Spokane CDA Living magazine #110

2014 Gift Wish List Fabulous Gift Ideas from Local Retailers ETERNAL HOPE One Local Family on a Global Mission 10 TIPS for a Stress-Free Wedding december-january 2015 #110 • $3.95 ( display until february 15, 2015 )

www.spokanecda.com

features

DECember 2014 / January 2015 V16: issue 10 (#110)

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Saving Lillian What started as a tragedy on the waters of Hayden Lake, has led one local family to find purpose, focus and healing, as well as embarking on a mission to help save young girls who are victims of sex trafficking around the world.

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Christmas Wish List 2014 We all have one: A family member or a friend for whom it seems impossible to to find the right gift. They either have everything, like nothing or are too unique for generic gifts. Nothing is impossible. We’re here to help with a list of the best local gifts that anyone would want to find under the tree.

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Labor of Love When John and Pam Asher purchased their Coeur d’Alene home, it was love at first sight for John, but not for Pam. Add in time, effort, lots of love, and the help of one talented interior designer, and the home is now beloved by both owners. Take a look, we think you’ll love it, too!

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Stress-Free Wedding Planning It’s not all roses when it comes to wedding planning. In fact, it can be one of the most stressful experiences; however, it doesn’t have to be that way. Applebrides.com editor, and former bridal magazine editor, Rachel Sandall offers her 10 best tried and true tips for stress-free wedding planning.

On the cover: Bubbly is the perfect choice, whether for Christmas, New Years, at a wedding, or simply celebrating life. Cheers, to the holidays and the New Year ahead!

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spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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contents what’s inside Editor’s Letter Encourage, Persist and Revise

Readers Respond What you had to say about

16 18

127

recent issues of the magazine

First Look and Buzz Spokane Winter Glow; Lilacs & Lemons; Spokane by the Numbers

What I Know Former mayor Dennis P. Hession

Music therapy in Spokane

Naturally

Celebrating local businesses with a story

21

129

Automotive Auto Repair: Where to take your vehicle?

36

133

The Scene

136

Artist Profile

tells us what he knows

Metro Talk

Business Closeups

38 42

138

Joh Latta shows us how to take

Christmas Tree Elegance and its 300 “elves” who volunteer for the event

Painter Melinda Melvin is getting out of the way

Book Reviews Books that are worth the read

a “Rest Step”

Retirement Living

53

140

Datebook

152

Restaurant Reviews

What to put on your calendar

Planning the big move

Real Estate

92

Millenials: working toward

Ruins; Maple Street Bistro

home ownership

Homestyles

95

Interior Design

Health Beat 12 Week Challenge; Healthy holiday eating Memory care and the holidays

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spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

117

160

Signature Dish

162

Dining Guide

Milford’s Grilled Chilean Sea Bass

Where to chow down in this town

167

Liquid Libations Bubbly

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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[ the best of the Inland NW Since 1999 ]

Editorial

Editor in Chief Blythe Thimsen blythe@spokanecda.com

Marketing Editor

Stephanie Regalado

stephanie@spokanecda.com

Copy Editor Rachel Sandall Datebook Editor Ann Foreyt ann@spokanecda.com

Food Editor

Katie Collings Nichol

katie@spokanecda.com

Art Creative Director/Lead Graphics Kristi Somday kristi@spokanecda.com

Graphic Designer/Traffic Manager Camille Martin camille@spokanecda.com

Photographers Alan Bisson Keith Currie Makenna Haeder Rick Singer Crystal Toreson-Kern James Mangis

Contributors Robin Bishop Kate Derrick Angie Diederoff Paul K. Haeder Sarah Hauge Dennis P. Hession Julie Humphreys Laurie L. Ross Justin Rundle David Vahala Julia Zurcher

Business Development Emily Guevarra Bozzi

emily@spokanecda.com

Sales Marketing Vice President - Sales Cindy Guthrie

cindy@spokanecda.com

Senior Account Manager Jeff Richardson jrichardson@bozzimedia.com

Account Managers Erin Meenach erin@bozzimedia.com Monte Tareski monte@bozzimedia.com David Vahala david@bozzimedia.com

Operations Director of Operations

Kim Morin

kim@spokanecda.com

Circulation Manager

Theresa Berglund

theresa@spokanecda.com

Director of Events and Promotions Susanna Baylon events@bozzimedia.com

Event Coordinator Victoria Day victoria@bozzimedia.com

Intern Wayne Guthrie

Publisher & CEO Vincent Bozzi vince@spokanecda.com

C0-Publisher

Emily Guevarra Bozzi

emily@spokanecda.com

Find us on

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SpokaneCDAMag

Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living is published ten times per year by Northwest Best Direct, Inc., dba Bozzi Media, 104 S. Freya St. Ste. 209, Spokane, WA 99202-4866, (509) 533-5350, fax (509) 535-3542. Contents Copyrighted© 2012-2014 Northwest Best Direct, Inc., all rights reserved. Subscription $20 for one year. For article reprints of 50 or more, call ahead to order. See our “Contact Us!” page for more details.

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spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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Contact us Spokane Coeur d’ Alene Living is published ten times a year. If you have any questions or comments regarding the magazine, please call us at (509) 533-5350; we want to hear from you. Visit our Web site for an expanded listing of services: www.spokanecda.com.

Best Cosmetic Dentistry 2005-2014

Congratulations, Dr. Weigand

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Dr. Weigand is the very best dentist I have ever had. He and his staff use the latest procedures to assure the best results. I have not experienced any pain during my visits for cleaning, crowns, filling etc. Everyone in the office is very friendly and professional.

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5 stars Sharon W - Featured review

Richard D. Weigand, DDS

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Suite 110 | Spokane, WA 99223

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spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

ing for comments about our recent articles.

Your opinions and ideas are important to us; however, we reserve the right to edit your comments for style and grammar. Please send your letters to the editor to the address at the bottom of the page or to blythe@spokanecda.com.

Why-We-Live-Here photos: On the last page of each issue, we publish a photo that depicts the Inland Northwest and why we live here. We invite photographers to submit a favorite slide or transparency. If you want your photo returned, please enclose an SASE with your submission.

Story submissions: We’re always looking

for new stories. If you have an idea for one, please let us know by submitting your idea to the editor.

Datebook: Please submit information to

ann@spokanecda.com at least three months prior to the event. Fundraisers, gallery shows, plays, concerts, where to go and what to do and see are welcome.

Dining Guide: This guide is an overview of fine and casual restaurants for residents and visitors to the region. For more information about the Dining Guide, email blythe@spokanecda.com.

- From Demand Force Review

747.5812

Letters to the Editor: We are always look-

BUZZ: If you have tips on what’s abuzz in the region, contact the editor at blythe@spokanecda.com.

Advertising: Reach out to the consumer in

the Inland Northwest and get the word out about your business or products. Take advantage of our vast readership of educated, upper income homeowners and advertise with Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living. For more information, call the sales manager at (509) 533-5350.

Fundraisers: Your group can receive $8 for each $19 subscription sold. Contact the circulation director at (509) 533-5350.

Custom Reprints: We can adapt your article or ads and print them separately, without other advertising, and add new information. With our logo on your piece, your professionallydesigned handout on heavy gloss paper will be a handsome edition to your sales literature.

Contact us at (509) 533-5350.

Custom Publishing: Create a magazine tailored to fit the needs and character of your business or organization. Ideal for promotions, special events, introduction of new services and/or locations, etc. Our editorial staff and designers will work closely with you to produce a quality publication.

Copy, purchasing and distribution: To purchase back issues, reprints or to inquire about distribution areas, please contact the magazine at: Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living, Tapio Yellow Flag Bldg., 104 S. Freya St., Ste. 209, Spokane, WA 99202-4866, (509) 533-5350.

Editor’s Letter

Encourage, Persist and Revise

T

he saying, “Nothing is certain but death and taxes” is only two-thirds of the truth. There is one more item that must be added to complete the trifecta of certainty: visits to see Santa.

Tucked away into the Christmas bins is the photographic evidence of the consistency with which trips to visit Santa were made each year in my family, from when my sisters and I were small children until we were out of college. The earliest edition photos are faded, a testimony to how photography, ink and paper have improved over the years. Also improving over the years was the Santa we’d visit. In one picture, taken at The Crescent, it looks like pleasantly plump older gentlemen with white beards were in low supply that season, as the Santa upon whose lap I perched appears be in his late teens, with acne and a face so young, unfilled out and narrow, that the beard dipped below his mouth.

It wasn’t until we made the switch to One Hour Photo, located in the old River Park Square, near the old Sandwich Garden, that we struck Santa Gold. This guy was the real deal. Perfectly sized, old enough to radiate confidence and wisdom, yet maintaining a youthful zest for life. He sported a beard that was white as snow, rosy cheeks and eyes that truly twinkled. All of this was packed into a pristine red velvet suit.

The real magic came when he spoke. He would look me in the eye, ask me questions and wait for an answer. The line that always stretched out the store and wrapped down the hallway didn’t cause him to rush. He focused on what I had to say. He asked real questions – not what I wanted for Christmas, but how things were going, what I was doing in life, and what my goals

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spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

were. He remembered details and checked in each year.

I don’t know if he ever asked what I wanted for Christmas, but I know he was the real Santa, because he gave the best gift every year: he made me, and everyone else who visited him, feel important, valued, encouraged and loved.

As we made our annual migration to visit Santa, I felt accountable to him every year to have done something to move myself forward and achieve my goals, knowing he would check in, and I better have an answer.

Being accountable to someone or something is a powerful tool. I like to think that I am self motivated enough to always get things done of my own volition and strength, but it is not always true. I can do a lot, but sometimes the things that are more challenging require additional help from those around us.

As we enter into this holiday season, this is a double issue. So we won’t be gathering together again until February, well after most of our New Year’s resolutions have been broken or cast to the side. If you are in the roughly 77 percent of the population that resolves to get healthier each year, but struggles to do it, there may be help on the horizon.

Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living’s 12 Week Fitness Challenge is launching beginning January 5th. We are challenging our readers to get healthy together; however, even we need motivation.

Which is where Justin Rundle, our health and fitness writer, comes in. He has helped us put together a fitness challenge for our readers (p.117), and is encouraging us to get healthy.

When someone is in your corner, believes in you and is holding you accountable to do what you said you would do, to strive for your goals and to not give up, it is a recipe for success.

Sometimes we just need someone to say, “I believe in you and I’m not going to let you fail!”

We want our readers to be healthy and fit, so we hope you will join us in this challenge, and together we can support each other and hold each other accountable over the next 12 weeks as we work to become fit and healthy.

It is so gratifying when you persevere, struggle through the hard work and reach your goal. I recently did this with the completion and publication of my first book, Spokane’s Stories: 28 Stories of the People, Places and Events That Have Shaped Spokane. For as long as I can remember, it has been a dream of mine to write a book. What I didn’t realized until I was so far into it there was no going back, was the amount of time, effort and energy the process would take. Many nights and weekends were sacrificed to the computer, long days and late nights were required, and at times it seemed like it would never happen. And then one day, it did. The books arrived, and I held in my hand the tangible evidence of a dream come true.

Revisions were part of the process, and they are also part of the process in life, which we know so well here at the magazine.

As we begin the new year, we are excited about some revisions, refreshes and renewed approaches to the magazine. You can look forward to some exciting changes in the February 2015 issue.

We hope that you will encourage us and hold us accountable to continue producing the best local publication possible. That is our goal – for certain!

Merry Christmas – and Happy New Year – to all, and to all a good night!

readers respond what you had to say homes that you feature in the magazine?

How do you pick the homes that you feature? Do they have to be a certain size or value for you to consider featuring it?

Name Withheld Via Email

FEED US MORE I can miss a meal and sometimes feel like I’m starving, but I’m really not. I know where my next meal is coming from and even more comforting that I’ll eat again tomorrow. After reading the article about hunger [For I Was Hungry, November 2014], I feel like this is one of the most important issues in our city. There’s no excuse as, even when on a budget, we can all give and together we can make a difference. It breaks my heart when I think about people being really hungry and children with aching tummies right here in Spokane, Washington. Thank you for the enlightenment and the information on how to make a significant difference in the lives of others. The wonderful organizations and programs that were featured in the article need our attention in time and money so that no one goes to sleep hungry. More articles like this one, please.

Gina Havleand Via email COVER LOVER The cover of the most recent issue [November 2014] looked so good!! The colors were vibrant and so perfect for fall, and I love the wooden, rustic background.

Your magazine looks and reads more and more like a big city publication. I’m proud of our city magazine!

Anita Cooper Spokane, WA BUYING A HOME Do you pay the homeowners of the 18

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

Editor’s response: We do not pay any of the homeowners for the right to feature their home in the magazine. We pick houses based on several considerations: Is there a wow-factor to the home, or something about it that catches the eye of either us, or someone who writes in suggesting it for a feature? Is it different from a home we’ve featured recently? We like to shake up the styles of the homes we feature. Sometimes we get readers suggestions for homes to feature, other times builders, architects or designers pitch the home to us. We’re also not shy from driving around town, combing through neighborhoods, and walking right up to someone’s front door to see if they will open their home to us! If you ever have a house you’d like to pitch for consideration, please feel free to email the name, address and contact information to me at blythe@ spokanecda.com, and we’ll take a look at it.

SEIZE THE DAY The story about the Trull family, and Jeff ’s struggle with ALS [Waiting on a Cure, 75 Years Later, November 2014]was so touching. It is difficult to realize that only a year ago, he didn’t even know he had this disease, and then to be diagnosed in January and see life change so much within less than a year is unimaginable. I read it in magazines, see it on television shows, and hear people say it time and time again, but we have to cherish each precious day we are given. The four hours you spent this morning fuming mad because the carpet you ordered didn’t come in on time, or the day you wasted surfing the Internet? You really, truly aren’t going to get those back. So if you are healthy, you need to cherish the gift that that is, because it is not one that is given to everyone, or lasts forever. Quit complaining, start rejoicing, and see the gift that is each day. Do it for yourself, do it for Jeff.

John Sannough Spokane, WA

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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FIRST LOOK 2 1 b uz z 2 8 City Tr e k 30 peop le pages 36 w hat i know

Riverfront Park to Come Alive with Lights at

S

Spokane Winter Glow Spectacular Ceremony

pokane Winter Glow Spectacular – Spokane’s newest family holiday tradition – kicked off with an official lighting ceremony, dressing Riverfront Park in holiday lights, on Friday, November 28th, on Spokane Falls Boulevard.

The fun doesn’t end there, though; you can enjoy the lights all throughout the holiday season as they will glow nightly from 5-9 p.m., through December 31, 2014.

Not since the 1960s has Spokane been dressed up in such fine form for the entire holiday season. Spokane Winter Glow Spectacular features over 30 displays that

celebrate the Spokane community. Lighted trees along park walkways with lighted displays throughout the south side of Riverfront Park will help set the tone for this year’s special season.

An attraction not to miss is an animal light zoo located near the IMAX theatre. The nightly event is free and open to the public. Carriage and wagon rides will be available for a nominal fee.

Winter Glow is made possible by generous sponsors including: presenting sponsor Washington Trust Bank, lighting ceremony sponsor Avista, animal zoo sponsor Coordinated Care and many more.

Spokane Winter Glow Spectacular Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in 2014 to enhance Spokane’s downtown holiday experience. The Foundation invites you to join the community in celebrating the holidays in a fun, festive and family friendly atmosphere.

For additional information please visit www.SpokaneWinterGlow.com. spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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First Look Buzz

[not so good]

What’s

HOT

lilacsandlemons

by Vincent Bozzi

[good] • Batch Bakery’s restored historic building, which had boarded up windows for years, and is now a hip place to be!

• Spokane Fantasy Flight elves helping celebrate Santa’s arrival at River Park Square. We continue to loathe that he arrives before Thanksgiving (see below); however, if he’s going to do it, it might as well be with a troop of incredible elves, and benefitting Spokane Fantasy Flight, for underprivileged children.

• Bakery buddies – the groups of friends who meet on a regular basis at local restaurants and bakeries, to enjoy one another’s companionship. We know of three groups that meet faithfully every week at Rockwood Bakery.

What’s

NOT • We say it every year, and we’ll say it again. Quit skipping over Thanksgiving to rush in Christmas!!! Santa arrived at River Park Square on November 21st – almost a week before Thanksgiving. Don’t you think the turkeys feel a little insulted?

Why do we jump into the greedy commercial machine of Christmas, without first taking time to be thankful, and to celebrate Thanksgiving?

• Dry and cracking hands and lips, and static hair from the icy cold temperatures and dry air. Is there a dermatologist in the house?!

• Local schools that put up “Winter Break”, “Winter Celebration” and “Winter Holiday” on their reader boards.

Nobody is celebrating the frigid temps and the icy roads that are “winter.” We all know it is to celebrate Christmas, so can we just call it Christmas Break?!

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spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

LILACS to those who revel in the beauty of our snowfall, without complaining or

whining. Yes, it snows here. Accept it or suffer through it. It’s your choice, but we’d rather enjoy it!

LILACS to the department stores that chose to be closed

on Thanksgiving so that most of us could be home with our families. There are still plenty of shopping days before Christmas.

LEMONS to those who constantly harp on about putting the Christ back in Christmas. No one actually goes around saying “X-mas”, they say “CHRISTmas” and the “X” is a time-honored symbol and abbreviation for Christ, representing the cross. That said, we do believe that taking a few days to reflect on the meaning of the season is always a worthwhile goal.

LILACS to stores offering gift wrapping service, if there actually are

any left. (Let me know and I’ll post on Facebook!) When you need to grab a gift in a hurry, it’s helpful to get it all taken care of in the store.

Anymore, gift bags festooned with a bow and some tissue paper is the present day version of gift wrap, but who doesn’t think it’s just more fun to unwrap a present?

LEMONS to those who follow too close to other cars in the snow, and don’t give themselves enough time to brake. Body shops must just love the snow! At the time of this writing, the first snow had just fallen and the first fatality had just occurred. Let’s take it easy, folks!

LILACS to the good-hearted people of Spokane who buy gifts for foster children

and the economically disadvantaged. We salute United Gospel Mission for their effort to feed people during the holidays, and after watching a heart-tugging film that Olive Crest created depicting foster children who’d gone through abuse, neglect and multiple sets of parents, we feel it would truly put the meaning into Christmas if we remember those who get so little love or attention this time of year.

LEMONS , as always, to the song Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, the appeal of which has eluded us from day one.

As long as it’s followed by White Christmas or Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, however, all is forgiven.

LEMONS to the several pounds we’ll probably all gain during the holiday season. LILACS to fitness clubs for helping us take them back off!

LILACS to those who graciously accept a “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Holidays”,

“Happy Hanukkah” or a “Seasons Greetings” without judgment or disdain. We’d like to heartily and cheerfully wish you, our readers, all four greetings and many more! Blessings to all!

Edition

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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First Look Buzz

NEW YORK CITY

Big Apple versus Lilac City? No competition! Melissa Murphy may have been in the big city, but she took some time out of her travels to read about the best of our city in her annual Best Of issue of Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living. Isn’t she just the best?!

NEW ORLEANS

Spoko-Gnome,

“Couldn’t resist to take a picture with your fabulous magazine on our trip,” wrote Drew Murphy of this picture of him and his wife, Stacia, on a recent trip to New Orleans. Well we can’t resist feeling warm and fuzzy that Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living was on your must-pack list!

AUSTIN, TEXAS

holiday libations Edition

>> Continued on page 26

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spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

spokanebyThenumbers

Russell MacKenzie went to the United States Grand Prix, and took Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living along for the ride! “F1 is my hobby,” he wrote. “This was my first Grand Prix in person. I’ve been a fan since I watched the Monaco Grand Prix on Wide World of Sports in 1962 when I was eight years old. The race was at the Circuit of the Americas, the only purpose built Formula One Grand Prix racetrack in the U.S.

What are your New Year’s Resolutions? I don’t make them, but I like to laugh at people who do. ~ Kody Rause

Dear Kody,

I’m a gnome, not a person, so the joke’s on you! I have a few I am mulling over. At this point, these are potential winners: To drink more. Red wine is ideal, but I think I’ll start with more water.

To smoke more. Not cigarettes…or anything else… but to start being smoking hot.

I need to get in shape and make my health a priority! I’m taking the Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living 12-Week Challenge, won’t you join me? (See page 117.)

To lie more. As in lie on my mattress, gnome toes in the air, sawing logs for 8 hours a night. I need to get more sleep to be healthy.

Here’s to my healthy New Year! Who’s laughing now?!

Spoko-Gnome

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First Look Buzz

holiday libations Edition

The holidays are here, and it is time to raise your glass with a cheer! We love our libations all the time, but especially this time of year.

Before raising that glass to your lips, though, take a look at these numbers. No, we don’t want to be a buzzkill, we just want to remind you to drink with caution and be responsible as you hit the celebrations this season. Always have a designated driver, readers, ALWAYS!!!!

11

Drunken driving arrests made in Spokane County on New Years Eve, December 31, 2013

.08

The breath-alcohol concentration (BAC) limit in Washington

.08

The breath-alcohol concentration (BAC) limit in Idaho

4-5

Glasses of wine in each bottle of wine

10.0 Rating

30 min

How long it takes for one serving of alcohol to be fully absorbed into your bloodstream*

.016 BAC

The precise rate at which alcohol burns per hour in your system. It is about equal to one standard drink each hour (depending on your weight). *

bsslslawfirm.com 312 W. Sprague | Spokane, WA 99201

$8,222 to $10,622

Average financial cost of getting a DUI in Washington State**

30

Number of local taxicab companies in the online Yellow Pages. Call one.

125

Calories in a typical glass of red wine Open 7 days a week

90

Calories in a typical glass of sparkling wine

316

Calories in a typical Hot Buttered Rum * http://prevention.gwu.edu/alcohol-absorption ** http://www.onedui.com/costs.asp

spokanebyThenumbers 26

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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27

First Look city trek

CITY T

by Julia Zurcher

he Five Mile Prairie neighborhood on Spokane’s north side offers all that you could want from a family friendly community 10 minutes from downtown. This area has been growing quickly as homebuyers rush to take advantage of good schools and a panoramic view that stretches from Spokane Valley to Airway Heights. And while just five short years ago the dining and entertainment options were limited, this area’s rapid growth is making one of Spokane’s new destinations for a night out.

TREK Five Mile Prairie

Eat. Anyone who has taken a disappointing bite of bland, soggy pizza knows not all pies are created equally. The people at the Boiler Room have taken this truth to heart, producing woodfired pizza that makes a fair claim at being, “The Best in Spokane.”

Come hungry with your friends and order a selection of flavors (choosing just one would be too difficult). For mushroom lovers, the Criminilicious, with herb oil, crimini mushrooms, mozzarella, rosemary and white truffle oil, will be a hit. For those who like something more traditional, The Works will deliver with cheese, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushroom, olives and red onions.

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Indulge. The staff at Sprout Salon and Spa are dedicated to making you feel like your best self from head to toe. Conveniently located just off of Francis, this spa is a tranquil haven from the harried world outside. Besides offering haircuts and styling, Sprout also offers a variety of options so you can ease your tension and feel renewed. The Rosemary Mint Body Treatment revitalizes sore muscles and a fatigued mind with bracing aromatherapy and fullbody exfoliation and massage. If a massage is too much of a time commitment, you can stop in for a quick man-pedi. No matter why you visit, you’re sure to leave feeling refreshed and renewed.

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

Drink:

Tonicx Bar and Patio and Ash St. Tacos are welcome additions to an area that was previously better known for its selection of fast food restaurants than street-style tacos and cocktails. The owners of Ash St. Tacos and Tonicx Bar and Patio treat the two establishments as one restaurant. In one half, at Ash St. Tacos, you can choose from a line-up of traditional tacos or more eclectic options like the Hawaiian, a sweet and savory combination of pulled pork and grilled pineapple or the Greek, a vegetarian option with corns, garbanzo beans, tzatziki and cucumbers. Tacos aren’t your only option of course, and the nachos

and tamales can’t be beat. On the other side of the establishment, in Tonicx, you can enjoy a wide selections of wine, beer and cocktails. With tasty drinks and eats, this is the perfect place to go to have a relaxed date or watch the game.

Explore. Skyview Park offers a playground, picnic area and a paved path that weaves through pastoral natural landscaping.

Tucked away in a quiet corner in Five Mile, this hidden gem is worth a side trip for a weekend spent outdoors.

Addicus Publishing is pleased to announce the June 2014 release of Divorce in Washington, a comprehensive guide to the divorce legal process. Available at the Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple store websites. Also available on Kindle, Nook, I-Books and at the Addicus Publishing website addicusbooks.com. This 249 page guide is written in a user-friendly question and answer format by noted Spokane divorce attorney David J. Crouse.

For further information on author David J. Crouse, see crouselawgroup.com

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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Spokane CDA Living Release Party {November 6th, 2014} Photos by: James & Kathy Mangis

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Epicurean Delight: Fundraiser to support INBC {November 14th, 2014}

Photos by: James & Kathy Mangis

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Two time Epicurean Delight Award winner

Best of spokane award 2008 through 2014

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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35

what i know

by

Dennis P. Hession

Dennis P. Hession

Service. “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth,” said Muhammad Ali. I used to think that I was strongly committed to the service of others in my private life until I attended the Opus Prize Foundation Award Ceremony last month in Spokane. The three finalists were the most selfless people I have ever encountered. Each exhibited a lifelong commitment to the gracious service of others.

It is not just these unselfish few, but all of us who must step up and insure that all people are cared for.

The Corporation for National Community Service says, “Volunteering Remains Strong.” One in four Americans volunteer, which is 26.5 percent of our country. That may be a meaningful statistic for the rest of the country, but this is Spokane and we should do it better.

Lessons Learned from Politics. Win or lose, running for office is a humbling experience. My very first election, I won by 49 votes! Other elections were better, but even when you win respectably, many of the people you are soon to represent did not vote for you, but you have to think of them in the same way you do your most ardent supporters. Public office is very rewarding, but it’s not for sissies. I always tried to do the right thing, often when others, and sometimes many others, disagreed. I appreciate those who still stop and thank me for my service, and who compliment me for the things I accomplished and encourage me to run again.

Devotion is Spelled CANINE. An unknown author once said, “My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am.” It seems we can’t help but measure our worth by what others think of us. Our critics probably overly criticize us; our fans give us the benefit of the doubt. But when it comes to us, our dogs have no objectivity. They are loyal and devoted.

They don’t see our faults or weaknesses. They are only there to seek our affection and give it, to perpetually wag their tales and lick our faces. A close friend and

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Attorney and former Spokane mayor Jesuit Priest at Gonzaga University, who is not really a dog lover, recently told me that he believes dogs go to Heaven. It is their special spirit and their ability to sense human feelings and to relate to us on a unique level that leads him to this conclusion. I hope he’s right.

