might laugh at the gimmickry and high drama of such a presentation — but with Tool, which was bold in its image and made scalding-hot rock songs, it worked.

It wasn’t until Tool’s second effort, Ænima, that it became apparent the band’s world wasn’t actually all ...continued on next page

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 49

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MUSIC | ROCK “JOKE’S ON US,” CONTINUED... all dank, dreary and rat-infested. The title track featured enigmatic singer Maynard James Keenan chanting “learn to swim, learn to swim” as he sang a tale of Los Angeles sliding into the Pacific Ocean. It’s a serious song, but also humorous social commentary.

The album saw the band nodding to the dark genius of late stand-up comedian and satirist Bill Hicks, who Tool first thanked in Undertow’s liner notes. In an 1996 interview with the Austin Chronicle, Keenan — who at the time refused to talk to the reporter about anything but Hicks — spoke of the band’s love for Hicks’ work and how much it influenced Tool’s perspective. Hicks liked Tool as well: he introduced the band before one show, and discussed a co-headlining Tool/ Hicks tour before the comic succumbed at 32 to pancreatic cancer in 1994.

With Ænima, the band wanted its fans to know that this music was, by and large, a reaction and response to Hicks. To many, Hicks was entirely unfunny — his comedy as much a monologue and social critique as it was deep, dark humor. But for those it spoke to, like Keenan and his band, it was life-changing. In one breath, Hicks delivered the harsh truths we don’t want to hear; in the next, he provided an incredible punch line. Tool sampled several of Hicks’ bits on the song “Third Eye,” including this: “Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration. That we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are

You r

plac

#

the imagination of ourselves.” Hicks pauses. “…

Here’s Tom with the weather!” “[Tool’s] music is a catalyst for the ideas,” Keenan told the Chronicle of Hicks’ influence on the band. “His ideas were what really resonated with us. I think that’s what he really liked about us as well — that we were resonating similar concepts. Unity is the philosophical center.

Evolution. Change. Internally and externally.

Individually and globally. That’s pretty much the gist of his comedy no matter what he was talking about — music, porno, smoking. Whatever it was, it came back to the idea of unity and evolution. Evolving ideas.”

Though the band firmly planted its feet in loud, heavy rock from the beginning, with each album Tool has applied evolution and change — and a great sense of humor — to its music: 2001’s Lateralus saw Tool veering into hilarious artistic wormholes. Drummer Danny Carey samples himself breathing into tubes on one track; on another, Keenan squeezes his cat to create the backbone sound for “Mantra.”

Keenan has always said that the band’s name has a simple explanation: the music is meant to serve as a sort of multipurpose tool to be used by listeners in whatever way they desire.

If you want Tool to be angry, so you can get your rage out, then use it for that. But if you want to laugh at the world and the ridiculousness of humanity — by all means, use Tool for that, too.  Tool • Tue, March 4, at 8 pm • $49.50-$75 • All-ages • Spokane Arena • 720 W. Mallon • ticketswest.com • (800) 325-SEAT

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The recently turned three-piece, & Yet, plays the Bartlett Friday.

More to Come

OCEANNA TOUT PHOTO

Dane Ueland returns to Spokane with a new look for his band & Yet

BY LAURA JOHNSON

L

ast November, Maren Haynes was driving around Spokane when she heard her bandmate Dane Ueland’s earthy voice on the radio. The cellist was in awe. Their group, & Yet, had never been featured on the radio in their hometown of Seattle, but here was Ueland’s vocals over acoustic guitar on the airwaves.

Later that night, she was further impressed

by Spokane’s appreciation for local music after & Yet received a rocking reception at Mootsy’s.

“We were convinced in a bar that rowdy no one would want to listen to a band this mellow, but they really got into it,” Ueland says from his home in Seattle. “Maren told me later, ‘F--- Seattle, this is the way music should be responded to.’”

Ueland had been a commanding presence in the Spokane folk scene during his time at Whitworth University in the mid-2000s, but Seattle was his dream. Shortly after graduating in 2009, Ueland moved west with roommate and fellow musician Nathaniel Orwiler. At first they railed against getting jobs and quickly watched their money deplete.

“We thought we could show up and they’d pay us to perform,” recalls Ueland, now 27. “Like they’d never heard a guy on an acoustic guitar or something.”

His solo work was lost in a sea of similar acts. But when Ueland added Haynes — who had also gone to Whitworth — in 2010, people started to pay attention. With Orwiler on drums, they added instrumentalists as they met them (at bars, through friends), eventually growing the band to seven people.

“It took us a long time to sound any good,” Ueland explains.

Two years later, & Yet was booking shows at well-known Seattle venues like Neumos and the Crocodile. In November, they released their first EP, A Bud Has Bloomed, full of haunting allegories and ethereal instrumentation. In December, Ueland decided to strip down the band’s roster, opting to create a trio with Haynes and violinist Hayley Watt.

“I just made a choice to re-envision the music,” Ueland says.

He describes January as a month of drinking heavily and feeling glum after the departure of the other band members, but that they have all remained friends. While Ueland acknowledges that pairing string players with an acoustic guitar is hardly new, he says what his group is doing isn’t necessarily common.

“These are intricate chamber pieces, sad chamber pop,” he says.

Currently, the three-piece has a handful of newly written songs they’ll be playing for the upcoming Spokane show at the Bartlett. A new EP is on the horizon.

“Pop doesn’t necessarily mean happy, that’s up to the audience to decide what they’re hearing,” Ueland says. “What matters to us is fully realized arrangements that leave a strong impression on people.” n & Yet with Cedar & Boyer, Adam & Olive • Fri, Feb. 28, at 8 pm • $5/$7 day of • All-ages • The Bartlett • 228 W. Sprague • thebartlettspokane.com • 747-2174

Wednesday Mar 5th

WHISKEY WEDNESDAY & SALLY POP JAZZ

25 Craft Beers & Craft Cocktails 120 E. Sprague Ave.

JOE

THURS

Saturday Mar 1st

KARAOKE W/ MATTY

at Club Red 6pm-10pm

SUN

JESSE WESTON TRIO - FREE

Dance your ASS off until 4am all weekend!

KARAOKE W/ LIVE WIRE

MON

Friday Feb 28th

at IRV’s @ 9pm

KARAOKE W/ MATTY

TUES

DEAD SERIOUS LOVERS FREE SHOW

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Thursday Feb 27th

SAT & FRI

Feb 27th - March 5th

LE GIRLS

at Irv’s 9pm-2am

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at Irv’s 8pm-2am

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TICKETSWEST.COM FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 51

MUSIC | SOUND ADVICE

CELTIC ROCK YOUNG DUBLINERS

K

eith Roberts will be the first to tell you that his band Young Dubliners is not just some Irish band. Yes, Roberts is from Ireland, but the rest of the Dubliners are veterans of the Los Angeles rock scene and the band’s sound reflects that. Roberts’ accent adds an authenticity to the Celtic element that the band — which just released its ninth studio album, appropriately titled 9 — uses as the fuel for its straight-ahead bar rock. There are no gimmicky drinking songs: This is like a pint of honest rock music with a shot of Irish flair dropped in for an extra kick. If you’re ready to get St. Patrick’s Day started early, here’s your chance.

— MIKE BOOKEY Young Dubliners with Cursive Wires • Fri, Feb. 28, at 8 pm • $14 • All-ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague • spknittingfactory.com • 244-3279

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

Thursday, 02/27

J THe BARTleTT, The Thermals, Ava Luna, Krill BeveRlY’S, Robert Vaughn BOOMeRS ClASSiC ROCK BAR & GRill, DJ Yasmine J BUCeR’S COFFeeHOUSe PUB, Open Jazz Jam with Erik Bowen Trio THe CellAR, Eric Neuhesser COeUR D’AleNe CASiNO, PJ Destiny GRANDe RONDe CellARS, Spokane Songwriters Open Mic Night JONeS RADiATOR, Dead Serious Lovers J lAGUNA CAFé, Just Plain Darin leFTBANK WiNe BAR, Villa Jazz Trio lUCKY’S iRiSH PUB, Likes Girls J NORTHWeST MUSeUM OF ARTS & CUlTURe (456-3931), Mike Ross NYNe, DJ Jeremiah Austin O’SHAY’S, Open mic J THe PHAT HOUSe, Jay Thomas Jazz Quartet, ArmondoFest ROADHOUSe COUNTRY ROCK BAR, Open Mic THe vAUlT SOCiAl ClUB, DJ Seli THe viKiNG BAR AND GRill, In between Names, Elephant Gun Riot ZOlA, Cruxie

Friday, 02/28

315 MARTiNiS AND TAPAS, Truck Mills J THe BARTleTT, & Yet (See story on page 51), Cedar & Boyer, Adam & Olive BeveRlY’S, Robert Vaughn THe BliND BUCK (290-6229), DJ Mayhem BOlO’S, Scorpius J BOOTS BAKeRY & lOUNGe, Sea Giant BOWl’Z BiTeZ AND SPiRiTZ (3217480), Likes Girls BROOKlYN Deli & lOUNGe (8354177), Gil Rivas

52 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

ROCK THE ATLAS MOTH

A

round this time last year, Chicago post-metal outfit The Atlas Moth posted online that they would stop in Spokane for a last-minute show — and the hesher elite rallied the troops and threw the guys a great time. When that happens, awesome bands come back here knowing that Spokane is a remarkable place to play. The Atlas Moth has been said to be “militantly adventurous” in their experimentation — drawing from both doom and blues to create a sound that is theirs alone. It’s just as much black metal with a groove as it is rock music with a bloody edge. It’s weird and creepy and totally familiar all at once. Kind of like Spokane. Maybe that’s why they liked us so much.