Marriage. The older I get the more I think I know.

After all I am writing this column! Volumes have been written on the subject of marriage success. I have been married to Jane (“Janie”) for more than a while and am often asked “What is the secret to a long and happy marriage?” I tell them it just isn’t that complicated. It is a two-step process. Step 1: Find the most wonderful woman in the world and marry her. Step 2: Try not to screw it up! She is the sweetest person I have ever known. She is a great mom to our four kids and their spouses and significant others. She is smart, hardworking and athletic. She runs with our dogs, Lily Jane and Cecelia Jane, every morning. The other night while watching the World Series she exclaimed, “I would love to hit a fastball.” She is generous and kind to others and loving and caring of her students. She is a best friend! As for me, I just keep working on Step 2.

Inspiration. Making your way in the world isn’t easy.

We need to find inspiration from our friends and family and the leaders we choose. I had a storybook childhood. I grew up Catholic in Salt Lake City. (No, really!) I had loving and supportive parents, and grandparents I saw every week. I was privileged to have the great benefit of a private education including undergraduate and graduate years at Gonzaga University where I learned from the Jesuits the importance of social justice and how we should act in the world. As a person, I found inspiration from my father who had the strongest of convictions and an uncompromised sense of fairness. As a lawyer, I find inspiration from Abraham Lincoln who reminds us of the importance of the balance between confidence and humility and who exemplifies the highest order of personal and professional ethics.

photo by Keith Currie Photography

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metro talk

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music therapy

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

Music T to the Ears

by Paul K. Haeder photos by Makenna Haeder

Music therapists minister to the sick, hurting and elderly

he art of music is honed into the science of psychology, meeting up with the power of the curative arts and the art of care giving in the relatively new profession called music therapy, which began just 60 years ago. For Spokane, the power of therapy to bridge people’s mental and physical disabilities, and their pain and challenges is counted on one hand – there are only three board certified music therapists in the area.

“Spokane residents deserve to know about music therapy, and know there are board-certified music therapists who serve individuals and groups with autism, Alzheimer’s, dementia, developmental disabilities, cancer treatment, mental health, depression, PTSD, well-elders, typically developing children and more,” says Carla Carnegie, music therapist and owner of Willow Song Music Therapy Services. “I spend time educating, presenting, as well as providing music therapy for individuals and groups.”

For right-brain creative types with grounding in the sciences and systems thinking, the ecologies of humanity and culture are easy to grasp, so the idea of using music to work with folks with Parkinson’s or in the early-late stages of Alzheimer’s makes perfect sense.

It’s easy to wrap our heads around the recent state initiative – albeit, unfunded – that narrowly passed, calling for smaller classroom sizes for K-12, providing attention and more one-onone opportunities. For music therapists in this state and Oregon, music is a fundamental source of life in our schools, giving many youth lessons in leadership and collaboration skills. To listen, then to integrate those musical lessons, followed by performing those songs, well, that pushes cognition to a higher level than a school with no music.

“Studies have shown that music learning and practice also benefit many mental and behavioral processes, including cognitive development, language learning, reading ability, creativity, motor skills, and personal and social adjustment,” says Norman M. Weinberger, Fellow at the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the Neurobiology and Behavior School of Biologic sciences at UC Irvine.

At the legislative level, music therapists have to be a necessary service in school systems, according to music therapist Jodi Winnwalker who graduated from Marylhurst University in the early 1990s and runs a music therapy practice in Portland. Children with developmental disabilities such as Asperger’s, autism spectrum, intellectual delays, attention disorders and a whole host of other disabilities are helped when music therapy enters their lives.

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metro talk

music therapy

We can utilize a plethora of neuropsychiatric terms like autonomic nervous system, rhythmic auditory stimulation, neural plasticity, visual cortex, limbic system (or paleomammalian brain) and hundreds of others to go deep into the effects of music therapy on people. At the Russian institute where Pavlov studied, neurophysiologists and others developed a special technology that turns a person’s unique brain waves into piano music.

That’s called BMT, or brain music therapy.

Talking with Carnegie and Winnwalker, anyone will see they know their psychology and music, and their ability to understand the functional neuroanatomy of humans.

“So much of the research shows that music is represented in mechanisms widely distributed throughout the brain, rather than localized in a single region as are other kinds of information, such as visual or movement information,” says Winnwalker.

Music therapy is a paradigm-shifting field.

New work shows that there is a right-brain region for notes and musical passages corresponding in location to a left-brain region for letters and words. This bodes well for memory care and working with those who suffer from varying levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

For Washougal, Washington, music therapist Karla O’Hagen-Hawley, who is currently in Oso, Washington, as part of a grant and impetus to help the community heal from the tragic mudslide disaster that took the lives of 43 people in the spring of 2014, she knows what works to heal those young and old in various degrees of PTSD and to bring a community into the healing process.

Getting people to recognize the validity of her profession is a challenge, especially when it comes to the powers that be, which unfortunately shape the world in their profitsabove-all-else minds. “It is mostly unheard of – perhaps because insurance companies and the medical profession have not entirely 40

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embraced the efficacy and evidence-based practice of music therapy, but instead due to ignorance see it as a Woo Woo therapy based in ‘hippy hippy’ philosophies,” says O’Hagen-Hawley.

“Perceptions are not based in fact but in fear.”

I know first-hand the power of the guitar, accordion, piano and drum on adults with developmental, psychological and intellectual disabilities, through my most recent reincarnation as a skills instructor for folks in a private program set up initially as a memory care facility. My own bumbling piano playing has unlocked great creative and cognitive bursts and spurts in the clients with whom I work.

There is a syncopation coming from the students who get to have hands-on work with instruments. In addition to music therapy, Winnwalker also works with experts in horticulture therapy.

There is a magic genie out of the bottle kind of relationship with music, tone, rhythm, classic songs and the folks with Down syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and various other cognitive disabilities.

Carnegie, Winnwalker and O’Hagen-Hawley are only three of the 6,000 music therapists in the U.S., which is not enough by a long shot.

While talking to these three therapists, I gained deep insight into their holistic abiding affection for the human condition, and for helping people reach a sense of some peace, calm, healing and success in their lives. Years ago, I understood the power of the arts from first-hand experience.

I worked with Central American refugees in the 1980s – fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, siblings and children who were victimized in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and made the trek to the U.S. and Mexico border.

In El Paso, while a college instructor and journalist, I also helped these incredible survivors gain the skills and language and legal documents to gain legal sanctuary in the U.S. or Canada.

Many of the stories of village atrocities of the most unimaginable kind for children to witness came in the form of drawings. The adults wrote, sometimes poetry, sometimes memoirs.

Those forms of art helped bridge the PTSD and emotional and psyche wounds into a forward moving liberation. A beginning.

Music was always at the core of those two refugee houses in El Paso and Juarez: music from their own regions and villages to the music of pop icons like Michael Jackson. We didn’t need three PhDs and one MD in the neurosciences and psychology to see that healing power. Music was the language of the oppressed. It was a welcoming bridge from disharmony, hell, really, to some brighter horizon.

Carnegie, the Spokane-based music therapist, went back to school in her 40s, after her eldest daughter graduated from high school. She was born and raised in Spokane, into a musical family, and she studied piano and played and sang, as no TV was allowed in the house, so music filled the time. When she was 15, she was in a car accident caused by a drunk driver who critically injured her and killed her older sister.

She missed four months of school. “When I went back, I couldn’t keep a thing in my head,” she says. She went through years of mental and physical healing. At first the doctors were sure she wouldn’t live, then when she did, they were sure she wasn’t going to be there mentally, and then they were sure she wouldn’t ever walk again, and, finally, she would never have babies, the doctors declared.

Carnegie had four children, plays in a Celtic band and decided to get a bachelor’s degree from Whitworth in her middle years. She works all over town, including at Sacred Heart hospital, where she practices her craft through a Cancer Foundation grant to use music therapy with patients.

She can go back 40-plus years and recall the power of music in her own healing. “I distinctly remember, though, when I was down to one crutch, trying to walk somewhat fluidly, and

rhythmically, I used my familiar reels, which have a 4/4 time, or jigs, which have a feel of 2 to with self-expression, using music as a diverthem, which I would hum or sing out loud while walking to teach myself to walk,” she says. sion through procedures, pain management, “The melody and rhythm of the songs were simple, easy to sing, and would neurologically be uplifting the mood, and working on breaththe activator to my motor cortex to fire the neurons to move in a fluid manner. These tunes ing deeply through relaxation techniques, were instrumental only. Words were not necessary, nor desirable in getting me to walk. Music singing, etc., however, there was no music was the stimulant, the healer, the motivator, the calming agent, the balm I needed, and it therapist in Spokane at that time.” became more important to me than ever!”

Entering a memory care facility, it’s like Lest you think music therapy is simply playing music for a patient to help them feel better, traveling into other people’s worlds. Music guess again. Music therapists study core classes in a music major, as well as core classes in engages folk, they are more animated, and a psychology major, plus work 1,200 clinical hours in an internship, and they must sit for a anxiety is lowered. Medications are reduced. national board certification test. Carla sees her work with Parkinson’s sufferers and Alzheimer’s People who have stayed silent for years patients as vital to the very fabric of our culture. She keeps keenly abreast of the research in locked in their Alzheimer’s have in many her field, but results on the ground are what make her feel self-fulfilled at age 57, almost three instances started singing Ella Fitzgerald and years into her career.

Louis Armstrong songs after a music theraCarnegie points out some key challenges for Parkinson’s sufferers: the disease affects the pist intervenes in that locked-in world. person’s gait, his or her respiration system, cognitive function, emotional function and the The profession may or may not grow, communication system, as volume decreasing and articulation becomes very mushy due to the depending on how this culture positions this disease process affecting facial muscles. deeper, kinder, beneficial – and yes, more “I am aware of the right tempo to use, strong rhythm in a particular melody, and the client’s expensive and time intensive – treatment. music of preference,” she says. “Clients tell me how much the music therapy interventions help Most states do not cover music therapy in their depression, increase their psycho-social function, as the group is doing this together, and medical plans, nor do many school districts they all are living with the same disease, so the elephant in the room is acknowledged. Their cover music therapists working with fragile volume is increasing, and their spouse doesn’t have to say, ‘speak up!’ as they are rememberyouth in special education programs. ing to use their deep breathing to produce more air over the vocal chords to be heard. They Even end of life decisions can be made also remember to practice during the week some of the fun vocal exercises I have them do easier with music therapy. Carnegies recalls repetitively, which works those facial and tongue muscles helping to speak more articulately.” a testy hard-nosed retired Army officer with Using music to inspire citizens to do good things is one recent calling O’Hagen-Hawley just weeks to live. Two music therapists were answered, which precipitated her quitting a high paying job for an Austrian refiner as their working with him, and asked what his last Tualatin-based plate and pulp mill equipment sales force. She’s been all over Southeast Asia, wish was before dying. He said that he had South America and beyond, but found working with adjudicated youth, been estranged for years trauma victims, veterans and all those “Oliver Twist” sorts of youth inspires from his adult children.

“Words were not her.

He wanted to write and She lives in a part of our state that just experienced a school shooting and record a song to them, necessary, nor is still recovering from the mudslides of last spring. She sees her profession as a way to apologize for desirable to get me to as the “second responders” for trauma. By offering free piano lessons for the years of no contact. high-risk students, O’Hagen-Hawley believes it is a way of having the Oso The music therapists perwalk. Music was the residents move forward, away from the initial shock. “It’s also an opportuformed the music, sang stimulant, the healer...” nity to play together,” she says. the lyrics and sent the CD The simple but facilitated act of drum circles is where the power of vibrato the children. “He could tions, tone, timbre and rhythm moves people to heal, as well as tapping into only do this in song. It their amygdala. O’Hagen-Hawley harkens back to primitive tribal cultures and how they dealt broke down barriers and they were able to with traumatic events. “Songs about the trauma release emotional energy and help begin the spend time with him in his last few weeks,” exploration of verbal processing in a gentle, non-threatening way,” she says, adding that there is says Carnegie. a “social sensory power of music as a symbol that says we are moving forward.”

So the song plays on and on, as does the For 60-year-old O’Hagen-Hawley, a sixth generation Oregonian, she sees traditional healing. Even after death.

American songs helpful for most of her memory-challenged clients who have dementia and Alzheimer’s. “Every music therapist has a Pete Seeger song in her playbook,” she says.

Working with the young and the old, whether they are healthy elders in retirement commuPaul K. Haeder is a freelance writer who nities or terminal patients on an oncology ward, Carnegie, Winnwalker and O’Hagen-Hawley worked in Spokane as a community college see the power of music, song and reclaiming memories as all part of well being and healing. instructor and journalist for over 11 years.

Carnegie clearly recalls, 42 years ago, when she was recovering from the tragic accident. “I The positions taken in Metro Talk columns had songs within my memory which I would hum, or just think about,” she says. “That humdo not necessarily reflect the views of Spokane ming was good for my respiration and was a tension releaser, but it would have been good Coeur d’Alene Living magazine’s publisher or for me to have someone there, facilitating and encouraging me as we “musicked” together. staff.

Music therapists often work in the hospital setting doing just that with clients to help them spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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naturally the rest step

The Rest Step

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spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

Story and photos by John Latta

W

inter is a time for us to reflect upon our accomplishments and disappointments during the past year. Each year I set photographic goals. It’s not until late fall when the snow begins to fly when I can let go of the feeling of having to get out to photograph. For a couple of months until ski season, I am happy to stay home, rest and catch up on jobs that I’ve neglected. It’s a time when I give thanks for the photographic opportunities that the good Lord has granted me during the past 12 months.

Each year begins with high aspirations for my photographic goals, such as how many days I would like to be out shooting and locations that I would like to photograph. Photography requires time, effort, health and financial resources to accomplish. It’s all about pacing, just like many things in life. This applies to the backpacking that I do in order to photograph in Wilderness Areas, National Parks and other public lands in the Northwest. Hiking and backpacking requires the efficient use of one’s physical energy. Racing to get to a destination causes overexertion. It’s better to conserve energy to last all day instead of flaming out in an hour or two. The “rest step” is a technique that allows hikers and climbers to travel efficiently by foot.

I learned about the rest step as a mountain climber. Remember the fable The Tortoise and the Hare, the story about the race between a turtle that challenged a rabbit to a race? The hare raced ahead and napped, thinking it would have plenty of time to finish the race ahead of the turtle. The turtle won the race by plodding along at a slow steady pace. Using the rest step is akin to being the turtle. Instead of hurrying to get to the top of the mountain, go slowly. If one hikes at a pace that is too fast, one is soon fatigued, resulting in frequent stops to catch one’s breath, and if continued, exhaustion sets in. It’s better to go at a slow steady pace that can be maintained all day with fewer rest stops. Each step upward is followed by a brief pause that is synchronized with breathing. Often a single breath cycle with each pair of steps works. For example: pause and breathe in, then step with the left foot – pause and breathe out, then step with the right foot. If it gets steep, the load is heavy or at high altitudes, a complete inhalation and exhalation cycle or possibly more than one breath cycle may be needed with each step. The object is to keep the heart rate down as well as trying to control one’s body temperature. Each person has his or her own pace and once it is learned it can be used for a lifetime.

Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana, October 2014

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naturally the rest step

Mountain goat kid, Glacier National Park, Montana, October 2014

As I write, it’s the end of October and I am getting over a cold. There’s something that I always find a little comforting when I have a cold. Maybe it’s nature’s ways of telling you to stay at home and rest. There’s no guilt in doing so. As my photographic year ends, I feel a sense of relief and accomplishment. I’m happy for the break. This past spring, summer and fall I spent a total of 44 days and 29 nights out backpacking.

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Completing the past couple of trips has been a push and may have caused me to become run down and catch the cold.

A week ago, I backpacked into Montana’s Glacier National Park’s Sperry area to photograph near Lincoln Peak. I had a brief encounter with a grizzly bear on my last day out.

I had hiked up to the Sperry campground the day before. Thanks to a season’s worth of backpacking, I was fit for the hike. It took me a respectable four hours to gain 3,500 feet in elevation in six and a half miles from the trailhead with a full backpack. The trail is steep in sections and required me to use the rest step.

I had stayed overnight in the campground and had it to myself except for a couple of mountain goats that had been hanging around camp during the late morning hours of my last

Diane Latta using the rest step in the Purcell Mountains, British Columbia, October 2014

day. The park ranger had warned me that I should urinate in the outhouse rather than on the ground because it attracted goats. Disregarding the advice, I had used the rock slabs near camp during the night and the goats were attracted to my urine because of their craving for salt. I had just eaten lunch and began breaking camp before hiking out to the trailhead located near Lake McDonald Lodge. I was making a quick trip to the outhouse before beginning to take down my tent when I saw the bear. Just a few minutes before I headed to the outhouse, the goats suddenly ran away, which I thought was odd. They must have sensed that the grizzly was in the area. Maybe I should have paid more attention as to why they ran off.

When I spotted the grizzly, I was headed right towards it on the trail as it nonchalantly strode through the camping area’s southern edge about 50 yards away. The bear was not headed at

me but its trajectory and mine intersected at a right angle. I felt a sudden surge of adrenaline and began talking loudly to make my presence known and started backing up on the trail back toward my tent. I grabbed the bear spray that was in my pocket and flipped off the safety hoping that the bear would not decide to come my way. The bear spray is a non-lethal pepper-based spray that contains high levels of capsaicin, the active ingredient spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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naturally the rest step

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Early October snowfall, Purcell Mountains, British Columbia, October 2013

that makes peppers hot. If the bear charged me, a shot of spray aimed at the bear’s face would be my only defense. Fortunately, the bear just kept ambling in the direction it was heading, away from camp. I wasn’t carrying my camera at the time so I don’t have a picture of the bear. Besides, I’ve heard one too many stories of bears attacking people who wanted to get closer for a picture.

It is wise to hike in groups in grizzly country. Not all the locations that I photograph are in grizzly country. But I can’t always find a partner when I do go there. To me the possibility of encountering a grizzly bear in the mountains is an acceptable risk when weighed against the experiences I have had and sights that I have seen and been able to photograph in such wild places. And generally when there is an indication of a grizzly bear in an area that I am visiting, I prefer to leave. Having spent many days in the backcountry, my recent grizzly encounter was the closest meeting of the handful that I have had; however, as with other encounters that I have had with grizzlies, this bear went on about its business.

At Sperry camp, the goats soon returned and I finished packing up camp, grateful for the additional eyes, ears and noses. As I hiked down the Sperry trail I was careful and made plenty of noise. A recent digging along the trail indicated that a grizzly (possibly the same one I had seen) had passed by since I hiked in the day before. I didn’t see the bear again.

Each year the winter months are a time for us to heed nature. It’s a time when plants and animals go into states of reduced activity.

Winter is kind of like a rest step – a time for us to take a breather from the busyness of summer, reflect on the past year and recharge our batteries for the year ahead.

John Latta photographs and writes about the beautiful outdoors in each issue of Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living. To see more of John’s photography or purchase a print of a photo in this article, visit his website www.lattaphoto. com. spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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fficking ra t x e s t s in a g a t he figh t n o s e k a t y il m fa A local

e.

e Kagwala hous

scued girls at th

Mark and the re

by Julie Humphreys | photos courtesy of Mark Graham

S

he’s known only as “Watson”. She agreed to a Skype session with a man from Spokane about whom she knew nothing. That video chat with the woman in Guangzhou, China “changed my life,” says the man, Mark Graham.

If this sounds clandestine, it is. Such is the case when you are rescuing young girls tricked, sold, or abducted into the thriving and sickening sex trafficking trade.

To pull the pieces of this story together you have to start in Hayden Lake, Idaho, on Father’s Day 2009. That’s where the Graham’s lake cabin is located and where Mark, his wife Diana and their four children spent countless summer days. On this day, Hunter Graham, who just finished his junior year at Lewis

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and Clark High School in Spokane, and his brother John, 19, were riding jet skis, as they often did, and soaking up the sun.

Then somehow…an accident. It was 12:45 p.m. on that Sunday afternoon, and Hunter died instantly.

More than 2,000 people packed into the church for Hunter’s memorial service. A fund, which grew to a substantial amount, was established in his name. Those funds sat untouched as the family grieved, remembered and, most amazingly, witnessed.

Even in tragedy, Mark, Diana and their children, Kylie, John and Katherine, showed others hope in their savior, Jesus Christ.

So it is fitting, five years later, the non-profit that the Grahams founded is called Eternal Hope. “There is so much

social justice taking place today, but it’s got to be about Jesus Christ, not just about betterment, but about hope, eternal hope,” says Mark.

The goal of Eternal Hope is to provide ongoing, sustainable sources of income to existing ministries in Uganda for aftercare for girls who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation.

“We sat down as a family two years ago and talked about how to best use the money from Hunter’s memorial fund and we agreed it had to be for people who were disenfranchised, unfairly treated or oppressed, because that is what Hunter would want,” explains Mark. “Hunter had a heart for people in that demographic.

He was open about his faith and often shared it with friends at school, especially those having a bad day, and with homeless people who hung out under the bridge at the school.”

The day after the Grahams chose how to honor Hunter and continue his legacy, Mark was Skyping with Watson, an on-theground, one woman rescue unit for young girls brought or enticed to Guangzhou, China. A port city with a population of 15 million, Guangzhou is the perfect place to get lost, forgotten and overlooked in the mass of people. The region around Guangzhou is known for its huge influx of migrants, with millions more people populating the area. Sadly, there is no shortage of men there, employed through the shipping trade, who demand young African women for sex.

Lillian is just one of more than a thousand Ugandan women tricked into the sex trade in Guangzhou, but she was Watson’s first rescue and represents the face of countless other young girls. Mark learned of her story during that Skype session with Watson. He relays her story as follows: Lillian was a young entrepreneur in Kampala, Uganda, a country mired in poverty, in late 2011. She successfully leased her own small roadside kiosk where she provided secretarial services to nearby business owners, but one day her printer malfunctioned and she could not afford a new one, which is all it took to put her in distress and in desperation. So, when an elderly Ugandan woman promised Lillian a year’s worth of wages for three months work in a factory or hotel, she was thrilled. She had always wanted to work abroad. The woman arranged a visa and transportation to China for her, and Lillian unknowingly boarded a plane bound for Hell.

At the airport in China, Lillian’s visa was confiscated by the woman who picked her up. This woman took Lillian to a hotel and told her that her new job would not be in a factory or a hotel; rather, she would be a prostitute for this lady until she repaid the money it cost for the flight.

It was an impossible sum, intentionally unobtainable. er ht ug Lillian and her da Lillian was alone, scared, ashamed and horrified. Nearly five months later, after she was rescued, she relayed to Mark, “The boss lady said ‘There is nothing you can do about this,’ and it broke my heart. The lady said if I don’t get the money, I won’t be safe in China, and ‘I will hunt you down.’” Lillian went days

Above: Mark and Diana Graham speaking at a recent informational meeting about Eternal Hope. Inset: Hunter Graham

and nights without food or water, and eventually was forced to sell herself for sex to eagerly awaiting men.

On the day of her rescue, Lillian had decided to take her own life, but Mark says God had other plans, and in a most unlikely scenario, one of the men who used her for sex, took pity on her and introduced her to Watson at a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurant. Watson was living in China after graduating from a university in the States because she had a passion for Jesus Christ, the Chinese people and oppressed women. She never imagined starting a rescue ministry, until that one urgent phone call from a friend that brought her to KFC and to Lillian.

Watson took Lillian into her home, shared the hope of Jesus with her, and worked with Chinese and Ugandan authorities to

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get Lillian’s visa reinstated. Finally home safely in Uganda, the very real, difficult, life-saving work was still ahead.

“We can rescue these girls, but the long-term aftercare is absolutely critical,” says Mark. “They are fragile and often shunned by their families and friends upon returning. At a time when they need the most support and empathy, it’s often not there for them.”

That support and love is available through the Kwagala Project, a U.S. based non-profit with homes for girls rescued from sex trafficking and abuse – some as young as eight years old – in Kampala and Gulu, Uganda. Kwagala means “love” in Lugandan, the native language of Uganda. It was with love that Lillian was taken into the Kwagala Project and attended to by older women known as “aunties”.

One such auntie, Auntie Lillian (coincidentally the same name fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” as the rescued trafficking victim), visited Spokane this fall, along The Grahams have been amazed at the response to this with the director of the Kwagala Project, Kristen Hendricks of ministry from people throughout the Inland Northwest. After Chicago. The two, along with Mark and Diana Graham, held the week of presentations last month, enough money was a series of informational meetings about Eternal Hope. They donated to pay for treatment for 15 additional girls for a year. shared the goals of the ministry and the need for funding with Still, there are empty beds and an untold number of girls in several hundred people who attended one of a week’s worth of need of hope and healing. gatherings.

A number of local families also committed to help fund the Auntie Lillian shared the cold, hard reality of what the girls pig farm, but it will take considerably more capital to begin face after rescue. “They have no trust, they have no love, their building the facility, feeding and growing livestock and, most innocence is taken,” she says. “They didn’t deserve to go important, providing sustainable income to fund the ministry. through what they did. The girls are someone’s daughters who “We hope to have the majority of funding to buy land and have been plucked from their villages to the city for such a begin the farm by late spring of 2015,” says Mark. nasty thing.”

As for Lillian, she is now 26 years old with Healing is needed a two year old child. Like so many of the girls in so many areas of thrown into the sex trafficking trade, she ended “Nothing can be done without these girls’ lives. “We up pregnant. With love and guidance from her help them learn to love new family at the Kwagala house, she went God,” says Auntie Lillian. “God themselves,” says Auntie through that pregnancy learning to love herself Lillian. “We provide and her child. She says it was possible only gives everyone a role to play. counseling, trauma because she had learned the love of Jesus Through Him we give these girls Christ. “God loves me so much,” she says. “I’m therapy, physical and health programs; testing blessed and I’m His chosen one. I’m like a lucky back their value, their dignity.” for pregnancy, cancer, girl, I’m a lucky girl!”

HIV and STD’s. We try to For Mark and Diana Graham, the journey from have fun. These girls have missed their childhood, so we teach the tragic death of their son Hunter, to a rescue in Guangzhou, them livelihood skills like bead making, sewing and hairstyling.

China, to a home for sex trafficked girls in Uganda, to the We educate them, they get schooling.” founding of Eternal Hope out of Spokane, a half a world away, Those are the basics. But Auntie Lillian really lights up when is no coincidence; it’s exactly where God has led them. They she talks about the heart work that happens at the Kwagala know Hunter is smiling. homes. The girls, she says, are exposed to the love of Jesus “I’m compelled for the remainder of my life to do whatever I Christ in action. “Nothing can be done without God,” she can to provide an ongoing funding, revenue source, Lord says. “God gives everyone a role to play. Through Him we give willing through this pig farm, so that more Lillian’s can be these girls back their value, their dignity.” rescued and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ,” says Mark Graham’s role is finding an ongoing income source Mark. for the Kwagala Project. Through Eternal Hope, he is securing money to pay for the girl’s care ($3,000 per girl per year) For more information on Eternal Hope visit www.eternalhope. for the next several years until a business can be started in net or contact Mark Graham at 509-999-4124.

Kampala that will become self-sustaining and eventually fund the project itself. It’s a natural concept for this financial planner.

Julie Humphreys is a local freelance writer.

The concept is “business as mission,” and the business is a pig farm!

Uganda has the highest consumption of Joy is a new experience for these rescued girls pork in Africa and consumption has grown at a significant rate over the past decade and is forecast to continue growing. Mark spent two months in Uganda last year witnessing the hope and healing provided at the Kwagala homes and researching business opportunities. After in-depth analysis and feasibility studies on a host of ideas, the pig farm business plan was born.

Mark says the farm will not only provide long term funds for mission based projects including Kwagala, but it will also provide employment and economic and social benefits for the local people. He says, “It’s a concept adapted from the proverb that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but show him how to catch a

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retirement moving

H

by Blythe Thimsen

Planning that big move from your home

indsight is 20-20. Such is the case for Kathy Bryant a Senior Residential Specialist with EXL Realty in Spokane. “Several years ago, I helped my mother tackle the issue of moving, before she was ready for help, says Bryant. “Without realizing it, I was taking control away from her.” Looking back, with that 20-20 hindsight, Bryant realizes she was concerned for her mother’s safety and well-being, but was causing her mother more stress and concern by trying to take away her control to handle the situation herself. Such is often the case for adult children who want to help their senior parents make the best decisions for their living situation, but are often ill-equipped themselves to adequately help.

“I was frustrated trying to help her transition,” says Bryant.

“I thought ‘I help people transition all of the time. I know

what I am doing in real estate, but I don’t have a clue how to help my mother.” Rather than be discouraged by the situation, Bryant used that experience to develop what she saw as a much needed service within the real estate industry: helping seniors navigate the unique challenges of moving out of their long term homes into a retirement living situation.

Earning her Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES®) designation, Bryant became qualified to assist seniors with all their downsizing needs. “Transition can be stressful and overwhelming,” she says. “Why not team up with a realtor who has the experience to make the process smooth?”

“They are truly working with someone who is empathetic to their needs,” says Bryant of her clients, some of whom she has worked with for months or years before they are ready to make a move.

For most seniors, moving out of their home is not just spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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retirement moving

Serving the Inland Empire Since 1981

Call 208.665.5894

320 E. Neider Ave, Suite 103 Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814

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Independent Advising Firm Join us for our FREE

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Sessions held every Wednesday from 12:15-1:00 Space is limited: RSVP today to reserve your seat!

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Securities and Advisory Services offered through Centaurus Financial, Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC., A Registered Broker Dealer, Registered Investment Advisor Marcheso & Associates and Centaurus Financial, Inc. are not affiliated

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physically moving from one location to another; rather, it is an emotional journey that can be heart wrenching and even requiring some amount of grieving. For those who have lived in their homes for many years, it is not simply a matter of packing clothes and furniture into boxes and moving vans. It is closing up shop on the business of your life, where memories were made, joyful times were spent together, and your heart settled in and felt at home. Even when people are eager to move to a new place, and even when it is an exciting adventure, there can still come with it a time of mourning the home that was. “I realized the stress and emotional energy that accompanies the transition from one home to another represents the loss of independence, and brings a sense of sadness,” says Bryant. Through this realization, she strives to “really honor the seniors to help them move on their terms.” This is what inspired Bryant’s branded catchphrase: “Your Life. Your Move. Your Terms.”

Bryant’s best advice to any who is approaching the season of needing to make a switch to a retirement living situation is simple. “Be proactive and come up with a plan before it becomes a crisis,” she says. “If you never take the opportunity to be proactive, and you don’t know where you want to go, to me that can be the worst case scenario.” Rather than waiting until the death of a partner, or until mobility and health levels are diminished, it is best to plan ahead, and have the luxury of time to be able to pick where you want to move, rather than finding yourself in a spot where you have to move quickly, and you may pick a place that is not the best match for your needs, interests or lifestyle.

“If they start with a plan and if they know where they are going, they can make micro plans along the way,” says Bryant. Those small steps, and working with someone who knows both the process and what to look for can help seniors who are thinking of making the move.

As Bryant says, “We are blessed with an abundance of communities” when it comes to places for seniors to move in our area, and to find a vibrant, relaxed, delightful living situation.

Are You Ready to Move?

• Should I make a move when I am physically able to or wait until I can no longer

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retirement moving

Quality care for your loved one.

Peace of mind for you.

take care of myself? Should I leave this all for my kids to decide?

• How can I get the help I need to make the move?

• Can I afford to move in and what are the costs when I am independent vs. when I will need care?

• How will I know if I will fit in?

• Are there people I know that live in the community and if not, are there residents that I can talk to about their experience?

S

enior Helpers stands ready to serve your family’s needs with personalized, in-home care and expertly trained, professional caregivers. Let us ease your mind with a complimentary in-home care initial appointment.

Call today to learn more.

509-922-4333 or 208-664-2500

• Can I live in the community until the end of my life?

www.seniorhelpers.com/spokane New Owners: Mark & Tiffany Murphy, RN

Serving Spokane since 2006

• Take time to notice the small details.

Was the front desk staff friendly and helpful? Was the general atmosphere upbeat and inviting? Was there activity and interaction between residents?

Do the activities on the calendar appeal to you? (Rockwood Retirement Communities)

Friendly Dentistry on Spokane's South hill

3144 E. 29th Ave Spokane WA 99223 509-536-8888

To ot h C o lo r e d F i l l i n g s C ro w n a n d B r i d g e T r e at m e n t D e n ta l I m p la n t R e s to r at i o n s Dentures E x t r a ct i o n s T r e at m e n t o f G u m D i s e a s e Zoom® 1 Hour Teeth Whitening

Visit us at

dentalcliniquespokane.com

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What to Look For In a Community: Here are some tips from local retirement communitites. They have been referenced in parenthesis after each of their tips

Care for clients of all ages

• Talk to the residents – these are the people who live the lifestyle of that community. They will tell you the good and the bad about living at the community. Also, when you are touring, notice staff interaction. Do they smile?

Are they courteous to you and to one another? Ask to attend a meal in their dining room and to participate in an activity or two. (Rockwood Retirement Communities) • Is there a continuum of care offered?

Finding a community that has options if your health care needs change can be a helpful offering. If they don’t, you may find yourself searching for health care and taking whatever is available, which might mean moving again. (Rockwood Retirement Communities)

• What services are offered for aging in place? (Orchard Crest)

Centennial Trail (Riverview Retirement Community)

• What is the cost of community and what’s included in the rent? (Orchard Crest)

• A variety of fun social programs that build and foster lasting relationships among residents (Riverview Retirement Community)

• Are there daily check in or emergency call systems in place? (Orchard Crest)

• Amenities such as a fitness and aquatics center, transportation, 24-hour daily nursing support, award winning advanced care and rehabilitation and 24-hour security protection (Riverview Retirement Community)

Do Your Homework and Look for: • A community with a great reputation – ask around! (Riverview Retirement Community) • Continuum of care from independent living to skilled nursing support (Riverview Retirement Community) • Longevity, experience and kindness of staff (Riverview Retirement Community) • A central location with the great views – ours include the Spokane River and

• Delicious dining experiences (Riverview Retirement Community) What Setting is Best for You? Think about what setting you will be most comfortable in, and recognize it may be a significant change from where you currently live. Mary* lived in a two-story

lakefront home with her husband, but after he passed away she found the home too large for her needs, and requiring too much of her time and resources to keep up with the maintenance. After a year, she moved off the lake, into an apartment in a local retirement community. She was thrilled with the new opportunities that came her way because of this move: more people her age in a close vicinity, car service, increased personal and property safety and less home for which to care. It was a transition, though, moving from a two-story home into a two-bedroom apartment.

Think ahead and pick a setting that will be comfortable for you. Are you able to downsize your furniture to fit into an apartment, or is a smaller home better suited for your needs? Broadway Court Estates, in Spokane Valley, offers seven different one-bedroom, and four different two-bedroom floor plans from which to choose.

The Good Samaritan Society of Spokane

Apartments include:

Large 1 & 2 Bed/2Bath, Full Kitchen w/Appliances, Washer and Dryer in each unit.

(509) 921-0249 www.BroadwayCourtEstates.com 13505 E Broadway, Spokane Valley

• Gourmet Dinner Menu • Continental Breakfast • 24 Hr Emergency Call System • All Utilities

Included in Rent:

• Indoor Pool • Transportation Service • Free Wi-Fi Internet • Housekeeping

• DIRECTV Included • Onsite Exercise Facilities • Life Enrichment Programs • Greenhouse/Raised Bed Gardens spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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retirement moving

Valley offers a variety of living settings, all within their campus in the Spokane Valley. Residents can choose from “twinhomes” (similar to a duplex), senior living apartments and assisted living apartments. They also offer rehabilitation and skilled nursing, so that as your needs grow, you will still find the care you require.

Affinity on the South Hill, offers apartment like living for active adults. Not only do they provide popular apartment options, but as a pet friendly community they also know the importance of bringing along your BFF (“best furry friend”).

Pets can help ease the transition of moving into a new living situation.

Help at Home and Beyond Sometimes it is not time to move out of the house, but extra care is needed in order to continue living in the home they know and love. For that, Senior Services Spokane is the perfect resource. They offer a variety of services that help seniors live their best lives. Senior Services Spokane, was purchased in early 2014 by Mark and Tiffany Murphy. Combining Mark’s business skills and his Spokane roots, with Tiffany’s education and experience as a Registered Nurse, they are able to perfectly combine their skills, resources, talents and passions, to meet the varying needs of Spokane’s seniors, and offer various levels of care to help seniors and their families.

• Companion Care: Services such as companionship, meal planning and preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, medication reminders, and other general assistance.

• Personal Care: Basic companion care plus assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and ambulation assistance.

• Live-In Care: Provides 24-hour coverage that can be provided for a minimum of two consecutive days, up to seven days per week indefinitely.

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• Peace of Mind Visit: Short visit each day to help clients with, among other things, bathing assistance, meal preparation, medication reminders, getting out of or in to bed, and “check-ins.”

• Transition Assistance: This service ensures that clients are guided through the outpatient surgery and recovery period, through full recovery, including transportation to follow-up doctor visits.

• Sitter Assistance: Allows caregivers to monitor clients in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living centers, continuing care retirement communities, etc., and to be there when the family cannot.

• Respite Care: A unique program to assist families by providing care for a short period of time, such as vacations.

Care Transition If age and health reach a point where more care is needed, it is wise to have a facility that can transition with you.

For example, Fairwood Village Assisted Living has everything from studios and one-bedroom floor plans designed to accommodate residents receiving supportive care and services, to Northridge Court, which is a secured memory care neighborhood with a private courtyard.

According to Fairwood, this “affords 16 units specifically devoted to supporting residents with dementia. All residents receive dedicated quality care and services by highly trained staff of licensed nurses and certified aides in a home like setting.”

“Retirement living nowadays means people living longer, healthier, active lives while enjoying relationships with family and friends,” says Charley Tirrell, president and CEO of Riverview Retirement Community. “Transitioning into your retirement years is an exciting but anxious time. It’s an opportunity to take stock of what’s important to you, what you want to stay the same about your daily living and what you want or need to change.

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by Blythe Thimsen

‘Tis the season to give! So may we offer you the first gift of the season: help. It’s not wrapped, but it is priceless. We’re giving you help in finding the right gift, the perfect gift and the unique gift.

Our local advertisers have provided a bounty of fabulous gift options, and we have loaded them in our sleigh, and brought them into our office for our stamp of approval. These gifts are great!

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Manito Tap House Essentials

Wear and tote your love for Manito Tap House with these essential items. The cycling jerseys ($55.00) come in women’s and men’s sizes and are made by V-Gear, while the Fifty/Fifty growler ($39.99) is a double wall insulated 64 oz. stainless vessel that will hold hot or cold drinks…but we think it’s best for beer!

Manito Tap House, (509) 279-2671, www.manitotaphouse.com

Dimond Lamp

Let’s shed some light on holiday gift giving: people want gifts that are fun, beautiful and useful. That sums up Elk Lighting’s Lamp by Dimond, and makes it a bright idea for a gift to give this year. The royal blue design is both elegant and fun, making the perfect addition to home or office. ($82.50) Firefly Lighting and Design, (509) 482-6292, www.firefly-ltg.com

Global Stationery

Send a love letter or a holiday note, or tuck these under the tree. From New York to Paris, Barcelona to Rome, this global box of stationery includes twelve beautifully illustrated cards and envelopes.

Available at French Toast for $22.00. Made in the USA. French Toast, (509) 315 8200, www. frenchtoastonline.com

Floral Snowman Centerpiece

Solar Flagpole Light

The flag should always be illuminated at night, and now there is a wireless way to do it. Light your flag at night with light collected in solar panels during the day in this wireless light for flagpoles. Includes three self-charging batteries. ($75.00) Uncle Sam’s Flags & Gift, (509) 924-0677, www.unclesamsflag.com

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Bring the winter wonderland look to your home without having to be out in the cold, snowy elements. This beautiful snowman centerpiece celebrates the season in beautiful floral artistic splendor. Made of winter white flowers and seasonal pine boughs this snowman may not melt, but it will melt your heart. ($149.99) Appleway Florist, (509) 924-5050, www. applewayflorist.com

Sterling Silver Collar

“Shiny” and “silvery” don’t go out of style after the holidays, and neither will this magnificent gemstone collar necklace in sterling silver. This is a gift that will be treasured for years because it can be worn year-round. Perfect for that magnificent person on your shopping list. ($460.00) Wonders of the World, (509) 328-6890, www.wondersoftheworldinc.com

BeCustomize unique... every gift with your own personal message!

Read Local

Shop local. Buy local. Read local. What better way to enjoy the dark days of winter than to curl up with a great book? Lilac City Fairytales, Spokane Shorties, and Railtown Almanac are all by local authors, and are sure to ignite your passion for Spokane and for local writers. ($8.00 - $15.00) Boo Radley’s + Atticus, (509) 456-7479, www.booradleysmobile.com

Pendants and Beaded Jewelry

Looking for a one of a kind accent piece? These double-fired handmade dichroic glass and art glass pendants, with a silver-plated bail, ($15.00) and hand beaded jewelry, made by using glass, Swarovski crystals, semiprecious stones and fresh-water pearls, are excellent options. ($35.00 to $75.00) The Clay Connection, (509) 747-6171, www.clayconnection.net

Buy our beans with a custom label and share the warmth with your family and friends. hello@roasthousecoffee.com | 509.995.6500 spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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Assorted Handmade Chocolates

Purchasing from local suppliers to provide a premium product, Halletts Chocolates are Spokane’s sweetest secret, and a perfect holiday gift. From caramels, to buttercreams, fudgies, truffles, nut clusters and more, this is a sweet gift. (Assorted individual sizes and packages, $5.95 to $33.75) Halletts Chocolates, (509) 474-0899, www.halletschocolates.com

Hammered Silver Jewelry

If the accessories make the outfit, these are the ones to choose! Hammered silver brings a textured and striking look to this double arc necklace ($16.00), while the triple loop drop earrings ($16.00) pair perfectly for casual, business or a date night.

Ferrante’s, (509) 443-6304, www.doitalian.com

Roast House Coffee Essentials

Coffee lovers will delight to find any of these coffee essentials under their tree. The Espro Press thermal stainless steel, double basket ($110.00) means no sediment, while the Joe Mo Dripless Thermal Mug is completely safe to throw in your backpack and is a cyclist’s favorite ($19.95). Airscape Coffee Canister’s seal completely air-tight ($25.00).

Roast House Coffee, (509) 995-6500, www.roasthousecoffee.com

New Chapter Perfect Calm Multivitamin

The stress hormone cortisol not only reduces the relaxation chemicals in your brain, but can also pack on pounds around your midsection. Perfect Calm is the ideal organic multi-vitamin, herbal, and nutrient formula for those seeking to address daily stress, enhance calm and overall well-being. ($41.95 - Sale $26.99) Urban Apothecaries, (208) 667-4001, www.uannutrition.com

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Shaving Set

Weldon Barber sets the standard in quality men’s grooming, so it is no surprise that their holiday gift selection includes only the finest items. Give the gift of luxury to the special men in your life, with this Edwin Jagger 3-piece, Ebony/Chrome, DE (double edge) shaving set ($160.00).

Weldon Barber, (509) 456-8998, www.weldonbarber.com

Stringing and Beading Kits

Holiday special starter kits for the beginner beader! Stringing kit includes crimping and cutting tools, crimps and covers and soft flex wire. ($50.00) Beading kit includes a mat, tread, fireline, wax and needles. ($22.00) Beyond Beads Gallery, (509) 482-0674, www.beyondbeads.com

Flexsteel Holiday Sale Guaranteed Lowest Prices on Flexsteel!

Hmmm…Quality or Price? Price or Quality? (oh heck, how about both.)

Located in Coeur d'Alene 303 Spokane Ave • Coeur d'Alene, ID Mon-Sat 8:00-6:00 • Sun 11:00-5:00

Family Owned Since 1928

208.664.2131

rungefurniture.com

We’ve got Poinsettias!!

Florist & Greenhouse

From weddings to holiday festivities, we’ve got you covered! Trust us with all your floral needs!

Centerpieces, Bouquets, Fresh Arrangements, Garlands, Wreaths, Poinsettias, & much more!

509.534.9381 | 8th and Perry Spokane, WA | www.libertyparkflorist.com

All flowers locally grown in our Greenhouse spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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Audrey Dining Set in Cherry

The double ‘X’ formation of the Audrey Dining Table trestle creates a state of dynamic tension, giving the design a rigid base that provides diners with plenty of unobstructed leg room. Crafted in solid American black walnut or solid cherry with several finish options. ($2770.00) Concept Home, (509) 413-1185, www.concepthomefurniture.com

Alpaca Scarves and Throws

Scandinavian inspired Alpaca scarves ($49.00) and throws ($99.00) make great gifts. Add warmth and texture to your room and to your outfit. Come in today and get them in time for the holidays and the beautiful winter season!

Dania Furniture, (509) 624-7740, www.daniafurniture.com

Poinsettia and Ornament

Poinsettia’s area a beautiful way to welcome the season, especially when they are from Liberty Park Florist, which grows their own - the prettiest in Spokane! Many colors and sizes to choose from. They offer poinsettias with a ceramic ornament ($13.95).

Liberty Park Florist, (509) 534-9381, www.libertyparkflorist.com

Victorian Pincushion / Jewelry Holder

Vintage Scarf

Keep away the chill and look fashionable while doing so!

Pair this vintage inspired scarf with your favorite outfit this winter, and you’ll instantly warm up the look – and yourself! Available in mocha, beige and peach. ($30.00) White Lavender, (509) 290-6191, www.whitelavendershop.com

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Homemade Gin Kit

Like an alchemist turning lead into gold, you can transform vodka into a bottle of delicious homemade gin in 36 hours. ($54.95) Red Rolling Pin, (509) 993-0036, www.redrollingpin.com

Why banish your jewelry to a drawer or box when you can display it on these beautiful, handcrafted Victorian pincushions?

The perfect place in which to store your earrings, or from which to hang necklaces and bracelets, these pincushions are handcrafted and made locally. Available in three sizes. ($25.00 to $45.00) Regal Fabrics & Gifts, (509) 242-3731, www.regalfabricsandgifts.com

International Award Winning, Locally Handmade Chocolates

Thank You Spokane!

6704 N. Nevada St. | Spokane, WA 99208

• Custom & Corporate Gifts • Chocolate Creations • Party Mints • Amazing Specialty Drinks

Chocolates & Coffee House www.hallettschocolates.com 509.474.0899 Honda CR-V

Is finding the right gift for someone on your list driving you crazy? Put the brakes on the shopping, and look no further, because we think the 2015 Motor Trend’s SUV of the Year would look great in your driveway. Through January 2015, purchase a 2015 Honda CR-V starting as low $25,450, including an All-Season Pro-Pack.

Larry H. Miller Honda, (509) 464-6856, www.larryhmillerhondaspokane.com

Reclining Chairs by Bradington-Young

Comfort never looked so good! These recliners are top of the line quality with timeless designs and luxurious comfort.

Carson, Stellan and Schaumburg Recliners.

Savings up to 35% off, through the holidays.

(Prices starting at $2,079.00).

R. Alan Brown, Inc., (509) 924-7200, www.ralanbrowninc.com

Hobo Wallet

The Alice Hobo wallet has a vintage vibe, but a modern attitude. She is the perfect everyday wallet for women with a classic and timeless style. Made of 100% top-grain leather, with an extra tumbled for a unique “broken-in” look and beautiful shine. Available in platinum or garnet. ($98.00) Jema Lane, (509) 321-2330, www.jemalaneboutique.com

An array of gifts for ages 1-101!

Manito Ship & Copy Pack

Fax

Stationery

Gifts

Now Selling & Shipping Wine!!

Spokandy | Bungalow Candles | Local Wines | Buck Knives Malted Mutt | Coobie Bras | Molskine | and much more!

509.838.1544 | 3030 S. Grand Blvd Spokane, WA 99203

www.shipandcopy.com

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7452 N. Division St., Spokane, WA 99208 | 509.482.0674 | www.beyondbeadsnorth.com

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Comfort and Joy Gift Basket

How do you give comfort and joy?

With a gift basket filled with smoked salmon, celery and herb crackers, smoked Gouda cheese, cranberry sausage, decadent chocolate sea salt caramels, supreme salted nut mix, peanut brittle, gourmet pretzels, peppermint double milk chocolate truffles, roasted red pepper snack olives, chocolate covered cherries, grilled asparagus spears, cranberry tea cookies and a bottle of Northwest red wine. ($149.95 to $199.95) Simply Northwest, (800) 214-2686, www.simplynorthwest.com

Sundae Best Chocolate Softening Mask

This creamy, dark chocolate mask by FarmHouse Fresh is a skin softener, wrinkle defender and skin revitalizer. Full of live fruit cells, CoQ10 and vitamins for lasting softness like you’ve never felt! ($20.00) Coeur d’Alene Casino and Resort, (208) 769-2600, www.cdacasino.com

Spokane’s Stories History Book

Spokane’s Stories: 28 Stories of the People, Places and Events That Have Shaped Spokane, is a newly released hardback, coffee table book, with 216 glossy pages filled with local historic photographs, and 28 full-length stories.

Written by Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living editor, Blythe Thimsen, this is the book everyone with a connection to Spokane will want to have in their collection.

Available through blythethimsen.com. ($34.99) Spokane’s Stories, (509) 533-5350 x317, www.blythethimsen.com/spokanes_ stories_-_purchase

Quan Yin Tattoo Art

This Quan Yin tattoo artwork (18” x 24”) is as beautiful as a tattoo, but able to hang on your wall.

From local artist, Beth Swilling, of Mom’s Custom Tattoo and Body Piercing in the new Kendall Yards area. ($25.00) Mom’s Custom Tattoo, (509) 426-4INK, www.momstattoo.ink

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Comfort Recliner

We dare you to find one person who doesn’t love to sink into a comfortable recliner. What better way to spend your down time than with your feet up, nestled into the cozy comfort of a recliner?

Give the gift of comfort this year! (Starting at $699.00) Runge Furniture, (208) 664-2131, www.rungefurniture.com

Vintage Flour Mill Cookbook

Bake up a great holiday season with this rare 1912 Spokane Flour Mills Historical Society cookbook, which offers baking lessons from 1912, as well as 80-plus recipes for cakes, cookies, puddings, pies, breads and more. Available at select stores in the Flour Mill, Boo Radleys, Auntie’s Books, or by phone. ($5.99) Westlaw Books, (509) 701-5683

Brewer and Grinder

Do you have a discerning coffee connoisseur on your Holiday list?

Here’s the perfect coffee brewer and grinder combination that will make the twelve days of Christmas fly by!

The Bona-Vita Brewer ($149, glass; $169, thermal) maintains the perfect temperature, giving you the most accurate cup of coffee—but not without the proper grind! The Baratza Encore grinder ($129) will pair with the brewer like two turtledoves for the ultimate in drip coffee.

The Kitchen Engine, (509) 328-3335, www.thekitchenengine.com

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Writing Set

The power of the pen is mighty, but even more so when it looks like this! Friends and family will adore this feather pen ($9.95) and ink well stand ($12.95) by Figments Studio.

It will serve them well as they fill this journal ($17.95) with thoughts of gratitude for such a fun and enjoyable gift.

Manito Ship & Copy, (509) 838-1544, www.shipandcopy.com

Let our Gift Specialists take the stress out of your Holiday season!

Gourmet Gift Baskets for everyone on your list!

*We Deliver & Ship Worldwide!* Visit our retail shop to explore all of our Holiday gifts & treasures for the season.

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Your Key to

Timeless Design.

Bangles and Necklace

Sparkle and shine the whole year through with these beautiful pieces. Sterling silver bracelet and gemstone bangles by Thistle & Bee (starting at $260.00) and this 14k white gold diamond infinity station necklace ($199.00).

Jewelry Design Center, (509) 487-5905, www.jewelrydesigncenter.com

Triple Zip Hipster Bag

The ultimate in hands-free organization, this clever cross-body features three separate zippered compartments. The main section has enough room for all the day’s must-haves, while the front zippered compartments keep most-reached-for essentials.

Ritters Garden & Gift is the exclusive retailer of Vera Bradley Handbags, Accessories and Apparel. ($58.00) Ritters Garden & Gift, (509) 467-5258, www.4ritter.com

Dining Room Set

Perfectly capturing the true beauty of Vintage Casual design, the vintage light gray-brown wire brushed finish of the “Tanshire” dining room collection beautifully complements the vintage black finish of the table base, along with the woven gray fabric upholstered chairs, with nail head accents to create an inviting collection. ($1,049.00) Ashley Furniture, (509) 822-4999, www.ashleyfurniturehomestore.com

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What is the next best thing to giving someone you love a brand new vehicle for the holidays? Surprise them with a professional detail.

Wendle details all makes and models. ($49.99 to $299.99; 10% off now through December 31, 2014). You can schedule your appointment or order a gift certificate by phone.

Wendle Ford, Nissan, Infinity, (888) 718-6551, www.wendle.com

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5620 S. Regal St. #8 | On Spokane’s South Hill | 509.242.3731

Personalized Stationery

Personalized signature note cards and matching envelopes make perfect Christmas gifts for your business clients or favorite relative!