— LEAH SOTTILE The Atlas Moth with Rasputin, Diazepam, Over Sea Under Stone • Tue, March 4, at 7 pm • $8 • All-ages • The Hop! • 706 N. Monroe • thehop.us • 328-5467

J BUCeR’S COFFeeHOUSe PUB, Nate Shoemaker BUCKHORN iNN, Redeye Logic THe CellAR, Kosh & Jazz Cats COeUR D’AleNe CASiNO, Smash Hit Carnival COlDWATeR CReeK WiNe BAR, Kari Marguerite & The 76 THe COUNTRY ClUB, Country Soul CURleY’S, Shiner FeDORA PUB, Bill Bozly FiZZie MUlliGANS, Kicho GRANDe RONDe CellARS, Brad Keeler Trio J THe HOP!, Middle Class Rut, Brick+Mortar, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The Nixon Rodeo HOPPeD UP BReWiNG CO. (4132488), Wyatt Wood iDAHO POUR AUTHORiTY (208-2902280), Charley Packard iRON HORSe BAR, Aftermath JOHN’S AlleY, Sol Seed

JONeS RADiATOR, Jesse Weston Trio J KNiTTiNG FACTORY, Young Dubliners (See story above), Cursive Wires J lAGUNA CAFé, Diane Copeland MARKeT PlACe WiNe BAR (8387815), Mike Ross MAx AT MiRABeAU, Laffin Bones, Salty Dog J MeZZO PAZZO WiNe BAR, Nick Grow MOOSe lOUNGe (208-664-7901), Dragonfly J MOOTSY’S, The Pine Hearts, Cold Mountain Yeti, The Holy Broke NeCTAR TASTiNG ROOM (869-1572), Maxie Ray Mills NYNe, Eric Himan, the Divine Jewels PeND D’OReille WiNeRY, The Monarch Mountain Band J THe PHAT HOUSe, Ragtime Steve, Bodhi Drip Birthday, B-Radicals ReD ROOM lOUNGe, Sweatshop

Union, ImPerfect Cody, Nobe n MJ ROADHOUSe COUNTRY ROCK BAR, Devon Wade THe ROCK BAR (443-3796), DJ Jeramiah THe SHADY BAR & GRill (208-6875820), Usual Suspects STYR eATeRY (466-5999), Mateos THe viKiNG, The Ashley Honnell Band WeBSTeR’S RANCH HOUSe SAlOON (474-9040), Ron Greene

Saturday, 03/1

J THe BARTleTT, Together Pangea, Mozes and The Firstborn, Lures BeveRlY’S, Robert Vaughn THe BliND BUCK (290-6229), DJ Daethstar BOlO’S, Scorpius J BUCeR’S COFFeeHOUSe PUB, Delta G THe CellAR, Kosh & Jazz Cats J CHeCKeRBOARD BAR, The Sindi-

cate CD Release Show COeUR D’AleNe CASiNO, Smash Hit Carnival COeUR D’AleNe CellARS (208-6642336), Steve Siminksy COlDWATeR CReeK WiNe BAR, Chris Lynch THe COUNTRY ClUB, Country Soul CURleY’S, Shiner J DOWNTOWN MOSCOW, Moscow Mardi Gras feat. Enjoy Sweatshop Union, Soul Siren, McTuff, Bare Wires, The Fabulous King Pins FiZZie MUlliGANS, Kicho J THe HOP!, Goliath, Extortionist, Verbera, What Wings Once Held iRON HORSe BAR, Aftermath JOHN’S AlleY, Mctuff JONeS RADiATOR, The Jamesons with Pete ‘Slim’ Johnson J lAGUNA CAFé, Robinsong THe lARiAT (466-9918), Texas Twisters

LEFTBANK WINE BAR, Truck Mills MOOSE LOUNGE (208-664-7901), Dragonfly J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Vince Neil of Motley Crue NYNE, The Nerve, DJ C-Mad O’SHAY’S, Barb & Tom Livingwell J THE PHAT HOUSE, Open mic ROADHOUSE COUNTRY ROCK BAR, Devon Wade THE ROCK BAR (443-3796), DJ Sonny TREZZI FARM (238-2276), Just Plain Darin UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO (208-8856111), Down North J THE VIKING, Light up the Sky, The Lion Oh My, Death By Pirates ZOLA, Hot Club of Spokane

Sunday, 03/2

DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS, Jam Night with VooDoo Church J THE HOP!, Arkaik, Lord of War, the Kennedy Veil, Rutah, Skies Burn Black MOOSE LOUNGE (208-664-7901), Michael’s Music Technology Circus ZOLA, Bill Bozly

Monday, 03/3

BOWL’Z BITEZ AND SPIRITZ, Open Mic, Likes Girls J CALYPSOS, Open Mic CLUB 412 (624-3629), Shaider Hutchman, Jacob Beal, Tim Best, Self Culture

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EICHARDT’S, Monday Night Jam with Truck Mills J THE HOP!, Arsonists Get All the Girls, Beyond The Shore, Seeker, Abolishment of Flesh, FAUS, The Horror Within, The Hallowd Ground J THE PHAT HOUSE, Open mic J RICO’S, Open mic ZOLA, Nate Ostrander Trio

Tuesday, 03/4

315 MARTINIS AND TAPAS, The Rub J THE BARTLETT, Open Mic BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn FEDORA PUB, Tuesday Night Jam with Truck Mills J THE HOP!, The Atlas Moth (See story on facing page), Rasputin, Diazepam, Over Sea Under Stone JOHN’S ALLEY, Red Elvises JONES RADIATOR, Open Mic of Open-ness LION’S LAIR (456-5678), DJs Nobe and MJ NYNE, Mardi Gras party with The Divine Jewels J THE PHAT HOUSE, Ragtime Steve J RED ROOSTER COFFEE CO. (3217935), Open mic SPLASH, Bill Bozly J SPOKANE ARENA, Tool (See story on page 49) THE VAULT SOCIAL CLUB, DJ Q ZOLA, Dan Conrad and the Urban Achievers

Wednesday, 03/5

BEVERLY’S, Robert Vaughn J CHAPS, Land of Voices with Dirk Swartz THE DISTRICT BAR (244-3279), Likes Girls FIZZIE MULLIGANS, Kicho J THE HOP!, Shriners Benefit: Enfeeble Ataxia, Level Ground, Mutiny Inc., Maniak, Twitch MC, Hounds of Hell, Raw-B, Lionz, Peaty Peak, Epik IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL, Open mic JONES RADIATOR, Sally Bop Jazz J KNITTING FACTORY, Austin Jenckes (The Voice finalist), Cody Beebe & The Crooks LA ROSA CLUB, Jazz Jam with the Bob Beadling Group J MEZZO PAZZO WINE BAR, Kevin Gardner of Spare Parts J MOOTSY’S, Losing Skin, POWER, Bloody Gloves, Deviance J THE PHAT HOUSE, Experience Jazz Project SOULFUL SOUPS AND SPIRITS, Open mic THE VAULT SOCIAL CLUB, DJs Freaky Fred and MC Squared ZOLA, The Bucket List

Coming Up ...