Blank on the inside for a handwritten message. Sample picture printed on 80# Haviland blue cardstock with matching A2 envelopesprinted with reflex blue ink. Depending on quantity ordered-80 cents/set. Minimum order. ($250 to $600) Plese Printing, (509) 534-2355, www.pleseprint.com

Offering a great selection of quilt fabrics and accessory kits from the top manufactures of popular quilting fabrics.

Sewing classes for beginners on up! Check for classes & registration on our website.

• Totes & Purses • Wool • Fleece • Apparel

• Home Decor • Yoga Cloth • Quilting • Gifts & Collectibles

www.regalfabricsandgifts.com spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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Jaguar F Type Clothing | Handbags | Jewelry | Accessories

For the hard to shop for person on your list, have them unwrap a new Jaguar F type convertible for Christmas.

This is one present that will definitely not be returned!

Remember, “It’s good to be bad,” especially with a new Jaguar F type, in either coupe or convertible. (Starting at $65,000) Lyle Pearson Spokane, Jaguar Land Rover Volvo, (509) 892-9200, www. lylepearsonspokane.com

A True Retreat King Bed

Sleep like royalty! Gracefully shaped architectural forms of Italian, French and Belgian origin are accentuated by a wire brushed artisan finish with reclaimed character in this inviting King sized bed.

Create your retreat at The Tin Roof. ($1574.00) The Tin Roof, 509-535-4121, www.thetinroof.us

613 S. Pines Rd. Spokane Valley, WA 99206

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Everyone with a Spokane connection will want to have this book! Order now for Christmas!

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Sip your way to warmth and joy this holiday season with these all natural gourmet drinking chocolates by Chuao Chocolatier®. Free of hydrogenated fats, artificial preservatives, colors or flavor sweeteners. Spicy Maya is lightly infused with seductive cinnamon and warm chile, while Deluxe Dark is a rich and oh so creamy award winning chocolate. 12 oz. jars, 11 servings each. ($20.00) Chocolate Apothecary, (509) 324-2424, www.chocolateapothecary.com

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The Clarisonic is an amazing facial brush that transforms skin with anti-aging technology.

The patented device loosens dirt and oil from pores for better absorption of topical products. Lisa, one of Spa Paradiso’s talented estheticians, recommends the Clarisonic for the facial massage as well as the brightening of discolored pores. ($149.00) Spa Paradiso, (509) 747-3529, www.spaparadiso.com

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Both feature a powerful (100 horsepower) 1400cc air cooled V-twin that stays true to classic Moto Guzzi tradition (air cooled, transverse V-twin arrangement) while introducing the most advanced technological features included on a cruiser style motorcycle, including traction control, cruise control, ride-by-wire throttle management with three modes, etc. ($15,490 for custom model, $18,490 for touring model).

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by Sarah Hauge | photos by Alan Bisson

W

ith some houses, it’s love at first sight. You see it, you love it, it is meant to be. With others, it’s a slower, more gradual thing. Maybe it’s not where you imagined yourself, but over time you recognize its charms. Some houses grow on you.

John and Pam Asher had opposite initial reactions to their Coeur d’Alene home. It won John over immediately; Pam was not so keen. Their previous two houses had been new and contemporary, in line with Pam’s more industrial, clean-lined aesthetic and ideal for displaying the couple’s collection of beloved original artwork. This home, on the other hand, was older (built in 1931), and though it had good bones, its rooms were smaller, its ceilings lower, and many of the finishes – shaggy brown carpet, paneling, yellow-hued walls – were less than ideal. spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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A covered outdoor living room provides generous seating and ample privacy, as well as views of the home’s swimming pool.

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But to John, this home was love. It’s located on a tree-lined street in Coeur d’Alene’s historic Garden District on a spacious extra wide and deep lot, and has the beautiful touches you can only get in an older home.

When Pam saw how he felt, she knew this should be their home. “My husband is the sweetest guy in the world,” she says. “He always gives me my way. He never asks for anything. He said, ‘Pam, I really love this house.’”

And so they bought it and began to make it their home.

“We bought the home, he went to work, and I became the ‘project manager!’” says Pam. “Lucky for us, we think along the same lines and our vision was one and the same.”

The Ashers don’t shy away from projects, and they had a pro waiting in the wings to help transform this one: Heather Hanley, owner of both The Tin Roof and Concept Home, which are two popular Spokane based stores providing home furnishings and interior design services. Heather and Pam have been in cahoots on several home designs, a relationship that began as a professional one and has grown into a true friendship.

“We’ve worked together on three homes.

We have the same vision,” says Heather, who has come to know the Ashers’ tastes well. “Pam was the first client I ever gave my cell phone number to.”

Pam and John were easy for Heather to work with because they come to the table with such amazing ideas and vision. “They are both very artistic,” says Heather, “so they know what will work together. I just direct traffic.”

“I’m good with color,” says Pam, who’s an art teacher and artist with work hanging in the Blackwell Gallery in Coeur d’Alene; John is a school principal (the couple’s dog, an adorable Malti-Poo named Bella, is the home’s third resident). “But Heather is good with everything. She is so fun to work with.”

In this home their vision was to incorporate the contemporary elements the Ashers love while staying true to its bones, recasting it as “a little bit of a Mediterranean bungalow,” as Pam puts it.

When the Ashers purchased the home, “There was horrible carpet, weird tile, paneling everywhere. The lighting was atrocious. It was very dark,” says Heather, spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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Living in Arizona and Santa Barbara was the source of Pam’s inspiration for the showstopping staircase with colorful tiles.

good-naturedly rattling off the list of items to tackle. “You could tell this was once a really grand house. Over the years and different owners it had gotten a little jumbled.”

Pam and John bought the home in July of 2014, and just three (very busy) months later the project was complete.

The renovated home is lovely inside and out, welcoming from the front with its stately lawn and circle drive that sit before the stucco home with its cheerful red tile roof. A charming arched wood door leads into the entry, which has a beautiful mirror and wood ceiling; the custom light fixture here was made by Steven Handelman Studios in Santa Barbara. The showstopper of this space is a gorgeous tiled staircase, an idea Pam conceived of after a childhood in Arizona and time spent in Santa Barbara, California, where she’d seen similar work.

Wrought iron is used both inside and out for banisters and gates, another of the Mediterranean touches Pam wanted to incorporate.

A large painting by Tschacbasov, a renowned artist and also Pam’s uncle, hangs in the home’s living room. This piece was the jumping-off point for the décor. “I have to be surrounded by art to be able to enjoy my home,” says Pam. When looking at a potential home, “the first thing I look at is wall size.” This particular painting, called Janus, directed the home’s color palette (primarily reds, blues, yellows and blacks) and has deep personal meaning to Pam. Her uncle “always encouraged my own personal artistic journey…he was the real deal, raw, earthy, full of stories of the many friends in the abstract expressionist period in New York, including Rothko and DeKoonig who lived in the same building he resided in,” she says. “The painting is powerful, larger than life…as he was to me.”

Choosing an object, like this painting, to help direct the rest of the décor is one of Heather’s tricks for creating a harmonious home when you are blending different styles. In this house, there are Mediterranean elements like the stucco exterior and wrought iron; traditional details like wood shutters, gorgeous lead and copper windows, and millwork; and contemporary elements such as clean-lined furniture and modern art. A limited color palette helps, Heather says, as does repeated spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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“Collectors understand that art is the main focus; everything else should be like ‘matting’ so to speak, for the masterpiece,” says Hanley. John and Pam’s home boasts extensive artwork.

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use of other elements.

“Repeating patterns, repeating textures, and repeating colors will pull different styles together,” she says. The hues of the Tschacbasov painting are found in every room, from the blues of the guest room bedding to the yellows of the sitting room rug to the many accents of vibrant red. Patterns have also been thoughtfully repeated.

The pattern of the inlay dining table, for instance, is also found in accent pillows in the living room and on vases in the entry.

The living room, a light and inviting space with a wood beamed ceiling, which was added in the renovation, is the couple’s favorite room in the home. In addition to the Tschacbasov painting, other works of art also take the stage here, such as sculptures of Pam’s, etchings of her uncle’s, and collected glass sculptures.

“When someone has as much stunning artwork as Pam and John do, it’s important to let the furniture play to the artwork,” says Heather.

“Real artwork always matches, no

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The dinning room’s inlay table is Pam’s favorite furniture find for the home, and is a piece of art in its own right.

matter what. Collectors understand that the art is the main focus; everything else should be like a ‘matting,’ so to speak, for the masterpiece.”

A couch with studded trim, exposed wood-frame chairs, and a stone and metal coffee table are gathered on layered area rugs in front of the fireplace, which is adorned with stonework and carvings. “I fell in love with the fireplace when I saw it, especially the wonderful Egyptian men under the mantle,” says Pam. Hand-scraped, wideplank Brazilian cherry floors were brought in to replace the wall-to-wall carpet. A modern take on a traditional wingback chair—one of the home’s pops of red—is nestled in the 82

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corner, and lantern light fixtures hang from the ceiling.

The living room is open to the dining room, which centers around a stunning inlay dining table, Pam’s favorite furniture “find” for this home. “The table is a piece of art in its own right,” she says. The intricate tabletop is complemented by the curving lines of the white sideboard and the upholstered chairs that surround it. Like the sideboard, the pendant light fixture in the dining space echoes the shape in the center of the inlay. Built-in hutches in the corners are a more traditional element, like the room’s shutters and millwork.

Just off the entry is a cozy and eclectic sitting room. On a round leather ottoman rests a book of Pam’s father’s black and white photography; he was a jewelry designer and artist who started his career as a photographer in the 1940s. There is also a gray sofa with studded trim (another detail repeated on much of the home’s upholstered furniture), a distressed teak sideboard, and an area rug that brings together the room’s hues. Large works of art—one of Pam’s oil paintings above the fireplace, and paintings by Gilmore and Scroggins on either side of the sideboard—make the wall-mounted TV fade into the background in comparison. The flush mount pendant light in this space is hand-painted brass.

The home’s original owner was a doctor, and what is now the guest room was once his

Where building relationships is just as important as the projects we build

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Photography by Sam McGhee

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office, located next to a secondary entrance and adjacent to the home’s attached garage, which was a novelty in its day. “This was the first attached garage in Coeur d’Alene,” says Pam. The guest room has blue and white bedding, cozy throws, and energetic red accents that come in through accessories like pillows and artwork. The smallest details have been carefully considered, such as a textured dresser, an architectural wood headboard, and an alcove that’s been set up as a reading nook with a cushy yet sleek armchair and side table.

The chef ’s kitchen has granite countertops, a gas range, and stainless steel refrigerator,

double ovens, and warming drawer. The floor is accented with inset tiles in an Italian motif. A banquette with reupholstered benches flanking a window that looks onto the back yard makes a comfortable spot for casual dining. Every little space has been attended to, like the windowsill above the sink, on which sit a row of cheerful potted plants.

A partial wall that once obstructed the flow of the kitchen was removed by the home’s contractor, Steve Baugh, who then retiled the floor and created an archway in that space to mimic the one on the opposite end of the room. The Ashers can’t say enough good words about Steve. “He is the greatest guy we’ve ever worked with,” says Pam. Though they’d planned to hire someone for just a couple days’ work, they were so impressed with Steve that they had him continue to complete projects long afterward. “He says, ‘I came for a couple of days and I never left!’” says Pam with a laugh.

In the basement is John’s abode, a cozy and enveloping “man cave.” When the

Banquet benches were reupholstered and placed against the kitchen window, creating a cozy and unique eating area.

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Ashers purchased the home this space was dark and closed in. Now thanks to lightcolored carpet, lighter walls and the addition of artwork and new furniture, it’s become one of John’s favorite rooms in the home. There is comfortable seating on swiveling recliners and on leather chairs that surround a round table. Original details—rich wood paneling, brickwork (which has been whitewashed), a wood-beamed ceiling—add character to the space. Framed etchings by Spanish artist Manel Alvarez line one wall; Pam’s paintings are displayed on the fireplace mantle and one of her bear sculptures sits on the hearth.

A metal sculpture of trees by Coeur d’Alene painter and metal artist Jason Sanchez greets you at the base of the stairs. A full bar on one end of the room has seating on slatted-wood barstools. Glass-front cabinetry provides a place to display serving ware, and copper barware plays off the copper tones of the prep sink.

Down the hallway past the basement’s full bathroom is a surprisingly light and bright room. Previously very dark and lined with built-in bookshelves, it is now open and airy, and serves as Pam’s art studio. Removing the shelves, adding track lighting, and installing an egress window transformed this room into a good space to create vibrant works of art.

A laundry room rounds out the downstairs.

Previously, this room was utilitarian, with exposed ductwork and wires. Now those elements have been covered, cabinetry has been added, and it feels like a finished space—even if it has its quirks. As is often the case with older homes, the flooring here wasn’t exactly level, which provided a challenge. “It took seven containers of thinset to lay the tile!” says Pam.

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A peaked ceiling and an alcove add to the charm and character of this bedroom, which also has a quiet sitting area just off of the main portion of the room.

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The second story is home to the couple’s office, which has a textured green and white desk (it’s faux eel skin with Lucite handles, from Sligh), blue studded slipper chairs, and an oil painting by Channing Collette, a gift from the Ashers’ son. The upstairs bathroom is both functional and full of character with a peaked ceiling, sinks with raised glass bowls, and handpainted Italian tile.

The master bedroom is a soothing and luxurious space, with layer upon layer of texture.

Softness comes from the light colored carpeting, an upholstered headboard, and fabric that’s been draped behind the bed. The paneling here has been painted white, and the walls above it are a soft blue, colors that echo the tones in the bedding. A mirrored vanity and light fixtures from Light Trends made from delicate silver chains (“each one looks like a piece of jewelry,” says Pam) add shine and subtle glamour to the space.

The spacious backyard has lots of seating, a beautiful blue swimming pool, and pops of orange, white and aqua in the planters and outdoor area rugs. Rock gardens in front and back are set along the house, and they’ve already cleared out lots of brush and added the wrought iron, lanterns, and outdoor furniture. In the future the Ashers plan to further transform the outdoor space and “have some landscaping fun,” says John.

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Indoors and out, the house is lovely.

It is the Mediterranean bungalow they’d envisioned, one that honors the home’s history and incorporates all of the elements the Ashers enjoy. Best of all, it’s a home that John and Pam both love.

“It’s grown, incredibly, on me,” says Pam. “I wasn’t as game as my husband was for this house, but after everyone came in and worked their magic, it’s become a really charming home.”

Pam enjoys painting in her home art studio.

Credits: Interior Design: Heather Hanley of Tin Roof and Concept Home Contractor: Steve Baugh Lighting: Revival Lighting Gardener and Landscaping: Alex Galindo Landscape designer: Northland Nursery Tile: G.B. Tile Wrought iron: Spokane Wrought Iron

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real estate home ownership

Millennials: How to make your home ownership dreams a reality

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O

wning a home is part of the American Dream, yet standards on income, credit and debt are making it tougher to buy a home than it was 10 years ago. Even though requirements are relaxing, only three out of five borrowers get approved.

While stricter standards make it tougher for young families to qualify for a mortgage, millennials said they understand why these standards exist and think the tougher requirements won’t stand in their way of buying a home, according to a new survey commissioned by loanDepot.

In fact, millennials today are serious about doing what’s required to get a mortgage. The research surveyed 1,000 millennials who don’t own a home and found 35 percent plan to buy within five years. What’s more, millenials are taking steps now to turn their dreams into a reality by getting their credit in order, paying down debt and saving for a down payment.

“Income is a key to opening the doors of homeownership for millennials, and they’re more than committed to it; they’re actively planning for it,” says Anthony Hsieh, chairman and chief executive officer, loanDepot LLC. “Our improving economy is making it practical for millennials who want to own their own homes in a few short years to get ready now. Their strong desire to become homeowners, coupled with the commitment of getting their finances in order, suggests a renewal in first-time buyer demand may be possible if we sustain necessary economic and market conditions.”

Nancy Wynia Associate Broker ABR, CNE, CRS, GRI 800-403-1970 509-990-2742 nwynia@windermere.com

View complete virtual tours at www.NancyWynia.com

Welcome Home

Sunsets & Star Gazing 9423 S. Labrador Lane

Rustic Artist's Retreat sited on over 10 panoramic view acres. Elegant formal living room with library alcove. Formal dining room with built-in cherry buffet. European kitchen features gas range, Sub-Zero refrigerator, hardwood plank floors, adjoining sun room & family room with gas fireplace. Stunning master suite includes garden tub & walk-in shower. Walkout lower level boasts family room w/gas fireplace, kitchenette with gas range, theater room. Outdoor shop with indoor & RV parking.

Special solar panel with grid feedback.

4 Bedrooms, 4 Baths $585,000

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Personal Attention.

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With their prospects improving as the economy picks up, millennials are forming households faster and making more money compared to a few years ago. One in three millennials said an increase of 15 percent or less in income will be enough to turn them into homebuyers, a significant proposition for the economy.

Because mortgage lenders use debt-toincome to evaluate a borrowers’ ability to repay a loan, student debt is a growing burden on millennials interested in financing a home. Unlike medical debt, student debt carries an equal weight to credit card debt.

Nearly half of those surveyed said it’s unfair to weigh both types of debt equally.

As for the tougher requirements to getting a mortgage, millennials do think the tougher standards guard against risky loans and will help prevent another mortgage crisis. More than half say making it easier to get a mortgage will result in more foreclosures.

If you have student debt and want to buy your first home, here are a few ideas and tips to help you prepare: * Lower your debt-to-income ratio (DTI).

DTI is your total monthly income as compared to your total monthly debt payments.

Most lenders will only lend to you if your DTI is at or below 43 percent. So to lower it, try to increase your income by pursuing a promotion or raise, finding a higher-paying job or taking on part-time work. Decrease your required monthly debt payments by refinancing or consolidating student loans and paying down any credit card balances. * Get your credit score in order. Analyze your credit report before you start the home buying process. Dispute incorrect derogatory information and ensure all three credit-reporting bureaus list all of your positive information. Pay all your bills on time, reduce credit card balances to 30 percent of the credit limit or lower, and don’t open new credit cards if you already have a few. * Save for a down payment. Make a budget for each month before it starts, with a plan for spending and saving, and stick to it.

Stash away extra money from bonuses, overtime or financial gifts on your birthday or holidays. Find a roommate to help pay your rent or move into a less-expensive rental. Do freelance or contract work on the side. Sell unneeded stuff on Craigslist.

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Homestyles Interior Design

Phase 3 Now Available!

Tips to Best Prepare for Meeting with a Designer

by Stephanie Regalado

Turning your house into your home is an adventure that can recur over the years as trends—and your tastes and lifestyle—change.

If you are considering working with an interior designer to help you create the home of your dreams, preparation will ensure the process is enjoyable, and timely. I’ve checked in with the team at R. Alan Brown in Spokane for the top five tips that will set your designer—and your space—up for swift success.

Bring a blueprint/floor plan and photos of the space.

If you have a floor plan, or better yet, a blue print of your home or the space, bring it with you to your meeting. It saves a lot of time and puts you on a fast track. Also, take any photos of special features, including a fireplace, entertainment wall or windows.

Let us know what pieces or materials are staying.

Take photos and write down the dimensions of pieces that you will not separate with—until you are convinced otherwise.

For example, existing furniture, artwork, or area rugs. As well as any existing samples, such as carpet, tile, fabrics, or paint swatches.

The exclusive builders for the development are two of the area’s best & most reputable: Ted Miller Construction & Dave Largent Homes. Currently there are 2 homes available and under construction priced at $395,000 and $399,900. All homes feature top of the line amenities; custom gourmet kitchens with granite counters & stainless steel appliances.

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Give designers the freedom to create.

Be open to ideas, because that is why you hired a designer in the first place. You are gaining new ideas you wouldn’t have thought of yourself.

Trust the designer you feel most inspired by, because they have the ability to visualize individual items, and the overall project. Designers want to create a space that is unique to you.

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Behold inspiration in order to give direction.

To help designers really understand your thoughts on the overall feel, function, and details of the space, tear out magazine clippings or find inspirational images. What type of style do you like (traditional, contemporary, transitional, ranch, lodge, eclectic)? This will help guide color palette, style and overall mood.

Know the scope of the project.

Before your first meeting, understand what you want out of the space. How much do you want to accomplish and on what type of budget?

Also, what is the function or purpose of the space? What is your lifestyle (kids, pets, formal, casual)? Knowing what you want out of the space and understanding your lifestyle, helps us set up our end goals.

• Tree lined streets, 2 private community parks, & paved walking paths.

• Every home site has easy access to the natural hiking trails that run along the river • Desirable schools; Hutton, Sacajawea & Lewis & Clark.

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• Home prices from the low $300’s • Down to the final 7 lots for custom construction

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Work with an experienced Real Estate agent who can help you take the next step.

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downtown spokane’s premier riverside event center Located on the ground floor of the historic Flour Mill building, Chateau Rive is an elegant venue with old world charm. The perfect venue for company parties, weddings, luncheons, meetings, retreats and trade shows.

If you would like your Chateau Rive wedding considered for feature in a future issue, send your photo and testimonial to Vince Bozzi at vince@spokanecda.com 96

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Tips for Stress Free Wedding Planning

by Rachel Sandall

Photography by Anna Peters Photography.

Styling by Alisa Lewis Event Design.

Rachel Sandall is the editor of the Inland Northwest’s premier wedding resource, AppleBrides.com.

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W

hen you look at a list of life’s most stressful events you’ll likely see things like job loss, moving, injury, money troubles and…wedding planning.

A surprising item on this list considering that weddings are some of lives most treasured occasions, but when you add up the emotionally charged nature of a wedding, the fact you’re combining two separate families, and that there’s money involved, well, you’ve got yourself all the fixings for a strong cocktail of potential stress and frustration. But fear not, even 98

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though the journey can be a difficult one, almost all couples look back at their wedding as one of the best days of their life. In other words, it will all work out, whether you convince your fiancé that your invitations really do need those vintage stamps or not.

I can’t promise you that you won’t have a few stressful moments over the next few months, but after several years in the business, I’ve learned that the key to successful wedding planning is tackling it the right way and having the right mindset. Here are 10 tried and true tips to help you stay sane, have fun and plan one incredible day!

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1. Figure out your budget first thing This is probably the least glamorous (and dare I say, least fun) parts of the planning process, but it is also one of the most important parts. Having a clear understanding of the wedding you can actually afford will make everything else less stressful and help keep your bank account in the black. So right after you get that pretty sparkler on your finger, sit down with your fiancé and whoever else might be contributing, and decide how much you can spend.

Here are a couple tips for making your budget: • Make a priority list. This is the crucial step in getting the wedding you really want! Ask yourself what is most important to you as a couple for your big day. Is it the food? The guest-list?

The dress? Narrow down your top three priorities and stick to them!

• Be realistic. I firmly believe you can have an amazing wedding no matter how much you spend, the key is having realistic expectations. Once you understand that you will likely have to make some sacrifices along the line, you will be much more content in the end.

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• Be aware of hidden costs. Things like gratuity, corkage, extra hours on your package or rental items (i.e. tables, chairs, linens) can take some couples by complete surprise when the bill comes, so be sure you are fully aware of all the costs associated with each item on your budget.

2. Keep the guest list in check The rule of thumb for the guest list is, the bigger it is, the more you will spend. Start by coming up with the essential guest list (everyone who definitely gets an invite), then make a “wish list” of people you would love to include if your budget will allow, and have both sets of parents do the same. As you nail down your venue and catering costs your list can be your guide for who to include.

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According to Bride’s Night Out, approximately 94% of brides-to-be have bachelorette parties.

Plan a Bachelorette party that makes for a great Girls Night In! Deborah Wright, is a local home party consultant with Pure Romance, a company that provides mature literature and accouterments. She specializes in in-home Bachelorette parties.

It was not a cake, but a “bride’s pie” that, was served at most weddings up until the early 19th century.

Work with a bakery like Love@ First Bite, which specializes in desserts for all occasions, but is best known for wedding cakes and confections, and feel free to come up with the perfect wedding dessert. This is after all, your day!

Wedding officiants must be legally recognized by the state in which your wedding takes place.

This could be an ordained minister, a Justice of the Peace, or a private wedding officiant, like Rev. Dr. Richard (Dick) Skeeter, who offers officiating, locally, through Spiritual Life Weddings.

Roses are the most popular bridal bouquet flower. Work with a florist like Sunset Florist & Greenhouse to pick the perfect flowers for your bouquet.

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We are ready to make your wedding a great success!

3. Use Pinterest with caution Thank You Spokane for Voting us one of the Best Catering Services!

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If you were to ask my husband what my favorite hobbies are, without a doubt he would list Pinterest. I am an unashamed addict. I use it for everything from how to make a great chicken chili to finding out how to get soap scum off tile. I spend hours pinning beautiful images of gourmet kitchens, couture dresses and exotic locations that I wish I could visit. Pinterest is fabulous…until it’s not.

Only about one in five of the recipes I try from Pinterest actually works. The kitchens I pin are completely unrealistic with my budget, and let’s be honest, I seriously doubt that I will ever be able to afford that Christian Dior gown I pinned last week.

All this to say, Pinterest is best used with caution, a clear head and realistic expectations, especially when planning a wedding.

You will find it very easy to get lost in the thousands of search results for “yellow cascade bouquet” or “rustic centerpieces”.

Beware! That yellow bouquet was pinned 2,567 times because it was created by a world renowned florist in New York and cost $2,250 to make.

So how do you tame this wild inspiration beast? First of all, view Pinterest as a jumping off point. You may not be able to afford that Vera Wang wedding dress, but you can pin it as inspiration for the type of dress that appeals to you. Start with a couple wedding boards and pin the things you like, take your ideas to the various wedding vendors, then let them offer their expertise about what will work for your budget and wedding.

And once you’ve made a decision, stop looking!

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Raise Your

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4. Book your vendors early

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The average engagement time is between six months and two years, which means couples are booking their wedding professionals earlier and earlier. It’s important to nail down your vendors as soon as you can.

Here are some helpful hints for getting the right professionals for your day: • Be sure to meet face-to-face.

Even if you love a vendor’s website

and work, it’s still important to meet them face-to-face. You’re going to be stressed enough on the big day, you want to make sure you like and feel comfortable with everyone there!

• Lowest price doesn’t mean the best deal. When you’re researching your wedding professionals it’s tempting to book the person who quotes the lowest price, but as with most things, you usually get what you pay for. This is not to say that you have

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to spend a ton of money to get quality vendors, but you should always look for the person offering the best quality for the best price, instead of the lowest bidder.

• Be honest with vendors.

Your potential vendors will ask you what your budget is and it’s important that you are honest and upfront with them. If at all possible, most will try and help you the best they can.

We have cupcakes, cakes, or our mobile cupcake truck available for weddings & parties!

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Weddings At

Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox

Photo credit: Ifong Chen Photography

CATERING

For Event & Catering information contact Beacon Hill Catering • Exclusive Caterer to The Fox www.beaconhillevents.com • 509.482.3556 • info@beaconhillevents.com

5. Remember that you’re not Martha Stewart

Fine Catering • Exceptional Service • Affordable Elegance

Just because you can technically make 800 cupcakes for your dessert table, doesn’t mean you will have time or that you should.

The month and weeks before your wedding are going to be very busy, so do yourself a favor and keep the DIY projects to a minimum or delegate them to other people.

If your budget is small and you have no choice but to do a lot of the work yourself, then try and find projects that can be done well in advance of the big day and for everything else, assign people who are not in the wedding to manage each project.

6. Stay in season

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You’re budget will go a lot further if you try and keep your choices in season.

If you’re having an October wedding but you love the look of peonies, you may be disappointed when your florist tells you it’s near impossible to get them that time of year (unless you’ve got a trip to Mexico in your budget). This is where a good florist will recommend cost effective alternatives that will give you the exact same look but using flowers that are available.

You can also save on your decorations by using any plentiful natural elements that are easy to find, like harvest fruits in the fall, pine cones in the winter or wild flowers in the summer. Another cost cutting tip is to ask your caterer if there are certain foods that are cheaper in your season and if there is a way you can incorporate them to save money.

7. Use online resources The internet has made most aspects of life more convenient (seriously, what did people do before Amazon Prime and mobile deposits!?), it’s not surprising that it’s made wedding planning much easier too. For example, there is a whole site devoted to making bridesmaid dress shopping easier.

You and your lovely ladies, no matter where they live, can log on and coordinate your dress styles, colors and purchase the dresses right there in one spot.

The online wedding planning doesn’t stop there. From keeping track of RSVPs and registering for honeymoons to building a wedding website for your guests, the resources for engaged couples are endless.

Do some research and find the sites that will make your planning easier!

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8. Be specific on the invitations!

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One of the age old problems for couples the world over are guests who don’t RSVP or who RSVP for more people than were actually invited.

To get the majority of your guests to RSVP, your best bet is to make it as easy as possible. You will get a way better response if you have an online RSVP option, even if it’s only an email address they can respond to. You should also have the respond by date written on the invitation, as most people work better with a deadline!

I can’t promise your second cousin Laura won’t show up with her uninvited college-aged child, but it will help to be as clear as possible on your invitations. Write

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out the specific names of every invited member of a family. Another easy way to help your guests understand who is invited is to word your RSVP card like this:

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You should also make sure you give your guests plenty of time to respond. Save the dates should be sent at least six months before the wedding and invitations at least six weeks before. Another helpful tip?

Send your invitations on a Wednesday, this will give your guests the weekend to respond when they have some free time.

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9. Designate a day-of coordinator Whether you’re budget is $300 or $50,000, having a day-of coordinator will save you and your family so much stress. The options for wedding planners, coordinators and stylists is endless and will fit in most budgets. There are planners who will walk you through every step of your planning journey, ones you can hire to coordinate your rehearsal and wedding day only, and planners who do everything in-between.

If you can’t afford a professional coordinator, then you should at least designate a point person for the day, preferably someone who is not in your immediate family or in the wedding. This person will be in charge of making sure things stay on schedule, for working with vendors on the day and trying to solve any last minute emergencies.

10. Keep your eye on the prize!

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When you’re in the throes of addressing envelopes, writing checks to vendors and making seating charts, it can be easy to get distracted from what a wedding actually is and why you are planning one. A wedding is simply a celebration of the lifelong commitment you are making with the person you love most, and you can do it with a $2,250 peony bouquet or no bouquet at all.

Stay focused on what the day is all about and enjoy the process!

Photography by Anna Peters Photography.

Styling by Alisa Lewis Event Design.

Rachel Sandall is the editor of the Inland Northwest’s premier wedding resource, AppleBrides.com.

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Know your own strength

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HEALTH BEAT

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Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living’s

12 Week Fitness Challenge!

N

ew Year’s is approaching and health goals, like losing weight and becoming more functionally fit, are often at the top our resolution lists.

In theory this seems achievable; however, without a game plan and strong source of motivation, the New Year’s health kick can end just as quickly as it began.

Accountability, motivation and encouragement are three essential ingredients to successfully see any resolution through, but they are especially necessary for health resolutions, because they are the ones we most often give up on not long after starting. So that means you need someone else committed to the process with you. Or better yet, not just one person, but also an entire group. Enter Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living’s New Year, New You 12 Week Fitness Challenge, with Workout Anywhere.

For Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living readers interested in jump-starting their fitness goals and creating a healthier lifestyle from the convenience of home, work or while traveling, Workout Anywhere is opening their 12 Week Fitness Challenge to our

readers. Plus, for our readers, there is an exclusive discount. Use the promo code “RundleFitChallenge” to take an additional 15% off to join an affordable, yet highly effective training experience accessible on mobile devices and televisions. And yes, there will be prizes (keep reading!).

There are plenty of winter fitness solutions for discovering the new, transformed you, but not all of them are not feasible for everyone. A gym membership suits the needs of many, but if you require one on one training, sometimes being on your own in the gym can leave you feeling lost and overwhelmed. Hiring a personal trainer is a great option, but this can be expensive and does not fit into everyone’s budget. If you’re looking for an affordable and all level, 12 week training program with real results, look no further than the New Year, New You 12 Week Fitness Challenge.

Why the Challenge Is For YOU This challenge is geared for people of all fitness levels – beginners, intermediate or advanced – so don’t cut yourself short and miss out.

We know what you’re thinking. “How can I reach my fitness goals without a gym or expensive equipment?” The answer may surprise you. One can have a more effective training experience in the comfort of home over most gym settings.

Turning on Workout Anywhere’s 12 Week Trainer is a focused training experience

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Health Beat Fitness CHallenge

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using bodyweight, or minimal equipment in a total body training format that exponentially burns calories, builds lean muscle and improves ones aerobic capacity in under 30 minutes (some routines are as short as 8 minutes!). That means one can cut out the gym distractions that turn a short workout into a long workout, travel time and unnecessary expenses and instead apply a straightforward training program with minimal to no equipment needs.

Metabolic circuits are most effective when kept under 30 minutes. The human body tends to burn from different caloric resources post 20-30 minutes of activity, like muscle tissue, which makes toning counterintuitive. Building a lean physique means burning body fat while building lean muscle. So naturally, this training style is more efficient, and thanks to bodyweight exercises, one can use more muscle groups in a single exercise and in a controlled state as opposed to a stationary machine that uses fewer muscles and consequently burns less calories.

How Do I Get Started?

Pre-registration is open now and space is limited. The official challenge starts January 5th and registration will close by that date unless capacity is met before the

start date.

To get registered and for further details, visit workoutanywhere.net or workoutanywhere.net/spokane-fitnesschallenge for official rules and challenge details.

Once on site, follow the checkout details and use your Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living coupon code for a special 15% off of any challenge membership. This includes the base membership (which includes 12 weeks of online training and challenge fee) as well as the annual Gold and Platinum Memberships.

Simply register, and from there the site and the following emails will help new members to acclimate with the Workout Anywhere training system and pre-challenge details. One can test out workouts and the system, but the official challenge does not start until January 5th.

What Can I Win (Beyond the Health of My Dreams)?

There are four main categories for crowning the winners of the New Year, New You 12 Week Fitness Challenge.

Those are: 1.) Best change in weight loss percentage + inches lost, 2.) Best visual change from before and after photos, 3.)

Best motivator (whoever shares their

Justin Rundle is a Certified Personal Trainer with eight years of training experience. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Whitworth University, and is the Mount Spokane High School Strength and Conditioning Coach, the Mt. Spokane Varsity Defensive Line Coach and the owner of www. workoutanywhere.net (online personal training and dieting assistance).

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To celebrate you, the readers, and your commitment to living a healthier lifestyle, we will also be featuring a few contestants willing to share their story and journey.

By the end of the challenge, we’ll contact a few readers/challengers interested in showing off their hard work with the rest of the Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living readership.

Feel free to contact workoutanywhere. net or on Facebook.com/rundlefit or Twitter.com/workoutanywhere to have your fitness or challenge questions answered.

The countdown has begun! Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living readers, we’re challenging YOU! Cheers to the new, healthy you!

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AFTER

journey and excitement for the challenge both before and during the challenge on social media and in person), and 4.)

Best submitted short video or written testimonial.

Using the criteria above, the grand prize winner will win $1,000. Second place will win $500 and third place will win $250 post challenge. In addition to the grand prizes, there will be random giveaway prizes during and after the challenge for “motivator of the week,” and “performance of the week.” These prizes are locally sponsored and could grow in number by the start date and during the challenge. In addition, depending on how many challengers enroll, there could be additional prize brackets added to the challenge.

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Health Beat holiday Tips

Holiday Tips

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A plethora of parties make eating well more challenging— especially when you don’t have any control over what is being served. The following are a few pointers to guide you through the holiday season, from Patty Seebeck, Program Coordinator for INCA After Dark, and former Nutrition Services Coordinator for The Heart Institute of Spokane, for 12 years.

by Katie Collings Nichol

Holidays are all about abundance and regular routines get thrown off track. Maintaining your weight is a much healthier goal than losing weight in the holiday season, so work hard to keep healthy routines in place! Last time I checked, average weight gain is 12 pounds from Thanksgiving to Christmas. EEEEK! Special events can take the place of insane baking benders...create a memory with your ‘little one’ at Christ Kitchen’s 10th Annual Gingerbread Build-

ing Well

off at the Davenport Hotel on Dec 14th, 2014.

Purchase a cooking class (to take postholidays) instead of focusing all of your energy on baking sweets. INCA After Dark has gift certificates and classes posted through March 2015.

Walking with a friend regularly in the holidays is more connectional than a cookie plate or calorie-laden drinks. Or mix the two with a walk first!

Exposure to food usually means trouble... ask yourself how to limit it. Do not stand by all the treats at the parties...

“See food, eat food.” Keep some type of non-alcoholic beverage in your hand at all times (the host will keep filling it).

Eat something protein-rich before going to a party... you are guaranteed to overindulge if you show up starving!

One of my favorite sayings is, “If it’s in the house, it’s in your mouth!” ...i.e., politely decline to take home party leftovers.

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Health Beat Memory Loss

Managing the holidays with a loved one who suffers memory loss The holidays are supposed to be

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a time of joy when families and friends gather to share each other’s company, revisit fond stories of holidays past and make new memories to last a lifetime. But what if a loved one is no longer able to remember the holidays or the family and friends he has spent them with? What if dementia or Alzheimer’s has robbed a parent or grandparent of the ability to make and cherish new memories?

Despite the stress and sadness Alzheimer’s can cause, it is possible to create comfort and happiness for everyone during the holidays.

Here is some advice to help caregivers and families navigate the holidays: * Encourage visits, even if your loved one’s memory loss makes visitors uncomfortable.

Socialization is important for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia - and for the people who take care of them. Prepare guests for the changes in your loved one, especially if the visitors have not seen him or her in a while. * Encourage reminiscing and storytelling of favorite holiday memories and traditions.

Often, long term memories are the strength of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Telling stories of childhood and early adult life can help them feel engaged and purposeful during visits with families and friends. * As much as possible, involve your loved in in preparing food, wrapping gifts and other familiar holiday traditions. Participating in familiar routines and tasks will promote their self-esteem and provide a sense of purpose during this special time. * Take care of yourself. Caring for someone with memory loss is time-consuming and stressful. It’s okay to accept help, especially during the holidays .

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Your lIfe, Your Move, Your Terms EXL Realty, Kathy Bryant, www.kathybryanthomes.com, kathy@kathybryanthomes.com, (509) 993-3538.

H

ave you thought about moving closer to family or, perhaps, closer to relaxation? Have you been concerned with how and where to even begin that process? Do you have years and years of cherished belongings? Does the thought of finding answers to your questions and considering a move overwhelm you? Kathy Bryant is a senior real estate specialist with EXL Realty, and she realizes the answers to these and many other questions and concerns are as varied and unique as each individual.

“I recognize that it often takes years to decide when to move,” says Kathy. “The importance of addressing these questions early on cannot be overstated.” One of the biggest mistakes Kathy has seen over the years, is missed opportunity. “Many people put off until tomorrow what can and should be done today. It is imperative to align yourself with professionals who specialize in assisting senior citizens and their families.”

With real empathy and caring, Kathy developed the program, “Your Life, Your Move, Your Terms.” Her mission is to give the gift of knowledge and a true sense of caring to her clients. “It is my goal to earn my client’s trust and to help however I possibly can,” she says. “I do this by being available to answer their questions, and refer them to trusted resources and support them every step of the way.”

It has always been Kathy’s desire to help others live their lives on their own terms, and everything she does is in support of that goal. She turns what may be expected to be an overwhelming process into an enjoyable one, empowering clients—and their families—every step of the way.

Kathy Bryant with EXL Realty

Star Financial and Insurance Services, Inc. Star Financial and Insurance Services, Inc., 400 S Jefferson St, Suite 202, Spokane, (509) 789-1818, www.starfinc.com

M

elissa S. Williams had worked for two large firms for the majority of her career, before starting Star Financial and Insurance Services, Inc. on April 1, 2013. “I wanted to have more flexibility in serving my client’s individual needs by having the ability to use a variety of financial companies and tools,” she says. The company has taken off and Melissa has hired two additional advisors, Jim Rund and Scott Keno, as well as office staff.

Star is a full service financial advisory firm serving both families and small businesses. They are able to offer a variety of services and products that address: retirement and accumulation planning, income planning, estate tax planning, charitable giving, small businesses, and group benefits for larger companies, including health insurance, group disability, group life and 401ks.

“We work with clients of all sizes, some with large estates, and also families just starting to plan,” says Melissa. “We hope to work with clients of our choosing that fit a criteria that doesn’t always include net worth or investible assets. We assist these clients in seeking ways for them to be responsible stewards of their money and to insure that the people and organizations they love are reflected in their planning.”

One of Melissa’s favorite aspects of the work she does is to take what a client views as a mess and to create a meaningful plan for them. “I look at it as a puzzle that can be solved, and then work to put it together,” she says. “I often use several different financial companies and tools for one client. This has given me flexibility to design the plans with each individual client’s needs in mind.”

Often clients approach the first meeting feeling discouraged and fearful for a variety of reasons. “I am always proud when they tell me that my ideas have helped them feel more confident about their future. I love to see people relieved that a problem that seemed so insurmountable to them often has a simple solution, and that I am able to provide it.”

Melissa Williams | Star Financial

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R. Alan Brown Interiors | The Leather Furniture Gallery R. Alan Brown Interiors, 10303 East Sprague Avenue, Spokane, (509) 924-7200, www.ralanbrowninc.com

R.

Alan Brown Interiors was founded in 1957 by its namesake in a two-story design studio in downtown Spokane near the Ridpath Hotel. The studio was a place that clients, whether residential or commercial, could find answers to their design questions for carpet, floor coverings, wall coverings, and window treatments, along with some of Spokane’s finest home and office furnishings and accessories.

More than 57 years later, the equation remains the same— finding and providing their clients with the highest quality of interiors and design services.

Owners Travis and Dori Brown, a second-generation owner, always enjoy hearing comments from people walking through their front doors for the first time, “Oh, this is where we can find unique quality furniture here in Spokane!”

The team at R. Alan Brown Interiors values the relationships forged with their clients through the design process the most.

No two clients are the same.

They see a variety of styles from contemporary to traditional and everything in between. “It is very rewarding to work through all of the details as a design develops, that result in a perfect balance of function and aesthetics,” says Travis. “Whether creating an entire design

package or finding that perfect single addition, in the end it’s about being able to deliver truly remarkable quality and often one of a kind furnishings.”

The R. Alan Brown Interiors team appreciates the opportunity to work with their clients on additional projects, as well. “Being in business for more than half a century, we end up designing new homes, vacation homes here in the Northwest and for a number of clients, homes in different parts of the country,” says Travis. “Trust in our products and services make for long lasting relationships with our clients.” They always look forward to new opportunities with previous clients, as well as meeting and helping new clients, for their next or new project on the horizon.

“We are seeing an evolution in our business that is really a revival of people not wanting what their neighbors have or what everyone else has—but something unique and different with quality that will last,” says Travis. This philosophy is exactly what R. Alan Brown Interiors has always brought to the table, and their team is excited to help create and deliver those design solutions for many families, and for many years, to come. spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

15’-25’

Auto Repair

Where Should You Take Your Vehicle?

by David Vahala

S

hort answer – it depends! Does your vehicle need an oil change, brakes or a muffler? Warranty service? Headlight or taillight out? Routine maintenance or tune up? Engine leaking fluids? Need the antifreeze changed? The list can go on and on. With somewhere around 1,800 combined components or 14,000 individual parts, a lot can go wrong with a car or truck.

With so many options for auto repair, how do you find the one that’s right for your needs – reputable, honest and with fair pricing – an auto shop that gets the job done right the first time? A shop you can trust and have confidence in? Probably not by using Google. I tried it – Auto Repair Shops Spokane & Coeur d’Alene – by about page 22, when you start seeing titles that aren’t related to auto repair, it appears we have nearly 500 choices. Eyes glaze over – where to start?

Ideally, you want to find shops you have confidence in, that you can develop long-term business relationships with. If you have a new or used vehicle still under warranty, visit the dealership you bought the car from. If you purchased an extended warranty, be sure you take the vehicle to the appropriate auto service shop – you don’t want to invalidate the warranty. I believe it’s fair to say that any new car store you purchase a vehicle from wants you as a customer for life, so their service department is going to work hard to contribute to that effort. Don’t hesitate to involve your salesperson as an advocate if needed and never hesitate to go right to the general manager if you are not 100 percent satisfied. Use purchasing a new or used car to your advantage at the dealership you bought it from.

Ask family, friends and coworkers where they take their cars. I recently chose an independent shop close to my home based on the recommendations from a family friend and a peer. I visited Manito Automotive Technicians and talked to the owner – something I recommend you do before you even schedule an appointment.

Owner Wayne Wold has operated his successful business for over 22 years based on referrals from customers’ families, friends, neighbors, surrounding businesses and even postal carriers. His modest approach to consistently satisfying clients? “Keep it simple, work smarter, not harder, charge fair prices and be honest,” he says.

With two bays and two mechanics, Manito Automotive Technicians specializes in routine maintenance work that rarely exceeds three hours of shop time.

I noticed two Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living Best of the City Bronze awards from 2010 and 2013 in the waiting area. “We appreciate our customer’s loyalty and willingness to share our success!” says Wayne.

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• To w i n g Ava i l a b l e • Transmissions • Tune Ups • B att e r i e s • Brakes

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Tire & Automotive 130

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What’s Wayne’s secret? “We work hard to earn and keep our client’s trust, to do the right thing,” he says. “We are serious about quality and pay attention to details.”

Another independent local shop with a different approach, is this year’s (and 2013’s as well) Best of the City Gold Award winner, Mechanic’s Pride Tire & Automotive, which opened 27 years ago. Owner Michael Federico, already an expert mechanic, realized he was better at working with people than on their cars, and that he could provide better customer service by owning his own repair shop. I took one of my cars to Mike earlier this year and his team made quick work of replacing the struts at a fair price while providing friendly, personalized service.

With two shops, one in Spokane Valley, Mike is an active marketer and would be the first to tell you he needs more space in downtown Spokane.

mechanicspride@gmail.com

A great way to qualify any auto repair shop is to check with the Better Business Bureau.

Regardless if a business is BBB Accredited (both shops mentioned above are listed, only one is accredited), the BBB provides excellent, free resources about all businesses on their website.

Chelsea Maguire, BBB’s Director of Communications, says they have two popular online programs: Compare BBB Business Reviews, and Request A Quote. These programs allow you to first compare businesses side-by-side, then use their BBB Request A Quote template to obtain a quote for the

work you need done. Compare businesses, compare prices. Make it a must do to check with BBB before you choose a repair shop. bbb.org/eastern-washington.

A regional company like Pacific Northwest-based Les Schwab can be an excellent choice for common maintenance such as brakes, shocks and struts, wheels, snow tires and batteries. The company was founded in 1952 and has over 450 stores in eight states, from Alaska to California. If you do a lot of driving in the western U.S., it can be very handy to have that Les Schwab warranty when you have an issue on that back road in Montana!

National franchise auto shops such as Jiffy Lube, Meineke and AAMCO have expanded their services to include brakes, air conditioning, fuel systems, tires and emissions.

For basic maintenance, no appointments and quick service is appealing. Be sure to check the BBB for these quick-service stores.

Returning to new car dealerships’ service departments, would you take your car to one for an oil change or tires? May Ward, Service Manager for Larry H. Miller Hyundai, says you shouldn’t overlook them. “Not only are we price competitive with quick service auto stores, we offer so much more, including manufacturer’s discounts for tires and parts.

As a new car store, we highly value our reputation in the community.” She continues, “Even if you’ve never had your car serviced with us before, we strive to make our service department the one-stop maintenance center for all of your needs. We work with most makes and models, not just Hyundai’s. Plus, we wash your car too.”

Here’s hoping we’ve provided you with just the right amount of information to help you make a decision where to take your vehicle for maintenance and auto repairs.

Happy Motoring!

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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THE SCENE

1 3 6 ARTIST PROFI LE 138 BO OK REVI EWS 140 DATEBO OK

TheVolunteers Spirit of Christmas make Christmas Tree Elegance H ave you seen them? Those elves that have been scurrying around Spokane for months on end, getting ready for Christmas in Spokane? Don’t look for curled-toe shoes with bells, pointy ears, or red and green velvet clothes.

These are undercover elves, they kind that blend in with the rest of Spokane residents, but they are far from ordinary.

Since last spring, a team of 300 “elves” has been working to get Christmas Tree elegance ready for its grand run, December 2-14, 2014. This devoted team of volunteers works tirelessly throughout the spring, summer and fall, readying trees for the event. While we are sunning ourselves on a local lake, barbecuing on the deck, and watching late night sunsets, it is Christmas-in-July mode for the volunteers.

The historic Davenport Hotel and River Park Square shopping and entertainment complex will host Christmas Tree Elegance, a raffle of 18 themed custom-decorated trees with prizes which include gift certificates, items and cash valued at $5,000 December 2-14, 2014.

Twelve decorated trees will grace the mezzanine of the historic

Davenport Hotel and six holiday trees will line the second floor corridor at River Park Square.

The annual extravaganza is created and sponsored by Spokane Symphony Associates, and raises more than $200,000 in support of the Spokane Symphony each year.

“People see the trees, see that it is beautiful, and they are excited and say, ‘I want to put together a tree next year!’” says Annie Matlow, former Spokane Symphony marketing and public relations director, who in her retirement is working as a freelance marketing and public relations professional. “They can’t imagine the work that goes into doing that, though.”

Volunteer tree coordinators are responsible for selecting a theme for their tree, and then going out into the community to get the gifts donated. They are then responsible for procuring the gifts and incorporating them into the greater design vision for each tree.

“Susie Kennedy is a volunteer extraordinaire,” says Matlow, naming one of the “elves” who throws their time, attention and spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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efforts into pulling off the 18 beautiful trees that make up Christmas Tree Elegance.

None of the trees can exceed a value of $5,000, an amount set and enforced by the Washington State Gambling Commission.

This poses an additional challenge for the volunteers, who must manage the values of the items on the trees, and make adjustments if a donated item turns out to be worth more than originally thought, lest it be in danger of pushing the value over $5,000.

Making the jump from 12 to 18 trees, four years ago, added an even greater responsibility on the shoulders of the volunteers. After the trees are up and on display, it is a volunteer force that mans the trees and sells raffle tickets, ten hours a day, for 12 days. The chance to win one of the fabulously decorated trees and all its themed gifts has been a Spokane holiday tradition for over 30 years. Thousands of visitors from across the Inland Northwest come to view the trees and purchase the $1 raffle tickets for a chance to win.

Each tree also includes a cash amount, as part of the prize. Matlow says that the point of the cash is so that winners will have cash to pay the tax on each tree, and not have to come up with the money out of their own pocket.

Be warned though, if you do win a tree, you have to be at the Davenport early the morning after the drawing to pick up your tree and everything that is part of that tree package, as everything must be cleared out of the Davenport by noon.

It is not just the trees that draw crowds in for Christmas Tree Elegance. One of the most popular features of the 12-day event has been the holiday luncheons with fashion show featuring local boutiques. Last year, a tea was added with fashions for young people as well as their mothers and grandmothers.

The luncheon and tea are on December 9 in the Grand Pennington Ballroom of the Davenport Hotel, with the luncheon at 11 a.m. and the tea at 3 p.m.

It is thanks to the numerous Christmas Tree Elegance “elves” who volunteer their time and effort, that this annual event is able to take plane, and to make such a financial difference in our arts community. Those volunteers definitely belong on the nice list!

— Blythe Thimsen For information, call (509) 458-8733

charisafaithofficial@gmail.com | (208) 659-1381 134

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Now Leasing Space Retail/Office

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artist profile melinda melvin

- Getting Out of the Way -

painter

by Robin Bishop

Melinda Melvin Many of us live with the feeling there is a creative beast in us just waiting to be tapped

or awakened. The blessed actually experience that awakening while some may always be left wondering. Melinda Melvin is one of the blessed. Call it manifest destiny or just enjoyable coincidence, what started as a hobby has meteorically shot Melvin into the public eye as an emerging artist.

An enjoyment of stamping back in the day, which Melvin used as a way to unwind from her demanding nursing job at Sacred Heart Medical Center, became more of an experiment mixing stamps with other mediums and materials. The experiment quickly grew from hobby to requests by friends for custom painted tiles, cards and furniture. Melvin’s absolute lack of fear in trying new things catapulted her into learning new techniques and combining materials in unexpected ways. She began playing with alcohol paint, epoxy, acrylic and pretty much anything she could get her hands on, resulting in pieces possessing a mysterious depth and appeal; layering all these different materials in such a way as to achieve a highly polished look of natural stone or water.

When asked if she was a creative child she hesitates. “Now that I think about it, I did a

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Everyone has an artist hidden inside. Our goal is to design the perfect party for you!

Birthday Parties, Bridal Shower, Ladies Night, Baby Shower, or any other type of party! lot of paint by numbers as a kid,” she says.