JONES RADIATOR, Los Chingadores, March 6 THE BARTLETT, Pickwick, Cathedral Pearls, March 6 MOOTSY’S, Kurly Something, Dark White Light, BIAS, March 6 JONES RADIATOR, Brian Haughton, Hooves, Ampersand, March 7 CHATEAU RIVE, Bakin’ Phat, Kenny James Miller, March 7 CHECKERBOARD BAR, Blood Party, Midnight Mine, Blame Shifter, March 7 KNITTING FACTORY, Cash’d Out, Acuff & Sherfey, Levi Daniel, March 7 KNITTING FACTORY, March Into Madness feat. Unique, Cordell Drake, Destiny, Versatial, On One, True Justice, Pest, Raw B, Ether, Jay Cope, March 8 THE BARTLETT, Sea Wolf, Kevin Long, March 8 MOOTSY’S, Qui, March 9 KNITTING FACTORY, EOTO, Wax 808, Brainfunk, March 13 THE BARTLETT, Odesza, Water Monster, March 13 THE HOP!, Protest the Hero, Battlecross, The Safety Fire, March 14 KNITTING FACTORY, Revolver Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock feat. Sick Puppies, Lacuna Coil, Eyes Set to Kill, Cilver, March 14 REPUBLIC BREWING CO., Hillfolk Noir, Gregory Rawlins, March 14 BABY BAR, The Finns, Sea Giant, BIAS, Team Growl, March 14 THE HOP!, The Sword, O’ Brother, Big Business, March 15 THE BARTLETT, Hollow Wood, Dova (ft. members of Franklin), March 15 THE HIVE EVENT CENTER, Dumpstaphunk, March 15 KNITTING FACTORY, Sammy Eubanks, The Border Patrol Band, Acuff & Sherfey, March 15

MOOTSY’S, The Ballantynes, The Echolarks, BIAS, The Spirit Animals, March 15, 10 pm.

KNITTING FACTORY, T Pain, March 16, 8 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Memphis May Fire, The Word Alive, A Skylit Drive, Hands Like Houses, Beartooth, March 18, 6:30 pm.

CAFE BODEGA, Five Minutes of Fame, J THE BARTLETT, Tango Alpha Tango, March 19, 8 pm.

J KNITTING FACTORY, Railroad Earth, The Deadly Gentlemen, March 19, 8 pm.

MUSIC | VENUES 315 MARTINIS • 315 E. Wallace, CdA • 208667-9660 BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 847-1234 THE BARTLETT • 228 W. Sprague Ave. BEVERLY’S • 115 S. 2nd St., CdA • 208-765-4000 BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 467-9638 BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 227-7638 BOLO’S • 116 S. Best Rd. • 891-8995 BOOMERS • 18219 E. Appleway Ave. • 755-7486 BOOTS BAKERY & LOUNGE • 24 W. Main Ave. • 703-7223 BUCER’S • 201 S. Main, Moscow • 208-882-5216 BUCKHORN INN • 13311 Sunset Hwy.• 244-3991 CARR’S CORNER • 230 S. Washington St. • 474-1731 THE CELLAR • 317 E. Sherman, CdA • 208664-9463 CHAPS • 4237 Cheney-Spokane Rd. • 624-4182 CHECKERBOARD BAR • 1716 E. Sprague • 535-4007 COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw Rd., Worley • 800-523-2464 COLDWATER CREEK WINE BAR • 311 N. 1st Ave., Sandpoint • 208-263-6971 THE COUNTRY CLUB • 216 E. Coeur d’Alene Ave. • 208-676-2582 CURLEY’S • 26433 W. Hwy. 53 • 208-773-5816 DALEY’S CHEAP SHOTS • 6412 E. Trent • 535-9309 EICHARDT’S • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208263-4005 FEDORA PUB • 1726 W. Kathleen, CdA • 208765-8888 FIRST STREET BAR • 122 E. First St., Deer Park • 276-2320 FIZZIE MULLIGANS • 331 W. Hastings Rd. • 466-5354 THE FLAME • 2401 E. Sprague Ave. • 534-9121 FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague • 624-1200 GIBLIANO BROS. • 718 W. Riverside • 315-8765 THE GRAIL • 4720 E. Seltice Way, CdA • 208665-5882 GRANDE RONDE CELLARS • 906 W. 2nd • 455-8161 THE HOP! • 706 N. Monroe St. • 368-4077 IRON HORSE • 407 E. Sherman Ave., CdA • 208-667-7314 IRV’S BAR • 415 W. Sprague Ave. • 624-4450 JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. 6th, Moscow • 208883-7662 JONES RADIATOR • 120 E. Sprague • 747-6005 KELLY’S IRISH PUB • 726 N. Fourth St., CdA • 208-667-1717 KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 244-3279 LAGUNA CAFÉ • 4302 S. Regal St. • 448-0887 LA ROSA CLUB • 105 S. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-255-2100 LATAH BISTRO • 4241 Cheney-Spokane Rd. • 838-8338 LEFTBANK WINE BAR • 108 N. Washington • 315-8623 LUCKY’S IRISH PUB • 408 W. Sprague Ave. • 747-2605 LUXE COFFEEHOUSE • 1017 W. First Ave. • 642-5514 MAX AT MIRABEAU • 1100 N. Sullivan Rd. • 924-9000 MEZZO PAZZO WINE BAR • 2718 E. 57th • 863-9313 MOOTSY’S • 406 W. Sprague • 838-1570 MOSCOW FOOD CO-OP • 121 E. Fifth St. • 208882-8537 NORTHERN QUEST • 100 N. Hayford • 242-7000 NYNE • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 474-1621 THE SHOP • 924 S. Perry St. • 534-1647 O’SHAY’S • 313 E. CdA Lake Dr. • 208-667-4666 PACIFIC AVENUE PIZZA • 2001 W. Pacific Ave. • 624-0236 PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 220 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545 THE PHAT HOUSE • 417 S. Browne • 443-4103 PJ’S BAR & GRILL • 1717 N. Monroe St. • 328-2153 RED LION RIVER INN • 700 N. Division St. • 326-5577 RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague Ave. • 838-7613 REPUBLIC BREWING • 26 Clark Ave. • 775-2700 RICO’S PUB • 200 E. Main, Pullman • 332-6566 THE ROADHOUSE • 20 N. Raymond • 413-1894 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 SPLASH • 115 S. 2nd St., CdA • 208-765-4000 STUDIO K• 2810 E. 29th Ave. • 534-9317 THE SWAMP • 1904 W. Fifth Ave. • 458-2337 THE VAULT • 120 N. Wall St. • 863-9597 THE VIKING • 1221 N. Stevens St. • 315-4547 THE WAVE • 525 W. First Ave. • 747-2023 ZOLA • 22 W. Main Ave. • 624-2416

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 53

Patrick Treadway as John Barrymore CHRISTOPHER WOOLEY PHOTO

THEATER PORTRAIT OF AN ACTOR

Before the drinking caught up to him, handsome John Barrymore conquered stage and screen, traversing the eras of silent film and talkies and taking on Shakespearean roles in Hamlet and Richard III. The play Barrymore meets him in his final days as he rehearses a revival of Richard III — a fictitious event — and at Interplayers, actor Patrick Treadway sports a debonair little mustache to portray, as described in the play synopsis, the “black sheep of America’s most illustrious acting family.”

This is a gossipy, tragic portrait of a remarkable man; the only other actor remains offstage as Fred, the stage manager, who interacts by loudspeaker.

— LISA WAANANEN Barrymore • Feb. 27-March 15, showing Wed-Sun • Interplayers Theatre • 174 S. Howard • interplayerstheatre.org/barrymore • 455-7529

54 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

FESTIVAL PURPLE, GREEN AND GOLD

SPORTS CAGE FIGHT

Moscow Mardi Gras 2014 • Sat, March 1, 8 am-2 am • Tickets to 21+ venues $15/advance, $20/day of • Locations around Moscow, Idaho • moscowmardigras.com • (208) 596-3145

Conquest of the Cage 15 • Fri, Feb. 28, at 7 pm • $45-$75 • Northern Quest Resort & Casino • 100 N. Hayford Rd. • northernquest. com • 481-6700

Moscow is celebrating Mardi Gras this year with an all-day party featuring music, dancing, and community building activities. The event kicks off with a benefit breakfast at the Masonic Temple from 8-10 am, and continues with family-friendly events like the Super Smash Brothers tournament and the Kids’ Mardi Gras parade. After the kids hit the hay, local musicians keep the party going until the wee hours, with tunes from Down North, Sweatshop Union, Bare Wires, The Fabulous King Pins, Soul Sirens and McTuff. All this partying goes to benefit local youth groups in the Palouse area.

— EMERA L. RILEY

The perception of mixed martial arts as a guys-only event is crumbling as more and more women make themselves known in the violent sport. The Lilac City is sending some impressive contenders into the octagon, most notably last fall’s Ultimate Fighter 18 realityshow champ Julianna Peña. Though Peña has since sustained a devastating knee injury, she’ll be making an appearance and supporting her Spokane teammates at this weekend’s event, including fellow fighter Elizabeth Phillips. She’ll be joined by her gym Sikjitsu’s “Insane” Dave Courchaine and Roy “Precious” Bradshaw.