She has applied her creativity in many different ways throughout her 27 years in nursing and in her home, but it was one specific idea that started her down the road to discovering her inner artist. Chuckling, Melvin recalls the voice that nagged at her to make a scrapbook for her 25th wedding anniversary. Finally succumbing to the prattle, she delved head long into the project. Upon completion, she surveyed her work with an approving eye, and when gifting it to her husband came to realize she was a couple of years ahead of herself; it being their 23rd anniversary. Melvin intuitively recognized this “mistake” as the catalyst it was. Her creative curiosity was peaked and she has never looked back.

Pieces of plywood, old furniture, and excess construction materials, even lamps were all dragged down the rabbit hole with her, to our delight.

In trying to pinpoint Melvin’s methods, I found she actually considers painting a bit of a trip to Wonderland. In fact, she feels a bit like a vessel and is surprised and delighted by the finished works that come to life under her brush. “Things fall apart when I try to do art. I can’t think about it.”

Never in a million years would she have seen herself as an artist. Nursing was a life-long dream and she still loves her job.

“It connects me with people much like art does,” she reflects. Melvin is highly conscious of being an amateur in the art arena and painting being a new journey for her. She is grateful for every open door/ wall, invitation and opportunity to meet new artists, show her work, and get involved in the community.

Melvin has realized a sense of purpose in uniting the art community. She strongly feels “there is no place in art for right or wrong. Every artist has his or her own journey and methodology. It’s about creation and the individual voice. No two pieces will ever be the same.”

To see some of Melvin’s own favorite pieces visit Taste on 2nd and Howard through November 30th. She has pieces on display at Twisp Café, Mercedes of Spokane, Bozzi Gallery and Manic Moon.

Robin Bishop is a marketing professional in the Spokane area and a free-lance writer.

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book reviews local Authors

Dec/Jan

Book Reviews

by Kate Derrick

Spokane’s Stories

by Blythe Thimsen

How much do you really know about Spokane?

• How did 100,000 pounds of foil collected from cigarette and cigar wrappings benefit the lives of children in Spokane?

• What event brought over 50,000 people onto Spokane’ streets on September 3, 1931?

• Why was the largest organization of B-29 bombers located only ten miles outside of Spokane at one point?

• Which local company sent a rocking chair to President Kennedy, via a Greyhound bus?

• Which alcohol-abhorring Spokane mayor took an axe to his floor to dig up a barrel of whiskey “and have a fine time?”

• Who was the Spokane business leader who kept a live seal in a fountain in his front yard?

The answers are in Spokane’s Stories.

Spokane has incredible stories tucked into its past. With stories of bold steps, daring defeats, life altering tragedies and divinely appointed blessings, this is a town that has seen it all. Add to

it a hearty dose of zesty personalities, strong characters and determined individuals, and it is easy to get lost in the rich and riveting history of Spokane. This town has a story to tell; it has many stories to tell. These are Spokane’s Stories.

In this compilation of Blythe Thimsen’s work, some of it previously published, some of it new, dive deeper into well-known topics, and get lost in the details, as this book showcases the stories of 28 of the most impactful people, places and events that helped build Spokane into the city it is today. (Reviewed by PL) Published by Up Escalator Publications, hardcover, $34.99

Blythe J. Thimsen is a writer and editor from Spokane, Washington. She graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, and from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, with a BA in Communication Studies, before returning to the Northwest to pursue her writing career. She has been the Editorin-Chief of Spokane Coeur d’Alene Living since 2004. This is her first book.

Father and Son Bicycling Across North America

by Wesley H Willand

Retiring after 26 years in the Air Force, Wesley Willand invited his son, just graduating from high school, to participate in a long father and son trip across America. Starting in Nova Scotia, Wesley and Walker took a long bicycle trip, spanning almost three months throughout 2011, weaving in and out of the U.S. and Canada, eventually arriving home in Cheney, Washington.

Reading almost like a diary, Father and Son Bicycling Across North America, shows the reader some of the trials and tribulations involved in a cycling trip of that magnitude. Cold temperatures, rain, fog, bike repairs and running out of water were just some of the bumps the father and son duo ran into, though those were just minor problems in their long and rewarding journey.

The book is full of pictures from each of their stops, including the wildlife, terrain, historical landmarks, and some of the fun hotels they stayed at. Willand writes of their struggles as well as their triumphs, and the changing of their father and son relationship along the way.

Father and Son Bicycling Across North America is a fun read, and may act as an inspiration for your own family trip. As Willand says about his book, “My hope is that you are encouraged to dream of your own journey and then plan to achieve that dream with your family.”

Published by Elderberry Press, paperback, $29.95 Wesley Willand grew up in north central Iowa and now calls Cheney, Washington, home. His son Walker was born in Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. He now attends Eastern Washington University in the Electrical Engineering program.

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Tiger Frog

by Steve Hughett

Washington author, Steve Hughett, comes forth with the third installment of his HumphreySkinner mystery novels, Tiger Frog. The story follows retired Scotland Yard Chief Inspector, Burton Humphrey, and his partner, Penelope Skinner, as they work to help avenge an old friend, Clive Dougen, who was murdered while working as an undercover British agent.

After working eight years undercover, Clive Dougen is found dead in the ocean.

Not surprisingly, his death appears to be a homicide. He was working aboard a submarine on its way to Belfast, carrying secret weapons for the IRA. Once in possession of these weapons, the IRA plan to kill members of the British Parliament.

As Humphrey receives this news about his old friend, the case becomes personal, as the safety of Clive’s son and Humphrey’s partner, Penelope, is now at risk.

Tiger Frog follows the duo as they navigate the waters of undercover agents and illegal weapons. The story is full of suspense as Humphrey and Penelope work together with quick wit, always uncovering a new clue to the mystery.

Hughett writes in a way that allows the reader to imagine the unlikely couple with ease. Tiger Frog has plenty of British influence as the characters indulge in tea and polite banter all the way through. For fans of mysteries and British literature, Tiger Frog is a fun read and will keep you drawn-in the whole time.

Published by Beacon’s Light, paperback, $13.99 Steve Hughett is the author of the HumphreySkinner series. He lives in the country a few miles away from Spokane, Washington, with his family. While not working on his next novel, he is spending time at his cabin, playing music, or continuing his childhood love of owning and maintaining foreign sports cars.

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Date Book

A Christmas Carol: The Musical, at Spokane Civic Theatre photo by Chris Wooley - Heads & Tails Photo

ART

December 5, January 2: First Friday Enjoy visual arts, musical presentations, sample local foods, get acquainted with local performing artists and more at this monthly event sponsored by the Downtown Spokane Partnership. On the first Friday of each month, participating galleries, museums, boutiques and more host a city-wide open house with refreshments and entertainment. Join us! First Friday is free and open to the public!

Downtown Spokane. For more information or a complete map of participating venues, please log on to http://www.downtownspokane.org/ first-friday.php.

December 12: Coeur d’Alene ArtWalk 5-8pm every second Friday from April December, stroll through beautiful Downtown Coeur d’Alene and enjoy local and nationally acclaimed artists. Visit supporting galleries, shops, restaurants and businesses with your friends and family. A family-friendly, free event!

Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. For more information, please visit http://www.artsincda.org/. through January 31: 100 Stories - A Centennial Exhibition With the end of its first century in sight, the Eastern Washington State Historical Society (dba Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture) is preparing a new exhibit experience that looks forward as much as it looks back. Capitalizing

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on the MAC’s extraordinary collections, 100 Stories will vibrate with enduring and inescapable themes of the American West. Spirited voices will weave stories of history and cultures and art. This exhibit will demonstrate the MAC’s role in maintaining, preserving and interpreting the region.

100 Stories will be told on the MAC campus in Browne’s Addition, as well as in relevant locations throughout Spokane and eastern Washington.

Museum of Arts and Culture. 2316 W. First Avenue, Spokane, WA 99201. Call (509) 4563931 or e-mail themac@northwestmuseum.org for more information. through December 31: Gay Waldman and Ken Yuhasz This exhibition includes photography and sculpture by two of Spokane’s most prominent artists. Waldman is well-known for her photography and recently completed a large photo work for the Spokane Convention Center. Yuhasz is best known for his works of neon sculpture including the Aer-O-Toaster at the Spokane International Airport. An artist reception will be held Friday, October 3, 5 to 9 p.m. in conjunction with Visual Arts Tour.

Chase Gallery at City Hall. 808 W Spokane Falls Blvd. Spokane, WA 99201. For more information, log on to http://www.visitspokane.com/ art/chase-gallery/ EVENTS through January 1: Eagle Watching Lake Cruises Enjoy a two hour cruise around the north end of Lake Coeur d’Alene while observing eagles. Bring your binoculars and dress warm.

The cruises depart at 1 and 3pm daily.

Coeur d’Alene Resort.115 S 2nd St, Coeur D Alene, ID 83814. For tickets and information, call 208-664-7268.

through January 4: Holiday Light Cruises “Journey to the North Pole” Take a festive holiday lake cruise across the sparkling waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene. View more than a million twinkling holiday lights and visit a live Santa Claus at his waterfront toy workshop, where he magically speaks to each child by name.

Boarding for this 40-minute cruise is at the Boardwalk Marina, 15 minutes prior to the cruise departure time. Nightly cruise departure times: 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 pm with additional departure times on select dates based on demand.

Coeur d’Alene Resort.115 S 2nd St, Coeur D Alene, ID 83814. For more information, call 208-765-4000.

December 3, 10, 17: Holiday Light Dinner Cruise View all the spectacular holiday lights on the lake while enjoying a buffet-style dining experience. Dinner includes: Carved Roast Turkey, Smoked Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Romaine Salad, Broccoli-Red Grape Salad, Green Beans, Butternut Squash and Chef’s Choice Dessert. Boarding for this cruise is at the Boardwalk Marina, 15 minutes prior to the cruise departure time. Departure time is 6:30pm.

Coeur d’Alene Resort.115 S 2nd St, Coeur D Alene, ID 83814. 800-688-5253. www.cdaresort.com.

December 2-14: Christmas Tree Elegance Two of Spokane’s outstanding destinations, the historic Davenport Hotel and River Park Square shopping and entertainment complex, will host Christmas Tree Elegance, a raffle of 18 themed custom-decorated trees with prizes which include gift certificates, items and cash valued at $5,000.

The chance to win one of the fabulously decorated trees and all its themed gifts has been a Spokane holiday tradition for over 30 years.

Thousands of visitors from across the Inland Northwest come to view the trees and purchase the $1 raffle tickets for a chance to win.

Twelve decorated trees will grace the mezzanine of the historic Davenport Hotel, Spokane’s only AAA four diamond hotel. Six holiday trees will line the second floor corridor at River Park Square, Downtown Spokane’s premier shopping and entertainment destination. The annual extravaganza is created and sponsored by Spokane Symphony Associates, a 300-member volunteer organization that raises more than $200,000 in support of the Spokane Symphony each year.

The Davenport Hotel. 10 S. Post St. Spokane, WA 99201. River Park Square. 808 W Main Ave, Spokane, WA 99201. For more information, please log on to: http://www.symphonyassociates.org December 4: Shatner’s World In Shatner’s World…a one man force of nature delivers a larger than life performance complete with his laugh-out-loud humor, signature storytelling and select musical selections in his inimitable style. Through anecdotes, songs, jokes and even some poignant moments, you will experience William Shatner‘s phenomenal path from classically trained Shakespearean actor to cultural icon, brilliantly creating the larger-than-life and most important character he has ever played, William Shatner.

INB Performing Arts Center. 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Spokane, WA 99201. For tickets, call 1-800-325-SEAT or visit http://www.ticketswest.com.

December 6: Jingle Bell Run/Walk Be part of the largest holiday 5K race series aimed to fight arthritis! Chosen as one of the Most Incredible Themed Races, Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis is a fun and festive way to kick off your holidays by helping others!

Wear a holiday themed costume. Tie jingle bells to your shoelaces. Raise funds to help find a cure for arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. Run or walk a 5 kilometer route with your team members and celebrate the season by giving.

Fountain Meadow in Riverfront Park. 507 N. Howard St. Spokane, WA 99201. For more information and to register, please log on to: http://www.spokanejinglebellrun.kintera.org/

Presenting

In-Studio Performance

December 13th at 3:00-4:30pm Featuring Junior & Senior Companies

First Night Spokane, December 31st Performances by Junior & Senior Companies at the Convention Center and the Bing Crosby Theater

Openings For Pre-Professional Program

by Audition or Invitation. Call for details!

509-838-5705 | 109 W. Pacific Ave., Spokane, WA 99201 www.balletartsacademy.com The Ballet School where students get the highest level of training (Ballet, Modern, Pilates)

December 6: Sound of Music: Fourth Annual Sing-a-Long Get out that lederhosen, cut up those chintz curtains and warm up those vocal chords because The Sound of Music is set to return to Spokane in an interactive-viewing experience unlike any other. The Sound of Music Sing-a-Long is a screening of the classic Julie Andrews musical film in glorious full-screen Technicolor on a screen that takes up the spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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entire proscenium, complete with subtitles so that the entire audience can sing along!

The evening also features the famous Sound of Music Costume Contest, where guests in the most clever and outrageous outfits claim top prizes. Previous entries include nuns of both genders, girls in white dresses and blue satin sashes, a lonely goatherd, the Alps, brown paper packages tied up with strings and many more of your favorite things!

Every person who comes dressed to impress is automatically entered into the contest and is brought on stage for the voting period.

INB Performing Arts Center. 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Spokane, WA 99201. For tickets, call 1-800-325-SEAT or visit http://www.ticketswest.com.

December 31: First Night Spokane The must-attend event in Spokane happens on the first night of the year. First Night Spokane touts itself as the biggest New Year’s party you’ve ever seen, with one of the best fireworks shows of the year and more entertainment than you could hope for in a week, all packed into one celebratory night. Everything from ice-sculpting to snowboarding, from classical music to rock, from the visual arts to performance art -- all will be available for your enjoyment! There’s something for everyone at First Night Spokane! Ring in 2015 with style in downtown. Buttons go on sale in November and are available through a variety of local businesses and FirstnightSpokane.org.

Downtown Spokane. For more information, log on to http://firstnightspokane.org/ or email info@firstnightspokane.org.

509.838.3333

MUSIC

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December 13-14: Whitworth University Christmas Festival: O Come, All Ye Faithful Whitworth’s Christmas Festival Concerts will be presented by over 120 student performers including members of the Whitworth Choir, the Whitworth Women’s Choir, the Whitworth Men’s Chorus, and the Whitworth Chamber Singers, as well as, student-instrumentalists and student-narrators. The concert theme will be elevated through choral works, readings, and traditional carols for audience and choirs.

Presented seamlessly and without pause or

interruption, the ever-popular concert will be concluded in candlelight.

Fox Theatre. 1001 W Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201. For tickets, call 1-800-325-SEAT or visit http://www.ticketswest.com.

December 18: Michael W. Smith Michael’s Christmas Spectacular has become a treasured holiday tradition. The Associated Press calls Smith’s Christmas music “cinematic” and this tour will showcase exactly why.

Each tour date will feature Michael W. Smith performing selections from his new Christmas album to be released later this year, as well as standards from his previous three acclaimed Christmas albums.

INB Performing Arts Center. 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Spokane, WA 99201. For tickets, call 1-800-325-SEAT or visit http://www.ticketswest.com.

December 20-21: Spokane Symphony: Holiday Pops Celebration Resident Conductor Morihiko Nakahara and the Spokane Symphony will treat you to all the traditions of the Holiday Pops – a heartwarming selection of festive music (old and new), the popular audience Sing-Along, and a visit from Santa. Family pricing is available for both shows so parents and grandparents can share this delightful event with their children.

Fox Theatre. 1001 W Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201. For tickets, call 1-800-325-SEAT or visit http://www.ticketswest.com.

Olympic Game Farm

On the Olympic Peninsula

Come See the Waving Bears!

Olympic Game Farm 1423 Ward Rd. • Sequim, WA 98382

1-800-778-4295 • 360-683-4295 • www.OlyGameFarm.com

December 21: Bret Michaels During the 80s Glam Metal movement when power ballads were big and the hair was even bigger, Bret Michaels as lead singer of the band Poison, ruled the party rock genre with hits such as “Nothin’ But A Good Time,” “Talk Dirty To Me,” “Unskinny Bop” and the Billboard Number One hit “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” Michaels’ rock hard and party hard approach to music characterized the times and helped earned Poison multiple gold and multi-platinum records as well as two American Music Award nominations. In recent years, Michaels successfully turned his passion for music into a multimillion dollar enterprise that includes record-breaking touring sales, reality TV stardom, product endorsements and philanthropic work. His solo career success includes albums “Songs of Life,” “Freedom of Sound,” “Rock My World” and “Custom Built,” which reached Number One on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart and Number 14 on the Billboard 200.

Northern Quest Casino, 100 N Hayford Rd, Airway Heights, WA 99001. For tickets, please log on to http://northernquest.com/.

December 31: Spokane Symphony New Year’s Eve Special: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony Kick off New Year’s Eve with a one-hour musispokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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Jack Tenold NMLS #10261

1500 W Fourth Avenue | Suite 410 Spokane WA 99201

www.firstprioritysolutions.com

Have you considered a

Reverse mortgage as part of your financial strategy?

• Do you want to pay off your current mortgage?

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Financial planning should include knowledge and consideration of a reverse mortgage. They are not just for desperate people. Call NOW to arrange an appointment to discuss a no cost/no obligation loan comparison and amortization schedule. You may be surprised how it could benefit you!

(509) 623-1623 jack.tenold@fpfmail.com First Priority Financial, Inc. NMLS #3257.

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cal celebration of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, called “the most joyous music ever written!” More than 140 musicians of the Symphony and Chorale will take the stage at Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox to bring this global phenomenon to Spokane revelers. Eckart Preu brought this popular tradition with him from Germany. Now selling out every year, this concert inspires with the music’s themes of freedom and brotherhood.

Fox Theatre. 1001 W Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201. For tickets, call 1-800-325-SEAT or visit http://www.ticketswest.com.

January 9: Roots and Boots Featuring Darryl Worley, Aaron Tippin and Sammy Kershaw The Roots & Boots Tour brings together three country music stars performing from their extensive list of hits in a fun night of great country music and camaraderie.

Sammy Kershaw’s pure country sound has produced more than 25 top 40 singles on Billboards Hot Country Songs charts, including the number one, “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful”.

With one platinum and five gold records, Aaron Tippin’s music embodies the new traditionalist genre of country music with his focus on the American working class.

He has charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including three number ones, “There Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong with the Radio,” “That’s as Close as I’ll Get to Loving You” and “Kiss This.”

Darryl Worley’s dedication to being “a genuinely traditional country artist who doesn’t follow trends or fads” has garnered him nearly twenty hit singles, record sales in the millions and five major Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Award nominations. His numerous hits include three number ones, “I Miss My Friend,” “Awful Beautiful Life” and “Have You Forgotten?”

Northern Quest Casino, 100 N Hayford Rd, Airway Heights, WA 99001. For tickets, please log on to http://northernquest.com/.

January 16: Spokane Symphony With a Splash: A Midwinter’s Friday Morhiko begins with “The Rise of Exotic Computing,” a new lean-and-mean work by Mason Bates written for a sinfonietta of 14— and a laptop. Like as self-replicating synthetic computer, the music rapidly duplicates itself. Daugherty is known for his musical commentaries on contemporary American Pop culture. In Le Tombeau de Liberace, for piano & orchestra, he pays tribute to Wladziu Valentino Liberace—aka Liberace— a flamboyant pianist who arranged and performed pieces from the classical, Broadway, and polka repertoires in Las Vegas. Finally, the orchestra performs an exciting new arrange-

ment of Mussorsgky’s Pictures at an Exhibition by Chinese-born composer Julian Yu. Yu makes the orchestra shimmer!

Fox Theatre. 1001 W Sprague Ave. Spokane, WA 99201. For tickets, call 1-800-325-SEAT or visit http://www.ticketswest.com.

January 19: Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles The widely loved, Rain – A Tribute to the Beatles, has been bringing all things “Beatles” to captivated audiences for almost 40 years. Rain is widely acknowledged as the first, longest running, and most successful Beatles tribute show in the world. This Broadway hit show offers an experience that takes the audience back in time with the legendary foursome from “across the pond” and delivers a note-for-note theatrical event that is the next best thing to John, Paul, George and Ringo. The current Rain show highlights even more of the Beatles’ most loved songs from their vast anthology of hits such as “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Hard Day’s Night,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearst Club Band,” “Let It Be” and “Hey Jude.” This family friendly show will delight both long time Beatles fans and those who have just discovered the amazing music of the original “Fab Four.”

Rain offers a true Beatles experience that shouldn’t be missed!

Northern Quest Casino, 100 N Hayford Rd, Airway Heights, WA 99001. For tickets, please log on to http://northernquest.com/.

THEATRE through December 21: Coeur d’Alene Holiday Show: I Remember Christmas - A Christmas Revue Following up last year’s box-office smash A Christmas Cabaret, the Coeur d’Alene Resort is proud to present I Remember Christmas - A Christmas Revue! Don’t miss this night filled with music, laughter and stories. This show stars Jack Bannon, Patrick Treadway, Margaret Travolta, Katherine Strohmaier and Ellen Travolta Coeur d’Alene Resort.115 S 2nd St, Coeur D Alene, ID 83814. For more information, contact The Coeur d’Alene Resort Business Center at 866-835-3025or log on to www. cdaresort.com.

through December 21: All is Calm In 1914, at the Western front, out of the violence comes a silence, then a song. A German soldier steps into No Man’s Land singing “Stille Nacht.” Thus begins an extraordinary night of camaraderie, music, and peace. A remarkable true experience, told in the words and songs of the men who lived it. We are thrilled to be one of a select group of theatres granted permission to perform this moving story on its 100th year anniversary.

Lake City Playhouse. 1320 E. Garden Ave, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. (208) 667-1323. http://www.lakecityplayhouse.org/. through December 20: A Christmas Carol: The Musical This Charles Dickens classic is filled with holiday merriment for all ages. After coming face to face with the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, will Ebenezer Scrooge awake with a new outlook on life and give up his selfish and uncaring ways? This production will be directed by Keith Dixon.

Spokane Civic Theatre. 1020 N Howard St., Spokane, WA 99201. For showtimes and more information, call (509) 325-2507. For tickets, call 1-800-325-SEAT or visit http:// www.ticketswest.com.

January 9-25: The Last Five Years Book, Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown Both points of view of a relationship between a writer and an actress are played out in this contemporary song-cycle musical. Their five-year marriage is simultaneously chronicled in opposing orders from both perspectives. The diverse score features various genres including Pop, Jazz, Latin, Rock, Folk, and Classical. NOTE: Contains adult themes and language. May not be suitable for all audience members.

Interplayers Theatre. 174 S. Howard St., Spokane, WA 99201. For showtimes and more information, call 455-PLAY (7529). For tickets, call 1-800-325-SEAT or visit http:// www.ticketswest.com.

January 16-February 8: The Servant of Two Masters From the canals of Venice come high-strung lovers, wily servants, and deceiving parents in this theatre-lover’s must-see show. Servant Truffaldino’s story is filled with comedy, chaos, and mayhem: all he is looking for is a decent meal… and a way to double his wages in an unfamiliar city. This production will be directed by Patrick Treadway.

Spokane Civic Theatre. 1020 N Howard St., Spokane, WA 99201. For showtimes and more information, call (509) 325-2507. For tickets, call 1-800-325-SEAT or visit http:// www.ticketswest.com. spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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Spokane's Best Italian

9 years running!

Italian Kitchen

New Dinner Menu New Lunch Menu New Wine List New Cocktail List

The Best just got Better!

RSVP @ 363-1210 146

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italiankitchenspokane.com

LOCAL CUISINE

1 5 2 R estau rant Reviews 160 sign ature dis h 1 6 2 D i n i n g G uide 1 6 7 Li quid libatio n s

Healthy

HolidayDesserts

I

by Katie Collings Nichol

ndulging over the holidays is a given. But what you choose to indulge in can make all the difference. Experimenting in the kitchen and tweaking family favorite recipes will most likely result in healthier alternatives than store-bought cookies or your friend’s secretlysinful chocolate chip cookies (hint: two cups of brown sugar). Can you imagine yourself being able to eat what you want while nourishing your body and maintaining your waistline through the winter months? >>

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local cuisine healthy desserts

What constitutes “healthy” is always up for debate and multiple interpretations; however, research steers us in the right direction by pointing to whole, unprocessed foods and minimizing sugar. In the following recipes we focus on fats that haven’t been tinkered with, alternatives to inflammatory grains and the inclusion of low-fructose sweeteners that will keep your blood sugar stable and your spirits high.

Go ahead— mingle your joy of holiday treats with the joy of good health. It’s the best gift you could give to yourself!

Raspberry White Christmas Fudge (Almost sugar-free, gluten-free, raw, delicious!)

The following three desserts were adapted from Milena of The Orange Pantry (www.theorangepantry.com.au), a blog dedicated to creating wholesome, delicious recipes. For the Raspberry White Christmas fudge, make sure to use frozen raspberries— the texture ensures even distribution of the fruit.

INGREDIENTS | Makes 30 squares • 2 ½ c coconut butter • 1 ¼ c coconut milk • 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped • 1 T brown rice syrup • ½ c desiccated coconut • 1 c macadamia nuts, roughly chopped • 1 c pistachios • 1 c frozen raspberries (keep in the freezer until ready for use) METHOD 1. Line an 8 x 8 inch Pyrex or jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

2. Melt the coconut butter in a bowl over hot water until completely liquid.

3. Place the coconut butter in a food processor; add the coconut milk, brown rice syrup, desiccated coconut and vanilla bean seeds and pulse until well combined. (Note: it is important to work quickly here; mixing the dry ingredients into the coconut butter is easiest when it’s still warm and runny.)

4. Pour the coconut mixture into the prepared pan.

5. Stir in the macadamia nuts and pistachios.

6. Gently fold in the frozen raspberries.

7. Place the pan in the freezer and set for 3-4 hours.

8. Using the parchment paper, lift the hardened fudge out of the pan and slice into 30 squares.

These fudge squares are best stored in the freezer and placed in the fridge two hours before serving. They can be stored for approximately one month in the freezer.

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Spiced Cinnamon Cookies (Gluten-free and crunchy) INGREDIENTS | Makes 15 cookies For the powdered topping: • 1 c Natvia stevia “sugar” or regular powdered sugar • 2 tsp ground cinnamon For the cookies: • ¼ cup butter, softened • 1 egg • ¼ c coconut sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 T brown rice syrup • 1 ½ c almond or cashew meal • 2 T coconut flour • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • ¼ tsp ground ginger • 1 tsp nutmeg • ¼ tsp allspice • ½ tsp baking soda

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.

3. Combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside.

4. Cream the butter, egg, coconut sugar, brown rice syrup and vanilla extract in a food processor until light and fluffy.

5. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until well combined. (Note: you may have to scrape down the sides a few times.)

6. Roll 1 heaping tablespoon of the dough into balls on the prepared baking tray, then gently press down to flatten.

7. Place in the oven and bake for 10 -15 minutes, until golden and slightly cracked.

8. Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool.

9. Once cooled, roll cookies in the powdered sugar mixture to serve or package as gifts.

Red Velvet Coconut Truffles (Decadent...but not sinful!)

INGREDIENTS | Makes 18 truffles for the truffles: • ½ c raw beetroot, grated • 2 c desiccated coconut • 1 c almond or cashew meal • 1 tsp coconut oil, melted ¼ c brown rice syrup • 1 T raw cacao powder for the coconut coating: • 1 c coconut butter, gently melted over a bowl of boiling water until liquid • ½ c coconut milk • Shredded coconut (for rolling the truffles) METHOD 1. Blend the shredded beetroot, desiccated coconut, almond (or cashew) meal, coconut oil, brown rice syrup and cacao powder in a food processor for few minutes until well combined.

2. Roll one tablespoon of the mixture into 18 balls; place in the fridge to harden, about an hour.

3. Blend the melted coconut butter and the coconut milk in the food processor until combined.

4. Pour the coconut mixture in a bowl.

5. Using two forks, dip each ball into the coconut mixture to coat, then roll in the shredded coconut.

6. Refrigerate the truffles for one hour or until set.

Coconut Cranberry Nut Bread (This quick bread makes charming Christmas or hostess gifts) INGREDIENTS | Makes 4-5 mini-loaves or 1 large, 9” loaf • 8 eggs • ½ c coconut oil, melted • ½ c coconut milk • ½ c raw coconut sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • ½ tsp sea salt • 2/3 c coconut flour • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 c dried cranberries ½ c pecans, chopped

METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.

3. Sift together coconut flour and baking powder.

4. Combine wet and dry ingredients; stir in dried cranberries and pecans.

5. Pour batter into a well-greased 9” loaf pan or 4-5 mini loaf pans; bake for approximately 1 hr (45 minutes for mini loaves).

Gingerbread Bite Cookies (The ginger shines in these chewy little cookies!)

INGREDIENTS | Makes approximately 30 cookies • 2 ½ c almond meal • ½ tsp baking soda • ½ tsp sea salt • ½ c butter, softened • 1/3 c raw coconut sugar or stevia granules • 1 tsp vanilla powder • 1 T ground ginger • 1 tsp ground nutmeg • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp orange zest, finely grated

METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Pulse the almond meal, baking soda and salt briefly in a food processor.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and blend to combine.

4. Spoon heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking tray and press down with your hand to flatten.

5. Bake for 8-15 minutes, or until golden.

6. Cool on wire racks if available. spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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Sweet Potato Casserole (Easy dessert, or great as a side dish for “special-ish” occasions) INGREDIENTS • Coconut oil or butter for greasing • 3 c sweet potato, cooked and pureed • 3 T milk, or nut milk • 1 T brown rice syrup • 1 tsp vanilla powder • Pinch of salt • ½ c pecans, chopped • 1 tsp ground cinnamon • ½ tsp ground ginger • ½ tsp ground allspice METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a small baking dish.

2. Combine sweet potato, milk, brown rice syrup, vanilla powder and salt and pour into baking dish.

3. Toss the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and then sprinkle evenly on top of the sweet potato mixture.

4. Bake for 30 minutes; serve immediately, with cream (whipped, if desired) if having for dessert.

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621 west mallon avE, Spokane, WA 99201

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restaurant review Ruins

Cocktails are a focus at Ruins.

The El Burro is progressive and impeccably balanced.

Small Plates,

Big Soul 152

spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

1238 W. Summit Parkway (IN KENDALL YARDS)

by Katie Collings Nichol | photos by Rick Singer

Walking into Ruins on a Saturday night is like stumbling into speakeasy. Instead of bootlegged booze, it’s food that shouldn’t be legal…and everyone is whispering about it.

The restaurant is dimly lit, an intimate space that is far from cramped due to the judicious number of booths and smaller banquette tables along the perimeter. This leaves ample room for the servers to be comfortable, and visual freedom for the customers to survey the surroundings.

Every table is full: couples coming off the street for a drink, and groups meeting for dinner, everyone donning boots and scarves for the cooler temps. A grizzled man sits alone at the bar clutching his whiskey while having a familiar conversation with Crystal Bertholic, head bartender of Bon Bon fame. Upbeat music plays in the foreground, but there is a distinct hush…a physical relaxation of vocal cords and bodies as people settle in, knowing they are going to be well-looked after in this vintage cocoon.

We sit where we please and our server stops by, checking our relaxation pulse before urging us on to drinks. As Ruins is technically a small plate dinner bar, the cocktails are a focus. Priced from $8-$12, house-made bitters and autumn favorites, like apple, ginger, cranberry and spice mix with rum, rye, tequila, gin or bourbon, are found throughout this week’s menu. We order a classic with a spin, the El Burro ($9), a mix of reposado tequila, lime, pineapple, anise, sugar and ginger beer. The anise is mildly spicy, tempered by the tartness of the pineapple and the fizz of the ginger beer. As a harbinger to the remainder of our dinner experience, this cocktail was progressive and impeccably balanced. A sign of things to come.

If cocktails are your thing, take up Ms. Bertholic on her dealer’s choice ($7-$12).

Or try a local beer or cider on one of three taps that rotate regularly ($5).

We soon learn that our server is hilarious, casually dropping one-liners that make us chuckle each time she whisks our food-wishes back to the kitchen. She informs us that Chef Tony Brown, owner and mastermind behind Ruins and the sister-sandwich shop, Stella, made her a trout sandwich today for lunch. “Chef Brown always seems

Serving up some seasonal flavors: Pumpkin, Eggnog, and Sweet Potato with torched marshmallow just to name a few.

Come see us!

509.321.7569 Hours: SUN-THURS: 7am-9pm FRI-SAT: 7am-10pm

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Heirloom Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Beet Salad

Linguini with Sweet Corn, Shoulder Bacon, Creme Fraiche and Thyme

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to perform a bit of magic,” she explains as she fills our charmingly mismatched water glasses.

“He toasted the inside of the bread and added something else…it was the best sandwich I’ve ever had.” She pauses, and then deadpans, “I think he was raised by Keebler elves because everything he makes tastes like cookies.”

We start with the Spicy Pickles ($4): ribbons of the marinated vegetable piled unpretentiously in a teal-patterned vintage dish. They are subtly spicy with a smooth, sweet after bite. The flavor is intense and satisfying, while the texture is slightly soft on the outside with a fresh crunch.

They whet our appetites more than we had expected — I am tempted to order another round.

Next is the Beet Salad ($6). It’s a predictable mix of roasted beets, spinach leaves and goat cheese, but the tarragon vinaigrette and the simple presentation of ingredients is refreshing and palate cleansing. The spinach leaves are noticeably fresh, making me think they were grown by a local purveyor.

We glance down at our rumpled menus (they change weekly, by the way) and move forward with the ‘small plate’ entrees. The Heirloom Pumpkin Mac and Cheese ($9) is a generous serving of thick, creamy elbow pasta, jazzed up with a hint of pumpkin and delicately crunchy toasted breadcrumbs. The pumpkin flavor is milder than expected, but we inhale it nonetheless— it was the most-ordered dish in the restaurant that night. I watch as warm mounds of the cheesy comfort food churned from the kitchen, a fresh batch made each time

by Chef Brown.

The Pan Seared Chicken ($13), another comfort dish, is served with mashed potato and parsnip, leeks and lemon. The chicken has a crisp, golden skin encasing incredibly moist meat within. The mash is creamy and rich, set off by curly shreds of leek and lemon that contribute a nice acidity. Remembering our server’s comments about her lunchtime sandwich, we then order the Idaho Trout ($13), a truly inventive dish featuring miso, beluga lentils and scallions in a thin coconut milk base.

The black lentils against the white coconut milk drizzled with green miso is a stunning presentation that points to precise knife work and care in plating. The trout is tender and flaky as we pull the meat off the skin and into the soup-like base.

A party of four would feel comfortable simply making their way through the entire menu. My husband and I were making a good dent in the

menu ourselves, casually ordering as we pleased. It dawns on me that this is the way I prefer to eat— a sort of grazing attitude toward dinner, a little bit of this, a little bit of that, with prices and portions to match my whims. This non-committal way of eating is not only fun and economical; it reduces waste, a surprising by-product.

Our final small(ish) plate entrée turns out to be the piece de resistance. We almost didn’t order it in fear of something cloyingly rich. We were mistaken. The Linguini with Sweet Corn, Shoulder Bacon, Crème Fraiche and Thyme ($9) is a symphony in a bowl. Rich in flavor, yes, but with a light texture and a touch of tang from the crème fraiche that prevents the dish from being overly heavy. The sweet corn pops in each bite and, along with the thyme, sets off the brininess of the bacon. The linguini is cooked al dente and carries the ingredients smoothly without much effort. We have to restrain ourselves from ordering another serving, much like the spicy pickles.

We order the Plum Gateau ($6) for dessert. Reminiscent of the apple cake my ‘host mamma’ Signora Palermo used to make in her tiny Florence kitchen, the thick slice of plum cake is chewy and oat-like, savory with a touch of sweetness lent from large slices of fresh plums, a dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of just-whipped whole cream. I suspect that the recipe calls for whole rolled oats, yogurt and olive oil instead of the usual bleached flour, sugar, and oil…a refreshingly European take on a meal’s finale.

Ruins is hip and cool and all that stuff. But without an ounce of pretense, you’ll find yourself feeling right at home, marveling at the progressive, yet comforting menu and the friendly, yet down-to-earth service.

The food and cocktails are exemplary, balancing flavor and texture in such a way that it appears easy. But of course, we know better than that. It requires a whole lot of experience, a generous dash of hard work, and—as our server reminded us—a bit of magic.

www.mainsushi.com

BEST SUSHI 3 years in a row!

Thank You Spokane!

430 W. Main Ave. Spokane, WA 99201 | 509.838.0630

Mon-Thu 11am-9pm ~ Fri 11am-10pm ~ Sat Noon-9pm ~ Noon-8pm

Best Desserts

Best Fine Dining & Appetizers

Ruins is located at 825 North Monroe Street in West Central Spokane. Open Tuesday 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.; and Saturday 4:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Visit www.facebook.com/ruins.spokane for more information and the weekly menu. spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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restaurant review Maple Street Bistro

Maple Street Bistro

by Angie Dierdorff | photos by James Mangis

You support small, local businesses. You frequent the neighborhood farmer’s market. And you treat yourself to a pastry or coffee away from home a few times a week.

So what to do when you have a desperate need for caffeine after dropping the kids off for school or before a hectic day at the office, and the only drive-through option on your route is a predictable international chain? If your Spokane commute takes you through the Northside area, there is a sweet little detour-worthy place waiting to rescue your day from corporate coffee or a stale office donut.

Nestled in a residential area between Ridgeview Elementary and a Conoco station, the family-ownedand-operated Maple Street Bistro strives to source their ingredients locally, and its regulars know why it has been thriving in this neighborhood for seven years.

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sandwiches, scratch-made soups and a selection of wraps and smoothies – all at reasonable prices – and you have the recipe for a detour-worthy drive-through destination or favorite weekend escape.

“Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow.”

These wise words adorn high walls of the airy and inviting cathedral-great room of Maple Street Bistro, and the cheerful staff seems to take the positive message to heart.

The young man at the counter patiently answered our questions as he took our order in the middle of a recent Saturday morning rush, and we easily found a table near a sunny window. We were tempted by warm late fall weather, and the tidy landscaping and ample outdoor seating covered with charming white pergolas, but decided to stay inside to keep our eyes on the food preparation action.

<--- Steel-cut Oatmeal

IS it party time? st Need a la rty minute pa the pack for Look ? ys a id hol er, no furth em th e v a h we go! ready to

Buy a $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus

Quiche Lorraine --->

| 509.413.2029 1220 W. Francis | Open 7am-9pm daily

Now Serving Breakfast!

| 509.327.4270 1724 N. Monroe | Open 10am-9pm daily

Visit us online at EatAloha.com

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Europa

Restaurant & Bakery

125 S. Wall St., Spokane, WA 99201 (509) 455-4051

Curry Chicken Salad --->

Sun.-Thurs. 11am - 10 pm Fri.-Sat. 11am - 11pm <--- Cran-Turkey Wrap

Daily Happy Hour: 3pm - 6pm & 9pm – close Sunday – Happy Hour ALL Day, live music 6pm – 8pm

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Zucchini Hummus Wrap--->

Huckleberry Scone --->

<--- Chocolate Chip Cookie

I soon noticed with approval the towers of ceramic mugs next to the espresso machine. Why waste a paper cup when customers are staying in? Coffee tastes better from a real mug, and when our drinks arrived, the casually mismatched cups made me feel like a guest in someone’s home.

Quiche is my go-to morning protein, and I ordered a piece of deepdish Lorraine ($4), the classic French combination of eggs, bacon and Swiss. While the flavorful filling was generous with thick pieces of meaty bacon, I was surprised by a sweet dough used for the savory pie – an interesting choice, but I would prefer a salty crust.

My companion sampled steel-cut oats topped with brown sugar and house-made granola, served with cream and maple syrup ($2).

The hearty grains were cooked perfectly – chewy without a hint of mush. Add a short latte ($2.50), and you can enjoy a filling and healthy breakfast for less than $5!

We couldn’t leave without indulging in a pastry or two, and the huckleberry scone ($2.50) was a good choice – light and full of juicy local huckleberries – its gently sweet crumb complemented my cappuccino ($3). The seasonal pumpkin “Scookie” ($2) frosted with a maple glaze caught my attention. Its name is a scone/cookie mashup, but the texture reminded me more of a muffin. The rich pumpkin flavor with hints of pie spice nicely complemented the sweet topping.

Recently added Sunday hours meant I could return for lunch the next day. With plans for dessert, I ordered a healthy Zucchini Hummus Wrap ($6). Too much of the same texture can undermine

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taste, but my spinach tortilla held a mix of cream cheese, velvety hummus and perfectly soft avocado with ripe tomato and crunchy slices of garden-fresh zucchini.

A cup of Curry Chicken Salad ($3) was a generous portion of chicken tossed in a zesty dressing, with celery, raisins and red onion. Although filling, I hoped to find a piece of crisp apple or a fresh grape to balance out the meat. The warm afternoon called for iced tea, and my brewed Raspberry Splash ($1.50 for 16 oz.) green tea was sweetly refreshing.

My guest’s Cran-Turkey Wrap & Greek Salad combo ($9) was enough for two. A liberal amount of turkey anchored the cream cheese, red onion and cranberry – we agreed that we craved more of the tart cranberry in the mix. The salad was loaded with feta cheese, kalamata olives and artichoke hearts – the only thing missing was the traditional lemon juice and olive oil dressing.

A cup of Tomato Basil soup ($3) was tangy and slightly spicy with a pasta sauce thickness – a dollop of rich crème fraiche might have balanced out the acidity.

The Dark Chocolate Pistachio cookie ($1.25) is a favorite here for good reason. Ours were warm, chocolaty and baked to the moment between soft and crisp. And I can’t stop thinking about the Fig Oat Bar ($2.25) that was the best I’ve had outside my grandma’s kitchen. Its thick crust of buttery and sweet oats was slathered with a generous amount of homemade fig puree and crumble topping.

A Hibachi Steak and Seafood House <--- Greek Salad

A subsequent drive-through stop for a toasted “Everything” bagel ($2) resulted in the joy of discovering the finest I have had in Spokane. The bagels here are boiled before baking, resulting in a traditionally thick crust and chewy interior. Delicious!

Gluten free options include quiche, salads, scones and muffin; custom wedding cakes and catering services available, making this a pick for special dietary needs and special occasions as well.

Included on my list to try next are the notorious lemon bars (frequently sold out), homemade chai tea and cinnamon rolls. A homey neighborhood gathering place with real food is priceless – I will support Maple Street Bistro on a regular basis to make sure they stick around for another seven years!

Dinner and a Show!

Maple Street Bistro is located at 5520 N. Maple in Spokane; open Monday – Friday 6 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday – Sunday, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. (509) 443-3129, www. maplestreetbistro.com

509.534.7777 | 821 E. 3rd Ave Spokane, WA spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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Signature Dish Milford's

Milford’s ‘Nuevo Andean’ Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with Chimichurri

by Katie Collings Nichol | photo by CToreson Photography

A

s one of Spokane’s oldest and most respected restaurants, casual observers of the local food scene might consider Mildford’s Fish House to be constrained by tradition and a loyal clientele. A closer look reveals a kitchen bursting with energy. Led

by Milford’s time-honored executive chef, Jerry Young, and sous chef, Sarah Edwards, these seafood cuisiniers are anything but inhibited.

“We are doing better food than we ever have,” explains Chef Young. “We are focused on serving the best food available and cooking it expertly. The simplicity is freeing— and it works.”

The ‘Nuevo Andean’ Grilled Chilean Sea Bass ($28) is exemplary: a tender, meaty filet of Chilean sea bass (commonly

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named White Gold) atop butternut squash, parsnip, carrot, red potato and sweet red pepper grilled to perfection over a wood fire on what Young refers to as an Argentine “chapa,” or a flat, cast iron plate.

The intensity of flavor presented by the delicate white meat of the sea bass against the firm, slightly caramelized vegetables is exceptional. The carbonized element of the meat and vegetables is contrasted by the softness of the chimichurri: a harmony of green onion, Italian parsley, garlic, basil and thyme in a base of rice vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

“For hundreds of years, the gauchos and Native Americans of Chile, Argentina and Peru rendered beef fat and combined it with native herbs and prairie grasses to flavor their food,” explains Young.

“Beef, poultry or seafood topped with ‘chimichurri’ is a prime example of cowboy cuisine.”

Young makes it a point to source all of his seafood from certified distributors who utilize sustainable harvesting methods.

“Our Chilean sea bass is longline-caught off the Falkland Islands, an area known for effective management to preserve abundant populations of the fish,” he says.

“It’s important to know where your food comes from!”

Milford’s Fish House is located at 719 N Monroe St. They are open for dinner, Tuesday through Saturday 5 – 10 p.m. and Sunday 4 – 9 p.m. For more information, visit www. milfordsfishhouse.com or call (509) 3267251 for reservations.

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dining guide dec/jan

Dec/Jan

Dining Guide

The Dining Guide includes summaries of local restaurants that are featured on a rotating basis each month and/or issue. Suggestions for additions or corrections can be sent to katie@spokanecda.com ASIAN AND INDIAN Aloha Island Grill. Hawaiian. Operating out of two former Taco John shacks on Monroe and West Francis, Patrick and Lori Keegan serve up fresh, tender Teriyaki Chicken “plates” that will keep you coming back. Based on family recipes from the islands and plenty more than just teriyaki, both spots offer a student discount; the Francis location serves a creative breakfast concoction called the “Loco Moco.” Order it the way “Huff” (Patrick’s nickname) gets his. Open daily. 1724 North Monroe (509-4431632) and 1220 West Francis (509) 413-2029. www. eataloha.com. $-$$ Bangkok Thai. Thai. Bangkok Thai took over the former Linnie’s Thai location on Grand Avenue and the former Riverview Thai near Gonzaga. The South Hill restaurant offers combination lunch plates that allow smaller portions of several popular Thai dishes for one price and the Gonzaga location has the best Thai lunch buffet in town for $12/person.

Mon-Thu 11am-9pm, Fri 11am-10pm, Sat 12-10pm, Sun 12-9pm. 1325 S Grand Blvd. (509-838-8424) and 1003 E Trent Avenue (509-325-8370). www. spokanebangkokthai.com. $$ Gordy’s Sichuan Café. Provincial Chinese. This intimate bistro with a creative menu is a temple to the Sichuan cuisine of southwest China. Chef Gordon Crafts and his team serve up dishes laced with ginger, garlic, chiles, and the lemony Sichuan “pepper” that sets your tongue buzzing. Open since 1997, Gordy’s is a wonderful exception to mediocre and standardized American Chinese food. Heavenly dumplings, searing chile basil soup, and the best lemon chicken around are only the beginning. Open Tues-Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 4-9pm. 501 E 30th Ave in Spokane. (509) 747-1170. $$ Nudo. Asian-fusion. This new-age “ramen house” speaks urban cool in the heart of downtown Spokane. Try the Grilled Miso Chilean Sea Bass, Edamame, or Crisp Salt and Pepper Basil Chicken for appetizers, followed by a Tonkotsu Bowl featuring fresh ramen, barbecue pork, hard-boiled egg, corn, braised bamboo shoots and seaweed in a slow-boiled pork bone broth. Their signature Ramen Burger— a fresh-ground beef patty topped with arugula and tonkatsu sauce between two homemade rounds of “ramen bun” is a fun entrée.

A well-selected drink menu, late hours, and modern lounge-feel makes it well set for lingering dates and après-event noshing. Vegetarian options also offered. Mon-Sat 11am-close. 818 West Sprague.

(509) 290-5763. www.nudoramen.com. $$ Shogun. Japanese. Shogun is really two restaurants. First are the familiar hibachi tables. Each table seats about eight and comes with a personal chef

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who prepares a selection of beef, chicken, and seafood in front of delighted guests. Trained in the art of hibachi cooking, chefs serve as impromptu performance artists, amazing diners with kitchen acrobatics, sleight-of-hand and grill-assisted pyrotechnics.

The other is the sushi bar, perhaps one of the largest and best equipped east of Seattle. Across the bamboo bridge, over a tranquil koi pond and past the waterfall and lounge, this is a quiet refuge and counterpoint to the frenetic atmosphere of the main dining room. Shogun is a perfect spot for either a special celebration or a quiet night out. Open seven days 5-10pm. 821 E 3rd. (509) 534-7777. $$-$$$ Sushi.com. Japanese. We still think the name is about as cheesy as you can get for a sushi bar and Japanese restaurant, but the food transcends the curious dot.com label over the door. Sit at the sushi bar and enjoy what’s fresh or take a table and explore the menu that also includes plenty of excellent hot options if raw fish still makes you nervous.

Some of our favorites are the super white tuna and the house tempura. Mon-Fri 11am-9:30pm, Sat 12 noon-9pm, Sun 12 noon-8pm. 430 West Main, Spokane. (509) 838-0630. $-$$$ Thai Bamboo. Thai. Each of the four regional Thai Bamboo locations offers a massive Southeast Asian menu in settings designed to transport you across the Pacific. Inside each restaurant you’ll find Thai stone and wood carvings, water fountains, Thai music and the namesake bamboo décor. Thai Bamboo continues to be #1 Best Thai in readers’ polls and both the newest location on North Division and the CdA restaurant feature a Tiki-Beach styled lounge and a striking sky ceilings in the main dining rooms. Think Vegas with pad thai. All locations Mon-Thu 11:30-9pm, Fri 11:30pm-9:30pm, Sat 12-9:30pm, Sun 12-9pm. Delivery available. info@ thaibamboorestaurant.com, www.thaibamboorestaurant.com. $-$$ Toro Sushi. Japanese. A good spot for seasoned sushi lovers and raw fish neophytes alike to eat together harmoniously. Try the Bunny Roll, or a classic Rainbow Roll. Mon-Sat 11am-2pm, 4:30-10pm.

328 N Sullivan Rd #5, Spokane Valley. (509) 7037029. $-$$.

BISTROS Downriver Grill. Innovative, local and seasonal cuisine in a sleek, modern space with dishes at various price-points to suit every diner. Try the Chipotle BBQ burger for a flavor-packed lunch or the Lemon Thyme Grilled Salmon for a leisurely dinner. Either way, you’ll want to sample the Chocolate Pot de Creme for dessert. Open Tues-Sun 11am-9pm. 3315 W Northwest Blvd in Spokane. www.downrivergrillspokane.com $$-$$$

Herbal Essence Café. Northwest cuisine. This relaxed downtown restaurant tucked into the middle of a block on Washington serves Northwest bistro food and works hard to offer great service. The menu offers up baseball-cut sirloins, a whole stuffed Dungeness crab and a swordfish steak stuffed with pesto and baked off with a parmesan crust. Try the award-winning house salad, brilliant with sliced pears, crumbled Gorgonzola and a white truffle vinaigrette. 115 N Washington. Lunch Mon-Fri 11-2, Dinner Mon-Sat 5-close. (509) 838-4600. www.herbalessencecafe.com. Lunch $-$$, dinner $$-$$$ Ruins. An intimate, vintage-bar with a menu that changes weekly (often according to the chef’s whims), Ruins offers progressive, yet comforting dishes suitable for lunch, a full dinner, or late night snacking. Spokane’s leading bartenders craft impeccably balanced cocktails to be enjoyed on their own, or to be sipped with dinner. A far cry from traditional tapas, Chef Brown whips up hearty portions of Heirloom Pumpkin Mac & Cheese and Idaho Trout with miso and Beluga lentils, as well as Spicy Pickles and European-inspired desserts such as the Plum Gateau. Open Tues 11am - 2:30pm; Wed through Fri 11am - 2:30pm, and 4pm - 12am; and Sat 4pm - 12am. 825 North Monroe Street in West Central Spokane. ruins.spokane@gmail.com, www. facebook.com/ruins.spokane. $$ The Wandering Table. A much-anticipated American tapas-style restaurant located in Kendall Yards. Chef Adam Hegsted delights with a variety of small plates (try the Garden for a creative salad take, the Deviled Eggs, or the Popcorn), craft cocktails, a whiskey bar, and other substantial dishes, such as the Bacon-Wrapped Bacon Sliders or the Braised Shortribs. The chef is known for his previous culinary venture of the same name consisting of a twelvecourse dinner party. Take his advice and go with the “You Choose the Price!” meal option for the table offered at $15-$65 per head for a surprising culinary journey. Hopefully it will include the Olive Oil Gelato for dessert. Open Tues-Thurs, 11:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m., Fri & Sat 11:30 a.m. - 1 a.m. Sun & Mon, 4 p.m.

– 11:30 p.m. 1242 W Summit Pkwy in Kendall Yards.

(509) 443-4410. www.thewanderingtable.com. $$ Wild Sage. Tucked into a classic 1911 brick building on 2nd and Lincoln, Wild Sage offers an intimate dining setting and memorable food with real flair. The atmosphere combines class and warmth.

Executive Chef Charlie Connor presents regionally influenced Northwest cuisine using only the finest locally sourced products. Try the Yukon Taquitos, the Crisp Bacon & Blue salad or the Cioppino. Be sure to finish with a slice of the “Soon-to-be-Famous” Coconut Cream Layer Cake with lilikoi sauce. This award-winning bistro is known for its in-house bakery and an amazing array of gluten free options.