— CHEY SCOTT

Botox & Juvederm Event! ®

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THEATER CHEER COMPETITION

High school can be brutal. But something good always comes at the end, doesn’t it? It will if you choose to relive those glory days vicariously through the cast of Bring It On: The Musical, playing here for one night only. The story is loosely based on the movie of the same name, but the plot changes, twists and aerial stunts are enough to keep any Bring It On enthusiast both shocked and entertained. Fall in love with Campbell Davis and watch as her road to Nationals with Jackson High reminds us all that as rough as high school can be, the friends and the memories you make there are what’s most important.

— CLARKE HUMPHREY

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1237 Wes t S um m i t Par kway, Suite A 50 9- 747-3529 | S p aParad i so.com

Join us in welcoming Natalia Barko, MN, DNP

Bring it On: The Musical • Tue, March 4, at 7:30 pm • $25-$55 • INB Performing Arts Center • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • bestofbroadwayspokane.com • 279-7000

SPORTS SMALL TOWNS IN THE BIG TIME

There is something heartwarmingly American about the 1B/2B high school basketball tournament, held in Spokane each March. You see boys and girls from some of the smallest high schools in Washington battling it out in the cavernous (at least compared to their home gyms) confines of the Spokane Arena. This isn’t necessarily a chance to see the next crop of college stars, but rather to marvel at the small-town spirit you can find in Washington’s rural communities. If you want the full story of the tournament, I’d recommend checking out former Davenport High School coach Jim Stinson’s Remembering The B, a a book documenting the complete history of the event.

— MIKE BOOKEY WIAA Hardwood Classic: Boys and Girls 1B/2B Tournament • Thu, March 6-Sat, March 8 • $12-$28 • Spokane Arena • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • spokanearena.com

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 55

RELATIONSHIPS

Advice Goddess THE GRATING OUTDOORS

AMY ALKON

This great girl I’ve been dating just invited me on a camping trip. Frankly, there is nothing I would like to do less. I hate camping, and I won’t know anyone but her.

The trip is three days with 20 of her friends, including her ex-boyfriend, so I worry about asking her to go without me, especially since we aren’t “official” yet. Can I skip this without it being a big deal, or is it a mistake to let her go when we’re right at the monogamy crossroads?

—City Boy

The comforts of civilization abound. Even Walmart stocks a heated toilet seat — complete with a handy-dandy nightlight in the bowl — for a rather reasonable $119. Yet — go figure — there are all these people who think it would be supercool to go out for a weekend and squat behind a bush.

In other words, I’m right there with you, City Boy. My idea of camping is waiting for our room to be ready in the lobby of a hotel with exposed wood. My favorite hiking safety tip? Avoid hiking. But I understand your problem. It’s a bad idea to stay home when it means she’ll be out there in nature with nothing to block the view of her ex-boyfriend. Unfortunately, you’re being asked on not just a camping trip but a vetting trip (even if she hasn’t put it that plainly to you or even herself). She’ll be looking at how well you fit in with her friends (which will tell her something about how well you’ll fit into her life) and, possibly, evaluating your camping prowess: whether you can start a fire with a single soggy match, put up a tent using only your teeth, and talk geopolitics with a raccoon.

But chances are, if she were some hardcore camper looking for the man to play Lewis to her Clark, she wouldn’t even consider dating a guy whose idea of a nature hike is probably cutting across the lawn to get the mail. I shared this thought with a mentally ill friend of mine (translation: one who camps on purpose), and she agreed. She also added that “camping with 20 people is not camping; it’s ‘camping.’ It’s getting drunk beside your car, tripping over your tent stake, and passing out next to your sleeping bag. Even a city boy can do that once.”

Let your girlfriend know that camping isn’t your thing but that you’re sure you’ll have a great time with her over the weekend. This sets her up not to expect much more of this outdoorsy business from you while setting you up as a good sport who’s willing to go out of his way to make her happy. If both you and your relationship survive the weekend, maybe you can show her a thing or two about the great indoors — like how, of all the current wonders of nature, one of the most wonderful is how you can sit in your house drinking martinis while watching them on Discovery Channel. And don’t forget my absolute favorite thing about nature — the whoosh it makes as you’re driving past it to get back to your hotel.

FRISKIES SOUR

My best friend, “Rob,” is really into this girl he’s been dating. She is loud, talks constantly about vapid subjects, generally rubs everyone the wrong way, and — I’m not kidding — makes cat “meow” sounds. (For instance: “I’m hungry; let’s get pancakes! Meow.”) Recently, a mutual friend blurted out to Rob, “Dude, seriously, how do you put up with her?” Rob was upset, and I sympathized, but the reality is, we all think that. Shouldn’t he know the truth — that none of us wants to be around him when he’s around her?

—Biting Tongue When you’re all out to dinner, you must live for those moments when she and some other woman excuse themselves to go talk about all you guys in the litter box. As hard as it must be for you to hold back, all this guy should know is that you’re his friend. People mistakenly believe that you can criticize somebody into changing. You can’t. What you typically end up doing is criticizing them into clinging even more tenaciously to whatever you were hoping to pry them away from. Because, in relationships, initially adorable idiosyncrasies can turn screechingly annoying, it’s possible your friend will eventually grow allergic to loud, vapid women who make cat sounds. Until then, well, that’s why there’s guys’ night out at the cigar bar. You might also try to curb your annoyance by feeling happy for him. For him to be blind to how irritating she is, she must do some really special things in the bedroom — you know, like marking the bed with urine and killing mice and leaving them on his pillow. n ©2014, 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)

56 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

EVENTS | CALENDAR

BENEFIT

BEAUTY & THE VINE Quarterly night of beauty services, networking and wine, benefiting Blessings Under the Bridge, a local nonprofit. Services include massages, paraffin hand dips, brow waxing and more. Some services paid, event is free to attend. Feb. 27, 6-9 pm. Nectar Tasting Room, 120 N. Stevens. (869-1572) TASTE OF LIFE Hospice of Spokane’s 9th annual fundraiser features food paired with Spokane-area wines, beers and spirits. Feb. 28, 5:30-8:30 pm. $75.

Spokane Club, 1002 W. Riverside. hospiceofspokane.org (456-0438) TUBIN’ IN TUTUS Annual fundraiser party and auction benefiting Shoshone Pet Rescue. This year the tubin’ aspect moves from the ski slopes to the Silver Rapids Indoor Waterpark. Feb. 28, 6 pm. $15-$30. Silver Mountain, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com (208-783-1542) THE BARTENDERS’ BALL Benefitting Helping Every Little Paw (HELP), with cocktails and appetizers provided by the local restaurants and bars, a silent and live auction, bartender flair competition, prizes and more. March 1, 6 pm. $25-$30. CdA Eagles, 209 Sherman. helpeverylittlepaw.org FC SPOKANE AUCTION DINNER The second annual dinner and auction benefit the club’s soccer scholarship program and to create outreach programs for children of lower social and economic means. March 1, 5 pm. $50/ person. Lincoln Center, 1316 N. Lincoln St. fcspokane.com (953-8844) NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS Boost Collaborative’s 7th annual fundraiser includes a dinner, silent auction and features Brady Murray, founder of RODS Racing, a competitive team of more than 100 Ironman triathletes. March 1, 5:30 pm. $60, pre-registration required. Schweitzer Event Center, 1825 Schweitzer Dr., Pullman. (332-6561) ACADEMY AWARDS LIVE SCREENING See the awards live on the big screen.

Event benefits the CDA Summer Theater and Friends of the Bing. March 2, 5 pm. $15. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. cdasummertheatre.com (208-660-2958) JAM FOR BREAD Fundraiser concert benefiting Crosswalk, featuring Free Whiskey (band), Heather Villa, Brian Flick and members of the Spokane Area Youth Choirs. March 2, 3-5 pm. $8-$12.

Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ, 411 S. Washington St. westminsterucc.org (624-1366) RACE FOR A CAUSE This first annual event at Lookout raises funds to benefit 10 charities in Montana, Idaho and Washington through a dual-course open slalom race with 24 gates. Entry offered to individuals or teams of three. Day-of registration at 8 am. $50/individuals, $40 college students with ID; $135/team of three. March 2, 10 am-4 pm. Lookout Pass, Mullan, Idaho. (208-744-1301) SAN OSCAR NIGHT GALA Spokane Aids Network’s 16th annual fundraiser gala raises money to fund vital services to HIV/AIDS clients. March 2, 4:30 pm. $100-$125/person. Northern Quest, 100 N. Hayford. spokaneaids.org (455-8993)

COMEDY

ALL-AGES COMEDY OPEN MIC Held on the second and fourth Thursday of the month at 6 pm. Free. Boots Bakery & Lounge, 24 W. Main Ave. (703-7223)

STAND-UP COMEDY Local comedians, see weekly schedule online. Thursdays at 8 pm. Free. Uncle D’s Comedy Underground, 2721 N. Market St. uncledscomedy.com (483-7300) OPEN MIC COMEDY Live stand-up comedy. Fridays at 8 pm. Free. Red Dragon Chinese, 1406 W. Third Ave. reddragondelivery.com (838-6688) FLUFFY BUNNY IMPROV SHOW Anime-themed comedy hosted by KuroNekoCon and Fluffy Bunny Improv.

March 1, 5:30 pm. $7; $5 with a can of food. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. (747-7045) LILAC CITY IMPROV A night of comedy and wine. Reservations recommended.

March 1, 6 & 8:30 pm. $20. Nectar Tasting Room, 120 N. Stevens St. nectartastingroom.com (869-1572) SAFARI Fast-paced short-form improv games based on audience suggestions.

Saturdays at 9 pm. $7. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland Ave. (747-7045)

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY DANCE Open dancing, including square, round, line and more.

Open to singles, couples and families.

March 1, 8 pm. Free. Western Dance Center, 1901 N. Sullivan Rd. squaredancespokane.org (979-2607) MOSCOW MARDI GRAS The annual community festival includes a benefit breakfast, parade, kids activities, live music, performances and more. See full schedule of events at the organization’s website. March 1, 8-2 am. $15. moscowmardigras.com (208-596-3145) RED HOT MAMAS AUDITIONS Try out to be a dancer, twirler, wheelchair rider/ pusher, marcher, razor scooter trickster, and more for the 2014 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Must be able to briskly march 2.5 miles All shapes and sizes needed, wear athletic attire. At PEAK Health & Wellness, 940 Ironwood Dr., CdA. March 1-2 at 1 pm. rhmamas. com (208-930-4444) DR. SEUSS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Featuring local celebrity readers sharing their favorite books throughout the day, photos with Dr. Seuss characters, kids craft activities, games and more.

March 2, 1-5 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main. (893-8400) SCC INTERCULTURAL WEEK Annual cultural celebration featuring social enrichment activities, presentations, performances, food and more. March 3-7, daily programs held from 9:30 am12:30 pm. Free and open to the public.

Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St. scc.spokane.edu (533-3948) CHASE YOUTH AWARDS Each year the Chase Youth Commission honors local outstanding youth, teens and adults making a difference. March 6, 6-8 pm.

Free and open to the public. The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. chaseyouthspokane. org (822-7905)

FILM

OUT OF THE BOX Films and presentations about solar roadways and other energy innovations, hosted by the Idaho Conservation League. Feb. 27, 7 pm. $5 suggested donation. Panida, 300 N. First. idahoconservation.org PHILOMENA Screening of the Oscarnominated drama. Feb. 27-March 1, show times vary. $3-$6. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main, Moscow. (208-882-4127)

ONLINE REALITY SHOW AUDITIONS Open auditions for “Hope,” a new, web-based singing and dancing reality show. Ages 13+. March 1, 10 am-5 pm.

Free. Downtown Library, 906 W. Main. hopethesingingshow.weebly.com HANNA ARENDT One-night screening hosted by Jody Stewart-Strobelt, professor of modern languages and literature at EWU, and Sally Winkle, director of women’s studies. March 4, 6:30 pm. $8 ($5 students). Magic Lantern, 25 W. Main Ave. (209-2383) AS THE PALACES BURN One-night screening of the documentary about metal band Lamb of God, whose lead singer was charged with manslaughter of a young fan in the Czech Republic.

March 5, 6:30 & 9:30 pm. $8. Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main. (209-2383) NW BACH FEST FILM CLASSICS New film series as part of the 36th Northwest Bach Festival. Double feature March 5, featuring “A Matter of Taste: Serving up Paul Liebrandt” at 7 pm, and “Impromtu” at 9 pm. Free. The MAC, 2316 W. First. nwbachfest.com GIRL RISING Documentary screening hosted by the YMCA of Spokane, about injustices toward girls and women in countries around the world, and how education helped them overcome obstacles. March 6, 7 pm. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. tinyurl. com/girlrisingymca WORDS OF MY PERFECT TEACHER Benefit screening hosted by Lama Lakshey Zangpo Rinpoch, born and educated at a monastery in Eastern Tibet.

March 6, 6:30 pm. $20 suggested donation. Magic Lantern Theatre, 25 W. Main Ave. tsintamani.org (235-8063)

FOOD

GIRLS PINT OUT Brewery tours, six 4 oz tasters and appetizers. Feb. 27, 6-9 pm. $15. Trickster’s Brewing Co., 3850 N. Schrieber Way. trickstersbrewing.com BELGIAN BEER EXPERIENCE Tasting class on Belgian styles of beer, including American versions of beer made in this style. Feb. 28, 7 pm. $20, reservations requested. Rocket Market, 726 E. 43rd Ave. (343-2253) WINE TASTING Friday features Syncline Wine Cellars, from 3-6:30 pm ($15). Saturday features Palm Bay Imports, from 2-4:30 pm ($10). Vino!, 222 S. Washington. (838-1229) CRUSH HUNGER Fundraiser benefiting Northwest Harvest, featuring wine tasting, local food truck vendors and more.

Featured vendors include Vino!, The Bistro Box, Coupla Chefs and David’s Pizza. March 1, 6:30 pm. $45. Luxe Coffeehouse, 1017 W. First Ave. (624-5514) DATE NIGHT IN TUSCANY A full dinner is prepared in this class led by chef/ owner Kris MclLvenna, focusing on the simplicity of Tuscan cooking. March 1, 3-5 pm. $45. 315 Martinis and Tapas, 315 Wallace Ave. (208-667-9660) LOOSE LEAF TEA BLENDING Sample different types of tea, learn brewing techniques and the health benefits of herbs and spices. Students also create a blend to take home. Pre-registration required. March 1 at 3 pm. $10-$15. Spice Traders Mercantile, 15614 E. Sprague. spicetradersmercantile.com (315-4036) PAELLA MIXTA Chef Lynne Weidemann (Cook with Us!) leads a class on making seafood paella and other dishes. March 2, 2-4 pm. $45. 315 Martinis and Tapas, 315 Wallace Ave. (208-667-9660)

MUSIC NORTHWEST BACH FESTIVAL The 36th Annual classical music festival, led by new artistic director Zuill Bailey, features concerts in historic Spokane venues, renowned guest musicians, the new film classics series and other special events.

Full schedule of events online, runs Feb. 25-March 9. $20+, some events free. nwbachfest.com (924-1132) COEUR D’ALENE MUSIC WALK Downtown businesses host local musicians for this monthly winter event. Feb. 28. Free.

Downtown Coeur d’Alene. artsincda.org (208-292-1629) GONZAGA CHORAL FESTIVAL “Journey of the Luminous Soul: Songs of Youth, Love and Passage” featuring the Gonzaga Preparatory Chamber Singers. Feb. 28, 7:30 pm. Free. Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes, 1115 W. Riverside. (313-6733) PIANIST JOHN PICKETT Solo concert featuring the international pianist and award-winning composer. March 1, 7 pm.

Free. Steinway Piano Gallery, 13418 E. Nora Ave. (327-4266) VIOLIN MASTER CLASS Taught by violin prodigy Rachel Barton Pine as part of the NW Bach Festival. Pine performs on Feb. 28 at the Lincoln Center for the festival.

March 1, 10 am-noon. Free and open to the public. Holy Names Music Center, 3910 W. Custer Dr. (326-9516) SPOKANE YOUTH SYMPHONY CONCERTO COMPETITION Members of the SYS Orchestra perform concerto solos before a panel of judges. Winners are to perform a May 18 concert. March 2, 6 pm. Free. Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. spokaneyouthsymphony.org (448-4446) UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO CHOIRS Featuring the Men’s Chorus, University Chorus, Vandaleers and Women’s Chorus. March 2, 3-5 pm. $3-$5. University of Idaho Haddock Performance Hall, 709 Deakin Ave. (208-885-6231) GONZAGA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Featuring internationally renowned piano soloist Navah Perlman, performing works by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

Directed by Kevin Hekmatpanah. March 3, 7:30 pm. $10-$13. The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. (313-6733) GUITARIST ADRIAN LEGG Concert by the finger-style guitarist as part of the “Chateau Guitar Masters” series. March 3, 7 pm. $15-$20. Chateau Rive, 621 W. Mallon Ave. (509-795-2030)

SPORTS

CONQUEST OF THE CAGE Mixed martial arts fight. Feb. 28, 7:30 pm. $40-$70.