Also make it a point to order something from their “scratch bar,” with or without alcohol. They use only fresh juices and house-infused flavored liquors.

Dinner seven nights a week, opening at 4 p.m. 916 W Second Ave in Spokane. (509) 456-7575. www. wildsagebistro.com. $$-$$$ BREAKFAST AND LUNCH SPECIALTIES Frank’s Diner. Frank’s has become a Spokane landmark in just over a decade. Both early 1900’s-vintage rail cars were originally obtained by the Knight brothers Frank and Jack during the depression, and each converted them to diners in Seattle and Spokane, respectively. Larry Brown, of Onion Bar and Grill fame, acquired the Seattle diner in 1991 and moved it to its present location, meticulously restored by well-know local restaurant restoration artisan, Pat Jeppeson. Frank’s breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, available all day, has all the classics.

Among our favorites are the open-face turkey, roast beef and mushroom sandwiches, chicken pot pie, Joe’s Special (the venerable scramble of eggs, ground beef, spinach, onions and parmesan), and, of course, the don’t-miss-at-breakfast hash browns and silver pancakes. 1516 W. 2nd. Seven days 6-8p.m.. (509) 747-8798. 10929 N. Newport Highway, Sun-Thurs 6am-8p.m., Fri-Sat 6am-9p.m.

(509) 465-2464. www.franksdiners.com. $ Little Euro. Valley fans of the Old European can rejoice. One look at the menu and you’ll see that Little Euro offers many of the same breakfast delights as it’s North Division sibling: Danish Aebelskivers, Swedish Crepes, and that mountain of breakfast on a plate they call Hungarian Goulash.

Lunch also served. Open daily 6 am – 2 p.m.. 517 N Pines Rd in the Spokane Valley. (509) 891-7662. www.littleeurorestaurant.com. $-$$ Maple Street Bistro. Known for house-baked bread and pastries, Maple Street pours Spokane-roasted Anvil coffee and offers a cozy interior and delightful patio tucked into a residential area of the North Hills.

Add hearty breakfast sandwiches, scratch-made soups and a selection of wraps and smoothies – all at reasonable prices – and you have the recipe for a detour-worthy drive-through destination or favorite weekend escape. Try the Quiche Lorraine, a seasonal “Scookie,” and a latte for breakfast, or stop in for the Curried Chicken Salad, a cup of Tomato Basil Soup and an iced tea for lunch. Open Mon – Fri 6 am – 4 pm, Sat – Sun. 7 am – 4 pm; Gluten free options in quiche, salads, scones and muffins; custom wedding cakes and catering services available.

5520 N. Maple in Spokane. www.maplestreetbistro. com. $

Best Salad

Best Vegetarian Best Chef

Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-2pm Dinner Mon-Sat 5pm-Close Twilight Menu Mon-Wed 5pm-6pm 3 Courses for $20

• • • • • •

509.838.4600 • 115 N Washington St. Spokane, WA 99201

Seafood Baked Salmon Buffalo Top Sirloin Prawns & Linguine Spinach Artichoke Halibut Huckleberry Top Sirloin Oven Roasted Lamb

1 Block South of Auntie's Bookstore

www.HerbalEssenceCafe.com On and Offsite Catering Available

COMING SOON

Old European. Many of the recipes behind the amazing breakfast creations at the Old European arrived with Marie Mekkelsen when she emigrated from Denmark to America in 1906 at age 18, and this restaurant has remained a family affair with everything made from scratch, including Marie’s amazing Danish Aebelskievers (ball pancakes cooked in a cast iron skillet over an open flame). In addition to the original aebelskievers, Old European offers them stuffed with blueberries, sausage and havarti, or huckleberries (in season) as well. Topped with whipped cream they are a true delight. Also worthy of note is the true, freshly squeezed orange juice and the massive Hungarian Goulash with shredded potatoes, peppers, onions, ham, sausage, bacon and four eggs topped with cheddar cheese and fresh tomatoes. North: 7640 N. Division, (509) 4675987. Mon-Sat 6am-2p.m., Sun 7am-3p.m.. 1710 E Schneidmiller Ave, Post Falls. (208)777-2017.

Mon-Sat 6:30-2, Sun 7-2:30p.m. www.oldeuropeanrestaurant.com. $ CASUAL DINING 315 Martinis and Tapas. Located within the historic Greenbriar Inn in Coeur d’Alene, this restaurant specializes in small plates with a global focus and well-crafted cocktails. Come sit in the intimate martini bar for happy hour beginning at 3:15 and enjoy drink and tapas specials, or share small plates or entrees along with live music on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights in the main dining room beginning at 6:00 p.m.. Expect good service, great atmosphere

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dining guide dec/jan and an experience you won’t soon forget. Tues Sun from 3:15 to close. 315 Wallace Ave in Coeur d’Alene. (208) 667-9660. www.315martinisandtapas. com. $$-$$$.

Unique and savory Asian dishes prepared on the spot with the freshest ingredients!

Palm Court Grill. The Palm Court Grill offers upscale casual dining fare that highlight favorites discovered all around the world by Walt and Karen Worthy, the owners of the Davenport. Home to the original Crab Louis, named for original hotel owner Louis Davenport, the grill also serves USDA Prime beef and a fine wild salmon filet with a huckleberry champagne sauce. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Open daily from 6 am to 9 p.m.. Reservations recommended. Private Dining room available, seating up to 30 people. 10 S Post. (509) 455-8888. $$-$$$ Safari Room Fresh Grill and Bar. The Davenport Hotel Tower’s Safari Room Fresh Grill and Bar will add a spice of adventure to your dining experience featuring a full menu with a variety of tasty flatbreads, small plates, salads and gourmet sandwiches. Private Dining room available seating up to 30 people.

(Flatbread is oven roasted thin bread that is topped with a variety of vegetables, fresh herbs, highly flavorful cheeses and meats) 111 S Post St. (Davenport Hotel Tower lobby). Serving breakfast 6-11, Lunch 11-4, Dinner 4-10, and Late Night 10-close. 509455-8888 $$-$$$ FINE DINING

Northtown Mall | 509.443.5293 River Park Square | 509.241.3424

www.misofreshasian.com

Beverly’s. This flagship restaurant of the Coeur d’Alene Resort has recently remodeled its menu as well as its surroundings with great success. Among our favorite discoveries on the new menu is Beverly’s Wine Spectator Magazine Grand Award winning-wine list. As one of the top restaurants in America, Beverly’s features fresh Northwest ingredients including morel mushrooms, Idaho potatoes, and wild huckleberries.

On the Lake in Coeur d’Alene. Visit www.cdaresort. com for the full menu. Lunch Mon-Sat 11-2:30, dinner seven days, 5-10. (Lounge open 10-Close.) (208) 765-2300 ext. 23 or (800) 688-4142. $$$ Masselow’s at Northern Quest. Named after a strong chief that was instrumental in the survival of the Kalispels, Masselow’s combines the culinary heritage of the tribe with Northwest fine dining. The restaurant features an intimate and lavishly appointed dining room just off the hotel lobby in the new wing of the Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Airway Heights and serves up an Elk Sirloin and Seared Scallops worth the drive. Their chocolate mousse on the dessert menu is also a show stopper. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 100 North Hayford Road in Airway Heights. (509) 242-7000. www.northernquest.com/dining/masselows. $$-$$$ Max at Mirabeau. More than the typical hotel restaurant, Max opened in 2005 as a valley destination for fine dining with an infamous menu offering 100 options. Chances are you can find something you are craving on the huge menu, but if an abundance of possibilities scares you, ask your server. We scored at dinner with the gluten-free Cashew Lime Sea Bass and the White Chocolate Mousse with Cherries Jubliee. Casual diners are welcome too breakfast, lunch or dinner. ½ priced bottles of wine on Wednesday nights. Open Mon – Thur, 6 am – 1 am, 6 am to 2 am on Fri – Sat, and Sun, 6 am – midnight.

1100 N Sullivan Road in Spokane Valley. (509) 9249000. www.maxatmirabeau.com. $-$$$ Stacks at Steam Plant. Named for the twin smokestacks that have been a part of the downtown Spokane skyline for nearly a century, Stacks offers a full-service dining experience in a one-of-a-kind space. Unique private dining spaces include boiler rooms where the original pipes still line the walls and ceiling. Signature dishes are created from scratch and incorporate ingredients produced only at the Steam Plant – including smoked meats, fish and vegetables, and many of the ales brewed on-site. 3p.m. – 10p.m.

Sun-Thurs, 3p.m. – 11p.m. Fri-Sat. 159 S. Lincoln, under the smokestacks downtown. (509) 777-3900. www.steamplantspokane.com $$-$$$

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ITALIAN Europa Restaurant and Bakery. Europa offers much more than pizza (Marsala Steak Penne and Sweet Pepper Tortellini, for example), but if pizza is what you want, then Europa’s are among the best. Among their more notable choices are the “Our Favorite” (chicken, spinach, Feta, mozzarella, provolone, mushrooms, and onions) and the European (five cheeses, roasted garlic, white sauce, basil pesto, chicken, and shrimp). Shrimp, mushrooms, and fresh tomatoes add a twist to their version of the Hawaiian. All desserts are prepared entirely on-premise by pastry chef Christie Sutton, which include Christie’s Triple Layer Chocolate Mousse, as is the little shiny dome of chocolate cake and rum genache known as the “Chocolate Birthday Bomb,” Europa’s traditional compliment for patrons celebrating their birthday.

Stop into the cozy pub for daily happy hour specials and live music every Sunday night. Open Mon – Thurs 11am - 10pm, Fri – Sat 11am - 11pm, Sun 11am - 10pm. 125 S Wall. (509) 455-4051. www.europapizzaria@comcast.net. $$ Ferrante’s Marketplace Café. This South Hill restaurant combines two great pastimes: gourmet Italian food and shopping. Ferrante’s offers a wide variety of gourmet pastas, pizzas, and paninis along with a kid’s menu and delicious gelato. Stop in for a full dinner or order it to go and shop in the marketplace while you wait. The marketplace offers unique gifts, such as jewelry, wines, cookies and candies, many from local vendors. Enjoy the neighborhood feel of this Italian café. 4516 S Regal. Tues-Sat 11-8p.m. (509) 443-6304. www.doitalian.com. $-$$ Italian Kitchen. Owners Bryce and Lyndsay Kerr have created a beautiful and charming décor along with exquisite cuisine, not to mention the remarkable hospitality. Known for its Calamari, Tiramisu, and Lasagna from scratch, the Italian Kitchen is as authentic as you’ll find. They were recently placed on the “Best of the Best” list, which honors the top 17 Italian restaurants in the nation. 113 N Bernard.

Lunch Mon-Fri 11-3:30, Dinner Mon-Thur 3:30-9, Fri 3:30-10, Sat 4:30-10, Sun 4:30-9. (509) 363-1210. www.italiankitchenspokane.com. $$ MEXICAN Rancho Viejo. Jose Rodriguez and his staff offer up traditional and familiar Mexican fare with some of the amplest portions and most caring family-friendly service in Spokane. 14201 E Sprague. Sun-Thurs 11-10, Fri & Sat 11-11. (509) 927-8428. www.rancho-viejo. net. $$ PUB AND LOUNGE FARE Manito Tap House. Manito is living into its name as a gastropub that offers high-quality dining fare to go with their 50 beers on tap. A fun pub atmosphere and friendly service make this a great hangout. Try the yam chips, the Carne Adovada, the Murphy’s Beef Boxty, or the inventive veggie burger that comes inside out,. 11 am – 11 p.m. Sun – Thu. Open until 2 am Fri – Sat. 3011 South Grand Blvd in Spokane.

(509) 279-2671. www.manitotaphouse.com. $-$$ The Onion. Established in 1978, the Onion is the grand dean of gourmet burgers and casual family dining in Spokane. From the Hula burger with ham and grilled pineapple, the “Big O” with bacon and avocado, to their namesake beer-battered onion rings, The Onion pays attention to details and does more from scratch than many other restaurants aspiring to loftier appellations. 302 W. Riverside, Sun-Thurs 11-11, Fri-Sat 11am-1am. (509) 747-3852; 7522 N Division, Mon-Sun 11-11. (509) 482-6100 (Bar until midnight Sun-Thurs, Fri-Sat until 1). $-$$ Peacock Room. It is all about martinis, cold beer and great music. Known as the place to see and be seen, the Peacock Room contributes to Spokane’s vibrant downtown nightlife. Showcasing a giant stainedglass peacock ceiling, the menu features such items as giant prawntinis, open-faced crab sandwiches and

gourmet onion rings. Casual attire. Private Dining room available seating up to 25 people. Mon-Thurs 11-midnight, Fri-Sat 11-1am, Sun 2-midnight. 10 S Post. (509) 455-8888. $$-$$$ Steam Plant Brewing Co. & Pub. An amazing location for a brewery – under layers of catwalks and an 80’ ceiling inside the renovated steam plant. The brewery produces eleven handcrafted microbrews on-site, from their famous Double Stack Stout to several seasonal varieties. Its microbrews are also available to go in kegs and growlers. The Pub features multiple flat-screen TVs and a game room to make a night of it. The brews are complemented by signature menu items like the Coal Bunker cheese bread, smoked steelhead and beer cheese soup.

3p.m. – 10p.m. Sun-Thurs, 3p.m. – 11p.m. Fri-Sat. 159 S. Lincoln, under the smokestacks downtown.

(509) 777-3900. www.steamplantspokane.com $$ The Swinging Doors. Opened in May of 1981, the tavern turned restaurant has been in the same family for its whole life. With 27 beers on tap and 60 television screens, The Swinging Doors is a sports fan’s paradise. On the food front, the restaurant is famous for its large portions (which can be split).

Breakfast is served all day and the huge pieces of Broasted Chicken remain the most popular item on the golf-themed menu. Show up for on your birthday for a free steak dinner. Open seven days a week from 6:45 am to 2 am. 1018 West Francis in Spokane. (509) 326-6794. www.theswingingdoors. com. $-$$ SEAFOOD AND FISH Anthony’s at the Falls. A welcome addition to the local seafood scene, Anthony’s combines a spectacular view of the Spokane Falls with an unwavering commitment to fresh seafood. So much so that they operate their own fishing company for the sole purpose of supplying their restaurants.

The success of this shows up in the always available, rich and flavorful seafood fettuccine and clam chowder, as well as on the fresh sheet. The four course “Sunset Dinners” served Mon-Fri from 4-6 for only $18.95 are particularly good values. 510 N Lincoln. Lunch Mon-Sat 11:30-3, Bar Menu in Lounge Mon-Sat 3-4, Dinner Mon-Thurs 4-9:30, FriSat 4-10:30, Sun 3-9:30, Sunday Brunch (breakfast/ lunch menu) 11-2p.m., Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-6 with half-price appetizers and drink specials. (509) 328-9009. $$-$$$ Fisherman’s Market Grill & Sushi. An eclectic combination of Pacific Northwest, Asian, New England, Italian and Baja flavors are all offered on the menu in a casual setting. Classic Fish & Chips to Sushi can be found at this Coeur d’Alene fish market, which yes, also sells excellent fresh seafood too! You’ll want to try the Baja style fish tacos.

215 W. Kathleen Ave., Coeur d’Alene. Mon to Sat 11am - 8pm (Closed Sun). (208) 664-4800. www. fishermansmarketcda.com. $-$$$ OTHER Brain Freeze Creamery. Ice cream, espresso drinks and sandwiches are offered all day at this welcoming, family-friendly spot in Kendall Yards. The smallbatch creamery supplies mom-and-pop stores The Scoop, Cannon Coffee & Cone and other locations around town and opened their own storefront in 2014. They offer 24 different flavors with at least a few vegan and dairy-free options each day. Try a scoop of their famed Palouse Crunch, a blend of cinnamon ice cream, red lentils and candied almonds, or Muddy Cups-Dirty Dishes, a brownie batter ice cream studded with mini peanut butter cups. Another favorite is Cakey Doe, vanilla cake batter ice cream with chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough. Anvil coffee and espresso and a small selection of hearty sandwiches broaden the menu just enough to suit everyone’s tastes. 1238 W Summit Parkway, Spokane. Sun – Thurs 7am-9pm, Fri & Sat 7am-10pm, www.brainfreeze.bz (509) 3217569. $-$$. spokanecda.com • December/January • 2015

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liquid libations Bubbly

N Tiny Bubbles

by Laurie L. Ross

othing quite says “party” like a glass of bubbly.

The festive libation exuberantly sets the tone for any gathering

with lively sophistication. But when considering what cork to pop, you may be wondering if all bubbles are created equal. The difference comes down to geography, but sometimes the particular grapes and the method in which the wine is created are also differentiators.

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liquid libations Bubbly

Tues. thru Sat. 11am to 9pm

At Ferrante's, we specialize in original Italian cuisine, affordable jewelry, handbags, wines, chocolate and home accessories. We've just doubled our wine inventory with a great selection in the $9 -$15 range.

Our shop is a great place to find unique gifts for friends... or yourself!

443-6304

4516 South Regal | Spokane, WA

www.DoItalian.com 168

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In order to officially be referred to as Champagne, the bubbly needs to be from the Champagne region of France and made in accordance with specific guidelines referred to as ‘Methode Champenoise.’

Basically, this procedure means the bubbles come from a secondary fermentation in the bottle rather than carbonation. This strict process requires aging of at least 15 months, which means that the Champagne is kept in the bottle with the sediment that forms and is gradually turned and inverted until it’s time for the sediment to be removed.

Vintage Champagne requires it be cellared for three years or more before the sediment that gathers in the bottle’s neck is removed. Three grape varieties are blended in a process called “assemblage”: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The traditional French method also requires the bottles to be turned, or riddled, by hand. If it’s from France, but not from the Champagne region, it is often referred to as Cremant. Despite the strict labeling laws, many use the word Champagne as a generic term and associate the iconic wine with the lavish lifestyle of the rich and famous.

If you’re searching for a more affordable style, both Prosecco and Cava are similar yet usually less expensive.

Prosecco is a sparkling white wine made with Glera grapes, grown in the Veneto region of Italy. It has a past reputation of being sweet and low quality, but that’s old news as today’s Prosecco, made with modern methods, is often indistinguishable from Champagne. With Prosecco, the Italian Charmat method is applied in which the second fermentation takes place in steel tanks rather than individual bottles.

Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine that can either be white or rose. Like Champagne, in order for it to be called Cava, it needs to be from a specific region and be made in a particular way. In Spain, most Cava comes from Catalonia and is made in a similar way to Champagne. Freixenet and Codorniu are the grape varieties most commonly used in Cava.

In terms of taste, Prosecco is arguably the closest Champagne knock-off and

an ideal and agreeable aperitif to greet you at a party. Prosecco is usually quite fruity, but varies in regards to sweetness or dryness. Prosecco is soft and approachable.

In comparison, Cava typically has more bubbles and a less sweet flavor. One can expect Cava to have a hint of citrus and at times an earthy essence. Cava makes a fantastic nightcap or post dinner indulgence.

Returning to North America, domestic bubbly is referred to as Sparkling Wine and is made with various methods, from mimicking France’s traditional method to Italy’s Charment method. There is no restriction on time in the bottle and favorable climates, especially in California and Washington states, which allow for a vintage wine to be produced almost every year. Current U.S. regulations banned the term “Champagne” from any wine produced outside the coveted French region after 2006. In Washington state, there are over 760 wineries, yet less than 10 make sparkling wine. This could be because Americans associate the festive wine only with special occasions, rather than as an everyday wine. This thinking is due for a change as any day can be a sparkling one.

As early as 1984, Mountain Dome Winery in Spokane began producing a high quality sparkling wine utilizing Methode Champenoise, which included handriddling and bottle aging from two to seven years. Mountain Dome’s Brut with the whimsical gnome label (nicknamed Gnome Perignon) is a quality everyday sparkler that retails for under $18 a bottle. Don Townshend of Townshend Cellars recently purchased Mountain Dome, retaining second-generation winemaker Eric Manz.

The sparkling wine can currently be tasted at the new Townshend Tasting room in the Green Bluff area of North Spokane.

Another Washington state option is Karma Vineyards, which is located off the south shore of Lake Chelan. Karma Vineyards opened in 2007 and, like Mountain Dome, is producing quality sparkling wines also using the Methode Champenoise. Karma Vineyards has 14-acres of vineyards and an underground

wine cave that provides great temperature control for the bottles, as well as good acoustics. The winery has blossomed into a popular place for weddings and soirees.

If you still want to explore your bubbly options, go see John Allen at Vino! located just off 2nd Avenue on Washington Street in downtown Spokane, or Matt Dolan at the Rocket Market, atop Spokane’s South Hill off of 42nd Avenue. These knowledgeable wine guys can recommend bubbly at all price points from pretty much any region.

Both Vino! and The Rocket Market have popular wine classes and tastings to further your knowledge of bubbles, the happiest wine you can pour.

Bubbly is not just for fancy parties and toasting; rather, food-friendly bubbly might just be the most versatile wine for pairing. Unless the meal includes steak or a very sweet dessert, bubbly is pretty much a sure thing. Bubbly traditionally contains high levels of acidity and a small amount of sugar. Those two extremes compliment elements in the wide variety of food. From spicy Thai food and mild salmon to boxed mac & cheese, pizza and even popcorn…if in doubt, pour bubbles. Although it sounds almost wrong, bubbles even pair well with junk food.

Like other wines, bubbly can range in sweetness. Extra-Brut has 0-6 grams of sugar per liter, meaning this is the driest of dry, unsweetened. Brut contains less than 15 grams of sugar per liter and is the most common style, with no sweetness. Extra Dry has 12-20 grams of sugar, giving a hint of sweetness. It gets sweeter as you move to Sec with 17-35 grams and Demi-Sec with 33-55 grams. The last stop is Doux, with more than 55 grams, which is considered dessert wine.

Americans tend to reserve bubbly for special occasions but since quality bubbly can be found under $15 a bottle, we need to take another hint from the French and consider it an everyday wine.

Laurie L. Ross is a freelance writer, and the author of the popular Spokane blog, sipofspokane.com

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Ad Index 14th and grand Action Recycling Affinity aloha island grill American Heart Association angell, Thomas W. Architect Appleway Florist Ashley Furniture Attic Rentals Backyard Public House Baldwin Signs Ballet Arts Academy Beacon Hill Catering & Events Berry Built Design Inc. Beyond Beads North Be Well Direct Health Care bisson, Alan Boo Radley’s/ Atticus Gifts Brain Freeze Creamery Broadway court estates Bryant, Kathy California Closets Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. Carlson Sheet Metal Century 21 - Jim Powers Chateau Rive Cloninger, Brooke DDS Coeur D’Alene Casino Combs Orthodontics Cotter Ranch Properties Crouse, DAVID PLLC Crystal Madsen Photography DAA Northwest Auto Body Center Dania furniture Davenport Hotel Dental Clinique Did’s Pizza & Froyo Downtown Spokane Partnership Ellingsen, Paxton orthodontics Empire cycle Entertainment Spokane Entertainment Warehouse Eowen Rosentrater Attorneys Europa European Auto Haus Fairwood Retirement Village Faith, Charisa Ferrante’s Fery’s Catering Firefly Lighting & Design First Priority Flat 4 Photobooth Floor Covering International Fruci & Associates G.E.T. Glen Dow Academy Glo Medical Spa

113 145 58 157 119 86 120 85 107 20 134 141 108 90 67 10 88 69 34,153 57 126 4 89 90 95 96 118 60 122 171 29 101 131 7 11 56 146 132 12 25 141 103 94 157 130 59 134 168 104 89 144 109 87 27 29 104 121

Gold Seal Mechanical Gold’s Gym Good Samaritan Gordy’s Grapetree Great floors GreenScape Gardens Greenbriar Inn Halletts Chocolates hanley collection Herbal Essence ideal weight loss INBC inland imaging Inland northwest health services Irene Dahl Italian kitchen Jema lane Jewelry Design Center Kai Morimoto Plastic Surgeon Kitchen Engine Larry H. Miller HONDA Larry H. Miller Toyota La-Z-Boy Liberty Park Florist Lillian Conn Love @ First Bite Lyle Pearson / Land Rover Magnuson Orthodontics Manito Ship & Copy Manito Tap House Marcheso & Associates Marcus Whitman Hotel Mechanics pride and automotive MISO Fresh Asian Mom’s Tattoo Monarch Custom builders Moody radio Next Day Dry Cleaning Northern Quest Resort & Casino Northwest OBGYN Northwest Trends Olympic Game Farm Orchard Crest OXARC Pacific Flyway Gallery Pacific Garden Design Pinot’s Palette Plese Printing Pokenlink Poplawski, Andrea Priority One Maintenance Providence Health Care Pura Vida Homes Pure Romance R. Alan Brown, Inc Rainbow windows

91 114,115 54 150 135 91 113 112 67 77,79 163 118 124 116 123 71 146 72 2 31 151 9 128 17 65 70 107 23 119 67 150 54 99 130 164 35 84 143 109 3 31 81 143 59 27 164 86 137 18,19 139 26 94 116 89 110 87,127 137

Rancho viejo Regal Fabrics Renovations by Dave Covillo Rick singer photography Ritters Garden & Gift Riverview Retirement Roast House rockwood retirement community rocky castaneda Photography Runge Furniture Sam Rodell Architect Senior Helpers Shogun shriners hospital Silhouette Lighting Simply Northwest Spa Paradiso Spiritual Life Wedding Spokane Internal Medicine Spokane Symphony Associates Spokane Symphony Spokane Valley Cancer Center Spokane Voice Star Financial - Melissa Williams Steamplant Sunset Florist & Greenhouse Sushi.com Swinging Doors, The Thai Bamboo The Boiler Room The CLay Connection the glover mansion The Onion/ Area 51 The Wandering Table The Yards Bruncheon Those Girls Total Fit Total Wine Townshend Cellars Tuxedo Gallery Uncle Sam’s Flags & Gifts Union Gospel Mission University Chiropractic Urban Apothecaries Valley Hospital Veraci Pizza Verve Hair & Wigs Wallflowers Weigand, Richard DDS Weldon Barber Wendle Ford Nissan & Infiniti Westlaw Books & Publishing Westwind Kennels Wild Sage Windermere - Nancy Wynia Windermere North - Bill O’Dea Wonders of the World

Coming in the February 2015 Issue: best dentists

Spokane area professionals will kick off the new year with a celebration of the region’s BEST B2B Firms of 2014. This trade show and networking event will feature area businesses who are making a difference in our region.

You’ll meet the best business people, best PR firms, best staffing firms, best web design firms, best office supplies, best event facilities and more at this networking event.

Thursday, January 15th 5-8pm

Bank of America Building | Lobby | 601 W Riverside | Spokane 170

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104 S. Freya, Suite 209 Spokane, WA 99202-4866