Northern Quest Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com (242-7000) FOURTH FRIDAY PUB PEDDLERS Meets the fourth Friday of the month at 7 pm, departs at 8 pm. Fourth Fri. of every month. Swamp Tavern, 1904 W. Fifth. facebook.com/pubpeddlers (922-3312) NJCAA WRESTLING TOURNAMENT Tournament featuring 250+ wrestlers from 39 community colleges around the U.S., hosted by NIC. Events on Friday begin at 9:15 am, and on Saturday at 10:30 am. $12-$35. Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. nic.edu/athletics/ wrestlingnationals SPOKANE CHIEFS Hockey game vs. the Portland Winterhawks. Feb. 28, 7:05 pm. $10-$20. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanearena.com (279-7000) PAWS & POLES RACE 8th annual 5K cross-county ski and 3K snowshoe race; participants are invited to bring their dogs to this family event benefiting Spo-

kAnimal and hosted by Mountain Gear.

March 1, 11 am. $20. 49 Degrees North, 3311 Flowery Trail Rd. (325-9000) SPOKANE SHOCK DANCE CLINIC The Spokane Shock dance team hosts a workshop for kids 12 and under. March 1, 9-11 am. $20. HUB Sports Center, 19619 E. Cataldo. spokaneshock.com/danceteam (927-0602) WIAA HARDWOOD CLASSICS State basketball competition for girls and boys 1B and 2B teams. March 6-8, game times vary. $12-$28. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. (279-7000)

THEATER

BARRYMORE Starring Patrick Treadway as John Barrymore. Feb. 27-March 15, Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm, except March 7 at 6:30 pm; also Sat. March 8 and 15 at 2 pm. $12-$28. Interplayers Theatre, 174 S. Howard St. (455-7529) DISNEY’S BEAUTY & THE BEAST JR. Stage adaptation of the classic story, presented by Cataldo Catholic School’s Drama students. Feb. 27-28 at 7 pm. $5/ person, $20/family. Gonzaga Prep, 1224 E. Euclid Ave. (624-8759) WIT Performance of the Pulitzer Prizewinning drama. Through March 9, ThuSat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $11-$17. Lake City Playhouse, 1320 E. Garden Ave. lakecityplayhouse.org (208-667-1323) ALICE Student-written adaptation of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll. Through March 2, Fri-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $10-$15. Gonzaga Magnuson Theatre, 502 E. Boone Ave. gonzaga.edu/theatreanddance JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT Performed by 72 local children enrolled in theater arts classes with CYT-North Idaho. Feb. 28-March 9, Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 3 pm. $8-$14.

Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. cytnorthidaho.org (208-277-5727) THE MOUSETRAP Stage adaptation of the Agatha Christie murder-mystery.

Feb. 28-March 16, Thur-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. March 5 performance benefits Lilac Services for the Blind ($25). $18-$25. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. (325-2507) WILLY WONKA CYT Spokane performs a musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s timeless story. Through March 2, Fri at 7 pm, Sat at 3 pm and 7 pm and Sun, March 2 at 2 pm. $11-$14. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague. (227-7638) LES MISERABLES The Spokane Civic Theatre partners with the Spokane Symphony to produce a two-night encore performance of the acclaimed musical.

March 1-2, Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $10-$125. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague. (624-1200) THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD MEETS THE GLAMOUR OF BROADWAY One-night only fundraiser event supporting Interplayers, on the set of “Barrymore,” featuring Cabaret performer Abbey Crawford, Interplayers’ assoc. artistic director Michael Weaver. March 3, 7-9 pm. $50. Interplayers Theatre, 174 S. Howard St. (455-7529) BRING IT ON: THE MUSICAL Musical stage adaptation of the competitive cheerleading film. March 4, 7:30 pm. $25$55. INB Performing Arts Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. bestofbroadwayspokane.com COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY Play by Jeffrey Thatcher, about the 17th Century London theater scene, presented by the SFCC Revelers. March 6-16, ThursSat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $10 suggest-

ed donation. SFCC, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Dr. (533-3222)

WORDS

AUTHOR TAMI PARR Signing/discussion and cheese tasting hosted by the author of “Pacific Northwest Cheese,” a historical account. Feb. 27, 6:30 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 402 W. Main Ave. (838-0206) CDA IN THE 20TH CENTURY Part of a 12-month lecture series hosted by the library and the Museum of North Idaho, presented by regional historian Robert Singletary, and examines history from 1900-2000. Held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7 pm. Free. CdA Public Library, 702 E. Front. (208-769-2315) NAKED LUNCH BREAK LITERARY OPEN MIC Weekly lunchtime literary open mic and reading series on Thursdays, featuring local writers, free pizza (while it lasts), and an open mic for anyone who’d like to sign up to read for up to three minutes. Free. EWU Riverpoint Campus, 668 N. Riverpoint Blvd. (368-6557) AUTHOR WILLY VLAUTIN Reading, discussion and signing of the book “The Free” by the award-winning author. Feb. 28, 7 pm. Free. Auntie’s, 402 W. Main Ave. (838-0206) SPOKANE FEMINIST FORUM Guest speakers discuss how women in history inspired them to be who and where they are today. March 1, 3 pm. Free. Boots Bakery & Lounge, 24 W. Main. (703-7223) ALASKA’S GOLD RUSH LANDSCAPE Geology lecture by John Odin Jensen, on how the Alaska Gold Rush of the 1800s left a complex marine archeological landscape extending from British Columbia to the Arctic. March 5, 6:30-8 pm. Free.

Jepson Center at Gonzaga, 502 E. Boone Ave. (359-2235) GROWING A GARDEN CITY Jeremy N. Smith, author of “Growing a Garden City,” presents on creating positive change through local food, farms, and gardens. March 6, 6:30 pm. Free. CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place Dr. tieg.org (535-8434)

ETC.

ARGENTINE TANGO LESSONS Lessons for beginning to advanced dancers.

Thursdays, lessons from 7-8 pm, dancing from 8-9 pm. $5. Women’s Club, 1428 W. 9th Ave. (534-4617) KOOTENAI COUNTY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS The organization hosts its first annual Community Roundtable event, hosting North Idaho business leaders.

Feb. 27, 6-9 pm. $15. CdA Resort, 115 S. Second. kcyp.org (208-765-4000) SPOKANE HOME & YARD SHOW Vendors, demos and ideas for home and yard improvement projects. Feb. 27-March 2. $7 (good all weekend), kids 12 and under free. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana. custershows.com TANGO NIGHT Argentine Tango dancing every Thursday from 7-10 pm. $5. German American Hall, 25 W. Third. (499-1756) ST. JOHN’S CATHEDRAL TOURS Guided tours of the historic cathedral, offered Wed, Fri and Sat from 11 am-2 pm and Sun at noon. Free. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave. (838-4277) KIRTAN FEAT. SHAMBHAVA Kirtan is a form of call/response singing in the Bhakti Yoga tradition of India. March 1, 7-9 pm. $10 suggested donation. Harmony Yoga, 1717 W. Sixth. (747-4430) 

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Equal Housing Opportunity All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Law which makes it illegal to advertise any preference to, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for our real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain on discrimination call HUD free at 1-800-669-9777. The toll free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

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59-Across 39. Word from a waiter 42. Where “it’s fun to stay” in a 1978 hit 43. NLer who became an ALer in 2013 47. Sandler’s “Spanglish” costar 48. Singer DiFranco 50. Chunk of money 51. Lo-cal 52. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who’s 59-Across 56. Approx. takeoff hour 57. Gold-medal Olympic swimmer ____ Torres 58. Ding-a-____ 59. What the enticing answers to 17-, 23-, 36- and 52-Across are all doing?

64. Drainage system 65. “____ girl!” (“Nice job!”)

7

15

17

ACROSS 1. Microsoft Surface rival 5. Lower California, for short 9. Landscaping aid 14. Palindromic magazine title 15. Chills, as bubbly 16. Figure of speech 17. Fairy tale character who’s 59-Across 20. Mach 2 fliers 21. Past curfew 22. Dined 23. Hollywood actor who’s 59-Across 26. Sweat spot 27. The loneliest numero?

28. ____ Paulo 29. Cry of innocence 30. iPhone message 32. “The Avengers” villain 35. Alleviated 36. Famed psychologist who’s

E

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54

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 INLANDER 59

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60 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

I Saw You

You Saw Me

Cheers

Grove Road I see you sitting out on the road watching me. Why do you sit and watch me at my work all hours of the night. How do you know when I’m their?? Why not just call and talk to me instead of being weird.

My Warm, Wool Friend I hope to restore your faith in our friendship by assuring you that the tusk recently found on the west side is not mine. I am nowhere near ready to go extinct, although I recognize I am moving slower than you right now. Thoughts of you keep me moving on the coldest of days.

service during our meal, but also for your kindness afterward when I was paying at the register while trying desperately to contain my tears because the young man I had lunch with stormed out of the restaurant without me after a tirade against me at our table. Your unflinching response with a supportive hug for me gave me the extra strength I needed to go out and find him, to have the patience to listen to him, and to “make up” with him. You see, he’s an extremely troubled high risk youth with no family or support and I brought him there for a hot meal and some company. You allowed me to continue my friendship and work with him instead of leaving in a teary, bleary mess and giving up in frustration.

amazing man! xoxo Candi

Cheers To My Warm and Loving Family! To my parents, who have given me all they could possibly give and to my amazing brothers who have taught me so much.

Thank you for instilling kindness, generosity, and a powerful sense of drive in me. And together, we can beat out Dad’s cancer! I love you all.

Happy Anniversary! To my beautiful wife. In the past 18 years, we haven’t exactly traveled the globe or become multimillionares, and we still live right here in good ol’ Spokane. But I couldn’t imagine being anywhere without you. I love you more every day I get to spend with you no matter where WE are.

You Lost 3 of Them You lost 3 brand new ones from back of your pickup at Mirabeau Parkway Y Indiana on Monday (Tuesday?) I have them and will return no charge. Can meet at Valley Y From KW, to KW The last I saw you, was at your workplace spring 2013 in Post Falls. I’ve gone lengths of time without the memories recalling the empty space in my heart. And, just as often, the memories invite themselves in and plop on the couch for a cup of coffee and linger. If only you were the one lingering. On our first meeting, I brought flames to life through floor-to-ceiling windows.

You held my hand and nothing moved on Earth the same. Fools believe a lost love waits for them. I (painfully) call myself a fool. Errors of our past, separate and together, would never be repeated- by the working hand of the Father and a heart contrite to not feel loss againas long as I shall live. find me- no contact info has changed.

Rowan & Crestline Beauty Cute little blonde always shoveling snow on Crestline and Rowan. I’m the guy in the black Dodge pick up. You have waved and smiled to when I honk.

Would you like to meet? e-mail me ajason825@yahoo.com Exciting The Bus As you walked, past my friend stopped you and asked about your mom and grandma. I was to shy to say anything, but your smile made my day! If you’re interested I am sure your mom can get my number from my friend. I sure would like to get to know you better. Hope to see your smile again soon!

RE: Wild Walls Coffee and climbing are pretty much my two favorite things! And I actually work down at Wild Walls; I’m always up for getting some coffee if you’re still interested. caffinatedclimber@ gmail.com

TO CONNECT

Put a non-identifying email address in your message, like “petals327@yahoo.com” — not “j.smith@comcast.net.”

Cheers Tower Mountain I saw you first a couple years back. You were a pensive and quite fashionable mystery (and although I didn’t know it yet, a messy one at that).

Now I see you every day, in every sense of the term, and could not hope for anything better. I would ask you to coffee but you drink far too much of it. And they only stare because we look so good!

6636 Days and Counting I saw you walking out of Grammy’s house. I loved you then, I adore you now.

A lot of bookstores, movies, and dinners have come and gone and I remember many better, but the hours talking with you were more captivating so I remember little else of that day. 18 yrs or 4 1/2 anniversaries, many more years to 75.

Cheers to Jed Zillmer and Many More! Cheers to the Madeleine’s barista who gave me a free coffee and hug the morning after my friend had passed. It was very nice of you and made me smile.

Cheers to the older gentleman who stopped to ask if anyone had told me lately that I’m “beautiful”, and who later saw me walking in the snow and offered a ride. It was clear that you were being kind rather than creepy. Cheers to my awesome manager who brought us coffees today. Cheers to the downtown security guard who helped locate my phone, and to the custodian who found and returned it. And finally, infinite cheers to Jed Zillmer for all the excitement and adventure he brought into our lives. A huge light left this planet when he did, and it’s people like the above who zing sparks of it back with these random acts of kindness.

It’s something he’d be proud of.

Thanks guys.

Cheers

Thank You! Thank You! To the person that found my wedding ring in the food court of Northtown Mall on February 10, 2014 and turned it into the mall security. I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate your kindness. I know good comes to those like you. Thanks again.

Thank You So Much! On Saturday, February 22nd, my in-laws went to dinner at Applebees. They have 3 of the funniest, cutest, lovable boys aged 6, 4, and almost 2. Somebody else in the restaurant noticed them and paid for their dinner. This uncle thanks you. We will never take those boys for granted. God Bless.

So Proud I am equally inspired by the way you rise to face adversity while under pressure, as I am to see you take flight and relish in the joy of discovering the gifts of life that behold you, full of possibilities. May your soul forever smile, knowing what a treasure you are. Your father and I are so proud of you, Andrew.

Keep up the good work, son.

Thank You! My husband had been dead almost a year and I found the approaching New Year’s Eve depressing. We had always enjoyed planning what we would do in the oncoming year and now I was faced with no one to plan with.

Your basket and mine kept bumping into each other in Safeways New Year’s Eve and after a third time you jokingly asked if I was stalking you. I laughed and replied that I had never been accused of that before and hustled off, checked out the groceries and went on my way.

Was my face a bit more rosey as I went my way? Blushing a bit?

Whatever it was, thank you for the moment of flirtation that put a smile on my face.

Cheers to the Cheers and Jeers to The Roadhouse Valentine’s night at the Jeers! I have noticed far too the Roadhouse. It was the first time many Jeers columns, and far too my friend and I had gone to a country little Cheers in the Inlander these bar. We grabbed a seat, a few days. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe minutes later you came up to us and it’s that Spokane really does have Courthouse Julie We were at the we realized we took your spot but a problem with car thievery, hit Spokane County courthouse from you said your friends left and treated and runs, and ignorant people. But 2-3-2014 thru 2-14-14 during the us to shots! Then the night went from since when have we come to the day. Not only did you have beautiful fun to amazing when you reached point where we brood over all of hair but you are very beautiful in Pink Shoesd I miss your eyes and out your hand and asked one of us our misfortunes before counting all all aspects. You made the time at I miss waking up with your glitter to dance... we told you neither of our blessings? Do not dwell on the the courthouse much easier for me. on me. I miss making you corn dogs us knew how to swing dance but rude barista or angry driver you Please take this as a compliment and I miss your grilled cheese. I you didn’t care and you took the encountered today. They are human miss how you stole my tee’s for you deserve it and thanks. time to teach us both some basic just like yourselves, and they too bed and how you took up the entire moves. That was so sweet of you, have bad days. Focus on those who bed despite being 5’2. I miss our in with us being single you made our make your day worth it, despite Happy Birthday! Biwwy, seeing you bed wrestling matches and how you Valentine’s Day! Then you suggested those bad encounters. Let’s get for even two minutes sets the tone purposely blocked the TV. I miss riding the bull, which was the most some positivity up in our favorite for my day in a fantastic way. A messing with your feet and tickling embarrassing, hilarious moment of section of the Inlander! bad day brightens, a good day just even though hated it. I truly miss it my life! I just wanted to say thank gets better. I don’t mind being silly all and miss you with all my heart. you for sharing your awesomeness to make you smile on a bad day I hope in time you come back KB, with us! If you want to grab coffee It Takes A Village To the waiter -but I can’t top your pen in the Love always your OLD MAN. sometime, Kyle I think it was, from at the diner-ish type restaurant in ear- thpbthpbth. Happy Birthday Moscow: thank you for your great Chicago contact me to a very talented, smart and oh so “I Saw You” is for adults 18 or older. The Inlander reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement at any time at its sole discretion and assumes no responsibility for the content.

SEE ME!

New from the studs out, this 3,000+ SF 4 bdrm/3 bth home on Spokane’s desirable South Hill boasts completely new floors, electrical, plumbing, windows with a basement theater room and more! www.227West27thAvenue.com Jeers Spineless Crime Victims Jeers to the gutless and spineless victims and witnesses to robberies, burglaries, and physical assaults in the Spokane area! People, have you been brainwashed by the Marxist local media outlets that shame you into giving criminals everything they want? You let criminals walk into stores and pharmacies and take anything they want with impugnity!

Do you people know what concealed carry means? Have you ever heard of pepper spray to defend yourself?

Do not be cowards for your whole lives. Stand up against evil. When the law cannot and will not protect you or property then you must make the right decision.

Over Serving Bar Staff Jeers to the bar staff and management at the a downtown restaurant, February 15th. After asking the staff multiple times to please deal with the nebriated couple, you refused to do anything until finally the drunk woman through her beer and shattered glass at our table.

Your only response was we did everything we could. My a$!

Management Material To all fast food industry managers, assistant managers, shift leaders, whatever type of manager you are... It’d be nice as a crew member to get treated with some respect considering you’re telling me to do something constantly when you just stand around boss in everyone around. Just because your name tag says manager doesn’t mean you’re any better than me or anyone who isn’t a manager. Take some time to consider the fact that I’m doing your damn job and maybe have some manners and thank me or even say please. Don’t give me an order like a dog or then step all over me.

Manners go along way.

RE: Just Looking Did a confused boy just discover he’s attracted to beards? Or is a jealous woman mad because she wishes she had self esteem? Maybe you could have asked her why she keeps her beard instead of staring. The natural reaction to being gawked at is to get offended, beard or no beard. Butts grow hair too, that’s where you can

Jeers put your opinions RE: Just Looking Regarding the person who wrote the facial hair jeer-Is your life so small that you would actually fixate on someone else’s facial hair? Go out. See the world. Find a better life.

Highway Snarls Jeers to all of the looky-loos on the highway that have to come to a full stop to see the three cop cars that pulled over a single vehicle going the OTHER DIRECTION. If you are driving in westbound there is no reason, I repeat: NO REASON, to slow down to look at what is happening in the Westbound side!

NO REASON. Shame on you for your incompetence, it has nothing to do with you DIAF. RE: Dog Poop I walk my small dog in a beautiful family friendly park in Airway Heights by the elementary school. The park is kind enough to provide free doggy bags and receptacle stations throughout the park to deposit the bag after you pick up after your pet. Today when walking, there was a large pile of dog poop on the sidewalk!! Come on pet owners, pick up after your animals and be considerate of the others enjoying the park!!

Filthy Pig Jeers to you, you filthy pig.

I didn’t know that a man could be so heartless. After taking you and your two kids on a date, with my money might I add, then going to your place and trying to lay some moves down then having your girlfriend show up.

The girlfriend you clearly lied about.

You’re unbelievable. I didn’t even know men could be so sickening.

You are not a man, but instead a child yourself. I don’t even like kids, hence why I don’t have any, but I put up with yours all night. Anyone reading this, be truthful, there is nothing more unsatisfying then a broke *$$ liar.

RE: Losers To the “entitled” person who refuses to keep up to date on current issues, such as the economic crisis happening within our country AND that of our relatively small city - maybe you should look at the world around you.

I’m 24 years old, a full time student, I have a full time job managing my OWN business, and work parttime in retail.

If it weren’t for

’S THIS WEEK! ANSWERS

SKIN

Jeers my father, I’d be homeless, because the apartment I once had was sold, and there was nothing affordable in town that I could rent on my own. Did you know that many of young adults like me don’t even have a home to go to after work?

That the homeless population of young adults has skyrocketed in the last few years? They’re the ones paying taxes for YOUR city, but can’t even afford to eat a decent meal. Everyone is effected by the circumstances they are forced to endure, and not everyone has the privilege of making it out of the bad situations life has thrown them into. That’s like telling someone with stage 4 cancer to just STOP having cancer. Also, what kind of culture do you live in- that you’d frown on someone who takes care of their family- especially when they can see that their children are trying to make something of themselves? As someone with a loving, supportive family, and as someone who has personally dealt with life-altering circumstances, I am greatly offended by your callus disregard for humility, understanding, and common decency.

BeauSoleil ruined To the middle aged blond in the front row of the balcony at BeauSoleil, thanks for ruining the concert for the 20 people near you.

Hey, I’m all about having a good time at a concert. That is your right but not at the expense of everyone else around you. First of all your constant whistling was incredibly annoying but even worse, you were the only one clapping during a song and you were constantly off the beat. Several folks around us either left or got up and changed seats to get away from you. Maybe after your 6th wine you should of sit down and shut the f*%! up.

Reckless Drivers I am so pissed with you drivers that are so self absorbed thinking the road belongs only to you. You asses are bulling other drivers to think fast because you are going to take the free right turn even though those with the green light are coming through. We then have to brake in the middle of our right of way so as not to cause an accident.

I can’t count the times that my quick thinking has saved me from a collision. Then there is the lazy people who don’t use their blinkers and cross three lanes causing others to have to change their lanes to avoid an accident. You stupid people are so into you with your cell phones, etc., that all you see is you you you. Anymore I see almost everyone doing everything at lightning speed running over others just to get your way. It’s time for we that respect others to give those that don’t a little taste of what it’s like to be bullied.

Ahh then theres the jay walkers?? I know I’m taking off the kid gloves and I’m going to walk all over your selfish ass. What goes around comes around. Now have a nice day!!

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FEBRUARY 27, 2013 INLANDER 61

Reviving an Icon The Big Dipper finds a new owner and renewed purpose as a local landmark and live music venue

BY CHEY SCOTT

F

or the first time in more than two years, the Big Dipper is alive again. The crowd edges together in a U shape toward the stage, heads bobbing in unison to the instrumental surf rock of local group BBBBandits. It’s a bring-your-own-beer event and a guy standing in the back of the throng cradles an open 12-pack carton of PBR cans under one arm, his gaze fixed on the band, awash in red and blue light.

Local music veterans, friends and supporters of the Big Dipper’s new owners, Dan and Dawson Hoerner, filled the 100-year-old brick building last Saturday night for a private event to celebrate the live music hub’s new start.

The Hoerners are kicking off an ambitious campaign to raise $50,000 over the next two months through the crowdfunding site Indiegogo. The couple and their business partners have already funneled more than $50,000 into the venue, and the next step is asking the community to help carry the cost of crucial fire sprinklers and other big improvements like larger restrooms, along with food and liquor serving permits. Contributor incentives include free passes to future shows and exclusive T-shirts and screen-printed posters designed by local artists.

A Spokane native, Hoerner is the former guitarist and lead vocalist of Sunny Day Real Estate — one of Seattle’s early emo bands — and fondly remembers playing the Dipper when he started out.

62 INLANDER FEBRUARY 27, 2014

For the past half-year, the Hoerners and a group of friends have tirelessly worked to repair the aging building, which has been vacant since the Empyrean Coffee House closed in January 2011. They’ve restored the iconic mural of the Greek goddess-esque woman on the southern exterior, renaming her Ursa Nightingale. The hope is to begin regularly booking events sometime in April. Right now, the venue is available for private event rentals.

While music would be the main focus under the Hoerners, the vision for the Dipper is to expand its offerings to literary readings, film screenings, game nights and art shows.

“Ultimately we feel like the Big Dipper is Spokane’s,” Hoerner says. “It’s not ours — we saved it from being a dump, but it’s going to be Spokane that has to turn it into a world-class music venue.”

B

rick by brick, the one-story building at the corner of Second and Washington rose from the ground in 1913. Originating as a grocery store owned by Albert J. Price, it remained in business until 1930. From then on, the space on the southernmost end existed as some form of bar or tavern. Early on, the building was split into multiple businesses, over the years occupied by a nursery, upholstery shop, printer and gunsmith, among others. Both Hoerner and building owner Steve Spickard

The iconic mural has been restored by the venue’s new owners.

MEGHAN KIRK PHOTO

tell of an anecdotal (and unverifiable) rumor that during Prohibition, the Big Dipper’s basement housed a speakeasy catering to gay patrons.

And while most Spokane residents under 50 probably don’t remember it as anything other than the Big Dipper, the corner spot went by many names over the past century, including the Gold and Blue Tavern (1934-49), the August Bros. Tavern (1950-55) and the Golden Slipper (1962-72). A couple of businesses after the Golden Slipper closed, the space took on the Big Dipper name in 1983 and has been known as that since, with the exception of the Empyrean’s short stay. Spickard ran the business as a regular live music venue starting in 1989, hosting performances on a nightly basis, including jazz, blues, reggae and open mic nights, with national and regional touring acts playing on weekends.

One of the most memorable concerts in the Dipper’s more recent history happened on a warm July night in 1991. A mass of alt-rock-loving kids packed into the venue to see Seattle’s up-and-coming grunge group Mudhoney. Before the band even took the stage, the Spokane fire marshal shut the venue down. Despite this hitch, the Big Dipper continued on booking big touring bands, including Everclear, and popular local acts (Black Happy, the Young Brians, the Makers) through May 1995, when Spickard decided to close the club “indefinitely.”

From then until the Empyrean took over the lease for a year in 2010 and ’11, Spickard rented the space out for events and concerts, including a stretch when it hosted shows and events organized by the local Christian-centric music nonprofit RAWK. Spickard still owns the Big Dipper’s building, but a lease-to-own agreement with the Hoerners is in the works.

“It’s about time, and I like his energy,” Spickard says of Hoerner. “I think he can keep it up. There are so many flakes in the bar business and Dan is so solid… with him, I think it could work out.” n cheys@inlander.com

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